De republica Anglorum The maner of gouernement or policie of the realme of England, compiled by the honorable man Thomas Smyth, Doctor of the ciuil lawes, knight, and principall secretarie vnto the two most worthie princes, King Edwarde the sixt, and Queene Elizabeth. Seene and allowed.

Of Gentlemen. CHAP. 20.

GEntlemen be those whom their blood and race doth make noble and knowne, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Greeke, the La∣taines call them all Nobiles, as the French Nobles. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Nobilitas in Latine is defined, honour or title giuen, for that the auncestor hath bin notable in riches or vertues, or (in fewer wordes) old riches or prowes remaining in one stock. Which if the successors do kéepe and follow, they be verè nobiles and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: if they doe not yet the same and wealth of their auncestors serue to couer thē so long as it can, as a thing once gilted though it be copper within, till the gilt be worne away. This hath his reason, for the Etimologie of the name serueth thefficacie of the worde. Gens in Latine betokeneth the race and sirname, so the Romaines had Cornelios, Sergios, Appios, Fabios, AEmilios, Pisones, Iulio, Bru∣tos, Valerios, of which who were Agnati, and therefore kept the name, were also Gentiles: and remaining the memorie of the glorie of their progenitors fame, were gentlemē of that or that race. This matter made a great strife among the Romanes, when those which were Noui homines were more allowed, for their vertues new and newly showen, than the olde smell of auncient race newly defaced by the cowardise and euill life of their nephewes and discendauntes could make the o∣ther to be. Thus the Cicerones, Catones, and Marij

had much adoe with those auncients, and therefore said Iuuenalis:

Malo pater tibi sit Tersites, dummodo tu sis AEacidi similis vulcaniaque arma capessas, Quàm te Thersiti similem producat Achilles.

But as other common wealthes were faine to doe, so must all princes necessarily followe, that is, where vertue is to honour it: and although vertue of auncient race be earlier to be obtained, aswell by the example of the progenitors, which encourageth, as also through habilitie of education and bringing vp, which enableth, and the lastly enraced loue of tenāts & neybors to such noblemen and gentlemen, of whom they holde and by whom they doe dwell, which pricketh forward to ensue in their fathers steps. So it all this doe faile (as it were great pitie it should) yet such is the nature of all humaine thinges, and so the world is subiect to mu∣tability, that it doth many times faile: but whē it doth, the prince and common wealth haue the same power that their predecessors had, and as the husbandmā hath to plant a new tree where the olde fayleth, so hath the prince to honour vertue where he doth finde it, to make gentlemen, esquiers, knights, barons, earles marqui∣ses & dukes, where he seeth vertue able to beare that honour or merits, and deserues it, & so it hath alwayes bin vsed among vs. But ordinarily the king doth on∣ly make knights and create barons or higher degrees: for as for gentlemen, they be made good cheape in Eng∣land. For whosoeuer studieth the lawes of the realme, who studieth in the vniuersities, who professed libe∣rall sciences, and to be shorte, who can liue idly and without manuall labour, and will beare the port, charge and countenaunce of a gentleman, he shall be called master, for that is the title which men giue to esquires and other gentlemen, and shall be taken for a gentleman: for true it is with vs as is saide, Tanti eris

alijs quanti tibi feceris: (and if neede be) a king of He∣raulds shal also give him for mony, armes newly made and inuented, the title whereof shall pretende to haue beene found by the said Herauld in perusing and view∣ing of olde registers, where his auncestors in times past had bin recorded to beare the same: Or if he wil do it more truely and of better faith, he will write that for the merittes of that man, and certaine qualities which he doth see in him, and for sundrie noble actes which he hath perfourmed, he by the authoritie which he hath as king of Heraldes & armes, giveth to him and his heires these and these armes, which being done I thinke he may be called a squire, for he beareth ever after those armes. Such men are called sometime in scorne gen∣tlemen of the first head.