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

Chap. 16.

HOwbeit some ther are (as Hecaton for one,) which dout whether a bondman or seruaunt may doo any thing that maye deserue y^e name of a benefit to his ma∣ster: & therefore they make this diuision,* 1.1 that there are Benefites,* 1.2 deuties, or good endeuours, & seruices. Benefits they cal those plesours which any straungers doo to vs. A straūger they cal (in this respect) such one as may when him listeth cess•• and desist from so benefityng vs. Good endeuours or deuties,* 1.3 those plesours or frēdly tournes which y^e Children doo to their parēts, wyues to their husbādes, or cōtrarywise, or any one of them to an o∣ther, whom affinitie & allyaunce of bloud doth wil & cōmaund to help & socour eche other mutually. Seruices they call suche as the seruaunt doth to his master,* 1.4 whō fortune hath placed in suche degrée, that whatsoeuer he do in his maisters behalf,

he moste thynke it all but his dutye. Whosoeuer for all that, doth denye that the seruaunt maye benefyt his mayster, declareth himself not to knowe what is ryght. For onely it is to be regarded of what mind he was that did the benefit, and not of what degrée. Uertew penneth her self vp from no body,* 1.5 she sheweth & offreth herself to euery bodye to be had. She admitteth all that wilbe sewters, And those that haply passe by her with∣out regard, she calleth back of her owne accord. Fréeborn, frée made, bondslaues, banished men and Princes, & all a lyke. She choseth neyther the house nor the degrée. She contenteth herself aswell w^t the naked man despoiled frō al giftes of fortune, as with him that hath thē all in most abundaunce. For though Fortune beare great sway in y^e world, yet vertew triumpheth ouer her. If you will saye that a seruaunt can not doo a benefitte to hys mayster, then will I auerre that it is not possible for a Subiect too doo

it to his king, or a Souldiour to his Ca∣pitain. For though there are diuers res∣pectes and sondrye tytles of the king, the Capitaine, and the mayster, yet in thys point they are al one touching y^e dewty of them that are vnder them and at theyr commaundement. For as the kyng hath his subiectes, and the captaine his soul∣diours, so hath the mayster his seruaun∣tes at commaundement. If the basenes of his degrée be an impediment to the seruaunt that he may not attaine to the perfection of his desert, as to call the ple∣sour he hath done, a benefit, the like shal it also worke to the subiect in respect of his Prince, and to the souldiour in re∣gard of his capitaine. Though they va∣rye in names, yet agrée they indifferētly concerning their dewtie. But manifest it is that subiects do benefit their Prin∣ces, and souldiours their Capitaines, by the same reason then, why may not the seruaunt also benefit his maister?* 1.6 The seruaunt may be iust, strong, valyaunt,

and one of noble courage. What then should ayle him but that he may also be∣nefyt his maister, sith that is a vertewe aswell as y^e residew? To proue it brief∣lee this might suffice. There is no dout but that the seruaunt may benefit any•• bodye. What then should ayle him why he could not benefyt his maister among the reste?

Notes

• * 1.1

  The d••ui¦siō of such ples••urs as may be done.
• * 1.2

  Benefits
• * 1.3

  Dewties or ende∣uou••s.
• * 1.4

  Seruices
• * 1.5

  The way to vertew opē to eue¦ry persō.
• * 1.6

  That a bound mā may bene∣fitte his Maister.