The line of liberalitie dulie directinge the wel bestowing of benefites and reprehending the comonly vsed vice of ingratitude. Anno. 1569.

Chap. 35.

GEue me leaue yet a lytle, and marke my woordes well. For hetherto haue I not sayd anye thinge that néede to be misliked muche withall, or can be well denied. And now retourne we to our propose againe.

Touching somuche of any benefit as the acciō and doing therof doth accomplish, if we receiue the doing therof thankful∣lye, we haue so farre euen now requited the same. But as touching the substaūce of it, that is to saye the thing geuen, we haue not asyet thereby made recompen∣se for that, but that is referred to our owne will. For that good will whyche hath relacion to the doing of the bene∣fit, we haue aunswered with lyke good∣will by thankfullye accepting of it. Not∣withstanding we muste thinke we owe yet more: namely one benefitte for an o∣ther, one materiall thing for an other. And although I say he hath rendred thā∣kes y^t hath declared himself to haue ac∣cepted a benefit thankfully, yet would I him to repaye some thing or other besi∣des, lyke to y^• which he receiued, y^t maye also deserue to haue y^e name of a benefit as that did which he had. Some of these thynges that I saye séeme somewhat to varye frome the Common Phrase of

spekyng some one waye: and yet some other way to agre wel enough therwith. We saye commonly that wyse men can by no meanes beare wrong. And yet if a wise man hap to haue a blow thynk you not that he hath wrong? So saye we in common speache, what should Fooles do with goodes? And for all that, if any man should steale any thing from a foole and were appeched & attached, thinke you he were not lyke to be condemned of theft? In talke we call suche and suche mad. And yet we sée the same whiche in some respect wee called mad men to haue the electing of Magistrates, the deputing of offices, the gouernement of prouinces, and rule of Cities. So though I say ••hat he that hath receiued thankfully the ple∣sour that is done to him, hath in hys so doing rendred the lyke, yet do I notwith¦standing averre that he is yet still in the others det for all that, and that he muste make father recompēse though he haue alredy done some point of his dutie: not

thoroughly acquiting him of all that he ought to doo. So that this saieng of mine weihged aryght, is an aduertisemēt and admonicion to men to requite suche be∣nefits as they haue receiued, and no dis∣charge therof. But in any case let vs be∣ware that through the hugenes of the burthen we faint not, and dispairing by meane of our sklender abilitie we geue not ouer in the plaine. As if we woulde consider and weigh (as Reason an•• ho∣nestie would we should) the whole mat∣ter with our selues, and say. Certes such one hath done me merueilous great ple∣sour, he saued and clered my good name whiche was half in daunger to be disfa∣med. He deliuered me from great pouer∣tie into which I was fallen, I had douht∣les lost my life if he had not bene. By his only meane haue I my libertie whi∣che I hold derer then my lyfe. And howe or when shall I be able to deserue his so great benefits? Whiche way is it possi∣ble that my goodwill can by any meanes

seme to requite the very least of al these? Uerely I say who that hath this kind of thought and minde with him hath euen thereby shewed sufficiently his thankful acknowledging of the good and plesour that he hath receiued. Therefore if thou haue a plesour shewed thée, receiue it, embrase it, be gladde therewith, and reioyce at it. Not for that thou recei∣uedst it, but because thou hast therby oc∣casion to doo the lyke againe, whiche of deuty thou must, and not fayle to doo it. And so shalt thou be well assured not to incurre the daunger to be called vnthāk∣full. I will not here prescribe thée anye hard preceptes that thou shouldst obser∣ue in requiting of benefits, to thend thou shouldst not dispayre, and that the diffi∣cultie of them should not quaile thy cou∣rage. Neuertheles if thou haue bene ple∣sor••d by any body, I woulde not in anye wyse thou shouldest tract the tyme and lingar on, but with spéed seke to requite it, and rendre the lyke.

For questionles if thou be not presētly, doutles thou wilt neuer be thankefull. Thou wilt nowe perhaps demaunde of me what thou shalt doo? Whether thou shalt venter thye life in the féeld for hym that hath plesoured thée? I say perhaps thou shalt. Againe whether thou shalte endaunger thie lyfe vppon the seas for his cause? Yes verly, and it may fortune it shalbe néedfull so to doo, when it shall blow merueilous fowle wether, and be hygh and rough seas, and yet mayest thou not staye though winde and tyde were bothe agaynste thée when thow shouldest launche forth.

But to conclude, desirest thou to rendre the benefitte thou haste receiued? in any wise then receiue it thankfullie. There∣in haste thou payd some parte, but yet thynke not that thou art so discharged, but perswade thie self that thou mayste so muche the boldlier and with better assuraunce yéeld and confesse thyself ••et∣tour for the rest.

Notes

• The poī∣tes wher vpō bene¦fits cōsist
• The say∣eng of the thankfull man.
• qui nō est hodie ••ras min{us} aptus erit
• Thākfull rec••iuing, the firste poīt of re-repay••ng a bene••it.