The arte of rhetorique for the vse of all suche as are studious of eloquence, sette forth in English, by Thomas Wilson.

what is Rhetorique.

RHetorique is an art to set furthe by vtteraunce of wordes, matter at large, or (as Cicero doeth saie) it is a learned, or rather an artificiall de∣claracion of the mynde, in the handelyng of any cause, called in contencion, that maie through reason lar∣gely be discussed.

¶The matter whereupon an Oratour must speake.

AN Orator muste be able to speake fully of all those questions, whiche by lawe and mannes ordinaunce are enacted, and appoyncted for the vse and pro∣fite of man, suche as are thought apte for the ton∣gue to set forward. Now Astronomie is rather learned by demonstracion, then taught by any greate vtteraunce. A∣rithmetique smally nedeth the vse of eloquence, seeyng it maie be had wholy by nombryng onely. Geometrie rather asketh a good square, then a cleane flowyng tongue, to set out the arte. Therfore an Orators profession, is to speake onely, of all suche matters as maie largely be expounded, for mannes behoue, and maie with muche grace be set out, for all men to heare theim.

¶Of Questions.

EUery question, or demaunde in thynges, is of two sortes. Either it is an infinite question, and with∣out ende, or els it is definite, and comprehended within some ende.

Those questions are called infinite, whiche generally are propounded, withoute the comprehension of tyme, place, and person, or any suche like: that is to saie, when no certain thyng is named, but onely woordes are generally spoken. As thus, whether it be best to marie▪ or to liue sin∣gle. Whiche is better, a courtiers life, or a scholers life.

Those questions are called definite, whiche set furthe a matter, with the appoynctment, and namyng of place, time and persone. As thus. Whether now it be best here in En∣glande, for a Prieste to Marie, or to liue single. Whether

it were mete for the kynges maiestie, that now is, to marie with a straūger, or to mary with one of his awn subiectes. Now the definite question (as the whiche concerneth some one persone) is moste agreyng to the purpose of an Orator consideryng particuler matters in the Lawe, are euer de∣bated betwixte certain persones, the one affirmyng for his parte, and the other deniyng, as fast again for his parte.

Thynges generally spoken without al circumstaunces, are more proper vnto the Logiciā, who talketh of thynges vniuersally, without respect of persone, time, or place. And yet notwithstandyng, Tullie doeth saie, that whosoeuer will talke of a particuler matter, must remēber that with∣in thesame also, is comprehended a generall. As for exam∣ple. If I shall aske this question, whether it be lawfull for Willyam Conqueroure to inuade Englande, and wynne it by force of armour, I must also consider this, whether it be lawfull for any man, to vsurpe power, or it be not law∣full. That if the greater cannot be borne withall, the lesse cannot be neither. And in this respecte, a generall question agreeth well to an Orators profession, and ought well to be knowen, for the better furtheraunce of his matter, not∣withstandyng the particuler questiō, is euer called in con∣trouersie, and the generall onely thereupon considered, to comprehende and compasse thesame, as the whiche is more generall.

¶The ende of Rethorique.

Three thynges are required of an Orator.

• To teache.
• To delight.
• And to perswade.

FIrst therefore an Orator muste labour to tell his tale, that the hearers maie well knowe what he meaneth, and vnderstande him wholy, the whiche he shall with ease do, if he vtter his mind in plain wordes, suche as are vsually receiued, and tell it orderly, without goyng aboute the busshe. That if he doe not this, he shall neuer do the other. For what manne can be delited

or yet be perswaded, with the onely hearyng of those thyn∣ges, whiche he knoweth not what thei meane. The tongue is ordeined to expresse the mynde, that one mighte vnder∣stande anothers meanyng: Nowe what auaileth to speake, when none can tell, what the speaker meaneth? Therefore Phauorinus the Philosophier (as Gellius telleth y^e tale) did hit a yong man ouer the thumbes, very handsomely for vsyng ouer olde, and ouer straunge woordes, Sirha ({quod} he) when our old great auncesters and graundsires wer aliue thei spake plainly in their mothers tongue, & vsed old lan∣guage, suche as was spokē then at the buildyng of Rome. But you talke me suche Latin, as though you spake with them euen now, that were two or thre thousande yeres a∣go, and onely because you would haue no man, to vnder∣stand what you saie. Now wer it not better for the a thou∣sand fold (thou foolishe fellowe) in sekyng to haue thy de∣sire, to holde thy peace, and speake nothyng at all? for then by that meanes, fewe should knowe what were thy mea∣nyng. But thou saiest, the olde antiquitee doeth like thee best, because it is good, sobre, & modest. Ah, liue man as thei did before thee, and speake thy mynde now, as menne do at this daie. And remember that, whiche Cesar saith, beware as long as thou liuest, of straunge woordes, as thou woul∣dest take hede and eschewe greate rockes in the Sea.

The next parte that he hath to plaie, is to chere his ge∣stes, and to make thē take pleasure, with hearyng of thyn∣ges wittely deuised, and pleasauntly set furthe. Therfore euery Orator should earnestly laboure to file his tongue, that his woordes maie slide with ease, and that in his deli∣ueraunce, he maie haue suche grace, as the sound of a lute, or any suche instrument doeth geue. Then his sentencies must be well framed, and his wordes aptly vsed, through∣out the whole discourse of his Oracion.

Thirdly, suche quicknesse of witte must be shewed, and suche pleasaunt sawes so well applied, that the eares maie finde muche delite, whereof I will speake largely, when I shall entreate of mouyng laughter. And assuredly no∣thyng is more nedefull, then to quicken these heauie loden

wittes of ours, and muche to cherishe these our lompishe and vnweldie natures, for excepte menne finde delight, thei will not long abide: delight theim, and wynne them: werie theim, and you lose theim for euer. And that is the reason, that menne commonly tary the ende of a merie plaie, and cannot abide the halfe hearyng of a sower chec∣kyng Sermon. Therefore, euen these auncient preachers, must now and then plaie the fooles in the pulpite, to serue the tickle eares of their fleetyng audience, or els thei are like some tymes to preache to the bare walles, for though the spirite bee apte, and our will prone, yet our fleshe is so heauie, and humours so ouerwhelme vs, that wee cannot without refreshyng, long abide to heare any one thyng. Thus we se, that to delight, is nedefull, without the whi∣che, weightier matters will not be heard at all, and there∣fore hym cunne I thanke, that bothe can & will euer, myn∣gle swete, emong the sower, be he Preacher, Lawyer, yea, or Cooke either hardely, when he dresseth a good dishe of meate: now I nede not tell that scurrilitie, or Alehouse ie∣styng, would bee thought odious, or grosse mirthe would be deamed madnesse: consideryng that euen the meane wit∣ted doe knowe that already, and as for other, that haue no witte, thei will neuer learne it, therefore God spede them. Now when these twoo are dooen, he muste perswade, and moue the affeccions of his hearers in suche wise, that thei shalbe forced to yelde vnto his saiyng, wherof (because the matter is large, and maie more aptly bee declared, when I shall speake of Amplificacion) I wil surcease to speake any thyng therof at this tyme.

¶By what meanes Eloquence is attained.

FIrste nedefull it is that he, whiche desireth to ex∣cell in this gift of Oratorie, and longeth to proue an eloquent man, must naturally haue a wit, and an aptnesse thereunto: then must he to his boke, & learne to be well stored with knowlege, that he maie be a∣ble to minister matter, for all causes necessarie. The which when he hath gotte plentifully, he muste vse muche exer∣cise, bothe in writyng, and also in speakyng. For though he

haue a wit and learnyng together, yet shal thei bothe litle auaile without much practise. What maketh the lawyer to haue suche vtteraunce? Practise. What maketh the Prea∣cher to speake so roūdly? Practise. Yea, what maketh wo∣men go so fast awaie with their wordes? Marie practise I warraunt you. Therfore in all faculties, diligent practise, and earnest exercise, are the onely thynges, that make men proue excellent. Many men knowe the arte very well, and be in all poynctes throughly grounded, & acquainted with the preceptes, and yet it is not their hap to proue eloquent And the reason is, that eloquēce it self, came not vp first by the arte, but the arte rather was gathered vpon eloquēce. For wise menne seyng by muche obseruacion, and diligent practise, the compasse of diuerse causes, compiled thereupō preceptes and lessons, worthie to bee knowen and learned of all men. Therefore before arte was inuented, eloquence was vsed, and through practise made parfecte, the whiche in all thynges is a souereigne meane, most highly to excell.

Now before we vse either to write, or speake eloquently we must dedicate our myndes wholly, to folowe the moste wise and learned menne, and seke to fashion, aswell their speache and gesturyng, as their wit or endityng. The whi∣che when we earnestly mynde to do, we cannot but in time appere somewhat like theim. For if thei that walke muche in the sōne, and thinke not of it, are yet for the moste part sonne burnt, it cannot be but that thei, whiche wittyngly and willyngly trauaile to counterfecte other, muste nedes take some colour of theim, and be like vnto theim, in some one thyng or other, accordyng to the Prouerbe, by compa∣niyng with the wise, a man shall learne wisedome.

¶To what purpose this arte is set furthe.

TO this purpose and for this vse, is the arte com∣piled together, by the learned and wise men, that those whiche are ignorant, might iudge of the ler∣ned, and labour (when tyme should require) to fo∣low their workes accordyngly. Again, the art helpeth well to dispose and order matters of our awne inuencion, the whiche we may folowe, aswell in speakyng, as in writyng

for though many by nature without art, haue proued wor¦thie menne, yet is arte a surer guide, then nature, conside∣ryng we se as liuely by the art, what we do, as though we red a••thyng in writtyng, wheras natures doynges are not so open to all men. Again, those that haue good wittes, by nature, shall better encrease theim by arte, and the blunte also shalbe whetted through art, that want nature to help them forward.

¶Fiue thynges to be conside∣red in an Oratour.

ANy one that will largely handle any matter, muste fasten his mynde, first of all vpon these fiue especial poynctes that folowe, and learne theim euery one.

• j. Inuencion of matter.
• ij. Disposicion of thesame.
• iij. Elocucion.
• iiij. Memorie.
• v. Utteraunce.

THe findyng out of apte matter, called otherwise Inuencion, is a searchyng out of thynges true, or thynges likely, the whiche maie reasonably sette furth a matter, and make it appere probable. The places of Logique, geue good occasion to finde out plenti∣tifull matter. And therefore thei that will proue any cause and seke onely to teache thereby the truthe, muste searche out the places of Logique, and no doubte thei shall finde muche plentie. But what auaileth muche treasure and apt matter, if man cānot apply it to his purpose. Therefore in the seconde place is mencioned, the settelyng or orderyng of thynges inuented for this purpose, called in Latine, Dispositio, the whiche is nothyng els, but an apt bestow∣yng, and orderly placyng of thynges, declaryng where eue∣ry argument shalbe sette, and in what maner euery reason shalbe applied, for confirmacion of the purpose.

But yet what helpeth it though we can finde good rea∣sons, and knowe howe to place theim, if we haue not apte wordes, and picked sentences, to commēde the whole mat∣ter.

Therefore this poynct must nedes folowe, to beautifie the cause, the whiche beyng called Elocucion, is an appli∣yng of apte wordes and sentēces to the matter, founde out to confirme the cause. When all these are had together, it auaileth litle, if manne haue no Memorie to contein theim. The Memorie therefore must be cherished, the whiche is a fast holdyng, bothe of matter and woordes couched toge∣ther, to confirme any cause.

Be it now that one haue all these .iiij, yet if he want the fift, all the other dooe litle profite. For though a manne can finde out good matter, and good woordes, though he canne handsomely set them together, and cary them very well a∣waie in his mynde, yet it is to no purpose, if he haue no vt∣teraunce, when he should speake his minde, and shewe men what he hath to saie. Utteraunce therefore is a framyng of the voyce, countenaūce, and gesture, after a comely maner.

Thus we se that euery one of these must go together, to make a perfecte Oratoure, and that the lacke of one, is an hynderaunce of the whole, and that aswell all maie be wā∣tyng, as one, if we loke to haue an absolute Oratour.

¶There are .vii. partes in euery Oracion.

• j. The enteraunce or beginnyng.
• ij. The Narracion.
• iij. The Proposicion.
• iiij. The diuisiō or seuerall partyng of thynges
• v. The Confirmacion.
• vi. The Confutacion.
• vii. The Conclusion.

THe Enteraunce or beginnyng, is the former part of the Oracion, whereby the will of the standers by, or of the Iudge is sought for, and required to heare the matter.

The Narraciō, is a plain and manifest poynctyng of the matter, and an euident settyng furthe of all thynges, that belong vnto thesame, with a brief rehersall, grounded vpon some reason.

The Proposicion is a pithie sentence, comprehendyng in a smale roume, the some of the whole matter.

The diuision is an openyng of thynges, wherin we agree and rest vpon, and wherein we sticke, and stande in trauerse shewyng what we haue to saie, in our awne behalfe.

The Confirmacion, is a declaraciō of our awne reasons with assured and constaunt profes.

The Confutacion, is a dissoluyng or wipyng awaie, of all suche reasons as make against vs.

The Conclusion is a clarkely gatheryng of the matter, spoken before, and a lappyng vp of it altogether.

Now because in euery one of these, greate hede ought to be had, and muche arte must be vsed, to content and like all parties: I purpose in the second boke to set furthe at large euery one of these, that bothe we maie knowe in all partes, what to folowe, and what to eschewe. And first when tyme shalbe to talke of any matter, I would aduise euery man, to consider the nature of the cause self, that the rather he might frame his whole Oracion thereafter.

¶Euery matter is conteined in one of these .iiii.

EIther it is an honest thyng, whereof we speake, or els it is filthy and vile, or els betwixte bothe, and doubtfull what to bee called, or els it is some trif∣lyng matter, that is of small weight.

[ i] That is called an honest matter, when either wee take in hande suche a cause, that all menne would maintein, or els gainsaie suche a cause, that no man can well like.

[ ii] Then do we hold and defende a filthy matter, whē either wee speake against our conscience in an euill matter, or els withstande an vpright truthe.

[ iii] The cause then is doubtfull, when the matter is half ho∣nest, and halfe vnhonest.

[ iiii] Suche are triflyng causes, whē there is no weight in thē as if one should phantasy, to praise a Gose, before any other beast liuyng (as I knowe who did) or of fruict to commende nuttes chefly, as Ouid did, or the feuer quartaine, as Pha∣uorinus did, or the Gnatte, as Uirgill did, or the battaill of Frogges as Homere did, or dispraise beardes, or commende

shauen heddes.

¶Good hede to bee taken at the firste, vpon the handelyng of any matter in Iudgement.

NOT onely it is necessarie to knowe, what maner of cause wee haue taken in hande, when wee firste enter vpon any matter, but also it is wisedome to consider the tyme, the place, the man for whom we speake, the man against whom we speake, the matter where∣of we speake, and the iudges before whom we speake, the rea¦sons that best serue to further our cause, and those reasons also, that maie seme somewhat to hynder our cause, and in no wise to vse any suche at all, or els warely to mitigate by protestacion, the euill that is in theim, and alwaies to vse whatsoeuer can bee saied, to wynne the chief hearers good willes, and perswade theim to our purpose. If the cause go by fauour, and that reason cannot so muche auaile, as good wil shalbe able to do: or els if mouyng affecciōs can do more good, then bryngyng in of good reasons, it is meete alwaies to vse that waie, whereby we maie by good helpe, get the o∣uer hand. That if mine aduersaries reasons, by me beyng cō¦futed, serue better to help forward my cause, then mine awn reasons confirmed, can be able to doe good: I should wholy bestowe my tyme, and trauaill to weaken and make slender, all that euer he bringeth with hym. But if I can with more ease, proue myne awne saiynges, ••ither with witnesses, or with wordes, then be able to cōfute his with reason, I must labour to withdrawe mennes myndes, from myne aduersa∣ries foundacion, and require thē wholy to herken vnto that whiche I haue to saie, beyng of it self so iust and so reasona∣ble, that none can rightly speake against it, and shewe theim that greate pitie it were, for lacke of the onely hearyng, that a true matter, should want true dealyng. Ouer and besides all these, there remain twoo lessons, the whiche wisemenne haue alwaies obserued, and therefore ought of all men, assu∣redly to be learned. The one is, that if any matter be laied a∣gainst vs, whiche by reason can hardely bee auoyded, or the whiche is so open, that none almoste can deny, it were wise∣dome in confutyng all the other reasons, to passe ouer this

one, as though we sawe it not, and therefore speake neuer a worde of it. Or els if necessitie shall force a man to saie some what, he may make an outward bragge, as though there wer no matter in it, euer so speakyng of it, as though he would stande to the triall, makyng men to beleue, he would fight in the cause, whē better it were (if necessitie so required) to run clene awaie. And herein though a man do flie and geue place, euermore the gladder, the lesse rauyng there is or stirryng in this matter: yet he flieth wisely, and for this ende, that be∣yng fensed otherwise, & strongly appoyncted, he maie take his aduersary at the best aduauntage, or at the least, werie hym with muche lingeryng, and make hym with oft suche fliyng, to forsake his chief defence.

The other lesson is, that whereas we purpose alwaies to haue the victorie, wee should so speake, that we maie labour rather not to hynder, or hurt our cause, then to seke meanes to further it. And yet I speake not this, but that bothe these are right necessarie, and euery one that will doo good, muste take peines in theim bothe, but yet notwithstandyng, it is a fouler faulte a greate deale, for an Orator to be founde hur∣ting his awne cause, then it should turne to his rebuke, if he had not furthered his whole entent. Therefore not onely is it wisedome, to speake so muche as is nedefull, but also it is good reason, to leaue vnspoken so muche as is nedelesse, the whiche although the wisest can do, and nede no teachyng, yet these common wittes offende muche nowe and then, in this behalfe. Some man beyng stirred, shall hurt more our cause then twentie other. Tauntyng wordes before some menne, will not be borne at all. Sharpe rebukyng of our aduersary or frumpes geuen before some persones: cannot be sufferd at all. Yea, sometymes a man must not speake all that he kno∣weth, for if he doo, he is like to finde small fauour, although he haue iuste cause to speake, and maie with reason declare his mynde at large. And albeit that witlesse folke, can soner rebuke that, whiche is fondly spoken, then redely praise that whiche is wisely kept close, yet the necessitie of the matter, must rather be marked, then the fonde iudgement of the peo¦ple estemed. What a sore saiyng were this? When a lawyer

should take in hande a matter, concernyng life and death, and another should aske how he hath sped, to heare tel that the lawyer, hath not onely cast awaie his cliēt, but vndoen hymself also, in speakyng thynges inconsideratly, as no doubt it oftē happeneth, that wise men, and those also that bee none euill men neither, maie vnwares speake thynges, which afterward thei sore repent, & would cal backe again with losse of a greate so••••e. Now what a foly it is, not to remember the tyme and the men. Or who will speake that whiche he knoweth will not be liked, if he purpose to finde fauour at their handes, before whom he speaketh, what mā of reason will praise that before the Iudges, (before whom he knoweth the determinacion of his cause resteth) whiche the Iudges self cannot abide to heare spoken at all? Or doeth not he muche hinder his awne matter, that wtthout al curtesie or preface made, will largely speake euil of those men, whom the hearers of his cause, tenderly doo fauour? Or be it that there be some notable faulte in thyne aduer∣sary, with whiche the Iudges also are infected, were it not foly for thee, to charge thyne aduersary with thesame. Cō∣sideryng the Iudges thereby maie thynke, thou speakest a∣gainst theim also, and so thou maiest perhappes, lose their fauour in sekyng suche defence, made without all discreci∣on. And in framing reasons, to confirme the purpose, if any be spoken plainly false, or els contrary to that, which was spoken before, dooeth it not muche hynder a good matter? Therefore in all causes, this good hede ought to bee had, that alwaies we labour to do some good, in furtheryng of our cause, or if we cannot so do, at the least that we doo no harme at all.

¶There are three kyndes of causes, or Ora∣cions, whiche serue for euery matter

NOthyng can be handled by this arte, but thesame is conteined, within one of these .iij. causes. Ei∣ther the matter consisteth in praise, or dispraise of a thyng, or els in consultyng, whether the cause be profitable, or vnprofitable, or lastly, whether the matter be right, or wrong. And yet this one thyng is to be learned

that in euery one of these foure causes, these three seuerall endes, maie euery of them be conteined, in any one of them. And therfore he that shall haue cause, to praise any o••e bo∣dy, shall haue iuste cause to speake of iustice, to entreate of profite, and ioyntly to talke of one thyng with another. But because these three causes, are commonly and for the moste part, seuerally parted, I will speake of them, one af∣ter another, as thei are sette furthe by wise mennes iudge∣mentes, & particularly declare their properties, all in order

The Oracion demonstratiue, standeth either in praise, or dispraise of some one man, or of some one thyng, or of some one deede doen.

¶The kynde Demonstratiue, where∣in chiefly it is occupied.

THere are diuerse thynges, whiche are praised, and dispraised, as menne, Countreis, Citees, Places, Beastes, Hilles, Riuers, Houses, Castles, dedes doen by worthy menne, and pollicies inuented by greate warriers, but moste commonly me•• are praised, for diuerse respectes, before any of the other thynges are ta∣ken in hande.

Nowe in praisyng a noble personage, and in settyng furthe at large his worthinesse, Quintilian geueth war∣nyng, to vse this threfolded order.

To obserue thynges.

• Before his life.
• In his life.
• After his death.

Before a mannes life, are considered these places.

• The Realme.
• The Shire.
• The Toune.
• The Pareutes.
• The Auncestours.

IN a mannes life, praise muste be parted threfolde. That is to saie, into the giftes of good thynges of the mynde, the body, and of fortune. Now the gif∣tes of the body, and of fortune, are not praise wor∣thy,

of their awne nature: but euen as thei are vsed, either to, or fro, so thei are either praised, or dispraised. Giftes of the mynde, deserue the whole trumpe and sound commen∣dacion aboue all other, wherein wee maie vse the rehersall of vertues, as thei are in order, and beginnyng at his infā∣cie, tell all his doynges, till his last age.

¶The places whereof, are these.

The birthe, and infancie.	Whether the person be a man, or a womā
The childhode.	The bryngyng vp, ye nurturyng, and the behauour of his life.
The stripelyng age, or spryng tide	To what study he ta¦keth hymself vnto, what company he v∣seth, how he liueth.
The mānes state.	Wherunto are referred these.	Prowesses doen, either abrode, or at home.
The olde age.	His pollicies & wit∣tie deuises in behoue of the publique wele
The tyme of his departure, or deth	Thynges that haue happened aboute his death.

NOw to open al these places more largely, aswell those that are before a mannes life, as suche as are in his life, and after his death, that the reader maie further se the profite, I will do the best I cā

The house wherof a noble personage came, declares the state and nature of his auncesters, his alliaunce, and his kynsfolke. So that suche worthy feactes, as thei haue here∣tofore doen, and al suche honors as thei haue had, for suche their good seruice, redowndes wholy to the encrease and

amplifiyng of his honour, that is now liuyng.

The Realme, declares the nature of the people. So that some Countrey brengeth more honor with it, then another doth. To be a Frenche manne, descendyng there of a noble house, is more honor then to be an Irishe manne: to bee an Englishe manne borne, is muche more honour, then to be a Scotte, because that by these men, worthy prowesses haue been dooen, and greater affaires by theim attempted, then haue been doen by any other.

The Shire or Toune helpeth somewhat, towardes the encrease of honour: As it is muche better, to bee borne in Paris, then in Picardie, in Lōdon, then in Lincolne. For that bothe the aire is better, the people more ciuill, and the wealth muche greater, and the menne for the moste parte more wise.

To bee borne a manchilde, declares a courage, grauitie, and constancie. To be borne a woman, declares weakenes of spirite, neshenes of body, and fikilnesse of mynde.

Now for the bringing vp of a noble personage, his nurse must be considered, his plaie felowes obserued, his teacher and other his seruauntes, called in remembraunce. Howe euery one of these liued then, with whom thei haue liued afterwardes, and how thei liue now.

By knowyng what he taketh hymself vnto, and wherin he moste deliteth, I maie commende hym for his learnyng, for his skill in the Frenche, or in the Italian, for his know∣lege in Cosmographie: for his skill in the lawes, in the hi∣stories of all countreis, and for his gift of endityng. Again, I maie cōmende hym for plaiyng at weapons, for runnyng vpon a greate horse, for chargyng his staffe at the Tilte, for vautyng, for plaiyng vpon instrumentes, yea, and for pain∣tyng, or drawyng of a platte, as in old tyme noble princes, muche delited therein.

Prowesse doen, declare his seruice to the Kyng, and his countrey, either in withstandyng the outwarde e••emie, or els in aswagyng the rage of his awne coūtreymē at home.

His wise counsaill, and good aduise geuen, settes furthe the goodnesse of his witte.

At the tyme of his departyng, his sufferaunce of all sick∣nesse, may muche commende his worthinesse. As his strong harte, and cherefull pacience euen to the ende, cannot wāt greate praise. The loue of all men towardes hym, and the lamentyng generally for his lacke, helpe well moste highly to set furthe his honour.

After a mannes death, are considered his tombe, his cote armour set vp, and all suche honours, as are vsed in fune∣ralles. If any one liste to put these preceptes in practise, he maie doo, as hym liketh best. And surely I do thynke, that nothyng so muche furthereth knowlege, as daiely exercise, and enuryng our selfes to do that in dede, whiche we know in woorde. And because examples geue greate lighte, after these preceptes are set furthe, I will commende two noble gentlemen, Henry Duke of Suffolk, and his brother lorde Charles Duke with hym.

¶An example of commendyng a noble personage.

BEtter or more wisely can none do, then thei which neuer bestowe praise, but vpon those that best de∣serue praise, rather myndyng discretly, what thei ought to dooe, then vainly deuisyng what thei best can doo, sekyng rather to praise menue, suche as are founde worthy, then curiously findyng meanes to praise matters, suche as neuer wer in any. For thei which speake otherwise then truthe is, mynd not the commendacion of the perso••e, but the settyng furthe of their awne learnyng. As Gorgi∣as in Plato, praisyng vnrighteousnes, Heliogabalus O∣ratours, commendyng whoredome, Phauorinus the Phi∣losophier, extollyng the feuer Quartaine, thought not to speake as the cause required, but would so muche saie as their wit would geue, not weighyng the state of the cause, but myndyng the want of their brain, lookyng how muche could be said, not passyng how litle should be saied. But I bothe knowyng the might of Gods hand, for suche as loue fables, and the shame that in yearth redoundeth to euil re∣••orters, will not commende that or those, whiche neede no good praise, but will commende them, that no man iust∣ly can dispraise, nor yet any one is well able worthely to

praise. Their towardnes was suche, & their giftes so great, that I know none whiche loue learnyng, but hath sorowed the lacke of their beeyng, and I knowe that the onely na∣myng of theim, will stirre honest hartes, to speake well of them. I will speake of twoo brethren, that lately departed, the one Henry Duke of Suffolke, and the other Lorde Charles his brother, whom God thinkyng ••••eter for hea∣uen, then to liue here vpon yearth, toke from vs in his an∣ger, for the betteryng of our doynges, and amendement of our euill liuyng. These twoo gentlemen were borne in noble England, bothe by father and mother, of an high pa∣rentage. The father called Duke Charles, by mariage be∣yng brother, to the worthy kyng of famous memorie, Hēry theight, was in suche fauour, and did suche seruice, that all Englaude at this houre, doeth finde his lacke, and Fraunce yet doth fele, that suche a duke there was, whom in his life tyme, the godly, loued: the euil, feared: the wise men, hono∣red for his wit, and the simple, vsed alwaies for their coun∣saill. Their mother, of birthe noble, and witte great, of na∣ture gētle, and mercifull to the poore, and to the godly, and especially to the learned, an earnest good patronesse, and moste helpyng Lady aboue all other. In their youthe their father died, the eldest of thē beyng not past .ix. yeres of age. After whose death, their mother knowyng, that welth with¦out wit, is like a sworde in a naked mannes hand, & assured∣ly certain, that knowlege would confirme iudgemēt, proui∣ded so for their bringyng vp, in al vertue and learnyng, that ij. like were not to be had, within this realme again. When thei begā bothe, to wa••e somewhat in yeres, beyng in their primetide, & spryng of their age, thelder waityng of the kyn∣ges maiestie that now is, was generally well estemed, and sucheh ope was conceiued of his towardnes, both for lear∣nyng, and al other thinges, that fewe wer like vnto hym in al the courte. The other kepyng his boke, emong the Cam∣brige men, profited (as thei all well knowe) bothe in vertue and learnyng, to their greate admiracion. For the Greke, the Latine, and the Italian, I knowe he could dooe more, then would be thought true by my report. I leaue to speke

of his skill in pleasaunt instrumentes, neither will I vt∣ter his aptnes in Musike, & his toward nature, to all exer∣cises of the body. But his elder brother in this tyme (besi∣des his other giftes of the mynde, whiche passed all oth••r, and were almoste incredible) folowyng his fathers nature was so delited with ridyng, and runnyng in armour vpon horsebacke, and was so comely for that feacte, and could do so well in chargyng his staffe, beyng but .xiiij. yeres of age, that menne of warre, euen at this houre, mone muche the want of suche a worthy gentleman. Yea, the Frenche men that first wondered at his learnyng, when he was there e∣mong theim, and made a notable Oracion in Latine: were muche more astonied whē thei saw his comely ridyng, and litle thought to finde these twoo ornamentes, ioyned bothe in one, his yeres especially beyng so tender, and his practise of so small tyme. Afterward commyng from the courte, as one that was desierous to be emong the learned, he laie in Cambrige together with his brother, where thei bothe so profited, and so gently vsed themselfes, that all Cambr••ge did reuerence, bothe hym and his brother, as two iewelles sent frō God. Thelders nature was suche, that he thought hymself best, when he was emong the wisest, and yet con∣tempned none, but thankefully vsed all, gentle in behauor without childishenes; stoute of stomacke without al pride, bold with all warenesse, and frendly with good aduisemēt. The yonger beeyng not so ripe in yeres, was not so graue in looke, rather chereful, then sad: rather quicke, then aun∣cient: but yet if his brother were sette a side, not one that went beyonde hym. A childe that by his awne inclinacion, so muche yelded to his ruler, as fewe by chastement haue doen the like, pleasaunt of speeche, prompte of witte, sti∣ryng by nature, hault without hate, kynde without crafte, liberall of harte, gentle in behauiour, forward in all thyn∣ges, gredy of learnyng, and lothe to take a foyle, in any open assembly. Thei bothe in al attemptes, sought to haue the victory, and in exercise of witte, not onely the one with the other, did ofte stande in contencion, but also thei bothe would matche with the best, and thought themselfes moste

happie, when thei might haue any iust occasion, to put their wittes in triall. And now when this grene fruicte began to waxe ripe, and all menne lo••ged to haue tast, of suche their greate forwardnesse: God preuentyng mannes expectacion, toke theim bothe aboute one houre, and in so shorte tyme, that first thei wer knowen to be dedde, or any abrode could tell thei were sicke. I neede not to reherse, what bothe thei spake, before their departure (cōsideryng, I haue seuerally written, bothe in Latine and in Englishe, of thesame mat∣ter) neither will I heape here so muche together as I can, because I should rather renewe greate sorowe to many, then do moste men any great good, who loued them so well generally, that fewe for a greate space after, spake of these twoo gentle menne, but thei shewed teares, with the onely vtteraunce of their wordes, and some through ouer muche sorowyng, wer fain to forbeare speakyng. God graūt vs al¦so to liue, that the good men of this world, may be alwaies lothe to forsake vs, and God maie still be glad to haue vs, as no doubt the••e twoo children so died, as all men should wishe to liue, and so thei liued bothe, as al should wishe to die. Seyng therfore these two wer suche, bothe for birthe, nature, and all other giftes of grace, that the like are har∣dely founde behynde theim: let vs so speake of theim, that our good report maie warne vs, to folowe their godly na∣tures, and that lastly, wee maie enioye that enheritaunce, whereunto God hath prepared thē and vs (that feare him) from the beginnyng. Amen.

The partes of an Oracion, made in praise of a manne.

• The Enteraunce.
• The Narracion.
• Sometymes the confutacion.
• The Conclusion.

IF any one shall haue iust cause, to dispraise an euill man, he shall sone do it, if he can praise a good man. For (as Aristotle doeth saie) of contraries, there is one and thesame doctrine, and therefore he that can do the one, shall sone be able to do the other.

¶Of an Oracion demonstra∣tiue, for some deede doen.

THe kynd demonstratiue of some thyng doen is this, when a man is commended or dispraised, for any acte committed in his life.

¶The places to confirme this cause, when any one is commended, are sixe in nomber.

The places of Cofirmacion.

• j. It is honest.
• ij. It is possible.
• iij. Easie to be doen,
• iiij. hard to be doen.
• v. Possible to be doen,
• vi. Impossible to be doen.

Seuen circumstaunces, whiche are to bee considered in diuerse matters.

The circum∣staunces.

• j. Who did the deede.
• ij. What was doen.
• iij. Where it was doen.
• iiij. What helpe had he to it.
• v. Wherefore he did it.
• vi. How he did it.
• vij. At what tyme he did it.

¶The circumstaunces in meter.

Who, what, and where, by what helpe, and by whose: Why, how, and when, do many thynges disclose.

THese places helpe wonderfully, to set out any mat∣ter, and to amplifie it to the vttermoste, not onely in praisyng, or dispraisyng, but also in all other causes where any aduisement is to bee vsed. Yet this one thyng is to bee learned, that it shall not bee necessarie, to vse theim altogether, euen as thei stande in order: but rather as tyme and place shall best require, thei maie bee vsed in any parte of the Oracion, euen as it shall please hym that hath the vsyng of them.

Again, if any manne bee disposed, to rebuke any offence, he maie vse the places contrary vnto theim that are aboue re∣hersed, and apply these circumstaunces euen as thei are, to

the profe of his purpose.

¶An example of commendyng Kyng Dauid, for killyng greate Goliah, gathered and made by o••seruacion of circumstaunces.

GOD beyng the aucthor of mankynde, powryng in∣to hym the breath of life, and framyng hym of claie in suche a comely wise, as we al now se, hath from the beginnyng, been so carefull ouer his electe and chosen, that in al daungers, he is euer redy to assist his peo∣ple, kepyng theim harmelesse, when thei were often paste all mannes hope. A••d emong all other his fatherly goodnesse, it pleased hym to shewe his power, in his chosen seruaūt Da∣uid, that all mighte learne to knowe his mighte, and reken with themselfes, that though man geue the stroke, yet God it is that geueth the ouerha••de. For wheras Dauid was of small statu••e, weake of body, poore of ••irthe, and base in the sight of the worldlynges, God called hym firste to matche with an houge monster, a litle body, against a mightie Gy∣aunt, an abiect•• Israelite, against a moste valiaunt Phili∣stine, with whom no Israelite durst encounter. These Phi¦listines mynded the murder and ouerthrowe, of all the Is∣raelites, trustyng in their awne strength so muche, that thei feared no perill, but made an accompte, that all was theirs before hande. Now when bothe these armies were in sight, the Philistines vpon an hill of the one side, and the Israe∣lites vpon an hill, of the other side, a vale beyng betwixte theim bothe, ••here marched out of the Campe, a base borne Philistine, called Goliah of Geth, a manne of sixe cubites high. This souldiour, when through the bignes and stature of his body, and also with greate bragges, & terrible threa∣tenynges, he had wonderfully abashed the whole armie of the Israelites, so that no man durst aduenture vpon hym, God to the ende he mighte del••uer Israell, and shewe that mannes helpe, with all his armour, litle auaile to get vic∣tory, without his especiall grace: and again, to the ende he might set vp Dauid, and make hym honourable emong the Israeli••es, did then call out Dauid, the sonne of Ephrate••∣••••, of Be••hleem Iuda, whose name was Isai, who beeyng

but a child in yeres, did kill out of hande, by Goddes might and power, Goliah the moste terrible enemie of all other, that bare hate against the children of Israell. When this mightie felowe was slain, aboute the vale of Terebinthus, betwixt both tharmies, the Israelites reioysed, that before quaked, and wondered at hym then, whom thei would scant knowe before, &▪ no doubt this dede was not onely wonder∣full, but also right godly. For in battaill to kill an enemie, is thoughte right worthy, or to aduenture vpon a reb••ll, (though the successe folowe not) is generally commended: yea, to put one to the worse, or to make hym flie the groūd, is called manly, but what shall we saie of Dauid, that not onely had the better hande, not onely bette his enemie, but killed streight his enemie, yea, and not an enemy, of the cō∣mon stature of men, but a mightie Gyaunt, not a man, but a monster, yea, a deuill in hart, and a beast in body? Can a∣ny be compted more honest, then suche as seke to saue their coūtrey; by hasardyng their carcasses, and shedyng of their bloude? Can loue shewe it self greater, then by yeldyng of life, for the health of an armie? It had been muche, if half a dosen had dispatched, suche a terrible Gyaunte, but now, when Dauid without helpe, beyng not yet a manne, but a boye in yeres, ••lewe hym hande to hande, what iuste praise dooeth he deserue? If we praise other, that haue flain euill men, and compte them haulte, that haue killed their mat∣ches, what shall we saie of Dauid, that beyng wonderful∣ly ouermatched, made his partie good, and gotte the gole of a monster? Lette other praise Hercules, that thinke best of hym: let Cesar, Alexander, and Hanniball, bee bru••ed for warriers: Dauid in my iudgement, bothe did more manly, then all the other wer able, & serued his countrey in grea∣ter daunger, then euer any one of theim did. And shall wee not call suche a noble capitain, a good man of warre? De∣serueth not his manhode and stoute attempte, wonderfull praise? It vertue could speake, would she not sone confesse that Dauid had her in full possession? And therfore if well doynges, by right maie chalenge worthy brute, Dauid wil be knowen, and neuer can want due praise, for suche an ho∣nest

deede. And what man wil not saie, but that Dauid did mynde nothyng els herein, but the saufegarde of his coun∣trey, thinkyng it better for himself to die, and his countrey to liue, then hymself to liue, and his countrey to die. What gain got Dauid, by the death of Goliah, or what could he hope, by the death of suche a mōster, but onely that the loue whiche he bare to the Israelites, forced hym to hasard his awne life: Thinkyng that if the Philistines should preuail the Israelites wer like to perishe, euery mothers sonne of theim? Therefore he hassardyng this atttempte, considered with hymself, the saufegard of the Israelites, the maintei∣naunce of iustice, his duetie towardes God, his obedience to his prince, and his loue to his countrey. And no doubte, God made this enterprise appere full easie, before Dauid could haue the harte, to matche hymself with suche a one. For though his harte might quake, beeyng voyde of Gods helpe, yet assuredly he wanted no stomacke, when God did set hym on. Let tirauntes rage, let hell stand open, let Sa∣than shewe his mighte, if God bee with vs, who can bee a∣gainst vs? Though this Goliah appered so strong, that .x. Dauides were not able, to stande in his hande: yet .x. Go∣liaths were all ouer weake for Dauid alone. Man cannot iudge, neither can reason comprehende, the mightie power of God. When Pharao with all his armie, thoughte fully to destroye the children of Israell, in the redde sea, did not God preserue Moses, and destroye Pharao? What is man and all his power that he can make, in the handes of God, vnto whō all creatures, bothe in heauen and in yearth, are subiecte at his commaundement? Therefore it was no ma∣stery for Dauid, beyng assisted with God, aswel to matche with the whole army, as to ouerthrowe this one man. But what did the Israelites, when thei sawe Dauid take vpon hym, suche a bolde enterprise? Some saied he was rashe, o∣ther mocked hym to scorne, & his brethren called hym foole. For thought thei, what a madde felowe is he, beeyng but a lad in yeres, to matche with suche a monster in body? How can it be possible otherwise, but that he shalbe torne in pe∣••es, euen at his firste commyng? For if the Philistine maie

ones hit hym, he is goen though he had tenne mennes lifes. Now what should he meane, so vnegally to matche himself except he were, wery of his life, or els were not well in his wittes? Yea, and to geue his enemies, all the aduauntage that could bee, he came vnarmed, and whereas the Phili∣stine, had very strōg armour, bothe to defende hymself, a••d a strong weapon to fight withall, Dauid came with a slyng onely, as though he would kill crowes, whereat, not onely the Philistine laughed, & disdained his folie, but also bothe the armies thought he was but a dedde man, before he gaue one stroke. And in deede, by all reason and deuise of manne there was none other waie, but deathe with hym, out of hande, Dauid notwithstandyng, beeyng kyndeled in harte with Gods might, was strong enough for him, in his awne opinion, and forced nothyng, though all other were muche against hym. And therefore made no more a dooe, but beyng redy to reuenge in Goddes name, suche greate blasphemie, as the Philistine then did vtter, marched towardes his ene∣mie, and with castyng a stone out of a slyng, he ouerthrewe the Philistine at the first. The whiche when he had dooen, out with his sworde, and chopt of his hedde, cariyng it with, his armoure, to the Campe of the Israelites: whereat the Philistines wer greatly astonied, and the Israelites much praised God, that had geuen suche grace, to suche a one, to compasse suche a deede. And the rather this manly acte, is highly to be praised, because he subdued this houge enemie, when Saul firste reigned kyng ouer Israell, and was sore assaied with the greate armie of the Philistines. Lette vs therefore that be now liuyng, when this acte or suche like, come into our myndes: remember what God is, of how in∣finite power he is, and let vs praise God in them, by whom he hath wrought suche wonders, to the strengthenyng of our faithe, and constaunt kepyng of our profession, made to hym, by euery one of vs, in our Baptisme.

¶Examinyng of the circumstaunces

• ...

  j. Who did the deede?

  DAuid beeyng an Israelite, did this deede, beeyng the sonne of Isai, of the Tribe of Iuda, a boye in yeres,

• ...

  This circumstaunce was vsed, not o••ely in the narracion, but also when I spake of the honestie and godlinesse, whi∣che Dauid vsed, when he slewe Goliah.

• ...

  ij. What was doen?

  He slewe Goliah, the strongest Giaunt emong the Phi∣listines. This circumstaunce I vsed also, when I spake of the honestie, in killyng Goliah.

• ...

  iij. Where was it doen?

  Aboute the vale of Terebinthus.

• ...

  iiij. What helpe had he to it?

  He had no help of any man, but went himself alone. And wheras Saul offred him harnes, he cast it away, & trusting onely in God, toke him to his sling, with .iiij. or .v. smal sto∣nes in his hand, the whiche wer thought nothyng in mānes sight, able either to do litle good, or els nothing at al. This circumstaunce I vsed, when I spake of the easenesse & possi∣bilite, that was in Dauid, to kill Goliah, by Goddes help.

• ...

  v. Wherefore did he it?

  He aduentured his life, for the loue of his countrey, for the maintenaunce of iustice, for thaduauncement of Gods true glory, and for the quietnesse of all Israell, neither see∣kyng fame, nor yet lokyng for any gain. I vsed this circū∣staunce, when I shewed what profite he sought, in aduen∣turyng this deede.

• ...

  vi. How did he it?

  Marie he put a stone in his slyng, and when he had cast it at the Philistine, Goliah fel doune straight. I vsed this cir¦cumstaunce, when I spake of the impossibilitie of the thing.

• ...

  vij. What tyme did he it?

  This deede was doen, when Saul reigned, first kyng o∣uer the Israelites, at what tyme the Philistines, came a∣gainst the Israelites. Thus by the circumstaunces of thyn∣ges, a right worthy cause, maie be plentifully enlarged.

¶Of the Oracion demonstratiue, where thynges are sette furthe, and matters commended.

THe kynde demōstratiue of thynges, is a meane wherby we do praise, or dispraise thynges, as vertue, vice, tou∣nes, citees, castles, woddes, waters, hilles, and moūtaines.

¶Places to confirme thynges are .iiii.

Places of confirmacion.

• i. Thynges honest.
• ij. Profitable.
• iij. Easie to be doen.
• iiij Hard to be doen.

MAny learned, will haue recourse to the places of Logique in stede of these .iiij. places, when they take in hand to commende any suche matter. The whiche places if they make them serue rather to commende the matter, then onely to teache men the truth of it, it were wel done & Oratourlike▪ for seyng a man wholly bestoweth his wit to plaie the Oratour, he shoulde chefely seke to cōpasse that whiche he entēdeth, & not do that onely which he but half mynded. for by plaine teachyng, the Logi∣cian shewes hymselfe, by large amplification and beautifi∣yng of his cause, the Rhetorician is alwaies knowne.

¶The places of Logique are these.

• Definition.
• Causes.
• Partes.
• Effectes.
• Thy••ges adioy••y••g.
• Contraries.

I Do not se otherwise but that these places of Logi∣que are confounded with thother .iiiij. of confirma∣cion, or rather I thinke these of Logique must first be mynded ere thother can well be had. For what is he that can cal a thyng honest & by reason proue it, except he first knowe what the thyng is, the whiche he can not bet∣ter doe, then by definyng the nature of the thyng. Againe how shal I know whether myne attempte be easie, or hard, if I know not the efficient cause, or be assured how it maie be doen. In affirmyng it to be possible, I shall not better knowe it, then by searchyng thende, and learnyng by Lo∣gique what is the final cause of euery thyng.

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¶An example in commendacion of Iustice, or true dealyug.

SO many as loke to liue in peaceable quietnesse, be¦yng mynded rather to folowe reason, than to be led by wilfull affection: desire iustice in al thynges without the which no countrie is able long to cō∣tinue. Then may I be bolde to commende that, whiche all men wishe & fewe can haue, whiche all men loue, & none can want: not doubtyng but as I am occupied in a good thyng, so al good men wil heare me with a good wil. But woulde God I were so wel able to perswade all men to Iustice, as al men know the necessarie vse therof: and then vndoubted∣ly I woulde be muche boulder, and force some by violence, whiche by faire wordes can not be entreated. And yet what nedes any perswasion for that thyng, whiche by nature is so nedeful, & by experience so profitable, that looke what we want, without iustice we get not, loke what we haue, with∣out iustice we kepe not. God graūt his grace so to worke in the hartes of al men, that they may aswel practise well do∣yng in their owne lyfe, as they would that other should fo∣lowe iustice in their lyfe: I for my part wil bestow some la∣bor to set forth the goodnes of vpright dealing that al other men the rather may do therafter. That if through my wor∣des, God shal worke with any man, than may I thynke my self in happy case, & reioyce much in the trauaile of my wit. And how can it be otherwyse, but that al men shalbe forced inwardly to allowe that, whiche in outwarde acte many do not folowe: seyng God poured first this law of nature into mans hart, & graūted it as a meane wherby we might know his wil, & (as I might saie) talke with him, groundyng stil his doinges vpō this poinct, that mā should do as he would be done vnto, the whiche is nothyng elles, but to lyue vp∣rightly, without any wil to hurte his neighbour. And ther∣fore hauyng this light of Goddes wil opened vnto vs tho∣rowe his mere goodnesse, we ought euermore to referre al our actions vnto this ende, both in geuyng iudgement, and deuisyng lawes necessarie for mans lyfe. And here vpon it is that when men desire the lawe for trial of a matter, they

meane nothyng elles but to haue iustice, the whiche iustice is a vertue that yeldeth to euery man, his owne: to the e∣uer liuyng God, loue aboue al thynges: to the Kyng, obe∣dience: to the inferiour, good counsel: to the poore mā, mer∣cie: to the hateful and wicked, sufferaunce: to it self, truthe: and to al men, perfite peace, and charitie. Now what can be more said in praise of this vertue, or what thyng can be like praised? Are not al thynges in good case, when al men haue their owne? And what other thyng doeth iustice, but seketh meanes to contente al parties? Then how greatly are they to be praised, that meane truely in al th••ir doynges, and not onely, do no harme to any, but seke meanes to helpe al. The sunne is not so wonderful to the world (saith Aristotel) as the iust dealyng of a gouernour is merueilous to al mē. No the yerth yeldeth not more gaine to al creatures, than doth the iustice of a Magistrate to his whole Realme. For, by a lawe, we liue, and take the fruites of the yearth, but where no law is, nor iustice vsed: there, nothyng cā be had, though al thynges be at hande: For, in hauyng the thyng, we shall lacke the vse, and liuyng in great plentie, we shal stande in great nede. The meane therfore that maketh men to enioye their owne, is iustice, the whiche beyng ones taken away, all other thynges are lost with it, neither can any one saue that he hath, nor yet get that he wanteth. Therfore if wrōg doyng shoulde be borne withal, and not rather punished by death, what man coulde lyue in reste? Who coulde be suer either of his lyfe, or of his liuyng one whole day together? Now because euery man desiereth the preseruation of hym selfe, euery man should in lyke case desire the sauegarde of his neighbour. For if I shoulde wholly mynde myne own ease, and folowe gaine without respect to the hinderaunce of myne euen Christian: why should not other vse thesame libertie, and so euery man for hymselfe, and the deuil for vs al, catche that catche may? The whiche custome if all men folowed, the earth woulde soone be voide for want of men, one woulde be so gredie to eate vp an other. For in sekyng to lyue, we shoulde lose our lyues, & in gapyng after good∣des, we shoulde soone go naked. Therefore to represse this

rage, and with holsome deuises to traine men in an order, God hath lightened man with knowledge, that in al thyn∣ges he may se what is right, and what is wrong, and vpon good aduisement deale iustly with al men. God hath crea∣ted al thynges for mans vse, and ordeined man for mannes sake, that one man might helpe another. For thoughe some one haue giftes more plentifully then the cōmune sorte, yet no man can liue alone without helpe of other. Therfore we shoulde striue one to helpe another by iuste dealyng, some this way, & some that way, as euery one shal haue nede, and as we shalbe alwaies best able, wherein the lawe of nature is fulfilled, and Goddes commaundemēt folowed. We loue them here in yearth that geue vs faire wordes, and we can be content to speake wel of them, that speake wel of vs: and shall we not loue them, and take them also for honest men, whiche are contented from tyme to time to yelde euery mā his owne, and rather woulde dye then consent to euill do∣yng? If one be ientle in outwarde behauiour, we lyke hym wel, and shal we not esteme hym that is vpright in his out∣ward liuyng? and like as we desire that other should be to vs, ought not we to bee likewyse affected towardes them? Euen emong brute beastes nature hash appoincted a law, & shal we men lyue without a lawe? The Storke beyng not able to feede her selfe for age, is fedde of her youngones, wherin is declared a natural loue, and shal we so lyue, that one shal not loue another? Man shoulde be vnto man as a God, & shal man be vnto man as a Deuil? Hath God crea∣ted vs, and made vs to his owne likenesse, endewyng vs with al the riches of the yearth, that we might be obedient to his wil, and shal we neither loue him, nor like his? How can we say that we loue God, if there be no charitie in vs? Do I loue hym, whose mynde I wil hot folowe, although it be right honest? If you loue me (saith Christe) folow my commaundementes. Christes will is suche that we shoulde loue God aboue al thinges, and our neighbour as our self. Then if we do not iustice (wherin loue doeth consist) we do neither loue man, nor yet loue God. The Wyse man saith: The begynnyng of a good lyfe, is to do iustice. Yea, the bles∣syng

of the Lorde is vpon the heade of the iuste. Heauen is theirs (saith Dauid) that do iustly frō tyme to tyme. What els then shal we do that haue any hope of the general resur∣rection, but do the will of God, and lyue iustly all the daies of our life? Let euery man, but consider with hymself what ease he shal finde therby, & I doubt not but euery one depe∣ly waiyng the same, wil in hart confesse that iustice maketh plentie, and that not one man coulde long hold his owne, if lawes were not made to restraine mans will. We trauaile now, Wynter & Sommer, we watche, and take thought for maintenaunce of wife & children, assuredly purposyng (that though God shal take vs immediatly) to leaue honestly for our familie. Now to what ende were all our gatheryng to∣gether, if iust dealyng were set a side, if lawes bare no rule, if what the wicked list, that they may, and what they may, that they can, & what they can, that they dare, & what they dare, the same they do, & whatsoeuer they do, no man of po∣wer is agreued therwith? What maketh wicked mē (which els woulde not) acknowlege the Kyng as their souereigne lorde, but the power of a lawe, & the practise of iustice for e∣uil doers? Could a Prynce mainteine his state royal, if law and right had not prouided that euery man shoulde haue his owne? Would seruauntes obey their masters, the sonne his father, the tenaunt his landlorde, the citezen his maiour, or Shirife••if orders were not set & iust dealyng appoincted for al states of men? Therfore the true meanyng folke in all a∣ges geue thē selues some to this occupacion, & some to that, sekyng therin nothing els, but to mainteine a poore life, and to kepe them selues true men both to God and the worlde. What maketh men to performe their bargaines, to stand to their promises, & yelde their debtes, but an order of a lawe grounded vpō iustice? Where right beareth rule, there craft is coumpted vice. The lyar is muche hated, where truth is wel estemed. The wicked theues are hāged, where good men are regarded. None can holde vp their heades, or dare showe their faces in a well ruled commune weale, that are not thought honest, or at the least haue some honest way to lyue. The Egiptians therfore hauyng a worthy and a wel gouer∣ned

publike weale, prouided that none shoulde lyue idlye, but that euery one monethly should geue an accompte how he spente his tyme, and had his name regestrede in a Booke for the same purpose. But Lorde, if this lawe were vsed in England, how many would come behynde hande with their reckenynges at the audite daie. I feare me there doynges woulde be suche, that it would be long ere they gotte there quietus est. Therfore the wourse is our state, the lesse that this euil is loked vnto. And suerly, if in other thynges we shoulde be as negligent, this Realme could not long stand. But thankes be to God, we hang theim a pace that offende a lawe, and therfore we put it to their choise, whether they wil be idle and so fal to stealyng, or no: they knowe their re∣warde, go to it, when they will. But if therewithall some good order were taken for education of youthe, and settyng loiterers on worke (as thankes be to God the Citie is most Godly bent that way) all would sooue be well without all doubt. The wyse and discrete persons in al ages sought all meanes possible to haue an order in all thynges, & loued by iustice to directe al their doynges, wherby appereth both an apt wil in suche men, & a natural stirryng by Godes power to make al men good. Therfore, if we doe not well, we must blame our selues, that lacke a wil, and do not cal to God for grace. For though it appere hard to do wel, because no man can get perfection without continaunce: yet assuredly to an humble mynde that calleth to God, and to a willyng harte that faint would do his best, nothing can be hard. God hath set al thinges to sale for labour, and kepeth open shop, come who will. Therefore in all ages whereas we see the fewest good, we must wel thinke, the most did lacke good wil to as∣ke, or seke for the same. Lorde, what loue had that worthie Prince Seleueus to maintein iustice, & to haue good lawes kepte, of whome suche a wondrefull thyng is written. For whereas he established moste holsome lawes for saue∣garde of the Locrensiās, and his owne sonne thereupon ta∣ken in adultrie, should lose bothe his iyes accordyng to the lawe then made, and yet notwithstandyng, the whole Citie thought to remitte the necessitie of his punishement for the

honour of his father, Seleucus woulde none of that in any wyse. Yet at last through importunitie beyng ouercome, he caused first one of his owne iyes to be pluckte out, & next af∣ter, one of his sonnes iyes, leauyng onely the vse of sight to hymself & his sonne. Thus through equitie of the lawe, he vsed the dew meane of chastisement, showyng hymself by a wonderful temperature both a merciful father, & a iust lawe maker. Nowe happy are thei y^t thus obserue a law, thinking losse of body, lesse hurt to the man, then sparyng of punishe∣mēt, mete for the soule. For God wil not faile thē, that haue suche a desire to folowe his wil, but for his promise sake, he wil rewarde them for euer. And now, seeyng that iustice na∣turally is geuē to al men without the whiche we could not liue, beyng warned also by God alwaies to doe vprightly, perceauyng againe the commodities that redounde vnto vs by liuyng vnder a lawe, & the sauegard wherin we stand ha∣uyng iustice to assiste vs: I trust that not onely all men wil cōmende iustice in worde, but also wil liue iustly in dede, the which that we may do, God graunt vs of his grace, Amen.

¶An Oration deliberatiue.

AN Oration deliberatiue, is a meane, wherby we do perswade, or disswade, entreate, or rebuke, exhorte, or dehorte, commende, or cōforte any man. In this kynd of Oration we doe not purpose wholly to praise any body, nor yet to determine any matter in cōtrouersie, but the whole compasse of this cause is, either to aduise our neigh∣bour to that thyng, whiche we thynke most nedeful for hym or els to cal him backe frō that folie, which hindereth muche his estimacion. As for exāple, if I would counseil my frende to trauaile beyond the Seas for knowlege of the tongues, & experience in forein countries: I might resorte to this kinde of Oration, & finde matter to cōfirme my cause plentifully. And the reasons which are commonly vsed to enlarge suche matters, are these that folowe.

The thyng is honest.

Saufe.

Profitable.

Easie.

Pleasaunt.

Harde.

• Lawful and meete.
• Praise worthie.
• Necessarie.

NOW in speakyng of honestie, I may by deuision of the vertues make a large walke. Againe loke what lawes, what customes, what worthie dedes, or sai∣ynges haue bene vsed heretofore, all these might serue wel for the confirmacion of this matter▪ lastly where honestie is called in, to establish a cause: there is nature and God hym selfe present from whome commeth al goodnesse. In the seconde place where I spake of profite, this is to be learned, that vnder the same is comprehended the gettyng of gaine, and the eschewyng of harme. Againe, concernyng profite (which also beareth the name of goodnesse) it parte∣ly perteineth to the bodie, as beautie, strength, and healthe, partely to the mynde, as the encrease of witte, the gettyng of experience, and heaping together of muche learnyng: and partely to fortune (as Philosophers take it) wherby bothe wealth, honor, and frendes are gotten. Thus he that diui∣deth profite, can not want matter. Thirdely in declaryng it is p••easaunt, I might heape together the varietie of plea∣sures, whiche comme by trauaile, firste the swetnesse of the tongue, the holsomnesse of the ayer in other countries, the goodly wittes of the ientlemen, the straunge and auncient buildynges, the wonderful monumentes, the great learned Clerckes in al faculties, with diuerse other like, and almost infinite pleasures.

The easines of trauaile may thus beperswaded, if we shew that freepassage is by wholsō lawes appointed, for al straū∣gers, & waie fairers. And seyng this life is none other thyng but a trauaile, & we as pilgrymes wander frō place to place, muche fondenesse it were to thinke that hard, which nature hath made easie, yea & pleasaunt also. None are more health∣ful, none more lusty, none more mery, none more strōg of bo∣dy, thē suche as haue trauailed countries. Mary vnto them that had rather sleape al day, then wake one houre, chosyng for honest labour sleuthful ydlenesse: thinking this life to be none other thyng but a continual restyng place, vnto suche

pardy, it shall seme painfull to abide any labour. To learne Logique, to learne the Lawe, to s••me it semeth so harde, that nothyng can enter into their heddes, and the reason is, that thei wan•• a will, and an ea••nest mynde to do their en∣deuour. For vnto a willyng har••e, nothyng can bee harde, laie lode on suche a manne•• backe, and his good harce maie soner make his backe to a••e, then his good will, can graunt to yelde and refuse the weighte. And now where the sweete hath his sower ioyned with hym, it shalbee wisedome to speake some what of it, to mitigate the sowernesse thereof, as muche as maie be possible.

That is lawfull and praise worthy, whiche lawes dooe graunt, good men do allowe, experience commendeth, and men in all ages haue moste vsed.

A thyng is necessary twoo maner of waies. Firste, when either we must do some one thyng, or els do worse. As if one should threaten a woman, to kill her, if she would not lie w^t him, wherin appereth a forcible necessitie. As touchyng tra∣uaile we might saie, either a man must be ignoraunt, of ma∣ny good thinges, and want greate experience, or els he must trauaill. Now to be ignoraunt, is a greate shame, therefore to trauaill is moste nedefull, if we will auoyde shame. The other kynde ef necessitie is, when we perswade men to beare those crosses paciently, whiche God doeth sende vs, consi∣deryng will we, or nill we, nedes must we abide them.

¶To aduise one, to study the lawes of Englande.

AGain, when we se our frende, enclined to any kynde of learnyng, wee muste counsaill hym to take that waie still, and by reason perswade hym, that it wer the metest waie for hym, to dooe his countrey moste good. As if he geue his mynde, to the Lawes of the realme, and finde an aptnes thereunto, we maie aduise hym, to con∣tinue in his good entent, and by reason perswade hym, that it were moste mete for him so to do. And first we might shew hym, that the study is honest and godly, consideryng it one∣ly foloweth Iustice, and is grounded wholy vpon naturall reason. Wherein we mighte take a large scope, if we would fully speake of all thynges, that are cōprehended vnder ho∣nestie.

For he that will knowe what honestie is, muste haue an vnderstandyng, of all the vertues together. And because the knowlege of theim is moste necessary, I will brifely set them furth. There are foure especial and chief vertues, vn∣der whom all other are comprehended.

• Prudence, or wisedome.
• Iustice.
• Manhode.
• Temperaunce.

PRudence or wisedome (for I will here take theim bothe for one) is a vertue that is occupied euer∣more, in searchyng out the truthe. Nowe wee all loue knowlege, & haue a desire to passe other ther∣in, and thinke it shame to be ignoraunt: and by studiyng the lawe, the truth is gotten out, by knowyng the truth, wise∣dome is attained. Wherefore, in perswadyng one to studie to Lawe, you maie sh••we hym that he shall get wisedome thereby. Under this vertue are comprehended.

• Memorie.
• Understandyng.
• Foresight.

THE memorie calleth to accompte those thynges, that wer doen heretofore, and by a former remem∣braūce, getteth an after witte, and learneth to a∣uoyde deceipt.

Understandyng seeth thynges presently dooen, and per∣ceiueth what is in them, waiyng and debatyng them, vntill his mynde be fully contented.

Foresight, is a gatheryng by coniectures, what shall hap∣pen, and an euident perceiuyng of thynges to come, before thei do come.

Iustice.

Iustice is a vertue, gathered by long space, geuyng euery one his awne, mindyng in all thynges, the cōmon profite of our countrey, whereunto man is moste bounde, and oweth his full obedience.

Now, nature firste taught manne, to take this waie, and would euery one so to do vnto another, as he would be doe••

vnto hymself. For whereas Rain watereth all in like, the Sonne shineth indifferently ouer all, the fruict of the yerth encreaseth equally, God warneth vs to bestowe our good wil after thesame sort, doyng as duetie byndeth vs, and as necessitie shall best require. Yea, God graunteth his giftes diuersly emong men, because he would man should knowe, and fele, that man is borne for man, and that one hath nede of another. And therefore, though nature hath not stirred some, yet through the experiēce that man hath, concernyng his commoditie: many haue turned the lawe of nature, into an ordinary custome, and folowed thesame, as though thei were bounde to it by a Lawe. Afterwarde, the wisedome of Princes, and the feare of Goddes threate, whiche was vt∣tered by his woorde, forced men by a ••awe, bothe to allowe thinges cōfirmed by nature, and to beare with old custome or els thei should not onely suffer in the body, temporal pu∣nishement, but also lose their soules for euer. Nature is a righte, that phantasie hath not framed, but God hath graf∣fed, & geuen man power therunto, wherof these are deriued.

• Religion and acknowlegyng of God.
• Naturall loue to our children, and other.
• Thankfulnesse to all man.
• Stoutnesse bothe to withstande and reuenge.
• Reuerence to the superiour.
• Assured and constaunt truthe in thynges.

REligion is an humble worshippyng of God, acknow¦legyng hym to be the creatour of creatures, and the onely geuer of al good thynges.

Naturall loue is an inward good will, that we beare to our parentes, wife, children, or any other that bee nighe of kynne vnto vs, stirred thereunto not onely by our fleshe, thinkyng that like as we wold loue our selfes, so we shuld loue theim but also by a likenesse of mynde: and therefore generally we loue all, because all bee like vnto vs, but yet we loue them moste, that bothe in body and mynd, be moste like vnto vs. And hereby it cometh that often we are libe∣ral, & bestowe our goodes vpon the nedy, remembryng that

thei are all one fleshe with vs, and should not wante, when we haue it, without our greate rebuke, and token of our moste vnkynde dealyng.

Thankefulnesse is a requityng of loue, for loue, and wil, for will, shewyng to our frendes, the like goodnesse that we finde in them, yea, striuyng to passe theim in kyndenesse, lo∣syng neither tyme nor tide, to do them good.

Stoutnes to withstand & reuenge euil, is then vsed whē either we are like to haue harme, and do withstand it, or els whē we haue suffred euill for the truthsake, & therupon do reuenge it, or rather punishe the euill, whiche is in the man

Reuerence, is an humblenesse in outward behauor, whē we do our dutie to them, that are our betters, or vnto suche as are called to serue the kyng, in some greate vocacion.

Assured and constant truthe is, when we doo beleue that those thynges, whiche are or haue been, or hereafter are a∣aboute to be, cannot otherwise be, by any meanes possible.

That is right by custome, whiche long tyme hath confir∣med, beyng partly grounded vpon nature, and partly vpon reason, as where we are taught by nature, to knowe the e∣uer liuyng God, and to worship him in spirite, we turnyng natures light, into blynde custome, without Goddes will, haue vsed at lengthe to beleue, that he was really with vs here in yearthe, and worshipped hym not in spirite, but in Copes, in Candlestickes, in Belles, in Tapers, and in Cē∣sers, in Crosses, in Banners, in shauen Crounes and long gounes, and many good morowes els, deuised onely by the phantasie of manne, without the expresse will of God. The whiche childishe toyes, tyme hath so long confirmed, that the truthe is scant able to trie theim out, our hartes bee so harde, and our wittes be so farre to seke.

Again wher we se by nature, that euery one should deale truely, custome encreaseth natures will, and maketh by auncient demeane, thynges to bee iustly obserued, whiche nature hath appoyncted.

As

• Ba••gainyng.
• Commons, or equalitee.
• Iudgement geuen.

BArgainyng is, when twoo haue agreed, for the sa••e of some one thyng, the one will make his felowe to stande to the bargain, though it be to his neighbors vndoyng, restyng vpon this poyncte, that a bargain is a bargain, and must stand without all excepciō, although nature requireth to haue thynges dooen by conscience, and would that bargainyng should bee builded vpon Iustice, whereby an vpright dealyng, and a charitable loue is vtte∣red emongest all men.

Communes or equalitee, whē the people by long time haue a ground, or any suche thyng emong theim, the whiche some of them will kepe still, for custome sake, and not suffer it to be fensed, and so turned to pasture, though thei mighte gain ten tymes the value: but suche stubburnesse in kepyng of Commons for custome sake, is not standyng with Iu∣stice, because it is holden against all right.

Iudgement geuen, is when a matter is confirmed by a Parlamente, or a Lawe, determined by a Iudge, vnto the whiche many hed strong men, wil stande to dye for it, with∣out sufferaunce of any alteracion, not remembryng the cir∣cumstaunce of thynges, and that tyme altereth good actes.

That is righte by a Lawe, when the truthe is vttered in writyng, and commaunded to bee kepte, euen as it is sette furthe vnto them.

¶Fortitude or manhode.

FOrtitude is a considerate hassardyng vpon daun∣ger, and a willyng harte to take paines in bahalfe of the right. Now when can stoutnes be better v∣sed, then in iust maintenaunce of the lawe, and cō∣staunt triyng of the truthe? Of this vertue there are foure braunches.

• Honourablenesse.
• Stoutenesse.
• Sufferaunce.
• Continuaunce.

HOnorablenesse, is a noble orderyng of weightie mat∣ters, with a lustie harte, and a liberall vsyng of his wealthe, to the encrease of honour.

Stoutnesse i•• an assured trust in hymself, when he myn∣deth the compasse of moste weightie matters, and a coura∣gious defendyng of his cause.

Sufferaunce is a willyng and a long bearyng of trouble and takyng of paines, for the mainteinaunce of vertue, and the wealthe of his countrey.

Continuaunce is a stedfast and constant abidyng, in a pur∣posed and well aduised matter, not yeldyng to any manne in querell of the right.

¶Temperaunce.

TEmperaunce is a measuryng of affeccions, accor∣dyng to the will of reason, and a subduyng of luste vnto the Square of honestie. Yea, and what one thyng doth soner mitigate the immoderate passions of our nature, then the perfect knowlege of right and wrong and the iuste execucion appoyncted by a lawe, for asswagyng the wilfull? Of this vertue there are three partes.

• Sobrietie.
• Ientlenesse.
• Modestie.

SObrietie is a bridelyng by discrecion the wilful∣nesse of desire.

Ientlenesse is a caulmyng of heate, when wee begin to rage, and a lowly behauior in all our body Modestie is an honest shamefastnesse, whereby we kepe a constant loke, and appere sober in all our outward doynges. Now euen as we should desire the vse of all these vertues, so should we eschewe not onely the contraries herunto, but also auoyde all suche euilles, as by any meanes dooe with∣drawe vs from well doyng.

¶It is profitable.

AFter we haue perswaded our frend, that the lawe is honest, drawyng our argumētes frō the heape of ver¦tues, we must go further with hym, & bryng hym in good beleue, that it is very gainfull. For many on seke not the knowlege of learnyng for the goodnesse sake, but rather take paines for the gain▪ which thei se doth arise by it. Take awaie the hope of lucre, and you shall se fewe take any pai∣nes:

No, not in the vineyard of the lorde. For although none should folowe any trade of life, for the gain sake, but euē as he seeth it is moste necessary, for thaduauncement of Gods glory, & not passe in what estimacion thinges are had in this worlde: yet because we are all so weake of wit, in our tēder yeres, that we cannot weigh with our selfes what is best, & our body so neshe, that it loketh euer to bee cherished, wee take that, whiche is moste gainfull for vs, and forsake that altogether, whiche we oughte moste to folowe. So that for lacke of honest meanes, and for want of good order, the best waie is not vsed, neither is Goddes honor in our first yeres remembred. I had rather (saide one) make my child a cobler then a preacher, a tankerd bearer, then a scholer. For what shall my sonne seke for learnyng, when he shall neuer gette therby any liuyng? Set my sonne to that, whereby he maie get somewhat? Do ye not se how euery one catcheth & pul∣leth frō the churche what thei can? I feare me one day thei will plucke doune churche and all. Call you this the Gos∣pell, when men seke onely to prouide for their belies, & care not a grote though their soules go to helle? A patrone of a benefice wil haue a poore yngrame soule, to beare the name of a persone for .xx. marke, or .x. li: and the patrone hymself, wil take vp for his snapshare, as good as an .c. marke. Thus God is robbed, learnyng decaied, England dishonored, and honestie not regarded. Thold Romaines not yet knowyng Christ, and yet beyng led by a reuerēt feare towardes God, made this lawe. Sacrum sacroue commendatū qui clepse∣rit, rapseritue, parricida est He that shall closely steale, or forcibly take awaie that thyng, whiche is holy, or geuen to the holy place: is a murderer of his coūtrey. But what haue I said, I haue a greater matter in hand, then wherof I was a ware, my penne hath run ouer farre, when my leasure ser∣ueth not, nor yet my witte is able to talke this case in suche wise, as it should bee, and as the largenesse therof requireth. Therefore to my lawyer again, whom I doubte not to per∣swade, but that he shall haue the deuill and all, if he learne a pase, and dooe as some haue dooen before hym. Therefore I will shewe howe largely this profice extendeth, that

I may haue him the soner, to take this matter in hand. The lawe therefore not onely bryngeth muche gain with it, but also auaunceth men bothe to worshippe, renoume, and ho∣nour. All men shall seke his fauour, for his learnyng sake: the best shall like his cōpany, for his callyng: and his welth with his skill shalbe suche, that none shalbe able to woorke hym any wrong. Some consider profite, by these circum∣staunces, folowyng.

• To whom.
• When.
• Where.
• Wherefore.

NEither can I vse a better order, then these circum∣staunces minister vnto me. To whom therefore is the Lawe profitable? Marie to them that bee best learned, that haue redy wittes, and will take pai∣nes. When is the lawe profitable? Assuredly both now and euermore, but especially in this age, where all men go to∣gether by the eares for this matter, and that matter. Suche alteracion hath been heretofore, that hereafter nedes muste ensue muche altercacion. And where is all this a do? Euen in litle Englande, or in Westminster hall, where neuer yet wanted busines, nor yet euer shall. Where••••••e is the lawe profitable? Undoubtedly because no manne could hold his awne, if there were not an order to staie vs, and a Lawe to restrain vs. And I praie you who getteth the money? The lawyers no doubt. And were not lande sometymes cheaper bought, then got by the triall of a lawe? Do not men com∣monly for trifles fall out? Some for loppyng of a tree, spē∣des al that euer thei haue, another for a Gose, that graseth vpon his ground, tries the lawe so hard, that he proues him self a Gander. Now when men bee so mad, is it not easie to gette money emong theim. Undoubtedly the lawyer neuer dieth a begger. And no maruaill. For an .C. begges for hym, and makes awaie all that thei haue, to get that of hym, the whiche the oftener he bestoweth, the more still he getteth. So that he gaineth alwaies, aswell by encrease of lernyng as by storyng his purse with money, wheras the other get a

warme sonne often tymes, and a flappe with a foxe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for al that euer thei haue spent. And why woulde they? Tushe, if it were to do againe, thei would do it: therfore the lawyre can neuer want a liuyng, til the yearth want men, and al be voyde.

¶The lawe easie to many, and harde to some.

I Doubt not, but my lawyer is perswaded that the law is profitable: now must I beare him in hād that it is an easie matter to become a lawier▪ the whiche if I shalbe able to proue, I doubt not, but he will proue a good lawier, & that right shortly▪ the law is groūded vpon reason. And what hardenesse is it for a man by reason to fynde out reason. That can not be straung vnto him, the grounde wherof, is graffed in his brest. What, though the lawe be in a straunge tongue, the wordes may be gotte with¦out any paine, when the matter selfe is compast with ease. Tushe, a litle lawe will make a greate showe, and therfore though it be muche to becomme excellent, yet it is easie, to get a taist. And surely for getting of money, a litle wil do as∣muche good oftentymes, as a greate deale. There is not a word in the law, but it is a grote in y^e lawiers purse. I haue know ••e diu••rse that by familiar talkyng, & moutyng toge∣ther haue comme to right good learning without any great booke skil, or muche beating of their braine by any close stu¦die, or secrete musyng in their chāber. But where some say the lawe is very harde, and discourage young men from the studie therof, it is to be vnderstande of suche as wil take no paines at al, nor yet mynde the knowlege therof. For what is not hard to man, when he wanteth wil to do his best. As good slepe, and saie it is harde: as wake, and take no paines.

The lawe.

• Godly.
• Iuste.
• Necessarie.
• Pleasaunt.

WHat nedeth me to proue the lawe to be Godly, iust, or necessarie, seeyng it is grounded vpon Goddes

wil, and all lawes are made for the maintenaunce of iustice. If we will not beleue that it is necessarie, let vs haue re∣belles againe to disturbe the Realme. Our nature is so fonde that we knowe not the necessitie of a thyng, til wee fynde some lacke of the same. Bowes are not estemed as they haue bene emong vs Englishmen, but if we were ones well beaten by our enemies wee shoulde soone knowe the wante, and with feelyng the smarte lament muche our fo∣lie. Take awaie the lawe, and take awaie our lifes, for no∣thyng mainteineth our wealthe, our health, & the sauegard of our bodies, but the lawe of a Realme, wherby the wic∣ked are condempned, and the godly are defended.

¶An Epistle to perswade a young ientleman to Mariage, deuised by Erasmus in the behalfe of his frende.

ALbeit you are wyse enough of your selfe throughe that singulare wisedome of yours (most louyng Co∣syn) and litle needes the aduise of other, yet either for that olde fryndshippe whiche hath bene betwixt vs, and continued with our age euen from our cradles, or for suche your greate good turnes showed at all tymes to∣wardes me, or elles for that faste kynred and alliaunce whiche is betwixt vs: I thought my selfe thus muche to owe vnto you if I woulde be suche a one in deede, as you euer haue taken me, that is to saie a man bothe frendly and thankeful, to tell you freely (whatsoeuer I iudged to ap∣perteine either to the sauegarde, or worshippe of you, or any of yours) and willyngly to warne you of the same. We are better seen oftentymes in other mens matters, than we are in our owne. I haue felte often your aduise in myne owne affaires, and I haue founde it to be as fortunate vn∣to me, as it was frendly. Nowe if you wil likewyse in your awne matters folowe my counsail, I truste it shal so come to passe that neither I shal repent me for that I haue geuen you counsail, nor yet you shal forthynk•• your self, that you haue obeyed, and folowed myne aduise. There was at sup∣per with me the twelfe daie of Aprill when I laie in the

countrie, Antonius Baldus, a man (as you knowe) that most earnestly tendreth your welfare, and one that hath bene alwaies of great acquaintaunce and familiaritie with your sonne in lawe: A heauie feast we had, and ful of muche mournyng. He tolde me greatly to bothe our heauinesse, that your mother that moste godly woman, was departed this lyfe, & your sister beyng ouercome with sorow & heaui∣nesse, had made her selfe a Nunne, so that in you onely re∣maineth the hope of issue and maintenanuce of your stocke▪ whereupon your frendes with one consent haue offerde you in Mariage a ientlewoman of a good house, and muche wealthe, fayre of bodie, very well brought vp, and suche a one as loueth you with all her harte. But you (either for your late sorowes whiche you haue in freshe remembraunce or elles for Religion sake) haue so purposed to lyue a syngle lyfe, that neither can you for loue of your stocke, neither for desier of issue, nor yet for any entreatie that your fren∣des can make, either by prayeng, or by wepyng: be brought to chaunge your mynde.

And yet notwithstandyng all this (if you wil folowe my counsaill) you shalbe of an other mynde, and leauyng to lyue syngle whiche bothe is barren, and smally agreeyng with the state of mannes nature, you shall geue your selfe wholy to moste holy wedlocke. And for this parte I will neither wishe that the loue of your fryndes, (whiche elles ought to ouercome your nature) nor yet myne auctho∣ritie that I haue ouer you, shoulde doe me any good at all to compasse this my requeste, if I shall not proue vnto you by moste plaine reasons, that it will be bothe muche more honest, more profitable, and also more pleasaunt for you, to marie, than to lyue otherwyse. Yea, what will you saie, if I proue it also to be necessarie for you at this tyme to Marie. And firste of all, if honestie maie moue you in this matter (the whiche emong all good men ought to bee of muche weighte,) what is more honest then Matrimo∣nie, the whiche CHRISTE hym selfe did make honest, when not onely he, vouchesaufed to bee at a Mariage with his Mother, but also did consecrate the Mariage

feaste with the first miracle that euer he did vpon yearche? What is more holie then Matrimonie whiche the creatour of all thynges did institute, did fasten, and make holie, and nature it selfe did establishe? What is more praise wor∣thie than that thyng, the whiche whosoeuer shall dis∣praise, is condempned streight for an Heretique? Matrimo∣nie is euen as honourable, as the name of an Heretique, is thought shamefull. What is more right, or m••ete, than to geue that vnto the posteritie, the whiche we haue receiued of our auncesters? What is more inconsiderate than vnder the desire of holinesse to escew that as vnholie, which God hym selfe the fountaine and father of al holinesse, woulde haue to be counted as moste holie? What is more vnmanly than that man shoulde go against the lawes of mankynde? what is more vnthankfull than to deny that vnto younge∣lynges, the whiche (if thou haddest not receyued of thine el∣ders) thou couldest not haue bene the man liuyng, able to haue denied it vnto theim. That if you woulde knowe who was the first founder of Mariage, you shal vnderstande that it came vp not by Licurgus, nor yet by Moses, nor yet by Solon, but it was first ordeined, & instituted by the chief founder of all thynges, commended by the ••ame, made ho∣nourable and made holie by thesame. For at the firste when he made man of the yearthe, he did perceyue that his lyfe shoulde be miserable and vnsauerie, excepte he ioyned Eue as ma••e vnto hym. Wherupon he did not make the wyfe v∣pon the same claie wherof he made man, but he made her of Adams ribbes, to the eude we might plainely vnderstande that nothyng ought to be more deare vnto vs thē our wyfe, nothyng more nigh vnto vs, nothyng surer ioyned, and (as a man woulde saie) faster glewed together. The selfe same GOD after the generall floude, beyng reconciled to man∣kynde is saied to proclaime this lawe firste of all, not that men shoulde lyue single, but that they shoulde encrease, be multiplied, and fill the yearth. But howe I praie you could this thyng be, sauyng by mariage and lawful comyng toge∣ther? And first least we shoulde allege here either the liber∣tie of Moyses lawe, or els the necessitie of that tyme: What

other meanyng els hath that commune and commēdable re∣porte of Christe in the Gospell, for this cause (saieth he) shall man leaue father and mother and cleaue to his wyfe. And what is more holie than the reuerence and loue due vn∣to parentes? and yet the truthe promised in Matrimon••e is preferred before it. and by whose meanes? Mary by GOD hym self. at what time? Forsouth not onely emōg the Iues, but also emong the Christians. Men forsake father and mo∣ther and takes themselfes wholie to their wyfes. The sonne beyng past one and twentie yeres, is free and at his libertie. Yea the sonne beyng abdicated, becommeth no sonne. But it is death onely that parteth maried folke, if yet death doe part them. Now if the other Sacramentes (whereunto the Churche of Christe chiefely leaneth) bee reuerently vsed, who doeth not see that this Sacramente shoulde haue the most reuerence of al, the whiche was instituted of GOD, and that firste and before all other. As for the other they were instituted vpon yearthe, this was ordeined in Para∣dise: the other were geuen for a remedie, this was appoinc∣ted for the felowshippe of felicitie: the other were applied to mannes nature after the fall, this onely was geuen when man was in moste perfite state. If we counte those lawes good that mortall men haue enacted, shall not the lawe of Matrimonie be moste holie, whiche wee haue receyued of him, by whome we haue receiued lyfe, the whiche lawe was then together enacted whē man was first created? And last∣ly to strengthen this lawe with an example and deede doen Christe beyng an young man (as the Storie reporteth) was called to a Mariage, and came thither willyngly with his mother, and not onely was he there present, but also he did honest the feaste with a wonderfull meruaile begynnyng first in none other place to worke his wounders, and to doe his miracles. Why then I praie you (will one saie) howe happeneth it that Christ forbare Mariage? as though good Seir there are not many thynges in Christe at the whiche we ought rather to meruaile, than seeke to folowe. he was borne and had no father, he came into this worlde without his mothers painefull trauaile, he came out of the graue

when it was closed vp, what is not in hym aboue nature? Let these thynges be propre vnto hym. Let vs that lyue within the boundes of nature, reuerence those thynges that are aboue nature, and folowe suche thynges as are within our reache suche as we are able to compasse. But yet (you saie) he woulde bee borne of a Uirgine: Of a Uirgine (I graunt) but yet of a maried Uirgine. A Uir∣gyne beyng a mother did moste become GOD, and beyng maried she did showe what was beste for vs to doe. Uir∣ginitie did become her, who beyng vndefiled, brought hym forthe by heauenly inspiration that was vndefiled. And yet Ioseph beyng her housbande dothe commende vnto vs the lawe of chaiste wedlocke. Yea, howe coulde he better sette out the societie in wedlocke, than that willyng to de∣clare the secrete societie of his diuine nature with the bo∣die and soule of man, whiche is wonderfull euen to the heauenly Aungelles, and to showe his vnspeakable and e∣uer abidyng loue towarde his Churche: he doeth call hym selfe the Brydegrome, and her the Bryde. Greate is the Sacrament of Matrimonie (saith Paule) betwixt Christe and his Churche. If there had bene vnder heauen any ho∣lier yoke, if there had bene any more religiouse couenaunt than is Matrimonie, without doubte the example thereof had bene vsed. But what lyke thyng doe you reade in all Scripture of the syngle lyfe? The Apostle S. Paul in the thirteen Chapi. of his Epistle to the Hebrues calleth Ma∣trimonie honourable emong all men, and a bedde vndefiled, and yet the syngle lyfe is not so muche as ones named in the same place. Nay they are not borne withall that lyue syngle, except they make some recompence with doyng some greater thyng. For elles, if a man folowyng the lawe of nature, doe labour to gette children, he is euer to be prefer∣red before hym that lyueth still vnmaried, for none other ende, but because he woulde bee out of trouble, and lyue more free. Wee doe reade that suche as are in very deede chaiste of their body, and lyue a Uirgines lyfe, haue bene praised, but the syngle lyfe was neuer praised of it selfe. Nowe againe the lawe of Moses accurseth the barrenesse

of maried folke, and wee doe reade that some were excem∣municated for the same purpose, and banished from the aul∣tar. And wherefore I praie you? Marie Sir because that they like vnprofitable persones, and liuyng onely to theim selues, did not encrease the worlde with any issue. In Deuteronomie it was the chiefest token of Goddes bles∣synges vnto the Israelites that none shoulde be barren e∣mong them, neither man, nor yet woman. And Lya is thought to bee out of Goddes fauour, because she coulde not bryng furth children. Yea, and in the Psalme of Dauid an hundreth twentie and eight, it is counted one of the chie∣fest partes of blesse to bee a frutefull woman. Thy wyfe (sayeth the Psalme) shalbe plentifull lyke a vine, and thy children lyke the braunches of Olyues, rounde about thy Table. Then if the lawe do condempne, and vtterly dissa∣lowe barren Matrimonie, it hath alwaies muche more con∣dempned the syngle lyfe of Bacchelaures. Yf the fault of nature hath not escaped blame, the will of man can neuer wante rebuke. Yf they are accursed that woulde haue chil∣dren, and can gette none, what deserue they whiche neuer trauaile to escape barreinesse?

The Hebrues had suche a reuerence to maried folke, that he whiche had maried a wyfe, the same yeare shoulde not be forced to go on warrefaire. A Citie is lyke to fall in ruine, excepte there be watchemen to defende it with armour. But assured destruction muste here needes folowe excepte men throughe the benefite of Mariage supplie is∣sue, the whiche through mortalitie doe from tyme to tyme decaie.

Ouer & besides this the Romaines did laie a penaltie v∣pon their backe that liued a syngle lyfe, yea they would not suffer thē to beare any office in the cōmure weale. But thei that had encreased the world with issue, had a reward by cō∣imune assent, as men that had deserued well of their coun∣trie. The olde foren lawes did appoincte pe••••lties for suche as liued syngle, the whiche although they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 qualified by Constantius the Emperour in the fauor of Christes religiō, yet these lawes do declare howe litle it is for the commune

weales aduauncement, that either a Citie should be lessened for loue of sole life, or els that the countrie shoulde be filled ful of bastardes. And besides this, the Emperour Augustus being a sore punisher of euil behauiour, examined a souldior because he did not marie his wife accordyng to the lawes, the whiche souldiour had hardely escaped iudgement, if he had not gotte .iij. children by her. And in this point doe the lawes of al Emperours seeme fauourable to maried folke, that they abrogate suche vowes as were proclaimed to be kept and brought in by Miscella, and woulde that after the penaltie were remitted, suche couenauntes, beyng made a∣gainst al right and conscience, shoulde also be taken of none effect, and as voide in the lawe. Ouer and besides this, Ul∣pianus doth declare that the matter of Dowries was euer∣more and in al places the chiefest aboue al other, the whiche should neuer haue bene so, excepte there came to the cōmune weale some especial profite by mariage. Mariage hath euer bene reuerenced, but frutefulnesse of body hath bene muche more. for so sone as one gotte the name of a father, there dis∣cended not onely vnto him enheirtaunce of lande, but al be∣questes, and gooddes of suche his frendes as dyed intestate. The whiche thyng appereth plaine by the Satyre Poete.

Through me thou art made, an heire to haue lande, Thou hast al bequestes one with another, All gooddes and cattel are come to thy hande Yea gooddes intestate, thou shalt haue suer.

Now he that had .iij. children, was more fauoured, for he was exempted from al outward ambassages. Againe he that had fyue childen was discharged and free from all personal office, as to haue the gouernaunce, or patronage of younge ientlemē, the whiche in those daies was a great charge & ful of paines without any profit at al. He that had .xiij. children was free by the Emperour Iulianus law, not onely frō be∣yng a mā at Armes, or Captaine ouer horsemen: but also frō al other offices in the cōmune weale. And the wise founders of all lawes geue good reason why suche fauor was shewed to maried folke. For what is more blesseful thā to liue euer?

Now where as nature hath denied this, Matrimony doth geue it by a certaine sleyght, so muche as maye be. Who dothe not desire to be bruted, and liue through fame emōg men hereafter? Now there is no buildinge of pillers, no e∣xectinge of Arches, no blasinge of Armes, tha•• dothe more sette forthe a mannes name, then doth the encrease of chil∣drē. Albinus obteined his purpose of the Emperour Adriā, for none other desert of his, but y^t he had begote an house∣full of children. And therefore the Emperoure (to the hin∣deraūce of his treasure) suffred the children to enter who∣lye vpon their fathers possession, forasmuche as he knewe well that his realme was more strengthened with encrease of children, then with store of money. Againe, all other la∣wes are neither agreynge for all Countryes, nor yet v∣sed at all times. Licurgus made a lawe, that they whiche maried not, shoulde be kepte in Somer from the sighte of stage playes, and other wonderfull shewes, and in winter they shoulde go naked aboute the market place, and accur∣singe theim selues, they shoulde confesse openly that they hadde iustlye deserued suche punishment, because they did not liue accordinge to the lawes. And without any more a doe, will ye knowe how much our olde Auncesters here∣tofore estemed Matrimonie? Waye well, and consider the punishment for breaking of wedlocke. The Grekes hereto∣fore thought it mete to punishe the breache of Matrimonie with battaile that continued ten y••••es. Yea, moreouer not onely by the Romaine lawe, but also by the Hebrues and straūgers, aduouterous persons wer punished with death. If a thiefe payde .iiij. times the value of that which he toke awaye, he was deliuered, but an aduouterers offence, was punished with the sworde. Emonge the Hebrues, the peo∣ple stoned the aduouterers to death, with their owne han∣des, because they had broken that, without which the wor∣lde could not continue. And yet they thought not this sore law sufficient inoughe, but graunted further to runne him thorowe withoute lawe, that was taken in aduoutrye, as who should saye, they graunted that to the griefe of mari∣ed folke, the whiche they woulde hardlye graunte to hym

that stode in his owne defence for saufegarde of his life, as though he offended more haynously that ••oke a mans wife, then he did that toke away a mannes lyfe. Assuredly wed∣locke muste neades seme to be a mooste holye thinge, consi∣deringe that bringe once broken, it muste neades be purged with mannes bloude, the reuenger wherof is not forced to abide either lawe or iudge, the whiche libertie is not graū∣ted anye to vse vpon him that hathe killed either his father or his mother. But what do we with these Lawes writ∣ten? This is the lawe of Nature, not written in the Ta∣bles of Brasse, but firmelye prynted in oure myndes, the whiche Lawe, whosoeuer dothe not obeye, he is not wor∣thye to be called a manne, muche lesse shall he be counted a Citezen. For if to liue well (as the Stoikes wittelye do dispute) is to folowe the course of Nature, what thin∣ge is so agreynge with Nature as Matrimonye? For there is nothinge so naturall not onelye vnto mankinde, but al∣so vnto all other liuinge creatures, as it is for euerye one of theim to kepe their owne kinde from decaye, and throu∣ghe encrease of issue, to make the whole kinde immortall.

The whiche thinge (all menne knowe) can neuer be dooen, withoute wedlocke and carnall copulation. It were a fowle thinge, that brute beastes shoulde obeye the lawe of Nature, and menne like Gyauntes shoulde fighte againste Nature. Whose worcke if we woulde narowly loke vpon, we shall perceyue that in all thinges here vpon earthe, she woulde there shoulde be a certaine spice of mariage. I wil not speake nowe of Trees, wherin (as Plinie mooste cer∣tainelye writeth) there is founde Mariage with some ma∣nifeste difference of bothe kyndes, that excepte the hous∣bande Tree do leane with his boughes euen as thoughe he shoulde desire copulation vpon the womenne Trees gro∣wynge rounde aboute him: they woulde elles altogether ware barraine. The same Plinie also dothe report that certaine aucthoures do thincke there is bothe male and fe∣male in all thinges that the Earthe yeldeth. I will not speake of precious stones, wherein the same aucthoure af∣firmeth, and yet not he onelye neither, that there is bothe

male and female emonge theim. And I praye you hath not GOD so knitte all thinges together with certaine lyn∣ckes, that one euer semeth to haue neade of another? What saye you of the skye or firmamente, that is euer stirrynge with contiuuall mouinge? Dothe it not playe the parte of a husbande, while it puffeth vp the Earthe, the mother of all thinges, and maketh it fruitefull with castinge seede (as a manne woulde saye) vpon it. But I thincke •• ouer tedious to runne ouer all thinges. And to what ••••de are these thinges spoken? Marye sir, because we might vnder∣stande that throughe Mariage, all thing••s are, and do styll continue, and withoute the same all thinges do decaye, and come to noughte. The olde auncient and moste wise Po∣••tes do feyne (who hadde euer a desire vnder the coloure of fables to set forthe preceptes of Philosophie) that the Gi∣auntes whiche had snakes fete, and were borne of thearth, builded greate hilles that mounted vp to heauen, minding thereby to be at vtter defiaunce with God and all his aun∣gelles. And what meaneth this fable? Marye it sheweth vnto vs, that certaine fierce and sauage menne, suche as were vnknowen, coulde not abide wedlocke for anye wor∣ldes good, and ther••fore they were stricken downe heade∣longe with lighteninge, that is to saye: they were vtterlye destroyed, when they soughte to ••schue that, whereby the weale and saulfegarde of all mankinde onelye dothe ••on∣siste. Nowe againe, the same Poetes do declare that Or∣pheus the musician and minstrell, did styrre and make softe with his pleasaunte melodye the mooste harde rockes and stones. And what is their meaninge herein? Assuredlye nothinge elles, but that a wise and well spoken manne, did call backe ha••de harted menne, suche as liued abroade like Beastes, from op••n whoredome, and brought them to lyue after the mooste holye lawes of Matrimonye. Thus we se plainelye, that suche a one as hathe no minde of Mariage, semeth to be no manne, but rather a Stone, an enemye to Nature, a rebel to God him selfe, seking through his owne ••olye, his last ende and destruction.

Well, let vs go on still (seynge we are fallen into fables that are not fables altogether) when the same Orpheus in the middes of Hell, forced Pluto him selfe and all the de∣uilles there, to graunte him leaue to carye awaye his wife Euridice, what other thinge do we thinke that the Poets meant, but only to set forthe vnto vs the loue in wedlocke the whiche euen amonge the Deuilles was compted good and Godlye.

And this also makes wel for the purpose, that in olde time they made Iupiter Gamelius, the God of mariage, & Iu∣no Lucina ladye midwife, to helpe suche women as labou∣red in child bedde, beynge fondlye deceiued, and superstici∣ouslie erring in naming of the Gods, and yet not missinge the trueth, in declaring that Matrimonie is an holy thin∣ge, and mete for the worthines therof, that the Goddes in heauen shoulde haue care ouer it. Emonge diuers coun∣tries, and diuers menne, there haue bene diuers lawes and customes vsed. Yet was there neuer anye countrey so sa∣uage, none so farre from all humanitie, where the name of wedlocke was not counted holye, and hadde in great reue∣rence. This the Thraciā, this the Sarmate, this the Indi∣an, this the Grecian, this the Latine, yea, this the Britain that dwelleth in the furtheste parte of all the worlde, or if there be anye that dwell beyonde them haue euer counted to be moste holye. And why so? Marye because that thinge must neades be commune to all, whiche the commune mo∣ther vnto all, hath graffed in vs all, and hath so thorowlye graffed the same in vs, that not onely stockedoues and Pi∣gions, but also the most wilde beastes haue a natural felin∣ge of this thinge. For the Lyons are gentle against the Li∣onesse. The Tygers fight for safegard of their yong whel∣pes. The Asse runnes through the hote fyre (which is made to kepe her awaie) for safegarde of her issue. And this they call the lawe of Nature, the whiche as it is of most stren∣gthe and force, so it spreadeth abroade most largely. Ther∣fore as he is counted no good gardener, that being content with thinges present, doth diligently proyne his old trees, and hath no regard either to ympe or graffe yong settes: be¦cause

the selfe same Orcharde (thoughe it be neuer so well trimmed) muste nedes decaye in time, and all the trees dye within fewe yeres: So he is not to be counted halfe a di∣ligent citizen, that beinge contente with the present multi∣tude, hathe no regarde to encrease the number. Therefore there is no one man that euer hath bene counted a worthy Citezen, who hath not laboured to get childrē, and sought to bring them vp in Godlines.

Emonge the Hebrues and the Persians he was most commended, that had most wiues, as thoughe the countrey were most beholding to him, that encreased the same with the greatest number of children. Do you seke to be compted more holie then Abraham him selfe? Well, he should neuer haue bene compted the father of manye Nacions, and that through Gods furtheraunce, if he had forborne the compa∣nye of his wife. Do you loke to be reckened more deuoute then Iacob? He doubteth nothinge to raunsome Rach••l from her greate bondage. Will you be taken for wiser then Salomon? And yet I praye you what a number of wiues kept he in one house? Will you be compted more chast•• thē Socrates, who is reported to beare at home with zanti••••e that verye shrewe, and yet not so muche therefore (as he is wonte to ieste accordinge to his olde maner) because he might learne pacience at home, but also because he mighte not seme to come behinde with his dutye in doyng the wil of nature. For he beynge a manne, suche a one (a•• Appol∣lo iudged him by his Oracle to be wise) did well ••erceyu•• that he was gote for this cause, borne for this cause, and therfore bounde to yelde so muche vnto nature. For if the olde auncient Philosophers haue saide wel, if our diuin••s haue proued the thinge not without reason, if it be vsed e∣uerye where for a commune prouerbe, and almost in euerye mans mouthe, that neither God nor yet Nature, did euer make any thinge in vayne: Why did he geue vs such mem∣bres, how happeneth we haue suche luste, and suche power to get issue, if the single lyfe and none other be altogether prayse worthye? If one shoulde bestowe vpon you a verye good thinge, as a bowe, a coate, or a sworde, al men would

thincke you were not worthye to haue the thinge, if either you coulde not, or you woulde not vse it, and occupie it.

And where as all other thinges are ordeyned vpon suche greate considerations, it is not like that Nature slepte or forgate her selfe when she made this one thinge. And nowe here will some saye, that this fowle and filthye desire, and styrringe vnto luste, came neuer in by Nature, but through Sinne: for whose wordes I passe not a strawe, seinge their saiynges are as false, as God is true. For I pray you was not Matrimonye instituted (whose worke can not be done withoute thes•• membres) before there was anye Synne. And againe, whence haue all other brute beastes their pro∣uocations? of Nature, or of Sinne? A man woulde thinke they hadde theim of Nature. But shall I tell you at a worde, wee make that fil••hye by oure owne Imagination, whiche of the owne nature is good and Godlye. Or elles if we will examine matters, (not accordinge to the opini∣on of menne, but weye them as they are of their owne Na∣ture) howe chau••ceth it that we thincke it lesse filthye, to eate, to chewe, to digest, to emptye the bodye, and to slepe, then it is to vse carnall copulation, such as is lawfull, and permitted. Naye sir (you will saye,) we muste folowe ver∣tue, rather then Nature. A gentle dishe. As thoughe anye thinge can be called vertue that is contrary vnto Nature. Assuredly there is nothinge that can be perfectlye gote, ei∣ther throughe laboure, or throughe learning, if man gro∣unde not his doynges altogether vpon Nature.

But you will liue an Apostles life, suche as some of them did that liued single, and exhorted other to the same kinde of life. Tushe, let them folowe the Apostles that are A••ostles in deede, whose office seynge it is bothe to teache and bringe vp the people in Goddes doctrine, they are not able to discharge their dutyes bothe to their flocke, and to their wife and familye. Althoughe it is well knowen that some of the A••ostles had wiues. But beit that Bishoppes liue single, or graunt we them to haue no wiues. What do you folowe the profession of the Apostles, beynge one that

is farthest in life from their Uocation, beinge bothe a tem∣porall manne, and one that liueth of youre owne. They hadde this Pardon graunted them to be cleane voyde from Mariage, to the ende they mighte be at leasure to get vnto Christe a more plentifull number of his children. Let this be the order of Priestes and Monkes, who belike haue en∣tred into the Religion and rule of the Essens, (suche as amonge the Iewes lothed Mariage) but youre callinge is an other waye. Naye, but (you will saye) Christe him selfe hath compted theim blessed, whiche haue gelded theim sel∣••es for the Kingdome of GOD. Sir, I am contente to admitte the aucthoritie, but thus I expounde the meaning. Firste, I thincke that this doctrine of Christe did chieflye belonge vnto that time, when it behoued theim chieflye to be voyde of all cares and busines of this Worlde. They were fayne to trauayle into all places, for the persecutou∣res were euer readye to laye handes on theim. But nowe the worlde is so, that a manne can finde in no place the vp∣rightnes of behauioure lesse stayned, then emonge maried folke. Let the swarmes of Monkes and Nun••es sette for∣the their order neuer so muche, let theim boaste and bragge their bealies full, of their Ceremonies and church seruice, wherin they chieflye passe all other: yet is wedlocke (be∣ynge well and trulye kepte) a mooste holye kinde of life.

Againe, would to God they were gelded in very dede, what soeuer they be, that coloure their noughtye liuinge wyth such a iolye name of geldinge, liuing in muche more filthye luste vnder the cloke and pretence of chastitie. Neither can I reporte for verye shame, into howe filthye offences they do often fall, that will not vse that remedye whiche Na∣ture hath graunted vnto manne. And last of all, where do you reade that euer Christe commaunded anye manne to liue ••ingle, and yet he dothe openlye forbidde diuorcement. Then he dothe not worste of all (in my Iudgemente) for the commune weale of Mankinde, that ••raunteth libertye vnto Priestes: yea, and Monkes also (if neade be) to mary, and to take them to their wiues, namely seing there is suche

an vnreasonable number euerye where, emonge whom I praye you how many be there that liue chaste. How muche better were it to turne their concubines into wyues, that where as they haue them now to their greate shame wyth an vnquiet conscience, they mighte haue the other openlye with good report, and get children, and also bringe them vp godlye, of whom they them selues not onelye mighte not be ashamed, but also might be counted honest men for them.

And I thinke the bishoppes officers woulde haue procured this matter longe agoe, if they had not founde greater gai∣ues by priestes lemmans, thē they were like to haue by prie∣stes wiues. But virginitie forsothe is an heauenlye thing, it is an Aungels life. I aunswer, wedlocke is a manly thin∣ge, suche as is mete for man. And I talke now as man vnto man. I graunte you, that virginitie is a thinge prayse wor∣thy, but so farre I am cōtent to speake in praise of it, if it be not so praised, as though the iust shuld altogether folow it, for if men cōmenly should begin to like it, what thing could be inuented more perilous to a commune weale then virgi∣nitie. Nowe be it that other deserue greate prayse for their maydenheade, you notwithstandinge can not wante greate rebuke▪ seynge it lieth in your handes to kepe that house frō decaye wherof you lineallye descended, and to continue still the name of your auncesters, who deserue moste worthely to be knowen for euer. And laste of all, he deserueth as muche prayse, as they whiche kepe their maydenhode: that kepes him selfe true to his wife, and marieth rather for encrease of children, then to satisfy his luste For if a brother be com∣maunded to stirre vp sede to his brother that dieth without issue, will you suffer the hope of all youre stocke to decaye, namely seinge there is none other of your name and stocke, but your selfe alone, to continue the posteritie. I know wel inoughe, that the auncient fathers haue set forthe in greate volumes, the prayse of virginitie, emonge whom, Hierome dothe so ••ake on, and prayseth it so much aboue the starres, that he fell in maner to depraue Matrimonie, and therfore was required of Godly Bishoppes to cal backe his wordes that he had spoken. But let vs beare with suche heate for

that tyme sake, I would wishe nowe, that thei, whiche ex∣hort yong folke euery where, and without respect (suche as yet knowe not thēselfes) to liue a single life, and to professe virginitie: that thei would bestowe thesame labour, in set∣tyng furth the descripcion of chast and pure wedlocke. And yet those bodies that are in suche great loue with virgini∣tie, are well contented that menne should fight against the Turkes, whiche in nomber are infinitely greater then wee are. And now if these menne thinke right in this behalfe, it must nedes be thought right good and godly, to labour ear∣nestly for children gettyng, and to substitute youthe from tyme to tyme, for the maintenaunce of warre. Except par∣auenture thei thinke that Gunnes, Billes, Pikes, and na∣uies, should be prouided for battaill, and that men stand in no stede at all with them. Thei also allowe it well, that we should kill miscreaunt and Heathen parentes, that the ra∣ther their children not knowyng of it, might bee Baptized and made Christians. Nowe if this bee righte and lawfull, how muche more ientlenesse were it to haue children Ba∣ptized, beyng borne in lawfull mariage. There is no nacion so sauage, nor yet so hard harted, within the whole worlde, but thesame abhorreth murderyng of infauntes, and newe borne babes. Kynges also and hedde rulers, dooe likewise punishe moste streightly, all suche as seke meanes to be de∣liuered before their tyme, or vse Phisicke to waxe barren, and neuer to beare childrē. What is the reason? Marie thei compt small difference betwixt hym, that killeth the child, so sone as it beginneth to quicken: and thother, that seketh all meanes possible, neuer to haue any child at all. The self same thyng that either withereth and drieth awaie in thy body, or els putrifieth within thee, and so hurteth greatly thy healthe, yea, that self same, whiche falleth from thee in thy slepe, would haue been a manne, if thou thy self haddest been a man. The Hebrues abhorre that man, and wishe him Goddes cursse, that (beyng commaunded to marie with the wife of his dedde brother) did cast his seede vpon the groūd least any issue should bee had, and he was euer thought vn∣worthy to liue here vpon yerth, that would not suffer that

that child to liue, whiche was quicke in the mothers wōbe. But I praie you how litle do thei swarue from this offence whiche by••d themselfes to liue barrern, all the daies of their life? Doo thei no•• seme to kill as many men, as were like to haue been borne, if thei had bestowed their e••deuors to haue got children? Now I praie you, if a man had lande that wer very fatte and fertile, and suffered thesame for lacke of ma∣neryng, for euer to waxe barren, should he not, or wer he not worthy to be punished by the lawes, consideryng it is for the cōmon weales behoue, that euery man should wel and truly husbande his awne. If that mā be punished, who litle hedeth the maintenaunce of his Tillage, the whiche although it be neuer so wel manered, yet it yeldeth nothyng els but wheat barley, bea••es, and peason: what punishement is he worthy to suffer, that refuseth to Plough that lande, whiche beyng tilled, yeldeth childrē. And for ploughyng land, it is nothyng els, but painfull toylyng from tyme to tyme, but in gettyng children, there is pleasure, whiche beyng ordeined, as a redy reward for pai••es takyng, asketh a short trauaill for all the tillage. Therfore if the workyng of nature, if honestie, if ver¦tue, if inwarde zeale, if Godlinesse, if duetie maie moue you, why can you not abide that, whiche God hath ordeined, na∣ture hath established, reason doeth counsaill, Gods worde and mannes worde do commende, all lawes do commaunde, the consent of all nacions doeth allowe, whereunto also the example of all good men, doth exhort you. That if euery ho∣nest man should desire many thynges, that axe•• moste painful for none other cause, but onely for that thei are honeste, no doubt but matrimonie ought aboue all other, moste of all to be desired, as the whiche wee maie doubte, whether it haue more honestie in it, or bryng more delite and pleasure with it. for what can bee more pleasaunt, then to liue with her, with whom not onely you shalbe ioyned, in felowship of faithful∣nes, and moste▪ hartie good will, but also you shalbe coupled together moste assuredly, with the cōpany of bothe your bo∣dies? If we compt that great pleasure, whiche we receiue of the good will of our frendes and acquaintaunce, how plea∣sau•••• a thyng is it aboue all other, to haue one, with whom

you maie breake the botome of your harte, with whō ye maie talke as frely, as with your self, into whose t••uste, you maie saufly cōmit your self, suche ••o••e as thinketh al your goodes to be her charge. Now what an heauenly b••isse (••row you) is the companie of man and wife together, seyng that in all the worlde, there can nothyng be found, either of greater weight and worthi••esse, or els of more st••engthe and assuraunce. For with frendes, we ioyne onely with them in good will, & faith fulnesse of mynde, but with a wife, we are matched together, bothe in harte and mynde, in body and soule, sealed together with the bonde and league of an holy Sacrament, & partyng all the goodes we haue, indifferently betwixt vs. Again whē other are matched together in fre••dship, do we not see what dissemblyng thei vse, what falshode thei practise, and what deceiptfull partes thei plaie? Yea, euen those whō we thinke to be our most assured frendes, as swallowes flie awaie whē sommer is past, so thei hide their heddes, whē fortune gynnes to faile. And oft tymes when we get a newe frend, we streight forsake our old. We heare tell of very fewe, that haue cont••∣nued frendes, euen till their last ende. Whereas the faithful∣nesse of a wife, is not stained with deceipte, nor dusked with any dissēbly••g, nor yet parted with any chaūge of the world but disseuered at last by death onely, no not by death neither. She forsakes and settes lighte by father and mother, sister & brother for your sake, and for your loue onely. She only pas∣seth vpon you, she puttes her trust in you, and leaneth wholy vpon you, yea, she desires to die with you. Haue you any worldly substaūce? You haue one that will maintain it, you haue one that will encrease it. Haue you none? You haue a wife that will get it. If you liue in prosperitee, your ioye is doubled: if the worlde go not w^t you, you haue a wife to put you in good comfort, to be at your commaundemēt, & redy to serue your desire, & to wishe that suche euill as hath happe∣ned vnto you, might chaūce vnto her self. And do you thinke that any pleasure in al the world, is able to be cōpared with suche a goodly felowship & familier liuyng together? If you kepe home, your wife is at hand to kepe your cōpany, the ra∣ther that you might fele no werines of liuing al alone, if you

ride furth, you haue a wife to bid you fare well with a kisse longyng muche for you, beyng from home, and glad to bidde you well come at your next returne. A swete mate in your youthe, a thankfull comforte in your age. Euery societie or companiyng together, is delitefull and wisshed for by na∣ture of all menne, forasmuche as nature hath ordeined vs to be, sociable, frendly, and louyng together. Nowe howe can this felowship of manne and wife, be otherwise then moste pleasant, where all thynges are common together betwixt them bothe. Now I thinke he is moste worthy, to bee despi∣sed aboue all other, that is borne, as a man would saie for hymself, that liueth to hymself, that seketh for himself, that spareth for himself, maketh cost onely vpon himself, that lo∣ueth no man, and no man loueth hym. Would not a manne thinke that suche a monster, were mete to be caste out of all mennes companie (with Tymon that careth for no manne) into the middest of the sea. Neither do I here vtter vnto you those pleasures of the body, the which, wheras nature hath made to be moste pleasaunt vnto man, yet these greate wit∣ted men, rather hide them, and dissemble them (I cannot tel how) then vtterly contempne them. And yet what is he that is so sower of witte, and so drowpyng of braine (I will not saie) blockhedded, or insensate, that is not moued with suche pleasure, namely if he maie haue his desire, without offence either of God or man, and without hynderaunce of his esti∣macion. Truely I would take suche a one, not to be a man, but rather to bee a very stone. Although this pleasure of the body, is the least parte of all those good thynges, that are in wedlocke. But bee it that you passe not vpon this pleasure, and thinke it vnworthy for man to vse it, although in deede we deserue not the name of manne without it, but compte i•• emong the least and vttermoste profites, that wedlocke hath: Now I praie you, what can be more hartely desired, then chast loue, what can bee more holy, what can bee more honest? And emong all these pleasures, you get vnto you a ioly sort of kinsfolke, in whom you maie take muche delite. You haue other parentes, other brethren, sisterne, and ne∣phewes. Nature in deede can geue you but one father, & one

mother: By mariage you get vnto you another father, and another mother, who cannot chuse, but loue you with all their hartes, as the whiche haue put into your handes, their aw••e fleshe and bloud. Now again, what a ioye shal this be vnto you, when your moste faire wife, shall make you a fa∣ther, in bringyng furthe a faire childe vnto you, where you shall haue a pretie litle boye, runnyng vp and doune youre house, suche a one as shall expresse your looke, and your wi∣ues looke, suche a one as shall call you dad, with his swete lispyng wordes. Now last of all, when you are thus lynked in loue, thesame shalbee so fastened and bounde together, as though it wer with the Adamant stone, that death it self cā neuer be able to vndo it. Thrise happie are thei ({quod} Horace) yea, more then thrise happie are thei, whom these sure ban∣des dooe holde, neither though thei are by euill reporters, full ofte sette a so••der, shall loue be vnlosed betwixt theim two, till death them bothe depart. You haue them that shal comforte you, in your latter daies, that shall close vp your iyes, when God shall call you, that shall bury you, and ful∣fill all thynges belongyng to your Funerall, by whom you shall seme, to bee newe borne. For so long as thei shall liue, you shall nede neuer bee thought ded your self. The goodes and landes that you haue gotte, go not to other heires, then to your awne. So that vnto suche as haue fulfilled all thyn¦ges, that belong vnto mannes life, death it self cannot seme bitter. Old age cometh vpon vs all, will we, or nill we, and this waie nature prouided for vs, that we should waxe yong again in our children, and nephewes. For, what man can be greued, that he is old, when he seeth his awne countenaūce whiche he had beyng a childe, to appere liuely in his sonne? Death is ordeined for all mankynd, and yet by this meanes onely, nature by her prouidence, myndeth vnto vs a certain immortalitie, while the encreaseth one thyng vpon another ••uen as a yong graffe buddeth out, when the old tree is cut doune. Neither can he seme to dye, that, when God calleth hym, leaueth a yong child behinde hym. But I knowe well enough, what you saie to your self, at this while of my lōg talke. Mariage is an happie thyng, if all thynges hap well,

what and if one haue a curste wife? What if she be lighte? What if his children bee vngracious? Thus I see you will remember all suche men, as by mariage haue been vndoen. Well, go to it, tell as many as you can, & spare not: you shal finde all these were faultes of the persones, and not the faultes of Mariage. For beleue me, none haue euill wifes, but suche as are euill mē. And as for you sir, you may chuse a good wife, if ye list. But what if she be croked, and marde altogether, for lacke of good orderyng. A good honest wife, maie be made an euill woman, by a naughtie husbande, and an euill wife, hath been made a good woman, by an honest man. We crie out of wifes vntruly, and accuse them with∣out cause. There is no man (if you wil beleue me) that euer had an euil wife, but through his awne default. Now again an honest father, bryngeth furthe honest children, like vnto hymself. Although euen these children, how so euer thei are borne, commonly become suche men, as their education and bringyng vp is. And as for ielousy you shal not nede to feare that fault at all. For none be troubled with suche a disease, but those onely that are foolishe louers. Chaste, godly, and lawfull loue, neuer knew what ielousie ment. What meane you to call to your mynde, and remember suche sore trage∣dies and doulefull dealynges, as haue been betwixt manne and wife. Suche a woman beyng naughte of her body, hath caused her husbande to lose his hedde, another hath poyso∣ned her goodmā, the third with her churlishe dealyng (whi∣che her husbande could not beare) hath been his outer vn∣doyng, & brought hym to his ende. But I praie you sir, why doo you not rather thinke vpon Cornelia, wife vnto Tibe∣rius Graechus? Why do ye not mynde that moste worthy wife, of that most vnworthy man Alcestes? Why remembre ye not Iulia Pompeyes wife, or Porcia Brutus wife? And why not Artemisia, a woman moste worthie, euer to bee re∣membred? Why not Hipsicratea, wife vnto Mithridates kyng of Pontus? Why do ye not call to remembraunce the ientle nature of Tertia Aemilia? Why doo ye not consider the faithfulnesse of Turia? Why cometh not Lucretia and Lentula to your remēbraūce? and why not Arria? why not

thousandes other, whose chastite of life, and faithfulnes to∣wardes their husbandes could not bee chaunged, no not by death. A good woman (you will saie) is a rare birde, & hard to be founde in all the worlde. Well then six, imagine your self worthy to haue a rare wife, suche as fewe men haue. A good woman (saith the wiseman) is a good porcion. Be you bold to hope for such a one, as is worthy your maners. The chifest poyncte standeth in this, what maner of woman you chuse, how you vse her, and how you order your self towar∣des her. But libertee (you will saie) is muche more plea∣saunt: for, who soeuer is maried, wereth fetters vpon his legges, or rather carieth a clogge, the whiche he can neuer shake of, till death part their yoke. To this I answere, I cā not see what pleasure a man shall haue to liue alone. For if libertie be delitefull, I would thinke you should get a mate vnto you, with whō you should parte stakes, and make her priuey of all your ioyes. Neither can I see any thyng more free, then is the seruitude of these twoo, where the one is so muche beholdyng and bounde to thother, that neither of thē bothe wold be louse, though thei might. You are boūd vnto him, whō you receiue into your frendship: But in mariage neither partie findeth fault, that their libertie is takē awaie from them. Yet ones again your are sore afraied, least when your childrē are taken awaie by death, you fal to mourning for wāt of issue▪ well sir, if you feare lacke of issue, you must marie a wife for the self same purpose, the which onely shal be a meane, that you shall not want issue. But what do you serche so diligently, naie so carefully, al the incōmodities of matrimonie, as though single life had neuer any incōmodi∣tie ioyned w^t it at al. As though there wer any kinde of life in al the world, that is not subiect to al euils that may hap∣pē. He must nedes go out of this world, y^• lokes to liue w^tout felyng of any grief. And in cōparison of y^• life which y^e sain∣ctes of god shal haue in heauē, this life of mā is to be cōpted a deth, & not a life. But if you cōsider thinges within the cō∣passe of mankynde, there is nothyng either more saufe, more quiet, more pleasaunt, more to be desired, or more happy, then is the maried mānes life. How many do you se, that hauyng

ones felt the swetnesse of wedlocke, doeth not desire eftso∣nes to enter into thesame? My frende Mauricius, whō you knowe to be a very wise man, did not he, the nexte monethe after his wife died (whom he loued derely) get hym streight a newe wife? Not that he was impacient of his luste, and could not forbeare any longer, but he said plainly, it was no life for hym, to bee without a wife, whiche should bee with hym as his yoke felowe, and companion in all thynges. And is not this the fourthe wife, that our frende Iouius hath maried? And yet he so loued the other, whē thei wer on liue that none was able to comforte hym in his heauinesse: and now he hastened so muche (when one was ded) to fill vp and supply the voyde roume of his chamber, as though he had loued the other very litle. But what do we talke so muche of the honestie and pleasure herein, seyng that not onely pro¦fite doeth aduise vs, but also nede doeth earnestly force vs, to seke mariage. Let it bee forbidden, that man and woman shall not come together, & within fewe yeres, all mankynde must nedes decaye for euer. When zerxes kyng of the Per∣sians, behelde from an high place, that greate armie of his, suche as almoste was incredible, some said he could not for∣beare wepyng, consideryng of so many thousandes, there was not one like to bee a liue, within seuentie yeres after. Now why should not we consider thesame of all mankynd, whiche he meant onely of his armie. Take awaie mariage, and howe many shall remain after a hundreth yeres, of so many realmes, countrees, kyngdomes, citees, and all other assemblies that be of men, throughout the whole world? on now, praise we a gods name the single life aboue the nocke, the whiche is like for euer to vndooe all mankynde. What plague, what infeccion can either heauen or hell, sende more harmefull vnto mankynd? What greater euill is to be fea∣red by any floud? What could be loked for, more sorowfull, although the flame of Phaeton should set the world on fire again? And yet by suche sore tempestes, many thynges haue been saued harmelesse, but by the single life of man, there cā be nothyng left at all. We se what a sorte of diseases, what diuersitee of missehappes doo night and daie lye in waite to

lessen the smal number of mankynde. Howe many doeth the plague destroie, how many do the Se••s swallowe, how ma∣ny doeth battaile snatche vp? For I will not speake of the daily dyeng that is in al places. Deathe taketh her flight e∣uery where rounde about, she runneth ouer theim, she cat∣cheth theim vp, she hasteneth asmuche as she can possible to destroie al mankynde▪ & now do we so highly cōmend syngle lyfe and eschewe Mariage? Except happely we like the pro∣fession of the Essens (of whome Iosephus speaketh that they wil neither haue wyfe, nor seruauntes) or the Dulopo∣litans, called otherwyse the Rascalles and Slaues of Ci∣ties, the whiche companie of theim is alwaie encreased and continued by a sorte of vagabounde peasauntes that conti∣nue, and be from time to time stil together. Do we loke that some Iuppiter shoulde geue vs that same gifte, the whiche he is reported to haue geuen vnto Bees that wee shoulde haue issue without procreacion, and gather with our mouthes out of flowers, the seede of our posteritie? Or elles do we desier, that lyke as the Poetes feyne Minerua to be borne out of Iuppiters head: in lyke sorte there should chil∣dren leape out of our heades? Or last of al doe we looke ac∣cordyng as the olde fables haue been, that men shoulde be borne out of the yerth, out of rockes, out of stockes, stones, & olde trees. Many thynges breede out of the yearth without mans labour at all. Young shrubbes growe and shoute vp vnder the shadowe of their graundsyre trees. But nature woulde haue man to vse this one waie of encreasyng issue▪ that through labour of bothe the housband and wyfe, man∣kynd might stil be kept from destruction. But I promise you if all men tooke after you, and still forbare to marie: I can not see but that these thynges whiche you wonder at, and e∣steme so muche, could not haue been at al. Do you yet esteme this syngle lyfe so greatly? Doe you praise so muche virgi∣nitie aboue al other? Why man, there will be neither syngle men, nor virgines a lyue, if men leaue to marie, and mynde not procreation. why do you thē preferre virginitie so muche why set it you so hye, if it be the vndoyng of all the whole worlde? It hath been muche commended, but it was for that

tyme, and in a fewe. God woulde haue men to see as though it were a paterne, or rather a picture of that heauenly habi∣tacion, where neither any shalbe maried, nor yet any shall geue theirs to Mariage. But when thynges be geuen for an example, a fewe may suffise, a nomber were to no purpose. For euen as al groundes though they be very frutefull, are not therefore turned into tillage for mans vse and commo∣ditie, but parte lyeth fallowe, and is neuer mannered, parte is kepte and cherised to lyke the ••ye and for mans pleasure: and yet in al this plentie of thynges, where so great store of lande is, nature suffereth very litle to waxe barren: But nowe if none should be tilled, and plowe m••n went to plaie, who seeth not but that wee shoulde al sterue, and bee faine shortely to eate acornes: Euen so, it is praise worthie if a fewe liue syngle, but if al should seke to lyue syngle, so ma∣ny as be in this worlde, it were to great an inconuenience. Now again be it that other deserue worthie praise that seke to liue a virgines life, yet it must nedes be a great faulte in you. Other shalbe thought to seke a purenesse of lyfe, you shalbe coumpted a parricide, or a murtherer of your stocke: that whereas you may by honest mariage encrease your po∣steritie: you suffex it to decaie for euer, through your wilful single lyfe. A man may hauyng a house ful of children, com∣mende one to God to lyue a virgine al his lyfe. The plowe man offereth to God the tenthes of his owne, and not his whole croppe al together: But you Sir, muste remember that there is none lefte aliue of al your stocke, but your self alone. And nowe it mattereth nothyng whether you kill, or refuse to saue that creature, which you onely might saue and that with ease. But you wil folow the example of your sister, and lyue syngle as she doth. And yet me thynketh you shoulde chefely euen for this selfe same cause, be afraied to lyue single. For whereas there was hope of issue heretofore in you bothe, nowe ye see there is no hope left but in you o∣nely. Be it that your sister may be borne withal, because she is a woman, and because of her yeares, for sue beyng but a girle and ouercome with sorow for losse of her mother toke the wrong way, she cast her selfe donne headlong, and be∣came

a Nunne at the earnest sute either of folishe women, or elles of doultishe Munkes: but you beyng muche cl••er, must euermore remember that you are a man. She woulde nedes dye together with her auncesters, you muste labour that your auncesters shal not dye at all. Your sister woulde not doe her dutie, but shranke away: thynke you nowe with your selfe that you haue. ij. offices to discharge. The daugh∣ters of Lothe neuer stuck at the matter to haue a doe with their dronken father, thinkyng it better with wicked whore dome and inceste to prouide for their posteritie, than to suf∣fer their stocke to die for euer and wil not you with honest, Godly, and ch••ist Mariage (whiche shalbe without trou∣ble and turne to your greate pleasure) haue a regarde to your posteritie most like elles for euer to decaie? Therfore, let them on Goddes name folow the purpose of chaist Hip∣politus, let them lyue a syngle life, that either can bee ma∣ried men, and yet can gette no children, or els suche, whose stocke may be continued by meanes of other their kynsfolke or at the least whose kyndred is suche that it were better for the commune weale, they were all deade, than that any of that name shoulde be a lyue, or elles suche men, as the e∣uerliuyng God of his moste especiall goodnes hath chosen out of the whole worlde to execute some heauenly office, wherof there is a marueilouse smal nomber. But whereas you accordyng to the reporte of a Phisicion that neither is vnlearned, nor yet is any lyar, are lyke to haue many chil∣dren hereafter, seeyng also you are a man of greate landes, and reuenues by your auncesters, the house whereof you came, beyng bothe right honourable and right auncient, so that you coulde not suffer it to perishe without youre great offence, and greate harme to the commune weale: a∣gaine seeyng you are of lustie yeares, and very comely for your personage, and may haue a maide to your wyfe suche a one as none of your countrie hath knowen any to bee more absolute for all thynges, commyng of as noble a house as any of theim, a chaiste one, a sobre one, a God∣lie one, an excellent fayre one, hauyng with her a won∣derfull Dowrie: seeyng also youre frendes desyre you,

your kynsfolke we••e to wynne you, your Cosyns and ali∣aunce are earnest in hande with you, your countrie calles and cries vpon you: the asshes of your auncesters from their graues make harty sute vnto you, do you yet holde backe, do you stil mynde to lyue a syngle lyfe? Yf a thyng were asked you that were not halfe honest, or the whiche you could not wel compasse, yet at the instaunce of your frendes, or for the loue of your kynsfolke, you woulde be ouercome, and yelde to their requestes: Then howe muche more reasonable were it that the wepyng teares of your frendes, the hartie good wil of your countrie, the deare loue of your elders might wynne that thyng at your handes, vnto the whiche bothe the lawe of God and man doth exhorte you, nature pricketh you forwarde, reason leadeth you, honestie allureth you, so many commodities cal you, and last of all, necessitie it selfe doeth constraine you. But here an ende of al reasonyng. For I trust you haue now and a good while ago chaunged your mynde thorowe myne aduise, and taken your selfe to better counsell.

¶Of Exhortation.

THe places of exhortyng and dehortyng, are the same whiche wee vse in perswadyng and dissuadyng, sa∣uyng that he whiche vseth perswasion, seeketh by argumētes to compasse his deuise: he that laboures to exhorte, doeth stirre affections.

Erasmus sheweth these to be the most especiall places that do perteine vnto exhortation.

• Praise, or Commendacion.
• Expectation of al men.
• Hope of victorie.
• Hope of renowme.
• Feare of shame.
• Greatnesse of rewarde.
• Rehersall of examples, in all ages, and especially of thynges lately doen.

PRaisyng is either of the man, or of some deede doen. We shall exhorte men to doe the thyng, if we showe

them that is a worthy attempte, a Godly enterprise, & suche as fewe men hetherto haue aduentured.

In praisyng a man, we shal exhorte hym to go forwarde, consideryng it agreeth with his wounted māhode, and that hetherto he hath not slacked to hasarde boldely vpon the best and worthiest deedes, requiryng hym to make this ende aunswereable to his mooste worthie begynnynges, that he maye ende with honour, whiche hath so long continued in suche renowme. For it were a foule shame to lose honour through folie, whiche hath been gotte through virtue, and to appere more slacke in kepyng it, than he semed ••arefull at the first to atteine it.

Againe whose name is renowmed, his doynges from time to tyme wil be thought more wonderfull, and greater pro∣mises wil men make vnto them selues of suche mens aduen∣tures in any commune affaires, than of others, whose ver∣tues are not yet knowne. A notable Master of fence is mar∣ueilouse to beholde, and men looke earnestly to see hym doe some wonder, howe muche more will they looke when they heare tel that a noble Captaine, & an aduenturouse Prince shal take vpon hym the defence, and sauegarde of his coun∣trie against the ragyng attemptes of his enemies? Therfore a noble man can not but go forwarde with most earnest wil, seyng al men haue suche hope in hym, and count hym to bee their onely comforte, their fortresse, and defe••se. A••d the ra∣ther to encourage suche right worthie, we may put them in good hope to compasse their attempte, yf wee showe them that God is an assured guide vnto all those, that in an ho∣nest quarell aduenture them selues, and showe their manly stomake. Sathan hym selfe the greatest aduersarie that man hath, yeldeth lyke a captiue, when GOD dothe take our parte, muche sooner shal al other be subiecte vnto hym, and crye Peccaui. for if God be with hym, what matereth who be against hym?

Nowe when victorie is got, what honour doeth ensewe? here openeth a large fielde to speake of renowme, fame, and endles honour. In all ages the worthiest men haue alwaies aduentured their carcases for the sauegarde of their coun∣trie,

thynkyng it better to dye with honor, than to liue with shame. Againe the ruine of our Realme shoulde put vs to more shame, than the losse of our bodies should turne vs to smarte. For our honestie beyng stained, the paine is endles, but our bodies beyng gored, either the wounde maie sone be healed, or elles our paine beyng sone ended, the glory endu∣reth for euer.

Lastely he that helpeth the nedelesse, defendeth his poore neighbours, & in the fauour of his countrie, bestoweth his lyfe: wil not God besides al these, place hym where he shall lyue for euer, especially seeyng he hath doen all these enter∣prises in faith and for Christes sake?

Nowe in al ages to recken suche as haue bene right soue∣rayne, and victoriouse, what name gotte the worthie Scipio that withstood the rage of Annibal? what Brute hath Cesar for his most worthie cōquestes? What triūphe of glory doth sounde in al mennes eares vpon the onely namyng of migh∣tie Alexander, and his father Kyng Philippe? And now to come home, what head cā expresse the renowmed Henry the fifte Kyng of Englande of that name after the conquest? What witte can sette out the wonderful wysedom of Hen∣ry the seuenth, and his greate foresight to espie mischiefe like to ensewe, and his politique deuises to escape daungers to subdewe rebelles, and mainteyne peace?

¶Of mouyng pitie, and stirryng men to shewe mercie.

LIkewise we may exhorte men to take pitie of the fa∣therlesse, the widowe, and the oppressed innocent, if we set before their iyes the lamentable afflictions the tyrannouse wronges, and the miserable calami∣ties, whiche these poore wretches do susteine. For if fleshe and bloude moue vs to loue our children, our wyfes, and our kynsfolke: muche more shoulde the spirite of God and Christes goodnes towardes mā stirre vs to loue our neigh∣bours moste e••tirely. These exh••rtacions the preachers of God may most aptely vse, when they open his Gospell to

the people, and haue iust cause to speake of suche matters.

¶Of Commendyng.

IN commendyng a man, wee vse the reporte of his witte, honestie, faithfull seruice, painefull labour, and carefull nature to do his maisters will, or any suche lyke, as in the Epistles of Tullie there are examples infinite.

¶Of Comfortyng.

NOw after al these, the weake would be comforted and the soroufull woulde bee cherised that there grief might bee aswaged, and the passions of man brought vnder the obedience of reason. The vse hereof is great, aswell in priuate troubles, as in commune miseries. As in losse of gooddes, in lacke of frendes, in sick∣nes, in darthe, & in death. In all whiche losses, the wyse vse so to comforte the weake, that they geue them not iust cause euen at the firste to refuse all comforte. And therefore they vse two waies of chereshyng the troubled mindes. The one is when wee showe that in some cases and for some causes either they shoulde not lament at all, or elles bee sory very litle: the other is when we graunt that they haue iust cause to bee sadde, and therfore wee are sad also in their behalfe, and woulde remedie the matter, if it coulde be, and thus en∣teryng into felowshippe of sorowe, wee seeke by litle and litle to mitigate their grief. For all extreme heauinesse, and vehement sorowes, cannot abyde comforte, but rather seeke a mourner that woulde take parte with theim.

Therefore muche warenesse ought to be vsed, when wee happen vpon suche excedyng sorowfull, leaste wee rather purchace hatred, than aswage grief.

Those harmes shoulde bee moderatly borne, whiche muste needes happen to euery one, that haue chaunced to any one. As deathe, whiche spareth none, neither Kyng, nor Cayser, neither poore, nor riche. Therefore to bee impacient for the losse of our frendes, is to fall

out with God, because he made vs men, and not Aungelles. But the Godly (I truste) will alwaies remitte thorder of thynges to the wil of God, and force their passions to obey necessitie. When God lately visited this Realme with the sweatyng disease, and receiued the two worthie ientlemen He••ry Duke of Suffolke, & his brother Lorde Charles: I seeyng my Ladies grace their mother takyng their deathe most greauouslie could not otherwise for the duetie whiche I then did, and euer shall owe vnto her, but comforte her in that her heauinesse, the whiche vndoubtedly at that tyme muche weakened her bodie. And because it may serue for an example of comforte, I haue been boulde to set it forthe as it foloweth hereafter.

¶An example of comforte.

THough myne enterprise maie be thought fo∣lishe, and my doynges very slender in busiyng my braine to teache the expert, to gyue coun∣sel to other when I lacke it my self, and wher¦as more neede were for me to be taught of o∣ther, to take vpon me to teache my betters, yet dutie byn∣dyng me to doe my beste, and emong a nomber though I can doe leaste, yet good will settyng me forthe with the fore∣mest: I cannot chouse but write what I am able, and speake what I can possible for the better comfortyng of your grace in this your great heauines, and sore visitacion sent from GOD, as a warnyng to vs all. The Phisician then de∣serueth moste thanke, when he practiseth his knowlege in tyme of necessitie, and then traueileth moste painefullie, when he feeleth his paciente to be in moste daunger. The souldiour at that tyme, and at no tyme so muche is thought most trustie, when he showeth at a nede his faithfull harte, and in tyme of extreme daunger doeth vse, and bestowe his moste earnest labour. In the wealthe of this worlde what valiaunt man can wante assistence? What mightie Prince can misse any helpe to compasse his desire? who lac∣keth men that lacketh no monie? But when God striketh the mightie with his strong hand, and displaceth those that

were hyghelye placed, what one manne dothe once looke backe for the better ••asemente of his deare Brother, and Godlye comfortynge his euen. Christian, in the chiefe of all his sorowe. All menne communelye more reioyce in the Sunne risynge, then they doe in the Sunne set••inge. The hope of Lucre and expectation of priuate gayne, maketh manye one to bear oute a countenaunce of fauoure, whose herte is inwardelye fretted wyth deadlye rancoure. But suche Frendes, euen as prosperi••ye do••he gette theim, so aduersitye dothe trye theim. God is the searcher of euery mannes thought, vnto whose iudgemente I referre the as∣suraunce of my good wyll.

And thoughe I can do little, and therfore deserue as lit∣tle thancke, as I loke for prayse (whyche is none at all) yet will I endeuoure earnestlye at all tymes, as well for mine owne discharge, to declare my duty, as at this present to say somewhat for the better easemente of youre grace, in thys your heauines. The passions of the mynde haue diuers ef∣fectes, and the••fore worke straungelye, accordynge to theyr properties▪ For like as ioye comforteth the harte, nourisheth bloude, and quickeneth the whole bodye: so heauinesse and care hinder digestion, engender euyll humoures, waste the principall partes, and wyth tune consume the whole bodye. For the better knowledge hereof, and for a liu••lye syght of the same, wee neade not to seeke farre for a••ye exampl••, but euen to come strayghte vnto youre grace, whose bodye as I vnderstande crediblye, and partelye see my selfe, is soore ap∣payred within shorte tyme, your mynde so troubled, & youre harte so heauye, that you hate in a maner all lyght, you lyke not the sighte of anye thynge that myght be your comforte, but altogether stricken in a dumpe, you seke to be solitarye, detestinge all ioye, and delitynge in sorowe, wishynge wyth harte (if it w••••e Goddes will) to make youre last ende. In whyche youre heauinesse, as I desire to be a comfortoure of youre grace, so I can no•• blame your naturall sorowe, if that nowe after declaration of the same, you woulde mo∣derate all youre griefe hereafter, and call backe your pensife¦nes, to the prescripte order of reason.

And firste, for the better remedye of euerye disease, and troubled passion, it is beste to knowe the principall cause, and chiefe occasion of the same. Youre grace hadde two sonnes, howe noble, howe wittye, howe learned, and how Godlye, manye thousandes better knowe it, then anye one is able well to ••ell it. God at his pleasure hath taken them bothe to his mercy, and placed them with him, which were surelye ouer good to tarye here with vs. They bothe di∣ed as your grace knoweth verye younge, whiche by course of Nature, and by mannes estimation, mighte haue liued muche longer. They bothe were together in one house, lodged in two seuerall chambers, and almoste at one time bothe sickened, and both departed. They died bothe dukes, bothe well learned, bothe wise, and bothe right Godlye. They bothe before gaue straunge tokens of death to come. The elder sittinge at Supper, and verye merye, saide sou∣dainlye to that ryghte honeste Matroue, and Godly aged gentilwoman, that most faythful & longe assured seruaunt of yours, whose life God graunte longe to continue: Oh Lorde, where shall we suppe tomorowe at night, whereu∣pon she beinge troubled, and yet saiynge comfortablye, I truste my lorde, either here, or elles where at some of your frendes houses: Naye (quod he) we shall nauer suppe toge∣ther againe in this worlde, be you well assured, and with that seinge the gentilwoman discomforted, turned it vnto mirthe, and passed the reste of his Supper with much ioye, and the same night after .xij. of the clocke, beynge the .xiiij. of Iulye sickened, and so was taken the nexte morning a∣boute .vij. of the clocke, to the mercye of God, in the yeare of our Lorde .M.D.Li. When the elder was gone, the younger woulde not tarye, but tolde before (hauinge no knowledge therof by anye bodye liuinge) of his brothers Deathe, to the greate wonderinge of all that were there, declaringe what it was to lose so deare a frende, but com∣fortinge him selfe in that passion, saide: well, my brother is gone, but it maketh no matter, for I will go straight af∣ter him, and so did within the space of halfe and houre, as your grace can best tell, whiche was there presente. Nowe

I renue these wordes to youre graces knowledge, that you might the more stedfastlie consider their time to be then ap∣pointed of GOD to forsake this euill worlde, and to liue with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, in the Kingedome of heauen. But wherfore did God take two suche awaye, and at that time? Surelye to tell the principall cause, we maye by all likenes affirme, that they were taken awaye from vs for our wretched sinnes, and mooste vile naughtines of life, that therby we beinge warned, might be as readie for God, as they nowe presentlie were, aud amend our liues in time, whom God will call, what time we knowe not. Then as I can see, we haue small cause to lament the lacke of them, whiche are in suche blessed state, but rather to amende our owne liuinge, to forthinke vs of oure offences, and to wishe of GOD to purge oure hartes, from all filthines and vn∣godlie dealinge, that we maie be (as they nowe be) blessed with God for euer. Notwithstandinge the worckes of God are vns••archeable, without the compasse of mannes braine preciselye to comprehende the verie cause, sauinge that this perswasion oughte surelye to be grounded in vs, euermore to thinke that God is offended with sinne, and that he pu∣nisheth offences to the thirde and fourthe generation of all them that breake his commaundementes, beinge iuste in all his worckes, and doinge all thinges for the beste. And ther∣fore when God plagueth in suche sorte. I would with that our faithe might a••waies be staied vpon the admiration of Goddes glorie, througheoute all his doinges, in whom is none euil, neither yet was there euer any guile found. And I doubt not but your grace is thus affected, and vnfayned∣lye confessinge your owne offences, taketh this scourge to come from God as a iuste punishmen••e of Sinne, for the a∣mendemente not onelye of your owne selfe, but also for the amendemente of all other in generall. The lamentable voyce of the pore (whiche is the mouthe of God) through∣out the whole Realme declares full well the wickednes of this life, and showes plainelye that this euill is more gene∣rallye felte, the•• anye man is able by worde, or by wri••inge at full to set forthe.

When God therfore that is Lord, not onelye of the riche but also of the poore, seeth his grounde spoyled frome the holesome profite of manye, to the vayne pleasure of a fewe, and the earthe made priuate to suffise the lus••e of vnsacia∣ble couetousnesse, and that those whiche be his true mem∣bres cannot liue for the intollerable oppression, the soore enhaunsynge, and the moost wicked grasing of those thro∣ughout the whole Realme, whiche otherwise myght well lyue with the onelye value and summe of their landes and yerelye reuenues: he striketh in his anger the innocentes and tēder yonglinges, to plague vs with the lacke of them, whose innocencye and Godlines of life mighte haue bene a iuste example for vs to amende our mooste euill doynges.

In whiche wonderfull worcke of God, when he receiued these two mooste noble ympes, and his chyldren elected to the euerlastinge Kingedome, I can not but magnifye his mooste glorious name, from time to tyme, that hath so gra∣ciouslye preserued these two worthy gentilmenne from the daunger of further euil, and moost vile wretchednes, moost like righte shortelye to ensue, excepte wee all repente, and forthincke vs of oure former euill liuynge. And yet I spea∣ke not this, as thoughe I knewe anye cryme to be more in you, then in anye other: but I tell it to the shame of all those vniuersallye within this Realme, that are gyltye of suche offences, whose inward consciences condem••ne their owne doinges, and their open d••edes beare witnes against their euil nature. For it is not one house that shal feele the fall of these two prynces, neither hath God taken them for one priuate personnes offence: but for the wickednes of the whole Realme, whyche is lyke to feele the smarte, excepte God be merciful vnto vs. But now tha•• they be gone, tho∣ughe the fleshe be frayle, weake, & tender, and muste neades smart, being woūded or cut: yet I doubt not but your grace lackinge two suche porcions of your owne fleshe, and ha∣uinge theim (as a manne woulde saye) cutte awaye frome youre owne bodye, will suffer the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with a good sto∣make, and remembre that sorowe is but an euil remedye to heale a sore. For if your hande were detrenched, or youre

bodie maimed with some soubdaine stroake, what profite were it for you to wepe vpon your wounde, and when the harme is done, to lamente still the sore? seinge that with wepinge it wil not be lesse, and maye yet throughe weping full sone be made more. For the sore is encreased, when so∣rowe is added, and the paine is made double, whiche before was but single. A constante christian shoulde beare all mi∣serie, and with pacience abide the force of necessitie, shew∣inge with sufferaunce the strengthe of his faithe, and espe∣ciallie when the chaunge is from euyll to good, from woe to weale, what folye is it to so••owe that, for the whiche they ioye that are departed? They haue taken nowe their rest, that liued here in trauaile: they haue forsaken their bo∣dies, wherin they were bounde, to receiue the spirite, wher∣by they are free. They haue chosen for sickenes, healthe: for earth, heauen: for life transitorie, life immortall: and for manne, God: then the whiche, what can they haue more? Or howe is it possible they can better? Undoubtedly if euer they were happye, they are nowe moste happie: if ••∣uer they were well, they are nowe in beste case, beynge de∣liuered frome this presente euyll worlde, aud exempted from Sathan, to lyue for euer with Christe our Sauioure.

Then what meane we that not onelye lamente the want of other, but also desire to tarye here oure selues, hopinge for a shorte, vayne, and therewith a paynefull pleasure, and refusynge to enioye that continuall, perfecte, and heauen∣lye enheritaunce, the whiche so soone that happen vnto vs, as Nature dissolueth this Earthlye bodye. Truthe it is wee are more fleshelye then spirituall, soner fealynge the ache of our bodye, then the griefe of oure Soule: more stu∣dious with care to be healthfull in carkasse, then sekynge with prayer to be pure in Spirite. And therfore if oure frendes be stayned with Synne, wee dooe not, or we wyll not espye their sore, we counte theim faulteles, when they are mooste wicked: neither sekinge the redresse of their e∣uyll doynge, nor yet once amendynge the faultes of oure owne liuyuge.

But when oure frende departeth this worlde, and then forsaketh vs when Synne forsaketh him: wee begynne to shewe ouce fleshelye natures, w•• wepe, and we wayle, and with louge sorowe withoute discretion declare our wante of Goddes grace, and all goodnes. For wheras we see that as some be borne, some do dye also, m••nne, women, and chil∣dren, and not one houre certaine to vs of all oure life, yet we neuer mourne, we neuer w••epe, neither markyuge the deathe of suche as we knowe, nor regardynge the euyll lyfe of those whom we loue. But when suche departe as were either nigheste of oure ky••red, or elles mooste oure frendes, then wee lamente withoute all comforte, not the synnes of their Soules, but the chaunge of their bodyes, leauinge to doe that whiche we shoulde, and doynge that onelye why∣che we shoulde not do at all. Wherin not onelye we declare muche wante of Faythe, but also we shewe greate lacke of wytte. For as the other are gone before, either to heauen or elles to hell: so shall oure fre••des and kin••folke folowe af∣ter. We are all made of one metall, and ordeyned to dye, so manye as liue. Therfore what folye is it in vs, or rather what fleshelye madnesse immoderatelye to wayle their death whom God hathe ordeyned to make their ende, excepte wee lamente the lacke of oure owne liuinge? For euen as well we myghte at theyr firste byrthe bewayle theyr Natiuitye, consideryng they must nedes dye, because they are borne to lyue. And whatsoeuer hath a beginnynge, the same hath al∣so an endynge, and the ende is not at oure will whiche de∣sire continuaunce of life, but at hys wyll whyche gaue the begynnynge of lyfe. Nowe then, s••ynge God hath ordeyned all ••o dye, accordynge to his appointed wil, what meane they that woulde haue theirs to lyue? Shall God alter his fyrst purpose for the onelye satisfiynge of oure folyshe pleasure? And where God hathe mynded that the whole worlde shall decaye, shall anye man desyre that anye one house may stand? In my mynde, there can be no greater comforte to anye one liuynge for the lacke of his frende, then to thinke that thys happened to him, whyche all other eyther haue felte, or elles shall feele hereafter: And that God the rather made Deathe

commune to all, that the vniuersall plague and egalnes to all, myght abate the fierce••es of deathe, and comfore vs in the crueltie of the same, considerynge no one man hath an ende, but that all shall haue the lyke, and dye we muste e∣uerye mothers sonne of vs, at one time or other. But you will saye: my chyldren might haue liued longer, they dyed younge. Sure it is by mannes estimation they myght haue liued longer, but had it bene best for them thincke you to haue continued styll in this wretched worlde, where Uyce beareth rule, and Uertue is subdued, where GOD is neglected, his lawes not obserued, his worde abused, and his Prophetes that preache the iudgemente of God almost euery where contemned. If your children were aliue, & by thaduice of some wicked person were brought to a brothell house, where entisinge harlottes liued, and so were in daū∣ger to commit that fowle sinne of whoredome, and so, ledde from one wickednes to another: I am assured your grace woulde call them backe with laboure, and would with ex∣hortations induce theim to the feare of God, and vtter de∣testation of al synne, as you haue ful often heretofore done, rather fearing euil to come, then knowing any open faulte to be in either of them. Nowe then, seynge God hath done the same for you him selfe, that you woulde haue do••e for them if they hadde liued, that is, in deliuerynge them bothe from this present euil worlde, whiche I counte none other then a brothel house, and a life of al noughtines: you ought to thanke God highlye, that he hath taken awaye your two sonnes, euen in their youthe, beynge innocentes bothe for their liuynge, and of such expectation for their towardnes, that almoste it were not possible for them hereafter o satis∣fye the hope in their age, whyche all menne presently hadde conceyued of their youthe. It is thought, and in dede it is no lesse thē a great poynct of happines to dye happely. Now when coulde youre two noble gentilmen haue dyed better then when they were at the best, mooste Godlye in manye thynges, offendinge in fewe, beloued of the ho••este, aud ha∣ted of none, (if euer they were hated) but of suche as hate the best. As in deede, noble vertue neuer wan••ed cankarde

enuy to folow her. And considering that this life is so wret∣ched, that the beste are euer most hated, & the vilest alwayes most estemed, and your .ii. sonnes of the other side beynge in that state of honestie, & trained in that pathe of Godlines (as I am able to b•• a liuely witnes, none hath ben like these ma¦ny yeres, or at the lest, none better brought vp) what thinke you of god, did he enuye them, or els did he prouidently for∣see vnto them bothe, when he toke them bothe from vs. As∣suredly whom god loueth best, those he taketh sonest, accor∣dinge to the saiyng of Salomon: The righteous man (mea∣ninge Enoch and other the chosen of God) is sodainely ta∣ken away, to the entente that wickednes shoulde not alter his vnderstandinge, and that hypocrisie should not begile his soul. For the craftie bewitching of lies, make good thin¦ges darke, the vnstedfastnes also and wickednes of volup∣tuouse desire, turne aside the vnderstanding of the simple. And thoughe the righteous was sone gone, yet fulfilled he much time, for his soule pleased God, and therfore hasted he to take him away from amonge the wicked. Yea, the good men of god in al ages, haue euer had an earnest desire to be dissolued. My soule (quod Dauid) hath an earnest desire to enter into the courtes of the lord. Yea, like as the herte de∣sireth the water brookes, so longeth my soule after the O God. My soule is a thyrst for God: yea, euen for the liuing God, when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God? Paule and al the Apostles wished and longed for the daye of the Lord, and thought euery daye a thousand yere, till their soules were parted from their bodies. Thē what should we waile them which are in that place where we al shuld wish to be, and seke so to liue, that we might be ready whē it shal please god of his goodnes to cal vs to his mercy Let vs be sicke for our owne sinnes, y^t liue here on earth, & reioyce in their most happy passa••e that are gone to heauē. They haue not left vs, but gone before vs to enherite with Christ, their kingdom prepared. And what shuld this greue your grace that they are gone before, cōsidering our whole lyfe is nothing els but the righte waye to death. Shoulde it trouble any one y^t his frend is come to his iournies end?

Our life is nothyng els, but a continuall trauaill, & death obtaineth rest after all our laboure. Emong men that tra∣uaill by the high waie, he is best at ease (in my mynde) that sonest cometh to his iourneis ende. Therfore, if your grace loued your children (as I am wel assured you did) you must reioyce in their rest, and geue God hartie thankes, that thei are come so sone to their iourneis ende. Marie, if it were so that man might escape the daunger of death, and liue euer, it were another matter: but because we must all dye, either first or last, and of nothyng so sure in this life, as we are all sure to dye at length, and nothyng more vncertain vnto mā then the certain tyme of euery mannes latter tyme: what forceth when wee dye, either this daie, or to morowe, either this yere, or the next, sauyng that I thinke them moste hap∣pie that die sonest, and death frendely to none so muche, as to theim whom she taketh sonest. At the tyme of an execuciō doen for greuous offences, what mattereth who dye firste, when a dosen are condempned together, by a lawe, conside∣ryng thei muste all dye one and other. I saie still, happie are thei, that are sonest ridde out of this worlde, and the soner gone, the soner blessed. The Thracians lament greatly at the birthe of their children, & reioyce muche at the burial of their bodies, beyng well assured that this world is nothyng els but miserie, & the worlde to come, ioye for euer. Now a∣gain, the child newe borne, partly declareth the state of this life, who beginneth his tyme with wailyng, & firste sheweth teares, before he can iudge the cause of his wo. If we beleue the promises of God, if we hope for the generall resurrecci∣on, and constantly affirme, that God is iust in all his woor∣kes: we cānot but ioyfully saie, with the iust man Iob: The lorde gaue them, the lorde hath taken them again, as it plea∣seth God, so maie it be, and blessed be the name of the lorde, for now and euer. God dealeth wrongfully with no man, but extendeth his mercie moste plentifully, ouer all mankynde. God gaue you twoo children, as the like I haue not knowen happie are you moste gracious ladie, that euer you bare thē. God lent you them twoo for a tyme, and toke them twoo a∣gain at his tyme, you haue no wrong doen you, that he hath

taken thē: but you haue receiued a wonderfull benefite, that euer you had thē. He is very vniust that boroweth, and wil not pay again, but at his pleasure. He forgetteth muche his duetie, that boroweth a iewell of the kynges maiestie, & will not restore it with good will, when it shall please his grace, to call for it. He is vnworthy hereafter to borowe, that will rather grudge, because he hath it no longer, then ones geue thankes, bicause he hath had the vse of it so long He is ouer coueteous, that compteth not gainfull, the tyme of his bo∣rowyng: but iudgeth it his losse, to restore thynges again. He is vnthankfull, that thynkes he hath wrong doen, when his pleasure is shortened, and takes the ende of his delite, to bee extreme euill. He loseth the greatest parte of his ioye in this worlde, that thynketh there is no pleasure, but of thynges present: that cānot comfort hymself with pleasure past, and iudge them to be moste assured, consideryng the me∣morie of them ones had, can neuer decaye. His ioyes be ouer straighte, that bee comprehended within the compasse of his sighte, and thynketh no thyng comfortable, but that whiche is euer before his iyes. All pleasure whiche man hath in this worlde, is very shorte, and sone goeth it awaie, the remem∣braunce lasteth euer, and is muche more assured, then is the presence or liuely sight of any thyng. And thus your grace maie euer reioyce, that you had twoo suche, whiche liued so verteously, and died so Godly: and though their bodies bee absent from your sight, yet the remembraunce of their ver∣tues, shall neuer decaye from your mynde. God lendeth life to all, and lendeth at his pleasure for a tyme. To this man he graunteth a long life, to this a shorte space, to some one, a daie, to some a yere, to some a moneth. Now whē God ta∣keth, what man should be offended, consideryng he that gaue frely, maie boldely take his awne when he will, and dooe no manne wrong. The Kynges Maiestie geueth one .x. pounde another fourtie pounde, another three skore pounde, shall he be greued, that receiued but tenne pound, and not rather geue thankes, that he receiued so muche? Is that man hap∣pier, that dieth in the latter ende of the monethe, then he is that died in the beginnyng of thesame Monethe? Doeth di∣stance

of tyme, and long tar••yng from God, make men more happie, when thei come to God? By space of passage we dif∣fer muche, and one liueth longer then another, but by death at the last, we all are matched, and none the happier, that li∣ueth the longer, but rather moste happie is he, that died the sonest, & departed best in the faithe of Christ. Thinke therfore your self most happie, that you had two suche, and geue God hartie thākes, that it pleased him so sone, to take two suche. Necessitie is lawles, and that whiche is by God appoyncted no man can alter. Reioyce we, or wepe we, die we shall, how sone, no man can tell. Yea, we are all our life tyme warned before, that death is at hande, and that when we go to bedde we are not assured to rise the nexte daie in the mornyng▪ no, not to liue one houre lōger. And yet to se our foly, we would assigne God his tyme, accordyng to our sacietie, and not cō∣tent our selfes with his doynges, according to his appoynct∣ment. And euer we saie, when any dye young, he might haue liued longer, it was pitie he died to sone. As though for sothe he were not better with God, then he can bee with manne. Therefore. whereas for a tyme your grace, muche bewailed their lacke, not onely absentyng your self from all company but also refusyng all kynde of comforte, almoste dedde with heauinesse, your body beyng so worne with sorowe, that the long continuance of thesame, is muche like to shorten your daies: I shall desire your grace for Goddes loue, to referre youre will to Goddes will, and whereas hetherto nature hath taught you to wepe the lacke of your naturall children lette reason teache you hereafter, to wipe awaie the teares, and lette not phantasie encrease that, whiche nature hath commaunded moderately to vse. To bee sory for the lacke of oure dearest, wee are taughte by nature, to bee ouercome with sorowe, it commeth of oure awne fonde opinion, and greate folie it is, with naturall sorowe, to encrease all so∣rowe, and with a litle sickenesse, to purchase readie deathe. The sorowes of brute beastes are sharpe, and yet thei are but shorte. The Cowe lackyng her Caulfe, leaueth Lowe∣yng within three or foure daies at the farthest. Birdes of the ayre perceiuyng their youngones taken from their neast,

chitter for a while in trees there aboute, and streighte after thei flie abrode, and make no more a dooe. The Doo lackyng her Faune, the Hynde her Caulfe, braie no long tyme after their losse, but seyng their lacke to be without remedy, thei ceasse their sorowe within short space. Man onely emong al other, ceaseth not to fauour his sorowe, and lamenteth not onely so muche as nature willeth him, but also so muche as his awne affeccion moueth hym. And yet all folke do not so but suche as are subiect to passions, and furthest from forti∣tude of mynde, as women commonly, rather then men, rude people, rather then godly folke: the vnlearned, soner then the learned: foolishe folke, soner then wise men: children, rather then yong men. Whereupon we maie well gather, that im∣moderate sorowe is not naturall, (for that whiche is natu∣rall, is euer like in al) but through folie mainteined, encrea∣sed by weakenesse, and for lacke of reason, made altogether intollerable. Then I doubte not but your grace, will ra∣ther ende your sorowe, by reason: then that sorowe should ende you, through foly: And whereas by nature, you are a weake woman in body, you will shewe your self by reason, a strong man in harte: rather endyng your grief by godly ad∣uertisementes, and by the iust consideracion of Gods won∣derfull doynges: then that tyme and space, should we are a∣waie your sorowes, whiche in deede suffer none continual∣ly to abide in any one, but rather ridde thē of life, or els ease them of grief. The foole, the vngodly, the weake harted haue this remedy, your medecine must be more heauenly, if you do (as you professe) referre all to Goddes pleasure, and saie in your praier. Thy will bee doen in yearth, as it is in heauen. Those whom God loueth, those he chasteneth, and happie is that body, whom God scourgeth, for his amendement. The man that dieth in the faithe of Christ is blessed, and the cha∣st••ned seruaunt, if he doo repent and amende his life, shalbe blessed. We knowe not what we doo••, when we bewaile the death of our dearest, for in death is altogether all happines, and before deathe, not one is happie. The miseries in this worlde declare, small felicitee to be in thesame. Therefore, many men beyng ouerwhelmed with muche woe, and wret∣ched

wickednes: haue wished and praied to God, for an ende of this life, and thought this worlde to be a let, to the heauē∣ly perfeccion, the whiche blisse all thei shall attain hereafter that hope well here, and with a liuely faith declare their as∣suraunce. Your graces two sonnes, in their life wer so god∣ly, that their death was their aduauntage: for, by death thei liued, because in life thei wer dedde. Thei died in faithe, not wearie of this worlde, nor wishyng for death, as ouerloden with synne: but paciently takyng the crosse, departed with ioye. At whose diyng, your grace maie learne an example of pacience, and of thankes geuyng, that God of his goodnesse, hath so graciously taken these your two children, to his fa∣uourable mercy. God punisheth, partly to trie your constā∣cie, wherein I wishe that your grace, maie nowe bee as well willyng to forsake theim, as euer you were willyng to haue them. But suche is the infirmitie of our fleshe, that we hate good comforte in wordes, when the cause of our comforte in deede (as we take it) is gone. And me thinkes I heare you cry notwithstādyng all my wordes, alacke my children are gone. But what though thei are gone? God hath called, & nature hath obeyed. Yea, you crie still my children are dedde: Marie therefore thei liued, and blessed is their ende, whose life was so godly. Wo worthe, thei are dedde, thei are dedde. It is no new thyng, thei are neither the first that died, nor yet the last that shall die. Many went before, and all shall folowe after. Thei liued together, thei loued together, and now thei made their ende bothe together. Alas thei died, that wer the fruicte of myne awne body, leauyng me comfortlesse, vnhappie wo∣man that I am. You do well, to cal thē the fruict of your bo∣dy, & yet you nothyng the more vnhappie neither. For, is the tree vnhappy, frō whiche the appelles fall? Or is the yearth accurssed, that bringeth furthe grene Grasse, whiche hereaf∣ter notwithstandyng doth wither. Death taketh no order of yeres, but when the tyme is appoyncted, be it earely or late, daie or nighte, awaie we muste. But I praie you, what losse hath your grace? Thei died, that should haue died, yea, thei died, that could liue no longer. But you wished theim lōger life. Yea, but God made you no suche promise, & mete it wer

not that he shuld be led by you, but you rather should be led by him. Your children died, & that right godly, what would you haue more? All good mothers desire, that their children maie die Goddes seruauntes, the whiche youre grace hath moste assuredly obteined. Now again mannes nature alte∣reth, and hardely tarieth vertue long in one place, without muche circumspeccion, & youth maie sone be corrupted. But you will saie. These were good and godly broughte vp, and therefore moste like to proue godly hereafter, if thei had li∣ued still. Well, thoughe suche thynges perhappes had not chaunced, yet suche thynges mighte haue chaunced, and al∣though thei happen not to al, yet do thei happe to many, and though thei had not chaunced to your children, yet we knew not that before, and more wisedome it had been, to feare the worst with good aduisement, then euer to hope, and loke stil for the best, without all mistrustyng. For, suche is the nature of mā, and his corrupt race, that euermore the one foloweth soner, then thother. Commodus was a verteous childe, and had good bringyng vp, and yet he died a moste wicked man. Nero wanted no good counsaill, and suche a master he had, as neuer any had the better, and yet what one aliue, was worse then he? But now death hath assured your grace, that you maie warrant your self, of their godly ende, whereas if God had spared them life, thynges might haue chaunced o∣therwise. In wishyng longer life, we wishe often tymes lō∣ger woe, longer trouble, longer foly in this world, and weye all thynges well, you shall perceiue wee haue small ioye to wishe longer life. This imaginacion of longer life, when the life standeth not by nomber of yeres, but by the appoyncted will of God, maketh our foly so muche to appere, & our tea∣res so continually to fall frō our chekes. For if we thought (as we should dooe in deede) that euery daie risyng, maie be the ende of euery man liuyng, and that there is no difference with God, betwixt one daie, and an hūdreth yeres: we might beare all sorowes, a greate deale the better. Therfore it wer moste wisedome for vs all, and a greate poynct of perfeccion to make euery daie an euen rekeuyng of our life, and talke so with God euery houre, that we maie bee of euen borde with

hym, through fulnes of faithe, and redy to go the next houre folowyng, at his commaundemente, and to take alwaies his sendyng in good part. The lorde is at hande. We knowe not when he will come (at mid night, at cocke crowe, or at noone daies) to take either vs, or any of ours. Therfore, the rather that we maie be armed, let vs folowe the examples of other godly men, and lay their doynges before our iyes. And emōg all other, I knowe none so mete for your graces comfort, as the wise and Godly behauiour of good Kyng Dauid. Who when he was enfourmed, that his sonne was sicke, praied to God hartly, for his amendement, wept, fasted, & with muche lamentacion, declared greate heauinesse. But when woorde came of his sonnes departure, he left his mournyng, he cal∣led for water, and willed meate to be set before hym, that he might eate. Wherupō, when his men marueiled why he did so, consideryng he toke it so greuously before, when his child was but sicke, and now beyng dedde, toke no thought at all, he made this answere vnto theim: so long as my child liued, I fasted, and watered my plantes for my young boye, and I saied to my self, who can ••ell, but that God perhappes will geue me hym, and that my child shall liue, but now seyng he is dedde, to what ende should I faste? Can I call hym again any more? Naye, I shall rather go vnto hym, he shall neuer come againe vnto me. And with that Dauid comforted his wife Bethsabe, the whiche example, as I truste your grace hath redde, for your comfort, so I hope you will also folowe it for youre healthe, and bee as strong in pacience, as euer Dauid was. The historie it self shall muche delighte youre grace, beeyng redde as it lieth in the Booke, better then my bare touchyng of it can dooe, a greate deale. The whiche I doubte not but your grace will often reade, and comforte o∣ther your self, as Dauid did his sorowfull wife. Iob losyng his children, and all that he had, forgatte not to praise God in his extreme pouertie. Tobias lackyng his iye sighte, in spirite prased GOD, and with open mouthe, confessed his holy name to bee magnified throughout the whole yearthe. Paule the Apostle of God, reproueth thē as worthy blame, whiche mourne and lament, the losse of their derest. I would

not brethren ({quod} he) that you should be ignorant, concernyng them whiche be fallen on slepe, that you sorowe not as other doo, whiche haue no hope. If we beleue that Iesus died, and rose again, euen so thei also, whiche slepe by Iesus, wil God bryng again with hym. Then your grace, either with lea∣uyng sorowe, must shewe your self faithfull, or els with yel∣dyng to your wo, declare your self to be without hope. But I trust your grace, beyng planted in Christ, will shew with sufferaunce, the fruicte of your faithe, and comforte your self with the wordes of Christ, I am the resurrecciō and the life he that beleueth on me, yea, though he wer dedde, yet should he liue, and whosoeuer liueth, and beleueth in me, shal neuer die. We read of those that had no knowlege of God, and yet thei bare in good worth, the discease of their children. Anaxo∣goras hearyng tell, that his sonne was dedde, no maruail {quod} he, I knowe well I begot a mortall body. Pericles chief ru∣ler of Athens, hearyng tell that his twoo sonnes, beyng of wonderfull towardnesse, within foure daies wer bothe ded, neuer greately chaunged countenaunce for the matter, that any one could perceiue, nor yet forbare to go abrode, but ac∣cordyng to his wōted custome, did his duetie in the counsail house, in debatyng matters of weighte, concernyng the state of the common peoples weale. But because your grace is a woman, I will shewe you an example of a noble woman, in whom appered wonderfull pacience. Cornelia, a worthy la∣die in Rome, beyng comforted for the losse of her twoo chil∣dren, Tiberius, and Caius Gracchus, bothe valiaunt ientle men, although bothe not the moste honest menne, whiche died not in their beddes, but violently were slain in Ciuill bat∣taill, their bodies liyng naked and vnburied, when one emō∣gest other saied: Oh vnhappie woman, that euer thou shoul∣dest se this daie. Naie {quod} she, I wil neuer thinke my self other¦wise, then moste happy, that euer I brought furthe these two Gracchions. If this noble lady, could thinke her self happie, beyng mother to these twoo valiaunt ientlemen, & yet both rebelles, and therefore iustly slain: Howe muche more maye youre grace, thynke youre self moste happie, that euer you broughte furthe twoo suche Brandons, not onely by natu∣ral

birth, but also by most godly education, in such sort that the lyke .ij. haue not been for their towardnes vniuersallie. Whose deathe the general voice of all men declares howe muche it was lamented. So that whereas you might euer haue feared some daungerouse ende, you are nowe assured that they both made a most godly ende, the whiche thyng is the ful perfection of a Christiā lyfe. I reade of one Bibulus that hearyng of his two children to dye both in one daie, la∣mented the lacke of them bothe for that one daye, and mour∣ned no more. And what coulde a man doe lesse than for two children to lament but one daie: and yet in my mynde he la∣mented enough and euē so muche as was reason for hym to do, whose doynges if all Christians woulde folowe, in my iudgement they shoulde not onely fulfill natures rule, but also please God highly. Horatius Puluillus beeyng highe Prieste at Rome when he was occupied about the dedica∣tyng of a Temple to their greate God Iuppiter in the Ca∣pitoly, holdyng a post in his hande, and hard as he was vt∣teryng the solempne wordes, that his sonne was dead, euen at thesame present: he did neither plucke his hande from the post lest he shoulde trouble suche a solempnitie, neither yet turned his countenaunce from that publique religiō to his priuate sorowe, least he should seeme rather to doe the office of a father, then the dutie of an highe minister. Paulus E∣milius after his moste noble victorie had of Kyng Perse, desired of God, that if after suche a triumphe there were a∣ny harme lyke to happen to the Romaines, the same might fal vpon his owne house. Whereupon when God had taken his two children from hym immediatly after, he thancked God for graūtyng him his bound. For in so doyng he was a meane that the people rather lamented Paulus Emilius lacke, thē that Paulus or any bewailed any misfortune that the Romains had. Examples be innumerable of those whiche vsed lyke moderation in subduyng their affections, as Zenophon, Quintus Martius, Iulius Cesar, Tiberius Cesar, Emperours bothe of Rome. But what seeke I for misfortunate men, (if any suche be misfortunate) seyng it is an harder matter and a greater peece of worke to finde out

happie men, Let vs loke round about euen at home, and we shal finde enowe subiect to this misfortune. for who liueth that hath not lost? Therfore I woulde wishe your grace e∣uen nowe to come in againe with God, and although he be angry, yet show you your self most obedient to his wil, cō∣sideryng he is Lorde ouer Kynges, Emperours, and ouer al that be bothe in heauen and in yearth, and spareth noone whom he listeth to take, and no doubt he wil take all at the last. His dart goeth daily, neither is any darte cast in vaine whiche is sent amongest a whole armie standyng thicke to∣gether. Neither can you iustly lament that they lyued no longer, for they lyued long enough, that haue liued well e∣nough. You muste measure your children by their vertues, not by their yeres. For (as the wise man saith) a mans wise∣dom is the grey heeres, and an vndefiled life, is the old age. Happie is that mother that hath had Godly children, and not she that hath had long lyuyng children. For if felicitie should stande by length of tyme, some tree were more happy then is any man, for it liueth longer, and so likewyse brute beastes, as the Stagge, who liueth (as Plinius dothe say) two hundreth yeares, and more. If we woulde but consider what man is, we shoulde haue small hope to lyue, and litle cause to put any great assuraunce in this lyfe. Let vs se him what he is: Is his body any thyng els but a lumpe of earth made together in suche forme as we do see? A frail vessell, a weake carion, subiect to miserie, cast doune with euery light disease, a man to daie, to morowe none. A flower that this daie is freshe, to morowe withereth. Good Lorde do we not see that euen those thynges whiche nourishe vs, doe rotte & dye, as herbes, birdes, beastes, water, and al other without the whiche we cannot lyue. And how can we lyue euer, that are susteined by dead thinges? Therfore when any one doth dye, why do we not thynke, that this may chaunse to euery one, whiche now hath chaunsed to any one. We be now as those that stande in battail raie. Not one man is suer of him selfe before an other, but al are in daunger in lyke maner to death▪ That your children died before other that were of ri∣••er yeares, we may iudge that their ripenes for vertue and

all other giftes of nature were brought euen to perfection, wherby dea••h th•• soner approched for nothyng long lasteth that is sone excellent. God gaue your grace two most excel∣lent childrē, God neuer geueth for any long tyme those that be right excellent. Their natures were heauenly, and ther∣fore more meete for God then man. Emong frute we se some appels are sone ripe and fal from the tree in the middest of summer•• other be stil greene, & tary til winter, & hereupō are cōmonly called wynter frute: Euen so it is with me••, some dye young, some dye old, & some die in their midle age. Your sunnes wer euen .ij. suche already, as some hereafter may be with long cōtinuance of tyme. Thei had that in their youth for the giftes of nature, whiche al men would require of thē bothe scacelie in their age. Therfore beeyng both now ripe, they were now most ready for God. There was a childe in Rome of a mans quantite, for face, legges & o•• her partes of his body, wherupon wise men iudged he would not be long liuyng. How could your grace thynke, that when you sawe auncient wisdō in the one, & most pregnant wit in the other meruailouse sobriete in the elder, & most laudable gentlines in the younger, them bothe most studious in learnyng, most forward in al feates aswel of the body, as of the mind, beyng two suche, & so excellent, that they were lyke long to conti∣nue with you? God neuer suffreth such excellēt & rare iew∣els long to enherite therth. Whatsoeuer is nie perfectiō the same is most nigh falling. Uertue being o••s absolute cānot long be seen with these our fleshly iyes, neither can that ca∣ry the latter end with other, that was ripe it self first of al & before other. Fier goth out the soner, the clearer that it bur∣neth: & that light lasteth longest, that is made of most course matter. In greene wood we may see that where as the fuel is not most apt for burning, yet the fier lasteth lōger, than if it were nourished with like quantitie of drie wood. Euē so in the nature of man the mynde beeyng ripe, the body decai∣yeth streight, and life goeth away beeyng ones brought to perfection. Neither can there be any greater token of shorte lyfe, than full ripenes of naturall witte: The whiche is to the bodie, as the heate of the Sunne is to thynges yearthly.

Therfore iudge right honourable ladie, that euen now they both died, when they both wer most readie for God, neither thinke that thei died ouer soone, because thei liued no lōger. They died both Gods seruauntes, & therfore they died wel and in good tyme. God hath set their tyme, and taken them at his tyme blessed children as they be, to reigne with hym in the kyngdom of his father prepared for them from the be∣ginnyng. Unto whose wil, I wishe and I truste your grace doth wholy referre your wil, thankyng hym as hartely for that he hath taken them, as you euer thanked hym, for that he euer lent you them. I knowe the wicked wordes of some vngodly folke haue muche disquie••ed your grace, notwith∣standyng God beyng iudge of your naturall loue towardes your children, and al your faithful frendes, and seruauntes bearyng earnest witnes with your grace of the same: there vngodly talke the more lightely is to bee estemed, the more vngodly that it is. Nay your grace may reioyce rather, that whereas you haue doen well, you heare euill, accordyng to the wordes of Christe: Blessed are you, when men speake al euil thynges against you. And again consider GOD is not ledde by the reporte of men to iudge his creatures, but per∣swaded by y^e true knowlege of euery mans conscience, to take them for his seruauntes, & furthermore the harme is theirs whiche speake so lewdlie, and the blesse theirs whiche beare it so paciētly. For loke what measure thei vse to other, with the same they shalbe measured againe. And as they iudge so shal they be iudged. Be your grace therfore strong in aduer∣sitie, and pray for them that speake amisse of you, rendryng Gode for euil, and with charitable dealyng showe your self long suffryng, so shal you heape cooles on their heades. The boisterouse Sea trieth the good mariner, and sharpe vexatiō declareth the true Christian. Where battaill hath not been before, there neuer was any victorie obteined. Yow then be∣yng thus assailed, show your self rather stowte to withstād, than weake, to geue ouer: rather cleauyng to good, than yel∣dyng to euil. For if God be with you, what forceth who bee against you. For when al frendes faile, GOD neuer faileth them that put their trust in him, and with an vnfained hart

cal to hym for grace. Thus doyng I assure your grace, God wilbe pleased, and the Godly wil muche praise your wisdō, though the worlde ful wickedly saie their pleasure. I praie God your grace may please the Godlie, and with your ver∣tuouse behauiour in this your wydohode, winne there com∣mendation to the glory of God, the reioysyng of your fren∣des, and the comforte of your soule. Amen.

Thus, the rather to make pre••eptes plaine, I haue added examples at large both for counsel geuyng, & for com∣fortyng. And most nedeful it were in suche kynd of Oraciōs to be most occupied, considering the vse hereof appereth full ofte in al partes of our life, and confusedly is vsed emong al other matters. For in praisyng a worthie man, we shal haue iust cause to speake of all his vertues, of thynges profitable in this lyfe, and of pleasures in generall. Lykewyse in tra∣uersyng a cause before a iudge, we cannot wante the aide of persuasion, and good counsel, concernyng wealth, health, life and estimacion, the helpe wherof is partely borowed of this place. But whereas I haue sette forthe at large the places of confirmacion concernyng counsel in diuerse causes: it is not thought that either they should al be vsed in numbre as they are, or in ordre as they stande: but that any one may vse theim and ordre theim as he shall thynke best, accordyng as the tyme, place, and person, shal most of al require.

¶Of an Oration iudicial.

THE whole burdeine of weightie matters, and the earnest trial of al controuersies, rest onely vpon iud¦gement. Therfore when matters concernyng lande, gooddes, or life, or any suche thyng of lyke weight are called in Question, we must euer haue recourse to this kynde of Oration, and after iust examinyng of our causes by the places therof: loke for iudgement accordyng to the law.

¶Oration Iudicial what it is.

ORation Iudiciall is, an earnest debatyng in open assemblie of some weightie matter before a iudge, where the complainaunt commenseth his action, & the defendaunt thereupon aunswereth at his peril to al suche thynges as are laied to his charge.

¶Of the foundacion, or rather principall paincte in euery de∣bated matter, called of the Rhe••oricians the State, or constitucion of the Cause.

NOT onely is it nedefull in causes of iudgement to considre the scope whereunto wee must leauell our reasons, & directe our inuencion: but also we ought in euery cause to haue a respect vnto some one espe∣cial poincte, and chief article: that the rather the whole drift of our doynges may seeme to agree with our firste deuised purpose. For, by this meanes our iudgement shalbe framed to speake with discretion, and the ignoraunt shall learne to perceiue with profite, whatsoeuer is said for his enstructiō. But they that take vpon theim to talke in open audience, & make not their accompte before, what thei wil speake after: shal neither be well liked for their inuenciō, nor allowed for their witte, nor estemed for their learnyng. For, what other thyng do they, that boult out their wordes in suche sorte, & without al aduisement vtter out matter: but showe them∣selues to plaie as young boyes, or scarre crowes do, whiche showte in the open and plaine feldes at all auentures hittie missie. The learned therfore and suche as loue to beco••mp∣ted Clerkes of vnderstandyng, and men of good circumspe∣ction and iudgement: doe warely scanne what they chefely mynd to speake, and by definition seke what that is where∣unto they purpose to directe their whole doynges. For, by suche aduised warenesse, and good iye castyng: they shall al∣waies be able both to knowe what to say, & to speake what they ought. As for example if I shal haue occasion to speake in open audience of the obediēce due to our souereigne kyng I ought first to learne what is obedience, and after knowe∣lege attained, to direct my reasons to the onely proue of this purpose, and wholly to seke confirmacion of the same, & not turne my tale to talke of Robbyn Hoode, & to showe what a goodly archer was he, or to speake wounders of the man in the Mone, suche as are most nedelesse & farthest from the purpose. For then, the hearer lookyng to be taught his obe∣dience, & hearing in the meane season mad tales of archerie, and great meruailes of the man in the Mone: beyng half a∣stonied

at his so great straing wil perha••pes say to himself: Now, whether the deuill wilt thou, come in man againe for very shame, & tel me no bytailes, suche as are to no purpose but show me that whiche thou diddest promise both to t••a∣che & perswade at thy first entrie. Assuredly suche fonde fe∣lowes there haue been, yea euē emong Preachers, that tal∣king of faith, thei haue fetcht their ful race from the .xij. sig∣nes in the Zodiake. An other talking of the general resurre∣ction hath made a large matter of our blessed Lady, praisyng her to be so ientle, so courtise, & so kynd, that it were better a thousandfould to make sute to her alone thē to Christ her sonne. And what needed (I pray you) any suche rehersal be∣yng both vngodly, & nothyng at al to the purpose? for, what maketh the praise of our lady to the confirmaciō of the gene¦ral dowme? Would not a man thinke him mad that hauyng an earnest errand from London to Douer, would take it the next way to ride first into Northfolke, next into Essex, & last into Kent? And yet assuredly many an vnlearned & witte∣lesse mā hath straied in his talke much farther a great deale, yea truely as farre, as hence to Rome gates. Therfore wise are thei that folow Plinies aduise, who would that al men both in writing & speakyng at large vpon any matter, should euer haue an iye to the chief title & principal ground of their whole entent, neuer swaruing frō their purpose, but rather bringyng al thinges together to cōfirme their cause so much as they can possible. Yea, the wise & experte men wil aske of thēselfes, how hangeth this to the purpose? to what end do I speake it? what maketh this for cōfirmacion of my cause? & so by oft questionyng either chide their owne fol••e, if they speake amisse▪ or els be assured thei speake to good purpose.

A State therfore generally is the chief grounde of a mat∣ter, and the pryncipal poincte whereunto both he that spea∣keth shoulde referre his whole wit, & thei that heare should chefely marke. A Preacher taketh in hande to showe what praier is, and how nedeful for man, to cal vpon God: Now, he shoulde euer remembre this his matter, applieng his rea∣sons wholy and fully to this end that the hearers may both knowe the nature of praier, and the nedefulnesse of praier.

The whiche when he hath doen, his promise is fulfilled, his time wel bestowed, and the hearers wel iustructed.

¶A State, or constitution what it is in matters of Iudgement.

IN al other causes the state is gathered without cō∣tention, and seuerally handled vpon good aduisement as he shal thynke best that professeth to speake. But in matters criminall, where iudgement is required: there are two persons at the least, whiche must through con∣trarietie, stande and reste vpon some issue. As for example: A seruyng man is apprehended by a lawyer for felonie vpon suspicion. The lawier saith to the seruyng man: Thou hast done this robbery. Nay, (saith he) I haue not doen it. Upon this conflicte & matchyng together, ariseth this State, whe∣ther this seruing man hath done this robbery, or no? Upon whiche poincte the lawyer must stande, and seeke to proue it to the vttermost of his power.

A State therfore in matters of iudgement is that thyng, whiche doeth arise vpon the first demaunde and denial made betwixt men, whereof the one part is the accuser, and the o∣ther part the person, or persons accused. It is called a State because we doe stande and reste vpon some one poincte, the whiche must wholly and onely be proued of the one side, and denied of the other. I cannot better terme it in Englishe than by the name of an issue, the whiche not onely ariseth v∣pon muche debatyng and long trauerse vsed, whereupon all matters ar said to com to an issue: but also elswhere an issue is said to be then and so often as bothe parties stande vpon one poinct, the whiche doth aswel happen at the first begyn∣nyng before any probacions are vsed, as it doth at the latter endyng after the matter hath at large been discussed.

¶The diuision of States, or issues.

NOW that we knowe what an Issue is, it is nexte most nedeful to showe how many thei are in num∣bre. The wisest and best learned haue agreed vpon thre onely, and no lesse, the whiche are these fo∣lowyng.

The state.

• i. Coniecturall.
• ij. Legall.
• iij. Iuridiciall.

AND for the more playne vnderstandynge of these darcke wordes, these three questions folowinge, ex∣pounde their meaninge altogether.

• i. Whether the thinge bee, or no.
• ij. What it is.
• iij. What maner of thinge it is.

IN the fyrst we consider vpon rehearsal of a matter whether anye suche thinge bee, or no. As if one shoulde be accused of Murther, good it were to knowe, whether anye murther were committed at all, or on, if it be not perfectlye knowne before: and after to go further, and examine whether suche a man that is accu∣sed, haue done the dede or no.

In the seconde place, we doubte not vpon the thinge done, but we stande in doubte what to call it. Sometimes a man is accused of felo••ye, and yet he proueth his offence to be but a trespace, wherupon he escapeth the daunger of deathe. An other beynge accused for killynge a man, confes∣seth his faulte to be manslaughter, and denieth it vtterlye to be any murder, wherupō he maketh frendes to purchase his Pardon. Nowe the lawyers by their learninge muste iudge the doubte of this debate, and tell what name he de∣serueth to haue that hath thus offended.

In the thyrde place, not onely the dede is confessed, but the maner of doynge is defended. As if one were accused for killynge a man, to confesse the deede, and also to stande in it that he myght iustely so do, because he did it in his owne de∣fence: wherupon ariseth this Question, whether his doing be ryght or wrong. And to make these matters more plaine, I will adde an example for euery state, seuerally.

Of the state Coniecturall.

The Assertion. Thou hast killed this manne. The Aunswere. I haue not killed him. The State or Issue.

Whether he hath killed this man or no. Thus we see v∣pon the auouchinge and deniall, the matter standeth vpon an issue.

Of the state Legall.

Assertion. Thou hast committed treason in this facte. Aunswere. I denye it to be treason. State or issue.

Whether his offence done maye be called treason or no. Here is denied that any suche thinge is in the dede done, as is by word reported, and saide to bee.

Of the state Iuridiciall.

Assertion. Thou hast kylled this manne. Aunswere.

I graunte it, but I haue doone it lawfullye, because I killed him in mine owne defence.

State or issue.

Whether a man may kill one in his owne defence, or no, and whether this man did so, or no.

The Oration coniectural, what it is.

THe Oration coniectural is, when matters be ex∣amined and tryed out by suspicions gathered, and some likelihode of thinge appearinge. A Souldi∣our is accused for killinge a Farmar. The Soul∣dioure denieth it vtterly, & sayth he did not kyll him. Here∣upon riseth the question, whether the Souldioure killed the Farmar or no, who is well knowen to be slayne. Nowe to proue this question, we muste haue suche places of confir∣mation, as hereafter do folowe.

☞ Places of confirmation, to proue thinges by coniecture.

• i. Will, to do euill.
• ij. Power, to do euil.

IN the will muste be considered the qualitye of the [ i] man, whether he were like to do suche a dede or no, and what shoulde moue him to attempte suche an enterpryse, whether he did the murther vpon anye displeasure before conceyued, or of a sodayne anger, or els for that he loked by his death to receyue some commoditie, either lande, or office, money, or money 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or anye other gainefull thinge.

Some are knowen to want no will to kill a manne, be∣cause [ ij] they haue bene fleshe theretofore, passing as little vpō the deathe of a man, as a Bo••her dothe passe for killinge of an Ore, beynge heretofore either accused before a Iudge of manslaughter, or els quitte by some general pardon. Now, when the names of such menne are knowen, they make wise men euer after to haue them in suspection.

The countrey where the man was borne declares some∣time [ iij] his natural inclination, as if he wer borne or brought vp emong the Tindale, and Riddesdale menne, he may the soner be suspected.

Of what trade he is, by what occupation he liueth. [ iiij]

Whether he be a gamester, an alchouse haunter, or a pa∣nion [ v] emong Ruffians.

Of what wealthe he is, and how he came by that whiche [ vi] he hath, if he haue anye.

What apparell he weareth, and whether he loueth to go [ vij] gaye, or no.

Of what nature he is, whether he be hastye, headye, or [ viij] readye to pike quarels.

What shiftes he hath made from time to tyme. [ ix]

What moued him to do suche an haynous dede. [ x]

Places of Confirmation to proue whether he had power to do suche a dede, or no.

[ i] The grounde where the man was flaine, whether it was in the hygh waye, in a woode, or betwixt two hylles, or els where, nighe to an hedge or secrete place.

[ ij] The tyme, whether it was earlye in the mornynge, or late at nyght.

[ iij] Whether he was there about that time or no.

[ iiij] Whether he ranne awaye after the deede done, or had a∣nye bloude aboute him, or trembled, or stakerde, or was contrarie in tellyng of his tale, and how he kept his counte∣naunce.

[ v] Hope to kepe his dede secrete, bi reason of the place, time, and secrete maner of doynge.

[ vi] Witnesses examined of his beynge, either in this or that place.

[ vij] By comparinge of the stxengthe of the murtherer wyth the other mans weakenes, armoure with nakednes, & stout∣nes with simplicitie.

[ viij] His Confession.

An example of an Oration Iudiciall, to proue by Con∣tectures the knowledge of a notable and mooste hay∣nous offence, committed by a Souldiour

AS Nature hath euer abhorred murder, and God in all ages most terriblye hath plagued bloudsheading: so I truste your wisedomes (mooste worthye Iud∣ges) will spedelye seke the execution of this mooste hatefull synne. And where as God reuealeth to the syght of menne the knowledge of such offences by diuers likelihodes, and probable coniectures: I doubte not but you beyng cal∣led of God to heare suche causes, wyll doe herein as rea∣son shall require, and as this detestable offence shall moue you v••on rehearsall of the matter. The Manne that is well knowen to be slayne, was a worthye Farmar, a good housekeper, a welthye husbandemanne, one that traueyled muche in this worlde, me••nynge vprightlye in all hys do∣inges, and therfore beloued emonge all men, and lamented of manye when his deathe was knowen. This Souldi∣oure

beynge desperate in his doynges, and liuyng by spoyle all his lyfe tyme, came newlie from the warres, whose han∣d••s hath bene latelye bathed in bloude, and nowe he kepeth this countrey (where this farmar was slaine) and hath ben here for the space of one whole moneth together, and by all likelihodes he hath slaine this honest farmer. For, such men∣flesht vilaynes, make small accompte for kyllinge anye one, and do it they will withoute anye mercye, when they m••ye see their time. Yea, this wretch is bruted for his beastly de∣meanoure, and knowen of longe time to be a stronge thiefe. Nether had he escaped the daunger of the law, if the kinges free pardon had not preuented the execution. His name de∣clares his noughtye nature, and his wycked liuynge hathe made him famous. For, who is he that hearynge of N. (the notable offenders name myght here be rehearsed) doth not thynke by and by, that he were lyke to do suche a dede? Nei∣ther is he onelye knowen vniuersallye to be nought, but his soyle also (where he was borne) geueth him to be an euill man: consideringe he was bredde and brought vp emong a denne of theues, emonge the men of Tindale and Ryddes∣dale, where pillage is good purchase, and murderynge is counted manhode. Occupation hath he none, nor yet any o∣ther honeste meanes, whereby to maintayne him selfe: & yet he liueth mooste sumptuouslye. No greater gamester in a whole countrey, no such riotour, a notable whoremonger, a lewderoister emong Ruffiās, an vnreasonable waister, to day ful of money, w^tin a seuēnight after not worth a grote. There is no man that seethe him, but will take him for his apparell to be a gentilman. He hath his chaunge of sutes, yea, he spareth not to go in his silkes and veluet. A greate quareller, and fraie maker, glad when he may be at d••fiaūce with one or other, he hath made such shyftes for money ere now, that I maruaile how he hath liued till this daye. And now beyng at a low ebbe, & lothe to seme base in his estate, thought to aduenture vpon this farmar, and either to win∣ne the saddle, or els to lose the horse. And thus beynge so farre forwarde, wantinge no will to attempte this wicked deede, he sought by all meanes possible, conuenient oportu∣nitye

to compasse his desire. And waytinge vnder a woode side, nighe vnto the hyghe waye, aboute sixe of the clocke at night, he sette vpon this farmer, at what time he was com∣ming homewarde. For, it appeareth not onelye by his owne confession, that he was there aboute the selfe same time, where this man was slayne: but also there be men that saw him ride in greate haste aboute the selfe same time. And be∣cause GOD would haue thys murder to be knowen, loke I praye you what bloude he carieth aboute hym, to beare witnesse agaynste hym of hys moost wicked deede. Againe, hys owne confession dothe playnelye goe againste hym, for he is in so manye tales, that he can not tell what to saye.

And often his coloure chaungeth, his bodye shaketh, and hys tongue foultereth wythin hys mouthe. And suche men as he bryngeth in to beare witnesse wyth hym, that he was at suche a place at the selfe same houre, when the Farmar was slayne: they wyll not be sworne for the verye houre, but they saye, he was at suche a place, wythin two houres after. Now Lord, dothe not this matter seeme most playne vnto al mē, especially seing this dede was done such a time, and in suche a place, that if the deuyl had not bene his good Lorde, thys matter hadde neuer come to lyghte. And who wyll not saye that this Caytife hadde little cause to feare, but rather power inoughe to doe his wycked feacte, seynge he is so sturdye and so stronge, and the other so weake and vnweldy: yea, seyng this vilaine was armed, and the other man naked. Doubte yon not (worthye Iudges) seynge such notes of his former lyfe to declare his inwarde nature, and perceiuing suche coniectures lawfully gathered vpon iuste suspicion: but that this wretched Souldioure hath slayne thys worthye Farmar. And therfore I appeale for iustice vnto your wisdomes for the deathe of thys innocente man, whose bloude before God asketh iuste auengement. I doubt not but you remember the wordes of Salomon, who saith. It is as greate a synne to forgeue the wicked, as it is euill to condempne the innocente: and as I call vnfaynedlye for ryghtfull Iudgemente, so I hope assuredlye for iuste exe∣cucion.

The Person accused beynge innocente of the cryme that is layed to his charge, may vse the selfe same places for his owne defence, the whyche hys accuse•• vsed to proue hym ••yltye.

The interpretation of a lawe, otherwise called the State legall.

IN boultynge out the true meaninge of a lawe, we must vse to search out the nature of the same, by de fining sone one worde, or comparing one law wyth an other, iudging vpon good triall, what is right, and what is wronge.

The partes.

• i. Definition.
• ii. Contrarye lawes.
• iii. Lawes made, & thende of the law maker
• iiii. Ambiguitye, or doubtfulnes.
• v. Probation by thinges like.
• vi. Chalengynge or refusinge.

Definition what it is.

THen we vse to define a matter, when wee can not agree vpon the nature of some word, the which we learne to know by askyng the question what it is. As for example. Where one is apprehended for kil∣ling a man, we laye murder to his charge: wherupon the ac∣cused person when he graūteth the killing, and yet denieth it to be murder: we must straight after haue recourse to the definition, and aske, what is murder, by defininge whereof, and comparing the nature of the word, with his dede done: we shall sone know whether he committed murder or man∣slaughter.

Contrarye lawes.

IT often happeneth that lawes seme to haue a cer∣taine repugnancie, wherof emōg many riseth much cōtenciō, wher as if both y^e lawes wer wel weied & cōsidered according to their circūstances, thei wold

appeare nothing contrari in matter, though in wordes they seme to dissent. Christ geueth warning, & chargeth his dis∣ciples in the .x. of Math. that they preach not the glad tidin∣ges of his cōming into the world to the Gentils, but to the Iewes only, vnto whom he was sent by his father. And yet after his resurrection we do read in the last of Mat. that he commaunded his disciples to go into all the whole world, and preach the glad tidinges of his passion, & raunsome, pai∣ed for al creatures liuing. Now though these .ii lawes seme contrary, yet it is nothing so. For if the Iewes would haue receiued Christ, & acknowleged him their sauioure, vndou∣tedly they had bene the onelye children of God, vnto whom the promise and couenaunt was made from the beginninge. But bicause they refused their Sauiour, and crucified the Lord of glory: Christ made the lawe generall, and called all men to life that woulde repent, promisinge saluation to all suche as beleued and were baptised. So that the particuler law, beyng nowe abrogated, muste ••••ades geue place to the superioure.

Foure lessons to be obserued, where contrarye lawes are called in question.

• i. The inferioure law must geue place to the superiour.
• ii. The lawe generall muste yelde to the spe∣ciall.
• iii. Mans lawe, to Gods lawe.
• iiii. An olde lawe, to a newe lawe.

There be Lawes vtterde by Christes owne mouthe, the whiche if they be taken accordinge as they are spoken, seme to conteyne great absurditie in them. And therfore the mind of the lawe maker muste rather be obserued, then the bare wordes taken onely, as they are spoken. Christ sayth in the v. of Mathew. If thy right eye be an offence vnto thee, plu∣cke him out, and caste him awaye from thee. If one geue the a blowe of thy ryghte cheke, turne to him agayne thy lefte

cheke. There be some Eunuches, that haue gelded thēselfes for the kyngdome of heauen. Go, and sell all that thou hast, and geue it to the poore. He that doeth not take vp his crosse and folowe me, is not worthy of me. In all whiche sentences there is no suche meanyng, as the bare wordes vttered seme to yelde. Pluckyng out of the iye, declares an auoydyng of all euill occasions: receiuyng a blowe vpon the lefte cheke, cōmendes vnto vs, modestie and pacience in aduersitie. Gel∣dyng, signifieth a subduyng of affeccions, & tamyng the foule luste of pleasure, vnto the will of reason. Go and sell all: de∣clares we should be liberal, and glad to part with our good∣des to the poore and neady. Bearyng the Crosse, be••o••••••eth sufferance of all sorowes, and miseries in this worlde. Now to proue that the will of the lawe maker, is none other then I haue saied: I maie vse the testimonies of other places in the Scripture, and compare theim with these sentences, and so, iudge by iuste examinacion, and diligent searche, the true meanyng of the lawe maker.

¶Ambiguitee.

SOmetymes a doubt is made, vpon some woorde or sentēce, when it signifieth diuerse thynges, or maie diuersly be taken, wherupon full oft ariseth muche contencion. The lawyers lacke no cases, to fil this parte full of examples. For, rather then faile, thei will make doubtes oftē tymes, where no doubt should be at all. Is his Lease long enough ({quod} one): yea sir, it is very long, saied a poore husbande man. Then ({quod} he) let me alone with it, I wil finde a hole in it, I warrant thee. In all this talke, I excepte alwaies the good lawyers, and I maie well spare theim, for thei are but a fewe.

¶Probacion by thynges like.

WHen there is no certain lawe by expresse wordes vttered for some heinous offender, we maie iudge the offence worthy deathe, by rehersall of some o∣ther Lawe, that soundeth muche that waie. As thus. The ciuil lawe appoyncteth y^t he shalbe put in a sacke, and cast in the Sea, that killeth his father: well, then he that killeth his mother, should by all reason, in like sort be orde∣red.

It is lawfull to haue a Magistrate, therefore it is law∣full to plead matters before an officer. And thus, though the last cānot be proued by expresse wordes, yet thesame is foūd lawfull, by rehersall of the first.

¶Chalengyng, or refusyng.

WE vse this order, when wee remoue our sewtes, from one Courte to another, as if a manne should appele from the Common place, to the Chaunce∣rie. Or if one should bee called by a wrong name, not to answere vnto it. Or if one should refuse to answere in the spirituall court, and appele to the lorde Chauncellor.

¶The Oracion of right or wrong, called otherwise the state Iuridiciall.

AFter a deede is well knowen to be doen, by some out persone, we go to the next, and searche whether it be right, or wrong. And that is, when the maner of do∣yng is examined, and the matter tried through rea∣sonyng, and muche debatyng, whether it be wrongfully doen or otherwise.

¶The diuision.

THis state of right or wrong, is twoo waies diuided, wherof the one is, when the matter by the awne na∣ture, is defended to bee righte, without any further sekyng, called of the Rhetoriciās, the state absolute. The other (vsyng litle force, or strengthe to maintein the matter) is, when outward help is sought, and bywaies vsed to pur••hase fauour, called otherwise the state assumptiue.

¶Places of confirmacion for the first kynd, are seuen.

• j. Nature if self.
• ij. Goddes lawe, and mannes lawe.
• iij. Custome.
• iiij. Aequitie.
• v. True dealyng.
• vj. Auncient examples.
• vij. Couenauntes and deedes autentique.

TUllie in his moste worthy Oracion, made in behalfe of Milo, declareth that Milo slewe Clodius moste lawfully, whom Clodius sought to haue slain moste wickedly. For ({quod} Tullie) if nature haue graffed this in man, if lawe haue confirmed it, if necessitie haue taught i•• if custome haue kept it, if aequitie haue mainteined it, if true dealyng hath allowed it, if all common weales haue vsed it, if deedes auncient haue sealed this vp, that euery creature liuyng should fense it self, against outward violence: no mā can thinke that Milo hath dooen wrong, in killyng of Clo∣dius, except you thinke, that when menne mete with theues, either thei must be slain of theim, or els condempned of you.

¶Places of confirmacion for the seconde kynde, are foure.

• Grauntyng of the faulte committed.
• Blamyng euill companie for it.
• Comparyng the fault, and declaryng that either
• thei must haue doen that, or els 〈◊〉〈◊〉 doen worse
• Shiftyng it from vs, and shewyng that wee did
• it vpon commaundement.

COnfessyng of the faulte, is when the accused person graunteth his crime, and craueth pardon thereupon, leauyng to aske iustice, & leanyng wholy vnto mercie

¶Confession of the faulte, vsed twoo maner of waies.

The first is, when one excuseth hymself, that he did it not willyngly, but vnwares, and by chaunce.

The second is, when he asketh pardone, for the fault doen consideryng his seruice to the common weale, and his wor∣thy deedes heretofore dooen, promisyng amendement of his former euill deede: the whiche wordes, would not be vsed be∣fore a Indge, but before a kyng, or generall of an armie. For the Iudges muste geue sentence, accordyng to the Lawe: the Kyng maie forgeue, as beyng aucthour of the lawe, and ha∣uyng power in his hande, maie do as he shall thinke best.

Blamyng other for the faulte doen, is when wee saie that the accused persone, would neuer haue doen suche a deede, if other against whō also, this accusacion is intended, had not

been euill men, and geuen iust cause, of suche a wicked dede.

Comparyng the fault is when we saie, that by flaiyng an euill man, we haue doen a good dede, cuttyng awaie the cor∣rupte and rotten member, for preseruacion of the whole bo∣dy. Or thus: some sette a whole toune on fire, because their enemies should haue none aduaūtage by it. The Sagunty∣nes beeyng tributarie to the Romaines, slewe their awne children, burnte their goodes, and fired their bodies, because thei would not be subiecte to that cruell Haniball, and lose their allegiaunce, due to the Romaines.

Shiftyng it frō vs, is when we saie, that if other had not set vs on, wee would neuer haue attempted suche an enterprise. As often tymes the souldiour saieth, his Capitaines biddyng, was his enforcement: the seruaunt thynketh his Maisters commaundemente, to bee a suffi∣cient de∣fence for his di∣scharge.

The ende of the first Booke.

Notes

• Rhetorique oc¦cupied aboute all lawes, con∣cernyng man.
• Questions of two sortes.
• Questions in∣finite.
• Questions de∣finite.
• Questions de∣finite, belong properly to an Orator.
• Questions in∣finite, proper vnto Logiciās
• Orators boūd to perfourme 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thynges.
• Plain wordes proper vnto an Oratour.
• A Philosophi¦er•• wittie sai∣yng to a yong manne, that soughte to speake darke language.
• Orators muste vse delightful woordes, and saiynges.
• Preachers not so diligentely heard, as com∣mon plaiers.
• Prechers must sometymes be merie, when thei speake to the people.
• Deli••••ng nedefull.
• Scurrilitie odious.
• Affecciōs must be moued.
• Practise ma∣keth all thyn∣ges perfect.
• Rhetorique firste made by wise men, and not wise men firste made by Rhetorique.
• Imitacion or folowyng the waies of wise men, is nede∣full.
• Rhetorique, to what purpose it serueth.
• Arte, surer guide, then nature.
• Orators must haue fiue thin∣ges to make them perfect.
• Inuencion, what it is.
• Disposicion, what it is.
• Elocucion, what it is.
• Memorie, what it is.
• Pronunciatiō what it is.
• Oracions in generall, con∣sist vpon seuen partes.
• Enteraunce, what it is.
• Narration.
• Proposicion.
• Diuision.
• Confirmacion.
• Confutacion.
• Conclusion.
• Matters ī ge∣neral, stand in iiii. poynctes.
• Matters honest.
• Matters, filthie.
• Matters, doubtfull.
• Matters, trifelyng.
• Circūstaunces necessary in al causes to bee noted.
• Fauoure wyn∣nyng, and af∣feccions mo∣uyng, when thei are moste necessarie.
• Aduersaries reasons, when thei shuld best be confuted.
• Argumentes whō thei shuld chiefly be vsed
• Matters, hard to auoide, shuld alwaies bee past ouer, as thoughwe saw them not at al
• Good to bee bolde in moste daungier, if o∣therwise wee cannot escape.
• Better not to hurte a good matter by euil speach, then to further it by good talke.
• ••arenesse in speakyng, and forbearyng to speake.
• The person be¦fore whom we speake, must be well marked.
• Tyme must be obserued.
• Orations, o•• causes of thr••e kyndes,
• Oracion De∣monstratiue.
• Noble perso∣nages, howe thei should be praised.
• The house o•• aūcestrie wher¦of a noble per∣sonage cometh.
• ii. The realme.
• iii. The Shire or Toune.
• iiii. The se••e or kynde.
• v. Educac••on.
• vi. Inclinaciō of nature.
• vii Attemptes worthy.
• viii.
• Tyme of it. departing this worlde.
• After depar∣ture.
• Duke of Suf∣folke, and lord Charles.
• Gorgias.
• Heliogabalus
• Phauorinus.
• Henry duke of Suffolke, and lorde Charles his brother.
• Oracion De∣mo••stratiue of a deede.
• Dauid cōmen∣ded for killing Goliah.
• who? Dauid against Goliah.
• what? Dauid killed Goliah.
• where? About the vale of Terebithus.
• Dauids enter∣prise, honest and godly.
• By what help and by whose? Alone, & with∣out the help of any manne li∣uyng.
• Dauids enter∣prise, praise worthy.
• why? For the saufe∣garde of his countrey.
• Dauides enter¦prise, prost••a∣••ie to hymself and his coun∣trey.
• Dauides enter¦prise, appered easy to himself
• Dauides enter¦prise, accomp∣ted of his frē∣des, harde aud impossible.
• How? with a slyng.
• Logique must be learned for confirmacion of causes.
• Iustice com∣mended.
• Iustice natu∣rally in euery one of v••.
• Iustice what it is, and howe largely it ex∣tendeth.
• Aristotel.
• Wvrong dea∣lyng deserueth death.
• Iustice neces∣sarie for almō.
• From the lesse to the greater.
• Young Stor∣kes.
• Vnnaturalnes in man towar∣des God.
• Ihon. ••iiii. Matth. ••ix. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• Proner. ••v••.
• Prouer. iiii.
• Psal. xcvi.
• Profite of iustice.
• Sauegarde had by iustice.
• Gradation.
• The necessitie of iustice.
• Vvhere iustice is executed, vice is exiled.
• ¶Aegiptians what order they vsed to banishe ydel∣nesse.
• Iustice easy to be obserued, if wil be not wā¦••yng.
• Valer. lib. vi.
• Oration deli∣beratiue.
• ••onestie com∣prehendeth al vertues.
• Profite howe largely it ex∣tendeth.
• Profite bea∣reth the name of goodnes, whiche is thre folded.
• Pleasures, lar¦gely sette out.
• Eas••nesse of trauaile.
• Trauaile vnto whome it is ••arde.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Lawfull.
• Necessary 〈◊〉〈◊〉 waies taken.
• Lawes of Englande.
• Vertnes espe∣ciall and chief foure in nō••••e
• Prudence what it is?
• Partes of Prudence.
• Iustice, what it is.
• Nature, what it is.
• Religion.
• Naturall loue.
• Thankfulnes.
• Stoutenesse.
• Reuerence.
• Assured and constant truth
• Right by custome.
• Custome with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 grounde, vn∣••••dly.
• Commons.
• Iudgement geuen.
• Right by Lawe.
• Manhode.
• Honorablenes
• Stoutenesse.
• Sufferaunce.
• Continuaunce
• Temperaunce.
• Sobrietie.
• Ieutlenesse.
• Modestie.
• Hope of re∣warde maketh men take pai∣nes.
• The Romay∣nes lawes for Churche di∣gni••ees.
• Lawe, profi∣table to the purse.
• Circumstaun∣ces, in obser∣uyng profite.
• Foly in many, that go to the Lawe.
• Lawyers, ne∣••••r dy beggers
• L••wes main∣teine lyfe.
• Praise wor∣thie to marie.
• Right and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to ma••te.
• Mariage first made by God.
• After mā was made, the wo∣man was ioy∣ned vnto hym.
• Matrimonie renewed after the floude.
• ¶Na••••re worke allowe•• by Goddes worde.
• Mariage beau¦tified by a mi∣racle.
• Mariage ho∣norable.
• Deut. vi.
• Lia.
• Hebrues lawe for maried folke.
• Plutarchus in the lyfe of Cato.
• Augustus Cesar.
• Miscella.
• Vlpianus.
• I••••enal.
• Licurgus law against vnma∣••••ed folke.
• Punishmētes appoynted for breaking of wedlocke.
• The Grecians reuengement for adu••••trye.
• The Hebrues stoned Aduou∣terers.
• Lawful for the maried man a∣mong the He∣brues to kyll the aduoutere••
• Matrimonie natural
• Mariage e∣monge trees.
• Mariage e∣mong preci∣ous stones.
• Mariage be∣twene the fir∣••••ament and the earth.
• The fable of Giauntes that fought against Nature.
• Orpheu••.
• The most wic∣ked can not chose but alow mariage.
• All nacions e∣uer estemed mariage.
• The Hebrues and Persians had a number of wiues
• Abraham.
• Iacob.
• Salomon.
• Socrates
• Priestes ma∣riage.
• Virginitie.
• Hierom•• prai∣se vpon Virgi∣nitie.
• Hebrues.
• Timon a dead∣ly hater of all companie.
• Euill wifes happen to euil men onely.
• Ielousie vn∣knowen to wise men.
• Cornelia.
• Alcestes wife.
• Iulia.
• Por••ia.
• Lucretia.
• Artemisia.
• Hipsicratea.
• ••ertia Aemilia.
• Turia.
• Lentula.
• A••ria.
• Prouer. x.
• Necessitee enforceth mariage.
• zerxes.
• Essens ha∣••ed Mariage.
• Iosephus xv•••••• cap. li••. ii.
• Daughters of Loth.
• The conclu∣sion.
• Exhortyng.
• Praisyng •• d••ede,
• Praisyng a man, the ra∣ther to encou∣rage him.
• Expectacion of al men.
• ••ope of vic∣torie.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Shame folo∣weth fearful∣nesse, when manhode is thought nede∣ful.
• Heauen, the rewarde of hault Capitoi∣nes.
• Mo••yng of pitie.
• The maner of commendyng▪
• The maner of comfortyng.
• Comforty••g two waies ••sed.
• Sweatyng disease.
• Passions wo∣••ke diuerslye
• The cause why God ta∣keth awa•• the moste worth••∣est.
• Vvhe•• necessi¦tie ruleth, so∣row is nedeles••
• The folye of such as sorow the want of the••e frendes.
• Deathe com∣mune to all.
• Euil, to liue emonge the euil.
• To dye hap∣pelye is great happines.
• Vvisd. iiii.
• Psal. lxxxiiii.
• Psal. xlii.
• Life, the right way to death.
• Death purcha∣seth re••t.
• Death more frendly, the so¦ner it cometh.
• Thracians.
• Children by wepyng, de∣clare out 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Iob.
• Lent goodes, muste be resto∣red at the aw∣ne••s will.
• The nature of brute beastes.
• Immoderate sorowe, not naturall.
• Tyme, a reme∣die for fooles, to take awaie their sorowe.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• The great mi∣serie of this worlde, makes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of life
• Impacience without com¦forte.
• Trees, not ac∣cursed, because Apples fall from cheins.
• Commodus
• Nero.
• Dauid .ii. Regu•••••• .xii.
• Iob.
• Tobias.
• ••. Thessa .iiii.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Anaxogoras.
• Pericles.
• Cornelia.
• Bibulus.
• Horatius Puluillus.
• Paulus Emi∣lius.
• Quintus ••••••¦tius.
• Iulius Cesar.
• Tyberius Ce∣sar.
• Sap .iiii.
• Trees lyue lō∣ger then men.
• The Stagge how long he liueth.
• Man, what he is, concernyng his body.
• Rype thynges last not long.
• Math. v.
• Paci••̄ce praise worthie in ad∣uersitie.
• Definition of a thyng must first be knowē ere we speake o•••• mynd at large.
• Rouyng with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 reason.
• Plinies coun∣sel for hande∣ling of caus••••.
• A State gene∣rally what it is.
• State in Iud∣gement what it is.
• State, why it is so called.
• Math. v.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• Lawyers.
• Confessyng, what it is.
• The diuision.
• Blamyng o∣ther, how 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is saied.
• Comparyng the faulte.
• S••guntines.
• Shiftyng the fault from vs