kinsfolke But hee talkes of no repulsing by fight He bids vs pugna pro patria Fight for our countrey but not for our priuate Many priuate grudges yee shall reade of vpon malice and emulation amongst them But wisely carried and neuer breaking out to this enormity wee speake of Agamemnon wronged Achilles to take his mistresse from him and some bitter words past betweene them for it but neither blowe nor challenge Many iarres betweene Palamedes and Vlisses alwaies but no challenge Some betweene Fabius and Minutius betweene Aristides and Themistocles and betweene Cymon and Pericles Pompey and Lucullus Craterus and Ephestion Comines Castinus and Boniface Bellisarius and Narses And of later times when the Earle of St. Paul gaue the lye to the Lord Himbercourt and the Duke of Orleans gaue the like to the Prince of Orange all braue men and knights of the field and a multitude besides which were tedious to recite yet none came to challenge but either they thought it enough to haue giuen their opposite as good as they brought or haue left reuenge to God or iustice or to mediation of friends as cause required or haue yeelded to time person or place for their greater honour afterward as Achilles and Metellus did or tryed their valour against their common enemy as Valerius and Cecinna did vnder the Emperour Vitellius And yet vpon accusation of treason in great persons Suet. where other proofes bee not pregnant enough as it was in Richard the seconds time betweene Hereford and Mowbrey Dictis writes of Palamedes that hee challenged all his peeres to fight with them one after another But they would not beeing all fellowes and collegues with him No more would Otho Duke of Bauaria with his accuser Egino though much vrged thereunto by the Emperour Henry the fourth and yet the historie calles this Duke Prudentia rebus bellicis admirabilem Naucl. But hee chose rather to lose his Dukedome and so did And yet I must tell you as this Emperour was greatly blamed by his owne mother a most worthy woman and by all the Princes except a few who set him on to this iniustice so can I not but maruell at two of our later Kings the one of France the other of England the one so prudent and pious as he was that he gaue way so easily to a combate betweene two noble gentlemen Sir Iames Parker and Hugh Vaughan vpon a farre lesse quarrell then false accusation wherein the knight was run through the mouth at the second course by fault of his helmet and his tongue borne backe to his necke whereof hee instantly died The other of France began his raigne with blood giuing way to a combate between Jarnac and Chastenroy vpon no great matter but to grace his triumph with where Jarnac though newly recouered of an ague defeated the other at length killed him in the place Neither of the kings much fortunate by it The one was kild by Mongomery in like triumph at tilting after a short reigne the other held not his crowne so void of feare and iealousie as other kings after him And yet I maruell much more at other Princes of our time who in their triumphs and iouiall feasts allow of those dangerous and damnable sports of Jogo de toro and Jogo de Canna which commonly cost killing cannot be auoided It is too like that Romane custome of fencers swordplayers those that knew not God Lib. 28. Who set their liues blood to sale as Liuie saith for pastime to their Lords or in honor of some feast or generals fortune where they spared not at sharpe to kill one another if they could And so they continued many hundred yeares and was not quite abolished by Christian Emperors til the time of Honorius as Theod. writes in Hono. Steph. in Aphida Iust Yet nothing more frequent in histories then single fight as that of Patroclus and Hector Hector Achilles Xanthus and Melanthus for the kingdome of Athens Codoman and another for the kingdome of Armenia the three curiates and Horaces in Rome Tullius Metius Florus Manlius a french man an other french man and Valerius Alexander Porus Ferracutus the Sarazen giant Rolandus and of later times between Turkes and vs where thanks be to God they went euer by the worst But all these were iure belli as I said before from contrary enemies And of all the combates that Marcus Seruilius fought for life death which were three and twenty and he conquerour in all Plut. in Emilius I reade not of any to be with his compatriot but all with publique enemies in lawfull warres And that was neuer vpon their owne heads neither but with consent of Generals as we reade in Liuie Lib. 7. Yea though a man be challenged by name from the other side as Titus Manlius was and where it seemed reprochfull to haue refused it yet it cost him his life the accepting of it I will tell you the history The lawe of armes is that none should fight in the wars out of their rancke but by direction of the commanders Manlius the father was generall against the Latines at Capua The sonne had charge of a troupe of horsemen and was sent to discouer the coastes of the enemy Where comming within an arrow shot of the corps de-guard which Geminius Metius a valiant knight had leading of they fell to some big and daring words the Latin challenged the Roman to breake a staffe with him Young Manlius his blood was vp at this and thinking it a shame to him to refuse him hee aduanced himselfe to the busines they ranne their horses in full careere one against the other with speare in rest Manlius with launce aloft glided ouer and rased the enemies head-peece Metius gaue the other a light thrust vpon his horse necke with point of speare Then turning their horses about Manlius came first vpon him with a second charge and so redoubled the push that hee pierced the others horse between the eares which put him to such paine that he neuer left rearing and capring with his forefeete and flinging downe his head till hee cast his rider Who as hee bare his speare and shield to raise himselfe from so grieuous a fall Manlius ranne him in at the throat and so through the ribbes stucke him faste to the ground killed him spoiled him carried the spoile away to his owne troupe and had sentence of death on him presently for it from his owne father in liew of reward The iudgement I grant was seuere And the execution prosecuted with much compassion and teares Yet none could say but it was iust and the punishment answerable to his fault And of great example it was to reduce broken discipline to the ancient rule as it would among vs now if gentle meanes would not serue Some difference indeede there is in our cases Theirs was in time of warres where challenges are lawfull Ours
What a horrible law is this How inhumane And yet there bee other as ill as these but they agree not all in a tale I omitte to speake of their satisfactions as what is due for the lie giuen what for a blow with a fist what with a cudgell The satisfaction must be greater then the wrong alwaies else no satisfaction or rather no satisfaction will serue vnlesse the party thinke it so And it comes to this in the end that he must be his owne iudge For if he thinke it not satisfaction enough all his friends must not quiet him These matters I shall desire you to examine with the lawe of God and with the professours of the same And let no man make a puffe at it if hee bee a man indeede and not a very Canniball There is an eternall lawe which to aime at is all our duties and to swerue from is frailty but to make lawes against it is plaine Apostacie or as I saide before meere blindnesse of heart For what should I call it else when they forget God so much forget nature forget all ciuility and humanity A gentleman is so called of gentlenes and sweetnes to all The opposite of rudenes surlines morositie and hard to please And as they be towards man so are they to God-ward that is to say contemptuous and base If the king commaund a man that hee fight not or if a man bee bound with his friend to the good behauiour and be challenged he will refuse for feare of forfeiture or offending man and they hold it no cowardice But when the king of kings forbiddeth Heb. 1. Psal 90.11 and his angels are our sureties as it is written God hath giuen them charge of vs wee neither listen to God nor Angell but turne our backes to them most rudely and therefore they turne their backs to vs and we speed ill fauouredly with it in the end Neither doth it helpe the iustice of our cause to fly our countrey for tryall as many doe Coelum non mores mutat qui trans mare currit It saues them a penaltie but helpes no fault beeing both of one allegeance which if it were seuerall the sinne were only to God As it hapned in the time of King Edward the third betweene a gentleman of Cyprus and the bastard of France both hired souldiers to the king of Armenia One of these had charged the other for taking money of the turkish enemy And beeing to try it by combate before some competent Iudge that were indifferent to them both They both agreed to goe ouer in to England Edward 3. and to bee iudged by the king there They would not bee their owne iudges as our Duellors are nor steale reuenge as we doe nor wrong their Soueraignes as they had done if they had beene of one allegiance But the matter being great betweene them they prepared themselues for all tryals of chiualry on horsebacke and on foote and submitted themselues to the honourable censure of the worthiest Prince in those dayes who iudged it for the Frenchman after a long combate Yee talke of daring and what a trouble it is to a man of spirit to be dared to his face in any thing And why should it trouble you so hee cannot out dare you in true honour Neither is hee the best man that dareth most Fortis non est qui nihil timet saith Aristotle Most valour goes not by least fearing Yea a man must feare as well as dare if he be a true souldier or professour of armes Vulneribus didicit miles habere metum And yet is not this to bee rightly called feare in him but a necessary care of himselfe as farre as may stand with honour The truth is hee is most valiant that can and will and will what ere hee can due circumstances considered If your enemy will dare you to the diuell must yee dare to goe with him And I haue prooued it to bee little better If your enemy can clime a tree like a squirrell or swimme like a dogge or haue other actiuities that you haue not as to ride a wilde bull or cloze with a Beare or bee so desperate as to runne vpon his swords point or leape into a well will yee answer his challenge in any of these for your life though hee dare you and dare you againe And yet I cannot deny it to bee a great deale of courage if a man were not drunke to dare so I knew two gentlemen fell out on an euening and they must try it presently by starre-light with either of them a knife in their hand and had almost killed one another if they had not beene found in the fact and parted Did any man commend them for it or not rather laugh at them I heard of Sir John Wallop an hardy knight of England who when hee was olde was challenged into the field by his enemy And it was no dishonour to refuse it and our Duellors will not deny it but will blame the challenger rather But the olde knight did challenge him againe to bee bound in a chaire against him as hee should bee also with a case of Pistols in their hands and so to try it But the other refused our Duellors will say with honour enough For may not and can not are both in a ranke of things that are not to bee done Why should a man dare then to doe that he may not without defence more then that hee cannot without knowledge or ablenesse to performe It is pittifull that men dare so and haue God against them I know well wee dare euery day against God when soeuer wee sinne wilfully Wee presume vpon long life and therefore wee dare But to dare him so neere death and in an act that tendes to death I holde it most desperate or like vnto one that pickt a pocket as hee was going to the gallowes But whether goes hee hee goes where he may dye though man good enough and his other sinners may deserue it though this were none What more He goes where none that feares God will goe with him to giue him countenance No spirituall man will associate him to giue comfort at his death or dare bidde him God speede in so speedy a way to hell Hee shall haue many no doubt of his owne spirit that will accompany him and animate him in naughtinesse but no man of God to pray for him or God to take his prayer Let his cause bee what it will bee right or wrong If it bee right hee spoyles it with ill handling if it bee wrong hee sinneth doubly It is base to wrong any but more base to stand in it Yee aske mee then what remedy for gentlemen to right themselues if they bee wronged or dishonoured I answer my purpose is not to giue remedy to remedilesse humors but to shewe vnto yee that what yee thinke is remedy is no remedy and what yee thinke is honour is no more but courage For yee must distinguish
holde that if a child doe dye after vse of reason and neuer raised to God-ward any act of loue either little or much he can hardly be saued And their breeders are infinitely to blame that put them not to it For if nothing on our part do bring vs to heauen but loue and this loue be so cold in a capable creature as neither inward eie of faith can mooue him nor howerly benfites can stirre him to loue the bestower how can such a spirit aspire where God hath to doe They tell vs next we must loue our selues next And in our selfe are two things conteined Our soule and our body Our soule we must esteeme aboue all creatures and we must not aduenture the losse of it for ten thousand soules Our third loue is to our neighbour both body and soule His soule I must loue more then my life and goods especially if I be his pastour and haue charge of him ex officio His life also I mây preferre before my owne out of friendship if not out of charity And so I may loose my life for him or in defence of the weake or innocentbody and this is a great vertue but we are not alwaies bound to it Wee are taught also how to loue our parents wife children which more if it come to be shewne as in case of necessitie There is a loue and care due to seruants that they want no necessaries to masters that wee faile them not in our duty or charge They teach vs to loue our benefactours both bodily and ghostly and which more if it may not be done to both alike There is a iustice and truth in all these And it is not idle to aske and know our duty in all And yet these latter may seeme more curious then necessary but I come to greater matters and more neere to our purpose They shew vs further our duty to the publique and where the common good is to bee preferred before priuate and where it is in our wils to preferre it or not And first for life or member if twenty doe assault mee I may kill them all rather then be killed so it be in my iust defence and not against lawfull authority And yet if a man be so charitable they doe not deny but he may suffer himselfe to bee killed rather then kill Whereof there haue beene noble examples though very few now adaies And therefore men are deceiued when they thinke they are bound to kill rather then be killed It is not so They may kill but they are not bound Yea on the other side if he that assaults mee vniustly bee a publique person as the king or any of his children I am bound to flye him as Dauid did Saul but if he follow me so hard that I must kill or be killed I am bound to loose my life and it lyes not in my choise So of a Bishop or some other eminent person whom the Common-wealth cannot spare if one boate will not holde both I am bound to slippe out and leaue my selfe to God Yea they say further if my life be sought maliciously in France and I flye into England for succour and there is like to be warres for mee or breach of amity betweene Princes although the State may not deliuer mee for that were tradere iustum sanguinem Yet am I bound to render my selfe to my enemies before publique peace should be broken or any league in hazzard for mee Such high regard must be had of publique good that a mans priuate is almost nothing to it And with this we see how the law of nature concurres Hesione was commended for it and so was Curtius the Romane for exposing themselues as they did the one to bee deuoured of a monster the other to be swallowed horse and man in a gashfull pit to stoppe the plague that was then in their citty They teach vs also touching goods and possessions or any worldly thing we haue that tendeth to our being or well being they be all either necessary or superfluous Necessaries a man must not be negligent to prouide And it is lawfull for vs to loue them so farre forth as we cannot bee without them no more then without life And these be in two sorts as either necessaries of life meate drinke warme cloathes which euery one must haue the poorest that is or necessaries of estate that a man was borne to or liueth in As if he be a yeoman thus if a knight or gentleman thus if a nobleman thus and the greater the persons are the more things are necessary which to the inferiour are excesse And all these may haue a proportion in our loues We loue a new hatte or garment a faire gowne or handsome cloake or what else is fitting for vs to weare within our compasse or degree Wee loue a good dish and competent fare proportionable to our meanes And euery man knowes what is meetest for him and best suting to his ability euen that the ciuilest sort of his ranke doth vse with decency and without ostentation or incroaching vpon the rankes aboue him eyther man or woman A great many delight yea too too many in excesse but such loue is naught and vicious The backe and belly haue made much worke for Parliaments and Lawyers euery where It is an old fault and the Lacedemonians so preuailed against it both for diet and wearing that the subiect neuer exceeded The Romanes likewise had many lawes about expences called sumptuarie as the Aemilian and Licinian lawes what they should spend ordinarily and what vpon Calends and festiuall dayes By the lawes fannia and didia principall men were bound to spend but so much in meate and no more besides hearbes bread and wine and that must be of the same country and no other To say nothing of the Anthian lawe that was made to barre suppers and other lawes without number which their outrage of excesse gaue occasion of There was also the law Oppia for apparrell especially for women that they might not exceede in their settings out nor be carried in litters Yet Solon would not haue them walke the streetes in solemnitie out of coach neither might they weare in their eare aboue seauenty graines Their excesse ye must thinke was very strange and monstrous that caused these lawes and there be many statutes in our daies for wearing but no reformation I know no good comes of them saue that they argue vs of our pride and giue vs a learning what is fitte for euery one to weare Other fruite I see none of them neither force I much I speake onely of the law that should be within vs the law of a good conscience which is to know and doe and to cutte off excesse in all It shewes a weakenesse of minde and poorenesse of soule that powres it selfe out so excessiuely vpon outward vanities and pride For what is it els they would be great and are not great they would bee Queenes and are not Queenes yet
in time of peace where is no challenge lawfull Yet in this they agree There they might not doe it without leaue of superiours heere much lesse yet if they haue leaue I thinke it be lesse sinnefull And surely if we enter but into the causes of priuate combate which are commonly two there is neither of both that will make the act iustifiable The one is reuenge the other is reputation And first for reuenge which is common also to beasts and sauages and is more in sauages then in men and therefore men must not doe as they doe so reuenge be they care not how it be Men I say must looke higher then so and then they shall finde this cause to be no cause vnlesse they will stand in defiance with all ciuill gouernment and God himselfe who tells vs plainely to the contrary Mihi vindictam saith he et ego retribuam Rom 12. He reserues reuenge to himselfe and to princes vnder him And who is he dares say againe Non tibi domine sed mihi Reuenge is mine and none of thine I will right my selfe And in another place it is saide Ne dixiris Prou. 20.21 Aug. in Steph. vlciscar de inimicis meis Doe not so much as say I will bee reuenged of mine enemies And therefore if we may not say it much lesse may we doe it Reade all the ciuill lawes that euer were and see whether the sword were put into the parties owne hand It is tolerated in Italy as I said before as the stewes be to auoide further mischiefe and no otherwise As God did likewise by the Iewes that were a nation of all others most reuengefull he gaue some way to their stiffenesse that the next of kinne to the party slaine Num. 35.19 might kill the killer when hee could But this was abolished by the comming of Christ Neither was it permitted him to kill vntill the people had giuen sentence as it appeares by the text Vers 24. Vers 27. Yea so farre was the lawe from allowing otherwise this priuate reuenge and so heauily taxed it all manner of manslaughter that if it were but chance medly or in defence of ones selfe a man was not freed from the rigour of it if he were found out of sanctuary To say nothing now what vicinity reuenge hath with tyranny and cruelty which those are noted to haue most that are most cowardly as the most noble and learned king of England hath written of late most significantly for so few lines where occasion was giuen his maiesty Vpon the Pater noster pag. 80. to touch thereat and thereunto I referre you And as touching reputation which was the other cause of combate and is proper onely to man and which hee thinkes is greatly hurt if he be wronged and challenge not or if he bee challenged and answere not in both which cases if he be not answerable hee shall be deemed a coward I little weigh what they say that are carried away with a vice regnant Corrupt iudgements are no iudges of honour Holofernes his followers thought it a shame to let a faire woman passe them vntoucht Iudith The vertuous thought not so Yea that alone is honour which the worthiest thinke to be honour as I shall shew anon For this present I say no more but this He that hath reuenge in his power hath also iudgement of honour let the vulgar say what they list Psal 71. We pray for kings and magistrates thus Deus iudiciumregida et iustitiam tuam filio regis For the king that he may haue iudgement in choice of magistrates for the magistrate that he may haue will to doe vs right Da iustitiam tuam filio regis Who is the kings sonne but the magistrate begotten of his greatnesse and resembling him in power We pray for him yet we fly him when we haue done and will be magistrates our selues What must we trouble Lawyers or Lords say they for euery blowe or word of disgrace it shall neuer be said of me This is it shall right me saith he and clappes his hand on his hilt But what reason haue they to say it if the matter bee great the magistrate is ordained for it to heare and determine If it be small why aduenture they their life for it or seeke another mans They scorne to doe as babes doe to cry and complaine yet will be worse then babes to wrong themselues more then they be wronged For if himselfe be killed what extreame iniustice hath he done himselfe for a trifle If he kill he must hide his head for it his friend may not receiue him til he be acquitted of it someway The great nesse of his penaltie shewes the greatnesse of his crime And we see not whom we hurt till we need him whom we hurt which is our Soueraign We wrong soueraignty to right our selues and yet we seeke Soueraigntie to restore vs againe I prooued before that it was not onely a sinne to doe but an heresie to iustifie Euen so in this case betweene our Soueraigne and vs it is not onely against nature to doe these things but also against loyaltie to thinke wee may doe it I said it was heresie in respect of religion Now I say it is hurt to maiesty in point of subiection As king Alexander might seeme to take it who was no meane Justizer in martiall affaires For comming iust to a fray betweene two of his fauourites that were ready to bee reuenged one of another with swordes drawne hee was in great anger and tolde them they should both dye for it or hee that gaue the cause if they did it againe And this not for killing or drawing of blood but onely for the disloyaltie and contempt of maiesty in the very attempt And yet yee must vnderstand mee right I doe not say it is treason For it is not to the person of the Prince or estate They intend nothing against Maiesty yet would mince his authority They loue the state but they would pull from prerogatiue They allowe them to bee their Iudges but not in all things no not in the greatest that belongs to their charge What greater thing in the world then life and honour There be diuers markes of Soueraignty which none can haue but Soueraignes And it is a great contempt in the Subiect to vsurpe them As power of peace and warre power of making lawes and abrogating lawes power to make money and alter money power to make noble and vnnoble and such like But the greatest of all is power of life and death ouer the subiect Yet this the subiect will assume to himselfe in part and quarter prerogatiue with his Soueraigne And is it maruell then if Henry the fourth of France haue made it treason by parliament Edict 160. and haue stopt his eares to all offenders in this nature Or can wee finde fault with the lawes in England that a Duellor killing is equally punished with a theefe stealing A
But as the case of common debtors is that haue no fraude at all in them and grow behinde hand not by riot or vice but for want of heede or best aduice the difference is very great All that shoote come not neere the marke Some bee fortunate but more are vnfortunate Some their good nature hurtes some their negligence some bee ruled where they should not and false hopes deceiue many without either malice or euill minde and may rightly say by their outward fortunes as Dauid said by his inward ad nibilum redactus sum nesciui Psal 72. I am wasted and consumed to nothing and was not aware Yet such as these wee punish heere as if they had cosened vs and if wee durst bee so bolde we would not spare the greatnesse of any man Wee are at losse by such I grant but why then did wee trust what hope of gaine drewe vs to it or if not gaine yet all things wee know are in aduenture nothing certaine in this world Wee loose by sea and say nothing we loose by land and cannot helpe it wee loose by friends and kinsfolke many times and looke for no amends wee are subiect to losse daily and more to losse then gaine And why haue wee not patience then with one that is poore and not so wise in the world or not so thriuing as wee Wee are bound sometimes to pardon when wee can right our selues Why forbeare wee not then when reuenge will not right vs For what is it else but reuenge in vs when wee bee so greedy It is not seeking our owne by it which will hardly bee had that way and therefore what can wee make of such violent courses but reuenge and there wee bidde them lie till they rotte O let vs not stand so high vpon the ruffes of our fortunes or coffers thoroughly lined let vs not conteme our debtors lest haply wee contemne our betters God blesseth not all alike to the world Who can tell what will betide the best of vs in time to come or any of ours Wee are no better then one of the sons of the Prophets in the fourth of Kings who dyed in debt cap. 4. and his children seized and like to bee sold for it and yet vir timens Deum Hee was a man that feared God It is no signe of reprobation to owe money but not to pay when wee haue it Mutuabitur peccator non soluet Psal 37. The sinner indeede will borrow and not pay and is worthily punished But how many doe we know and could name that haue beene sunke ere now and shrunke in their fortunes which yet with liberty haue risen againe to giue contentment and could neuer haue done it in prison If reuerend antiquity had foreseene the hardnes of hearts and conscience that now is they would neuer haue giuen way to such Lawes as they did that one should tread another vnder foote as they doe The person of a man hath bin much more precious of olde then now it is and still is in Spaine especially if he be a gentleman It was not subiect to restraint for debt no not for debt to the king but by later lawes And though Emperours also had like law for recouering their debts with more speede Baronius tom 3. yet Constantine tooke it away quite so as none could haue their persons touched but for felony or contempt of maiesty or magistrate And thus it was in the best common-wealths that euer were the Egyptians the Athenians Spartans Romans France England and others And the noble king Seruius Tullius gaue a reason of it who set the olde law on foote againe that creditours should goe no further then mens goods and lands For why should they loose liberty said he who preserue the common liberty with their liberty And yet much ado there was about it after that for the space of two hundred yeares Creditors as they preuailed in credit with great men which they did too much in our countrey or in time of peace when there was no neede of men got lawes against debtors sometimes to imprison them sometimes to make them serue for their money Liuie 8. Which held a great while till that foule matter fell out between the vsurer Papyrius and his poore bondman young Publius whom he had so torne with whips and rods for not yeelding to his abhominable voluptuousnes that the matter being knowne there was present order taken by publique decree that none should be in prison or in bondage againe to Creditours for time to come I heare of some now adaies whom we haue knowne of good merite in their time some of them walking the streetes continually in danger of arrest and some that suffered long imprisonment fiue seauen tenne and some twenty yeares for no greater fault then misspending themselues when they had it and no man I see takes compassion of them Much better it were for them to haue all their paines at once and their Carcasse deuided amongst the Creditours as of old it was among the barbarous then so to languish in ineuitable misery beeing stript out of all meanes And what is this but reuenge vnder colour of iustice They say nine hornets kill a horse and two vndoe a man That is to say the ale-wife and a baylife or if he bee a gentleman the vsurer and a sergeant How much better is it in Scotland and Venice Holland Flanders and many other places where men bee set free at the yeares ende if they prooue vnable and the Creditour in some countries beares the charge of the Prisoner Better in Gran Cayre the head city of Africke where the prison-keeper paies the debt Leo. Afer if he take in a prisoner that is not able The roote of all this is extreame couetousnesse which hauing lost the sword would beate a man to death with the scabberd Iustice hath denyed her the one yet lets her tyrannize with the other as heauily as shee can But I will proceede with our greater matters Two things more our pastours teach vs as touching our estates the one is of our bettering it the other is of our carriage in it towards the Common In both which there is a great deale of iustice to be followed and much iniustice is practised that lies vnseene And first for amending our meanes they holde it a thing to be good and lawfull but that we are not bound to it I holde it a sure way to bee alwaies mending it a little if wee can without abating our outward Countenance or necessary charge If it so increase and in such wise as hospitality increase withall it is commendable and vertuous if otherwise it is naught It is snudging and niggardly and vnworthy a gentleman or man of sort And to this end I approoue their opinions that spend but halfe in house-keeping that is to say in meate drinke and wages and of the other halfe by that time we be competently cloathed and haue paid our duties