to aske of any man disdaineth him that thinkes he wil craue rather wil liue with Rootes like a Swine theÌ„ in waÌ„ting craue at the handes of any other hee standeth vpon his Pantables and regardeth greatly his reputation and if by his simple Science and poore Crafte such as it is in all his time hee gayne so many Duckates as for one day will make him braue hée will haue his Footecloth and Pages after him though euer after hée liue by patchinge a Boote And in that their Nobility béeing not preiudiciall to their Prince they shew a more haughty minde and séeme to haue lesse care in carying their coine with them to their Graue For the women their libertie is lackinge and their honesty looked vp their restraint is great and their licence small vnlesse in walking their owne Gardaynes or frequenting the Churches though happely their chastitie bee loose and their honesty as lauish yet is it doone closely and they kept restrayned by their Husbandes their attire costly and their apparrell gorgeous their beauty in deede not the beste and yet faire ynough their dyet dayntie and their feedinge fine they spende not the daye in banquetinge nor the night in surfottinge that which they eate is little and good and that which they drinke healthy though not pleasaunt For their Children I will not compare them in Learninge but preferre them in any other good qualitiesd whatsoeuer for nurture they want not to giue entertainmente in their young yeares and so soone as they are come to any perfection they learne to breake their Staues at Tilte and such like I thinke them therfore not inferiour to ours but we rather Cockneys to them Touchinge the goodnesse of the groundes and the fertility of their féeldes they farre exceede ours and we that way cannot excell them their goodly Uineyardes much greater and their Grapes far better and our Rhenish excepted what haue wee like them Their goodly Oliue Trées and their fruitfull Figges their Orenges and Lemmons their Pomgranates and their Dates their Reasons their other small fruites the goodnes wherof is better knowen to other Countreyes then the trafique manifested to vs their royall Riuers haue the onely name and beare away the Bell as well for swéetnes as for fruitfulnesse their substaunce of golde and plenty of Siluer passeth all others christned and is knowne more bountifull then in any place wee know I thinke vs therfore more base then they in condition and farre inferiour in ritches Then sayd Phemocles Sir their golde is their richest substaunce and their siluer their greatest gayne But doo you alow this their courtesie or thinke it any part of good manners the Subiectes to vse familiarity with their Prince and to estéeme himselfe so good a man as hee This sheweth rather a base kinde of deformitie or els a foolish prowd fantasie neyther to bée ruled by reason nor to bee perswaded by courtesie the Kinge béeinge the chéefest member is alowed for the head of the Countrey the Subiect a profitable member a meane to preserue the substaunce Is the Subiect so good as the Magistrate and any Officer so great as his Ruler the Kinge his auncesters were Princes béefore him and hée beareth not that title vndeserued why then are not men vnnoble elected Princes and euery man chosen a Magistrate wherefore then were Princes made and why were they elected why then are Gouernours placed in their seates to beare sway and wherefore Magistrates elected to reforme and correct why then haue officers their names or titles or wherefore are Iustices appoynted to giue iudgement Is the Latchet so good as the Shomaker and the carued Picture equall with him that made the portrature is the Skinne of the Bullocke so good as the fleshe and the rinde so sweete as the Apple is the harbinger so good as his Lord â—or the seruant not inferiour his maister is the Souldioure so good as his Captayne or the Bondslaue like him that maketh him free is the Captaine so good as his Coronell or the Lorde equall to his Prince Why then is not the Nettle so good as the Rose and the brier of so much vertue as the Grape the Hornet so profitable as the Bee and the Frogge so good as the Flounder the Thistle so good as the Uiolet and the Woolfe so good as the Oxe Is this profitable in theyr calling nay is it not reprochfull to their kingdome why the Horsse knoweth his rider and the Shéepe follow their Shepeheard the Dogge his maister and the Lion his kéeper and shall not a man that hath sense and is endued with knowledge excell these brute Beastes that haue not the one and want the other Are we not bidden to obey our Rulers and feare our Magistraters and who so resisteth the will of his Prince purchaseth the displeasure of his God But how should they offend God when they know not his name and whome shoulde they obey wheÌ„ they acknowledge not their Prince They will sooner stoupe to a stone and bende to a blocke than honour their King and be ruled by their Regent is this their life not detestable and how can it be other but reprochfull Replyed Narbonus touching their Religion let that passe and if it be not good God make it better but that neyther toucheth our argument nor agréeth to our purpose and though they vse not their obedience with the courtesie of the Cappe yet they declare their humanitie in the bending of their bodyes The Prince they confesse to be their chiefe and are ruled by his lawes but yet euerie man thinketh himselfe so good as his superioure and euery inferiour not worse then his Magistrate For what maketh Rulers but riches and what causeth Magistrates to beare sway but the multitude of their goods for take saith he his liuing from him and let me haue his lands and he will obey me as I reuerenced him and do me dutie as I yeelded him seruice and shall his Golde make me his subiect and shall my vertues be inferiour to his substance though he be wealthie yet am I vertuous and though he excell me in coyne yet is my manhoode better than his substance let him ouercome me in the féeld and then will I render him my armes but if he refuse to fight with me I disdeyne he should be my superiour I haue ventred my life and he hath but payde some of his liuing but had his liuing bin lacking and as small as my substance he should haue dangered his life where now he hazarded but my soule am I then inferiour to his riches nay is not he subiecte to my honour and bycause you haue saide so much and are entred into the law of armes we are I confesse good souldiours but yet inferiour to them we must eyther fill our hungrie paunches or fight we will not one stroke we must haue our Béefe and our bagges filled with Bacon our Cheeses caried after vs and our Women so follow vs and if
there will grow others gréene in their places A little breach in the wall may bee manned to defende a certaine space but the whole wall downe no remedie will giue rescue a cutte vpon a mans legge may be healed vp againe but hit at the heart naught ensueth but present death but too late comes rescue whē the field is rendred and not in sufficient time is the man at the gate when the Horsse is out of the pasture too late commeth the pardon when the théefe is hanged and too late the clubbes when the fray is parted too late it is to pleade when iudgemente is giuen and away with the Phisition when the man is dead But I weare my words in vaine and talke to my selfe the houre is past when the clocke hath stricken and now too late to call backe yeesterday I make strong reasons if happely they doe anye thing auayle but in that there is no remedie against forepassed faultes and recording of offences doe but weare away the time vse heereafter your selfe more honestlye and I will not vtterly reiecte you learne to bridle youre affections and content your selfe with so much as is sufficient your appetite and forget this boulstering in brauery for not to any purpose serueth it but to thy discredite and my shame Your yeares I confesse are yong and the gouernment of your self but small your weakenes therfore shall bee borne withall in hope of your amendment My will is therfore that you make your repaire home with speede and spend no time in musinge vpon matters of nothing meane while my prouision shal be prepared for your comminge and what you wante shall bee necessarily prouided Thus for all my sharpe sawces I wish you swéete Suger and after your melancholy meat pleasant Pilles for in reproouing your vices I fauour your welfare and if I cared not for you I would not haue spoken one worde for though I caste you a bone to bite on yet would I not haue you choked and though I haue vsed seuerity in my sayinges yet wish I you no cruelty in my dooinges which you shall try by my goodnes and acknowledge by the effect of my dooinges so your manners be reformed in an other kinde of order your dealings prooue more benificiall to your selfe of greater credit towards mee Hasten your iourney and poste with spéede Farewell by your louinge Vnckle Henricus at his house in Vienna NArbonus hauinge read the Letter and wayinge the effect of the contents his eyes burst sodainely into a fountaine of teares makinge a litle riuer vpon his watery cheekes looking vpon him selfe as vncertaine whither the Letter were presented him from his Unckle or that it were but the flying fancy of some dreame but perceiuinge it to be true in déede and no deceiuinge deuice that beguiled him hée wept so bitterly as a man may immagine Peeter did for his Maister so fast the teares ran from him and the gréefe was greater then the anguish of him that receiueth iudgement or hath his condemnacion pronounced against him to yéeld to the torments of death or to pay his life a ransom for all wicked dooings his hart did so languish his yll hap and lewde life and his soule lamented his froward fate daungerous destiny as if no pardon should acquited him or any raunsome set him frée his soule for a season in an extasie and his minde so amazed as if in lamenting hee should haue died and in dyinge made some attonement for his sinnes such was the extremitie of his passion and so greate the gréefe of this new receaued Letter for his conscience was guilty and therfore yeelded to the force of his fancy ledde as it were by a legion of resolucions which way to take or what was best be done but in the end perceiuing his own folly and musing at his madnes in that children doo cry and Women wéepe not men to complaine in such order or lament with the léesing of a few teares but should bridle vp their affections and moderate their maladies in such order as their wéepinge will neither auayle in their demeanes nor teares bée any testimony of their trecherous toyes his thoughtes altogeather inflamed with fury and his minde mooued with the measure of his malady vttered these wordes to himselfe and spoke as foloweth And is it true Narbonus that thy Unckle hath dealt with thee after thy dooings and rewarded thee according to thy workes and if hee doe so is it more then I merit or other then my desertes are no trust mée nor so much for were it so how could I euer looke vpon him agayne could my heart haue power or my lippes bee so bolde to craue a thinge so vnreasonable or to aske that which in conscience I cannot desire his pardon to bee graunted which will not be denyed durst I attempt it or put it in practise whose care hath beene so comfortable and ayde fo assistaunt in all these my doubtfull dealinges and desperate desasters how shall I vtter one sweet word no it will bee so sowre as he will hardly digest it can I imagine any collusion to cloake my craft withal or frame any excuse to hide my folly Why had I not been called I had staied in the Countrey and not come to Vienna but my callinge was for commoditie and willed for my welfare but being informed of my wanton life was wished to spende my time more honestly but I was sente to Wittenberge to learne the Law and to profite my selfe in learninge but my sendinge was not to learne wit of a Woodcocke or wisedome of him that knoweth not what it meaneth but I was sente like a Trauailer therfore my expences the greater but my lyuing should haue bin like a Cittizen and so my credite beene made larger but had I not beene caused I had consented but the choyce was mine owne and the refusall was in my making but had I not bin exhorted I had stayed at home in the Countrey and had I stayed at home my lyuing had not béene lost but mine was the consente and mine the motion mine the demaundinge and mine the requestinge mine the wishing to obtaine therfore mine must be the blame and mine the shame and mine the repentaunce for none shall smart but my selfe nor any feele the foyle but hee that began the battaile The spending of my lyuinge hath prooued mee a lewde loyterer and the losing of my lands a right Abbey lubber first I should haue gotten and then fréely spent first spare then vsed first gayned and then gratified first found franckely and then laid on liberally But caitiffe that I am and most wretched amongst other infortunate now I speake what I should done nowe what my pretence might haue béene nowe I speake my minde that it is to late and vtter what before was to bee remedied And why could not my estate be stayed as before and my dooing dealt in so good order as before they were now shall my owne rod bee the remedy
gréene in winter naked and bitten with frost the Hart with his haughty hornes fat and faire shortly after colde and ready to sterue the man that to day bounceth in brauery to morrow marcheth in the vale of misery do we not commonly see the stout tyrant to day persecuting to morrow to stand to the mercy of his inferiours to day in Fortunes lap to morrow in the mire of misery Wée haue but two chaunces and both wee cannot inioy togeather good or euill happy or vnfortunate blessed or cursed wisedome should eyther shew vs thus much or reason rule vs to vnderstand this secrecy to day we haue to morow we had to day men to morrow lumps of earth to day in the highest habitacion of felicity to morow in the lowest sincke of aduersity the infant dyeth the olde foole tarieth stil the gréene grasse withereth the toughe olde trée abideth still in his place as cōmonly goeth the little Lambe to the slaughter as the olde Oxe to th butchery let vs not be deceiued with the mutability of the one nor beguiled with the vncertainty of the other after the vncomfortable night comes the cleare day after wallowinge waues and sturdy stormes quiet calmes swéet gales after tedious trauailes temperate tastes after misery mirth after Melancholy melody after bitter bale blisfull beatitude as wee cannot inioy both so must we perforce want one our lincked louers whose fancies were their foode whose delightes their desires whose wishes their welfare whose ioy was the greatest whose grauity the least swam al this while in the seas of security marched in the frontire of felicitie were forced to fly the féeld of their confederacy and resigne the banners of society to time the only meanes to enioy their auncient amity to finde out the happines of their former felicitie they had al this while tasted the apple but not touched the rinde crackt the nut for the curnell but let fall the shell gathered the grapes left the leaues But now the Drum soundeth and the Pipe plaies lofte to depart for the father of Phemocles enuying at the lasy life of his loitring sonne and desirous to haue him better busied in the spendinge of his time determined to sende him to Naples to learne the Italian tongue which would greatly profite him as hee imagined to whom findinge at conuenient leysure and time to vnfolde the effecte of his meaninge hee spake as foloweth and vttered these wordes Sonne Phemocles hée that alwayes abideth by the fire side or in the warme house litle knoweth how hardly hée can abide the freesing frostes or cold blastes of winters windes to remaine alwaies within the Citty or to abide still in the Towne is no meanes to prooue a good Courtier or to sée such seruice as the Prince desireth to marche in a Meddow amongst maydens or to lye lulling in the lappes of Ladyes is not the way to prooue a good Souldier or to be practised in the feates of Armes thou fightest here but with thy fancy striuest with thy owne estate thou alwaies hopest but neuer gainest thou thinkest to attaine somewhat but findest iust nothinge the fruition of thy fréedome is no light of thy lyuing nor the inioyinge that thou already haste a meane to make it more vnlesse thy vsinge were put to working and thy sauinge to encrasing the money in thy pursse will not encrease but the bay salt will grow as it lieth thy little knowledge seeking for no more experience will profite very slowly but thy witte being wrested may in time winne thée great wealth the wearing away of thy goodly yeares without commoditie and the leesing of thy time without any vtilitie thou wilte héereafter repent and wish thou hadst bin forced more for thy felicitie As thou wantest knowledge so lackest thou also wisedome and with the atteyning of the one thou shalte easily finde the way to gaine the other and as thou wantest vnderstanding so must thou proue with paines and not thinke to winne it with wishing I speake not to the end to haue thée eyther Souldioure or seruitour neyther rouer nor royster neyther Courteour nor Caterpiller but in going thou mayst gaine and yet not get without paine and thy pain doubtlesse will preferre thée to profite and thy profit wil proue so for thy pleasure as thy gaine shall not seeme painefull nor thy profite hurtfull Understand thou therefore and be it knowē vnto thée that the better to talke with strangers and the easier to answer many demandes the more profitable for thy parentage and the greater comendable for thy Countrey the more to pleasure thy selfe and the better to delight me then take thy iourney to Naples and leaue thy naturall seate this Citie there to learne the Italian toung and to sée the fashions of that Countrey a place as I imagine as likely for thy learning as prompt for thy profite yet perhappes more beutified with brauerie than subiect to the rules of honestie excéeding full of curtesie and filled with filed flattery more coy then comelie and yet more comely than commendable their faces painted like the Appothecaries pot shineth outwardly but poysoned inwardly and were their doings correspondent to their sayings their companyes were to bee craued where now it is to be hated When thou shalte be come thither stayed in the Towne looke not on their painted postes nor haue any regard to their wanton windowes gaze not on their garish girles nor listen not to their Sirenes songes whose Lutes will entice thée to lust and their musicke moue thee to do that thou after repent thou shalt find there new fangles and trifling toyes tibbes and trulles knauerie and bawdery villanie and varietie But as thou hast eyes to behold these things so hast thou also a Soule to thinke vpon to saue for let it be no sooner knowen of thy arriuall and iudging thée to be a stranger but the next morning or happily that same nighte some Curtizan will salute thée with a swéete song vnder thy window or else with a Citherne at thy Chamber dore but giue no eare to such gratulations nor haue any regard to those salutations reward hir slenderly with some little péece of Siluer or pay hir that shal not counteruaile hir trauell so mayest thou perhappes be dispatched of a Strumpet and léese the company of a beastly body but if thou séeme to dallie or to make any accompt of hir thou shalt euer bee troubled with hir sight or mollested with hir sound woon with hir swéete wordes or allured with hir louing lookes deceyued with hir painted pride or delighted with hir pretie posies hir eyes as good as fishing baites and hir handes holde like limetwigges If societie assaile thée to craue the company of some trusty Titus or gaine the good will of some faithfull Iesippus thou must beare two heades in one hoode or bee repaied treble for single once gained loue that he liketh his louer excepted or his Lady only restrayned and then except
else to put away himselfe then to put hir away or to cast hir off the discredite would be as much to him as now the ill name was to hir and to retaine hir and not to forsake hir euery man would laugh him to scorne and point at him in the stréetes he deuised therefore this practise and put it straight in proofe his Lands he was content to leaue with his Wife bycause they were not easie to be caried and to sel them would bréede great suspition and to morgage them or borrow money on them his retâ—rne was vncertaine therfore so hee would not deale but tooke vp of his creditours to the value of thrée hundreth Duckets or neare that quantity thinkinge to sée some chaunge before the consuming of so much coyne as for his wife hee made her priuie to none of his dealinges but preteÌ„ded a voiage into the Countrey where he would shortly returne and foure dayes should bee the longest he would stay But the olde Bée his wiues Mother doubted of his driftes and perceiued his shiftes the night before hee should goe hée pounced his Portmantue with Portigues and stuffed it with Duckets laying it in his Chamber as if there had béen no such matter his lawles Mother or Mother in law when hee was soundly sléepinge not without the coÌ„sent of his Wife conueyed closely out of his Chamber his packet and brought it into her owne where shée oppened it and found that shee suspected shee therfore tooke out all the Portigues and plucked out all the Duckets except a iust hundred which shée lefte to sustaine his wante and conuayed therin by weight so many Counters and in the same place where out shee had the money and afterward laide it where â—hee found it as if no man had seene it in the morninge hee rose early and tooke leaue of his now wife promising to returne shortly and in déede hée returned sooner then hee was minded at his goinge Then did hee secretly conuey himselfe into a Shippe ready to sayle into Spayne who staied but his comming and then hoysed sayles no sooner on ship bourd but they wayed their Anckors and sayled so prosperously that within a shorte time they ariued in Spayne at the appoynted place of landing my young Maister had some money lose in his pocket to pay his Boate hire and to serue certaine dayes after comming to his Inne hée deliuered his cariage to his Hoste desiring him to bée carefull of it for oppening it a litle shewed saying there are thus many Duckets and so many Portigues and Fortune was so fréendly and his happe so good as the money lay right against the place hee opened and his Hoste saw nothinge but Golde then his Host tooke it in his handes iudged there was so much by the waight therof promised therfore warrantise for the safety therof and that hée would answers what ere was therin My young Maister went into the Towne as well to sée as to be seene making him selfe so merry as he might and delighted him selfe so well as hee could the charges for his dyet was meruailous great and his expences more then he thought they would bee One day askinge for his Casket to reache out some money which deliuered him hée tooke out aboue twenty Duckets openinge but a little hole to put in his hande and that right against the place where they lay for had he put his hand on the right side he had pulled out Counters and had hee put his hand on the lefte hee had raught out counterfeytes but he closed it vp in the sight of his Host and his Hostes was there present rendring it to bée kept againe which was layde where as before the good man of the house retayned a seruant to doâ— such his businesses as hee appointed him who espying his pray and thinking the money had beene much pretended a voyage into Portugall to see his olde fréendes and to speake with his father before hee dyed who as hee sayd was very olde and that longe sithens hee had not seene him his Maister gaue consent and speedily procured him a Pasporte who no sooner had it but the day following departed and toke the Budget with him This trauayling Traitour and maister filcher thrée daies on his iourney and far ynough from their getting this Casket was missinge and euery corner sought euery rush remooued that was suspected or where they thought it might bee hidden but all to late the money was gone and the man was away the good man was sorowfull beyond measure and knew not what to doo the day followinge and dinner ended his Hoste questioned with him of this thing then demaunded he of some other quite contrary and amongst other matters of his Casket and the somme of money therin who answered there were thrée hundred Duckets where out he had taken twenty well Sir sayd his Hoste more or lesse whatsoeuer there was it is iust all gone not so much as one péece lefte wherat my younge Maister halfe dead to heare these newes and sorowful beyond measure tolde his Hoste that hée should answere him so much or else the Law should yeeld him nothing his Host feareful to haue this trechery knowen for that the discredite would be his would gladly agréed to any reasonable matter and to some agréement though with great losse intreated therfore his guest to take parte of the money for the principall paâ—rimony the other liuyinge the waight of the matter and foreseeinge how troublesome it would fall out consented his Hoste to giue him one hundred Duckets and he to discharge all his debts and to make cleare with the house my younge Maister by that time his dyet was payed for and the house quite discharged had left but fifty Duckets much lesse as hee imagined then hee brought foorth but the more wronge had my Hoste and yet the greater his gréefe This slaue seruaunt to his Host well moneyed as he imagined arriued in Italy landed at Venice where when hée opened and found but Counters he was almost mad and more then halfe foolish for that hee had forsaken his owne Countrey and lefte his good Maister vnacquainted there and not knowing how to get into seruice but forcinge him selfe to doo that hee neuer thought and puttinge that in practise hee neuer looked for offered his seruice to manye and diuerse motions were made but none accepted nor no entertaynment could bee had passinge alonge the Streates and runninge thus vp and downe hee happened on the house of Madona Maria the good wife of my younge Maister shee because hee was a straunger thinkinge hee should some way delight her entertayned him and receiued him into seruice where hee bestowed his stollen Budget in his Chamber the whiche he thought would neuer bée séene of the right owner nor marked of any The creditours of whome this money was borowed and where hée receyued his Crownes came at the appoynted daye or shortly after Mistresse Maria with that summe hir
to find out experience or to procure liuing there is nothing found but yéeldeth some profite nor anye thing gotten without some paynes How grow the graftes or how spring the plantes how sproute the buddes or how encrease the flouds how commes the corne not without tilling how commes the fruite not without planting nor profite without payne and that paine peeuishly employed if it yéelde not some commoditie Doth not the hired seruant worke before he be rewarded and the Souldioure some seruice before he receyue pay Can the traueller atteyne his desires before he passe the Seas or the Merchant haue his Shippe come home before he make his mart no trust me for then hée returneth voyde of his pretence and commeth home as muche the better as when he wente forthe Must not the Scholler procéede by degrées and the craftes man be a Prentise before he be a Maister can the Pilot passe the Seas before he haue learned his compasse and the Astronomer giue iudgemente of the Starres before he knowe the Earth must not the Shomaker make a latchet before he fashion a boote and the Paynter vse his pen before he practise with his pensell could I atteyned my toung if I had stayed at home and how should he be learned that neâ—er loketh on Bookes the minoritie of small things must first be learned then the substance of greater matters the easier to be atteyned The Gretians sacked Troy but not without greate toyle and the Romanes woon Hierusalem but not withoute greate trauell Caesar gayned the Empire but not without long labour and the Turkes woon the Rhodes but not without great slaughter Tully gayned eloquence but not without great study and Orpheus gote his wife out of Hell but not withoute passing toyle Of somewhat commeth something but of ydlenesse nothing ensueth Doth not the Astronomer stare long on the Starres before hee make his Prognostication and the Lawyer pleades not at the Barre before hee know his cases can the Musition attaine the ground of musicke by one Instrument and could Pithagoras attaine his wisdome in one day but once gained what profit doth import and once attained what credite insueth Thus paine will yéelde profite and tedious trauaile bringe greedy gayne to linger at home and to loyter in the Towne To kéepe as well yll disposed company as those which are honest and good I know is an offence to God and some grudge to my conscience the way to growe into discredite and the meanes to moone mâ—e to naughtinesse Wherfore were wee made or wherfore begotten wherfore created after the Images of God or wherefore did hée breath life into vs to stand like Ciphers or to bee deuouringâ— Catterpillers no euery one after his degree and each accordinge to his callinge If it shall please you therfore to thinke good of it and that it bee not disagréeable to your minde to graunt this my small request and not to gainsay that which I shall craue for as you haue found mee alwayes obedient to perfourme what euer you should commaund so wish I not longer to liue then duetifully to obey your pleasure which is that I may finde so much fauour in your sight and obtaine so much goodnes at your handes to maintayne a voyage into Spayne to see that noble Countrey troublesome I know it will seeme vnto you and a thing altogeather vnexpected but for my time of absence and the while I shall bee away graunt how longe it please or how litle shall like you best if it bee but one quarter of a yeare or lesse if sooner I may make my returne for my charges my bare dyet shall excuse mee and for expences Horse hire will bee the greatest and my iourney I hope will not bée so chargeable but my returne will be as profitable lyuinge thus I consume my yeares and profite not my witte which well imployed would profite my selfe and further some other Is not the Bée â—yued for her Honny the Shéepe sheared for her fléece is not the Foule plucked for her feathers the Oxe his necke wrought for his Maisters profite Is not the Trée grafted to yeelde fruite and the ground laboured to bring foorth Corne Wherfore was I begotten or to what ende had you such care ouer mée in my infancy wherfore was I fostered and wherfore nourished to this age to be a Droane amongst the Bees and a Catterpiller amongst the Fruite deuouring the profite of others and seruinge to no vse my selfe But happely you will demaund the cause of my hastie voyage and the occasion of my sodaine departure which though it séeme hastie to you yet it hath beene long sithens put in practise by mee you know better then I can manifest vnto you and saw more by experience then I haue by hearesay The late Armie leuied by our Noble Emperour and the Royall company that yssued foorth of our Towne the number of Horsemen glisteringe in their bright Armour and the braue company of Footemen with their Pikes and Shotte the couragious Captaynes in their callinges and the lustye Sergeauntes in their Offices All which as it wil yéelde no great discommodity to you so must it of necessitie bee very profitable for mee then may I boast I haue seene an Army Royall then may I vaunt of that noble Countrey of Spayne I would not you should thinke my meaninge is to serue or to take pay as a Souldiour for that my cunning is small and my experience lesse onely my desire is to gayne the full sight of that huge Army and to see their noble orders and Ordinaunces As for my time of absence and the space to bee away I referre it to your discretion and shal contentedly bee ruled by your will His Father who suspected that pretence leaâ—â— of any in the worlde and neuer imagined any suche demaund would bée required knew not how to answere at tâ—e 〈◊〉 nor how to deny so reasonable a request yet both fearful of his daunger and carefull of his health doubtinge â—â— well the daunger of the fominge flouds as mistrustinge the health of his Sonne who was neuer on the Sea beefore nor at any time in little daunger of drowning then feared hee the nature of the Countrey would not agree with him and then doubted hee the disposition of the people which was altogeather vnlike theirs yet in the ende imagininge that hee would haue sufficient regard of his owne safety and looke diligently to the health of him selfe hee therfore put away all doubtes and shaped him this answere MY beloued Phemocles what the harte thinketh the mouth vttereth and what the minde inwardly conceyueth is knowen partly by the outwarde cogitations there is no commodity but hath his discommodity anâ— no profite but hath some disprofite thou art not borne to eate alwayes thy bread in one place nor bred to drinke alwayes of one Well The cloth hath his list and the Trée not without some blast the Nutte his shell and the swéet Bée her stinginge tayle as the
one cannot bee made without the other so must the best bee a helper to the worser I thy Father neuer trauayled out of my Countrey thou my Sonne hast trauayled and desirest more I a great Marchaunte thou ignoraunte of the Marte thou desirest that I neuer wished and crauest that which were it in my case should neuer bee desired Aristippus saith wee are borne for pleasure but Cato saith wee are begotten for the vtilitie of our Countrey wee are borne in deede for the pleasure of GOD and created to doe the will of oure heauenlye Father Anaxagoras sayeth wee are borne to looke vp to Heauen and Naso willeth vs to pleasure all men And as the aforesayde Anaxagoras sayeth in that respecte wee are Angell like and do resemble the doings of our maâ—â—r in that all other Creatures do looke downewarde and haue no regarde to beholde the Heauens and man is the onely thinge in this worlde that other beastes doo feare and they tremble to beholde his countenaunce but let that passe and come to the purpose Thou desirest the life of a Trauailer and imployest thy minde that waye which to thy profite to make denyall and to thy vtilitie not to perfourme were but the parte of an vncourteous Father and the déedes of an yll disposed parente There is no reason I shoulde disdayne thy doings being good and no cause why I shoulde blame thy bargaines béeing honest One desireth the life of a Souldyoure another requireth the lyfe of a Merchante One séeketh the life and libertie of a frée man another regardeth to liue in forraigne Countreys one delighteth to trauell by Sea another more reioyceth to iourney by Land Fabritius greatest ioy was by pouertie and that onely life he desired for he that had nothing was certayne not to léese any thing Rutilius reioyced of his exile and Cato was not sorowfull of his death Socrates thought his greatest felicitie to be by poyson and that noble Captayne who to saue Rome disdeyned not to ride into the gaping gulfe Thy desire is to mainteyne a Uoyage into Spayne and to haue the full sighte of that noble Armye and thy purpose shall take effecte and thou not deceyued of that thou desirest but I feare me thou wilte hardly away with the nature of the Soyle and I am doubtefull that the Countrey lyeth full of Souldyoures yet vpon this condition that thy returne be so spéedie as thou sayest and so thou promise me to come agayne in that time thou hast sette downe I am contâ—nt to graunte thy request and willinglye consente to what thou desirest But whilest thou arte there be carefull of thy dyet and haue a regard whome thou choosest thy companyon for in that thou knowest not whome to trust héere thou mayest perforce be deceyued in a strange place For the fatherlie affection I haue ouer thée dothe wishe thée so well as my selfe and without thy health what happinesse can I haue Therefore I charge thée héere vpon payne of my displeasure and commaunde thée as thou wilte purchasse my blessing that thou be carefull of thy owne safetie and make so spéedie returne as thy selfe hast promised His father immediately furnishing him with euerie thing apperteyning to suche a voyage and willing him to be mindfull of his promises committed him to the gouernemente of the highest and betooke him to the fauour of the Flouds there to trie his Fortune amidst the foming froath and to march in the middle of the saltishe Seas where we must leaue him to them vpoÌ„ his chance and betake him to his close cabbin in the steade of his choyse Chamber I Haue thus finished the first parte of NARBONVS and gyuen PHEMOCLES for a tyme his farewell you shall shortlye heare what newes in Spayne and of the successe of the Emperoures Armie where he that before neuer walked in the warres is now wedded to some woe and he that earst was neuer ouer the shoes in fortunes despight is now ouer the bootes in enuies disdeyne I commende him to the Spanyardes courtesie whome I doubt will entreate him not curiouslie yet careleslye FINIS The ende of the first part NARBONVS The seconde parte of the Lust of Libertie Wherin is conteyned the hap of Narbonus beeing a Souldioure his returne out of Spayne and the successe of his loue betvveene him and Fidelia And lastly his life at the Emperoures Court with other actions which happened to his freend Phemocles By the same Authour A.S. ¶ Imprinted at London by VVillyam How for Richard Iohnes 1580. The seconde part NArbonus hauing escaped the dauÌ„ger of the Flouds arriued very well on shoare where hée was growen to beâ— such a Souldiour as hée could shifte with the best and dissemble with the most It happened that when hee had beene in the Campe by the space of thrée Monethes or much about that time his Captayne with certayne others went to doo a péece of seruice against the ennemy and an exployt which happened not so well for Narbonus as it might haue doone where they had such happy successe and fortune séemed so to fauour them as they returned with Triumphe and brought away the goale with them Retiringe homeward all the Captaynes wente through a little Towne to make merry and the Souldiours marched on the backeside of the Towne neuer staying till they came at the Campe Narbonus with certayn others wente with their Captaynes and accompanied theÌ„ through the Towne The cariages went also through the Towne for that it was somewhat the nearest waye béeing in the Towne a certaine space some fell to drinkeinge some to quarrelling from quarrelling to blowes and from blowes to bloodshed for with their quarrelling and the coyle they kept they set all the Towne in an vproare all were togeather by the eares now the Wine was in the head and the wit was out of the braine This broyle continued so longe till some were hurte and some were wounded some loste their apparrell out of the cariages and some lost all they had some went home with one legge and some lefte their liues for a Monument Narbonus amidst this thronge and in as great daunger as the most had discharged his Péece laden with two Bullettes full in the brest of one his owne companions had not an other that saw his meaning bobbed vp the nose of his Gunne This drunken fray was in the ende pacified and the matter taken vp amongst themselues but the cariages were so rifled and the Wagons so spoyled as hee that escaped best lost something and Narbonus lost iust all that hée had and had not so much left as a shirte to chaung him or any apparrell more then hee woare on his backe to shift him As for his purse that was light his money was al gone long before now therfore began his misery and then began hee to misse his owne Countrey beefore hée lacked a litle but now hée began greatly to lament his mishap finding a conuenient place and time where none should
hold my hands from so dying and stay my knife from executing my selfe were it not offensiue to God and contrarie his commaundes my heart shoulde quickly consent and my hand soone strike the stroke Of all the Creatures that God hath made and all the features he hath formed Man is eyther most vnfortunate or in greatest vnhappinesse All other creatures regarde nought but their foode to fill their paunches and care for nothing but meate to serue their turnes and they all haue sufficient and neuer any of them that perish with hunger but we want and we wayle we wéepe and wée lament we crie and we craue The firste signe of our life after our procreation is bitter teares and the formost motion of our liuing soules is wéeping a sure signe of our miserie to come a token that our life shall continue with lamēting my money is spent long since my apparel al lost freends héere are none that wil releeue me and who wil succour me in this deepe distres but if my backe hee colde is not my bellie also bare yes I sée nought but death before my face and my lingering life beginneth to wast and this death is most miserable in this kinde of dying I shal seeme the most vile creature that euer liued and to sterue thus with hūger the most loathsome of any that héertofore hath breathed but in so dying do there not a great nūber leade the daunce before thée and in beeing so miserable are there not many that pine in like perplexitie if I steale any thing to sustein my pining paūch or filch ought to gorge my gréedy gut death thē is my due no cōpassion shal be shewed me O my beloued Phemocles that I were now at thy courtesie and that my plaints were poured forth before thée that thou didst behold these watrie eyes that thou didst looke vpon these blubbred chéekes that thou didst sée this throbbing hearte so miserably afflicted that thou didst behold my soule so drowned in despaire but to be hold héere my deformed face to sée thus these eyes suncke into my head thou wouldest beare a part I am assured of these my inwarde miseries and were ther any heere to poure foorth some teares with me or to bewaile my want so much as my selfe my heart would quickly yéeld to the furie of death my soule giue cōsent to yéeld vp my ghost And gaineth not death a great iewell and getteth he not a mightie rewarde to haue me his owne yes trust me a loathsome body and a stincking carcasse a rotten trée and a consumed carion But O good God are these the fruites of all warres and are these the liues of all Souldiours is this the life of all those forced by their Princes and is this the case of all such as go out of their owne Countrey the soule Beare findeth somewhat to teare on and the hungrie Tigre getteth something to mainteine hir life the Wolfe hath some what to pray vpō and the wilie Foxe doth not perish with hūger Thou feedest O Lord the yong Rauens with the dew of Heauen wilt thou suffer vs to go into Hell for wāt of sustenance we must eyther pay pence for that we take or render our liues in pawne giue gold or gaine our graue Thou hast giuē to euery fowle of the aire séedes to the beastes of the field grasse to feede on to the fishes the wide sea to fleete in to the vile wormes the rotten earth to liue by These creatures sterue not for lack of foode nor perish being pined with hunger Is man the perfectest creature and the likenes of thy own image hast thou made him most excellēt giuen him the vilest cōdition the best fauoured and the worst beloued the most superial to loke vpō yet the most vnfortunate of all others Other thy creatures stand not one at the mercy of the other one is not forced to beg of the other one cōdēneth not the other none of thē giues cōsent to haue the other slaine The Oxe is cōtent his fellow shal feede by him the Shéepe craueth the cōpany of his cōpanions The Hart will not féede alone the ramping Lion neuer hurteth his fellow yet we suffer oure heéethrē to pine in pouerty sée our fellowes to die with hunger Is the shape of man so goodly and his condition so vile his face so amiable his nature so filthy his life so pure his déedes so detestable We haue séene that brute beastes haue fed yong children nourished their natures susteined their liues if they of nature be so gentle why should not we be more louing if their affection to vs be so great why shuld it not be far greater to our selues O miserable sexe O vile generatiō O most vnpure O most odious of al others Should our doings resemble God why then do we follow the Diuel should our works be perfect to our maker why then are we so vnperfect towards our selues if perfection worke such imperfectiō and if the inward motions worke such outward miserie if the secret things in nature manifest so great calamity why then O God hast thou made vs the way to excéede other creatures to excell thē al in these misteries as the heart the mind the soule regeneratiō nature yéelds thē al their generation works thē al a beginning their procreation their being and hath not nature wrought that in them as they al liue and are all susteyned they are all nourished and not one of them perish for wanting their foode Is then our gaine greater or our life larger our happinesse comparable to their felicitie and our goodnesse like to their pleasure no Narbonus thy dayes must be shortned for lacke of sustenance and thy life dried vp wanting reliefe Farewell that noble Countrey of Germanie and adue that famous Citie of Vienna farewell the Uirgins that vow vestalitie and adue thou my faithfull Fidelia farewell my déere Unckle with the rest of my fréendes and adue Phemocles of all the men the only floure But miser that I am to lament my losse doth but encrease my sorow and to renue my plaintes but augment my gréefe bestirre therefore thy selfe and walke abroade happilie thou mayest méete with some that will reléeue thy staruing state and by chaunce find out some fréend to giue thée some foode But alas whome shall I aske or whome shall I call to whome shall I bewayle my wante vnto or who will help me out of this miserie if I go out to séeke some pray or go about to gaine some bootie is not the enimie hard at our héeles and commeth he not close to our Camp If I be taken I die tenne thousand deaths and if my life be yéelded into his handes I were better suffer any torments perhappes be thrust into their Galleys which is woorse than thousands of deathes or put to a worse office whiche I were better yéeld my selfe
in the maine Sea Is not the Frog in lesse daunger to bée taken theÌ„ the Samon to be caught the little Lambe liueth when the fat Wether goeth to the slaughter the Hinde feedeth still in the Lawnes when the fat Bucke is pursued the smallest thinges the lesse regarded and the greater they are the more is their daunger the Lyon is pursued when the Lambe sucketh the teate of hir damme and the bristled Boare is roused out of his Den when the sucking Pigge sleapeth quietly the Bull is bayted when the Calfe feedeth in the feeldes and the Hearne is souced at when the sneaking Snight sitteth by the riuers side Who therfore would desire to bee ritch or who couet to bée greater to bee famous or to haue a name to bee called a God vpon earth when his ende shall bee as miserable as a beaste as waueringe as the winde and as totteringe as a Reede as vncertayne as the helme of the Shippe and alteringe as the Moone like the vntimely fruite falling from the trée before it be riped lyke the curnell of a Nutte eaten with a worme so vnsauery is the highest estate and so daungerous the seate of mighty men if Fortune once gin to frowne and good hap bee gone out of a mans reache What a lyfe therfore is this and how repleat with misery how vnsatiable and how voide of all goodnes when the highest is so slippery how shall the lowest bee sure yet I thinke the least is the safest and the lowest the surest For who eateth his bread better then the labouring man and who feedeth with a better stomacke then hée that hath trauailed all the day I haue wrought harde sayth hee this day therfore now will I eate mainely then happiest is the leaste and vnfortunate the greatest not so neyther would the greatest temper his affections as hee might and vse his ritches in so good order as he ought his estate is most happy and hee most bound to Fortune For are the greate Princes of the worlde vnhappy for that they are mighty and are they not fortunate for that they are ritch no for because they could not rule with reason nor moderate their mindes to enioye quyetly that which they possessed Hee that climeth highe greate is his fall and the aspiringe minde comes often shorte home the faire Rose cannot growe but euery one will bée pluckinge at it and the goodly Pomgranate cannot hange on the Tree till it bee rype the fayrest Faulcon is desired of all and the sweeter the Grape the moe doo geather of it the mightier the estate the more desired and thee goodlier possessions the more suters The newe builte House is sooner bought then the ragged walles and a fatte and lustye Horse sooner caught vp then a leane and starued Iade the best are most desired and the least litle regarded But Narbonus it is nowe time to caste of these cogitations and to leaue deuyninge of matters not touchinge thy estate thou seest no body speaking to thee nor any one that maketh thee answere no man commeth at thee nor any seeketh to reléeue thee Therfore bestir thy selfe and get thée abroad arme thy selfe with patience and in time thou maist finde reléefe And ther withall hee went to borow some money of his Captayne promising to answere it when the pay day came but hee would not lend him a mite but sent him away as well satisfied as when hee came to him Thus fortune who erst as he thought hunge about his necke laughed him now to scorne Who had then seene his visage and marked the feature of his face would haue sayde it resembled rather the counterfeyt of one goinge to bee layde in the graue then the liuely hue of him who so late bare such a port in Vienna Roming thus vp and downe the Campe and going from one place to another hée met by chaunce with a fréend of his and one of olde accquaintaunce the other had a litle siluer in his purse and better stoared then Narbonus therfore they went both to dinner and gotte such victuals as their litle money would reach too where hee fedde like a hungry horse trauayled in a winters day Then Narbonus bewrayed vnto him his great mishappes and lamented his ariuall into that miserable Countrey recounting vnto him the méere misery that hee was like to come too and declaringe the vngratefulnes of his Captaine and Countreymen hee could not so moderate his mind nor so satisfie his appetite not so bridle his affections nor so conceale the inwarde anguishe of his harte but that hee burst forth into bitter wéepinge so pittifully the teares flowed downe his face as if then hee would haue dyed and neuer returned out of that place Thus with daylie lamenting his face was growen so pale and with continuall wéeping his chéekes looked so wanne as those which before had long vsed his companie woulde not then haue knowen him The other séeing him so lament and so pitifully to complaine comforted him so well as hee could and vsing such perswasions as hée thought best saying that wéeping was no way to preserue his health nor lamenting any meanes to make his sorrowes slake Hée therfore like a freend parted stakes with him and gaue him halfe the money in his pursse willing him so long as he had any boldly to command it to the which liberall offer Narbonus yéelded him thankes for his courtesie and gratefulnesse for his good will Thus they departed and Narbonus was better contented with that little summe than if before he had gotten ten times the value but the quantitie was so small that the ioy could not last long for as a Candle consumeth to nothing or as the deaw drieth vp with the heate of the Sunne as the waxe melteth before the fire or the frost stealeth away so soone as the thaw commeth so the substance of his pursse diminished by little till all was gone then his gréefe grew as great as before And for that there was so small store of money in the Camp the victuals decreased and was very hard to gette for the Souldioures were so yll payde and so hardly dealt withall whether by the yll demeanours of the Captaines or that the fault was in the receyuers but this is most sure that the poore Souldioures had none neyther any coulde they get by reason whereof they were forced to robbe and driuen to steale to spoyle the cariages comming towards the Camp and to take away the money from the â—ictuallers which was the cause that the prouision came not and if there came any they were forted eyther to sell it vpon credite or to carrie it home againe The complayning and the running the lamenting and the wayling was intollerable amongst all sortes and outragious in euery degrée as the sights and the hearings with the vnsatiable rigour that there was vsed would haue moued the hard stones and haue forced the stony rockes to wéepe Some cried out they would neyther watche nor ward any longer
neuer thinking to dispayre and yet he could not perswade himselfe of gayning his desire in getting the good will of his swéete Saint and finding her fauourable whome he honoured aboue all other thinges thus he houered in hope and yet doubted dispaire Spending thus the time of his abode and wearing out the tract of his absence he alwayes vnder some coulored pretence repaired to his Chamber and vnder the cloake of his collusiō he remained thus in his cogitation yet not knowen to any nor apparant to one for all that he was watched by some and marked by others for he was busied with some Booke though his minde were not there and wryting some tryfle though his heart was farre of and though he helde a Booke in one hand yet with the other he would wyllingly haue helde a Candle to the shryne of his Mistresse and if his lyps mumbled these wordes and then stayed at that letter yet his imagination was how to compasse his desired wish and his thought how to obtayne his will and if his tongue bewrayed him to be at Euensong yet in minde he was scarce at Morrowmasse worne with musing and pined with the prolonging of his penaunce his trauayle séemed so tedious and the time so troublesome as he hasted more then was néedefull vnlesse he had come a lyttle sooner The best part of Summer was spent and the time grew néere his departure he therfore tooke leaue of his Kinsmen and gaue them many thankes for their great curtesies Phemocles séemed well contented with this and was verie ioyfull of his going homewarde and I trust he spared not his Bootes neyther left his spurres vnoccupied his Horse curssed his Maister and the Hostler wyshed him hanged that rode on that Horse Nowe he that was before so giuen to Malancholie turned the innerside of his Cappe outwarde and could sing with the most in myrth or beare a part with the best in melody who more glad or who more ioyfull who more pleasaunt or who better disposed feeding his fancies with hope and drinking the drammes of his delyghts Who marched not now vnder the bāner of Venus and who bare not a Standerd with him was no Souldior nor worthy any pay Thus he manaced in myrth and roade in the remembrance of his swéete Mistresse tyll they alighted at Vienna came to the place of him long desired Now deuising the meanes to speake with her and practising how to haue any talke with her often passing along vnder her windowe and walked by the Porche where he imagined she should syt Not long after as he passed along that way and vsed his accustomed walkes there came foorth a seruaunt who went into the Towne about some businesse of whome he asked whose house that same was and then his Maisters name styll walking along with him then he asked if he had neuer a Sonne nor euer had any daughter Yes replyed he the more his sorrowe and the greater his gréefe A sonne he hath a young youth wise and well learned honest and well beloued of all that knowe him he hath a Daughter besides of beauty verie fayre and for making excellent for qualities inferiour to few and for behauiour not any that hath better and were her good happe correspondent to her vertuous education her preferment might haue bene passing good where now it is excellent yll You shall vnderstande that she is married to a young Merchaunt who is not so good a husbande as he might be nor so much for his owne commoditie as for others disprofite He had left him by his Father some possessions and Landes sufficient to mayntaine his estate which were all mortgaged before his mariage and turned out vnknowen to my Maister and his Wife suspecting no such matter and now he is gone his departure not known to any nor manifested to none when will be his returne by reason wherof she conceyueth such inwarde gréefe as my Maister doubteth much of her health Phemocles thanked the seruaunt for his curtesie and bade him farewell Then returned he home not verie well pleased but verie sorrowfull for the yll successe of his swéete Mystresse and more sorie because he knewe not howe to redresse her yll happe but most discontented with himselfe and angred throughlie for that he bestowed his lyking vpon one who was already spedde and loued her that was before maried But seeing the Fishe already taken that he cast his Nette for determyned to bestowe his bayte else where thus was his expectation made frustrate and his spéedy posting turned to a short bayte But séeing his Mystresse wedded and him selfe besyde the Saddle mynded not to eate all his breade in Vienna nor to sing Masse but in one Churche not to sléepe euerie day in a Truncke with Clearchus nor to catche Flyes once a day with Domician not to dwell alwayes in a Tubbe with Diogenes nor to taste nothing but Honny with the Prophete As he had learned some knowledge so meant he to be a lyttle better experienced and in that he had framed two voyages so vnprofitable he thought to trye if the thirde would be better or more gratefull Finding his Father at so conuenient leysure as he long looked for and watched that tyme long of him expected he mooued him with many matters and then of his owne estate saying Syr he that séeketh findeth and he that trauayleth his labour will some way be requited alwayes tarie at home and euermore a woodcocke he that alwayes pleadeth with iust Euidence is in possibilytie to obtayne his sute but who so holdeth his tongue what néedeth the Defendaunt any farther tryall The Merchaunt must make his Marte before hée knowe his gayne and the Captayne fight before he come to the spoyle and the Scholler procéede Batcheler before hée come to be a Doctour I haue trauayled twyce and framed two Uoyages the one vnpleasaunt and the other vnprofytable If I make the thirde it wyll I thinke be better for that it can not well be worse You sée syr that tyme taryeth not long and my youth waxeth nowe rype and nowe is my memorie moste perfecte and my wytte at the best and nowe shoulde it be watered with the dewe of vnderstanding and moysted with the lycquor of lyfe which is to gayne so much knowledge as our terrestriall nature is able to conceyue and to obtayne those heauenlie motions which this earthly Pilgrimage dooth yéelde vnto vs the greatest saylers to séeke in some Seas and the greatest trauayler in some Countreyes vnknowen the greatest Wryter neuer read all Authors but he that hath most may be better stored Must not the Trée be graffed ere the fruit be good and the Uine be kept cut or the Grapes wyll growe wylde the Oyle must be kept close or it will stinke and the best wits delighted with new thinges or the olde will grow out of vse And in my iudgement a man were better be vnborne then liue vntaught vnbred then vnmannered not begotten then without behauiour Yet I thinke
to make him grow more perfect in wisedome as well to furnish his Studie with Tragedies and Comedies as to retayne Histories and Chronicles as well to refreshe his wéeried senses with the swéete sauour of his beneficiall Bookes as to cloy his chast eares with any other foolish deuises whatsoeuer Thus Phemocles profited by experience and waxed wise with the atteyning of sundrie languages It hapned not long after the father of Phemocles was inuited to a feast and Phemocles was desired to awayte on his Father Henricus was bidden also thither and Narbonus entreated to keepe him companie where at the appointed day they approched to fulfill their former promises and accomplished the inuitours request as they were earnestly desired Narbonus came in with his Unckle and Phemocles with his father were there before Henricus and Narbonus saluted the courteous companie with a manerly good morrow which Phemocles and his Father requited with as gratefull a greeting After Dinner the olde Gentlemen discoursed of diuers Countreys the habite and maners of Strangers in so much as there grew a controuersie of the Countrey of Spayne and Germany and one disliked the reasons of the other Henricus was defendant of the one side and the Father of Phemocles resistante on the other Then sayde Henricus my Nephue can say somewhat for his learning was like to cost him his life Then answered the Father of Phemocles and my Sonne is not so simple but hée can his crosse rowe reading it so often Then were they willed all to keepe silence and no partialitie to bee vsed on eyther side Then an auntiente Gentleman of the companie delighted to heare some discourses tooke Phemocles from amongst the company by the hand and by the other hande he tooke Narbonus and bringing them to this assemblie saide Gentlemen the case so standes and the determination is suche that you two amongst the rest of the other good companie though of yéeres but small yet your experience greatest and for that you both haue tasted the tediousnesse of trauayle and endured the running ouer that Countrey of Spayne it is alotted the one of you to maintâ—yne an argumente againste the probabilities of the other whether Spayne bée best gouerned or Germany better ruled whereto Narbonus replyed Sir were my experience answerable my good will or my wit agréeable to my willing mind I could answer you somewhat of the one and resolue you fully of the other but such as it is your courtesie so great to request my liberalitie shall as duetifully bee extended either to defend our weale publique or to defend that noble Countrey of Spayne And Sir answered Phemocles were my knowledge so great as my willinge minde shall bee easily seduced you should not so hastily commaund as I duetifully willinge to obey But hopinge my simple discourses wil bee imputed to the readines of goodwill my simplicitie to bee cloaked with my obedience and my rudenesse hidden by consenting so quickly to answere your demaunds let therfore that Gentleman if it please him bee defendant for Spayne and my selfe to my litle learninge and lesse knowledge will bee maintaynour of our natiue Countrey and stande to maintaine so farre as I may To the which Narbonus consented speedily Phemocles agreed willingly These two Gentlemen stared the one in the face of the other and neyther was knowen to other yet Phemocâ—es mistrusted that it should be Narbonus yet vncertaine whether his sight fayled him or his iudgement were not right staied til better occasion should be offred and time more fit to manifest his minde then sayd Phemocles as foloweth This Noble Countrey of ours ruled by a wise Prince and gouerned by a famous Monarch whose good lawes are inferiour to none and whose iust Statutes do counteruayle any christned But touchinge the Countrey which is more fertile for corne and better replenished with Vineyardes more fruitful with pastures and better stored with all grayne wée goe beyond them in the noblenes of personages and far better qualities better sâ—ruitours to our Prince and more profitable for our Weale publique As for the inferiour sorte their dispositions far more honest and their good natures not inferiour to their godly nurtures their quiet life and honest conuersation ruled with modesty and brydled without rigour not giuen greatly to offend but seekinge much to please As for our youth their education is much better and their natures applyed to their future profites they doo some thing before they conceaue any thinge and are learned before they vnderstand what it meaneth if ability bee wanting in the Parentes and that they cannot maintayne them as they would some good science they are straight imployed to or some crafte or cunninge to maintaine their estates afterward And if the Father a Souldiour and a man childe borne him in the time of his seruice they put him in paye at the day of his birth the better to maiytayne him and the more honestly to haue him educated Touching the estate of our women and the honest behauiour amongst them vsed theirs is inferiour in honesty and nothing like in beauty neither comparable in wisedome nor like in modesty neither like them in witte nor equal to them in good grace The apparrell of ours farre more handsome though theirs much more costly the attiring of their heads more séemly and the wearing of other thinges much better ours chaste and godly their 's easie to bée intreated and companions for any If in any thing they excell it is in the liberality of their courtesie if in ought they bee better it is in the much bounty of their brothels therfore I prefer our Countrey before their calling and our honest liues before their wicked liuinges In déede Sir replyed Narbonus to touche the estate of our Prince and meddle with the Supremacy of the Empire I should prooue my selfe an Asse in defending a foole but I leaue him and omitte his estate But for their Nobilitie and their Estates I thinke them not inferiour to ours nor of lesse substaunce then our greatest of callinge both in magnanimity of birth and greatnes of substaunce both for noblenes of minde and liberality towardes all men both for the good gouernment of their owne estates and houses as also for excellency in maintaining armes agaynst their enemies For the inferiour gentility and such others the Gentleman though hee bee poore yet is hee haughty and though hee bee not ritch yet thinkes hee himselfe not inferiour his Prince the estate of his callinge set aside and the greatnes of his Office excepted for the which his Office hee preferreth the effect of his duety in reuerencing his person as his Captayne and chéefe gouernour and for that hee hath the rule hee is contente to bee ruled by him howsoeuer otherwise his manhood not inferiour to his Princes nor his personage one degree lesse then his As for the common sorte of people they liue and lacke not if they haue nothinge they beg not any thing for hee scorneth