Page 667
CHAP. XIIII.
THere are some men that are possessed with so great madnesse,* 1.1 that they thinke that a woman can offer them outrage, what matters it how rich shee be, how many vassals shee haue to car∣ry her letters; what though her eares are laden with pendants, and her chaines be large and spacious; yet all of them alike are impudent creatures, and except shee bee endowed with much science and lear∣ning, shee will bee cruell and incontinent in her desires. There are some are much vexed, because they haue beene repressed by some Ladies Groome, that helpes to make her ready, and call it contumely, if a Porter be ou••r currish, at the pride of the Clerke of Checke, and the loftinesse of a groome of the Chamber. O how much are wee to laugh at these toyes? with how great pleasure is the mind to bee filled, when a man beholdeth his owne quiet amidst the tumult of other mens errors? what therfore? shall not a wise man be bold to approch the gate where there is a crabbed & froward Porter? if any af∣faires of importance shall command him, he shall attempt and appease rhe Por∣ter whatsoeuer hee bee, in giuing him som present, as we are wont to giue bread or meat to a dog that barketh; in briefe, hee will not disdaine to disburse some thing to enter, remembring himselfe that there are certaine bridges which a man cannot passe ouer without paying towle; and therefore hee giueth some money to this Towle-man or that Porter, for hee knoweth how to buy that which is to sell, contrariwise that man hath a base mind that boasteth that hee hath spoken freely to a Groome of the Chamber, that hee hath broken his staffe, that hee hath gotten accesse to his Master, and caused the Varlet to bee beaten. He that contendeth maketh himselfe an aduerse party, and vaunting that hee hath ouercome, maketh himselfe equall: but what shall a wise man do if hee bee buffeted? that which Cato did at such time as an enemy of his gaue him a boxe on the eare, he entred not into choller, neyther reuenged he that insolencie. True it is that hee pardoned not the iniury, but hee denied that hee had receiued it: hee shewed himselfe more couragious in protesting that hee was not moued, then if he had pardoned him that strucke him. Wee will stay no longer on this point: for who knoweth not that in matter of these thinges which a man supposeth either good or euill, a Wise mans opinion is different from all other men, hee respecteth not what they repute eyther villanous or mi∣serable, he followeth not the common tract, but as the starres are retrograde in their courses, so carries hee himselfe in a fashion which is contrary to all others.