Duell-ease A worde with. valiant spiritts shewing the abuse of duells, that valour, refuseth challenges and priuate combates. sett foorth by G.F. a defendour of Christian valoure.

Preface.

To the Gentle Reader.

FRom the presse I come to Paules, to be gazed on by many: some will read and guesse at my good meaning, that it was not so much to keepe steele out of sight, as to keepe manhood in possession: and that my leaves of Paper are not for cowards to shelter themselves under. I doe not aime to op∣pose true valour, by branding it with ignominy: I guild not the drosse of mankinde with glorious excuses: the brave-worded faint-hearts with warranties of their effe∣minate weakenesse. I rather doe honour unto manlike cou∣rage, and wish it long life.

I truely apprehend valour a pretious Iewell; there∣fore not to bee handled disrespectfully: a principall orna∣ment in a well ordered common weale, therefore not to be abused by every horse-groome, not to be trampled in every taverne, nor to wayt upon every fond lover: with freedome may I speake it; valour is not to be hazar∣ded upon meane enterprises, but to bee laid up for dearer times: by it Kings doe hold their scepters, without it E∣quity

will fall out of credit, and the world shall not dare to shew a good liking to honesty: men must keepe courage to looke vice in the face; to make it to heare its owne name. And in this respect there is great oversight in the havocke of valorous spirits, which dayly the power of vulgar opinion maketh perish in Duells.

Yet I doe not generally denounce an exile to all Duels, from al countreyes, from all occasions; sometimes they have their lawfulnes; the unadvised are insufferable, and such I desire to suppresse: the too too much levity in falling into wrath, turneth the merit of courage into a meere shaddow, which ever followeth, but such as wander out of the light of reason, misled by strong passion: for certainly when the causes of quarrells are no bigger than little sands, they lye onely on the eye of such, as are over flowne with an Ocean of Anger.

To the Dueller.

YOu will say I deale with brave Duellers, too too discourteously: favour me, it is your Vice I kicke at; I both honour and extoll your valour. Bee not offended, if I say Duels be bad, that they are acts un∣lawfull, unluckie, that the combater breedeth most mis∣chiefe to himselfe when he is victor, when he kils his Ad∣versary: I doe but tell you what the nature of Duellisme is. You will needs notwithstanding make a challenge, you will goe to the field, when you rage: but understand, you goe out of your way, I shew it you, you are in the darke, in a passion; what harme doe I unto you, if I light you with a

candle? Stout Pericles, the mirrour of Athens and for∣ty * 1.1 yeares ruler of that common wealth, heard one a whole day wrangling and reviling him; provoking him from the word to the sword; and when the currish fellow had done barking, Pericles lighted him home with a lan∣thorne. You are inraged, you will answer the Duell; I will but light you with a lanthorne, that you may see what a foule thing you goe about; how iniurious to your selfe, to your King, to your country: how you make your selfe a meere childe in suffering your selfe to be led by the sleeve to the field like a babie: you make your selfe a Bedlam by running into furie and frenzie: Did you desire Honour, to be thought valiant; I doe here shew you wherein true Honour, and true Valour doth consist: if yet ye will leave the true for the shadow, and being hungry, will choose painted meates before the wholesome; blame not me for warning you, before you fill your selfe with winde, which will shame you.

You will tell me I presume, when I talke of valour: it is out of my element, valour is in the highest region of the fire, and I in low water, cold, snowy, the point of the penne, ever hath had small acquaintance with the poynt of the weapon: none but Eagles can look on bright valours rayes: I am but an Owle that flyeth by night, and use not the world by day light, where when mens courages rise up, there must bee rushing to whet them, else manhood will grow rustie. I commend in you the care of valour, keepe it, but loose not your wits, keepe altogether and know from me; some may want skill to use their weapons and not want knowledge to use courage, and to teach you.

Gladiatores perfectissimos (saith Tertullian) non tantum magistri, sed etiam Idiotae quique adhortan∣tur * 1.2 de longinquo, et saepe de ipso populo dictata, suggesta profuerint, you most expert swordmen, Gladia∣tores perfectissimos, call me Ideot in armes: Idiote, but yet, confesse a meane skill, can tell you in your eare some∣thing that will doe you good, when your swords are cla∣shing: de ipso populo suggesta profuerint.

To the Schooleman.

I Have affected brevity, because I speake vnto passion, that never stayeth long to heare any thing. I come not often to the schoole for the definition of things, thats too fine a thread for bleere-eyed quarellers to looke on: it suf∣ficeth me to have a quiet word with plaine reason, not caring much for formality in perswasion, which it selfe indeed is not much in use (as men use to say now a dayes) in a Nation that so little suffereth to bee perswaded to any thing, though fondly led to most things, by creatures of no choice, not by any good quality, but by a kinde of fancie: Preachings and perswasions, say many, may be found for any caprich: as if reasoning were a kinde of Iugling, fast and loose, or that becommed not rationall creatures, to be led by reason, no more then to bee led by the nose: Men clayme not that name, untill they can leade themselves; the Cannot becomes onely women and children. I run often upon Examples, because they delight longer, and move stronger: of what we see other worthies have done, perchance wee may take to doe something, whiles wee will

be perswaded to nothing; in matter of knowledge, our own must ever be the best, because (as we pretend) we see cir∣cumstances, we see presidents: and there are fashions of passions, as well, as of apparell, which the power of opini∣on will have followed.

To the Common wealths-man.

IT is you that sit in gowns; that must overrule weapons: cedant arma togae. I dare not require my penne to * 1.3 reach unto Vertue, that were to bee ieered at: I aske but Order, and aske no more, but what a civill common∣wealth must grant me: I pray assistance. If you bid me re∣flect, that boyling youth, & their fiery vayns, are not yet fit, for the still musick of the heavens, I know it; yet in ma∣ny kingdomes the God of this world gathereth up brave youth in clusters; whiles indeede in some countries hea∣ven findes but a poore picking: let hot spurs in these infe∣riour orbes, where so much striving and struggling is for meanes & manners, feele what is for the best advantage of the universe: so grace them, and make you them wear the diamond of valour, now and then, with a foyle, I say not of Piety, but of Christianity: your wisdomes bee plea∣sed to effect it. If men must now and then, hew one ano∣thers limmes; yet let them not goe on, like wilde beasts; of these, their fights and Fates end together, and have no after reckonings: but men must come again before a iust God; therefore helpe them to keepe good quarter: and you that are the Treasurers of the Commonwealth, increase your treasure, give them a good behaviour, which may keepe them, so they will keepe it: binde them to Peace, and I will end, and hold mine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bas. hom. 24 de legendis libris Gentilium.
• * 1.2

  Tertull. ad Mar. c. 2.
• * 1.3

  Cic. in epist.