A posie of gilloflowers eche differing from other in colour and odour, yet all sweete. By Humfrey Gifford gent.

An answere of Maister Clodius Ptholo∣moeus, to a Letter sente him by a friende, that meruel∣led wherefore hee hauing such learning, remay∣ned in so meane and base an estate of calling.

IN the last Letter that I receiued from you, great was the woonder and com∣plaint that yée brought in against mée, which considering that it springeth alto∣gether of the ouer great affection that yée beare towards mée, I neither maruell at it, nor am sory for it.

This auoucheth that to bée true, which is spoken by Pla∣to, That the louer is often blinded in the thing beloued: I account my selfe déepely indebted to your curtesie, for this your affection: but therwithall I wish your iudgement to bée somwhat more temperate: for I would not that contra∣ry effects should méete in mée at one instant, féeling pleasure of the loue y^• yée beare mée, & displeasure of your iudgement. I pray you therefore better to consider of this poynte fol∣lowing, and after pronounce such iudgement of mee, as yée shall thinke requisite.

That as an auncient cauiller did appeale from Caesar béeyng moued and angry, to Caesar being not moued nor angry; so I at this present appeale from you beyng carried away with ouer great affection, to your self hauing Reason for your go∣uernesse. Yée doe not a litle maruel that I, in so long a time haue not lept to any degrée of honour or fortune. It séeming vnto you that my linage, my countrey, my age, my studies, my customes, my long aboade in the court, my fauour acqui∣red with men of high calling, and finally, my present noble and honorable seruice, should haue aduanced me; yea and far∣ther that many other are dayly to bée séene in the court, en∣dued with qualities farre inferiour to mine, to leape sodain∣ly to degrées of preferment; and that I was accurst, and that it was a shame for me, to remayne thus alwayes in base for∣tune, and priuat condition. And in the ende (as a disdaynful friend) yée conclude, that this cannot come to passe, but of an extréeme soft spritednesse in me, in that I helpe not forward my fortune as I shoulde, putting me in mynde of that aunci∣ent sentence of the Spartans, that in calling for ayde of God, it is necessary that we set to our owne helping hands, as the instruments of God. Truely I know not with what begin∣ning it were best to answeare this your long maruell, and tedious complaynt. And beeyng desirous to doe you a plea∣sur, eit came in my mynde once, to graunt you that which you affirme to be true; thinking at one instaunt, to ease my selfe of labour in answearing, and you of annoy, in reading this my troublesome reply. But I should erre in performing the duety that is conuenient to a true friend, if eyther to flat∣ter you, or to auoyde labour; I should not apparantly tel you that which I thinke.

First, I know not whether this greatnesse of fortune y^• yée wish me, be a thing that bringeth felicity to a man yea or no, or whether it take it from him. For y^• as the most wise & ancient sages haue set down vntovs) there is no man that perfectly knowes what is good or euil vnto him in this world. Whervpon Socrates would not that any particular thing

shoulde be craued at Gods handes, but that onely, which is good. And when I looke well about me, I finde not in them that are aduanced to high degrees, any tranquilitie of mind, but rather as their dignitie, and greatnes augmenteth, so in∣crease they likewise in greater perturbations and frettings of the minde. For it seldome or neuer comes to passe other∣wise, but that with the abundance of the giftes of fortune; ambition, and greater desire of honor and riches encrease. Through which the oracle did not iudge any king to be hap∣py, although he were most rich, and mighty; but rather Agla∣ius Psofidius, who manuring a litle peece of grounde that he had, & taking care of nothing, with great ioy and content∣ment, liued a most happie and fortunate life. Those that per∣sist infinitely in the desire of riches, may bee compared vnto them which in old time ran to a mighty great mountayne, with dogs, nets, and other engins with purpose to haue ta∣ken the moone, which they verily thought to haue done; but they that first (with great trauel and labour) arriued to the top of this huge hill, found themselues so farre distant, and no lesse out of hope, then those w^t were climed vp but to y^e side of it, or those others, who remoued not from the vally. Tran∣quilitie doth not spring of those thinges that are without vs, but of the harmony of a temperate mind within, which doth truely create felicity in vs, and is the cause thereof. For e∣uen as some great piller placed in the bottom of a déepe wel, is neuerthelesse great; and a Dwarfe placed on the toppe of some stéeple, is alwaies litle: so the frée and noble mind wrap∣ped in basest fortune, wil shew his magnanimity, & the base mind in the highest degrée of dignity wil discouer his vility. I speake not this now as concerning Christian perfection, for ye know that making mention hereof, it shal not be néed∣full to enter into question; when as neither riches, nor honor bring happines vnto men, but rather y^• one & the other are of∣tentimes the occasions of bringing them into extréeme mise∣ry, & cause the gate of heauen to be shut vp agaynst them. For the true & onely felicity of a Christian, is the grace of God, &

no other thing. I speak then as a gentleman gouerned by hu∣mane reason and ciuil orders, liuing betwixt the law of men and nature. He verily, which sées not how that honour & ri∣ches depriue men of felicity, it is manifest and apparant, that he hath his eyes blinded & darkened with the smoke of ambi∣tion and cloudes of couetousnesse, which are the two beasts, compared by the Poet Dante, to a Lion, and a shée woolfe, which let & hinder vs from leaping to the mount of felicity. I deny not, but that riches & dignity may helpe towards the contentment of the minde. In this point I will bee a Peri∣patetike, and purpose not to defend as a Stoike, that onelie vertue sufficeth. Let it be so, that riches & dignity are requi∣site towards the accōplishment of felicity: should it thē haue no end? Behold Abdolomenus borne of the stocke royall li∣ued in passing tranquility, in a litle farme, tilled, and sowed with his owne hands, in such sort that he neuer heard of the bruit and rumors of the armie of Alexander the great, which had driuen all Asia into a maze and astonishment. He tasted farre greater felicity in this his poore calling, then when af∣terwardes by Ephestion he was aduanced to the title of the kingdome. Of whom being demanded how he coulde with pacience brooke that poore and abiect estate, with a hawty & coragious mind, answered him, saying; O that I knew so wel (if it pleased God) how to support the troubles, & weigh∣tines of the kingdome. Dioclesian a most prudent and pui∣sant Emperor, hauing wayed and considered of the annoyes, and encombrances that bearing rule, brought with it, retur∣ning to a priuate life, gaue it ouer; and at Salon a manour of his, he planted hearbes & trées with his owne hands, ney∣ther could he euer be allured by any persuasion, nor remoued by any occasiō, frō this his fixed & determinat resolutiō, pre∣ferring y^e quiet trāquility of this priuat life, before y^e trouble∣some turmoyles of principalities, & Empires. The like wee reade of y^e emperor Adriā, a most puisant captayne, who by great trauel & intercessiō, obtayned licence in the ende of his dayes, to dwel in a litle village of his, where he liued 7. yéers

in great ease and quiet. Who dying, left an apparant testi∣monie, that the life led in honour and dignity, was not the true life. For he caused these woordes to bee graued on his toombe: Heere lies the wight whose age is of many yeeres, but he liued but onely seuen. I coulde heere bring to your memorie, with how many hatred and enimities the worldly promotions are inuironed, so that nothing is sure in them, nothing without suspect, in such sort that the Poet Pindarus said that the Gods with one good had alwayes entermixed twoo euilles. And I dare boldely aduouch that in these smokes, and vaine pompes, for euery one contentment, yée are attached with ten displeasures. But yée know wel that this place being of the philosophers most largely intreated of, is of many men not vnderstoode, of othersome despised, of very fewe beleeued, and almost of none followed. But for the better manifesting of both our intents) I wil come nea∣rer vnto you. Be it so that riches and honour are full of these felicities, that are commonly beleeued to bee in them, by them that praise them, and holde them in reuerent admi∣ration. What of this? is it of necessitie that it must be good for others also? The natures, instincts, desires, and motions are not equall and alike in all men: either by the influxion of the starres, or the varietie of temperaments, or diuersitie of educations, many thinges delight and recreate some one minde, which woorke contrarie effectes in another: And for those thinges that Hirachtus wept bitterlie, Democrates laughed ioyfully. Then is it not greatly to be woondred at, if those thinges which are comfortable, and nutritiue vnto o∣ther mens mindes, séeme noysome and bitter vnto me? How many are there that abhorre wine, a most healthful and pre∣cious liquor? and how many are there that cannot sauour roses, being flowers most delectable? Ought these therefore to be reprooued, and made to drinke wine, and smel roses by force? And why may I not say y^• vnto you by the law of na∣ture, which Alexauder the great did to Parmenio by reason of his fortune? Who propounding a condition of peace

vnto Darius, and profering him a part of his kingdome, de∣maunded Parmenio his aduice and iudgement heerein. Who answered, saying, if I were Alexander, I woulde doe it. So woulde I, answered Alexander, if I were Parmenio. So whereas in your letter yee say, if that you were my selfe, you woulde doe it, and say it: I likewise reply and answere you that I shoulde peraduenture both say it, and doe it, if I were you. But as Alexander esteemed it a discredit to his fortune to consent to such a peace; so I account it inconuenient for my disposition, and nature, to enter, and encomber my selfe with that care and bondage, which yee depaint out vnto me, whiles ye allure me thervnto with the enticing baites of ho∣nour and riches: yet I would ye should vnderstande, that I haue not a minde so backewarde and dull, but that I take comfort of those things, that other men commōly delight in. Let it be graunted, that it is good for me to be aduaunced to riches and dignitie: doeth it follow that I should be despised or blamed, or dispaire, and thinke the woorse of my selfe, if I reach not to that preferment, which might bee desired, or hoped for? What woonderings? what complaints are these of yours? as though yée were ignorant, that many thinges are desired, that are not obtayned; much hoped for, that is not inioyed; manie more run, then get the goale: and final∣ly farre greater are the number of them that shoot at a mark, then those which strike it? May not all this happen of the ma∣lignity of my fortune, which wil not permit or suffer me, to be lifted vp from the ground or aduanced? if it be so, is y^e fault mine? Of a truth diuers Astrologers, by the view of the day of my natiuity, haue found out by theyr rules and obseruan∣ces that most vnlucky condition, vnto which I am predesti∣nate, y^• is to say, cōtinual féeblenes & basenes of fortune; And although I am Didimus in y^• they say, & an heretike in theyr science (as I haue often told you here in Rome) neuertheles, in this vnlucky forewarning I haue ouer wel knowen, and found by experience, y^• they haue told me the troth. Yet wil I not lay the blame hereof vpon fortune, as on a dumbe image

that cānot answere to the accusations that are brought in a∣gainst her, let it be graunted that the chiefest parte of hu∣maine proceedinges, are directed by mans wisedome, and let him be (as the wiseman affirmeth) the framer of his own fortune. What shoulde I then doe? with what instruments (I pray you) woulde you haue me to frame and fashion this my good happe? with remaining long in Rome, and looking for occasions? it is now twentie and fiue yeeres sithence I came first into this court, and I thinke that in this long sea∣son, I was neuer three miles distant, and yet neither haue I any good or fortunate successe by my seruice, neither stande in hope of anie. Yet haue I been a continuall waiter, & was neuer almost at libertie, wherof it greatly repenteth me: not for that the seruice of noble men little liked me: but rather be∣cause y^e iniquitie of fortune hath (by my lōg courting) brought me into such a miserable seruitude and slauerie, that no good resolution of mind can enter into me. I haue heertofore done too much, but I tel you that hereafter, neither will I, nor can I, neither is it conuenient that I doe it, this is a practise for yong men, & not of old men, amongst which number I nowe reckon my selfe. Young men abound in leasure, and trauell seemeth not tedious vnto them, which wanteth in old men, vnto whom euerie little discontentment is a torment. And as gracious and séemely as it is to sée a yong man attendant on some noble man: so vnséemely & ridiculous is it, to sée an olde man.

Truely the lōg losse of time that is spent in courting, is to me verie noysō: and chiefly in that I stand there, as an image or paynted table. And rather would I employ it eyther in reaso∣ning, w^t my friēds or in learning, amōgst my books, or in plea¦suring or profiting others, by my studies; & this is a laudable meanes, wherby to mount to those degrées of dignitie that ye propound vnto me. But alas, if y^• nature hath geuen me smal wit, not ouer great memory, weake iudgement (& y^• which more gréeueth me) vnhealthfulnes of stomake; sorenes of eies & euery other part of my body il affected, what can I doe here

in? it might here vnto be added, that at this present I am tossed with such sundry mishaps, that they neuer permit me quietly to encline my mind to study. Wherof y^e desire onely is left me, my forces being insufficient any longer to vndertake any such trauell. Wherfore if I doe not and cannot ariue vn∣to this prayse, let the torment and anoy (I pray you) that I tast and suffer in being depriued of that swéete consolation, which studie bringes with it, suffice, without adding newe griefes vnto me, of the priuation of my desarts; what I knew to doe, I haue done, no more coulde I doe.

And I assure my selfe, that although for learning I can challenge no commendation, yet am I not vnworthy of some excuse, in that I haue alwayes taken a singular delight, to sée these things in other, y^• I find wanting in my selfe; I haue lo∣ued, reuerenced, and as it were, adored them. Neither did I euer account any more worthy of the titles of honour and dig∣nity, then those which haue lifted vp their vnderstandings to beautifull contemplations, through which theyr mindes are replenished with vertuous wisedome. And I haue put such betwixt these men and others, as is betwixt the liuing, and thinges paynted.

But you wil peraduēture, demād me whether I meane it of those that are vertuous indéede, or of such as counterfaite a certayne outward hypocriticall shewe of vertue: doe not so much as surmise it, I beséech you, that I speake it of the fay∣ned. For my nature doeth detest nothing more then coun∣terfayte vertue, and rather would I make choyce to die, then deceaue the worlde, in enforcing my selfe to be holden for de∣uoute, when as I am neyther good, nor godly. And I be∣léeue for troth, that there are no men in this world more per∣nicious, nor greater enemies to our sauiour Christ, then are such hipocrites.

But as touching true boūty indéed, I tel you for certaine, y^• I think nothing more pertinēt vnto a mā thē it, & so far forth I déeme it proper vnto him, that a man leauing it, & geuing

himselfe ouer to wickednes, is no more to be counted a man, but that rather vnder his humane shape, hee carrieth the minde of a bruite beast. Nowe it séemeth not vnto me that bounty should be vsed for the hope of reward, but rather for the band of humanity, and loue and desire to doe well. And it shineth so much the brighter in any man, by how much he is not led astray by any other ende, then goodnesse it selfe. Of which if any sparkle be in me, eyther by nature, or election, it is not to be maruelled at if it want the reward yée look for; in that first, I know very well, that not onely by the vniuer∣sal humaine debility, but by that which is proper and peculi∣ar to my selfe, I finde it so slender in me, that of it selfe, it ge∣ueth no light at all; Farther, I neuer directed it to the end to receiue guerdon by it, being an excercise (in my opinion) farre different from the neate and pure condition of being good. I tel you truely that I haue and doe receaue a farre greater re∣warde then that yée desire in me. For that litle which I féele in my selfe, makes me tast, how much the life of the good, is more blessed then that of the wicked: How this aboundes in swéetnesse, tranquillity and consolation; how that is y^e spring and fountaine of al feares, hatreds, debates, vexations & tra∣uels. In such sort that when a man wil not, for Gods sake do the déedes of an honest man, & good Christian; yet me thinks at the leastwise he should doe it for the quiet & comfort that is tasted thereby in this worlde. But you will tell mee that rewardes ensue vertue, as the shadowe followeth the bodie.

Nowe, as the body béeyng not made too the ende to bring foorth the shadowe, neuerthelesse bringeth it foorth: so vertue is the cause that rewarde is obtayned, although it be not sought for, or vsed to that end.

You would haue mée confesse it, & I grant it also, that I am not arriued, through y^e mortification of my body, & quickning of y^e spirit, to that high degrée and spirituall vnion, with which the olde diuine fathers, conioyned themselues to God;

neither am I yet come to that christian perfection, which was required in the Hebrewe youngman. I haue not solde that little which I haue, and giuen it to the poore: neither haue I denied my selfe, nor taken Christ his crosse on my shoulders, and followed him. What more? that in slacke obseruing of the commaundements of Gods lawe, I neither merit, nor haue deserued the title of a perfect Chri∣stian; for that many occurrences haue happened, which haue caused mée to wander wide from these diuine obserua∣tions.

What farther? that (setting christianitie aparte) I am not (as a morall Philosoper) arriued to that excellencie of manners, which are fitting and conuenient for a purifyed minde, as in times past was knowne to bée in Aristides, in Socrates, in Phocion, and diuers others, with most apparant examples of iustice, temperance, and fortitude, and other rare and diuine vertues. But rather my doubt is, that (as a man that is not gouerned by any learning, but lyueth onely by the instinct of nature) I want greatly that, which is requisite for that estate: through which I know not how to chalenge vnto my self these prayses, which my conscience telles mée I am vnworthy of. And finally, as of no part I déeme my selfe praisewoorthy: so, if there bée any thing in mée, that doth not altogether deserue praise, it is this: that I haue had a care in what I might, not to iniurie others: then I haue done mine endeuour (when occasion hath béene offred mée) to pleasure and gratifie as many as I might, being induced thereunto by Nature, perswaded by precepts of good writers, and confirmed therein by iudgement, which hath imprinted a setled resolution in my minde: and this I account to bée the chiefe fountaine, from which al other ver∣tues (that maintaine humaine societie amongst vs) first flow and procéede.

Now, if those vertues that are requisite to the aduauncing of mée to the degrées of riches and honour, be not in me: wil ye meruaile if I be not aduaunced? And if there be any such

in me, wherfore doe yée reprehend me? ought I, in not deser∣uing those degrées, to haue them; and deseruing them, to bée reprehended for not hauing them? If I deserue them not, for Gods sake let mée liue with so many others my equalls, subiect to the like fortune, and adde not the sinne of arro∣gancie, to the want of desart. For it is a foolish and pre∣sumptuous part for a man to aspyre to those degrées, of which hée knowes him selfe vnworthy. But if it séeme vnto you y^• I haue deserued thē, it had bene your part rather to cō∣fort mée, thē reprehend me, & ye might haue said, y^• oftētimes my betters haue beene depriued of the fruites of their desart and prayse that they haue merited; and that it is much better to deserue an honour, then to haue it. For honour may bée receaued by the will of him that giues it, vertue not being the guide of it: But no man can deserue it, but y^• vertue must first make a way to the desart. Héerevnto the example of Cato myght bée added, who would rather that it should bée demaunded, wherefore Images were not set vp to Ca∣to, then why they were set vp.

And if now it séeme straunge vnto you, that more then two hundred are gone beyonde mée, in pre••erment; yée ought in the best part to enterprete such accidentes, and héerein imitate the example of Pedaretus, a valiant man with the Spartans, who amongst thrée hundred that bare office in their Citie,, not being elected for one, ioyed greatly: who being demaunded (of his friende Ephorus) the cause of his gladnesse, pleasauntly aunswered; what should I doe, but bée ioyfull, séeing that there are thrée hundred men in our Citie, better then my selfe? so shoulde you reioyce of Rome in hauing so many good men that excell mée. And ye ought to wish, that not onely two hundred, but fiue hundred, a thousand; yea thrée thousand men should passe mée in ver∣tue, and wisedome, and by consequence, in fortune and honour: through which I déeme it would come to passe, that this our Realme should bée much more florishing and ho∣nourable, then now it is.

I doe not seeme to my selfe to bee such a one, as should deserue those dignities that yee wishe mee: but bee it that I had many of these partes, which you cal desart in me, neuer∣thelesse neither coulde I, nor shoulde I haue any of these ho∣nours but by fauour: in that I stande assured that the foun∣taine from whence these preferments flowe, is beyonde and aboue all our merites and desartes. But in the ende, I know you wil say, that beeing often conuersant with them, in requesting, and beeing importunate, I might haue obtei∣ned riches, and dignitie, and that this is the meanes that hath holpen, and doeth helpe a number dayly, and that it is the very same whereof mention is made by Christe in his Gospel, when hee saith, Aske, and it shall bee giuen you; knocke, and it shalbe opened. What shal I answere heere∣vnto? but that not deseruing it, it seemeth an vnaduised part of mée to craue rewarde, & deseruing it, mée thinks it should come without asking. As I haue saide, so will I say, that I knowe not whether I haue deserued it or no.

Now, if there bee any that thinkes mée worthy of any thing, let him request it for mée: but not by my commaun∣dement. For if I knew that I deserued it a thousande times, yet would I not bée so shamelesse and impudent to demaund it. For I haue not directed my operations to that end, that I should craue guerdon for them; besides that, it is not conuenient for a Gentleman so to doe.

What farther? that it is a thing cleane repugnaunt to my nature and disposition, and in the crauing thereof I should bée so colde and timerous, that (as the Prouerbe saieth) I should teach others to denie mée. For I be∣ing vnable to demaund any thing, without spéech of some desart of mine, how shall this be done without arrogan∣cie, when as I knowe none to bee in me? And if there were any, could I speake of it my selfe, without blush∣ing?

To conclud, I think it neither good, profitable, nor honest for me.

Thus I pray you, iudge of me, that although I haue no great substance of sound vertue: yet want I not some little shadow of decent modestie. Neither would I haue you wish me to become a new Satibarsanes, with Araxzrxes, or Turinus, with Alexander. And of this resolue your selfe, that it for these twentie and fiue yeares, I haue with a bold courage, knowne how to tollerate many strokes of For∣tune: I hope also with like fortitude to ouerpasse the rest of the time that God hath appoynted mée to liue in this world: and shall (perhappes) tast greater tranquillitie in this my poore and meane calling, then a number of others doe, with their riches and honour.

To conclude, I know this your aduice to procéede of an incredible affection that yée beare mée, but yet I purpose not to put it in practise, nor followe it: but as Marius, when that certaine vaines in his legges should bée cut, made answere, that the health of his legges was not such, as that it should deserue to bée bought with such terrible anguish, and tor∣ment: so séemeth it vnto mée, that the smoake which procée∣deth from these honours and promotions, are not so benifici∣al, as that they should merit to be bought with so great trou∣ble and affliction, both of body and minde.

I would not wish you, to take in hand, to answere eue∣ry part of my letter, nor that desire should so farre transport you, a•• to make you to taste new annoyes by the same: put an end thereunto, I beséech you. And if you will néeds write againe, send it to Laconica, either reprouing mée, or confir∣ming mée in that I haue written. Whatsoeuer it shall be, I will take it in good parte from you, whome I loue entire∣ly, and recken of amongst the number of my best and chie∣fest friendes.