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Title:  The compleat gentleman fashioning him absolute in the most necessary & commendable qualities concerning minde or bodie that may be required in a noble gentleman. By Henry Peacham, Mr. of Arts sometime of Trinity Coll: in Cambridge.
Author: Peacham, Henry, 1576?-1643?
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His punishment ought to be more fauourable, & honora∣ble vpon his tryall, and that to bee by his Peeres of the same Noble ranke.He ought in all sittings, meetings, and salutations, to haue the vpper hand, and greatest respect.They must be cited by Bill or Writing, to make their appearance.In criminall causes, Noblemen may appeare by their Arturney, or Procurator.They ought to take their recreations of hunting, haw∣king, &c. freely, without controule in all places.Their imprisonment ought not to bee in base manner, or so strict as others.They may eate the best and daintiest meate that the place affordeth; to weare at their pleasure Gold, Iewels, the best apparell, and of what fashion they please, &c.Beside, Nobilitie stirreth vp emulation in great Spi∣rits, not onely of equalling others, but excelling them; as in Cimon, the elder Scipio Africanus, Decius the sonne, Alexander, Edward our Blacke Prince, and many others.It many times procureth a good marriage, as in Ger∣many, where a faire Coate and a Crest, is often preferred before a good reuenew.It is a spurre in braue and good Spirits, to beare in mind those things which their Ancestors haue nobly at∣chieued.It transferreth it selfe vnto Posteritie; and as for the most part wee see the children of Noble Personages, to beare the lincaments and resemblance of their Parents: so in like manner, for the most part they possesse their vertues and Noble dispositions, which euen in their ten∣derest yeares, will but forth and discouer it selfe.Hauing discoursed of Nobilitie in Generall, the diuisi∣on, and vse thereof: giue me leaue in a word, to ineigh against the pittifull abuse thereof, which like a plague, I think, hath infected the whole world. Euery vndeseruing 0