that ende that I did beleeue those thinges to be true as they were set downe by him but that such in deede I supposed to bee the maners of men such to be the Lawes and ordinaūces of Countryes such to be the nature and force of thinges and al other matters to be of the like sorte and condicion as they were by him in wrytinge declared Wherefore to come to my former treatise of Nobilitie in that hee doth by wryting expresse Achilles to be the sonne of Thetis Memnon of Aurora and Sarpedon of Iupiter his meaninge no doubte agreeth with the minde and opinion of all wyse men of that time that they who for wysedome and vertue did farre excell the rest might be iudged not without the especiall prouidence of the Gods to haue bene bore and therefore to haue bene of their linage and consanguinity And this was the chiefe cause that Theseus was thought to haue beene the sonne of Neptune and Romulus borne of the God Mars Alexander also the greate did longe time since delight to bee called the sonne of Iupiter which opinion also grue of Scipio Affrican For the self same rumour which was raysed before of Alexander was vainely bruted of Scipio which was that a Serpent in shape monstruous was oftentimes seene in his mothers chamber Which beinge once of many men euidently noted sodainly vanished and was seene no more Herehence arose this opinion that many did thincke that Scipio his mother was great and conceaued by the Serpente a child But you wil say O notable shameles lie I pray you is there any man so voide of wit reason and vnderstandinge or so farre from the fayth of Christ whiche wil be perswaded that these thinges are true But yet this lie is grounded on a true and good opinyon which is to thincke that the nobilitye of bloude issueth from the excellency of good nature and that the worthines of vertue proceadeth from some noble and Princely parentage Hereby it is euident and most playne and manyfest howe greatly men of auncient memory dyd esteeme gentle and noble families Verely not without good cause For if any thinge were that for the worthines thereof deserued perpetuall and euerlastinge memory it issued from those noble personages for the most part As it is a thing most cleare and euident to him that listeth to reade the reportes and commentaries of antiquity Who knoweth not that the stocke of Hercules so farre excelled other in prowes and vertue that it did easely subdue the force and power of the Pelopidanes and wonderfully strengthened the state of Athens readye to bee ouerronne and destroyed vtterly So greately was any noble familye esteemed that who so were descended by them did thinke they were protected by the power of some heauenly garrison What auaileth it to shew you of the stocke noble line of Perseus Or what should it skill to recite the worthy Actes and famous enterprises of suche as haue beene of the race of Aeacus If any one woulde call to minde howe many and how great affayres howe straunge and howe daungerous enterprices haue bene done wrought by the Athenians should vnderstand for the most parte that nothinge hath ben amōge thē either attēpted or accōplished but by such whose progenitors were in their life honourable whose progenye after their death were honoured of the people To omit to speake of Kinges and Princes whom euerye man knowes to haue béene of singular vertues whose fame was sounded farre and wyde truely Clisthenes who first wrought the ruin and vtter subuersion of tyrannous gouernment Myltiades Cimon Themistocles Pericles and many moe whome to recite were ouer tedious whoe tooke vppon them moste weighty affayres and harde enterprices as well against the Grecians as Barbarians all those for the most parte came of some noble line and princely parentage The like is to be founde amongest the Thebanes the men of Sparta and a numbre of other nations and countries besides But let vs leaue these foraigne and straunge examples and search the Histories of our owne tyme If you geue your selfe to the readinge of holye scripture you shall haue therein conteyned what great oddes there is betwixt man and man and finde many testimonies there specified in confirmation and cōmendation of true nobility And that I leaue other vnspoken of it is apparent that the stocke of Iuda did farre excel the Hebrue Nation in vertue honour and dignity Who frō the time they were happely deliuered from the thraldome and slauerye they susteyned amongest the Egiptians haue bene well approued for their greate vertue and godlines Amongest whom I will onely note vnto youe certaine What time the Egiptian Kinge did greuously torment the Hebrues neither woulde vppon any condition release them as God had geuen them commaundement but rather encreased their misery dayely more more At the length accordinge to his desert suffered iust punishment at what time God him selfe appeared vnto him For their lādes were wasted their fruicts cōsumed through a great and terrible plague then by the verye appoyntmente of God mutch bloude shed great cruelty committed all tyrānie practised In conclusion the kinge being as it did appeare well reclaimed by so many greuous bitter scourges permitted the Hebrues to departe to offer sacrifice The Hebrues then departinge therehence and pitchinge their tentes neere the read sea perceaued some mischife imagined against them otherwise then they looked for For as sone as they passed the boundes of Egipt it repented the kinge much that he had set them at libertye For he beinge puffed vp with great pride did perseuere in his former wickednes in so mutch he purposed to pursue them with great force notwithstandinge knowinge them to be protected by the hande of Almightie god For whereas he was vtterly ouerwhelmed with the outrage of his fury coulde not perceaue what plagues were appoincted readye to confounde hym and his people he prepareth therfore a great troupe of horsemē multitudes of footemē are mustered and all delay beinge set a side hee bendeth his mayne force agaynst the Hebrues At that instante Moyses besought God with earnest prayer and petition for the peace and the happy deliuerance of his people and with that rodde which represented the omnipotent power of Almighty God which he alwayes carried about with him stryketh the Sea and immediatly he made a wide and open way for them through the middest thereof For the Sea beinge subiect and obedient to the will and power of God was vnto them in both sides as a stronge wall and mighty fortresse whereby they did securely passe witho◠feare of imminente daunger Notwythstandynge so greate was the feare of those Hebrues as it is reported in certaine histories of the Iewes for holy scripture maketh thereof at al no mention they report therefore that such was their horrour dread the albeit they were assisted by the power of God yet with great adoe were they brought to cōmit them selues to the daungerous passage of
therefore throughe their furye and madnes hurt and wounde their countrye but beyng oute in dauÌ„ger of vtter vndoyng they are able by no meanes to saue it or restore it beyng once lost and decayed to his forâ—â—â—â—onour and dignity It is therefore most cleare and euident that the estat of that couÌ„try is lameÌ„table where people are preferred before their peeres and the ignoble and â—â—lâ—born before the honourable But when the case standeth thus that noble men do flow and abound in al vertue and noblenes and are not onelye through the good inclination of thâ—yr noble natures but also through the loue of vertue inflamed with iustice and temperance and daylye study to do good to all men and to knit vp al in one word doe depely coÌ„sider the office and duty of a noble personage what is hee were he neuer so vilanos a verlet or cursed caytiue with wold not williÌ„gly obey their wil autoriti Nay who wil not rather persuade the body of a coÌ„moÌ„wealth to be geuerned by so worthi and noble a couÌ„sel For who soeuer is of so a leâ—â— mynde as to thinke it not a thinge most needful profitable to yeld himselfe conformable to the protection of some one most wise and modeste gouernour who for his wisedom and modestie onely deserueth commendation is not to be thought a louer of liberty but rather corrupted with the luste of licentiousnes and would by his ryot and foule demeanour molest the quiet estat of the country For there is nothing in the vniuersal worlde that is more apt to preserue the common societye of men then good lawes with out the which no familye no nation no countrye is â—â—l to stande and haue any contynuance But you will saye it is greeuous and intollerable burden to become seruile Truely I am of that mynde that no euill may be compared to seruitude but it is one thinge to serue and another to obeye For ther is greate odds between a lorde and a gardian The gardian is carefull for the safegard of those who are committed to him to be defended the lord onely doth respect his priuate commodity Euen so the loyalty and obedience of hym that is free greatlye dyfferethe frome the bondage of hym that is seruyle For seruitude is thus when the slaue wanting will free election foloweth the commaundement and becke of his lorde and hauinge no choyse repyneth at his lordes auctoritye But it is the propertye of a liberal nature to yeelde all dutye and reuerence to them whiche doth excell other in knowledge and wisedom and to whom for a long tyme haue bene committed the care and custodye of many people And as the sicke man doth no maner of seruice to the Phisition but willinglye foloweth his aduise and councell because he shal thereby be restored to health and as the passenger obeyeth the master of the shippe and the souldier his captaine so it behoueth a multitude well disposed to yeeld them selues wholy into the handes of right noble and worthy personages For the people through their dull wits and brutish nature cannot perceyue what is profitable eyther to themselues or for their countrye on the other side the noble mynd is not onely the worker of present profite but also through great foresight preuents imminent daunger Furthermore the people hath no taste or feelinge of honoure and renoume and glorye excepte they be by some strayght law brydeled and therefore are most couetous and giueÌ„ to al impyetie and in the defence of their countrye are of no stoute hardye stomache On the other syde the noble bloude is inflamed with the loue of renoume and abhorreth dastardlines as a most foule vgly vice and in defence of a common profitt accompteth greate and daungerous enterpryces Whiche by Homer whose graue sentences I do often recite and willinglye repete is in manye places most playnly declared For after suche sorte hee bryngeth in the king with sundrye and diuers kyndes of oracions perswadinge with the people as thoughe therby his meaninge were to geue notice and intelligence to al worthy and noble personages by the recitall of Agamemnon his prayse and worthines that they in like maner ought to excite and stirre vp themselues to striue with him for fame and glory But vnto the rude and barbarous people yf they turne their backes in battayle scourginge and killinge he denounceth Therefore as the stomach and courage of a lusty horse doth most appeare when hee yeeldeth to be guided by the will of a skillfull rider And as we suppose our minde to bee best setled when will to reason geueth the soueraignty And as we thincke a houshoulde to be well ordered when it leaneth to the aduised disposition of a wise and carefull housholder So must we persuade oure selues that the good estate of the people is then best ordered and established when they yeelde the free administration and as it were the sway of gouernmente to true Nobilitie ⧠THE SECONDE Booke of ciuill Nobilitie WHat the nature force order efficacie of true Nobilitie is Lewis most noble famous Prince how first beinge bred fostered by worthines of witte and excellencie of vertue it attayned the highest place of honour and soueraingtie and howe the people in all antiquitie was fully perswaded that noble birthe and worthines of parentage by bloude and aliaunce was ioyned and linked to the Gods and how great and honourable titles ensignes in all wel gouerned coÌ„mon wealthes were attributed and geuen thereunto I haue alreadye not onely by testimonies of excellent Poets and manifeste presidents of aunciente Records but also by authoritie of holy Scripture aboundantly declared and confirmed sufficiently And after I had put downe in writinge howe much antiquitie might preuaile for the furtheraunce and settinge forth of true Nobilitie I declared consequentlye that they who were of highe degree and noble parentage were not onely borne to beare rule and sitte in the place of Maiestie but also that the securitie safegarde and preseruation of the people was then beste kept and maintayned when the whole gouernmente was yelded vnto worthy noble personages But for as much as there is nothing in this world certaine stable and permanent but al thinges are frayle mutable and much subiect to alteration it may not be that Nobilitie and the glory thereof shoulde continue alwayes and be euerlasting Nobilitie therfore as most part of other thinges to the state and condition of man is subiect to mortalitie Wherefore 〈◊〉 â—f â—ll 〈◊〉 â—hings â—o oâ— nobilitie there is a certaine prime and youthly Estate then riper yeares ensue and old age foloweth last of all death wasteth and consumeth all vtterly so that no printe or signe appeareth of auncient Nobility Wee see therfore that many families which were in time past barbarous obscure and litle reckoned of are excediÌ„glye stirred vp and enkindled to purchase prayse and winne glorie Againe other wee see scarcely vphold the renowne of their auncestors other daily
saith he hath appeared in the Earth and talked with men And Ioell doth with these wordes stirre vp all Godly men Reioyce O you sonnes of Sion and be glad in the lorde your God for that he hath sent you a teacher to instructe you in all righteousnes Therefore after that the voice of that heauenly docter in darkenes gaue lighte had instructed mankinde with the rules of true religion and the discipline of wisedome and had taken away the gréedy mindes desire of humayne aâ—d traÌ„sitory pleasures and had sheewed them that nothinge in Earth was greatly to be feared not death which killeth onely the body but doth not so mutch as touche the soule not want of children lacke of friendes pouertye and such like which if they ircke and greue the carcas yet neuertheles the good estate of the soule which is immortall they cannot hurte and had taught them afterwardes to imbrace charitye lyberality temperaunce when he had deepely imprinted these thinges in the minde of man and had confirmed the hartes of his folowers and auditours with an assured hope of immortalitye and inflamed them with a feruent desire of diuine perfection who can doubte but that nowe not an image and shewe of vertue but the wonderfull excellency of perfect vertue allured them that were borne to renoume and after a merueylous sorte inflamed What shall wée say In that he did not only teach them is exercise themselues in all honesty and godlines but also coÌ„firmed their strength whereby they mought be able constantly to perfourme those thinges that he afore had taught them Which also by holy Oracles and Prophesies was afore shewed The eies saith he of the blind shal be opened It is not to be vnderstoode that the holy Prophet did prophecie these thinges onely of bodyly eies For all those thinges that haue bene declared vnto vs through the instinct and inspiration of the holy ghoste by those excellent menne are not to be applyed to the body bâ—t referred to the mynde and soule Againe it foloweth The eares of the deafe shal be opened He calleth them deafe which hath shut their eares to the inteÌ„t they would not vnderstande the will and pleasure of God of whome Ieremye speaketh Beholde their eares are vncircumcised and they cannot heare Notwithstandinge Christe of his meere mercy hath brought to passe that the deafe with their eares shoulde receiue good instruction I pray you what foloweth afterwardes Then shall the lame leape as the Harte and the toungues of the dombe shall sounde forth the praise and glory of God. What is vnderstoode by the lame they are not ignorant which are but yonge and simple schollers in diuinity For they are lame that haue any kinde of let or maime in their soule by the impediment whereof they are stopped in the race of piety godlines who can neither endeuoure by force of streÌ„gth nor by any meanes so deale by swiftnes of runninge that they may obtaine the rewarde of vertue Therefore consider and ponder with your selfe how manifoldly the soule of man is blessed by him that restored the liberty of man and browghte hym out of daunger and captiuity Who gaue sighte to the blinde opened the eares of them that were deafe gaue swiftnes to the lame so that like Hartes they are able to runne vppe to the toppes of the highest mountaines and make engines to destroye Serpentes Lastly infantes suckinge babes and dombe men can vtter Hymnes of praise and songes of thanks geuinge But in this chiefly God did deale with vs moste lyberally that wheras we were before altogether lost and forlorne no parte of oure life voyde of miserable wretchednes nowe by the greate goodnes and healpe of Iesu Christe wee are restored to oure former felicity And yet his benefyte in this one poyncte farre exceeded all other that he poured into man largelâ— his wisedomt and grace and wyth continuall care and studye preferued his holy lawe not ingrauinge and curiously caruing the same in tables but most deepely imprintinge it in his harte and mynde For now nothinge letting the mynde beynge in great felicity and blessednes it did wholie yelde it selfe to all kynd of righteousnes and celestiall discipline the vertue and power of the most high and euerlastinge God shewed it selfe moste louinglye vnto the soule of manne beynge his owne image and liklines which he in his creation had endowed with al grace and vertue and now appeared and gaue vnto it a clearer light and did inflamed it with an earnest desire of heauenly wysedome And if the Lawe be nothinge els but a right and perfecte rule of reason assuredly that reason which not onely by nature but that whiche is muche and farre better and by the prest and readye helpe and power of almightye God was made so perfec that it mought easelye applye it selfe to folowe the will and pleasure of God it canne not bee gainsayde but that it coÌ„teineth the law of god For thus it is writteÌ„ in the Prophet Hieremie This shal be the couenant which I will make with the house of Israell After those dayes fayth the Lord I wil geue them my law to possesse the bowels of them and wil wryte it within their hartes And this lawe is Christ himselfe euen he which is called the wisdome and power of God the father who is to mortall men an example of rare and excellent vertue and the onely means to gouern their lyfe by beynge alwayes present wyth those myndes which of vnpure he made chast holye and be kindleth them beyng stirred vppe with the motion of the holy spirite of God to the desire of immortall glorye And wheras by the capacity vnderstaÌ„ding of man there can be nothinge comprised greater then the power maiesty and godhead of Christe whiche we knowe is presente alwayes with vs by whose grace wee are moued to imbrace true and perfect vertue certes there is notonge so eloquent no discourse of man so copiouse and so rhetorical that can declare sufficiently or effectually set fâ—th the exceedinge greatenes of the mercie and â—lemencie of god And nowe me thinke I see most renowmed Prince that I haue through a certayne boldnes incideÌ„te to young men rashelye and aduenturously taken vpon me so great an interpryce as I shal not in any one poynt happely discharge For I am entered into the discourse of those thinges as it were into the deepe and mayne Sea with the profouÌ„dnes whereof all eloquence and oratory of maÌ„ must needes bee confounded and ouerwhelmed But what doe I speake of the vnderstanding of manne The heauenlye Powers themselues caÌ„ scarcely through their diuine and angelicall vtteraÌ„ce worthely handle matters of so great importance so farre of is it that the tongue of a mortall maÌ„ ofteÌ„ defyled with vnpure and vnsemely speaches can with exquisite learninge describe the wonderful benefites of God bestowed on man For is there any manne endued withe suche singularitye of iudgement that hee is able to conceyue muche lesse
expresse in woordes in what maÌ„ner the SoÌ„ne of God hath taken vnto him the shape and forme of man and with so wonderfull a linke of coniunction vnited his and our natures that beynge verye God was perfect man that he mought clense and purifie the whole generation of maÌ„ from euery blot blemish of sinne and mought keepe them safe holye and vndefiled froÌ„ all kynde of wickednesse further what kynd of eloquence is able to expresse the miserye of the crosse whiche Christ himselfe prouided and prepared as a bulwark and engine to vndermyne and ouerthrow the force of our enemy who caÌ„ set forth as the worthines of the matter it self requiâ—eth the vnconquerable vertu of him with the which he stroke to the ground and crushed in peeces that venemous serpent into whose power al thâ— generally were fallen and extinguished the farre stretched kingdome of death and banished and put to flight all superstiâ—ioÌ„s and barbarous behauours That in meane tyme I omitt that how he was raysed from death and bearyng with him the spoyles which hee beeynge the victor and conqueror in all battails procured to himselfe with wonderfull glorye entered into the throne celestiall that from thence forthe hee moughte bring vnder his authority eternall iurisdictioÌ„ al couÌ„tries and nations Also that I omit to speak of that kindlynge of fyre of the holye spyryte wherewythe the Apostles mindes inflamed wyth a rare and syngular constancie declared thinges secrete and heauenly and filled the whole worde with Christes holye name All these thinges stryke into our myndes a wonderfull admiration and through their exceeding greatnes bereue man of his reason and vnderstanding and maketh his tounge to folter and stagger Therfore it is a great matter and difficult and not onely excedeth the slendernes of my simple witt but is a thing whch cannot be compassed by mans reache and capacity to vtter and declare any one parte of those thinges which not the doctrine and traditioÌ„ of men but the wysedome of God hath inspyred into our myndes notwithstaÌ„ding that should haue ben coÌ„sidered before we had in our first enterance as it were passed forth out of the heauen Now truely wheras we haue boldly launched into the depe we must hoyse vp our sayles Therefore leauinge that argumente whiche we haue before dilated so farforth as it was lawful and we durst presume we wil by Gods aide and assistance brieflye speake of those thinges which concerne the worthie titles of a Christian name ANd first as touchinge vertue yf as it was of vs before declared that onely is to be demed a vertu which proceedinge from God alwaies is referred to God and to him directeth al her actyons and euident it is that the heauenly and celestiall kynde of vertue did onelye procede originally from the doctrine mighty power of Christ and it was powred onely into the myndes of theÌ„ which were the true folowers of Christ it consequeÌ„tly foloweth that one lyin Christians the perfecte light of true nobilitye appeareth For this is the onely vertue which weakened al the strengthe and cutte a sunder the synowes of sinne which restored to the former bewtie the most excelleÌ„t and diuine substaÌ„ce of the soule defiled with al vncleanes which did make strong and lusty the feble strength of the soule with a marueylous swiftnes and constaÌ„cie farre passinge the opinion and credit of men which hath aliened all our cogitations from all humaine and transitory pleasures to the study of holines and pure religion and hath layde open a sure and ready path way to heauen Let any man yf it so please him compare that kynde of vertue which was in the Grctians and Romaines both that was to outward apparance worthy greate renoumne with the nobilitye of a ChristiaÌ„ man he shal eftsones perceiue what great odds and difference there is betwixt them both Theire vertue attained by mans trauaile and paine resteth in things vayne and transitory The vertue of ChristiaÌ„s geueÌ„ to theÌ„ by the francke and free gift of God hath a moste assured hope fixed in god Theire vertue hath respecte to temporall treasure and the glorious glisteringe of wordlye pleasures whiche in shorte space perisheth and comes to nothinge the vertue of Christianes respecteth onely the thinges that no time shal consume the thinges that are heauenly and euerlastinge Their vertue darckned with the contagions of sinne and brought low creepeth on the ground but the vertue of Christians beyng pure and vndefyled swyftly and confidently flyeth vp to heauen Their vertue with a waueringe hoope and fainte courage thinketh on their glory The vertue of Christians resteth stayeth on a most forme and assured hope of immortality and thinketh certainely to inioy the true fruict and effect of glorye Lastly their vertue pufte vp with moste light and phantastical opinions stirreth vp amonge simple and fonde men great admiration The vertue of Christians illumined with the true lighte of holines and sanctimonye rauisheth wyse men with the desire loue of true euerlastinge worthines To conclude in the one may you see a certaine halfe deade image of vertue in the other vertue her selfe furnished with all necessary healpes and beautified and setforth with all her due titles and ornamentes Againe he shall easily vnderstande wherein they both differ which will geue himselfe to the vnderstandinge of their effectes operations For he that will examine and diligently consider Christian lyberality méekenes and temperance and the offices and dueties that springe out of their other vertues and will compare theym with the actions that procéede out of humayne vertue shall finde that the soule of a perfect christian man is an holy place and Temple in the which the eternall Godhead of the blessed Trinitye inhabiteth For so he him selfe testifieth I and my father will come to visite him and we wil make with him our abode and mansion place And els where I will make my habitation amonge them and will walke vp and downe And Paule in many places calleth the myndes of Christians the churches and Temples of God. Therefore wheras God himselfe hath made his seat and dwellinge place in the mindes of them that trace the steppes and treade the pathwaye of Christe that his aide and assistaunce beinge allwayes prest and at hande he mought inflame theÌ„ with an earnest desire of followinge his diuine vertue it is a ridiculous thinge co compare the bare shewe of anye humaine vertue to a vertue so excéedinge excellent BVt nowe touchinge nobility what should I saye For if it be true that the wise and learned suppose all nobylitye to springe out of vertue and do thinke the fame to be nothinge els but a race and kinred illumined with rare singular vertues truely that stocke a family that is frâ—yght with diuine vertues cannot be thought but to issue oute of a diuine race and progeny And therefore we do not timerously and staggeringely but with a lowde voice bolde courage saie that the whole generation of
circumcise not the fleshe the circumcision of the minde wee willingly embrace And althoughe wee keepe not oure Passeouer making solempne sacrifice with the bloud of a Lambe yet wee worshippe Christe offered vppe for oure selues and being marked wyth his bloud wee haue an assured confidence that thereby all pestilence is cleane put away And although wee abstaine not from Leuen yet wee are afrayde of the infection of the olde sinne and wickednes And what neede many wordes All these Ceremonies of our elders in old time appoynted with all reuerence we thincke ought to be receyued Yet all things as the true dignity and worthines requyreth wee suppose oughte to bee drawen from a bodily and corporall sence which nowe the time so requiringe is vtterly buried and to be applied to a spirituall vertue and efficacie inwardly workinge And that Iuda we haue the chiefest of our name and kinred of whom this is mistically written Iuda thy brethren shall prayse thee thy hande shall lie on the neckes of thy enemies thy fathers sonnes shall worship thee The which prophecie that it apperteyneth to Christe no man in his right wittes will deny Whether therefore are they which folowe the bare shadowe of the olde lawe and refuse saluation by the louinge kindnes of God ordained and by the lawe declared to be called Iewes Or they rather that with all Godly reuerence obserue the secrete wisedome of the lawe hidden vnder the letter Further whether is it meeter to affirme those the ofspringe of Abraham that haue degenerated from his vertue and haue shewed themselues stiffenecked and rebellious towarde God or those rather which haue loued to mayntayne the glory of Abraham and with a most ready goodwill haue embraced true religion As therefore those excellent men were renoumed and made noble by the purenes and sinceritye of a Christian life so also we that trace their footesteppes doe obtaine the praise and name of a iewe Therefore now no oddes in kinred no distinction of sacrifices no dislyke condition of life is lefte Forasmutch as all thinges which afore time were at deadly debate and variance are now linked together with the fast bonde of necessarye affinite by the mighty reconciler and intreater for peace who hath not onely reconciled thynges diuine humayne but hath also brought to perpetuall agreemente and concorde the most diuerse intentes and purposes of men and hath of a condicion of life iarringe and kepinge no concord made a pleasant concent and harmonye farre beyonde the expectation and credit of men If therefore Abraham be of our bloude and consanguinitye who shoulde let vs to suppose them to be contayned within the same worthy house and family who liued a great while before him and were pertakers of the same faith the same religioÌ„ But why do say before him When as rather from the beginninge of the world we may bring down the line of this worthy petegrée To what purpose should I here recite those holy men by nature appoyncted to all excellency and preheminence Of which sorte Abell was whose bloude after he was murthered and slayne made such a loude cry that it pearced Heauen and came to the eares of Almighty God. Also what maner of man was he which of God was takeÌ„ vp into Heauen and no more appeared in earth What maner of men were a numbre of other whom as Moyses witnesseth God himself aduanced to nobility Therefore what is more auncient what of longer continuance then the noblenes of this Christian kinred Whiche euen froÌ„ that time wherein the beautifull and goodly proportion of the worlde was firste framed hath bene had in highe estimation which beinge continued with a singuler truste faith in God with notabâ—e vertue with meruaylous sanctimony and holines of life remained in the state euen vntil the coÌ„minge of Christe now by the gratious goodnes of Christe is plentifully stored with al those goodly qualities all which afore with a constante minde and hope trusted through Christe it mought obtaine For what can want thereunto to the settinge forth the true praise and glorye thereof For if honour through vertue be attainted theÌ„ truelye in this Christian kinred great honour by vertue procured and the cleare light of perfecte renomne appeareth If for the glory fame of most excelleÌ„t men the stocke is to be commeÌ„ded innumerable is the multitude of them which by their continuall exercise in vertue and godlines haue kepte possession of this nobility If high aduauncement by antiquity be procured there is nothinge amonge men of more antiquitie then this kinde of nobility BVt because it will not suffice that we dispute of vertue in generall excepte wee touche also some perticuler brauÌ„ch thereof wee shall not doe mutch amisse after that we haue generally spoken of the singularity and excellency of Christian vertue declared the antiquity of Christian nobilitye nowe to discourse of euerye speciall membre thereof Not truely of them all for that were an infiniâ—e labour But of them onely which especially seeme to lay open an enterance to worshippe and renoume make the waie plaine and readye to perfecte nobilitye That if nobility be a kinred furnished with excellent vertues and they be called the most excellent vertues with which they that be adourned seeke not their owne priuat gaine and commodity but are carefull for the common estate of which sorte are Iustice liberality and stoutnes of stomach truely by this meanes onely euidente it is that the chiefest nobility is only in Christians because they only are fraight with those vertues whereby their kinred and family doth purchase true renoume and famous memorye And that I should beginne with that vertue that is coumpted the chiefest of all they onely can mayntaine Iustice who are letted with no gredy desire who haue not their mindes disturbed with anye motion of anger whoe are not to bee moued with any mans hatred or malicious dealinge bredinge offence who to conclude seeke not to bee pleasers of the peoples phantasie but haue their mindes supported stayed by an assured persuasioÌ„ in their conscience of their honest and vertuous conuersation For as longe as the minde is disturbed with wrath coÌ„cupiscence or any other euell affection it cannot easely be staied from desiringe other mens goods or offeringe to other force and violence or by any other meanes to vse wrongefull and iniurious dealinge And he also which respecteth the brutes and reports of the people and for that cause vseth iust and vpright dealinge is not in deede therefore a iust and vpright liuer but hunteth after praise and commendation by a pretended shewe and vaine ostentation of Iustice For seekinge to get himselfe a name by honest and sincere behauiour so longe as he shall haue witnesses of his vsage and conuersation he will kepe himselfe within the bouÌ„des of duty but when the feare of infamous obloquie shall cease he will make no staie at the violatinge all maner of lawes for his owne profit and commodities sake
therefore Lewis moste puissaunte Prince that wee in more ample manner speake of fortitude and the vnconquerable courage of the minde the worthines of which vertue is such that by no flourish of eloquence it may be sufficienrly described For they that haue not bin dismaide at the terrour of death they which haue wyth most valiaunte courage suffred bodely tormentes they that would for no maner of griefe be disturbed in minde and do anye thinge to stayne theyr honour and estimation haue bin alwayes had in great admiration For whereas we all in generall thincke life to be sweete and do follow the intisementes of Nature whoe so despiseth death ouercommeth vndoubtedlye Nature it selfe And truly how much admiration and worthy renowne hath in all Nations bin attributed to this contempte of death Hereby we maye haue an euidente token that no vertue is in the bookes and monuments of learned men so muche commended no vertue wyth like prayse extolled The iust and temperate men are after a meane sorte commended but stoute and valiaunte men are placed amonge the starres themselues Socrates which was in his time the onely mirrour and example of continencie and sobrietie purchased by no kinde of vertue so worthy fame as by that his constancie which hee vsed in retayning his former dignity when by the seuere sentences of the Iudges he was condemned to die They themselues which abydinge a very harde Fortune are throwen downe being spoyled and bereaued of all their substance and voyd of solace if in extreme desperation they do themselues to death although in that kinde of death there is a certayne suspiciō of dastardly cowardise because they hasten their dyinge day not so muche for shewinge their constancie as for auoydinge of myserie yet they themselues which so of their owne voluntary disposition depart from lyfe are oftentimes wonderfully commended For so muche is the vertue of the minde accompted of that the counterfaite shewe therof stirreth vp admiration Which if it so be who can wyth words expresse the stoutenes and valiauntnes of Christian vertue For if the wittes of them that haue most professed eloquence whē they would wyth trim speaches and rhetoricall woordes describe the prayses of any humayne vertue are sometimes ouerwhelmed wyth the wayght of the matter to what kinde of eloquence can be so wonderfull or so excellente whereby a man may be able with filed phrase and piked speach to set forth the worthines of so greate a vertue But I albeit by reason of any witte or exercise am able litle to do seing that I haue taken in hande so great a matter least greater shoulde be my blame in geeuinge ouer the same then my boldnes in takinge it in hande as farre forthe as my poore ability will serue I will endeuour at large to discourse the excellencie of this so noble a vertue ANd first wee ought to consider what great diuersitie there is betweene the fortitude nowe specifyed and mannes valiauntnes and magnanimitie First of all if you respecte the ende they that for Christes sake venture theyr liues obtayne the true ende of vertue but they that propose vnto themselues ritches or fame and glorye dependinge on the voyce and consente of the vnlettered multitude and respecte not the true soueraygne good they are rather to bee accompted menne pufte vppe wyth a vayne desire and ambition then valiaunte and couragious men Further manye offerre themselues to daunger not wyth iudgemente and prudente aduise but beinge pricked forwarde wyth a certayne rage and furye of minde conceyued eyther of hatred enuie or some other earneste and whote affection But Christians whereas onelye wickednes they deadlye hate towarde the men themselues they beare a minde voyde and free from all manner enuie rancoure and other leude and wicked affection Finallye they neuer take vppon the manye daungerous attempte but beinge moued thereunto either with a verye earneste hope or with a desperate feare of theyr present estate For none of them except he had some certayne hope to escape daunger or gaine some priuate commoditie or els were paste all hope of escapinge woulde thincke it good to come into daunger but oure men in many places haue beene ledde to theyr temporall bane and death of the bodye hauinge free election if they woulde to liue in pleasure so that on one syde no hope of life was offered on the other side if they woulde forsake their opinion they had proposed vnto them manye thinges whereby they moughte liue a pleasaunte life yet notwithstanding they marchinge forwarde to a certayne and assured punishmente of most cruell death refused all pleasaunte intisementes of life and neyther with threates nor fayre promises coulde they be driuen from their profession of faith and Christian pietie And againe of what force is that that of so manye as are contayned in the memorie of manne verye fewe haue beene founde which by learninge exercise and continuall study to do well haue come to that perfection that they with a willinge minde coulde suffer death vppon a sodaine there beganne to growe an innumerable multitude not onelye of men and women but also of children and almost infantes which haue for the fayth of Christe suffered stripes death vppon Crosses and Gibbets burninge fires and to conclude moste cruell kindes of death with inuincible mindes and willinge hartes When all the rulers of the worlde and Lordes of the earth bent their maine force as it were and ventured lyfe and limme to the intente all relligion and feare of God should bee vtterlye rooted oute of the hartes of menne when the Deuils themselues authours of all mischiefe and wickednes stirred them to cruell tyrannie whom they had with moste vncleane and filthye superstition as it were ledde captiue vnder their auctoritie when moste straunge and terrible tortures were deuised to the vtter ouerthrowe of Christian discipline when violence and horrible crueltye was practised in all corners of the worlde where the faith of Christe was euer hearde of when all these thinges were inuented to the subuersion and ouerthrowe of Christian Pietie Notwythstandinge suche was the vertue of true Nobilitie and Christian magnanimitye that it did not onely with constante perpetuall and inuincible defence of Christianity couragiously wythstande the assaulte of the ennemyes but also moste willinglye and cheerefullye offered themselues in Christes quarrell to the sworde to fire and faggotte They were leadde awaye to execution and cruell tortures whippes gallowses gibbettes and tormentes neuer afore hearde of were prepared for them Neyther coulde those butcherly bloudsuckers growen through villanie into outragious fury satisfie theyr crueltie if straight waye they should haue bereaued of their liues those innocent Lambes therefore wyth prolonginge theyr cruell punishmente they wente aboute to represse that kinde of contumacie springing not out of presumptuous pryde but oute of rare and excellent vertue Neyther were those horrible cruelties practised for the loue they boare to theyr owne relligion but onely for the enuye and mallice they boare to theyr excellente vertue
adoptyon and hath aduaunced it to all worthy tytles of great renoume and hath powred theron such giftes as shal bee immortall neuer decay Which is not liÌ„cked to any mortal affinitie or alliaÌ„ce but acknowledgeth God as an onely gouernour parent The which Christe our mighty and blessed sauiour hath so vnited vnto himselfe that he hath imparted therewith almost worthye and heauenly indumentes Hee hath also made vs partakers of his spirituall vnction he hath bestowed vppon vs kingely priestly aucthority he hath inspired into our myndes knowleadge of Heauenly thinges hath instructed vs after a wonderfull order by Heauenly secret workinge in all maner of vertue He therefore that seeketh praise worthines and renoume must endeuour all he can to attaine Christian vertue must earnestly enbrace true iustice absolute liberality perfect temperance and other vertues which our lorde hath prescribed vnto vs and must retaine that fortitude vnto which the worthines and excellencie of that name is duely and fitly applyed For what thinge els in the life of man is permanent highly aduanced worthy great honour and estimation Nay rather what is not vnconstant lowe in estimation vile of condicion For whether wee respect the vncertainty of ritches or the waueringe coÌ„dicion of honour and humayne glory or the paynted shewe of kinrede and nobility or lastly the counterfaite and deceiptfull resemblaunce of humaine vertue wee shall finde nothinge that may fully satisfy our hartes desire or delight our mindes with anye sutch pleasure as longe may continue For all these thynges are vile transitorye mortall full of errour and contemptible vanity Onely the worthye titles of Christian nobility are highly esteemed immortall of dyuine perfection and excellency Such as no force can vndermine no continuance of time drowne in the pit of obliuion no kinde of calamity vtterly extinguishe And although mans base and abiect minde be in no wise able to aspire vnto so great honour and dignity yet they which through the healpe gratious goodnes of Christe haue seuered theÌ„selues from the society felowship of men are nowe adopted into the houshoulde familye of GOD beinge staied by the helpe assistaunce of God shall moste easily beare and maintaine that their honourable porte For although they be conuersaunt here with vs in earth yet all thinges appertaine to theÌ„ which are due to HeaueÌ„ly wightes they are nowe after a sorte rekoned accounted in the numbre of the Goddes immortall The Epilogue THus haue you receyued of mee moste renoumed Prince a present not truely with wit and learninge polished in either of which because I knowe my defect I am right hartely sory but yet meete and conueniente bothe for that trade of life which you apply your selfe vnto and also for your noble and haughty courage For beinge as you are woÌ„derfully furnished with the vertues of courtesie liberality constancie and fortitude that is suâ—ely amonge the rest of youre morall qualities worthy singular commendation that you frame and measure all your deuises conformably to the rule of Godlines and Christian relligion For the nobility os your house and familie comminge as you do of the race of noble kinges by lineall descent doth not so puffe vppe your mind with pride and insolencie but that you suppose mutch more glory and worthines reposed in the worthye callinge of a Christian then in those glorious titles Neyther so tooke you in hande noble actes as thoughe you should respecte therein the laude and prayse of the vulgar people Neyther with that mynde and intent dyd you expose your life to many perillous daungers that you might thereby purchase a rewarde of mortall men But beinge as you are of haughty mynde in all thinges which you bringe to passe both with singular forsyghte and prouidence and also with wonderfull courage and stoutnes whether they appertaine to ciuill gouernment in time of peace or to martiall prowesse in time of warre you geue most manifest notice and significatioÌ„ that you set no store by humaine thinges but do with moste earnest endeuour and intention of minde affect those thinges that be Heauenly and euerlastinge Therefore not without iust desarte of yours all good men loue you all nobility with reuerence beholde you all Spaine with all maner of praise and coÌ„mendation extolleth your name So that there is no man that knoweth your maiesty but you haue him bounden vnto you either for your gentle curteous vsage or for your rare singular wit or for your wonderfull earnest motion to vertue and godlines And although hardest of all be the condicion of approued vertue forasmutch as it is no easie matter to be aunswerable to the expectation of men all ready by reason of worthy actes conceyued yet such is the haughtines of your Graces minde that you can most easily passe and ouercome the opinion of all men conceiued of you For Christe our mightye and blessed Sauiour wyll neuer faile you at your neede sith you referre all your worthy actes and enterprices to his honour and glory but will protecte you with his mighty power and will indue you wyth such honoure and glory as shall for euer and euer continue FINIS