The foreste or Collection of histories no lesse profitable, then pleasant and necessarie, dooen out of Frenche into Englishe, by Thomas Fortescue.

¶ Why, and for what causes, men rarely aspire, to the assured perfection of thynges in this life. Chapt. 9.

FIue principall thynges are there, that distourne manne from the ripe, and mature cognition of thynges in this life, whiche if he well knewe, he then might repute himself for perfecte, and wise. The firste is the ignorauncie, or not knowyng, of his ende, to wette, his not knowyng, to what ende he is borne. For assured∣ly, if he well knewe it, he would no thyng lesse pain hym self, to attaine there vnto, then he presently doeth, to as∣pire to pompe, and honour, in whiche (appetite rulyng hym) his onely felicitie semeth to consiste. But in this case, I maie compare manne, to a kynges soonne in his infancie, of whom, if you will aske, whiche he loueth bet∣ter, the succession of a kyngdome, or els an aple, or a che∣rie, whiche presently you shall offer hym, it maie not bee doubted, but he will refuse to bee kyng, to plaie with, or tast of the aple, or cherie, and that; for that tofore, he per∣case thereof hath tasted: So fareth it with manne, who if he be demaunded, whiche he moste affecteth, or riches, or learnyng, he at firste will desire, to be maister of money, ignoraunt, and lesse wetyng, that the learned onely, and he alone is riche, and father, that it also is necessarie, that the sage still order, and gouerne his countrie, and that also without knowledge, honour is not honoured, but ra∣ther

becometh a note of ignominie, and slaūder, and that greate wealthe also without good letters, is the true pathe to senslis brutalitie, the roote of presumption, and accomplishemente of rusticitie: but the wise sufficeth to directe hymself, and others, posseste of these threasures, that neuer maie faile hym. But this all happeneth vnto manne, for not knowyng, to what ende he is borne. The second is, the immoderate vse of pleasures, of the minde, as well as also of the bodie, whiche bothe annoye, and droune, no lesse the exteriour motions to vertue, then the interiour also, and these of the spirite. So that manne so folded in the filthe of this worlde, maie well bee resem∣bled, to the doughter of a Prince, faire, and beautifull, to whom also appertained after her father, the kyngdome, but for hauyng committed fornication, with a bond man deformed, and odious, is depriued thereof, to her eternall infamie. The thirde issueth of the euill disposition in mā∣nes bodie, whence manne, of learnyng, and good letters, for the moste parte is incapable: and this some tymes is caused, by the place of his birthe, whence he taketh to be, of an imperfecte, and impure complexion, as in certaine countries in the East, where, as in partes of Africa, men are borne so senslis, and bestiall, by meane of the extre∣mitie of heate in these soiles, that thei liue as brute bea∣stes, incapable of reason: and on the other side, in the coū∣tries Septentrionall, or Northe, in other some places, by extreame coldnes, are menne borne, so wilde, and sauage that some of them refuse not, to feede on mannes fleshe, suche are the Gothes, and Ostrogothes, with others. And these people maie be compared to an Egle, in whose foote there is fastened a stone, of some waight, whiche letteth her, there to flie, where by nature she desireth, to wete, aboue the cloudes, in the supreme, and higheste, region of the aire. The fowerth is the difficultie, and hardnes of the sciences, for though man see, that in harte, and minde he desire, to searche the truthe, and causes, of haute, and

profounde matters, yet findyng theim so labourous, and harde to vnderstande, he vtterly giueth ouer his firste at∣tempte, and enterprise, and becometh like vnto an iye, whiche to looke on the Sunne, fasteneth it self closely, whence issueth suche a pearsyng, and extreame brighte∣nes, that it so eclipseth, and troubleth the sight, that it in no wise is able to looke thereon, or abide it. The laste, and worste of all the others is, a certaine affectiō, whiche manne hath conceiued in his youthe, especially in these thynges, in whiche he hath been fostered, and bredde vp, with long continuaunce afterwarde in thesame, for cu∣stome easily conuerteth it self into Nature, by occasion whereof, there groweth in manne, a moste assured desire and singuler loue in these thynges, where vnto he hath been vsually accustomed, hatyng, and disdainyng conti∣nually the contrary: and in this errour the whole worlde is this daie almoste drouned. For see we not the same, in the yong children of the Turkes, which before thei come to be of iudgemente, or reason, abhorre, and deteste all christianitie, as doeth also the Iewe. Againe we see, that the peasaunte, or countrie manne, for hauyng been nou∣rished, and accustomed to the countrie, dieted, and appa∣reiled grossely, as is their maner, flieth, and refuseth the acquaintance, or companie of the courtier, as also of these others, that liue in well ordered, and ciuill citees: whēce riseth this prouerbe, vnhappie is that birde, that was bredde in an euill vale, for hauyng been fostered, and still kepte in thesame, she can not at any tyme depart thence, and leaue it, though assured to bee els where better, and at more ease. Neither in this case onely, haue we experi∣ence here of, but farther our selues hate straungers, and these of an other countrie, yea, though we neuer liued in their companie, or sawe them, onely perchaunce, for that we haue heard euill of theim. In women also is this er∣rour notorious, to whom so muche please these thynges, that thei haue accustomed, which though thei be in déede,

lesse profitable, or honest, yet maie thei in no wise learne, or receiue the contrary. Finally this loue, of vse, or cu∣stome, with the dislikyng of that wee knowe not, is al∣moste generally seen, in all thynges of election. Where∣fore we muste banishe from vs, euery these impedimen∣tes, to the ende we maie knowe (if it bée possible) perfect∣ly to iudge, in cases of difference: for in these thynges cō∣sisteth the absolute perfection in this worlde, the pathe also is it, to felicitie in the other: followyng the good hus∣bande manne, that well laboureth his soile, takyng from it first, all thistles, and euill weedes, and after bestoweth in it, as order asketh, good seede. So also the Phisition that would restore to healthe, his sicke, and weake pati∣ente, pourgeth hym firste, of all his corrupte, and super∣fluous humours, for that in a matter euill, and ill dispo∣sed, a newe forme easily, and at the firste, is not induced. We then muste indeuour by all meanes possible, for mā that is reasonable, and yeldeth not vnto reason, but dwel¦leth still, as wedded, to his owne fonde apetite, is as he that would saile, on the toppe of high mountaines, or builde hym houses on the restles, and surgyng waues of the sea, whiche bothe are lesse aduised, and fruitlesse im∣maginations.

Notes

• A prouerbe a∣mong the Frenchmen.