Of wisdome three bookes written in French by Peter Charro[n] Doctr of Lawe in Paris. Translated by Samson Lennard

CHAP. XLI. Of the difference and inequalitie of men in generall.

THere is nothing in this lower world wherein there is found so great difference as amongst men, and where the differences are so distant and diuers in one and the same subiect and kinde. If a man should beleeue Plinie, He∣rodotus, Plutarch, there are shapes of men in some countreys, that haue very little resemblance with ours, and some that are of a mixt and doubtfull kind betwixt men and beasts. There are some countreys where men are without heads, carrying their eyes and mouthes in their brests, where they are Her∣maphrodites, where they go with foure feet, where they haue one eye in the forehead, and a head liker to a dogs head than a mans, where they are fish from the nauell downwards, and liue in the water; where their women beare children at fiue yeeres of age, and liue but eight; where they haue their head and forhead so hard, that iron can not pierce them; where they doe naturally change into wolues and other beasts, and afterwards into men again; where they are without a mouth, nourishing themselues with the smell of certaine odours; where they yeeld a seed that is blacke; where they are verie little and dwarfs; where they are very great and giants; where they goe alwayes naked; where they are all hairie;

where they speake not, but liue in woods like beasts, hidden in caues and hollow trees. And in our times we haue disco∣uered, seene with the eye, and touched with our fingers, where the men are without beards, without vse of fire, corne, wine; where that is held to be the greatest beautie, which we account the greatest deformitie, as hath beene sayd be∣fore. Touching the diuersitie of maners we shall speake els∣where. And to omit many of these strange wonderments, we know that as touching the visage, it is impossible to find two in all things alike; it may fall out that we may mistake, and take the one for the other, because of the great resemblance that may be betweene two; but this must be in the absence of the one, for in the presence of them both it is easie to note a difference, though a man know not how to expresse it. In the soules of men there is a farre greater difference, for it is not only greater without comparison betwixt a man and a man, than betwixt a beast and a beast: but there is greater difference betwixt a man and a man, than a man and a beast; for an excellent beast comes neerer to a man of the basest sort and degree, than that man to another great and excellent personage. This great difference of men proceedeth from the inward qualities, and from the spirit, where there are so many parts, so many iurisdictions, so many degrees beyond number, that it is an infinit thing to consider. We must now at the last learne to know man by those distinctions and dif∣ferences that are in him, which are diuers, according to the many parts in man, many reasons, and meanes to compare and consider of him. We will heere set downe fiue princi∣pall, vnto which all the rest may be referred, and generally all that is in man, Spirit, bodie naturall, acquired, publike, pri∣uate, apparent, secret: and so this fift and last consideration of man shall haue fiue parts, which are fiue great and capitall distinctions of men, that is to say:

The first naturall, essentiall, and vniuersall of all men, soule and bodie.

The second naturall and essentiall principally, and in some sort acquired, of the force and sufficiencie of the spirit.

The third accidentall of the estate, condition and dutie of man, drawen from superioritie and inferioritie.

The fourth accidentall of the condition and profession of life.

The fift and last of the fauours and disfauours of Nature and of Fortune.