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will use that foresaide discretion in avoyding all quarrellous SECOND contentions and obstinate arguyng in matters, whereby BOOKE a man, desirous of that vayne seeming, will often times, contrarye to all reason, seeke to seeme to have the upper hande of others.

GUAZ. In my opinion, there is nothing that maketh a manne woorse liked of in companie then that.

ANNIB. And therefore if hee which speaketh, saye the trueth, wee ought too contente our selves so well with his woordes, as if they were holy Scripture: And if hee chaunce too utter any untrueth, rather then too stande in contention with him (so that it no way prejudice us) we ought modestlye too beare with it: Observing alwayes the rule of Epictete, who sayd, that in companie wee must yeelde humbly too our Superiour, perswade gently with our inferiour, and agree quietly with our equall. And by that meanes there shall never bee any falling out.

Nowe I meane too tell you howe a manne ought too behave him selfe in such ceremonies as are requisite in companie.

GUAZ. I should thinke it wisedome to use no ceremonies at all in companie, for so much as they proceede rather of curious vanitie, then of faythfull affection: and in my judgement the more a man useth them, the lesse plaine dealing is thought to be in him. Wheras on the contrary, when you see one goe plainely to woorke both in woordes and jesture, you say by and by, that he is a good honest meaning man. For my part I weigh it little, that my equall, having the wall of me, should goe from it to give me place: I had rather have him beare me more goodwill, and doe me lesse honour. And as you cannot but laugh to see a farre off a number of folke, skipping, leaping, and daunsing, you hearing no sowne of instrument: so it must needes make you merry, to see a farre two persons use diverse jestures and ceremonies of the head, the handes, the knees, and wrying their whole bodie, not hearing any woorde they say. I will not say unto you, that for one which hath a good grace in these ceremonies, there are a thousand

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whom it becommeth so ill to use them, that it will make you THE sicke at the heart to see it: and you shall see some of them SECOND goe so untowardly to woorke, that coveting to bee courtlike, they become plaine cartlike. As I have seene some talking with the Duke my maister, and seeing him bare headed, have taken his arme with both their handes, and made him put on his hat.

ANNIB. He should have put it of againe, to have shewed that he was not bare in respect of them, but because of the heate.

GUAZ. But there was another behaved himselfe somewhat better, who talking with the Duke being uncovered, tooke his cap foorth of his hand, and put it uppon his head. So that I say againe, that I can in no way away with these ceremonies, which are no lesse unseemely in worldly matters, then they are convenient in sacred and divine thinges.

ANNIB. I see not how those thinges can dislike you, which commonly like all men.

GUAZ. I thinke you mistake, for I know many, who professe them selves mortall enemies to those ceremonies.

ANNIB. Those same (and beleeve me) openly detest them, but secretly desire them and if you well consider the matter thorowly with your selfe, you shall knowe that ceremonies displease no bodie. For this is certaine, that they are doone in signe of honour, and there is not hee, who is not glad with all his hearte to bee honoured, and who ought not to bee glad to honour another, for so muche as (according to the saying of the Philosopher) hee whiche honoureth, receiveth more honour, then hee whiche is honoured, for like unto the Sunne, the beames of honour by reflexion, as it were, doe shine backe againe uppon him. And as hee whiche is ceremonious may bee thought to bee a dissembler, so hee whiche is not so, may bee taken to bee a clowne, a rudesby, or a contemner of others. I will not say that they doe yll whiche pray you to use no ceremonies in respect of them, but I rather commende them: For their very saying so, is a certaine kinde of Ceremonie and behaviour, whereby

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they goe about to cover their ambition, and it is according SECOND to the fashion of Phisitions, who for manner sake sometime BOOKE refuse money with their mouth, but take it with their hearte, and finger it with their handes. And as the sacred Ceremonies, which are voide of superstition, are not displeasant in Gods sight, and stirre up to devotion the mindes of the ignorant people, whiche are not come to the perfect knoweledge of Gods worde: so these worldly ceremonies purchase us the good will of our friendes and superiours, to whom they are addressed, and make us knowne for civile people, and from rude countrie loutes.

GUAZ. Howe then must wee behave our selves in Ceremonies ?

ANNIB. Mary in such sort, that he which useth them, bewray thereby the affection of his heart, that the inward love may bee knowne, as well as the outwarde honour is seene, other wise ceremonies are lothsome unto us, and shew that the hearte is faigned. And on the other side, it is the parte of him whiche receiveth these outwarde honours, first, modestly to refuse them, shewing thereby that hee looketh not for them, otherwise hee shall shewe to bee somewhat proude, which is most hurtful in conversation: And besides, you knowe well that your equall doth honour unto you, rather of curtesie, then of dutie, and when you shal accept those honours as due unto you, and as of your inferiour, you shall make him care but a little what reverence hee sheweth unto you. To bee short, wee must receive honour at our friends hands, rather as offered by them, then looked for by us: and it is not amisse to follow the example of that discrete gentleman, who, after long strife betweene him and certaine of his friendes, who should first enter into the house, saith, You may nowe knowe well howe muche I am at your commaunde, seeing I am ready to obey you in thinges which turn to my dishonor: which said, he entred in without strayning curtesie any longer.

GUAZ. I allowe the reasons alleadged by you to maintaine Ceremonies, but I will say unto you, that they ought to bee observed rather amongest strangers, then familiar

friendes. For if I bee not deceived, true friendship can away neither with Ceremonious wordes nor deedes.

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ANNIB. I am in deede of your minde, that from true BOOKE friendship, Ceremonies shoulde be taken. But where at this day are those true friendes to bee found? Know you not that according to the Philosopher, Perfect friendshippe extendeth not towardes divers persons, but is restrained to the love of one alone? I knowe not who is your assured friende, but I am sure that I have not yet founde mine, with whom I might use suche open, simple, and free behaviour as you meane. For you must thinke it a harde matter to finde in the worlde two heartes which love perfectly. And though in token of true friendship, you call your companion brother, perchaunce hee shall have no minde to tearme you so: and to take that custome from you, hee wyll call you Maister Guazzo. And that you may not use too familiar speeche to him, hee will speake to your worship in suche sorte, that you shall bee faine to retyre one steppe backe, and use him rather Ceremoniously then lovingly. Of this common course of the world I gather, that those with whom wee are conversaunt, being rather well willers, then true friendes, it is our partes to take heede of too broade and to familiar behaviour with them, whereby wee may hazzarde to loose their good will: and to followe the example of Flies, which will not become tame amongst us, though they dayly dwell with us, and eate of our cates when wee doe.

GUAZ. I remaine satisfied of all that you have spoken. Nowe I consider with my selfe that this your discourse comprehendeth generall matters, and agreeth to all sortes of persons. And therefore I woulde bee glad that you shoulde declare particularly the meanes that every one ought to observe, according to his estate and calling.

ANNIB. Wee have alredy saide, that it is a matter impossible to set downe particularly, what every one ought to doe in companie, and therefore it shall suffice only to consider, that the thinges afore spoken, ought to bee common to all, like as the streetes, the Churches, the Fountaines, and common Conduites are. But as every one indevoureth

THE to get and appropriate to him, either house, landes, or SECOND moveables, in like sort, every one in his order of life and BOOKE conversation, ought to propose unto him selfe speciall

lawes, and suche a kinde of behaviour as shall bee convenient to his calling. But to reape the right fruite of conversation, whiche consisteth chiefly in the good will of others, it is necessary, that wee knowe and learne not onely what belongeth to our selves, but also howe to behave our selves towardes others, according to the difference of their estates, for that it is our hap to come in companie, somtime with the young, sometime with the olde, assoone with Gentlemen, assoone with the baser sorte, nowe and then with Princes, nowe and then with private persons, one while with the learned, another while with the ignoraunt, nowe with our owne Countriemen, then with strangers, nowe with the religious, then with the secular, nowe with men, then with women.

GUAZ. I see nowe well you shoulde enter into a Laberinth, out of which you shoulde not get a long time, if you woulde discourse particularly of all these points.

ANNIB. Thinke hardily that everie one of these points will aske a whole dayes discourse.

GUAZ. Seeing you are so desirous to rydde your selfe of this matter in so short time, you doe as those whiche runne poste, who, desirous to go much ground, do not view, but only travers the Countries.

ANNIB. I say then (as it were in passing by) that there are fewe to bee founde, whiche are not sicke of some of those diseases, whiche wee have before mentioned, but the extreemest sicke of all, are young men : For whose health it is requisite, that they shave of from their face that counterfeite bearde, I meane that false seeming and vaine perswasion remembring themselves, that as their faces are smooth and bare without hear, so their heades are barren of understanding. For if it bee true, that length of time bringeth experience, and that wisedome groweth of experience it is moste true, that young men for lacke of yeeres and experience cannot bee wise: And thereof commeth