I Am adorned with many and sundrie titles.

There is great vanitie of boughes, but no fruite.

I abounde with store of titles.

If with true titles, it is a painfull burden: yf with false, it is filthie and shamefull. And what neede a man to seeke for suche titles, in whiche there is eyther toyle or ignominie? Vertue beyng contented with one, or no title at all, is a sufficient title to her selfe.

I haue deserued to be a Maister of Philosophie.

Philosophie promiseth not wysedome, but the loue of wysedome. Whosoeuer therefore wyll haue this, he getteth it by louyng. This title is not harde and paynefull, as some suppose. If thy loue be true, and the wysedome true whiche thou louest, thou shalt be a true Philosopher in deede: For none can knowe or loue the true wisedome, but pure and godly mindes. And therefore it commeth to this poynt, whiche is wrytten, (Godlynesse is wysedome.)

Your Philosophers, standyng in contempt and ignoraunce of this opinion, fell vnto brablyng and bare Logike. And therefore when Diuines rashly entreate of GOD, and Philoso∣phers of Nature, they circumscribe his most mightie Maiestie with triflyng argumentes, and prescribe lawes vnto God, that laugheth and mocketh at their foolishe presumption: but these dispute in such sort of the secretes of nature, as yf they came lately out of heauen, and hadde been of Goddes priuie counsayle, forgettyng that whiche is written: Who knoweth the Lordes meanyng? or who was his counseller? Not regardyng also, or hearyng Saint Ierome, who often and by many strong argumentes in the same booke, wherein he bewayleth his brothers death very precisely and briefely: Philosophers, sayth he, disputyng of heauen. speake they knowe not what.

I professe many Artes.

That is an easie matter, but to knowe many is very harde: for confessyng, is more safe then professyng: The one is a to∣ken of humilitie and repentaunce, the other of lyghtnesse and insolencie. For they that doo confesse, deserue pardon more easily then they that doo professe knowledge.

I haue obteyned the tytle of Diuine and Humane wysedome.

Wysedome wanteth not tytles, she is sufficiently knowen of her selfe. Who euer lyghted a Candle to goe seeke for the Sunne? Many with these tytles haue been ob∣scured, and without them haue become renowmed. Often∣tymes there hath been none for good, but some notable signe hung foorth, where haue been euyl wares to sell.

What say you to this, that I haue won a poeticall garlande about my Page  68head?

There remayneth yet one labour, to seeke the trueth, and this traueile also is double, to seeke, and to set foorth, and to feigne to the delight of the eare it is a great matter, harde, difficult, and therefore very rare. They that are woorthily called Poetes in deede, doo apply them selues to both, but the common sort neglect the first, and are contented to vse deceite and coloura∣ble meanes.

I haue obteyned the rare glorie of Poetrie.

Thou hast found a meane in respect whereof thou may∣est neglect the common wealth, and thine owne priuate wealth likewyse, thou hast sought also a way vnto pouertie, vnlesse that dame Fortune of her owne voluntarie liberalitie, wyl largely be∣stowe ryches vppon thee, thou hast moreouer sought out the meanes to seeme vnto some mad, and vnto some insolent.

I haue wonne the Baye garland vnto my selfe.

The Baye is a most floorishyng and greene tree, when it is first gathe∣red, and vnlesse it be watered with a pregnant wit and diligent studie, it wyl wither immediatly.

I haue gotten the Lau∣rell garland.

When a man hath taken paynes, he hath wonne also enuie withall, whiche is the rewarde eyther of studie, or of warfare. That slender bough hath purchased nothing to thy mynde, but onely a vayne signe to thy head, shewyng thee vnto many, who thou haddest better had neuer knowen thee. For what hath it doone, other then layde thee open to the teeth of the enuious? These notable tokens of knowledge, haue hurt many, both in peace and warre.

I professe the Arte of Oratorie.

This is strange which I heare: For it seemeth that of late it is growen out of vse, so great and innumerable are the thynges whereof it consysteth, that there haue alwayes been fewer good Oratoures, then ex∣cellent Poetes. And therefore some haue sayde, that it is the proper duetie of an Oratour, to be able to speake copi∣ously and trimly of euery matter that is proposed. Al∣though this opinion be reiected as most arrogant, notwith∣standyng of howe many thynges an Oratour ought to en∣treate of, although not of euery thyng, in applying a certayne artifitiall and sweete eloquence in euery thyng whereof he spea∣keth, whiche of it selfe is a great matter, yf thou consyder Page  [unnumbered]of it vprightly, thou wylt be amazed, and perhappes thou wylt re∣pent thee of thy rashe profession: least thou beware that whylest thou wylt goe about to seeme to knowe all thyng, thou appeare to knowe nothyng, and as it often chaunceth vnder the profession of great skyl, thy hidden ignoraunce do necessarily appeare.

I am a professour of the liberal Artes.

This matter many tymes conteyneth in it more boldnesse, then learnyng. A mans lyfe is too short for any one Arte: and art thou sufficient for them all? One Art sufficeth one wit, with sweating and toyling to attaine to the toppe thereof. To caste of many, as much as ne∣cessitie requireth, is not amisse, and more modestie it is to knowe it, then to professe it. I wyll also adde this, whiche hath seemed true vnto the best learned, that it neuer yet happened vnto any of the most excellent and famous learned men to be throughly and absolutely perfect in any one Art. And as touching Rechorike only, this saying of Seneca is well knowen, Eloquence sayth he, is a great and manifolde matter, and was neuer so fauourable to any, that it hapned wholly vnto hym: he is happie enough, that hath at∣teined to some one part therof. This, by what men, and what ma∣ner witnesses he prooueth it to be true, thou hast hearde, whiche beyng so, let these numbers of professours whiche are almost matche to the common multitude, both in rudenesse and multi∣tude, consyder with them selues what they doo, and whereabout they goe, whiche are not contented with one part, nor with one Art, but without discretion inuade them all. O woonderfull con∣fidence and presumption: but it is now common.

What wyll you nowe say concernyng the professions of Phisicke and Lawe?

Let thy patientes and clientes make aun∣sweare to this. What dyd euer these titles auayle them to the health of their body, or gaining of their causes? Perhappes they haue procured thy profite, & for this cause ye hunt after artes, and the titles of artes, to the intent that what is wanting in learnyng, may be supplied in degrees and apparell, and that the saying of the Satyrical Poet may beverified, The Scarlet, and the Iewelles beset with Amethistes, doo sell the Lawyer. Which thyng woulde appeare to be true, yea, yf the auncient Rethoricians returned agayne into the worlde: for no man woulde geue vnto Cicero Page  69two hundred crownes, vnlesse he woare on his fynger a great ryng of golde. To be short, let this he vnto thee the summe of all that hath been spoken of, to wyt, that there be some men of rare disposition, whose studies are sound and honest, the endes whereof are trueth and vertue. This is the knowledge of thyn∣ges, and the amendment of manners, and either the ornament of this mortall lyfe, or the entrance to the eternall. As for the rablement of the residue, whereof the number is great, some of them hunt after glorie, some a glittering, but a vaine rewarde, but to the greater sort, the onely respect of money is their ende, which is not onely a smal reward, but also a filthy, and not woorthie the trauaile, nor match to the toyle of a gentle minde: in al these re∣spectes, as I haue sayde, the title and apparel is not to be contem∣ned, for it is effectuall vnto that whereunto it is appoynted: for why? the mindes and iudgementes almost of al mortal men, spe∣cially of the common multitude, whiche are destitute of this meane, are deluded with shadowes. Most matters are gouer∣ned by opinion. But for them that are geuen to vertue, to glo∣ry in titles, is not only strange and dissonant, but also (as Iiudge) impossible.

I professe many thynges.

It were better to doo one good deede, then to promyse many. And men were in good case, yf so be they were suche as they pro∣fesse them selues to be.