it be neuer so wel manered yet it yeldeth nothyng els but wheat barley beaâ—es and peason what punishement is he worthy to suffer that refuseth to Plough that lande whiche beyng tilled yeldeth childreÌ„ And for ploughyng land it is nothyng els but painfull toylyng from tyme to tyme but in gettyng children there is pleasure whiche beyng ordeined as a redy reward for paiâ—es takyng asketh a short trauaill for all the tillage Therfore if the workyng of nature if honestie if vertue if inwarde zeale if Godlinesse if duetie maie moue you why can you not abide that whiche God hath ordeined nature hath established reason doeth counsaill Gods worde and mannes worde do commende all lawes do commaunde the consent of all nacions doeth allowe whereunto also the example of all good men doth exhort you That if euery honest man should desire many thynges that axeâ— moste painful for none other cause but onely for that thei are honeste no doubt but matrimonie ought aboue all other moste of all to be desired as the whiche wee maie doubte whether it haue more honestie in it or bryng more delite and pleasure with it for what can bee more pleasaunt then to liue with her with whom not onely you shalbe ioyned in felowship of faithfulnes and moste â–ª hartie good will but also you shalbe coupled together moste assuredly with the coÌ„pany of bothe your bodies If we compt that great pleasure whiche we receiue of the good will of our frendes and acquaintaunce how pleasauâ—â— a thyng is it aboue all other to haue one with whom you maie breake the botome of your harte with whoÌ„ ye maie talke as frely as with your self into whose tâ—uste you maie saufly coÌ„mit your self suche â—oâ—e as thinketh al your goodes to be her charge Now what an heauenly bâ—isse â—row you is the companie of man and wife together seyng that in all the worlde there can nothyng be found either of greater weight and worthiâ—esse or els of more stâ—engthe and assuraunce For with frendes we ioyne onely with them in good will faith fulnesse of mynde but with a wife we are matched together bothe in harte and mynde in body and soule sealed together with the bonde and league of an holy Sacrament partyng all the goodes we haue indifferently betwixt vs. Again wheÌ„ other are matched together in freâ—dship do we not see what dissemblyng thei vse what falshode thei practise and what deceiptfull partes thei plaie Yea euen those whoÌ„ we thinke to be our most assured frendes as swallowes flie awaie wheÌ„ sommer is past so thei hide their heddes wheÌ„ fortune gynnes to faile And oft tymes when we get a newe frend we streight forsake our old We heare tell of very fewe that haue contâ—nued frendes euen till their last ende Whereas the faithfulnesse of a wife is not stained with deceipte nor dusked with any disseÌ„blyâ—g nor yet parted with any chauÌ„ge of the world but disseuered at last by death onely no not by death neither She forsakes and settes lighte by father and mother sister brother for your sake and for your loue onely She only passeth vpon you she puttes her trust in you and leaneth wholy vpon you yea she desires to die with you Haue you any worldly substauÌ„ce You haue one that will maintain it you haue one that will encrease it Haue you none You haue a wife that will get it If you liue in prosperitee your ioye is doubled if the worlde go not w t you you haue a wife to put you in good comfort to be at your commaundemeÌ„t redy to serue your desire to wishe that suche euill as hath happened vnto you might chauÌ„ce vnto her self And do you thinke that any pleasure in al the world is able to be coÌ„pared with suche a goodly felowship familier liuyng together If you kepe home your wife is at hand to kepe your coÌ„pany the rather that you might fele no werines of liuing al alone if you ride furth you haue a wife to bid you fare well with a kisse longyng muche for you beyng from home and glad to bidde you well come at your next returne A swete mate in your youthe a thankfull comforte in your age Euery societie or companiyng together is delitefull and wisshed for by nature of all menne forasmuche as nature hath ordeined vs to be sociable frendly and louyng together Nowe howe can this felowship of manne and wife be otherwise then moste pleasant where all thynges are common together betwixt them bothe Now I thinke he is moste worthy to bee despised aboue all other that is borne as a man would saie for hymself that liueth to hymself that seketh for himself that spareth for himself maketh cost onely vpon himself that loueth no man and no man loueth hym Would not a manne thinke that suche a monster were mete to be caste out of all mennes companie with Tymon that careth for no manne into the middest of the sea Neither do I here vtter vnto you those pleasures of the body the which wheras nature hath made to be moste pleasaunt vnto man yet these greate witted men rather hide them and dissemble them I cannot tel how then vtterly contempne them And yet what is he that is so sower of witte and so drowpyng of braine I will not saie blockhedded or insensate that is not moued with suche pleasure namely if he maie haue his desire without offence either of God or man and without hynderaunce of his estimacion Truely I would take suche a one not to be a man but rather to bee a very stone Although this pleasure of the body is the least parte of all those good thynges that are in wedlocke But bee it that you passe not vpon this pleasure and thinke it vnworthy for man to vse it although in deede we deserue not the name of manne without it but compte iâ— emong the least and vttermoste profites that wedlocke hath Now I praie you what can be more hartely desired then chast loue what can bee more holy what can bee more honest And emong all these pleasures you get vnto you a ioly sort of kinsfolke in whom you maie take muche delite You haue other parentes other brethren sisterne and nephewes Nature in deede can geue you but one father one mother By mariage you get vnto you another father and another mother who cannot chuse but loue you with all their hartes as the whiche haue put into your handes their awâ—e fleshe and bloud Now again what a ioye shal this be vnto you when your moste faire wife shall make you a father in bringyng furthe a faire childe vnto you where you shall haue a pretie litle boye runnyng vp and doune youre house suche a one as shall expresse your looke and your wiues looke suche a one as shall call you dad with his swete lispyng wordes Now last of all when you are thus lynked in loue thesame shalbee so fastened and bounde together as though it
rudelye sette forthe but also be driuen to sette this simple Traictise to your Lordshyppe to Schole that it may learne Rhetorique of youre daylye talke fyndynge you suche an Oratoure in your speach as greate Clarckes do declare what an Oratoure shoulde be In the meane season I shall ryghte humblye beseche your good Lordshippe so to be a Patrone and defendoure of these my Laboures to you dedicated as I shal be a continuall peticioner vnto almyghtye God for your preseruation and longe continuaunce ¶ Eloquence first geuen by God after loste by man and laste repayred by God agayne MAn in whom is poured the breathe of lyfe was made at hys firste beinge an euerliuynge Creature vnto the likenes of God endued with reason and appoynted Lorde ouer all other thinges liuing But after the fall of our firste father Sinne so crepte in that our knowledge was muche darkened and by corruption of this oure fleshe mans reason and entendement were bothe ouerwhelmed At what time God beinge sore greued with the folye of one man pitied of his mere good uesse the whole state and posteritie of mankinde And therefore wher as throughe the wicked suggestion of our ghostelye enemye the ioyfull fruition of Goddes glorye was altogether loste it pleased our heauenly father to repayre mankynde of hys free mercye and to graunte an euerliuynge enheritaunce vnto all suche as woulde by constante fayth seeke earnestlye thereafter Longe it was ere that man knewe himselfe beinge destitute of Gods grace so that al thinges waxed sauage the earth vntilled societye neglected Goddes will not knowen man againste manne one agaynste another and all agaynste order Some liued by spoyle some like brute Beastes grased vpon the ground some wente naked some romed lyke woodoses none did anye thing by reason but most did what they could by manhode None almoste considered the euerliuynge God but all liued moste communely after their owne luste By death they thoughte that all thinges ended by life they loked for none other liuynge None remembred the true obseruation of wedlocke none tendered the education of their chyldren lawes were not regarded true dealinge was not once vsed For vertue vyce â—are place for right equitie might vsed aucthoritie And therfore where as man through reason might haue vsed order manne throughe follye fell into erroure And thus for lacke of skill and for wante of grace euyll so preuayled that the Deuyll was mooste estemed and GOD either almost vnknowen emonge theim all or elles nothinge feared emonge so manye Therefore euen nowe when man was thus paste all hope of amendemente God still tendering his owne workemanship stirred vp his faythfull and elect to perswade with reason all men to societye And gaue his appoynted ministers knowledge bothe to se the natures of men and also graunted them the gift of vtteraunce that they myghte wyth ease wynne folke at their will and frame theim by reason to all good order And therefore where as Menne lyued Brutyshlye in open feldes hauing neither house to shroude them in nor attyre to clothe their backes nor yet anye regarde to seeke their best auayle these appoynted of God called theim together by vtteraunce of speache and perswaded with them what was good what was badde and what was gainefull for mankynde And althoughe at firste the rude coulde hardelie learne either for straungenes of the thing would not gladlye receyue the offer or els for lacke of knoweledge could not perceyue the goodnes yet being somewhat draweÌ„ and delighted with the pleasauÌ„tnes of reason the swetenes of vtterauÌ„ce after a certaine space thei became through nurture and good aduisement of wilde sober of cruel gentle of foles wise and of beastes men Suche force hath the tongue and such is the power of eloquence and reason that most men are forced euen to yelde in that whiche most standeth againste their will And therfore the Poetes do feyne that Hercules being a man of greate wisdome had all men lincked together by the eares in a chaine to draw them and leade them euen as he lusted For his witte was so greate his tongue so eloquente his experience suche that no one man was able to withstand his reason but euerye one was rather driuen to do that whiche he woulde and to wil that whiche he did agreing to his aduise both in word worke in all that euer they were able Neither can I see that menne coulde haue bene broughte by anye other meanes to lyue together in felowshyppe of life to mayntayne Cities to deale trulye and willyngelye to obeye one another if menne at the firste hadde not by Art and eloquence perswaded that which they ful oft found out by reason For what manne I praye you beinge better ablâ— to maintayne him selfe by valeante courage then by liuing in base subiection would not rather loke to rule like a lord then to lyue lyke an vnderlynge if by reason he were not perswaded that it behoueth euerye man to lyue in his owne vocation and not to seke anye hygher rowme then whereunto he was at the first appoynted Who woulde digge and delue from morne till euening Who woulde trauaile and toyle with the sweaâ—e of his browes Yea who woulde for his kynges pleasure aduenture and hasarde his life if witte hadde not so wonne men that they thought nothing more nedefull in this world nor anye thing wherunto they were more bounden then here to liue in their duty and to traine their whole lyfe accordynge to their callynge Therfore where as menne are in manye thynges weake by Nature and subiecte to much infirmitye I thinke in this one point they passe all other Creatures liuynge that they haue the gift of speache and reason And emonge all other I thinke him most worthye fame and emongest menne to be taken for halfe a God that therin dothe chiefelye and aboue all other excell menne wherin men do excell beastes For he that is emonge the reasonable of all moste reasonable and emonge the wittye of all moste wittye and emonge the eloquente of all mooste eloquente him thincke I emonge all menne not onelye to be taken for a singuler manne but rather to be counted for halfe a God For in sekynge the excellencye hereof the soner he draweth to perfection the nygher he commeth to GOD who is the chiefe wisdome and therefore called God because he is most wise or rather wisdome it selfe Nowe then seinge that God geueth his heauenlye grace vnto all suche as call vnto him with stretched handes and humble harte neuer wantynge to those that wante not to them selues I purpose by his grace and especial assistence to set forthe preceptes of eloquence and to shewe what obseruation the wise haue vsed in handeling of their matters that the vnlearned by seinge the practise of other may haue some knowledge them selues and learne by their neyghbours deuise what is necessarye for them selues in their owne case The arte of Rhetorique what is Rhetorique RHetorique is an art to set furthe
wholly to praise any body nor yet to determine any matter in coÌ„trouersie but the whole compasse of this cause is either to aduise our neighbour to that thyng whiche we thynke most nedeful for hym or els to cal him backe froÌ„ that folie which hindereth muche his estimacion As for exaÌ„ple if I would counseil my frende to trauaile beyond the Seas for knowlege of the tongues experience in forein countries I might resorte to this kinde of Oration finde matter to coÌ„firme my cause plentifully And the reasons which are commonly vsed to enlarge suche matters are these that folowe The thyng is honest Saufe Profitable Easie. Pleasaunt Harde Lawful and meete Praise worthie Necessarie NOW in speakyng of honestie I may by deuision of the vertues make a large walke Againe loke what lawes what customes what worthie dedes or saiynges haue bene vsed heretofore all these might serue wel for the confirmacion of this matter â–ª lastly where honestie is called in to establish a cause there is nature and God hym selfe present from whome commeth al goodnesse In the seconde place where I spake of profite this is to be learned that vnder the same is comprehended the gettyng of gaine and the eschewyng of harme Againe concernyng profite which also beareth the name of goodnesse it partely perteineth to the bodie as beautie strength and healthe partely to the mynde as the encrease of witte the gettyng of experience and heaping together of muche learnyng and partely to fortune as Philosophers take it wherby bothe wealth honor and frendes are gotten Thus he that diuideth profite can not want matter Thirdely in declaryng it is pâ—easaunt I might heape together the varietie of pleasures whiche comme by trauaile firste the swetnesse of the tongue the holsomnesse of the ayer in other countries the goodly wittes of the ientlemen the straunge and auncient buildynges the wonderful monumentes the great learned Clerckes in al faculties with diuerse other like and almost infinite pleasures The easines of trauaile may thus beperswaded if we shew that freepassage is by wholsoÌ„ lawes appointed for al strauÌ„gers waie fairers And seyng this life is none other thyng but a trauaile we as pilgrymes wander froÌ„ place to place muche fondenesse it were to thinke that hard which nature hath made easie yea pleasaunt also None are more healthful none more lusty none more mery none more stroÌ„g of body theÌ„ suche as haue trauailed countries Mary vnto them that had rather sleape al day then wake one houre chosyng for honest labour sleuthful ydlenesse thinking this life to be none other thyng but a continual restyng place vnto suche pardy it shall seme painfull to abide any labour To learne Logique to learne the Lawe to sâ—me it semeth so harde that nothyng can enter into their heddes and the reason is that thei wanâ— a will and an eaâ—nest mynde to do their endeuour For vnto a willyng harâ—e nothyng can bee harde laie lode on suche a manneâ— backe and his good harce maie soner make his backe to aâ—e then his good will can graunt to yelde and refuse the weighte And now where the sweete hath his sower ioyned with hym it shalbee wisedome to speake some what of it to mitigate the sowernesse thereof as muche as maie be possible That is lawfull and praise worthy whiche lawes dooe graunt good men do allowe experience commendeth and men in all ages haue moste vsed A thyng is necessary twoo maner of waies Firste when either we must do some one thyng or els do worse As if one should threaten a woman to kill her if she would not lie w t him wherin appereth a forcible necessitie As touchyng trauaile we might saie either a man must be ignoraunt of many good thinges and want greate experience or els he must trauaill Now to be ignoraunt is a greate shame therefore to trauaill is moste nedefull if we will auoyde shame The other kynde ef necessitie is when we perswade men to beare those crosses paciently whiche God doeth sende vs consideryng will we or nill we nedes must we abide them ¶ To aduise one to study the lawes of Englande AGain when we se our frende enclined to any kynde of learnyng wee muste counsaill hym to take that waie still and by reason perswade hym that it wer the metest waie for hym to dooe his countrey moste good As if he geue his mynde to the Lawes of the realme and finde an aptnes thereunto we maie aduise hym to continue in his good entent and by reason perswade hym that it were moste mete for him so to do And first we might shew hym that the study is honest and godly consideryng it onely foloweth Iustice and is grounded wholy vpon naturall reason Wherein we mighte take a large scope if we would fully speake of all thynges that are coÌ„prehended vnder honestie For he that will knowe what honestie is muste haue an vnderstandyng of all the vertues together And because the knowlege of theim is moste necessary I will brifely set them furth There are foure especial and chief vertues vnder whom all other are comprehended Prudence or wisedome Iustice. Manhode Temperaunce PRudence or wisedome for I will here take theim bothe for one is a vertue that is occupied euermore in searchyng out the truthe Nowe wee all loue knowlege haue a desire to passe other therin and thinke it shame to be ignoraunt and by studiyng the lawe the truth is gotten out by knowyng the truth wisedome is attained Wherefore in perswadyng one to studie to Lawe you maie shâ—we hym that he shall get wisedome thereby Under this vertue are comprehended Memorie Understandyng Foresight THE memorie calleth to accompte those thynges that wer doen heretofore and by a former remembrauÌ„ce getteth an after witte and learneth to auoyde deceipt Understandyng seeth thynges presently dooen and perceiueth what is in them waiyng and debatyng them vntill his mynde be fully contented Foresight is a gatheryng by coniectures what shall happen and an euident perceiuyng of thynges to come before thei do come Iustice. Iustice is a vertue gathered by long space geuyng euery one his awne mindyng in all thynges the coÌ„mon profite of our countrey whereunto man is moste bounde and oweth his full obedience Now nature firste taught manne to take this waie and would euery one so to do vnto another as he would be doeâ— vnto hymself For whereas Rain watereth all in like the Sonne shineth indifferently ouer all the fruict of the yerth encreaseth equally God warneth vs to bestowe our good wil after thesame sort doyng as duetie byndeth vs and as necessitie shall best require Yea God graunteth his giftes diuersly emong men because he would man should knowe and fele that man is borne for man and that one hath nede of another And therefore though nature hath not stirred some yet through the experieÌ„ce that man hath concernyng his commoditie many haue turned the
his last ende and destruction Well let vs go on still seynge we are fallen into fables that are not fables altogether when the same Orpheus in the middes of Hell forced Pluto him selfe and all the deuilles there to graunte him leaue to carye awaye his wife Euridice what other thinge do we thinke that the Poets meant but only to set forthe vnto vs the loue in wedlocke the whiche euen amonge the Deuilles was compted good and Godlye And this also makes wel for the purpose that in olde time they made Iupiter Gamelius the God of mariage Iuno Lucina ladye midwife to helpe suche women as laboured in child bedde beynge fondlye deceiued and supersticiouslie erring in naming of the Gods and yet not missinge the trueth in declaring that Matrimonie is an holy thinge and mete for the worthines therof that the Goddes in heauen shoulde haue care ouer it Emonge diuers countries and diuers menne there haue bene diuers lawes and customes vsed Yet was there neuer anye countrey so sauage none so farre from all humanitie where the name of wedlocke was not counted holye and hadde in great reuerence This the ThraciaÌ„ this the Sarmate this the Indian this the Grecian this the Latine yea this the Britain that dwelleth in the furtheste parte of all the worlde or if there be anye that dwell beyonde them haue euer counted to be moste holye And why so Marye because that thinge must neades be commune to all whiche the commune mother vnto all hath graffed in vs all and hath so thorowlye graffed the same in vs that not onely stockedoues and Pigions but also the most wilde beastes haue a natural felinge of this thinge For the Lyons are gentle against the Lionesse The Tygers fight for safegard of their yong whelpes The Asse runnes through the hote fyre which is made to kepe her awaie for safegarde of her issue And this they call the lawe of Nature the whiche as it is of most strengthe and force so it spreadeth abroade most largely Therfore as he is counted no good gardener that being content with thinges present doth diligently proyne his old trees and hath no regard either to ympe or graffe yong settes because the selfe same Orcharde thoughe it be neuer so well trimmed muste nedes decaye in time and all the trees dye within fewe yeres So he is not to be counted halfe a diligent citizen that beinge contente with the present multitude hathe no regarde to encrease the number Therefore there is no one man that euer hath bene counted a worthy Citezen who hath not laboured to get childreÌ„ and sought to bring them vp in Godlines Emonge the Hebrues and the Persians he was most commended that had most wiues as thoughe the countrey were most beholding to him that encreased the same with the greatest number of children Do you seke to be compted more holie then Abraham him selfe Well he should neuer haue bene compted the father of manye Nacions and that through Gods furtheraunce if he had forborne the companye of his wife Do you loke to be reckened more deuoute then Iacob He doubteth nothinge to raunsome Rachâ—l from her greate bondage Will you be taken for wiser then Salomon And yet I praye you what a number of wiues kept he in one house Will you be compted more chastâ— theÌ„ Socrates who is reported to beare at home with zantiâ—â—e that verye shrewe and yet not so muche therefore as he is wonte to ieste accordinge to his olde maner because he might learne pacience at home but also because he mighte not seme to come behinde with his dutye in doyng the wil of nature For he beynge a manne suche a one aâ— Appollo iudged him by his Oracle to be wise did well â—erceyuâ— that he was gote for this cause borne for this cause and therfore bounde to yelde so muche vnto nature For if the olde auncient Philosophers haue saide wel if our diuinâ—s haue proued the thinge not without reason if it be vsed euerye where for a commune prouerbe and almost in euerye mans mouthe that neither God nor yet Nature did euer make any thinge in vayne Why did he geue vs such membres how happeneth we haue suche luste and suche power to get issue if the single lyfe and none other be altogether prayse worthye If one shoulde bestowe vpon you a verye good thinge as a bowe a coate or a sworde al men would thincke you were not worthye to haue the thinge if either you coulde not or you woulde not vse it and occupie it And where as all other thinges are ordeyned vpon suche greate considerations it is not like that Nature slepte or forgate her selfe when she made this one thinge And nowe here will some saye that this fowle and filthye desire and styrringe vnto luste came neuer in by Nature but through Sinne for whose wordes I passe not a strawe seinge their saiynges are as false as God is true For I pray you was not Matrimonye instituted whose worke can not be done withoute thesâ— membres before there was anye Synne And againe whence haue all other brute beastes their prouocations of Nature or of Sinne A man woulde thinke they hadde theim of Nature But shall I tell you at a worde wee make that filâ—hye by oure owne Imagination whiche of the owne nature is good and Godlye Or elles if we will examine matters not accordinge to the opinion of menne but weye them as they are of their owne Nature howe chauâ—ceth it that we thincke it lesse filthye to eate to chewe to digest to emptye the bodye and to slepe then it is to vse carnall copulation such as is lawfull and permitted Naye sir you will saye we muste folowe vertue rather then Nature A gentle dishe As thoughe anye thinge can be called vertue that is contrary vnto Nature Assuredly there is nothinge that can be perfectlye gote either throughe laboure or throughe learning if man grounde not his doynges altogether vpon Nature But you will liue an Apostles life suche as some of them did that liued single and exhorted other to the same kinde of life Tushe let them folowe the Apostles that are Aâ—ostles in deede whose office seynge it is bothe to teache and bringe vp the people in Goddes doctrine they are not able to discharge their dutyes bothe to their flocke and to their wife and familye Althoughe it is well knowen that some of the Aâ—ostles had wiues But beit that Bishoppes liue single or graunt we them to haue no wiues What do you folowe the profession of the Apostles beynge one that is farthest in life from their Uocation beinge bothe a temporall manne and one that liueth of youre owne They hadde this Pardon graunted them to be cleane voyde from Mariage to the ende they mighte be at leasure to get vnto Christe a more plentifull number of his children Let this be the order of Priestes and Monkes who belike haue entred into the Religion and rule