welle as he hathe intended to doo bothe He hath sette vppe good lawes and abrogated suche as were vnprofitable for his people who is more prudent in consultation who can better forsee that y t is lyke to chance than he can who can be of more actiuitie and yet in letters he hath gone so farre perchaunce not by no great studye but by the rare quickenes of witte and boūtie of nature that diuines ye and those that are amonges them beste lerned do admire and hyghely commende the ryght iudgement that his grace hath in soo many thynges Then he hath also this vertue as chiefe of al the rest his mooste pryncely qualities that there is none more gentler to be spoken vnto none that hath lesse dysdayne none that hath lesse pryde the maiestie not withstandynge of a prince euermore safe and in no poynte diminysshed The wyttes of lerned men whom his grace hath euermore so noryshed and hath ornated wylle not suffre the memorie of suche his excellente vertues to decaye by any proces of tyme. No no bothe the eloquence of latyn menne and grecians shall euer testifie that there was one kyng Henry the eight in England whiche alone had all the ornamentes that al these prynces had amonges them the study and loue toward good letters ▪ y t Ptholomeus Philodelphus had the good fortune of Alexander Magnus the gentle affabilitie that Philip kynge of the Macedons had the noble courage of Iulius Cesar the helthe of Augustus the clemencye of Traianus the integritie of Alexander Seuerus the lernyng and knowlege of Marcus Antonius Pius the religion of Theodosius and to make an ende where vertues skace letteth me fynd any ende there was nothinge allmooste in any of those whiche thantiquitie so highly praiseth that had any notable qualitie but it may be found in this one prince Thus sayth Erasmus ¶ I myght bringe in many places of Ludouicus Viues of al them that eyther haue ben lerned them selfe or loued lerned men but Erasmus I thynke hath sayd ynough for to make al vs glad of suche a prince I wyl say that I am assured all the lordes of Englande wyl grant me that if they were all borne to be right enheritours of the Crowne of Englande yet amonges them al there is not one whiche they myght thynke worthy to be kyng his grace being alyue Al be it their title were as good as his gracis is Nowe when god hath gyuen his highnes only good title and made him theyr right and natural kyng and them his Subiectes what shal we thynke they ought to do in defence of his gracis right and honour They knowe ryght wel they haue declared their hartis towardes his highnes The nobles haue well perceyued as they be the strength of the kynge so he and his lawes are their defence and saulfegarde They know the fal of th one is the fall of bothe The dukes worthy all hye prayse all honour all rewarde haue shewed them selfes bothe wyse in seinge their owne hurtes to be adioyned with the kynges and faythfull in defendynge theyr prynce The lordes haue done semblable wise Knyghtes lacked not of their parte Gentlemen and briefely al men haue sene that sedition is sooner to be stopped with losse of goodes great expenses then that men of one nation shulde cruelly one kyll an other The kynges grace both by his long experience and also by his knowlege in good letters wel perceyueth that the chiefe honour that a christen prince shulde seke is the sauynge of his people His grace knoweth the ende of ciuyle discorde He knoweth the commodities that come of concorde and vnitie In tyme of ciuile dissention men wander here and there sure in no place trustynge no man suspectyng all thinges affrayed almoste of their owne shadowe Cities made for the welthe of then habitantes are the distruction of all or the moste parte of them that are within them Walles made to kepe out ennemyes kepe vs from flieng our ennemies Howses townes ye hole cities are hurled oft to the groūd then foloweth the last parte of the playe Hungre thyrste lacke of lodgynges lacke of other necessaries Al craftes are distroyed or at the leest hyndered for a longe season after horse and oxen that shuld tyll the erthe are taken away But the most hurte of all is that we lerne to set god and his lawes at noughte what shall he thynke vnlaufull what vnhonest that thynketh he maye weare harnes agaynst his prynce sleye his countreye men neyghbours frendes kynsfolke ye brothern and systerne fathers and mothers Whan Pyrrhus kynge of the Epirotes was settyng forthe ageynst the Romayns in defence of the Tarentins Cineas a philosopher in moche fauour with hym asked Pirrhus what he wold do whan he had ouercome the Romayns All Italye sayth he shortely after shal be ours Wel whan Italy is vnder you what wyl you than do ▪ Than we wol sayle into Secilia This wonne whether then we wol into Spayn This ouercome is there any more to doo Ye then we woll set vppon Carthago Imagine sayth Cineas ye haue obteyned this also Haue ye it that ye desyre ye sayth he for then we woll retourne to Epirus againe and there passe the rest of our life in myrthe and pleasure Then I praye you why maye we not make mery nowe why be we not afrayed that somwhat chaunce in so many warres that we lese this which we foolyshely seke hauing it in our handes ¶ May not I say so vnto ours Put you the case as you woll ymagine you haue the better hande howe be it better it is to be kylled thanne to conquere fightyng ageynst your prince Yet imagin euery thinge go on your side as you desire Can it chance so well but many of you muste wayle He that is ouercomme shall wepe ye say Trowe you they shall laugh that wynne Thynke you myrthe can be within theym that euermore shall thynke god hateth them the world abhorreth them Lette vs agree lette vs agree let vs se what good concorde amonges men doth Concord brought them together that wādered without places euer in fere one of thother Concord made lawes cōcorde builded cities increased and conserued them Concord brought in all honest craftes Concorde bringethe riches whiche by dissention we seke maddely In tyme of peace wittes atteyn vnto lernyng vertue and wysedome Concorde maketh vs the frendes of god the inheritours of heuen parttakers of al the ioyes that god hath prepared for them he beste loueth All that feare god all that loue his fauour wyl say as I do we woll peace we woll no dissention we haue oft sene the good that cometh of rufflynge the good that cometh of chaungynge We haue ben some tymes tourned from Brytones into Saxons frō Saxons into Danes The Normans haue ben our gouernours we haue euer chāged for the worse we woll kepe our strength for an other season We shall haue a better tyme a worse quarell we can not haue to spende our bloode in we woll our ēnemies laughe not at our distructiō we wol that they be not mery at our calamitie whiche can not be mery excepte they see vs sadde we woll be frendes God saue Englande as it is if al Englyshe men say so to I am sure God wyll saye Amen LONDINI IN AEDIBVS THOMAE BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS CVM PRIVILEGIO 1. Reg. 10. 1. Reg. 15. 2. Reg. 5.
they shulde do whiche beynge in errours them selfe in darkenes and ignorancy suppose his grace to be in a wronge faythe and soo to seduce them whiche entendeth nothynge so ernestly as the sauyng of their sowles Howe can these obey his highnes as it behoueth them to do whan they thynke in obeyenge his commaundementes they disobey goddis This foreyne heed that is in Rome y e body being in England hath brought the sely braynes of many a poore manne into depe errours Alas what greatter ignorauncye can there be then to take hym for hede that neuer was with the body Hym for the heed that hitherto hath done nothynge but consumed the membres The kyng is our heed though popyshe say nay yet lette vs beleue the prophete Samuel Lo saythe he vnto kynge Saul God hathe anoynted the and made the prince of all his inheritance I pray you think you that priestes monkes friers and byshops be not a parte of goddis inheritaunce Hath god no tytle no right vnto them If god haue the kynge also whom god hath made his holle heyre muste nedes haue He is theyr prynce and yet not heade some say Samuell is a prophete he sayth yes he saythe vnto Saule Nonne cum paruulus esses in oculis tuis caput in tribubus factus es He that sayth in the Tribes I pray you doth he not meane in all the Tribes He that is mayre of London is he not mayre of all London Yet there is Pasce oues ▪ sayde to Peter and not to the kynge Soo they saye that alledgeth but that that maketh for them But you se that god sayd to kynge Dauid Tu pasces populum meum Thou shalt fede my people and thou shalt be theyr guyde I shal speke of this matyer perchaunce a nother tyme at more leysure And in place more conueniente Nowe I wyll not go from my purpose We muste agree in in religion we must serue but one mayster one body wyll haue but one heed It is not possible men to agree longe that dissent in relygion No more than it is possyble christen men to agree with turkes Howe be it who wyll not thynke it moch better to dissent then that we all agree vpon pernytious errours Whiche haue noo defence but this onely that they haue reygned long and that men hath long ben subiecteto them The nobles muste be of one beleue of one fayth of one religion they must all agre vpon one heed The gentylmen wyll folowe the comunes can not tary longe behynde And where I sayde before youthe muste be welle brought vp specially in opinions of religion here I say the olde muste begynne It is harde for the sonne to be agaynst his father in matters of faith No we se this thynge onely to be a defence for all argumentes I beleue as my father did before me Vndoubtedly if the child lerne one thyng at scole or of the preacher and here his father at home not onely saye but see hym also doo the contrary wordes are forgotten dayly exaumple worketh faste specially when it is euylle Clitipho saythe as all yonge menne wylle saye My father byddeth me lerne of other honest mē what becometh me to do he commaundeth me to folowe them but when he hath well dronke what shamfull actes dothe he tel of hym selfe when he sayth he hath doone thus Can I thynke vppon that he byddeth me do and not sooner do as he hath done No no he telleth a tale to one that hath no eares that commaundeth the yonge to do well when they see the aged do euyll I haue ofte meruailed to see the diligencye that the Iewes vse in bringynge vp their youthe and bene moche asshamed to see howe neglygente christen men are in soo godly a thynge There is neyther man woman nor chyld of any lauful age but he for the mooste parte knowethe the lawes of Moyses and with vs he is almost a good curate that knoweth .vi. or .vii. of the .x. commandementes amonges the Iewes there is not one but he can by some honeste occupation gette his lyuyng There be fewe idell none at al but such as be riche ynough and may lyue without labour There is not one begger amonges thē All the cities of Italy many places in Eecilia many bourges in Germany haue a great nombre of Iewes in them I haue ben longe amonges them that are in Italy I neuer harde of a Iewe that was a thefe neuer that was a murderer No I neuer hard of a fraye betwene them I am ashamed to saye as I nedes muste saye They maye well thynke their religion better than ours if religiō be tried by mens lyues Nowe if Moyses lawe lerned in youthe and but carnally vnderstande can so steye them that fewe or none fall into other vice than vsury whiche also they do thynke permytted by Moyses lawe so y t they vse it not one iewe to an other as in dede they do not but a Iewe to a straunger Might not we lerne so moche of Christis lawe as were able to kepe vs from rebellion Maye not poore mennes chyldren come to the sermons maye they nothere preachers can they here goddis lawes ye though they be but easily preached and not abhorre sedycyon and rebellion Who harde euer that the Turkes rose against their prince it is it is vndoubted one sorte of relygion though also it be not ryght that kepeth men in concorde and vnytie Turkes goo not agayne turkes nor Iewes agaynste Iewes because they bothe agree in theyr faythe Christen men do so varye Englande is so deuyded that I wonder rather that sedicion sprange vp no sooner than that nowe men begyn to rebell Englande is lyttell bounde vnto them that at the fyrst deuyded it so madly This North and south east and west is a good particion of the hole worlde it were wel in Englande if we were all called Englyshemen of this countrey or that as of Yorke of London and suche other and not these northern men these southerne these western The very name maketh fooles out with theym that they neuer sawe The northorn can not but beare haulfe a grudge to the southern ye for no nother cause then that they be thus called In Italie Fraunce Spayne Germany there is both north and southe est and west yet they iudge nothynge by these but the wynde In Oxford I know the name of the northorn and southorne proctour hath ben the cause that many men haue ben slayne They that shulde rule thother are out or euer they entre into their office We can not get out of Paules churche but we muste passe by the northorn dore or by the southern Christen men are to soore diuided The fryers of saynt Fraunces skace loue the domynycans the Iacobites loue not the Brigetines or if they doo loue they wolde loue moche better if they were al of one sort I do knowe good men of what order so euer they be they wyll do well But the euyll be
mo in nombre they bere the swynge thother be sofewe that skace they be sene in the chapiter howse It is only Christis religion that can make Christē men one of vs loue an other as we shulde do The preceptes of philosophie and good education coude make many of the Grecians mo of the Romans not only to forsake riches to banyshe pleasures to put them selfes in a thousande perilles but also to dye for their coūtrey And can not the knowlege of the worde of god the swete adhortations the hyghe and assured promyses that god maketh vnto vs kepe christen men from contempning the iudgemente and lawes of god frome vndoinge theyr coūtrey from fyghtyng against theyr prince If we were any thing wel instructed in the ioyes that are prepared for them that obey god and their prynce in the ioyes that neyther mans eloquence can expresse neyther harte fele nor thought compasse Who wyll thinke that soo many of theym coude so frankely offre vp theyr liues and that we shall not abhorre suche as eyther wyll dye theym selfe or bringe their countreye to ruine ¶ Who can prayse Themistocles soo well but he maye seme to haue lefte out a greatte parte of his prayse Who dyd more for his countreye then he Who coude be worse rewarded then he was that was not only banyshed his countrey but also driuen to seke succour at Xerxes hande whom he had not longe before dishonored in batayle who had a greatter cause to fall out with his countrey than he who more commoditie to haue reuenged suche ingratitude But se what good education can do Se what is to be loked for of them in whose brestis vertue and desyre of honeste fame lodgeth Xerxes interteyned hym highely and shewed him all the fauour that a myghtie prynce could shewe vnto one whom he best loued He gaue hym great possessions in soo moche that Themistocles was wonte to saye I had ben vndone except the Atheniās had vndone me Yet al this being thus when Xerxes wold haue sent hym agaynst his countrey with an hoste of men he forgot all theyr vnkyndenes he forgot they had exyled him and put him in ieoperdy of his lyfe and thought it moche better to slee hym selfe than to be a capitayne agaynste his countrey And thus at the laste beinge weried with ofte callynge on of the kynge and seynge no remedy but eyther to kyll hym selfe or to fyght against his countrey he chose of two the lesse hurt and with a drafte of Bulles bloudde finysshed his life I wyll not speake of Thrassibulus Codrus Ancurus Decii and manye other whiche all thought the welthe of theyr countrey to be preferred to their lyues I can not thinke but if Christis lawes were well preached they be well preached whan the preacher sayth as the gospel is and doth as the gospell saith I can not thinke but if Christis promyses were surely prynted in our hartes that we shulde be and that a great sorte to testifie the worde of god to be of moche more puissaunce then vaine fame Goddis worde is potente and to saye as I thynke almost omnipotent if it be well handeled and of suche as it shulde be It is moch that good men maye do In Florence the people were set parte agaynste parte as we were latelye here in Englande The syde that hadde the better hande came to set a fyre the palaice of their aduersaries Capitayne called Pagolantonio Soderini As chaunce was this capitaynes brother the byshop of Volterra was than in his howse whiche as soone as he harde theyr noyse and perceyued where about they wente cast on his white rochet and so came downe amonges them he spake but few wordes but by and by al that were in that rout caste awaye theyr fyer brondes There was none so lewde that coulde in so honeste a prelates presence do any hurte This Machiauellus wryteth as a thynge wonderfull howe be it if people were as obedient as they ought to be and byshops in suche reuerence as they haue ben in tymes past for their good lyfe and lernynge this wolde be no wonder who was lesse beloued in the northe than my lorde Cardynall god haue his sowle before he was amonges them Who better be loued after he had ben there a whyle we hate oft tymes whom we haue good cause to loue It is a wonder to see howe they were turned howe of vtter ennemyes they became his dere frendes He gaue byshops a right good ensample howe they myght wyn mens hartis There was fewe holy dayes but he wolde ride .v. or .vi. myle from his howse nowe to this paryshe churche nowe to that and there cause one or other of his doctours to make a sermone vnto the people He sat amonges them and sayd masse before al the paryshe He sawe why churches were made He began to restore them to their ryght and propre vse If our byshops had done so we shuld haue sene that preachyng of the gospell is not the cause of sedition but rather lacke of preachyng of it He broughte his dinner with hym and bad dyuers of the parish to it He enquired whether there was any debate or grudge betwene any of theym yf there were after dinner he sente for the parties to the church and made them at one Men say wel that do wel Goddis lawes shal neuer be so set by as they ought before they be well knowen Howe shall poore men knowe them excepte they be syncerely preached We must fyrst lerne to kepe goddis lawes or euer we ernestly passe of the kynges statutes All be it he that kepeth th one wylle also kepe thother He that can fynde a better way to auoyde sedition than fyrste to brynge in the worde of god which our most lerned kyng and true lieutenant of god in this realme of England hath holly intēded this many yeres Secondarily the mynd welle pourged that is restored into the good and pure nature that fyrst god made it in to purge as Zamolsis thought best the body He that can fynd a better way shall do ryght wel to shew it I fynde none Men after that the mynde is wel instructed must se that the body haue also a way to mainteyn it self Euery mā must haue an honest occupation wherby in trouth he may get his lyuyng without doinge iniury to his neyghbour Idelnes ydelnes must be banysshed It can not be chosen but men wylle steale thoughe they be hanged excepte they may lyue without stelyng How it may be brought to passe that no man haue cause to stele me thinke I haue eyther shewed it or elles gyuen occasion to some other to shewe it ¶ Now that we content our selfes with that whiche god shal send vs or with that we by our owne industry shall laufully gette me thynke a greatte parte lyeth in the prelates of the Churche They muste begynne thother can not leade this daunce If religious men begyn laye people wyll folowe as soone as they
shall haue lerned wel the fotynge of it Religion toke a great falle honestie was sore wounded that daye that richesse entred into theyr hartes handes I wolde say whom Christ left for to declare bothe in worde and lyfe what rewarde they were sure of that here for his sake wolde refuse rychesse It is noo meruayle if a tapster or a wyne drawer recken a peny or two more than his duetie whan they see religious menne soo imbrace money Lette the poore laye people here them say and lye not God is our portion God is our lādes Our conuersation is in heuen They wyll vndoutedly take pouertie for noo suche thynge that they shulde sooner consent to the disturbaunce of theyr countreye then to be poore I haue longe sought and can in maner fynde no cause of our pouertie but the fertilite and welthynes of our countrey Other men that are borne in bare countreys and can not lyue onles they moche trauayle the world auoyde myserie by their great labour and toyle In Englande the grounde almoste nourisheth vs alone It is an incredible thynge to see howe sore men of other nations labour howe moch we play howe lytle they consume on their belyes howe moche we deuoure howe poore they be and how welthy we are welthy I saye in comparison of them God hath gyuen vs to good a countrey we maye here to many of vs lyue ydle In many places of Germany people are fayne to set theyr trees that they vse for theyr fewel They sowe corne on mountaynes where neyther horse nor plowe can come They plowe with mattockes and harrowe with spades Howe moche grounde is lost in England Howe moche corne myght we carie into other coūtreyes if we wolde vse the commodities of our realme Howe manye hethes be there that wolde beare other frutis than shrubbes brakes bromes and ferne if they were welle handeled howe many cities are decayed howe many townes that are nowe hamlettis quyte downe that wolde stande if the thirde parte of Englande dyd not lyue idelly Townes wolde vp ageyne yf craftes were set vp There is fewe nations but many be ydell yet I thinke there is not two of the greattest nations in christendome that hath halfe so many that liue without craftes as lytle England hath In Frāce ye shal see many men drawe cartis about the citie laden with fagottes and suche other small wode In Italy there is no man so ryche but he trauaileth in marchandise Dukes that are there in kynges places occupye marchādyse And yet are fain to kepe small howses I wyll not compare our comynaltie with theirs I wyl not handel this place as I mighte This I am sure we that haue bene there haue sayde ones a weke God saue the welthy comynaltie of England I wyl not cōpare our kepyng of houses with theirs where frogges be a dayntie dysshe snayles a morsell for a lady where musshrumpes stande for the seconde course Ye wolde thynke it a madde syght to see a quarter of a goose runne rounde for burnynge the reste powdered and kepte in stoore for holydays I am assured the fare in Venys is as good as is in the moste partes of Italie Venys is as bygge or very lyttell lesse than London with the suburbes yet is there more fleshe spent in two or thre monethes in London than is there in a yere We haue to many sawces to many showynge hornes to drawe in meate we knowe full lytel what we do that make as though we cared not who ruled in Englande If a foreyne prince hadde the gouernynge of vs a whyle thynke you we shulde not be farre dysceyued if we loked to lyue as we nowe lyue to do as we nowe do Thynke you Daces wold not come in ye knowe not what daces be no dates I warrant you I pray god ye neuer knowe them This I am sure as longe as oure mooste gracyouse prince kynge HENRY the. VIII reygnethe ouer vs whiche I praye god it be vntylle his heires be of age we shall nede feare no daces They began properly to sparse pretye rumours in the North that no man shulde eate whyte breade no man eate pygge gose or capon without he agreed before with the kynge They well bothe declared their malyce and howe lytell they had to lay againste the kynges grace whiche were compelled shamefully to fayne suche abhomynable lyes ageynst his highnes The kyng entendeth no suche thynge Wolde god bothe his grace wolde goo about to gette vs a better name in straunge countreys and we also content our selfes to haue it we be called I wote where englishe bealyes Who can not but be sorie to se a man bye so dere so many hurtes as come of to moch meate Who knoweth not that the englyshe swette no olde sycknes and twenty other diseases more come euery day of inordinate fedynge Memorye wytte ye the verye mynde whiche is immortall almoste is slayn with surfettis The eyes chaunge their colour where they shulde be drye they falle to droppynge theyr syght departeth The eares waxe dull of herynge to be shorte all the senses be drowned with drinke and cloyed with to moche fedyng where as the belye is greatter than all the body besyde where the bealy raigneth dothe not all honeste craftes all good inuentions want what countrey hath inuēted fewer thynges than Englande Be our wittes worse than other mens be No no there is no faut but ours that wyll haue them no better Is it not a shame that we can not be as discrete as wyse as the brute beastes are Doo they drynke but whan they are a thurste Do they eate but when they be hungrye when dyd any man see a beast dye of a surfette Men are some tyme in the faute that bestes dye of drynkyng they being to hote after their labour Put a beast at lybertie lette hym be at his owne fedynge it wyll be long or he hurt hym selfe eyther by eatyng or drinking Amonges vs what syckenes kylleth so many as meate and drynke what pestylēce ryddeth more than sustenance Besydes y t for the more part pestilēce cometh of outragious dyet and doth lytel hurt where mē can moderate their mouthes Bibbers wil be offēded with hym that shal go about to make them lyue better to make them lyue longer to make them rycher to tourne theyr drynkyng money into stuffe of house holde They enuye the duchemen that drynke deper than they why doo they not enuye the moyles aswell that drynke as moche as duchemenne and yet fall not vnder the maunger as they do vnder the bourde We haue lost bothe the good thynges that antiquitie vsed and chaunged also the names of theym that we haue He is called a louer that doth al he may to make an honest womā naught If her louer entend to take away her honestie her good name what shall he do that hateth her Euen so we call that good fare that doth vs mooste hurt and that euyl chere that doth vs most good I thynke he
suppeth euyll that for his good supper kepeth his bedde a seuen nyght after You wyl thynke I knowe London well that make this offer vnto you Blyndefelde me caâ—…e me after to what place ye woll I wyl lyttell fasle to tel where ye set me and before whose doore They that know not my cunnynge wyll skace beleue me I praye you can ye set me in any place but I may say and lye lyttell I am nowe before a Tauerne or an ale howse Fayle I maye but farre I can not fayle In Italy it is all moste as moche shame for an honest man to come out of a tauerne betwene meles as it is here to come froÌ„ the baâ—ke In Venis there is no moo tauernes thenne there be innes neyther wyne is to be solde by the quarte but in the innes bicause it becometh none to bye after such facion but strangers those that can not tary longe in a place How moch good myght a few good men do a fewe myght so begyn to redresse this errour that there shulde nede no lawe to coÌ„pell men to do them selfe good who was amonge the Romans but he myght fynd in his hart to haue fewer dyshes whaÌ„ Manius Curius beyng dictatour that is in the highest office that any man coude beare in Rome was contented not onely to lyue with wortes but also glad to styrre the potte hym selfe and to gyue Ambassadours theyr answeres as he was kelynge the potte We banyshed the best thyng that euer was with manne when frugalitie was dryuen away we kowe not what welth is in smal thinges nor yet what ryches is in contented pouertie Pouertye hath ben the inuentrice of all good craftes and of al other thynges that eyther gyue ornameÌ„tes or brynge coÌ„modities vnto mans lyfe Recken but one goodthynge that a welthy person hath inueÌ„ted a thousaÌ„d euyl I can reherse Pouertie hath ben the maker of al ryche realmes What citie had a poorer begynnynge than Rome what lesse Ryches then Venys What kyng was porer then the kynge of Portyngale ¶ Socrates was axed howe his comon welthe shulde withstand the malice of a rycher seing that he wolde the communes to haue very lyttell and thother neuer a deale to moche Howe they maye withstande one sayth he I nede not telle you but I am sure they shal be good inough to fyght ayeÌ„st two if they bothe be welthy and ryche ynoughe Howe so saythe Adimanthus Euer sayth Socrates one poore soudiour is good inoughe for two ryche in batayle He is quycke these are dulle he leane and lusty these fatte and foggy he made to hunger thurst and hardenes these delycate and deed if they be a nyght or two out of theyr nestes Howe shall they fyghte well that ii or .iii. shildes woll skace couer theyr belyes ¶ Who wyll beleue that Scipio so worthy a capitayn of the Romayns could leue his doughters nothyng to theyr mariages but the comune welth fayne to gyue them their dowries what Romaine coulde thinke pouertie to be refused whan so noble a manne was contente with it I can not tarye in exaÌ„ples Cincinnatus Fabricius and many other I muste not speake of It is skace credyble that Plutarche wrytethe of a capitayne of the Lacedemonians Euermore whan this wente to warfare they were fayne to gyue hym money out of the comune hutche to bye hym botis and showes what souldiour coulde thinke hym selfe poore when he sawe his capytayne haue so lytel They were contented with suche extreme pouertie and doo we thynke it laufull because we be not so ryche as we wold be to ryse ayenst our prince this our prince so louyng so lerned so made of nature to a kyngdom so endued of god with all such priÌ„cely vertues as are to beautifie a comon welth coude we if we knewe what we dyd go agaynst kynge HENRY the VIII of whom I wyll say nothynge but this that his gracis fame and prayse can not falle but when all good letters fall which can not be before men leaue the erthe and the erth men I wyll saye nothyng of myn owne Al be it me thynke it moch apperteyneth to hym that wyll handel this mater well bothe to shewe howe moche Englande is bound to loue his grace and howe moch we ought to hate all them that wolde his grace any euyll But I wyll let Erasmus the greattest lerned man of our tyme speke for me Harke what he sayth of our kynge ¶ VVHAT REGION of this world is there but it may reioise at the high felicitie of England if it loue Englande what nation but it may enuy the welthe of Englande if it loue not Englande Vndoubted it is a kynge that eyther makethe a a Realme noble or that obscureth it with whatte bookes with howe many sortes of tongues shall the posteritie testifie that Englande in all kynd of vertue so flourysshed in kynge Henry the .viii. his tyme a prince sent of god vnto Englande whiche may seme but euen nowe to be borne euen now to be Englande so clensed of euyll customes and vices so imbued with all excellent ordinaunces that Massilia it selfe may here take example of ciuilytie soo instituted with Christes faythe that Rome nowe may come to skole to Englande soo stuffed with lerned men that Italye may enuy England sauynge that enuye hath no place where good letters reigne Englande hath a kynge whiche may be a rule vnto all princis that hereafter shall gouerne any comune welthe Good lorde this this in dede is a kyngedome This is a Princelyke court that his grace kepethe I lette passe the greatte gyftes that god hath endued so abundantly bothe his gracis goodly personage and mynde which al be it they come of god rather than of our industry yet they are hyghely profytable to a comune welth whaÌ„ they light on a good priÌ„ce And although this many yeres it hath ben smal praise in a prince to be well lerned yet his hyghnes shall bring it to passe y t as in time past it hath ben the chiefe ornament of a kynge to be lerned soo it shall here after be iudged hyghe prayse worthy a kyng to excel in knowlege His gracis singuler qualities shall declare them but fooles that are wonte to saye that noble courage of princely stomake is moch defaced moche broughte downe by lernynge and studye For what kynge can they brynge forthe that hath ben without letters whiche had more dexteritie in any feate that belongeth to a prince than his hyghnes hath so made of nature apte to euery thyng that in rydynge shotyng and suche other common pastimes there be fewe that are to be compared with hym There be fewe kyndes of musyke but his grace hath a good knowlege in them Wonderfully well seene in the sciences Mathematycall who can be more diligenter in oppressyng vice he hath dryuen out of his realme those that lyued by myschiefe he hath netted his realme of ydle vacabundes wold god his grace had done but the one as