commendacion of the fact were gone And this I say was the cause that made men so charye from passing any Law for redresse of this vyce Chap. 14. VErelye if it were possible that there might a Law be made for the punishement of this vice of ingratitude we should haue lesse nomber of plesours done but then they that were done would then be better done And assuredly they that heretofore wold neuer make Lawe against it yet for all that they themselues very aduisedly and with great héed and warines did bestow such benefites and plesours as they shewed to any meanyng therby as it should séeme that their suche example of charines myght also direct vs to take dewe regard and respect whom we admitted and allowed woorthie on whome wee woulde dispose and bestowe our beneficence In whiche behalf if you stande fullie assured and perswaded before you bestow your benefites that he that is to receiue them is worthie to haue them I dare then warraunt you from hauynge cause iustlye of desier to vse anye accion for the recoueryng it again When thou art to bestow anye benefâ—ts regard onelye the honestie of the Receiuer In soo doing thye benefites are done as they shoulde be and become famous But if thou shouldest make pleadyng matters of them thou shouldest digrace theÌ„ quite It is I graunt a conscionable sayeng and most agreing with Lawe to saye Paye that thou owest And yet touchyng benefites it is the fowlest and moste vnséemely sayeng and fullest of discourtesie to saye Paye For what shoulde he paye Sometime he oweth his lyfe hys helthe hys welthe and sometime suche weighty thinges can not be paide themselues nor any things els that may couÌ„teruayle the same This is it that I saye The worthines of so precious a thynge as a Benefit is shalbe quite loste if wée make marchaundise of it We should not enforce nor willingly apply our mindes to couetousnes sekyng of quarells and discension it is to prone of it selfe to suche matters if haplye any suche cause begin to grow let vs cut it of rather theÌ„ encrease it Chap. 15. WHat will some say shall the Ingrate and vnthankefull person escape quite go vnpunished Then pardon also the wicked man the â—awghtipacke the couetous niggard the skornefull and disdainfull man and the Tyraunt Whye thynke you that those factes that are hated and despited maye be sayde to escape vnpunished What more greuouse punishement can there be layde vppon anye manne then to bee hated dedlye of all menne He maye thynke it punyshment enough that he dare not desyer anye thynge of anye manne for feare to bee noted marked and pointed at of euerye manne or at least to thynke that he is soo and to knowe that he hathe loste the estimacion of the beaste and chefest Iewelles of the woorlâ—e to wytte hys honestie credit and estimacion Doe you not count hym vnfortunate that hath loste the vse of hys eyes or whose hearynge is quitte stopt vppe Then iudge him a verye wretched man that hath altogether lost the vnderstanding of suche plesours as haue bene shewed vnto him Suche one ought to think with himself that he allwayes standeth in the daunger and displesour of the goddes who are Recorde bearers and wil be Reuengers of his sayd Ingratitude Besides his owne gylty conscience cesseth not continually to molest accuse him And thinke you it not punishment sufficient the continual remembraunce of the losse of so many woorthie thinges as he therby doth lose Loke who taketh pleasour and delectacion aright at the receiuing of a Benefyt retayneth still and reuiueth it and maketh a continuall pleasour of it by oft remembring the sameâ— reioycing not alone in the thing whyâ—he he hath but also in the fréendly minde of him at whose handes he receiued the same But the vnthankfull man reioyceth but onely ones if he do that namely at that instant wheÌ„ he receiueth the Benefit There is moreouer great diuersitie betwene their two liues For the one of them is allwayes sad and sorowefull to wyt thunthankfull man who honoureth neyther his Parents nor his scolemaster nor his bringars vp dewely as he shold do And contrariwise the thankfull bodye is allwayes mery and pleasaunt allwayes séekyng occasion to requite the benefits which he hath receyued and is gretlye delighted if he find it not sekyng howe he may fully digest it but studieng after what sorte he maye fully and thoroughly aunswere the same and that not to his parentes alone but to hys frinde allso and eche simple wyght that hath anye maner of wayes benefyted him And if his bondman happen to doo him a plesour streight waye he weigheth not of whome but what it was that he receyued Chap. 16. HOwbeit some ther are as Hecaton for one which dout whether a bondman or seruaunt may doo any thing that maye deserue y e name of a benefit to his master therefore they make this diuision that there are Benefites deuties or good endeuours seruices Benefits they cal those plesours which any straungers doo to vs. A strauÌ„ger they cal in this respect such one as may when him listeth cessâ— and desist from so benefityng vs. Good endeuours or deuties those plesours or freÌ„dly tournes which y e Children doo to their pareÌ„ts wyues to their husbaÌ„des or coÌ„trarywise or any one of them to an other whom affinitie allyaunce of bloud doth wil coÌ„maund to help socour eche other mutually Seruices they call suche as the seruaunt doth to his master whoÌ„ fortune hath placed in suche degrée that whatsoeuer he do in his maisters behalf he moste thynke it all but his dutye Whosoeuer for all that doth denye that the seruaunt maye benefyt his mayster declareth himself not to knowe what is ryght For onely it is to be regarded of what mind he was that did the benefit and not of what degrée Uertew penneth her self vp from no body she sheweth offreth herself to euery bodye to be had She admitteth all that wilbe sewters And those that haply passe by her without regard she calleth back of her owne accord Fréeborn frée made bondslaues banished men and Princes all a lyke She choseth neyther the house nor the degrée She contenteth herself aswell w t the naked man despoiled froÌ„ al giftes of fortune as with him that hath theÌ„ all in most abundaunce For though Fortune beare great sway in y e world yet vertew triumpheth ouer her If you will saye that a seruaunt can not doo a benefitte to hys mayster then will I auerre that it is not possible for a Subiect too doo it to his king or a Souldiour to his Capitain For though there are diuers respectes and sondrye tytles of the king the Capitaine and the mayster yet in thys point they are al one touching y e dewty of them that are vnder them and at theyr commaundement For as the kyng hath his subiectes and the captaine his souldiours
so hath the mayster his seruauntes at commaundement If the basenes of his degrée be an impediment to the seruaunt that he may not attaine to the perfection of his desert as to call the plesour he hath done a benefit the like shal it also worke to the subiect in respect of his Prince and to the souldiour in regard of his capitaine Though they varye in names yet agrée they indiffereÌ„tly concerning their dewtie But manifest it is that subiects do benefit their Princes and souldiours their Capitaines by the same reason then why may not the seruaunt also benefit his maister The seruaunt may be iust strong valyaunt and one of noble courage What then should ayle him but that he may also benefyt his maister sith that is a vertewe aswell as y e residew To proue it brieflee this might suffice There is no dout but that the seruaunt may benefit anyâ— bodye What then should ayle him why he could not benefyt his maister among the reste Chap. 17. TO proue that the seruant can not benefit his maister thou wilt happlye alledge that though he lende hys maister money yet he can not properly be sayd his maisters Creditour That onely excepted he doth that dayly that may cause his maister to thiÌ„k himself bound to him For if he ryde or goe he accompaneth him If he fal sicke he tendeth him and doth his diligence about him Whiche thinges if anye other bodye had done them they had deserued the name of benefites but sith hys seruaunt did them they must be called but seruices onely A benefit say they is that frendly plesour whiche suche a one doth as may chose to doo it and againe refuse to doo if him so lyketh at his plesour But the seruaunt may not saye naye to what he is able to doo Wherevppon he can not be sayde to doo a benefitte what soeuer he doith for that he doth but fulfill hys dewtie whyche he can not chose but doo perforce Admitte all these thynges to bee so yet will I beare the bell awaye heere and will sette the bondman in as good plight for of suche a seruaunt vnderstande that I spéeke as if he were frée Tell me by the waye if I bée able to shewe you a bounde seruaunt who without all respect of hys owne helthe and safegarde fought in defense of hys mayster stoutely and beinge greuously wounded and bléedyng by whole streames keept hys ennemyes still at baye whilest hys mayster myght escape and shift for hymself Will you saye he hathe not benefitted hys mayster because he was his seruaunt Agayne if I can shewe yoâ— a seruaunt that woulde not bée corruâ—ted with anye fayer promysses nor gyâ—tes of the Tyraunt not feared with anye his thretnings nor vanquysht with any his punyshementes to disclose thee secretes of hys mayster but what in him laye cleared the suspicions and aduentured hys lyfe for hym will you saye that he hath not benefited hys mayster neither for that he was his seruaunt Dowtles a benefitte done by a seruaunt too hys mayster ought not for the estate of thee doer too loose hys accounpt and parfytte name but it ought too bée somuche thée better iudged of in hym for that thée base condicion of hys seruitude and slauerye coulde not dashe hym frome doynge hys dewtye â—horoughly effectually and faithfully Chap. 18. HE is muche deceyued that thinketh y e seruitude hath domination and rule ouer eche parte of a man The chefest part of him is clere from any bondage For though the bodyes be bound and at commaundement of their maisters yet is their minde at frée libertie and so frée that neyther that prisoÌ„ of the body wherin it is shut can restrain it from sekinge to accomplyshe that that it is enclined vnto and that tempting somewhiles of worthie enterprises It is thonly bodye that Fortune hath made subiect put in thraldome and assigned to be at the maisters commaundement plesour and disposicion That he byeth that he selleth again as lyketh him best And yet for all that we haue not to commaund our seruauntes in eche thing touching their bodies that they can do as if our coÌ„maundment sounded to the dammage and preiudice of the weale publique they maye chose to doo it or to assist vs to commit any robbery they may refuse it Chap. 19. BUt there are some things whyche the Lawes neyther command nor inhibyt the seruaunt to do and yet if he doo them he maye well be sayde to haue done a benefitte For when all dewtie and seruice is had of a seruaunt whiche is commonly to be required at suche mens handes yet resteth there in some of them that abilitie to doo farther plesour besides that may well deserue the name of a benefit As when he doth vs that plesour that standeth vs in great stead this in no wyse would be called a seruice There are in lyke maner to requite the dewtie of the seruaunt towarde his mayster certene thynges wherein the mayster standeth bounde to hys most abiect seruaunt As to fynde and allowe him sufficient and honest meant drinke and cloth and yet are not these to bee called benefittes though the seruaunt hath them dewlye and well But if he tender him more then as a seruaunt bring him well vp and cause him to be instructed in suche knowledge and artes as longe to Free menne then maye he be well sayde too haue benefited him In lyke maner fareth it with the seruaunt if he doo more then is incident to the name and dewtis of a seruaunt whyche procedeth not by commaundement and coustraint but of mere frée will it owght aswell to bee called a benefit beyng so done by hym as if anye other had done it Chap. 20. A Bondman sayeth Chrisippus is a continuall hired workeman And lyke as wheÌ„ we haue hyred a workeman to doo suche or such worke if he doo that and more also that may aduauntage vs besides we accept it thankefully and in good part ryght so when the bondman passeth that whyche is coÌ„moÌ„ly to be required or almost to be desired at y e hands of such one attempteth to doo y t whiche were great thankes worthy in any one far better born in theÌ„ he surmounting y e opinion and credit of his maister this I say is worthy to be called a benefit For as if our bondmaÌ„ shold doo lesse theÌ„ his dewty you would not blame vs to be angry w t him but wold adiudge him worthy of punishment right so if he doo more theÌ„ dewtie should we not seme to offer him wrong if he should not finde at our handes his thankes according But wouldest thou know wheÌ„ a thing is not to be called a benefit Uerely then-when a man doth that whyche he coulde â—ot chose but doo But when he dothe anye thing whiche he might haue refused to dooâ— and whiche was at his choyce the doyng of it then loe is his good will woorthy commendacion and thankes and the
Unlesse thou makest none accoÌ„pâ— of thyself being in state as thou now art wherfore assure thyself that I will restore thée to thyself farre bettered then I now receiued thée Loe by this gift allmoste of no vallew did Eschines farre surmount the bountifull hart of Alcibiades who was no lesse gentle and courteouse then welthye And in Socrates iudgement passed the largesse and munificence of all his yong companions Chap. 9. HEreby may you well sée that a noble minde is able to find out matter whereby he may declare his liberalitie euen in the extremitie and narowest straytes of al his pouertie In which case Aeschines me semeth might wel haue sayd thus A hard and cruell Fortune Yet hast thou gained nothing herby that thou haste made me thus poore For though I haue nothynge of thyne wherwith I may worthely or at all present my maister I will not yet let to doo my dewty but I will now doo it of mine own And yet should noman thinke that he accompted nothing of himself for that he presented so himself as is sayd For hereby the wytty yong man found occasion to bind Socrates to him after a sort So that to retourne againe to our purpose it appereth that it is not the excellencie or valew of the gyft whyche is to be regarded but the hart with whyche it is geuen and the order of the doing therof The hawty and curious Courtiars who are in office and by meane thereof haue that séeke vnto them will hardly and with muche a doo be spoken with of their sewters aboute anye matter of weight and yet when they are spoken with they fode fourth selly folkes with many fayer wordes and bare promesses whiche in thend standeth them in verye small or no stead And yet of a far worse nature iudge I him to be that with opprobriouse and crewell woordes with a churlish and frowninge countenaunce vttred after a dispytefull sorte displayeth what he hath done for this man or that For therehens commeth it that although we see the poore outwardely make a face and shewe of goodwill towarde the Riche yet inwardly they hatâ— them in theyr hartes to the death And that altogether for their fortune And yet diuers there are of them that hate one an other for doynge some thynges whyche they that reprehende them perhaps woulde doo if they were in lyke power and authoritie Few there are but emproue their Landes to thuttermost to maigntaine their owne auarice They regard nothing but despice othermennes pouertie and séeke to the vttermost all y e meanes they can how to shonne it themselues fearryng nothyng ells but fallyng into penurye For redresse and preuenting wherof they cesse not to molest their vnderlings and inferiours oppressynge theyr poore tenauntes allwayes vexing them that are not able to make resistaunce and kepynge them downe still with might and mayn And yet what can a man well saye agaynste some such pilling of prouinces and makynge the vttermost of suche offyces as thou hast thyself payed derelye for seyng that the CoÌ„mon Law among men whiche proceâ—eth and is grounded vpon naturall reason permitteth thée to sell againe the thing that thou bowghtest Chap. 10. BUt loe the grief to see thinges somuch disordred hath caused me to straye father from my matter in hande theÌ„ I thought to haue done for that sufficient matter to talke of still offred it selfe Wherefore for thys time I make here an end for feare least I deduce the lyke cause of blame to these our dayes Our auncestours and forefathers haue complained them of this hertofore we our selues at this present find vs agreued thereat and I feare very much that our posteritie shall haue lyke cause to be wayle themâ— to sée that good condicions and honest maners amonge men are so corrupted that naughtines hath altogether got their places that wordly affayres fall out eche daye worse and woorse with somuche euill that allmose there can be no more And now are these thinges rooted so and settled as it were in this state that lykely they are so to continew and hold on stil onely now and then perhaps they may chaunce to be tossed to and fro a lytle lyke the waues of the sea which when they haue for a season bene still and quyet with in the shore if there happen to ryse a sodaine flaw or a sharp pyrry of winde streight way they woorke aloft and tosse vp and downe for the time So may it chauÌ„ce to fare with these euill condicions of men For as the times doo alter and channge right so follow they Somewhile shal ye sée Daliaunce and bodily plesure beare chefest sway eftsones againe vnmeasurable festing ryotous banqueting and superfluous féeding shall playe his part Sone after shall all they be exiled forth of place then none shal rule but sumptuous apparelling and trimming the bodie with costly arraye And more then effeminat painting and prankyng the visage the most certaine argument of the fowlenes deformity of the minde with wastful profusion and spending of large patrimonyes and ample enheritaunces Again before a man would almost think it coulde be so all these vices are quyte shut vp as if they had not bene and Tiranny onely taketh place then fall they to Ciuill warres whereby all holy thinges are prophaned Lawes and good order quite extinguished goodnes and god lines wholly abolished DronkeÌ„nes for a time beareth the bel And it shalbe déemed a vertew in him that shall beare most drinke So that a man may sée that vices neyther continew allwayes in one staye but as they are altogether deuoyd of stedfastnes and at variaunce amonge themselues so they force one to geue an other place So that wée maye well pronounce of our selues to our gâ—eat shame and reproche that wée haue bene euill that wee are euill and that we are lyke it greueth me muche to saye it to be euill still For why there shall not fayle to be among vs from time to time manquellars tyrantes theues adulterers encrochers of other mens goodes committers of sacriledge traytours aswel hereafter as heretofore and at this present And yet Ingratitude ought no lesse to be detested then any the vyces that I haue named before as that from whense and by which all those others do procâ—de and haue their rooting Without whiche it is impossible that any euill could spriÌ„g and take his encrease at full as it dothe Wherfore eche one shunne flee it as y e horriblest vice that may happen to anye man And yet if it be thy fortune to byt vpon any that sheweth the Ingratitude forgett and forgeue it stil as the lightest fault that thou mayst finde among all others For the grettest losse that caÌ„ happen to thée hereby pardy is but the losse of thy benefit onely And yet he to whom thou didest it can not accuse thée that thou pleasouredst him not which is the commendablest thing that maye be and deserueth most prayse For as