Chap. 4. Of noble Personages.
*TVllie in his booke of olde age, writeth that when a certen man in reproche saide vnto Themistocles, that hee had no honour of himselfe, but that all his estimacion came vnto him by reason of his cuntrey: surely, saide Themistocles, if I were Seresius I should bee but a verlet, and if thou were an Athenian thou wouldest neuer haue bin of any estimacion.
*Cecil•us Balbus, of the toyes of Philosophers writeth: that when one a time one being borne of the race of a Senatour and at that present mutch imbased, obiected to Epaminundas the vil•nes of his birth: I am glad (quoth he) that I am ry∣sen of my selfe, and thou art fallen of thy selfe, and wee both together are honour and dishonour.
*Salust in the Oracion of Marius against Iugurth, when one 〈◊〉 •ery mutch in his owne conceit in respect of his owne 〈◊〉 and therfore reproched Marius basenesse: although (saith h••) we haue one nature common vnto vs all, that eue∣••• 〈◊〉 ma•, if he can, be most valient and most noble, yet if there •• an• man that despice-me, let them do that which is a Page [unnumbered] agréeable to their manners, since the exercise of vertuous ex∣ploites, is the verie beginning of mine honour. They enuye at mine honour, let them also enuie at my paines, and mine innocency, and my traueiles, and my daungers, for by these haue I woon it. Now sée (I beséech you) how vniust they bée, they wyll not suffer me to get yt by mine owne vertue, which they boast in themselues to haue bin gotten by another. And because I haue no images, and my Nobility is new and now first risen in my selfe, which better it is to get first, then to dishonour it being once gotten before. As for mee, in my iudg∣ment, there can no mans talke hurt mée. For if they speake ill of mée, my béehauiour shal declare their report to bée false. The Speare and Shield, Ensigne, Barbed Armour for the Courser, with other rewards of the Fielde, and scarres in the fore parte of my body, these are my Images, this is my No∣bilitie, not left vnto me by inheritance as theirs is, but got∣ten by mine owne aduentures and traueill.* And Iuuenall the Poet saith very well.
And Albertus vpon the first Booke of the Ethickes saith,* how it is read, that the Emperour of Rome Dioclesian, who gouer∣ned that Empire very valiently, was taken from among shée∣perds. And he is a right Gentleman, saith Seneca,* that is na∣turally disposed vnto vertue.
