¶ The reward of vertuous and honest life.

IF any man be inquisitiue of the office and reward of Vertue and honest cō ­uersation, he must knowne that there belōgeth two properties to it. First, to inryche man with the transitorie riches of thys worlde, and after death to re­ward him with euerlasting sal­uation which neuer shall haue ende.Virgilius. Whervpon Virgill wryteth well, saying: there are but few whome vpright Iupiter with a feruēt zeale fauoured, or whom Vertue extolleth to the highe heauēs, or else according to Lac­tantius in his sixt booke:Lactan. lib. 6. It is the propertie of Vertue to refraine anger, to asswage gredy appe­tites, and to brydle carnall de­sires. [Page] Secondly, Vertue ma­keth hir scholer and Client, the true rychest man aboue all o­ther, in so muche that he shall want nothing, but shall haue aboundance of euery thing. As Plato in Amph. writeth thus,Plato in Amph. that Vertue leadeth the waye, and sheweth the pathe to all things perfectly. And libertie, health, life, substance, parents, & kins­folkes defende and garde hir.

Vertue possesseth all things within hir selfe, the vertuous man lacketh nothing, but he hath all things at will, who ru­leth by Vertue.

For vertue is not desirous of common prayse, neyther of that which euery man alloweth, nei­ther requireth she honor, or glo­rye,Sillius. as the Poet Silius sayth. Ipsa quidē virtus sibimet pulcherrima mer­ces. [Page] Vertue is a beautifull re­warde to it selfe.Claudius. Vnto whome the Poet Claudius agreeth in these verses.

Neither doth the Lady Ver­tue desire ryches or worldlye goodes for any reward: for she farre excelleth them all, and is much more noble and precious than they, as Horace testifieth by this verse.Horatius. Vilius argentum est auro, virtutibus aurum. Syluer is courser mettell than golde, and golde courser than Vertue.

Macrob. de somnio Scipionis.Wherevpon Macrobius in his booke de Somnio Scipionis saith, y^t a wyse man attributeth y^e fruite and reward of his vertue to his wisdom: for he is no right per­fect wise man, which onely ga­peth for ambition and glorye. And in the same place he wyl­leth, that who so desireth to be a perfect vertuous man, he cō ­tent his gredy appetite with rewarde of his knowledge, that is, that he be content that he [Page] knoweth Vertue, & not to seeke the vaine glory thereof.

¶ Of Abstinence.

ANd many skilful Clarks haue approued also Ab­stinence frō petulācious desires & voluptuous affectiōs to be very nedeful to y^e seker of Vertue,Cicero nouae rhe­tor. lib. 4. as Cicero lib. 4 nouae Re­thoricae, saith. Qui nihil in vita habet iucundius vita voluptuaria, cū virtute vitam colere non potest. He that in hys lyfe estemeth nor regar­deth nothing more than hys volupiuous and wanton lyfe, can not inhabit with Vertue. And also Valerius Maximꝰ in his fourth boke saith:Valerius. Maximus lib. 4. That Citie whose Inhabitants are most [Page] giuē to pleasāt delights, loseth hir Empire and dominion, nei­ther can that Citye kepe or de­fende hir owne liberty and fre­dome, but contrarywise, that Citie whose Inhabitours doe wholly incline them selues to labour, doth rule and is able to giue libertie and fredom to others.Lactan. lib. 6. Lactantius also in hys sixt booke wryteth, that there be three kindes of Vertues. Wherof the first is to refraine euill factes & nefarious wor­kes: the seconde is to tye thy tongue frō sclaundering, back­byting and obserious talking, the thirde is, to expell all euill, wicked, and malicious cogita­tions, thoughtes and preme­ditations from out thy minde. He that followeth the first, is a vertuous man. He that follow­eth [Page] the second, is a perfect ver­tuous man, if so be that he of­fende neither by worde nor by deede. And he that followeth the thirde, followeth the like­nesse: for it is aboue humaine nature to passe the cogitation therof, which should neither be nequitious to be done, or vici­ous to be spoken. Therfore he that seketh vertue, must nedes vse the helpe of pacience and abstinence. By whose helpe & ayde he may beare and abide aduerse, fortune and greate labour quietly, abhorre ydle­nesse, and imbrace sweate and labour.Hesiodus. For Hesiodus the Poet sayth, that the Gods haue pla­ced Vertue in the highe, and alte places, y^t he which woulde winne hir, should seke hir with much sweat, and grieuous tra­uell. [Page] For which consideration many Philosophers haue spēt much more Oyle than Wyne, haue suffred muche sweate, and haue but little or nothing at all giuē them selues to idle­nesse, for idlenesse debilitateth and weakeneth vertue, and cō ­trariwyse, labour vpholdeth & sufficeth hir. And abstenence is also very necessarye, to ab­stayne from vicious liuing. For Vertue, as Horace sayth,Horatius. is nothing else but a secluder of vice.

And when as thou hast thus instructed and prepared thy minde, that is with a volunta­rie will, with pacience and ab­stinence, then must thou seeke & inquire of the learned bokes and monumentes of y^e famous Clearkes, which is the way to [Page] afcende vnto Vertue and ho­nestie, for they teach and pro­vulgat, and especially Laertius in his booke de vitis Philosophorū, Laertius de vitis Philoso. that eche doctrine requireth thre things, which are, nature, instruction, and vse, that is to say, wit, learning, and exercise.

¶ These thrée are nedefull to Vertue.

FIrst a sharpe wit whet­ted and not blunt as y^e Beotians, Plato. for Plato sayth, that none can be perfect wyse, that is to say perfect vertuous, vnlesse he excell in witte and knowledge, and be imbewed, and adorned with the comely partes of prudence. As many Philosophers as we read ther were in olde tyme, they did all excell in the capacitie of witte. [Page] Herevpon Lactantius in his firste booke sayth,Lactan. lib. 1. that there are two kindes of wisdome: whereof the first is to discerne which be false, the secōd to know which be true. For all vnderstanding and knowledge consisteth of a polyshed, that is to say a quick and sharpe witte:Lactantiꝰ lib. 2. Also Lactan­tius in his seconde booke sayth, that they doe expell and carye away wisdome from them sel­ues, which without any iudge­ments before had, allowe the inuentions of their elders, and are led and cōduced of others, as brute beastes, wherfore wit is nedefull and very necessary, both to search vertue, and also to iudge other mens workes. Cicero in his Tusculans questi­ons sayth:Cicero Questi. Tuscul. Ingenio nostro innata sunt semina quaedem virtutū. &c. By [Page] our witte, there be certaine se­des of vertue sprong vp, which if they might be suffered to in­crease, nature hir selfe woulde bring & conduct vs to a blessed life. If therefore certaine sedes of vertue are sprong vp by our wit, certaine it is, that the ver­tues them selues haue their o­riginall of wit, as from a trea­sury or storehouse therof. And euen by witte euery man doth either seke vertues, or else doth conceyue and learne them the better of his teacher. In consi­deration wherof, the auncient & graue Philosophers woulde neuer at any time receyue any as their scholers, before they had scrupulouslye sought oute his witte and ingene, and if he were dull and not fine witted, they woulde deny to instructe [Page] him. For Quintilian sayth.Quintili­anus. Pre­cepts profite the dul wittes no more, than tillage the sterill & barren field, which be it neuer so well tilled, will neuer in­crease or edure any fruite at al. Yet ought he not to dispaire whome God hath not sente so pregnāt a wit, but endeuer by continuall labour and paines, to slip away at length all that hardenesse and infertilitie of his witte,Quintil. lib. 1. ca. 1. as Quintilian sayth in his first booke and first Chap­ter. One man excelleth an o­ther in witte, but so that he can do either more or lesse. Neuer­thelesse there is none, but that by his labour & industrie, may at length become ingenious. And though that ech man can not excell, yet must he not ther­fore leue to proue, for as Horace [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page] sayth:Horatius. Est quoddā prodire tenus, si nō datur vltra. It is somewhat to go as farre as thou can, if thou may goe no further, that is to say: he is worthy prayse which maketh but a small iourney, if that the rudenesse of his wytte let him from going forwards. Yet betwixt the witty and vn­witty there is a double diffe­rence. Firste, the witty of his owne accord and with a swift course, consecuteth and follow­eth vertue, euen as a prouoked horse to rūne his course, which must be retired with bridle a­gayne. And the dull witted is like a horse which can not be dryuen to runne, without ofte spurring: so that y^e obtuse wit is to be whetted sharpe wyth paynefull labours.Quintil. And Quinti­lian sheweth here, how Isocrates [Page] had two scholers, Ephorus, and Theopopus, the one wittie, who sayth he lacked a brydle to re­tyre him, the other dul, who he sayth lacked spurres to kicke him forwardes. The seconde difference is, how that the no­ble and pregnant witte conti­nueth not noble for a long space, or else by obliuion forget­teth that it hath learned be­fore. As the soone rype Apples are alwayes soone rotten, but the harde Winter Apples doe molifie and rype more leysure­lye, and therefore they endure and continue the longer: so y^e hard and obtuse wit, with con­tinuance of time and exercise, is made worthye and fitte for vertue. For Erasmus sayth,Erasmus. that by daylye practise wittes doe molifie.

¶ Of discipline, science, or instruction.

AND when as thus thou hast made sharpe & whet­ted thy wit, thē hast thou nede of science or instruction, for neyther doeth nature nor witte suffise onely, vnlesse they be associate with instruction. bycause that it maketh that perfect, which else by nature is vnperfect.Cicero nouae rhe­tor. lib. 3. Therefore Cicero in his thirde booke intituled no­u [...] Rethorica, sayth: that science doth confirme, stablishe and augment the commodities of nature, and in the fourth boke of the same Rethoricke Cicero sayth.Ibid. lib. 4 Vt equus indomitus, quāuis bene natura compositus sit, idoneus nō potest esse ad eas vtilitates et artes, quae desiderantur ab equo, ita neque homo [Page] indoctus, quamuis ingeniosus, ad vir­tutem potest peruenire, quoniam non potest virtus sine doctrina comparari. Euen as an vntamed horse, al­though his proporcion be ne­uer so well shapen and cōpact by the art nature, can not be made fitte and apt for the com­modities and feates which are desired in a horse: no more cā an vnlerned man, be he neuer so wittie, ascende vnto Vertue, bycause that vertue can not be adopted or obtayned without learning. Vpon this, the lear­ned Gentiles erected common scholes, first at Athens a Citie of the Grecians most excellent & famous, and at that tyme in many other places, that in thē, youth might be educated and instructed in knoweledge, and in comelye, decent and honest [Page] maners, which two are but sic­kerly gotten without instruc­tion. Therefore Aristippus the Philosopher did compare the vnlearned, rude, & vntaught, to a hard stone, of whom a cer­taine olde father inquired at a certaine tyme, what profite or commoditie he shoulde doe to his sonne, if he shoulde bring him vp in learning, he answe­red. Si nihil aliud, saltem in theatro non sedebit lapis super lapidem, non erit apud doctos tanquam lapis. If it profiteth him nothing, yet at least whē he sitteth beholding any theatre and worthy thing one stone sitteth not on an o­ther, neyther shall he be as a stone dumbe without speache, when as he cōmeth in the company of the learned. The Eth­nickes did knowe that Vertue [Page] was to be gotten by instructiō. In consideration wherof, they kepte scholemasters or instruc­ters at home, vnder whose rule and gouernement their chyl­dren learned Artes and Ver­tues. And that was so religi­ous amongst the Atheniās, that they ordeyned a law, that their children should not be cōstray­ned nor coerced to nourishe their aged fathers, vnles their fathers in their youth had cō ­mitted them to maysters to be instructed and brought vp in the knowledge of Vertue. And instruction to attayne Vertue by, is two fold: the one is mute and dombe, the other quicke & liuelye. The mute and dombe is, to be learned by the bookes and monumentes of the lear­ned wryters, by the reading of [Page] which, we are taught without any worde speaking. The o­ther quicke and liuely instruc­tion, is to be lerned at y^e schole­masters, who from their liuely mouth, doe sende and infunde into the eares of yong mē, the precepts of Vertue. Notwith­standing, the liuely instruction excelleth y^e mute. For we reade y^t therfore many Philosophers trauailed many coūtreys, ney­ther left they any vnseene, as Pyhatgoras, Empedocles, Democritus, and Plato occupied & vsed naui­gatiō very oft, to obtaine ther­by that moste amiable Ladye Vertue, and with their peri­grinatiōs and long iourneys, they sought hir out curiously: for they could not be contēted nor satisfyed with y^e shadowed, & candle dropped study, which [Page] they might haue had betwixte two walles, but cōferred them­selues thether where any wor­thy thing was to bee learned, not bookes, but perfite and skil­full Philosophers or instruc­tours. There are foure kinde of bookes of Authours princi­cipally to be reade, which be the workes of Poets wryting honestly, the painefull labours of Historiographers, the wyse, discrete and sage sayings of Philosophers, and the deuine sense of sacred scripture. Ho­nest Poetes doe so much con­duct and lead to an honest life, that the most famous and ler­ned Cities of the Greekes in tyme paste, did bring vp and e­ducate their children, firste in Poetes, affirming Poetes on­ly to be wyse, sage and seuere. [Page] In Poets, children are taught Vertue, as Horace sayth in his Epistles most truly.Horatius.

Secondly, the worthy Histo­riographers which declare vn­to vs the famous gestes, ciuill maners, and happy fortunes of noble and worthy men, by whose laudable lyfe we may se the way of well lyuing, and by whose temeritie or vnlucky de­stinie, we maye foresee to lyue [Page] more circumspectly, which is a goodlye thing, to vse others rashnesse to our temperance, as Diodorus sayth:Diodorus It is a faire thing by other mens faults to amende our owne maculous lyfe, and by the example of o­thers to knowe what is to be desired, and what is to be es­chewed. An Historie, sayth Be­roaldus, doth greatly profyte,Beroaldus af­ter that that is honest, detes­ting and adnihilating the vi­cious, extolling the sincere and godly, suppressing the peruers and wretched. Thirdely, the bookes of the milde Philoso­phers, which declare and en­forme vs of the documentes and precepts of Vertue, as the ten bookes of Aristotle intituled his Ethicke, Ciceros thrée boo­kes of Offices, Lactantius works [Page] de deuina institut. Erasmus of the institutiō of a Christiā Prince, & manie mo, which haue liuely, vertuously & frendly depainted and sette forth the trade of an honest lyfe. Fourthly and last of all, the bookes of holy scrip­ture, which declare and teach, howe we shoulde knowe God, whom to know a creator of all thinges, and he to be but one onely, is the dere, true and per­fecte wisdome of man,Lactantiꝰ lib. 2. as Lac­tantius wryteth in his seconde booke.

¶ Pouertie ought not to be repug­nant to Vertue.

IT is not to be esteemed that manye accuse and condēne pouertie, wher­by they can lesse apply the stu­dy of Vertue. For as Apuleius [Page] sayth, pouertie was in old time house seruant to the Philoso­phers, neither was any know­en to ascende to any dignitie, whome pouertie had not enu­tried and brought vp, euen frō their infācy. Pouertie in aun­cient tyme was conditrix and edificatrix of all Cities, the go­uernour and guide of al artes, cleare of all faultes, the liberal rewarder of all prayse, whome all nations haue extolled and magnificenced with all prayse and glory. Therefore Apuleius sayth thus, if any man be op­pressed with pouertie, let him imitate Cleantes, a Philosopher, who constrained through po­uertie labored by night, draw­ing water, to the intente that he mighte prouide for to buye his victuall fode in the day, by [Page] which meanes, he mighte the more commodiously apply hys study: let him therfore labour while time is, that he may con­ciliat whereby to liue and ob­tayne Vertue, which commeth vnto the paynefull labourers hande.Seneca. Whervpon Seneca sayth thus. Virtutē in Templo inuenies, in Foro, in Curia, per muros stantē, pul­uerulentam, coloratā, callosas habentē, manꝰ, qui nihil aliud videtur ostēdere, quam quod etiam laboriosos homines virtus adiuuat & amplectitur. Thou shalt finde vertue in the Tem­ple, in the Market place, in the Court, standing before the walles all dustie, al to be pain­ted with durte, hauing harde handes, wherby it is to be per­ceyued, that Vertue doth also loue and imbrace laborious men.

¶ Whether Vertue can be adopted without learning.

IN case aduēture some would say, there be ma­ny vnlerned men which neuer at any tyme adhibited their mindes to study, and yet are reputed and estemed men of an honest lyfe and conuersa­tion. It is to be aunswered: e­uen as some ascend vnto Ver­tue by their singuler wit with­out learning,Cicero de oration. as Cicero in his booke of Orations testifieth, saying: I haue knowen many notable wittie men, vertuous, w^tout learning, who haue bene by nature modest and graue. And this also doe I often as­cribe vnto Vertue: nature to be of muche more excellencye without learning, than lear­ning [Page] without nature. And a­gaine, euen the same I cōtend, whē as, eloquence & the groūd of learning is ioyned with an excellēt and noble nature, then do I not know what shall con­tinue egregious & notorious. This spake Cicero verye pru­dently.

¶ Of excercise and practise.

YEt beside witte and sci­ence, thirdely he must vse the helpe of exercyse, o­therwise he studieth friuolous­ly to seeke Vertue.Cicero nouae rhe­tor. lib. 3. As Cicero testifieth in his thirde booke of newe Rethoricke. In omni disci­plina infirma est artis praeceptio sine summa assiduitate excitationis, tū ve­ro in memoriis minimum valet doc­trina nisi industria & labore, & diligē ­tia comprebetur. In euery disci­pline [Page] the precept of Art is feble and of no force, vnlesse it be se­dulously exercised. And also doctrine preuayleth nothing in memorie, except with great industrie, labour and diligence it be proued.Lactan. lib. 3. And Lactantius in his thirde boke sayth, that Ar­tes are therefore learned, not that they shuld be only knowē, but also exercised, & that they shoulde be vsed eyther for the helpe of mans lyfe, or for plea­sure, or else for glory and wor­thy fame.Cicero in officiis. Cicero in his booke of Offices sayth, y^t al the prayse of vertue cōsisteth not in y^e know­ledge of Vertue, but in the function thereof, that is, it a­vaileth but litle to know what Vertue is, what is honest, and what is vicious, but to vse and exercisce vertue it selfe.

¶ How that this exercise of the science which thou knowest or hast, had, is the way to get vertue.

WHo so desireth the fruit and commodity of true Vertue and sincere ho­nestie, out of those .iiij. bokes, y^t is to say, of Poetrie, Historio­graphie, Philosophie, and holy Scripture, it is necessarie he learne the accustomed maner of Bees in the collectiō of their honie. The Bees are accusto­med when as they gather ho­ny, to flie about diuers floures, to tast many floures, and of the iuyce thereof to excerpe & sucke somewhat, and then to carye some of the moysture thereof in to their Hyues, which they lay downe and fardel vp together, to compound hony therof: thus [Page] frequenting and doyng this often, they conserue and cōglo­merate muche hony on heapes in length of tyme, which is a sweete fruite of their labours: euen so muste the desirous to be vertuous, which also wis­sheth to come to the state of a man, vse a quadruple exercise.

The first exercise is, that he excerpate & annote in a voide booke, as the keper of memory, whatsoeuer he shal reade or be taught, which mai be a furthe­rance to eloquence and Ver­tue. For an egregious man must haue the vse of them both as Cicero testifieth in his fyrste booke of his olde Rhetoricke, affirming that wisdome with­out eloquence helpeth little to the gouernment of Cities, and eloquence withoute wisdome [Page] doth hinder more than profite. Let euery Student therefore, make him two voyde bookes, in which he shall wryte both what he hath heard, and also what he hath read: in the one to annote fine sugred senten­ces, in other vertuous pre­cepts, like a couetous man, who heapeth vp treasures, for which he hath dyuers chestes, specially where he putteth his siluer, & where he putteth his golde, alone. This exercise did Plinie the cōpositor of y^e na­turall History, vse and imitate, of whom Plinie his seconde vn­cle wryteth, that he neuer read any thing worthy to be noted, but he comitted it to writing. The second exercise is, to con­ceale such annotations in the retentiue memorie, and that [Page] he thinke to vse them often as Macrobius wryteth in his sixte booke, saying:Macrobiꝰ lib. 6. the best & moste profitable way of reading and hearing, is to immitate those which seeme moste probable, & to conuert the sayings of other to some vse of thine, whiche thou thinkest most graue, and most to be admyred, which ac­customed maner the pleasant Latines as also y^e noble Gre­tians were wont to vse, which is not onely to heare any Au­thour, to learne his wordes, or to vnderstande his oration or phrase of speaking, but of his learning and doctrine, to col­lect the mellifluous eloquence and right way of liuing, euen as meate receiued onely in the mouth nothing nourisheth the body except it discende into the [Page] stomacke, and there conco­qued and sodden, in the ende conuerte to fleshe and bloude, so neyther the lesson that is hearde or read, profiteth any whit the student, vnlesse it be conferred to some vse of tal­king and more wisdome. The third exercise is this, to drawe euery day a lyne by example of y^e Painter Appelles, who would dayly, were he neuer so sore oc­cupyed about other affayres, depaynt or drawe one lyne at the least. And so doth the coue­tous man put dayly one piece of siluer into his treasury, for many littles make a great, as Hesiodus the Poet sayth:Hesiodus. Paruu­la si tentas super adiecisse pusillis, id­que frequenter peragas, magnus cu­mulatur aceruꝰ. Which is: If thou adde or put little to little, & vse [Page] it eftsones, therof riseth a great heape. And in this exercise it is not to be laboured howe much we learne dayly, but how wel. Therfore Appelles answered an vnskilful Painter who gloried that he had drawē an Image sodenly: I doe not maruell at this, sayth he, for thou mayest drawe many moe such foolishe pictures quickly. Wherfore we ought to follow that witty sen­tence of Cato, Sat cito si stat bene. Cato: Inoughe well done is done quickely inough. Wherevpon Augustus Caesar vsed this adage,Augustus Caesar. Matura lente. Haste not to much in thy worke, but do it wiselye w^tout muche temerity or rash­nesse. For the soft circumspect space profiteth more, than the swifte hedlong course without all wit and reason. The fourth [Page] and laste exercise, is to reporte and reuolue at night whatso­euer was learned the day be­fore, whiche vse Cato vsed as Philel. wryteth in his booke de e­duca. puero. And Apuleius writeth of a certaine people in India, which are called Gymnosophistae, which knowe neither to inha­bit their lande, nor the vse of tillage, neither to bridle horses neither to tame bulles, neither to shere sheepe, yet they adored wisdome greatly. Both aunci­ent maysters, as also yong ry­ping scholers, haue nothing in more contempt than the slug­gish slouthfulnesse of y^e minde. For when as their table was spred redy for dinner, and be­fore meate was set thereon, all the yong men from diuers pla­ces and offices came to Dine. [Page] Then woulde the mayster in­quire of eche of thē what good he had done that day from the rysing of the sunne. Then one would remember howe he had set two at vnitie and concord. An other woulde say he had o­beyed his parents commaun­dementes: another would say he had founde something by practise: and an other woulde say he had learned somewhat. And he which coulde shew no­thing, was thrust dinnerlesse out of the dores to worke. And so ought euery studēt at night to practise with him selfe the propertie of sheepe, whose na­ture is, that when towardes night they be driuen from out the medowes vnto the fieldes, they do eate and chaw againe their meate that they haue ga­thered [Page] of al the day before, and therefore they surrender milke into their pastors. In likewise ought the enamored with ver­tue to repeate at nighte both what he hath read, & also what he hath hearde, both which be groūded on eloquence, and al­so which be godly and vertu­ous in doctrines. And second­ly, that he turne into milk, that is that he vse to seeme profita­ble and honest of liuing, that others may se wherin he hath profited, euen as the sheepe shewe their pasture by their milke, to haue eaten grasse, & not to haue spent the day idle­lie. And also it shall be verie profitable to examine with an­other, whether he hath profi­ted more in eloquēce or in ver­tue. For wheras he conferreth [Page] with others eyther of thē pro­ueth what he knoweth, & what he doth not know. Whervpon Sueto in his boke of the institu­tions of Grammarians, sayth:Sueto. that in the olde time in scholes of learning, it was the accusto­med maner, that the scholers shoulde in the fore noone con­tend the one with the other in disputations, and in the after noone recite those disputatiōs and arguments by roote.

¶ What comelinesse, vertue and ho­nestie eche man ought to kéepe in all ages.

THe lyfe of Vertue or ho­nestie, consisteth in two thinges. Firste, in the comely or nature of it self. And secondly, in the decent and ho­nest behauiour toward others, [Page] as Macrobius testifieth, saying: that by Vertue a good man is made gouernour and ruler o­uer him selfe, and consequent­ly ouer the cōmon weale. First, it is nedefull that euery man rule him selfe before he instruct others, whervpō Thales Milesius a Philosopher, being demaun­ded who were an vpryghte Prince, he made answere: he that ruleth him selfe so, y^t it can not be obiected in his teeth.

And how it becommeth eche man to rule and gouerne him selfe by Vertue, must be conse­cuted by diligent labor, which shall be declared hereafter.

¶ Who so wit guide and rule him self honestly, must kepe six precepts.

OF which the first is, that he learne to holde hys peace, that he loue silēce [Page] better than iangling talke, for taciturnitie and little talke be­tokeneth a wyse and prudent man. And contrarywise, ouer muche pratling betokeneth a foole, who knoweth not to holde his peace, Macrobiꝰ sayth: by silence a Plilosopher doth no lesse deuine than by spea­king, that is to say, it is no lesse signe of wisedome to keepe si­lence, than to speake. Whereof Pythagoras (as wryteth Apulei­us) called first by te name of a Philosopher, taught his scho­lers at the firste, onely to kepe silence. And the first instructiō to make a wyse scholer, was to coerce and brydle his tongue, and to represse and kepe backe the wordes within the wall of his teeth. Socrates also being demaūded of a certaine man by [Page] what meanes euery mā might attaine vnto wisdome: he pre­scribed him two wayes, y^e firste was, that he keepe close more than he speake, and the other was, that he learne to speake, which was singularly spoken of him, for it is manifestlye knowen by three signes, that silence ought more to be vsed than loquacitie. First, by na­ture man hath but one mouth, and two eares, that he shoulde not speake all that he heard. The seconde signe is, by the custome of the auncient Ro­maynes, for the Romaynes were wont to depict the Lady Angerona, Goddesse of silence, hauing hir mouth closed vppe with wax. And the Egyptians depainted Harpocrates, God of silēce, shutting his mouth with [Page] two fingers. Thirdlye, by the olde aunciente Philosophers doctrine & learning, who did damnifie nothing in a man more than much iangling, say­ing y^t nature gaue man teeth and lippes before his tongue, for that consideration, that he might suppresse and brydle it, least he should become a great chatterer.Xenocrat. And Xenocrates a Phi­losopher being inquired of, as touching his silence, he made answere againe, that he neuer repented for not speaking, but that it oftē tymes grieued him that he spake. The second pre­cepte is, that he learne to de­clare and speake that that is decent and comelye to speake, not to tell lying tales, but in al things to tell the truth: For he that dare tell that whiche is [Page] fayned, & hath not bene seene, then is he a lyer and a deceyt­full person,Horatius. as Horace testifieth, neyther oughte any man (as Plinie sayth) speake that which may be hurtfull to the speaker,Plinius. neyther to vtter backebiting wordes which might diminish an other mannes honour, nei­ther to goe whispering, or as one would say, to speake with­in his sleeue, but onely to pro­nounce that which is honest, chast, profitable and true. And the righte vertuous man doth kepe in secret all other, wherv­pō Ouid wryteth two trim ver­ses saying: Eximia est virtus prae­stare silentia rebus. Et contra, grauis est culpa tacenda loqui. Whiche is in our mother tong: Silence is an excellēt vertue, farre pas­sing and exceding all thinges. [Page] And contrarywise it is an in­tollerable offence to vtter those things which ought to be kept in secret. Therfore in speaking we ought to kepe this order & lawe, that when we woulde speake, we first forese, whether it becommeth the place, y^e time, and also the persons which be there present. Secondly, that we speake then whē as other­wise with our silēce we might hinder our selues or our frien­des. Thirdly, that he take hede least he doe to muche, that is, that in all things he obserue a meane and measure, and that he committe not to often that which is naught, neither that to little which is good.Terentius in Andria As Te­rence sayth in his Comedy no­minated Andria, the first sceane. Nam id arbitror adprime in vita vtile [Page] esse, vt ne quid nimis. For I thinke it very necessarie to the lyfe of man, in all thinges to kepe a meane. For which cause the learned men describe Vertue to sitte in the midst. Est modus in rebus. Sunt certi denique fines, quos vltra citraque nequit consistere rectè. There is a mean in al things, and eche thing hath certaine limitts beyonde whiche, or on this syde whiche, Vertue con­sisteth not. For Vertue con­sisteth in a meane, and in all excesse and superfluitie, vice taketh vp hir dwelling place. Wherfore, in all things a mean is commendable, and excesse alway vituperable.Hesiodus. Herevpon the Poet Hesiodus hath a prety saying. Demidiū plus toto. That is to saye: A meane is more laudable thā superfluitie. And [Page] it is a common prouerbe. Omne nimium vtitur in vitium. Euery to much is starke naught.Cleobolꝰ Lindus. And Cleobolus Lyndus one of the sea­uen wise men of Greece, saith: The best in euery thing, is a meane or measure.

The fourth precept is, that euery man eschew and slye in him selfe, that whiche he seeth filthy & vncomely in an other, remembring the Philosopher Diogines his sentēce, who saith.Diogenes. Si vis bonus & virtute praeditus effici, expelle a te quod in alio despicis. If thou desire to be an honest and vertuous man, seclude that vice from thy selfe, which thou espiest filthy in an other. And Cicero sayth, he muste be a per­fect vertuous man,Cicero. that wyll tell his neighbour of his vyce, for we can easely and quicklye [Page] espy other mennes faultes, but our owne we will not knowe. If any descend into his owne bowels, and search his owne conscience, and doe way and consider with him selfe what he is, then will he cease byting his neighbor with his vitious minde, and first, he will go and purge him selfe from all his vices and sinfull lyfe, and ad­orne & trimme him selfe wyth vertue. Therefore our Saui­our Iesus Christ in hys Gos­pell, persuading vs to Vertue, doth commaund vs, first to cast the great beame of sinne from oute our owne eyes, and after the little mote in oure neigh­bours, that we should first cure and heale our selues, and con­sequently other.

The fift precept is, to abide [Page] hys estate what so euer it be, whether it be prosperous or aduerse, not to ioy ouer much ouer his fortunate lyfe, least she sodenly turning hir whele, double his sorrow and pensyf­nesse: and that he be not too heauy & sorrowfull for his vn­fortunate lyfe, but to learne of Socrates, Socrates. in both hys estates to kepe one countenance, and one minde.Plato. Whervpon Plato being asked at a certain time wherby a wise man might be knowen, he aunswered: A wyse man though he be contemned, will not be moued, neyther shal his prayse or greate name make him arrogant or proude. For Vertue hath none acquain­tance with pride, bycause it is a vice, neyther doth it admitte the familiaritie of desperatnes [Page] and wrath, bycause they be al­so vyces. Wherfore it is a com­mon prouerbe, Qui homo in ad­uersis rebus pusilli est animi, ille nauti est. Which is thus much to say: That man which in aduersity is fainte hearted, is not to be esteemed. Therefore a man ought to do both in prosperitie and in aduersitie, as a certaine Philosopher did, who in pro­speritie, would be sad, & saying that after mirth commeth sor­row, and likewyse in aduersity he would be mirry, saying: that after sorrowe came mirth, for fortune is euer mutable & in­constant, therfore ought we in prosperitie to looke for aduer­sitie ensuing. As Plaut. in Amph. sayth,Plaut. in Amphit. Ita diis visum est, voluptati vt meror comes subsequatur. For so it is the Gods pleasure, that sor­row [Page] shuld be mirthes waiting mayd. And therfore also ought we to thinke thus in aduersity how that God shall ende thys misery at his will and leysure, or as Virgill sayth.Virgilius. It shall be sufficient to haue thought on those euilles, and not alwayes and continually to muse and thinke thereon.

The sixt and laste precepte shall be, that he indeuour him selfe to please euery honest and wyse man, for thereof descen­deth great prayse and vertue: for consequently it followeth, that who so pleaseth them, is also eyther honest, or else by frequenting their companye learneth honesty: for good mē loue none but good, and the naughty person none but euil. Therfore expedient it is, that [Page] he who wil obtaine vertue, do applye his industrie to please vertuous men, as Seneca sayth: we must choose some vertuous man whome we must alwaye followe, y^t we liue so, as though he alwayes sawe vs, & what so euer we doe, to doe it so, as though he were present at the doing therof: for he may ease­lye liue an honest and vertu­ous lyfe, who lyueth after the will and rule of vertuous men, and doeth all his thinges as though they were done before them, euen as women decking and trimming them before a glasse, & when they haue ador­ned them selues finely and neatly, they wander in­to the market, there to be viewed and seene.

¶ Concerning the maners and vertues of all ages.

ALthoughe that Vertue and honestie do deck and adourne a man, yet not­withstanding, euery age hath his condition of honestie, for it is a prouerbe. Alia vita, alia die­ta, alios mores postulant.

For all conditons are not comely for euery age, for some become children, some youth, some yong men, some men, and other some aged men, for with the age the nature chaungeth, therfore must they also chaūge their maners. For there are v. ages of men, which be these: infancie, childehoode, youth, mans age, and olde age, which haue their conditions particu­larly them selues.

¶ As concerning infancie.

INfancie is the firste age of man after his natiui­tie, and it is so called, by­cause it can not speake, and therfore he can learne no good maners or vertue, bycause he is not yet reasonable, nor hath not the vse and practise of the tongue, neyther hath he any perseuerance at all. Therefore must he onely liue after the wil and pleasure of the Nursse or Mother.

De Pueritia.

PVeritia is the second age, when as the infants do begin to speake, hauing not as yet the full vse of reasō. It may so be, that they be cal­led children of the Latin word Bua, that is a Childes drinke, [Page] which they call Bua, vttering their wordes first vnperfectly, without wisedome, reason, or vnderstanding. And these the Parents ought to teache, to bring them vp in honest ma­ners and conuersation. Firste with these maners: that they worshippe and pray vnto God with a willing heart, that they be obedient to their Parents, that they reuerēce their elders, that they flye and auoyde all playe and euill company, least they be defiled with vyces be­fore they attaine vnto reason, which is y^e moste odious thing on earth.Apuleius. As Apuleiꝰ sayth who woulde not hate and desdaine that boye whome he seeth as though he were a certaine mō ­ster, stout, bolde and very vici­ous, being as yet vnder age, [Page] soner to be vnhappy and ne­quitions, than strong of body, being but of tender yeres, and yet of stubbern malice and ha­tred? Yet notwithstāding you can not require perfect wise­dome in a childe, whilst as yet his childishnesse and imbicili­tie of witte hath dominion and power ouer him, therefore he playeth with tryfles and ge­gawes. And for all this, yet must you not fauour him ouer muche, least he incline him to vyces, and so remaine alway filthy & vncleanly. For what­soeuer he learneth once in hys youth, that will he vse for euer. Wherfore they ought diligent­ly to be instructed and nusseled vp in these precepts.Phill. li. 8. de educat. liberorū. As Phille. wryteth in his eyght booke of the bringing vp of childrē, that [Page] is, that they worship God, that they be gentle, obedient and seruiceable in wordes, condi­tions and body: And to vse a comely cleanly & decent forme of apparell, not to be tale cary­ars, nor lyars, nor beastes of fylthy and wicked conditions, not leane of body as Asses, nei­ther yet filthy as Hogs in the myre, neyther slouenlyke in their apparell, as beggars or fleshely and lecherous goates, neyther dul witted like a stone or Asse. And as sone as they be once seauen yeres olde, to com­mit them in custodie to schole­masters, for so were the gen­tiles wont to do,Phil. lib. 2. de educat. liberorū. as Phille. wryteth in his second booke of the bring­ing vppe of children.

De Iuuentute.

IVuentus is the nexte age to Pueritia, Perottus. although that Perottus sayth that y^e wise counsellers do numbers it after Adolescentia, yet it is before Ado­lescentia by dayly vse, which age commeth in, when as the chil­dren can new vtter their wor­des perfectly and plainly, & are committed to Scholemasters to be instructed, or else be redy to be giuē to their charge. And as Perottus sayth,Perottus. it is called Iu­uentus, youth, of this word Iuuā ­do, to helpe, bycause it waxeth able and potent to helpe hys parēts, for it cā dispatch quick­ly his fathers will and com­maundement, and can put his helpe to many labours, or at least do his will therto. And as [Page] Quintilian wryteth in his firste booke and thirde Chapter.Quintili­anus. lib. 1. capit. 3. In this age, parents must beware that they do not to much pam­per vp their children, to kepe them so tender, that no colde winde may blowe ouer them, for that soft kinde of bringing vp doth corrupt and debilitate the strength and force, both of the body, and also of the witte. And what shall this youth do, whiche is thus lasciuiouslye brought vp? Verely they that be wantōly, petelātiously and delicatly kept in this age, will looke for the same delicacie all their lyfe after: And when as they can keepe this no longer, eyther for their sumptuous ex­pences, or else for lacke of Pa­trimony, then do they labor by al meanes, by right or by wrōg [Page] to tast their sweete lickorouse and dilicate mouth, then doe they fall into such idlenesse, play, pastimes, and thefts, and consequently into all kinde of wickednesse. In this age the children of Rome were wont to hang their golden ornaments vp with a roope vpō the Tēple which they ware aboute their neckes from their infancie, as thoughe they did renounce all childishenesse: And then did they put on a fyne white gown garded with Purple, in token to leaue all childish conditiōs, and in exāple of a better, more pure and honest lyfe, that whē they shoulde see the whitenesse of their gownes, they shoulde flye vice, which maketh a man loke blacke, and hated of other, and beholding the brightnesse [Page] of the purple colour, they shuld endeuour them selues y^t their godly & vertuous lyuing shuld so shine, whereby it might con­ciliat prayse of all men.

¶ These were the dueties of children.

FIrste to worshippe al­mighty God, with hū ­ble prayers, and a low­ly syncere & an obedient heart, to honour and obey their Pa­rents, to loue and feare their Masters, to giue diligent eare to these thre: to flye what they forbid, to execute and do what they cōmaund, that thei learne the commaundements of God, heare them taught, seeke them out where as they be, & fayth­fully to followe them. And it may easely be perceyued how [Page] that a yong man muste obey these three, for of these thre cō ­sisteth our whole lyfe. Of God we receyue our soules, of oure parents our humaine subtāce, and of our masters the instruc­tion of our soule, by which our lyfe differs from brute beastes. Therefore expedient it is, that we obey them, least we seeme vngratefull and thanklesse.

De Adolescentia.

ADolescentia is the fourth age, whiche beginneth from the fourtenth yeare of our lyfe, and it is called Ado­lescentia of this worde Adolesco, which signifieth to encrease, to growe vpwarde, for then man doeth encrease in bodye, in strength, in reason, in vice, and in Vertue: yet are they more [Page] prone and flexible to vice than to Vertue. And then is euery mans nature and disposition first knowen, vnto what he is most inclined: for before y^t age it can not be knowen through the childishenesse and foolish­nesse of age. But be they once sprōg vp this age, they giue their minde to some kinde of exercise,Terentiꝰ in Andria as Terence in his Co­medie called Andria saith, either to ryde horses, or to kepe dogs for hunting, or else to worship, and learne of some notable ler­ned man. As Horace wryteth also in his boke intituled de arte Poetica.

This age is double, the first beginning from .xiiij. to .xviij. and it is called youth bearde­lesse, bycause at those yeares yong men be without beards. As Phoebus, Phoebus otherwyse called A­pollo stoode in auncient time in the Temples of the Gentiles without a beard. As Vale. Max. wryteth in his firste booke de Neglecta religione, Valerius Maximus lib. 1. de neg. relig. cōcerning the story of Dionisius Tyrannus Syracu­sanus. Then from .xviij. yeares their Bearde doth begynne to grow, and then they be called [Page] yong men with beards, grow­ing to mannes estate. And this age doeth precipitate & thrust downe hedlong a yong man into al kind of vice, in idlenesse, pastimes, disobediēce, glotony, luxuriousnesse, whore hūting, pride, prodigalitie, and vnto al kinde of sensualitie, consuming & wasting their patrimonie fri­uolouslye, nothing weighing their hore haires to come, as al Comedies do plainly declare, which intreate nothing of yōg men, but howe they slashe out thier goodes on voluptuous pleasures and delicate bākets.

¶ How Parents and Masters ought to traine vp yong men to ver­tue and honestie.

SEing therfore this age is more ready to vyce, than all other ages be, [Page] and doeth dayly more & more giue it selfe hedlong to youth­full lustes and concupiscences, euen as a yong Colte whome youth tickeleth, therfore ought yong men of this age to be rai­ned eyther of their parents, or else of their Masters, euen as the wilde starting horse is ta­med and brydeled of the horse courser, with pricking spurres. In which thing parēts or ma­sters must vse foure things, if so be that they will bring them to any good passe, that is to say with instruction, w^t monition, with large promesse, & laste of al, with prayse & threatnings.

¶ Instruction consisteth of sixe Precepts.

WHereof the first is, as I sayde before, that they be taught chiefely and [Page] before all things to worshippe and pray vnto God, who hath giuen essence and being to all, hath fed and preserued al, lea­uing no haynous crime vnpu­nished, no vertuous dede vnre­warded, giuing an euerlasting reward to the good, and a per­petual punishment to the euil, and that without his lawfull fauour and grace our mortali­tie is able to comprehende no­thing, & without his especiall grace, we are not able to lyue a moment: And therefore to be carefull, least with our wicked lyfe we offende.

Secondly, not to truste in worldly goodes, and specially in the beauty of the body, for the pulcritude thereof is a very frayle and mutale good,Virgilius. Eglog. 2. as Virgil sayth in his second Eglog.

Neyther let it grieue them, if nature haue not compoūded their limmes as well as shee hath done others, but let them labour y^e they be farre bewtiful and splendent in minde.Francisc. Petrar. li. de aduers. fortuna. For as Franciscus Petrar. sayth in hys booke de aduersa fortuna. Pulchrius est pulchrū fieri. The fairest bew­tie is, a man to make him selfe [Page] bewtifull, that is: knoweledge and Vertue, which is a farre fairer thing, than to be borne faire and comely of personage. And this cōmaundement was Socrates wont to teach his scho­lers, that they should often cō ­template and behold them sel­ues in a glasse: and seing thē ­selues faire of body and face, they should also endeuour too make thēselues faire of mind. For the body cōtayning with­in it a defiled minde, is a gaye and a goodly Sepulchre, con­cluding within it a rotten and a putrified body. Wherfore our Sauiour Iesus Christ in hys holy Gospell, called the Phari­sies, painted Sepulchres, for that they outwardly appeared religious and honest, and were inwardely rauening Wolues. [Page] And Socrates commaūded them also, that seing thē selues not well shaped, they shoulde also seeke the bewty of the minde, with knowledge and vertue, whiche is more noble and of longer continuance than the shape of the body.

Thirdly, that they put no cō ­fidence nor trust in their riches and goodes, neyther in their great aboundance of money, but y^t they trust onely to their science and vertue, hoping in tyme to become riche and hap­py men, for the wyse and lear­ned is the true riche man: and worldly ryches are but transi­torie and quickly lost. For we reade of many exceeding riche men, who haue in a moment bene most infortunate, as was Croesus the most riche Prince of [Page] the earth, king of the Lydians. Neyther are ryches to be este­med as precious Iewels,Cecero. li. 4. nouae reth. for Cicero sayth in his fourth booke nouae Rethor. Si voles diuitias compa­rare cum virtute, vix satis idoneae erūt, vt sint virtutis predissequae siue famu­lae. If thou wilt compare riches with vertue, they are scarce fyt for to be hir waiting maids or seruants: therefore ought yong men in their flourishing witte and ripe age, to prepare a wai­faring man or guide to leade them y^e way to olde age, which wayfaring man, is vertue and knowledge. For by them, and through them, the aged man hath honour, prayse, health, & nourishment:Thales Milesius. Whervpon Tha­les Milesius a Philosopher, being demaunded in time past what yong men shoulde learne, he [Page] made answere: let them learne those thinges by whiche they may liue in their old age, that is to say, vertue & knowledge.

The fourth document and precept is, that thei teach them to auoyde that which they see hurtfull to another, or y^t which they see contaminate or defile another, & that by other mens damages & misfortunes they learne wisedome, and that by them they amende and correct their own wicked life to a bet­ter. The vyces which corrupt and rust men, are disobediēce, lying, tangling talke, vnfayth­fulnesse, dishonestie, carding & dycing, and all such filthie ga­mes, whorehunting, dronken­nesse, prodigalitie, ydlenesse, and the cōpany of vicious per­sonnes.

The fift precept is, that they put before their eies the exam­ple both of good men, and also of vicious and wicked mē, that they may see the life and death of them: how the wicked haue bene rewarded wyth punish­ment, and the good men wyth prayse. In cōsideration wher­of, the old auncient Romaynes did vestite and aray their yong men, in y^e prime of their youth, with gownes decent for men, y^t by little and litle, they might at the last creepe to an honest lyfe. After that they were ledde to the open Market place, that they might knowe and see the life of mē to be double, the one vitious, the other vertuous, the vitious & peruerse life to haue an euill ende and cōfusion, but the way to the vertuous lyfe, [Page] to be straight and ful of bram­bles and briers, but yet at the last to be rewarded with a per­petual beneficial good reward Therfore Hercules being at the state of a yong man, choose ra­ther to serue vertue throughe labour and paynes, knowing that after labour their cōmeth a rewarde, than to be in bon­dage to vyce by idlenesse.Cicero. li. 1. Officiorū. As Cicero wryteth of him in hys first booke of Offices.

Sixtly, that they be still oc­cupied with labour and wea­rinesse, and neuer suffered to gyue them selues to idlenesse, least they fall into all disorde­red lusts: For as Ouid sayth, la­bour taketh away all the de­sires of the flesh:Ouidius. Otia si tollas, pe­riere Cupidinisarcus. If thou driue away idlenesse, loue shall haue [Page] no force on thee.

Therefore the olde Romay­nes dyd dayly exercyse their children in wrastling, fighting & swimming: therefore ought yong men to be exercised with dayly labor, euē as horse cour­sers vse to breake yong horses, ryding them dayly frō streate to streate, or in the fieldes, to vse them to ryding to y^e spurre and the brydle, who being let styll runne at large, would be past mannes might to rule.

¶ Of Monition.

SEcondly, Parents and Masters must not one­ly instruct yong men, but warne them also of theyr faults. If they cōmit any crime, they ought to be taught to doe better and more vertuouslye. [Page] And ofte tymes to commen in the presēce of them of honestie, and honest men, that at the length by dayly admonition & warning, they may become y^e more honest, for wordes doe moue the minde, & that which a man heareth oftē, it imprin­ted and inclosed in his hearte. And that they exhorted & ad­monished to imitate the foote­steppes of their Godly and re­uerende Parents, of their ho­nest Kinsfolks & Neuewes, as Aeneas in the .xij. boke of Aeneidos doth perswade and admonish his sonne Ascanius, y^t of him his father he should learne vertue: saying.

¶ Of large and liberall promise.

THirdely, that they pro­mise them to get great rewardes of euery man in euery place, and alwayes if in case they seke after Vertue, as Horace sayth in his Epistles.Horatius. in epistolis. I bone, quo virtus tua te ducit, I pede fausto, Grandia laturus meritorū prae­mia. Go happely vertuous man whether so euer thy Vertue shal conduct and leade thee, in hope to bring home great re­wards [Page] for thy deserts. Go for­wardes O ye yong men, whe­ther vertue shall leade you, for great is your rewarde, for he hath al things plentiously, and to him that seketh vertue there wanteth nothing.Plautus. As Plaut. tes­tifieth in Amph. Comaedi.

¶ Of prayse and threatnings.

FOurthly and last of all, ascribe prayse to yong men, if they continue & prosper in vertue. For prayse is a great helpe, and ayde to fi­nish and ende their course that they haue determined.Ouid. lib. 5 de tristibus As Ouid sheweth in the fifth booke, de tristibus.

Finally, glory doth encou­rage and strengthē the minde, [Page] and the loue & desyre of fame doth make men fruitfull. For al men as Cicero saith, are tray­ned and inflamed with the fer­uēt desire and hote loue of ho­nour and prayse.Quintilan Quint. also al­loweth the prayse of yong mē, if they profit in vertue: And also he cōmēdeth threatnings for thē, if that they be sluggish and vnwilling to attaine vnto vertue and honestie, and not threatnings onely, but grie­uous and smarting strypes:Cicero lib. 4. nouae rethoricae. As Cicero testifieth in his .iiij. boke nouae Rhetor. saying: Qui Adoles­centum peccatis ignoscendum putant oportere, falluntur: propteria quod ae­tas illa nō est impedimento bonis stu­diis. Apti sunt ad bona discenda, non minus quā mala. At hii sapienter fa­ciunt, qui Adolescentes maxime casti­gant, vt quibus virtutibus omnem vitā [Page] possint tueri, eas in aetate maturissima sibi comparent. They that thinke it good to remitte yong men their faultes, are deceyued: for so much that age is a furthe­rance to good & vertuous stu­dies: for they are apt & prompt no lesse to learn goodnesse thā vyce. But they are most wyse, who do chastē yong men, that in their rypest age they may gette suche vertues, by which they may defende all their life after.

¶ Of the offices and duetie of yong men.

YOng men haue dyuers offices. First they must choose, prepose and de­termine the trade of their ly­uing which they will vse du­ring their life: as we read that [Page] Hercules did. And as the Ro­maynes were accustomed to bring their yong men into the common Market place, appa­relled with gownes as men, and there should they flyng a­brode nuttes, with which they had played a greate whyle. They should reiect their for­mer ages youthfulnesse, and should endeuour to liue an ho­nest mans life. For he that wil liue amongst men, must not excede the honest meane of ly­uing.

Secondly,Cicero, lib. 1. offi­ciorum. as Cicero testifi­eth in his first boke of Offices. A yong man ought to reuerēce his elders, and by the good fa­therly admonitions and syn­cere honesty of the best & most godly of them, to institute and prepose his kinde of liuing, to [Page] brydle him selfe from lustes, & from all foolish appetites, and that he exercise with labour, & with pacience and sufferance, both of the body & of the mind, that he may be apte and fitte both for the warres & for Ciuil affayres. And when as he is disposed to recreate and quic­ken his sprites and giue him selfe to some pastime, that he beware of intemperance, but alway vse reuerence & shame­fastnesse, not to be too prodigal and lasciuious, but reuerent, and specially in those thinges at which he would haue his el­ders and seniors present. Fur­thermore, that both in place & in tyme they thinke them sel­ues men, and not beastes, and for that cause their maners to exceede the maners and condi­tions [Page] of beastes, and that they thinke them selues yong men, and not children or babes, to play as children: neyther that they thinke them selues men or fathers, that of them selues they should be wyse inoughe, but that they lacke as yet in­structions and godly lessons.

¶ Of mans age.

THe fifth age is called mannes age, when as a man is growen to his full rype age, and that his bo­dy is past growth, & his beard buddeth from out his chinne. And this age is most apt and fitte to receyue vertue and ho­nestie. For it is of force both by reason and of the body to embrace vertue. For of the Latin word (whiche is attrybuted to thys [Page] age) that is to say Vir, y^e name of Vertue is deryued: for ad­ding y^e sillable, tus, to this word Vir, it is made Virtus. For Ver­tue was firste nominated of this Latin worde Vir for a mā, bicause that man onely is able to receyue and learne vertue.

¶ Of the honest life of man.

MAnnes lyfe ought to be altogether honest and vertuous. For he ly­ueth not a perfect honest life, who vseth not all Vertues, though he offende but in some. Therefore a man ought to be prudent, iust, chast, and strong. He must be prudent, that he may do eche thing prudently, wisely, and warely, he must re­mēber both what he hath spo­ken, and what he hath done, to [Page] order those thinges that he hath presently to do ryghtly, to forcast and prouide for time to come, whatsoeuer he doth, to do it wysely, and alway to for­see the ende: for it is a filthie thing, as Cicero sayth,Cicero in y^e ende to say had I wist. And Terence also in Adelphos sayth:Terentiꝰ in Adelp. Istud est sapere, nō quod ante oculos est solum videre, sed que futura sunt prospicere. It is a wyse thing not onely to vse the time presēt, but to forse the things to come. He must be also iust, hurting or dānifying none, but frendly to all men, to set vnity and concord betwene all men. Moreouer he must be godly & gentle in al his words and dedes, faythfull, trusty and constant. For fayth, as Cicero sayth, is the foundation of ius­tice: he must be also temperate [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [Page] in al things, vsing a meane be­tweene two extremities: mo­dest, chast, moderate, sparing, sober and shamefast.

He must be strong withall, not in the force of the body, but in the operation of the minde: not fearefull and weake min­ded in the tyme of trouble, not to be dasht out of countenance with euery mishap or euill for­tune, but boldely to go against it. Let him not be sodenly mo­ued & feared, but be of a strong courage howe soeuer the mat­ter chaunce or happen. Yet let him brydle hys gredy desire and wrathful anger aboue all thinges, neyther desire foo­lishe gawdes as children, ney­ther let him moued with anger do any thing. Therefore Plato, being asked what maner of [Page] men was strōgest: he answe­red, he which can refraine his owne anger.

Finally, a vertuous man oughte to obserue these two precepts. First, that he be such a one as he woulde haue him selfe counted to be. As Cicero sayth in his second boke of Of­fices, that Socrates sayd,Cicero. li. 2. offi. the way vnto glory is short & easy to be adopted, if euery man study to be as he would he shoulde be esteemed. The second precept is, that he take héede least he lose the name of an honest mā, by this precept of Ouid.

Which is in English. If thou leese all thinges, remember to kepe thy name & honest fame, which, whē thou hast lost, thou [Page] shalt be regarded as no body. And that euery man may kepe it, let him learne and followe this precept of Horace, Horatius. written in his Epistles.

Amongst all thinges, reade & demaūd the learned clarkes, howe and by what meanes thou mayst lead thy life peace­ably.

¶ Of olde age.

THe sixt last age, is olde age, to the which age, wisdome and pru­dencie are propriate, which old men haue gotten and adopted, either by the lōg course of their lyfe, either by knowledge or ex­perience. Wherfore their office and duetie is, as Cicero sayth, [Page] in his first booke of Offices,Cicero li. 1. offi. to adiuuate and helpe yong men, their frendes, and the publike weale, with good councell and wisedome. In consideration whereof, Romulus the first buil­der of the Citie of Rome, elected and chose an hundreth aged persons, as Lyuius writeth, who for their counsell & wisedome, should haue the gouernement of the Citie. And therefore of this worde, Senibus, for aged mē the Senat was called, Senatus, which is as muche to say, as a collection or companie of olde aged mē, y^t the old men should he Rectors and Guydes of Ci­ties, & an example of honestie to yong men. In which respect honour & dignitie is attribu­ted and giuen vnto them as to the Image & portiture of wise­dom, [Page] the doctors and teachers of honestie and vertue. Fur­thermore, it is the office & dutie of olde men, to flye auarice and couetousnesse, which raigneth in them plentifully: and also that they eschew al slouth and lasciuiousnesse, weighing with thēselues, what y^e grey haires in their heade and the croked body postulateth & requireth. Truly that they vse graue and vertuous maners and condi­tions, and remember that they do dayly draw nearer & nearer death, and that their graue is at hand. Their body is bowed downe towardes the ground, whereby they may know, that by death they shall immediate­ly enter into earth. Wherefore they ought to set a syde all the pleasures and delightes of the [Page] worlde, and giue them selues wholy to loke for death, and a­byde his comming. Wherefore it were good that they knewe this verficle of Horace.

¶ What our duety is to God wardes.

HOnestie to God wardes, consisteth in the adoring and worshipping of god.Lactantiꝰ lib. 3. As Lactant. wryteth in his third boke: Seruiendum est religioni. We must doe reuerence to religion, the which, who so doeth not imitate, prostrateth him selfe towards the ground, he folow­eth the lyfe of beastes, and vt­terly secludeth all humanitie, & curtesie: for in the knoweled­ging and worshipping of God, [Page] all wisedome and sapience cō ­sisteth onely.

Wherefore, if any man wyll question with him who studi­eth perfect wisdome, for what cause he was borne into thys worlde: he will answere him by and by, that he was borne to worship, honour, and obey the omnipotent and eternall God, who created vs for that cause, that we should serue him as our Lorde and creator.

¶Of our duety towards men.

IMmediately and nexte after God, we owe a due­tie and a reuerence to­wards men:Lactantiꝰ For as Lactantius writeth in his booke: It is the first office and duetie of iustice to be ioyned with God, second­ly with man. And Christ in his [Page] sacred gospell sayth: Loue thy Lorde God, and thy neighbor as thy selfe. Man ought to be as a God to men, in mercy, in lenitie, & pietie, aiding the fa­tigated & laborious, helping the poore and nedy with foode and lyuing, defending the fa­therlesse and poore widdowes cause. Secondly, what we owe to euery man, I shall declare hereafter.

¶ Of our duety towardes our Countrey.

THe first and hyest place among men, our natiue Countrey possesseth: to whome the olde auncient Phi­losophers (as Phille. wryteth in his fourth booke de educat libero­rum) gaue the preeminence a­boue parents,Phil. li. 4. de educat. liberorū. in consideration [Page] that we were more bound to our contrey thā to our parēts: for which cause,Plato. Plato said: y^t our Countrey claimeth part of our birth, for we were born to pro­fite oure Countrey: for wee may profite our countrey fiue wayes, or with fiue kinde of people: first, with labour, for the honour and prayse of our Countrey, to study and ende­uour vs to be such, and so to re­maine, as in time to come, we may be an honour to our coū ­trey, and that it, by the meanes of vs, may aggregate & heape vp glory to it selfe for euer.

Secondly, if she be foolish and vnlearned, to instruct hir with prudencie and counsell. For it is our duetie to teach the igno­rant. Thirdly that we prouide and prepare our commoditie [Page] and profite, that euen in the same we may be thankfull to y^e land which hath borne, nouri­shed & brought vs vp. Fourth­ly, that we defende hir eyther with prudence, or with strēgth and force, howsoeuer the time & necessitie shall require. Fifth­ly, if nede require, and that she can not otherwise be redemed ans deliuered, that we prepare our selues, euen to dy in hir de­fence and quarrel, which death is esteemed and reputed most honest. Herevpon Horace sayd:Horat. Dulce, & decorum est, pro patria mori. which thing many men haue ventured, as you may reade more plainly in Liuius workes.

¶ Our duety towards our parents.

NExt after God and our Countrey, we ought to reuerence and obey our [Page] parents, as we are commaun­ded, both by the sacred & pro­phane scriptures, and them we must also worship, both wyth vertue and honestie. We ought to shew fiue poynts of honestie towards our parents. First, in fulfilling their will and plea­sure in honest things. Secōd­ly in seruing them to the vt­termost of our power. Third­ly, in honouring them, both in wordes and dedes, not to mut­ter or murmure against them. In deede and iesture, to reue­rence them, bare headed & ben­ded knees. Fourthly, in ador­ning vs, that is to say, by our profite in vertue & knowledge, that they may at some times get prayse and honour of vs in the presence of other, not to de­generate from them in honest [Page] condicion & vertuous lyuing. Fifthly, in nourishing them, if that they be ouerladē with po­uertie or age, whiche thinges beastes doe vse, and especially the Curlewes who feede their parents in their olde age.Cicero, de Orat. And Cicero in his booke de, Orat. hath this saying: Pietas, nihil aliud est, quàm humanitas erga parētes, Piety, is nothing else thā gentlenesse to our parents.Franciscꝰ Phile. de educat. liberorū. Franciscus Philel. de educat. liberorū, wryteth in his thirde Chapter of y^e same boke concerning the dutie of chyl­dren to their parents, that al­beit they bee not able during their life, to render sufficient grateful thāks, yet they ought to do to the vttermost of their power, what they may, vsing them most gently, most curte­ously, attending on them dili­gently, [Page] fauoring their benigne perswasiōs, obeying their easy commaundements, to proue & allow their willes, pleasures & deliberations, eyther to goe or to tarry, eyther to spouse at their determinatiōs, as though they were diuine and celestiall wordes and cōmaundements, not to rebell or mutter when as they shal be stirred with the instigation of coller, paciently to abide their mines & threat­nings. But when as they shall bid or commaund that which is vnhonest or vnlawful to re­fuse, but gentlely & reuerently without cursing or euill spea­king.

¶ What chaunce hath befallen them, which haue not giuen eare to their parents teachings.

THey which haue beene wicked and froward to their parents, haue ne­uer prospered, as olde wryters do recorde. Orestes a Gretian, bycause he slewe his mother Clytemnestra, was trāsformed in­to one of the furyes of hell. And Naero a Romain Prince, bicause he was a parricide ouer his mother, was euer after coūted for the most tyraunt on earth. In the auncient time within the Citie of Rome, the parents slayers were yerked and puni­shed with a most vile death, for they were included within a sack of leather, with the cōpa­nie of dogs, serpents, and cockes, and so dimitted headlong into the deapth of the Sea.

¶ Of the duetie towardes our Scholemasters.

COnsequently after our pa­rents, we owe reuerence to scholemasters and in­structors, for they are other pa­rents: for which consideratiō, the Gētiles would haue schol­masters in the place & rowme of parents.Iuuenal. As Iuuenall writeth in his Satires. For Schole­masters are parents of minds, for they giue the lyfe of y^e mind, that is to say, knowledge and vertue, where as parents giue but onely the life of y^e body. In respect whereof, scholemasters are to be regarded nexte after parents, and are worthy of no lesse reuerence.Phille. li. 4 Cap. 7. For as Phill. wryteth in his fourth booke & seauenth Chapter, it is dayly [Page] seene how they flourish in lear­ning, which haue obeyed their Scholemasters documentes. Amongst whom Traianus y^e Em­perour triumphed, & Caesar cō ­mended and praysed of al men in his time for his excellent & singuler vertue. And this mā reuerenced & adored his ma­ster Plutarch, most willingly and worthily. M. Antonius a Ro­maine, the holyest & most syn­cere Prince, did erect golden Images in his house in y^e ho­nour of his Scholemasters. Ci­cero also y^e Prince of eloquence, for that he was esteemed the fynest Latinist in earth, he ce­lebrated his masters seuerally, and by name in his egregious workes. And as many as haue at any tyme exceeded in lear­ning and honestie, haue wor­shipped [Page] feruently, loued & wor­thyly magnified and extolled their instructor by whom they receyued those former vertues.

¶ Of those who haue dishonoured and defamed their instructors and Masters.

SVch as haue contem­ned & vituperated their teachers, haue in y^e end proued most dulheaded dolts, and most vile and filthy in cō ­ditions. As amongst which, Nae­ro that cruel tyrant was chiefe, whom all wryters condemne and accuse giltie of ouer much wickednesse: for he slewe hys Scholmaster Seneca most cruel­ly and most villanously. For in remunerating his stripes that he had suffered of his mayster in his youth, instigated incon­tinently [Page] with the furious rage of coller, & for the currish mal­lice he bare vnto vertue, & ver­tuous men, sent vnto hym by a Centurion to electe & choose his death, with diobolicall fu­rie when as he perceyued, de­sired to be sette in a vessell of hote water, and to haue hys vaynes opened, and so to dye, which malecious crime and cō ­tempt of his master, declared the blunt fyled witte of Nuro. Futhermore, Beroal. in orat, pro­uerb, Beroaldus in orat. prouerb. sayth, that who so seeketh fame by the malidictiō & back­byting of his Master, shall be­come slaunderous him selfe, & shall be expulsed the company of honest men as a reprobate, he shalll be feared as a Viper, and he shal be a common hate, as though he had slaundered [Page] his parents, for the Master is the parent and the shape of the mind, whom vnlesse we honor in euery place and among all men, we haue condignely de­serued to be called flagitious and malepert.

¶ Offices towardes our Masters.

WHerefore, we ought to shew foure kinde of du­ties towards our Ma­sters. First, to loue them as en­tirely as our parents. Second­ly, in all honestie to obey their commaundementes. Thirdly, to be gratefull and thankefull vnto them, during this life.

Fourthly, that we labour with vigilāt studie to become as ex­pert in knoweledge as them­selues, or rather more. This is [Page] a lawfull and and a decent cō ­tention for scholers to cōtend, either to be equal with his ma­ster in knowledge and science, eyther else to exceede him. And so, many haue growen more perite and skilfull than their Masters: As Beroaldus gloryed that he had had many Ma­sters, & in the ende reade lector to them all.

¶ Towards our Kinsfolkes and Affinitie.

WHat our dewtie is to­wardes our Kinsfolkes & Affinitie, which are ioyned vnto vs in bloude, ey­ther by father or mother syde, our owne reasō shal perswade vs sufficiently, that we be vnto thē as vnto our selues, to loue them as our selues, for they [Page] are nothing else but euen as o­ther we. They are parts & mē ­bers of our bloude, of our stock, and of our progenie, wherfore we take them for none other, than the proper mēbers of our owne body, that whatsoeuer we would not haue done vnto vs, that same we should depell from them, no lesse to profite them, than our selues, other­wyse we shoulde be worthely called ingrate. Euen as he is iustly termed a foole which fa­uoureth one parte of his body more than an other, so he shall merrite the name of a thāklesse person, which wil not be ready to helpe his cosin of his owne bloude, both with ayde, and al­so with counsell, for the lawe of nature biddeth vs so to doe.

And in the Gospell of our Sa­uiour [Page] Iesus Christ, we are cō ­maūded to loue our neighbors as our selfe. And they are but right neighbours, who be of our affinitie and kinred.

¶ Towards Frends.

FIfthly, we ought to re­uerence our Frendes, which reuerēce we are taught sufficiently of the most famous Clearks, and especial­ly of Cicero, in his booke, de amici. For there are sixe duties to be done to our Frendes. First, de­maund of our frends nothing which is indecore or dishonest, neither to do ought for thy frē ­des pleasure, but that which shall be decent & lawfull. The second, is to reioyce no lesse at thy frendes prosperitie than at thine owne. In aduersitie to [Page] lament his case and fortune, and to reuiue, consolate, and cōfort him agine, eyther with counsell or otherwise, to the vt­termoste of thy power, not to forsake them, playing the part as Swallowes,Cicero. li. 4 Reth. who (as Cicero wryteth in his fourth booke of Rhetoricke) will be with you during the Sommer, but as sone as they perceyue Winter comming, they flye altogether away into the hotter coūtries. The thirde law, is to will and nill the selfe same thing wyth our frendes, our studies and delectations to be all one with theirs. For contrary studies & dyuers conditions, interrupt and burst the boundes and li­mittes of frendship: As Cicero writeth in the same boke.Cicero. The fourth, is to doe nothing more [Page] to our frends than we would be done vnto. For Cicero sayth:Cicero. Amicus est quasi alter idem. Thy frende is as an other thou, & be one heart in two bodies, there­fore we ought to loue them, as our selues, y^t we labor with loue to ouercome thē, and not to be ouercommend of them, which is the most filthie thing on earth. Fifthly, frendshippe is to be weighed, (as Cicero sayth) not for the hope of gaine or lucre, as the common sort vse nowe a dayes, that ceassing the pro­fite, they will also forget fami­liaritie: but frendship is to be loked in y^e only loue of the hart, and then it shall continue lon­gest: and then we shal be more redier to giue our frend a gift, thā to receyue one of him. The sixt and last is, often tymes to [Page] obey our frends. For as Terence sayth:Terentius Obsequum amicos parat. Di­ligēce getteth frends. Further­more, not to cast in his teeth to whom thou hast giuē thy gift. For as Cicero sayth, it is an o­dious kinde of people vpbray­ding their duties, which ought to haue remembred to whom he did them, and not who did them.Cicero. li. 2. vet. reth. And in his second booke veteris Rethor. he saith: Imprudens est ille qui pro beneficio non gratiam sed mercedem postulat. He is a foole, who for his benefite loo­kes not for thankes, but for a rewarde. But in case we shall at any tyme receyue a profyte at our frends hand, we are cō ­maunded by the same Cicero to imitate the fertile fields, who surrender more vnto the sower than they receyued. In like [Page] maner ought we in frenship, if we be able, to render more than we receyued, eyther else to say we are not of abilitie to recompence them wyth lyke measure, yet if fortune laughe at any tyme more amiably, I hope to be grate and thankfull.

¶ Towards Felowes.

THat familiaritie of men which we do nuncupate societie, is in all pointes like amitie. For societie is no­thing else than a frendly fami­liaritie, coniunct and ioyned within them selues. And in choosing thy companions and felowes, thou must first labour to choose them that be honest and of a good name, by whom thou mayest learne to amende [Page] thy faultes. And when as we haue gotten such honest and alowable Mates, we must so behaue our selues toward thē, as we may kepe these sixe pre­cepts. First, that we be to them as to our frendes. Secondly, that we obserue these .v. things of whiche Terence speaketh in his Comedy of Andria, Terentius in Andr. that is, that we learne and frame our selues to abide and suffer the maners, rytes, ieastures of our fellowes, not to be moued to anger at euery worde spoken, but to beare all things pacient­ly & with a merry countenance, and also that we apply our sel­ues wholy to the honest becke­nings & signes of our fellowes. Thirdly, to practise their medi­tations, to do as they doe, if at the least it be honest, wherfore, [Page] it is a cōmon prouerbe: Viuen­dum est moribus praesentium, vel siue (quod aiunt) capitis nō esse morosum. We must liue after the fashiōs of others, and not after the fā ­cie of our owne heade. Fourth­ly, y^t we be aduersary to none, but to flye & auoyde stryfe, dis­corde, and brawlings. In no case to sowe discorde. Fifthly, that we preferre our selues be­fore none, and that we esteme not our selues better than the rest, but equall. Wherevpon it is a cōmon saying, among fel­lowes there ought to be no order but one equal with y^e other, and no extolling of one aboue the other. And to these little Precepts we may well adde two more, of which the first is, not to byte nor slaunder thy fe­lowes behind their backe. The [Page] second is, to reproue thy felow, if he offende (but that gently & in a secrete place) not before y^e rest, for that is to contempne and despise thy fellow, and not frendly to tel his fault: for frē ­des reproue the faultie secrete­ly, and flatterers opēnly before the multitude.

¶ Towardes aged men.

THe old grey headed mā whom olde age hath a­rested, ought also to be reuerēced, for he deserueth ho­nour for his long lyfe, in which (what with experience, vse and knoweledge) he hath learned much prudencie. In conside­ration whereof, he ought to be honoured as the mansiō house of knowledge, as in whom all wisedome is lodged. And there be three thinges wherewith [Page] aged mē are to be reuerenced. First,Cicero. as Cicero sayth in his Of­fices, that their labors may be diminished for lack of strength of the body, which by age is ab­repted. Secondly, they are to be reuerenced with gētle, chast and modest wordes, to be no­minate by the frendly name of Father or Mother, not to op­presse them with opprobryes, as nequitie us knaues, but to say or do nothing before them, but that which shall be both ciuill and allowable. Wherev­pō Ouid in his fifth de Fast. hath these pretie verses.

Thirdly, we must follow thē, both in deedes and ieastures, that descende from honestie, to reuerēce them hūbly with ma­king curtesie modestly, which thing the old auncient Roma­nes did diligētly kepe and ob­serue, ordeyning this law, if a­ny passed by an aged man, not vncouering his head, he should suffer the punishement of the heade.

¶ Towards Women.

WE owe also a reuerence to honest & vertuous womē, for two causes. [Page] First, bycause they are our mo­thers, and our Nursses, & take more payne in bringing vppe children, than the father doth. Secondly, bicause that wyth shamefastnesse they worshippe vertue, which vertue is much esteemed, as we reade of many Matrones amongst the Histo­riographers. Therefore they ought to be reuerenced with a triple kinde of honestie. First, to temper thy tongue, whē as thou commest among them frō lasciuious & wanton talke. For when as they be shamefast, there ought nothing to be spo­ken before them, but what shal be honest and decent. Second­ly, to refrayne from vncomely ieasture or behauiour, which make the man vicious. All things must be done modestly, [Page] for it becommeth vs to vse such ieasture and maners as the companie is. Therefore when as women are taken for wor­shippers of shamefastnesse, it becōmeth vs also to be shame­fast and chast whē as we hap­pen among them. Thirdly, to auoyde all brawling, & figh­ting amongst them, for they be weake & vnable to resist them which do them wrong, and it shall be but small prayse to o­uercome a woman, eyther else to strike hir as the saying is.

¶ Towarde straungers and peregrines.

THere be also foure offi­ces or dueties of vertue to bee done towardes straungers and peregrines. First, we ought to receyue and [Page] vse them, with a Godly and a gētle language, that they may knowe they come to men, and not to cruel & rigorous beasts. They are not to be scoffed and mocked at,Plautus: wherevpon Plautus wryteth in hys Comedy na­med Penulus: Seruum hercle te esse oportet & nequam & malum homi­nem, peregrinum atque aduenam qui irrideas. Thou must nedes be a slaue, & an euill and naughtie man, which deridest a straun­ger. Secondly, shewing them that which they knowe not in our coūtrey, not to deceyue thē, for y^t they are ignorant of ma­ny things vsed with vs, for y^t bringeth rather dispraise than prayse of our countrey, for it is an easy thing to beguile the ig­norant.Erasmus de instr. Prin. Chr. Erasmus wryteth in his boke de instruc. Prin. Christianorū, [Page] that Plato should somtyme haue sayd, that they ought diligenly to respect that straungers take no more wrong than Citizēs, for that they wanting frendes should suffer more wrong. And therfore the Gentiles thought that Iupiter was the reuenger of straūgers wronges, and na­med Iupiter for y^t cause Xontnon.

Thirdly, to shewe them the way, when as they shall de­maund it, or be ignorant, not to shewe them to take the lefte hande, when as they shoulde take the right, for y^t is a moste wicked fact to bring a straun­ger out of his way, without our profite, for it is the propertie of a theefe & a prayseeker to shew a straunger willingly a wrong way, whereby he may trappe him in his snare, and so mur­ther [Page] him. Fourthly, to harbour them and suffer them to dwell with vs. For which cause the Gentiles worshipped hospita­litie as a holy & sacred thing, and named Iupiter the God of Hospitalitie, bycause it was a godly and a religious thing to host straungers: And ther­fore Dido Queene of Carthage as Virgilius wryteth in his first boke of Eneidos, Virgilil. li. 1. Aenei. when she recei­ued Eneas with y^e other Troia­nes into hospitalitie, she inuo­cated Iupiter in a banquet, as the giuer of meate to geastes. And the auncient Romaynes receyued and toke many straū ­gers into their Citie, which in length of tyme were made mo­derators and rulers of the Ci­tie.Li. de vrb. Liuius. As Liuius wryteth in his booke de vrbe condita. And Beroal. [Page] sayth, that in olde tyme pere­grines and straungers were more diligent & obedient than Citizens. And that at Rome straungers were made great Magistrates, counsellers, and Pretors. As in the dayes of Numa and Tarquinius many pe­regrines were Counsellers, & they had also a straunger Pre­tore which expounded y^e lawes to the straungers.

¶ Towards our aduersaries and enimies.

WE ought also to be ver­tuous towardes our e­nemies, & to kepe foure precepts.Cicero, li. officio. First, as Cicero bid­deth vs in his boke of Offices. Etiā et fides praestita, seruanda est hos­tibus, vt nūo Euquitum lex & cousue­tudo est. Promised fayth ought [Page] also to be obserued with thy e­nimie, as the law and custome of Knightes requireth. Who so euer be takē of any and let go, he being called backe againe of the same, oughte to come a­gaine, otherwise he shall be ex­pulsed the booke of the noble victorious and stout knights. Secondly, if thy aduersarie or enimy prouoke thee, or wrong thee vniustly, or threaten to fighte with thee, thou ought not by and by reuēge and bite againe, for that is the proper­tie and nature of brute beasts. But first, indeuour to pacifie y^e matter gently, with frendely frendes, as Terence wryteth in Eunuchus. Omnia prius verbis, Terentiꝰ quam armis experiri sapientem decet, nihil­que excisa faciendum improuidè. A wise mā ought to try al things [Page] first with gentle words, before he fight, neyther ought he to do any thing rashely and vn­aduisedly in the heate of his fu­rie. Thirdly, if thou be wrōged, it is better to forgiue and re­mitte that wrong, than to in­ferre wrong againe, for y^e most worthie kinde of reuenging, is to forgiue, & not render like for like.Erasmus de insti. Prin. Chr. Erasmus in his booke, de institut. Princ. christ. sayth: that it denoteth a weake and faynte hearted man to reuenge hys wrong. Iuuen. in his .xij. Sa­tire, sayth: that none desireth more to reuenge than a womā. and therefore she shall be vn­worthy of a husband. Fourth­ly, if y^t by no meanes we may depell & shake off the wrongs of our enimy, vnlesse we do the like to him againe, then ought [Page] we to immitate that saying of Virgil in his .xij. boke of Eneid. Virg. li. 12. Aeneidos. Quo deus & quo dura fortuna sequa­mur. Let vs try it as it pleaseth God, and as hard fortune shal leade vs. Fortune and vertue are knitte both in one, let vs hardely and boldely resist with weapons as Liuius wryteth of the Romane natiōs: we ought for no other cause to fight, thā to liue afterwardes in peace, & not to seeke reuenge of our e­nimies.

¶ Towards our Lordes and Masters whom we serue.

WE owe a quadruple re­uerence towarde our Masters whose breade we eate, and whom we serue. First, we ought to be prompt & redy in all things, to obey their [Page] precepts and cōmaundemēts, not to goe about our businesse creaping like a Snayle, to vse no sluggishnesse, take no grefe nor slacke our Masters com­maundement. Secondly, we ought to be faithful and trusty to them, without deceite, fraud, or guile, not to flatter them be­fore their face, and to speake e­uill of them behind their backe. Thirdly, we ought to aduaū ­tage and profite them, in fore­seeing and auoyding their dis­commoditie, more to regarde and seeke their cōmoditie and benefite than our owne, soner to dispatch our Masters busi­nesse than our owne. And if we shall see our master sustaine a­ny losse or hinderāce we ought to auoide y^e same. Fourthly, we must be mute at two tymes. [Page] First, we must not chatte again whē our master speaketh, yea & though we sometimes are bet­ter, neyther must we also be al­together dombe: wherevpon Plaut. in his comedy of the glo­rious souldier, sayth:Plautus. Oportet ser­uum plus scire quam loqui: It be­houeth a seruāt to know more than he speaketh. Secondly, he ought to keepe close his Ma­sters secretes from other men, and not gaggle them abrode. For taciturnitie greatly com­mendeth a seruant.

¶ Towards a Magistrate.

WE owe moreouer a tri­ple duetie to magistra­tes & hye Rulers. First, we ought obediently to obey their lawes and ordinances: not to be interrupters of the [Page] lawe, but fulfillers of the sme, for lawes be nothing more thā precepts & documents of well and righteous liuing: neither to repugne nor make insur­rection against them is a hap­py thing, for the flye getteth nothing by biting y^e Elephant, neither doth it aduantage the Scarbet to seeke the Eagle. Secondly, we ought not to slaunder thē, neyther by word, nor by deede: for he speaketh not safely nor yet wryteth not surely, which speaketh or wry­teth against those which haue power and authoritie to binde and condemne him. Neyther is it a decent thing, to sting or hurt them whose study and la­bour is night and day to pre­serue, defend, and vertuously to moderate the cōmon weale. [Page] Thirdly, if they shall require a­ny trybute, ye ought gently to giue them, for by that meanes Regions & Cities are defēded, maintayned, and vpholded, o­therwise the flourishing floure would sone fade away and wi­ther.Liuius. lib. 2. For as Liuius wryteth in his second booke: De Vrbe con­dita. Si coetera corporis membra sto­macho cibum nō suppeditarent, simul cum ipso fame perirēt. If the other members and parts of the bo­dy should not help the stomack with meate, they should toge­ther perishe with the stomacke for hunger. So likewise vn­lesse Citizens & Inhabitants of the Citie helpe the Princes and Magistrates of the same with faculties and mony, they shal together be ouercome and slaine with their Prince.

¶ What maner of the honestie at ban­ketting is required.

PLaces and tymes are dyuers wherin men cō ­uent, assemble or talke, but especially y^e place or time of banketting, if so be that at the least any geast appointed be there present. For it is no lesse hurte than damage to all men, to pamper the belly, or to liue immoderately, as a man might say at y^e feast of dronken [Page] Bacchus, as one of hys typpled Prelates.

¶ Sixe honest or vertuous precepts, worthy at Meales to be imita­ted and obserued.

THe first obseruation as Macrobiꝰ sayth lib. 7. Macrobius. Satur­nalium) is to esteme, pon­der, or thinke by the geastes as they be, meaning of what sub­stance, what dignitie or autho­ritie. The second (as the same Macrobius relateth,) is for euery man, to see when place is fitte, or conuenient, not to talke or commen of Philosophie, at ty­mes prepared, with sustinance to refresh the body. Therefore Socrates at a certaine tyme,Socrates. be­ing demaunded at a banket, that he would manifest some­thing by communication, an­swered: [Page] I knowe not those things which present time and place requireth, and the same which I am not ignorant in, are not decent as nowe to be vttered, supposing that those graue questions whereof the Philosophers reasō in y^e schole, be not fitte at bankets, as ban­ketting dishes to be serued.

Thirdely, they are called for strife or contention rather, yea, it soner aryseth, by quaffing or canuassing, of the pots, than a­ny otherwyse at all. Fourthly, let there be a meane obserued in eating or drinking, accor­ding to these two precepts, y^t is to say: let thy meate be ta­ken without gluttonie, and thy drinke without ebrietle. Fifth­ly,Plautus these seuen precepts of Plau­tus comoed. Militis gloriosi. Euery [Page] man must imitate. Let him be, no cauiller, a profitable geast, no tatler, obstinent from all discomoditie, a speaker at due tyme, a keper of quiet, till ano­ther declare his fātasie, a small interrupter of mennes talke, no busie demaunder of questi­ons. Sixtly, let him not be an opener or blaser abroade of things, spoken, hearde, seene, or done. Therefore Horace in hys sixt Epistle, calling a greast Foro­natum, promiseth that he would take charge, that there should be none at the banket, y^t would declare any thing without the Threshald of the dore. And Be­roaldus, declareth, that it was y^e custome of certaine Gentiles, their appointed geast entring their house, to shewe to them their Threshald, saying: with­out [Page] this is there nothing, mea­ning, take heede how you vtter those things abrode, which you heare at the table: wherfore al­so in our time this is y^e fashion, to haue Roses painted aboue or ouer the table, y^t vnder them our communications at repast, might be kept, and not scatte­red any other where.

¶ How to behaue our selues in ho­nest sober company.

IT is no small cunning, nay rather a great and egregious wisedome, to knowe howe profitably to be­haue our selues among men, y^t by our familiaritie we may please others, & so to retaine our mutuall friends. Which thinges to bring to passe we had nede of .vij. especial docu­ments [Page] First, let vs acustom our selues to beare & suffer the ma­ners, words, & deedes of men, & not by & by to sound the dogs letter. R. as though we would byte (if to vs any damage they inferre) but as witting no­thing of the same, let vs seeme to winke. For to be snapping & snarring, or at the least, an­gry at a small offence, is the pointe or manyfest token of a weake man, not able to brydle his owne nature. Secondly, let vs subscribe to their arby­trement & sentence, y^t our wil­ling and nilling might be vnto vs with them, that is to say, to consent to that which they doe require, & eschew those things which are not good, but rather lurke as mischieuous baytes, to entāgle the vnwary. Third­ly, [Page] to be obedient to their ad­uice, works and indeuouring, as diligent Students of that discipline or learning, which they imitate. For where the pestiferous discention of wor­kes hath a resting place, there in a shorte moment, the shrill conuict is song. Fourthly, let vs not hate vnworthily any man, in proferring of strife or iniury, either by mocking wor­des, or wicked communicatiō. Fifthly, let vs presume before no man, thoughe we be their betters, of more abilitie in sub­stance or treasure. Let vs not hinder them, for asmuch consi­dering we would not take it in good part, to be hindered our selues. Sixtly, we must be ease­ly intreated, and readily gyr­ded, that where soeuer tyme or [Page] place require, we may shew gē ­tlenesse to other. For,Terentiꝰ Obsequiū parit amicos, intermissū inimicos pe­perit semper. The other maners and rytes, dayly vse and expe­rience which is the mistresse of things doth teach.

¶ In mutuall or frendly communi­cation, praeceptiunculae.

IN the frendely talke or communication of men, there are eight precepts or rules of vertue, as necessary to be imitated. Not to trouble other mennes communicatiō, but to refrayne thy tong from speach, and haue a regarde to the conclusion of their words. And herevpon arose the com­mon prouerbe. Two may sing but not be vnderstand: for the talke of the one hindreth the [Page] speach of the other, that it can not be fully percieued. To take away no mans honour, either absent or present: for there is no thefte greater, no robberie worser, than the taking away of a mannes fame. Nothing hath he to vse after life & death but fame, which once being fleted,Ouid. as Ouid sayth, afterward he is nothing (y^t is) of no esti­mation or effect. We ought to haue a regard what we speake of any man, least some being present at our talke, receyue dammage thereby, especially oure frendes or familliar ac­quaintance. We may vtter no­thing, whether it be a fond tale or wyse talke, hauing before our eyes, y^t it may as well hin­der as profite. Let euery man therfore take hede how to rea­son [Page] of any new matters, or tri­fles, least he be coūted (as you may tearme him) the loder of long tongue Mill. For he that as a newe vpstart medleth in euery mans case, is iudged a trifling marchāt, fighting vn­der the ensigne of the lying ar­my. Make not inquisition vp­pon other mennes secretes, for two causes. The first is, by­cause it standeth yll with those oftentymes whose secretes are knowē. The second, insomuch that the demaūders or questiō askers, be iudged betrayers or (secrets once knowen) bewrai­ers of the same, wherby y^e fore­sayd might sustaine a maruey­lous detrimēt. Whether a man be sober or dronken, as witnes­seth Horatius, Horatius. let him keepe hys owne counsell, for vttering his [Page] inward thoughtes, he is iud­ged worser than a theefe. For secretes oft tymes performe a confessiō of those things which be proloyned by latrones or euill disposed personnes, none will speake thinges but eyther vnderstode or knowen, except he be a backbyter, or some false tatling Sycophant.

¶ Whilst we be in talking with an honest name, how to behaue our selues.

ERasmus in his booke in­tituled Colloquia sayth. As often as any man speaketh vnto thee, to whome thou owest honour or reuerēce, frame thy self to the right state of thy body, with cap in hande, thy countenace indifferent, neither sadly nor fleringly, but [Page] keping the meane of modestie, thine eies chast, alwayes fixed vpon him to whom thou spea­kest, thy feete close together, thy handes not busie, but al­wayes quiet, not wauering w^t tattering feete, nor trifling with thy fingers, neyther by­ting thy lippes, scratching thy heade, or picking thyne eares. Also let thy garmentes comely adorne thy body, that thy reue­rence, thy countinance, thy be­hauiour & apparelling of thy body might declare a notable modestie and chast disposition of thy minde.

¶ In walking abrode with others: a certaine note or onseruation.

IF it happen, or chaunce that we walke abrode or soiourne with any man, [Page] it is necessary and conuenient that we be decked as it were with nine maners. First, cle­ment in communication, gētle or easy to be spoken with: for Plautus saith, that a pleasant cō ­paniō, by the way is as it were a Chariot, easing the weary­nesse of our iourney. If we be in dignitie inferior, we must go on the lefte syde, or else be­hinde, & not cheeke by cheeke, except that good leaue or ly­cence be permitted. Likewise we must not vse an ouer swift pase, but a decent and tempe­rate festination,Cicero in Officiis. as Cicero in Of­ficiis willeth vs. In going of a iourney, or from place to place, let vs not commacu­late oure wayfaring compa­nion, but lette vs so moderate our feete and foote steps, that [Page] we sprinkle not y^e other with mudde or dirty baggage. Let vs speake with a lowe voyce, & not with a bosting tong. Let vs honour whom we meete by the way, in giuing thē the vp­per hande, and by other mea­nes wherby reuerence is exhi­bited, saluting obuied persōs, for it is a gētle, a laudable and Godly point.Cato. Therefore Cato once said: Saluta libenter. Salute euery man willingly. For salu­tatiō is none other thing, than to wish health, or good successe to any man. Also let vs put off our Cappes, and vncouer oure heades, whiche is a manifest signe of humbling our selues, and acknoweledging that we be inferiours to the foresayde, which Christ commaunded vs, to appeare, I meane humble [Page] and not lusty in mynd & heart.

¶ How to behaue our selues in a pros­perous strate or tyme.

TIme also requireth his comelinesse or good v­sage, for eyther by time we offend more or lesse. Tyme is double, eyther that is to say, merry or prosperous, else hea­uy, sorrowfull, or infortunate. Time, if it be lucky, or blessed, a quadruple comlynesse is to be obserued. First of all not to boast to highe, & reioyce whilst fortune laugheth at oure suc­cesse, which was wonte to be done among the cōmon people as Iuuenal alleageth. Nescia mens hominum rebus modum seruare se­cundis. exhorting that the igno­rant minde of men not know­ing what would happen here­after, [Page] should obserue a merry meane in their prosperitie.

Secondly, not to mocke & de­spise him before vs, as though we were happier than he who fortune frowneth against. For this boasting and glorying in minde, is that which is most o­dious in y^e sight of God. Third­ly, to feare & alwayes be care­full, least fortune lowringly should be mutable or changed with vs. For she is more vncō ­stant than the winde, and is sayde to stande on a turning wheele, so that she can not per­sist in one state. Therefore in tymes past a certaine Philoso­pher waxed very sorrowfull in his richest state, knowing y^t af­ter prosperitie, aduersitie shuld aryse. In this miserable estate he reioyced, surely perswading [Page] him selfe, that after showers, fayre weather should ensue, & after his pensiuenesse greate ioy and mirth should followe. Fourthly, giuing thanks vnto God for his great beneuolence bestowed on vs, that we may not be vnthankefull, but by our humilitie stirre him vp to in­crease vs the more: Let vs not forget God, for the felicitie of fortune, as rich mē were wont. and dayly I feare me doe, but let vs remember him, pray vn­to him with thankefull minds, that he might multiplie and more prosper the frendly coun­tenance of fortune, which he hath bestowed vpon vs, or else ende the same by any indiffe­rent meane.

¶ In the tyme of aduersitie.

BVt if that tyme be ouer­cast wyth cloudes and sorrowfull, let vs be ar­med or munited with sixe pre­ceptes. First of all, let vs ne­uer discomfort our minde, as though hereafter we might not be more fortunate or happie, but let vs hope with a valiant minde for better chaunce, and comforte our selues with thys saying of Virgil, Virgil. Dabit Deus his quoque finem. God will finishe these our troubles and calami­ties. Secondly, let vs seke coū ­sell to remedie this infelicitie, eyther by our owne witte, or else by the prudent aduise of o­thers. Thirdly, let vs be mind­full, of God, humbly makyng our Orison vnto him, and not [Page] curssing his deitie for the mise­rie which we suffer, but that he would vouchsafe that trouble not long to continue, and be­stow his grace vpon vs, to our saluation, that we may take in good part any crosse which he shall lay vpon vs. Fourthly, we ought to reioyce, rather than to be sory, that the same aduer­sitie hath light vpon vs, by the which at the hands of god, we may deserue, to haue rewarde & be deliuered from our sinnes. Fifthly, we must vphold, or as it were vnderproppe our mind with a good hope, as if we suf­fred iustly punishment for our offences, saying with the Poet Ouid.

Sixtly we must consider our selues to be mē, fighting vnder y^e ensigne of fortitude, & there­fore a great shame to be feared with euery shadowe of aduer­sitie.

¶ In seruing and obeying others.

IN performing obeysāce, it behoueth vs to be wise and sage, that our ser­uice might be acceptable vnto those, on whom it is bestowed, least our diligence and trauail be laughed to scorne: for there are sixe notes to be obserued. We must prouide, that our ser­uice be profitable, vnto whom it is offered. For he that giueth hurtfull obeysance exhibiteth [Page] no frendship but rather destru­ction, let it be done in due sea­son or time:Erasmus. for as Erasmus testi­fieth, benefites out of seasō are the lesse to be regarded. And likewyse herevnto is y^e cōmon prouerbe replied. Charè cōstat prae­cibus quod emitur. That benefite is deare, which is bought with the penny. Deferre not to fy­nish therefore good turnes re­quested, and especially already promised. For tardinesse or de­lation of tyme, maketh frend­ship vnthankfull. Therefore, willingly, if thou haue busy­nesse in hand speedily to plea­sure, whō thou coūtest a frend, finish the same with all celeri­tie, least thou be cōstrained, as in tymes past the Asse was, to drinke vnwillingly: or accor­ding to the prouerbe, trifle, ga­sing [Page] at the man in the Moone to no effect at all. The busy­nesse of our friende ought to be done, as faithfully as our own, for herein the bright beames of friendship is declared. For Offices are esteemed lyke as the will of the performer, and the thankes of a former bene­fite perisheth, except it be renu­ed with an other.

¶ The office or duetie of a Magistrate.

IF we beare the prehemi­nence of a Magistrate, & dominate ouer others, as rulers and gouernours of them; it is necessarie that espe­cially we abounde in foure se­uerall points of wisedome. Let vs behaue our selues, as we would euery man should be­holde [Page] vs: let vs be wyser than the rest ouer whome we beare sway. For it is a filthie thing to be a superiour in honour, & not in wisedome. By the excel­lencie of the Magistrates au­thoritie, let vs not with presūp­tuous mindes despise other, playing Millitem illū Terentianū. But let vs followe this saying of Cicero, Cicero. the higher we be, the lower to submit our selues, lo­king to y^e commoditie of others more than to our owne: for a Magistrate is a cōmon persō, not a priuate. Let vs not hurt the innocent nor fauour the of­fender, but in punishment let there be a meane, according to the fault,Cicero. as Cicero sayth. Let the rulers be like vnto y^e lawes which proceede with equitie & iustice, to punish the mal [...]fac­tors. [Page] Let vs haue a regarde to punish these ten vyces from our common weales, perfidia, pe­culatus, auaritia, inuidia, ambitio, ob­trectatio, periuriū, indiligētia, iniuria, & scelus, Plautus. as Plautus cōmaundeth in Per. Comoe. Let vs thinke that many other things do become vs, than those ouer whom we beare sway, & that our faults be soner spyed thā the faults of our subiects, as learned Poets in tymes past haue song.