by my simple labour and industry to gratifie and please the good than by suppressing my attempt cowardlie to flee the busie braines of the naughtie and reprobate Certes the wicked are to be abandoned with their wickednesse but the good are to be loued and cherished for their godlinesse The studious sercher of wisdom will more seriouslie pursue the holsom and necessarie instructions for life then the exquisite situation of words and will rather couet fruitfull lessons and good admonicions than sugred sentences oratorial trickes and outlandish termes But the vnstedfast and vnstable minde of the vicious person I will speake of a thinge manifestlie and commonlie knowne had leiffer to espy some friuolous doubte to cauell and Question vpon than to folow any seemelie aduertisment perfectlie staking out the waie to laudable Vertue Such a Reader as hath his good wil fully addicted to pastaunces and vnhappie delites had rather I dare say bothe to see and reade the brutish bookes of VENVS plaies than to spend his time and busie his braine in such a Treatise which may instruct and teache him to liue Prudentlie iustlie valiauntlie and soberlie with the honest Reader I trust I shall purchase fauoure and iust commendation and to the other this little worke shal be sufficient to teache him for to vanquish and bridle his vnfauorie delite in bourding to mittigate his furious braide of reprehencion to asswage the combe of his insolente Arrogancie to appease the rage of his skornefull spirite and finallie to make him not onlie a fitte Disciple or hearer but also a profitable follower of Morall Philosophie Verelie all estates all degrees all ages haue presently laide before their Eies to looke on the Glasse of all Vertue for as in a Glasse they may easelie contemplate what is decent or els vnseemely in their parsonage and apparell so by fastening their mindes and vnderstandinges herevpon they may with no lesse facilitee maâ—ke consider and beare away what is to be folowed in their whole course of life or vvhat is to be eschewed vvhat to be retained as good and profitable or vvhat to be reiected as vncoÌ„modious and hurtefull Such vvhether they be noble or base riche or poore old or yong as haue al their delices and corporall delites as fleshfondinges and paumperinges of the vitall porcion subiecte to the renovvned victorious bondage of REASON such I say haue here to gather aduisements and instructions profitable and expediente to ratifie and confirme their liues and others vvho like EPICVRTENS are vanquished vvith gorgious fare and ouervvhelmed buried and drovvned in the bottomlesse Gulffes of innumerable vanities haue hereby to reform their insestuous conuersacions to amend their notorious faultes to banish their toublesome woodes of minde to expell and put away their accustomed doinges and by adorninge them selues with the flourishinge Braunches of Vertue by litle and litle to creepe to the Fountaine of that greatest Soueraintie For assure thy selfe gentle Reader that no man liuing can attaine vnto the vtterest good as ARISTOTLE the Prince of al Philosophers doth say vnlesse he shall first subdue his apetites bridell his desires Imprison his lusts and confound his mad and bestiall affections through which nature is enfeebled and he withdrawen from the fellowship of goodnesse and honestie And that I may not borowe thy pacience any lenger I doo instantly request that if any part of this my Transacion shall offend thine eares thou wilt courtously deale with me rather considering the proper worthinesse and sence of the Aucthor whiche is moste excellence then my basenesse and tennitie of Stile for the default of Eloquence ¶ Fare well ¶ Holsome Counsell for a Christian man. Geue almes to the poore dayly Endure affliction quietly Remember thy end stedfastly Vtter Gods word manfully In all thinges worke rightfully Serue God and thy Prince duely Call for grace howerly Loue thy neighbours freendly Yeld to the truth meekely Fauour learning earnestly Trust in Christs mercy faithfully Obtaine thou friendship perfectly No man oppresse Wrongfully Cornelius Valerius his Morall Description lately Englisshed Of the ende and Partes of Morall Science Cap. i. EThica Philosophia which in Latin is called De Moribus Moralis the philosophie of maniers Morall is a meane to liue well either a Science to iudge vprightly of conditions and of the Actions and duties of common lyfe The Philosophers onely imitatyng the light of Nature Reason as their Guide haue deliuered it vnto vs diligeÌ„tly adorned whose whole industrie especially either is conuersaunt in the boultynge out and vnfoulding the perplexitie of Nature or els in the Doctrine of life and condicions Albeit perdy as CICERO writeth incontinent after a three parted kinde of Philosophie was receyued of PLATO the one of lyfe and Facions the other of Naturall and diffuse things the third of reasonyng and adiudgyng both what is true and what is false what is honest in talke or euill what is consonant what disagreable yet they haue pursued no member of Philosophy more exactly SOCRATES being the Author and Counsellour than that than which nothyng was more behoueable to passe humaine life delectably which traineth and fashioneth the properties of men and righteth all the operacions of lyfe by the Squire of Vertue that the way to liue honestly may be embraced that the opinions of men might be vprightly infourmed of commodious and hurtfull things honest filthy of matters to be desired auoided of thynges profitable and vnprofitable who oftentymes geuyng Sentence of these peruersly do preise good and euill not accordynge to their valuacion An vpright iudgement of diuine humain matters is the very gorgious reward of God For God both reising vp the brightnesse of our minde also the power of vnderstandinge darkened through the infectiue sicknesse of the body doth polish it with a new light eake redresseth our wil through his clemencie earst piteously depraued Wee being armed with these proppes may assaie to atchiue vnto the knowledge intelligence of trouthe There be some who deeme that the best proporcion of liuing ought rather to be gathered out of sacred Scriptures than out of prophane Philosophie which wee like wise would suppose to be more sure and certaine if those thinges were comprehended in those celestiall learninges vttred by the mouth of the Omnipotent which are descriued of Ethnical writers touching the Ciuill associacion of men among them selues the mainteining of the weale publike without whiche they who obey the precepts of God and the holy men are not of power to leade a peasible life Wherfore because the Philosophers ignorant verily of Christian Religion yet very studious of humain wisdom imitating that law of Nature engrauen from aboue in all mennes mindes haue geuen lawes profitable to leade the life vprightly and right excellent documents concerning maners with a constant and perpetual sentence of iust and wrongfull doinges and haue left vs graue sayings by which we may be encouraged to Vertue and terrified from vices and may
trouble a man and cause him so vnagreable to him selfe that he is sayd to be out of his Wittes neither to become his owne man before that the hot brayned moode shall asswage and the vehemencie relinquisht But not euery anger is lyke contentious for one is easier eake sooner prouoked and haleth a man vnwares but abideth not longe Another is more gentell truly yet more bitter and of greater induraunce and cleuyng to hatred and seekyng auengement Neither ought euery anger appere vicious sithe in sacred Scriptures wee may reade in this wise Irascimini nollite peccare Become you angrie and sinne not Neither vncommodiously of Aristotle the mediocritie of anger betwixt excesse and defect is renowned and moderate anger linked as a companion of worthy prowesse vnto fortitude which the auncient Academikes Cicero bearing record reported to be as it weare the Whetstone of valiaunt courage that is to witte the assistaunte which Seneca geueth in precept to vse not as a Capitain but as a souldiar We must then be agréeued with vngodlinesse wronge and other vices and our mind must be aduaunced when nede is when time and place do require but rest raigned if no such occasion be ministred of anger And by how much more greeuously the minde is solicitated by so much more painfully we shall brydle Choler wee shall maister the brayde and with all meane and might shall oppresse it forthwith the dominion of reason reuoked and that dismounted which kendled the wrath we shall extinguish the feruency or els the punishment differred till another season we shall extenuate the passion Of Sadnesse Cap. viij SAdnesse or heauinesse is a perturbacion drawinge together oppressynge the minde which is defined of Cicero a freshe opinion of present euill wherupon it may seem leifull the mind to be enlarged and contracted And after a bréefer way Heauinesse is a shrincking of the minde reason repining This taketh beginninge through the contemplacion of som euil or els through the wante of some good thing From this Fountaine proceede sundry passions which Cicero numbreth in the end of the third booke of Tusculans Questions and in the fourth when as he had constituted foure sortes of perturbacions had explaned them he recompteth them beyng reckned in these words But vnto ech disturbance more partes of the same secte are adiected as vnto sadnesse enuy emulation backbiting compassion but this we suppose to be a good affectioÌ„ not a greef of the mind vexacion wailing sorow infelicity wofulnesse lamentacion pensiuenesse disquietnesse affliction dispeire of which belowe we shall debate and if any moe be of the same stocke Hitherto Cicero whom reade you your selfe defining euery of the fourmes As euery pleasure is not saide to be vicyous so neither euery sadnesse And as it is a laudable thinge to triumphe at vertue so to be sorrowfull for vice to restreigne the minde immoderatly deliting is profitable neither semeth it an vnhoneste thing measurably to bewaile our wiues children or Parentes Of Feare Cap. ix FEare is a wayting of euill either a carefull remembraunce of pensiuenesse about to ensew as Cicero recordeth and it is repugnant to hope Feare is ingendred of the haling togeather of the hart throughe an opinion of imminent perill Moderate feare is profitable assenting to the counsaile of reason But the vnmeasurable or ouer small is discommended Som are more timorous some more bolde which the Phisicions déeme to be attributed to the Complexion of body but yet in this place their Iudgemente is of no simple importaunce by which timidity either is increased or diminished This perturbacion doth very sore disprofite Nature and cheefely so tormenteth a man â—n sodaine cases that who is horribly â—stonished may appeare no lesse to fall â—t of his right wittes than he which is â—reeuously displeased Vnder feare be many fourmes comprehended of which all there is one cause the ende perdie and opinion of euil is diuerse Slouth terrour shame feare quaking dismaiyng trouble dreade whose definitions you shall eftsones finde with Cicero in the same fourthe booke of Tusculans questions To these béen adioyned flatterie whiche also is termed Timorous inticement Suspicion a feare through a consideracion of mischiefe at hande dispeyre a low abashement of the minde Pensiuenesse a prickinge care through the expectation of euill and some other mo fourmes Cicero hath descriued shame and hath not defined it The definicion may be absolued that shame may be a feare of dishonesty whome blushing doth follow wherof hereafter we will debate more at large in Chapiter of Sober moode Of Boldnesse Cap. x. BOldenesse is gaged against feare that we may in this place vnderstand a moderate vertu of aduenturing and a confidence of the mind a certain mediocrity betwixt to much and to litle either betweene timiditie and vnmeasurable hope by which any one neither dreadyng mischief like to chaunce nor present doth aduenturously icoperde his ioynctes This is engendred otherwise than feare through the extending of the harte the Spirites augmenting the heat therof through whose force by reason that the mind is gouerned more often than by reason and counsell the appellacion of boldnes is welme taken in the worse parte It is disagreeable vnto true Fortitude which when as prudently the daunger is throughly examined aduentureth the same with a manly courage And doubtlesse hetherto of affections whose moderation is verye requisite for such as contende to the wished end by vertues that also we may enioye a certaine tranquilitye of minde in the Earth which in Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche Democritus defined the bound of good thinges and the â—igure and semblaunce of that vnfained Beatitude to come The which without the benefite of Christ who only is of power to appease the moodes of men through the coÌ„fidence of life which shall happen no wight at any season hath obteined Of Vertue and her diuision and Originall Cap. xi VNto the ende purposed in the beginning all the actions of menne are directed to the whiche they aspire vertue beinge the guide which very breefely may be defined A perfection by which the will is pricked to do agreably to right reason For vnder the appellacion of right reason we vnderstand the law of Nature and the knowledges of those thinges which are ingendred with vs and ingraffed from aboue in our minds that we may iustly determine of things good and bad honest and filthy as that God is to bée worshipped that no man is to be hurted and such like the whiche shall gaily be called the Squire of vertue vnto whiche the operation of the whole life may be directed with whom lesse it doth consente it can not be nominated a vertue Vertue is defined of Saint Augustine Ars bene reâ—â—eque viuendi A science to liue well and perfectly Of Cicero it is termed somtimes Recta ratio a right reason sometimes Animi Habitus a custome of the minde aunswerable vnto humane nature meane and reason sometimes Affectio animi constans
ought to deuyse to encrease her goods ought to keepe that with sobernesse whiche is gotten with the toyle of her husband The children ought to reuerence their parentes they ought to loue them as God him selfe hath coÌ„maunded they ought to honour them they ought willingly to execute their coÌ„maundements they ought to be obedient to them in all respectes they ought likewise to obey their schole masters which are the instructours of the minde as it were second parents For they both are charged with one thing to trayne vp youthe vertuously They ought to apply the studies appoynted them they should eschew idlenesse and pleasure before the rest as pernicious plagues they ought to reuerence their elders and magistrates as well spirituall as temporall and the honest persons and discreete But they ought to esteeme those with a certayne principal good will of whom both their vtteraunce and harte are decked with right excellent sciences vnto all humanitie The seruantes ought to be obedient and faithfull to their maysters herkenyng to their precept and alwaies bent to finish their commaundement they ought to haue in reuerence loue their maisters as their parentes they ought to be thriftie appayde with a moderate liuing and requisite apparel thei ought willyngly to enlarge the riches of their maysters they ought to steale nothyng priuily They ought paciently to suffer their mayster if he shal be more curious than needeth if he shal be more easie to please they may not neglecte him Whether it be leiful for Christians to haue bondemen and whether any may be bondmen by nature which thing Aristotle alloweth I leaue to be discussed of others Of Politike gouernance Cap. xiiij EVen as a Family consisteth of particuler men so doth a City of many Families of which presently we will debate In a common weale wel to be gouerned Prudencie is cheefely tried withoute which no societie of man can be ruled Politike gouernaunce or els a weale Publike is defined of Plutarchus in his booke De tribus Reipub. generibus a state and order of a Citie to be obserued in ruling of matters This Ciuill wisdom prescribeth the actions of Citizens eke is altogether occupied in defendinge the societie of man as in the matter which it hath taken in hand to be reasoned vpon and hath that scope propounded vnto her selfe that the weale publik may be discretly handled and that prouision may be made for the sauegard of the inhabitantes Aristotle gaue this difference betwixt a Family and a common wealth that in the common wealthe there shoulde be an equalitie of prerogatiue by which the highest shoulde be valued with the lowe But in the houshold the Maister should haue the Empire of a King ouer his children and Seruauntes as his Subiectes amonge whom the like equality can not be Of common weales sixe fourmes are recited three good which the prince the Nobilitie and the commens do minister iustfully and conueniently for for the general profite of the whole Citie and so many wicked which the Tiraunte and the bande of a fewe and the â—eane people do gouern as their owne â—st impelleth them haling all thinges â—o their proper behoofe There appeaâ—eth no Citie of any nation which may â—ot be referred to some of these That Common weale whiche consisteth of them three whiche are esteemed good Cicero in his bookes De Repub supposeth to be best by reason it is more excelent more profitable and of lenger perpetuitie than the rest Amonge the Romanes after the kynges expelled out of their Realmes euen vnto Iulius and Augustus Respub Democratica the fourme of the coÌ„mon wealth where the people had authoritie without any other state seemeth to haue ben so tempred with a certaine moderation of the kyngdome of Aristocratia whiche is a state of a Weale publike where many rule that are moste worthie in vertue and prowesse that a certaine Princely maiestie did excell in the Consuls Aristocraria in the senators Democratia in the Tribunes of the common sorte but the cheefest power was in the possession of the people Now a princely Monarchy ratified by the aduice of prudente Peeres and Sauced with vnremoouable decrées appeareth worthelie to be aduaunced before al others for coÌ„modity and quietnesse especialy sithens not by election but throughe a certaine Heauenlie prouidence Realmes are transported to the Children of Kinges Princes generated through the Lawe of bloud beinge the successours of their Parents or vnto the next of aliaunce Because perdy a Citie consisteth of the multitude of Cittizens leadinge their liues vprightly let vs manifest what ones they ought to be He is to be named a good Citizen of his countrie who being trimmed with ciuill vertues and espicially with Iustice and Fortitude whom Prudence and Temperaunce do moderate may be able to perfourme very well not only Domestical and familier offices but also Publike both at home and in warre There is neede of common Schoolemaisters bothe honest and lerned to declare vertues through whose trauel Children gaily instituted from their youth may depart exquisite in honesty and Godlinesse and through the knowledge of most excellent matters become profitable members to their countrie If so be the riches of the Parentes may not beare that their Children by leasure may be enriched with liberall studies the next remedie is that they be learned som kinde of occupacion whereby they may get their liuing Ydlenesse and pleasure verely are diligently to be shunned of all men Alwaies studie and an honeste and commodious exercise bothe of the minde and body is to be required By al meanes possible it is to be laboured of all good citizens but principally of the Parents and instructours that by reason children and youthstate can easilie imitate any thinge they may lighten them in the purity of life and may be a paterne of vertu to their younger Let euery occasion of trespassyng as much as habilitie will geue leaue be taken away Let the enticementes of concupiscence and wantonnesse be remoued Let obedience be exhibited to the magistrate if he be good As to the father of the country vnto whom authoritie is geuen from aboue But if he be ill let him pacienly be suffered and without sedicion modestly and meekely be admonished of his duty Let the Lawes be obserued Let Religion cheefely be reuerenced Let peace and concord be kept among the Citizens Let euery cause of discord be eschewed Let euery manne haue a respect to his owne businesse Neither let any man giue him selfe to beare Office in the common weale vnlesse he be called Let rest alwaies be soughte for Let pencions be paide Let the countrey be most deare to euery man for whom a good Citezen shall not feare to die if neede shall require For the cheefest loue next vnto God is due to the Countrey and to the Magistrate the next to the Parentes and kinsfulke the third to the Citizens linked or vnited together through the commonnesse of Lawe Let Foriners or Straungers peruse their
terme it Virtutem a Vertue by which a iuste and a trewe worship is geuen to god The which as of all vertues so likewise we shal wel cal it the ground and doubtles the Parente and Mother of Iustice Nothinge is more necessary than this vertue to preserue the common wealth and to lead the life egally and without couine amonge the Citizens sithe no strength may rather bannish men from all vnthriftinesse than if they shal perceaue that theare is affliction prepared of God for the transgressoures and a path made open vnto Heauen and vnto â—ternal felicity for suche as leade their â—ues godly and iustly There hath been â—et neuer any Nation so Barbarous which hath not fauoured som Religion although it were false and forbidden from working of iniury through the feare of som God wheras an Othe was accompted a most streight band to wring their faith together What is it expediente that Christians do to whome â—aithfulnesse is geuen the grounde of al â—eligion of Iesus Christ our Lorde and â—auiour and the holy Apostles and his â—uccessours so ratified that neither by any humayne force nor yet infernall rage it may be ouerthrowen I say what is it meete for them to doo vnto whom leading their liues with vertue God himselfe hath proposed a sure hope of blisful and sempiternal life through the confidence of whose promise what true godly man for sanctified religion will stagger to lese his breathe if neede shall require How easely might all iniurie be put to flight if that precept of God our sauiour maister were deeply grauen in all mens mindes Quod tibi fieri nolis alteri nefeceris What thou wilt not to be committed agaynst thy selfe thou shalt not do to another Which sentence wise felowes also dissenting from our religion haue so merueiled at that they esteemed nothynge more diuine that nothing coulde be deliuered more auayleable to maynteyne the fellowship of men Contrarious to Religion is supersticion a scrupulositie of holinesse which honoureth the Heauenly power not as it ought either a vaine and a foolish honour of God than which vice impietie towardes God and the contempte of reuerente dreade is surely a more detestable mischiefe by which all faith is turned vpside downe by which periury by which Sacrilegies are established Of Godlynesse Cap. xix IN the seconde place Pietie is rehersed of Cicero which although it be defined some whiles of him a Iustice towardes the Goddes that it should be the same whiche Religion is yet most commonly it is taken for Iustice towardes our progenitours or els for a thankefull good wil towardes our Parentes But in his bookes of Rhetorike Pietie is more absolutely defiâ—ed through which duetie and an earnest reuerence is geuen vnto Aliaunce and to them which are well willinge to theyr countrey And in like sort in another place Pietie is which geueth in charge to obserue duetie towardes our countrie our parents and others our kynsefolke This laste vertue is well coupled to Religion because the cheifest worship is to be geuen to God the next to the Parentes and next of kinne and especially to the countrey whiche one Cicero saieth comprehendeth all charitie Impiety is a contrary vice to Godlinesse towards such to whom beneuolence and loue is due Against this so detestable a wickednesse when as yet the title of murder was vnknowen it was not necessary to establish a lawe but afterwards when they began who violatyng the law of nature and more brutish than brute beasts did murther despoyle them of whom they had receiued life a most rigorous law was ratified of which declaration is made in the digestes vnder the title Ad L. Pompeiam de patricidus Of Reuerence Cap. xx REuerence is by which we honoure and worship theÌ„ who excel vs in age either in wisdome either in dignity or in any estimacioÌ„ For that God him selfe geueth in commaundment by the law of nature that with due obeysaunce and honoure we should reuerence our parentes and the Magistrates whom he woulde to rule ouer vs This vertue of obedience is so necessary that withoute it neither a house neither a Citie nor any fellowship can remaine How pernicious the vice repugnaunte to obedience is the gréeuous ruine of the first parentes of al mankind which hath tormented euery mothers Sonne hath geuen a lesson to vs This enormitye springeth of Pride and arrogancye and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through which any maÌ„ by ouerweening in him selfe to well and fauouringe his person maketh him self another cousin to God almighty Nothinge verely is more odious than pride both to God and men For at all seasons as the Latin Tragical writer recordeth Sequitur superbos vltor a tergo Deus God that taketh vengeaunce foloweth the lofty behinde their backes The fal of wicked Angels whiche cannot be repaired and than the which none hath bin more greuous at any time doth witnes the same Of Trouth Cap. xxi TRouth is saieth Cicero throughe whiche those thinges are sayde to be vnchaunged whiche are or haue been or els are aboute to come Either a right perfection of the minde wherby any man both telleth the truthe either in affyrmyng or els in deniyng and also pretendeth no subteltie whereof he may be called a true speaker It is a necessarie vertue to make bargaynes in whom faith ought to beare rule which is defined a constancie and a soothe of sayinges and doynges neither is truth any other thinge in contractes and accomptes than faith whiche if it be diligently obserued the proper office of duetie shal be fulfilled which is to yelde vnto euery man his owne A lie is a vice contrarie to veritie in like maner the malicious inuencions of Sophismes and all deceipte and dissimulacion and counterfaityng and also arrogancie A forged deuise is mischeuous and pernicious vnto the coÌ„mon wealth for it wresteth a man from God which is true and the welspryng of al verity and purchaseth him freendship with the Deuill and bringeth euerlastyng death to the soule and violateth humaine societie with a false Merchaundise and incenseth hatreds and discordes through a leasyng tongue That bostinge especially foolish of some that are too glorious in their owne estate is irkesome to the learned Certes an alteration to be abandoned Clokyng also is vnseemely for an honest man who speaketh no otherwise then he thinketh he doth not commend him in presence whom he disprayseth in absence he counterfaiteth and worketh wilily not with male ingine but wittily if neede shoulde enforce Of Reuengement Cap. xxij REuengement is saith Cicero by whiche violence and iniurie and whatsoeuer at any time is like to discommodite may be repelled by defending or auengyng And it is defined a taking of punishment by which we put of from vs a dispight either by shunning hit or by repaying the like But this latter definition for this cause appeareth to vs littel commodious because it conteineth priuate reuengement likewise alowed of him in his first booke of Deuties
whiche wee know to be reproued not only of Christians but also of prophane Philosophers and ignoraÌ„t of our Religion who imitatynge the rule of nature did iudge it better to suffer than to commit iniurie because that may be done iustly and this cannot be accomplished without iniustice as Aristotle also learneth in his .v. booke of Ethikes That likewise may be attributed to pacience doubtlesse an excellent vertue this perdie to the contrarie vice Neither truly ought any man to thinke that any other talke is ministred than that he may repel force by force if it may not be eschewed and that for to defend not to damage or els to reuenge for a minde to discommodite breaketh iustice the leiful reuengement is committed of God vnto the Magistrates which be the ministers of lawes but withholden from priuate persons vnto whom no title of punishinge is attributed Of Thanke Cap. xxiij THanke whiche vsually is called gratitudo kindenesse is saieth Cicero in whiche the memorie of the frendshippes and frendly tournes of another man and a good will to repay another is comprehended The same man telleth Thanke is which ought to vse obseruaunce in the remembrance and recompence of duties and honours and frendships It is more compendiously descriued A faithful memory of a thankfull minde Or els a desier mindefull to doo one good turne and pleasure for another and perhaps it is defined more fitly by reason this vertue is conuersant in receauynge rather than in geuynge For to geue is a pointe of liberalitie To receyue with a good will and to be willinge to repay is the propertie of thanke It is his parte to forget the benefit bestowed nor to wayte for a recompence And to this man it belongeth to remember hit and wher oportunitie geueth occasion with an ouerplus also if he may and he ought to thinke the reward wel to be placed and to be willyng to render the same redily and yet to retayne a perpetual reporte of the pleasure exhibited On bothe the partes héede is to be taken that the thing which either is geuen or restored be profitable and commodious for him to whom it is geuen or restored and iust fully gotten lesse we should be liberal and grateful on another maÌ„s purse The vice repugnant to kindenesse is commonly termed ingratitude which may be defined a forgetfulnesse of a good turne receyued and either an vnwillyng thanke or none or els whiche is worst of all a displeasure requited whiche is the cheefest iniustice than whiche nothyng can be more hateful to all men Of Compassion Cap. xxiiij COmpassion a moste acceptable vertue to God is thought good aptely to be annected vnto these For as we do owe Loue truth and faith to al men godlinesse to few reuengement to such as do wrong kindenesse to them as deserue wel so are we bounde to shewe mercie vnto them which suffer afflictions I cal not compassion verily in this place Agritudinem a heauinesse or els as Seneca a vice of the mindes ouer muche fauouringe wretchednesse but a vertue through which the mind is pricked with the miseries and calamities of another man to succour the oppressed Compassion is defined of Cicero a greef through anothers aduersity Of Seneca in his bookes De Clemencia a smart of the minde or els a sorowfulnesse conâ—eyued by other mens harmes whiche â—e déemeth to chance to the vndeseruing â—ut he indeuoreth to prooue that this is â—vice in these wordes Then the wise â—an shal not haue compassion but shall â—de but shall profite borne for a comâ—on helpe and a publike vtility wherâ—f he shal reache a porcion vnto euerye â—ne Yet we as it is declared do vnâ—erstande compassion a vertue vnto which Christe encourageth vs after the example of his heauenly father and his â—wne in the .6 of Luke which can be reâ—owned sufficiently with no praises at any season and truely is highly commended to vs in holy Scriptures For what earthly wight can at the least conceyue in minde much lesse depaint in oracion the infinite mercy of God the father and Christe our Sauiour This vertue exalteth a manne to blessednes Christ calleth the merciful Beatos blessed because they shal receyue mercy in the .5.9 .12 of Mathew of whom Cap. 25. six duties of mercy breefely are propounded Of liberality and vices contrary to this Auarice and Prodigality Cap. xxv CIcero in his first booke of offices maketh liberality the other braunch of Iustice the which same he termeth both bountifulnes also benignity the which seemeth not vnhandesomly in this place to bée annected to the former parts of Iustice For althoughe this vertue is placed in geuing not as they in restoring what is due whiche same seemeth to be proper vnto Iustice yet because it spreadeth abrode her selfe vnto others as Iustice doth eke considereth the vtility of men it shal be leiful to situate it amonge the members of Iustice Liberality may be defined a beneficiall good will to gratify or els a liberal desire to merite wel of som person This is conuersaunte as Cicero telleth in the vse of Money the which to bestowe honestly and as it oughte with a frée and godly minde is proper to liberality For firste of all a franke consent of the geuer is required lesse throughe an opinion of profite the mind be restreigned from doing good Therfore we muste geue by reason we knowe it to be acceptable vnto God waiting for no rewarde We muste deale wittely when the cause and time shall postulate to him on whom the gift is worthely bestowed which wil not abuse the same vnto destruction either his owne or els of others and we must geue part of our proper goods not of another mans For liberality oughte to discommodity no man but profit them as are worthye of a benefite And we must geue according to the worthinesse of eche one and deserte and rather to a needy creature than a rich Carle not as much as perchaunce thou wouldest but so muche as thou maist least liberalitie turne into the vice of outragious spendinge and thou afterwardes beginne to want and be troblesom to thy friends and lose pleasure who is the companion of vertue and contrarywise reteyne sorow the leaguefellow of viciousnes And albeit riche men can with lesse trauaile perfourm the duty of liberality yet the lesse hability may also become liberall whose bountious good wil ought more to be considered than the benefite it selfe Cicero in his second booke of duties doth ratify two sortes of liberality One through which any man succoureth him who néedeth with Argente The other by which he aideth with trauel or counsel There be two vices vnlike to liberality couetousnes and niggardship and prodigality and riotousnes of which she is the defecte of liberality but this the excesse bexwixt which vices liberalitie is situated Auarice is defined a superfluus gredinesse of money which being coldded together carefully for their auaile the vnsaciable persons do pleasure neither â—hemselues