The sanctuarie of saluation, helmet of health, and mirrour of modestie and good maners wherein is contained an exhortation vnto the institution of Christian, vertuous, honest, and laudable life, very behoouefull, holsome and fruitfull both to highest and lowest degrees of men ... / written in Latin verie learnedly and elegantlie by Leuinus Lemnius of Zirizaa, physitian, and Englished by H.K. for the common commoditie and comfort of them which understand not the Latine tongue ...

How w•• must haue regard of hospitalitie.

CHAP. 24.

AS concerning the respect that is to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the entertainment of guests and straun∣gers, or of them which seek and hunt for feasts and banquets of another mans cost, it becom∣meth euery man to bee well aduised, wary & circumspect. First verily it is meete for euery man to haue care of hospitalitie, which the A∣postles and other writers doc commend, and S. Paul requireth in a Bishop, and the doores of the house and entrance of the parlours must be open vnto modest Citizens and courteous neighbours. For as Cicero saieth, it is very decent and conuenient that the houses of no∣ble and honourable men bee open and reach to receiue noble and worthie guests. In which duetie of humanity to auoyde ambition and ostentation, sumptuousnesse, and respect of persons, Christ woulde haue the poore and needy to be inuited and bidden, and in so do∣ing that wee should not looke for like giftes

againe, nor for recompence of benefites be∣stowed at our neighbours handes, but onely at our heauenly fathers hand, who giueth vs all things againe, pouring his blessings vpon vs with aboundant and exceeding ouerplus. But because there bee some men impudent and of a brasen face, which being past shame and modestie, doe at theyr owne pleasure intrude themselues into feasts, and some∣time when they are well fedde, steale a∣way priuily out of the company, and giue not thankes to the maister of the feast: Therefore I thinke it conuenient to make such a difference and choyse of guests, that they which bee modest, thriftie and tempe∣rate be entertayned: But vnthrifts, licorous persons, gluttons, insatiable eaters, and flat∣tering parasites, which shoue and push in themselues impudently, contrarie to the will of the maister of the house, must bee shutte out at the doores, or sent away with some ciuilitie and courteous excuse, or if that will not serue, nor canne bee obtayned, some notable good sentences or wise sayings written and set vp in the parlour, must bee obiected vnto them, which may admonish them of their duetie, vnto which effect this prety precept, as well as any other, may bee sette vpon the postes in the parlour, for them to looke vppon, that they being much a∣shamed

ashamed may remember what is seemely comely to be obserued,

Wilt thou sit at my borde my guest? these paradoxes keepe: With byting iests, or spitefull speech reproach on no man heape, Take in good parte such meats as be before thee set to eate. Disprayse nor falsly him accuse, whose prayse thou canst not treate. Of equall quaffing to and fro I monish thee beware. Thy lowring lookes put quit away. Thy pleasant speech declare, Be mery iesting honestly, Pay thankes to God thy debt. Requite thine host like amitie, that which he did not get In fallow land his resting field. Doe thus, if thou desire Twise welcome to thy friend to bee, and fauour to acquire.

There is a prety Prouerb also, which she∣weth vs that we must not neglect the compa∣ny and familiaritie of guests, but to keepe the lawes of humanitie and obserue the rites of a∣mity, which is this: Doe not passe the salt and the table. For when as men in olde time vsed to make feasts amongst themselues one to an other, and from one place to another, with

such like sage sentences and good prudent counsaile they nourished & fostred friendship being once begonne, and stablished it in their mery meetings and ioyfull cheere. For which cause it was an ancient custome to appeach those men of trechery and disloyalty, which had gone beyond the Salt and the Table, that is to say, had broken the token and couenaunt of amitie, and violated the league and most hearty friendship, and faythfull coniunction of life, where with they were linked and knit together amongst themselues by salt & bread, and by the participation and societie of one table. Vnto this symbole, this token of amitie, this good precept, that complaint of Dauid hath relation, wherein hee representing the person of Christ, appealeth his friend and fa∣miliar of treason, falshood and vnfaithfulnesse, which was hidden vnder the shew & colour of honestie, and fayned & counterfeit pretence of godlinesse. For thus he complayneth of him, Euen that man of my peace, in whome I hoped, whom I trusted, and which did eat bread with me, that is to say, was my mate at meat & table fel∣low, hath attempted to ouerthrow me. It were a thing tolerable and I could more mildely beare it, if mine enimie denouncing warre by Heraulds of armes, had assayled mee in open battaile: But him to circumuent me, to goe a∣bout to deceiue me, to lay great waite for me,

stifly to stand against me and to supplant 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with whome I had entercourse of most nea••e & deare familiaritie, & whom I made partake of my counsailes and secrets, it is a thing intol∣lerable and which cannot bee borne withall▪ In like maner Christ being moued and grie∣ued with such a villainous and malitious fast sayeth thus: He which did eate bread with me, hath lift vp his heele agaynst mee, that is to say, my housholde enemie, who is more pernici∣ous then any other enemie, purposeth pre∣cisely with deceitfull deuises and priuie pra∣ctises how he may oppresse and entrappe me. He taketh his Metaphore of friends which in outward shew and first view are fayre spea∣kers, but inwardly they are full of fraude, and the poyson of aspes lieth vnder their lips, hid∣den in the heart: for they smite a man priui∣ly and hit him with the heele on the back part, that it cannot be perceiued who did the hurt. By a prouerbiall figure, such claw-backs of Colax crew may well bee sayde to strike with turning away the poynt, that is to say, not be∣fore on the face, but behinde on the back and on the hinder parte of the body. Dauid ma∣keth another expostulation or complaint like vnto this, wherein hee complayneth him∣selfe to bee greatly endammaged of that man, whose familiaritie hee specially vsed, and was so knitte and vnited vnto him in the

league of amitie, that hee was partaker of all his purposes, and as his most trustie and speciall friende that knewe his secretes. Which cruell dealing and haynous fact hee very vehemently rebuketh and reprooueth with these wordes: For if an open enemie had done mee this dishonour, then I coulde haue borne it. And if mine aduersaries hadde lift vp themselues agaynst mee, I would per∣aduenture haue hidden my selfe from them. But it was euen thou a man of one minde with mee, and one that knewe my minde onely, my guide, and mine owne familiar friende, which diddest receiue sweete meate in my companie, and wee were conuersaunt in the house of GOD with consent &c. These are patheticall verses, that is to say, full of passions and perturbations of minde, whereby hee declared himselfe to take much griefe and to haue great in∣dignation, because hee findeth him, that hitherto bare a shew of a trustie friend, to bee his most mortall and enuious enemie, and couertly and closely to seeke and worke his destruction. But to painte out liuely and to sette foorth in his colours such a craftie turne-coate, chaungling, and sub∣till surmiser, which vnder a certayne shew & pretence of fayned friendship & counterfeit

vertue doth in countenaunce, eyes, and wo•…•… flatter his friend, when as inwardly he nouri∣sheth ranck poyson and vipers venime for his destruction, he addeth this also to the crime of disloyalty: The wordes of his mouth are softer then butter, wheras war is prepared in his heart▪ His speeches are smoother then oyle, when as i•• very deede they be swords and dartes. By which similitude hee describeth and noteth fayned and malitious friends, which haue one thing close in their heart, and another ready in their tongue, and which doe shew bread in the one hand and beare a stone in the other. Of which falshood and treachery Iudas Iscariot prefixed a paterne, and after him many other, which learned that lewd lesson of him, and haue ta∣ken fraudulent examples.

Notes

• Strangers & guestes must be wel entertained & intreated liberally & courteously
• Rom. 12. 1. Tim. 3 Tit. 1.
• 1. Pet. 4. Heb. 13.
• We must haue respect & regard of the poore.
• Luc. 14.
• A choice & discresion is to be had of guests.
• An elegant verse for guests at feasts.
• A prouerb vsed at feasts
• Psal. 41. Iohn. 13.
• A place of Dauid ex∣pounded.
• Iohn 13.
• A prouerb against trea¦cherous persons.
• Psalm. 55.
• A place of Dauid de∣clared.
• A simili∣tude of oile and butter.