THE some infirmities, amongest the which, arrogancie is one, SECOND which is too commonly used, especially by Gentlemen of BOOKE the first sorte, who have nothing to stande uppon, but the good house they come of. And therefore laying aside their loftie lookes, they ought to beholde their inferiours with a more gracious eye, and to use curtesie towardes them, which as we said before, is proper to Gentlemen, and by meanes whereof, they get the good will of their worsers. Otherwise, let them be sure they shall incense the whole people against them, and consequently, by the common voice of the people to be verie yll spoken of. Besides, to contemne the meaner sort, may sometimes doe a man great displeasure as it did to a Citizen of Rome, of the house of the Scipioes, who, while hee laboured to be one of the Officers called Aediles, met with a country fellowe, whom hee tooke by the hande, which feeling to bee rough and harde brauned, he scoffingly askt him whether hee used to goe with his handes or with his feete, which set the husbandman in such a rage against him, that like fire amongest flaxe, he stirred up the whole people against him, and so wrought the matter, that for lacke of voices, hee went without the office he stoode for, and to his great shame, hee learned howe hatefull and hurtfull a thing it is for a brave gentleman, to mocke and scorne a simple soule of the country. * Wherfore let not a gentleman brave over those which are no gentlemen, but let him remember that his gentrie tooke beginning of one who was no gentleman. Which is given us to understand by the Poet, which saieth, The first, who ere he was, of whom thy race did growe, Some shepheard was, or els some such, Moreover, let him remember that Gentlemen were admonished by Christ that they should not be puft up with vain glorie, for so much as they ought to say with the common sort (Our father which art in heaven) which they can not say with a pure and unfaigned heart, if they take not yeomen and poore men for their brothers. To be short, * THE they ought to print this in their heartes, that no man is SECOND to be commended for the gentrie of his auncestours, nor BOOKE to bee reprehended for their basenesse. And they must knowe, that hee which despiseth the unnoble, despiseth his first fathers, and consequently, his owne selfe. Wherefore it is the part of a Gentleman to behave him selfe so gently and curteously in all his dooinges, that out of his eyes, tongue, and maners, his gentlemanly minde may shewe foorth.* And he that is not willing to take this course, must content him selfe to be a Gentleman only in his owne conceite, for hee may not looke that any man els will take him so. Nowe touching the unnoble or yeomen, they must not for all this, thinke them selves without imperfection, for many of them have an infirmitie more greevous and pernicious then any before rehearsed: which is, that they will not acknowledge and confesse themselves inferiour to Gentlemen, both by nature, fortune, and vertue: not knowing that amongst the seven degrees of superioritie, this is particularly set downe of Gentlemen over the baser sorte, who by all reason ought to submitte themselves to their will and pleasure. As then by some infirmitie of the eyes, if it bee not soone healed, a man quickly becommeth blinde, so of this imperfection in the common people, some of them fall into suche blinde arrogancie, and so foolish a vaine, that they wil not sticke to vaunt themselves to be that which they are not, and both in their talke and in their apparel brave it out like Gentlemen. GUAZ. A goodly matter I promise you when men will goe about (as our Boccace sayth) to make an Orenge tree of a briry bush. In my minde those which extol themselves in woordes and bragge of their birth, rather disgrace themselves then otherwise. Like the poore drudge brought in in the Comedie, who tolde that his father was a goldsmith, and being asket what worke hee did belonging to that occupation, answered, that hee set stones in morter. Or like the mule who being demaunded of his birth, and beeing ashamed to say that hee was an Asses sonne, answered, THE that hee was a horses cosin. But this fault of chaunging SECOND and faigning of names and callings, in my fancie is more BOOKE used in our countrie then in any other. And if you marke the Spaniardes heere with us (notwithstanding two moneths before they had not a shoe to put on their foote, and confessed themselves to bee poore and needie) yet when they have pickt up their crummes a little, they will bee maister one of another, and use great honour and ceremonies, to the ende that wee should the better account of them. I thinke they durst not doe this in their owne countrie, but heere they are bolde to doe it, for that they see it ordinarily done amongst us and that hee will boast himselfe to come of an auncient house, whose father never so much as came in place where a Gentleman had been. You shal see other some, being the children of coblers and pedlers, who having gotten a little wealth, take upon them very bigly, and become most currish and cruel. ANNIB. Doe you not know the saying of the Poet, that There is no rigour like to his, who from lowe state extolled is. GUAZ. And therefore I thinke the example verie rare, yea, and singular of King Agathocles: who, being a Potters sonne, would alwayes eate his meate in earthen vessell, to the end, that having alwayes freshe in minde his fathers obscurenesse, hee shoulde take no pride of his owne greatnesse. But howe litle is this example followed by many riche Pesantes, who are not ashamed to attire them selves like Gentlemen, to weare weapons by their side, and suche like ornaments, which are proper only to gentlemen: before whom they will make no curtesie to take place. And this abuse is so in use at this day in Italy, that as well in men as women, a man can discern no difference in estates. And you shal see the Clownes will be as brave as the Artificers, the Artificers as the Merchantes, and the Merchantes as the Gentlemen. In so muche that a Taylour using to weare weapons, and to be appareled like a Gentleman, is not knowne what hee is, untill he be seene sowing in his shop. THE But you shall not see this disorder and confusion in Fraunce, where, by auncient custome severall apparell is worne, SECOND according to everie ones calling. So that by the garments BOOKE only, , you may know whether a woman be the wife of an Artificer, a Merchaunt, or Gentleman: And which is more, by the apparel, you shall knowe a difference betweene Gentlewomen them selves, for some attire is proper to Ladies, and those that attende in the Court uppon some Queene or Princesse, likewise to the wives of Presidentes, Counsellours, and principal Magistrates, which neverthelesse is not allowed to everie Gentlewoman. ANNIB. Our abuse herein is in deede insupportable, and requireth that Princes should put their handes hereto, and cut the combes of these clownish cockscombes, and make them come downe from their degree of gentrie, by forcing them to weare suche apparell as may bee at least different from Gentlemen, if they will needes have it as costly, for besides, that under such a maske there may be much falshood wrought, it is reasonable also, that as princes woulde finde themselves greeved with gentlemen if they would preferre themselves before them any way, so they ought not to suffer the honour and degree of gentrie to be disgraced by the presumption of malapert clownes. But bee it that there were no way to refourme that abuse, yet those who are gentlemen indeede, ought not to be mooved with the matter, but rather to laugh at it. For the Asse which put on the Lyons skin (thinking that thereby his maister woulde more respect him) was knowne for an Asse, and used like an Asse. Now for so much as in this matter of civile conversation, we have not undertaken to speake of the manner of apparell, wee will leave this digression, and come to conclude, that yeomen ought to know their degree, and by a certaine kinde of humilitie to shew themselves inferiours to Gentlemen in doing them reverence: Assuring themselves, that as by fancy presumption they make themselves hated, so by lowly humilitie, they make themselves loved of Gentlemen. But I see well nowe wee have stayed so long uppon the THE discourse touching Gentlemen, that wee shall bee faigne to SECOND passe over lightly and briefly the conversation of princes. GUAZ. Nay rather it were requisite that you made thereof a long speech, for that the faultes of Princes are many and more greevous then those of private persons: if the Poet say true, which sayth, BOOKE The more infectious is the fault, and followed of the moe, By how much higher he is plast, And if you marke it well, an evill Prince doeth not onely suffer himselfe to be corrupted, but besides hee corrupteth others: for that his subjectes take delight to follow his fashions, and thinke it not onely tollerable, but very resonable to conforme them selves to their heade. By reason whereof they doe more harme by their example, then by their offence. ANNIB. I had rather wee might say nothing at all of this matter. For there want not writers, both of the times past and present, who have taken the courage and the care to instruct princes, and to set downe thorowely what their life and conversation ought to be. Besides wee are to consider, that it pertaines not to us to speake of their dooinges, which are yrreprehensible and incomprehensible. And to speake my fancie freely, I have alwayes blamed in my mynde, those which will appoint lawes and orders of life to Princes, who are Lordes over Lawes, and injoyne them to others. And therefore by my will wee will not * apply the humilitie of our Philosophie to the Majestie of Princes for that beeing Gods on earth, it is to bee thought, that all which they doe is done well: and that to reason of and call into question their dooinges, is nothing else, but with the Gyants, to lay siege to heaven. GUAZ. I perceive well, that according to the Proverb you love to stand farre of from Jupiter, and lightning, being assured that no man shall accuse you for that you shall not say, and me thinkes you have regarde to that which is |