foolish hardinesse Likewise who so vseth the contrarie of these is no lesse worthie of blame For if I beeing worthy did disdainfully refuse a place of dignitie Or thou diddest withholde thy hand ouer straitely in the distributing of thy goodes where neede were and the other being vrged by his enemies did play the coward Surely both the former the latter sort of men which tie themselues to those extreams are vitious and ought to be auoided as in like maner hee is who doth either hide or debarre his companion of those things which in reason hee may affoord him Wherefore to moderat this my vnbrideled desire of the flesh or his vnordinate feeding there commeth a vertue named Temperance which by reason doth appease and ouerrule the vnruly appetites of man How greatly is Philoxenes to be blamed who being enchanted by the desire of eating wished aboue all other things that his neck were as long as the necke of a crane that he might feed with the more pleasure and Semiramis queene of the Assyrians who so dissolutely abandoned her selfe vnto the pleasures of the flesh that beeing depriued of all sence and vnderstanding shee sought carnally to couple her selfe with her sonne Ninus Surely verie much as they who in guise of men did liue intemperately like beasts This vertue doth not onelie temper those delightes which are common with vs and brute beastes but it doth likwise appease sorrow from whence doth spring gratious modestie inuiolate continencie moderate sobrietie honest chastitie and other good workes In like maner to temperate his furious temeritie who inconsideratly thrusteth himselfe amidst his enemies or his faintnesse of heart who beeing assailed by his aduersarie doth flie from him Fortitude doth step in place a worthy vertue which obtaineth the meane betweene foolish-hardinesse and feare The rashnesse of Phaeton gaue him courage to gouerne his fathers chariot although he altogither wanted skill thereto and encouraged Icarus to flie in the aire Which maketh me affirme that the valiaunt man ought to dread no daunger no not death it selfe nor any other thing when need requireth hauing due consideration of the place the time and the maner how he enterpriseth any thing but he ought to feare that which if hee shoulde not dread would cause him to be contemned as dishonour enuy the chastitie of his wife and suche other thinges as who so feareth is honest and iealous of his reputation Likewise that ought to be feared which passeth the force of man for he is no lesse worthy of reprehension who dreadeth that which hee ought to feare then he who feareth that which he ought not to dread As wee reade of Artemon the Grecian who was so fearefull that he neuer stirred not so much as out of his house but two of his seruauntes continuallie held an yron buckler ouer his head fearing least something shoulde fall vpon him or if any thing did fall that hee might be the better defended from it and if at any time he went abroad he was carried in a litter wel couered This vertue then doth cause men to expose themselues with consideration to such dangers as doe happen and patiently to suffer labour and sorrowe which is a farre harder matter for a man to doe then to abstaine from pleasure Heerehence doth spring magnificence which is so much commended tollerable patience firme perseuerance and magnanimitie of courage But to bridle the euill disposition of him who after a tyrannical sorte doth occupie that which by right doth belong vnto another his equall therein Iustice doth offer it selfe which is a vertue farre more excellent then any other beeing either vniuersall or particular Vniuersall iustice is that which within it selfe doth containe the two foresaid vertues and is farre more noble then they are by Iustice good lawes are obserued which doe dispose men and make them fit to doe good actions and vpon deserued penaltie doe prohibite men from wickednesse This vertue doth containe the vse and habitude of other vertues wherefore by good reason it is called perfect and vniuersall especially inasmuch as if temperance be good that shall onely bee profitable for him that possesseth it and so I may say likewise of Fortitude but Iustice is common and vniuersall to al men and as a vertue descended from aboue it shineth as a heauenly light Particular Iustice no lesse to be commended then other vertues consisteth in equitie for we ought in the same maner to accompt both of commoditie and discommoditie and in the obseruation of faith in thinges promised Nowe of this vertue doth proceede the obseruation of lawes trueth pietie obedience and likewise liberalitie which holding the middle betweene spending and sauing doth restraine the vice of prodigalitie and couetousnesse For like as the prodigall man is carelesse in getting and lauishe in giuing So the couetous man is ouer carefull in heaping vp riches and too nigardly in spending Neither is the auaritious man farre vnlike to the miserable ambitious person betweene whom and this other who despiseth honour beeing worthy thereof there commeth a vertue considering the meane of the which ariseth magnanimitie of courage I could bring you infinite examples fitting this purpose which I doe forbeare least my speach should be ouer long intending likewise to returne to discourse of intellectuall vertues and first of all to shewe you that some of the foresaide morall vertues cannot be without prudence which consisteth in those thinges which are subiect to chaunge beeing sometimes after this fashion sometimes after another Herehence proceedeth counsell and election As for example if thou shouldest offer vnto mee manie good thinges and manie euill thinges counselling me whether of them should be especially either of the good more profitable or of the euill thinges more hurtfull Thorough prudence I woulde make choice of that which were most commodious and least dangerous thereby ordering thinges present remembring thinges past and foreseeing thinges to come On Prudence reason vnderstanding and discretion attendeth Thorough Science which consisteth in firme and true thinges wee knowe and vnderstand the conclusion wherevnto it aspireth leauing the principles to bee considered of by intelligence For in searching out if God be the Soueraigne good knowing it thorough Science I seeke to vnderstand what God is Afterwardes by Wisedome I comprehend the principles and that which proceedeth of them whereof by good right it is named the true knowledge of diuine and humane thinges The vertues of the minde being then the ornament of the soule which is the subiect of the saide vertues they are as I said the meanes to attaine vnto the end wee shoote at He shall be then most Noble hee shall be most perfite and amongest mortall men most renowmed which being adorned with the vertues I haue recited shall approch neerest vnto this Soueraigne and infinite good We see that the water is more noble then the earth the aire then the water and the fire then the aire because it is neerer therunto then any of the
the seruants perceiuing he so dainly called one of his fellowes who brought a brase of dogges with him which hee let slip at these wild beasts we being mooued with the crie of y e dogs and noyse of the hunters wee looked out at the windows which were next the garden where we might see this vvar already begun vvhich vvas pursued vvith an infinit pleasure of vs all For vve might see them runne vvith great svviftnesse the beasts flying and the dogs follovving but y e chiefest sport vvas the many turnings in the garden and the crooked alleies by vvhich the beasts did fetch many a skip turne to saue their liues from the deadly pinching of the dogs And after they had some 3. or 4 times rounded the garden the hart y e bridge being yet cleane dovvn the gate open vvith a light skip got into the thicket again the kids follovved the dogs after which one of the seruants perceiuing he drew vp the bridge least they shuld come out again But longing after the sport vve came down vvith each of vs a cudgel in our hand you may gesse vvhat these beasts did vvherof there vvas great store in the vvood vvhen they savv y e dogs follovv them They ran euerie way somtimes thorow y e thickest places somtimes right forth vvhilest vve vvere intentiue after this sport we might espy 3. seruants coÌ„ming out of y e vvood vvith the 2. kids the hart 2. yong hares vvhich had been slain in this vvar Wherefore imagining this pray to be sufficient after the ordinarie rate after y t commandement was giuen to take vp the dogges who were not yet out of breath we came forth of the woode and shortly after sate downe to supper according to our woonted order where wee supped verie pleasantly the winde blowing verie freshly vpon vs after supper wee fell in talke of this sodaine hunting which fell out vnlooked for Wherein wee continued vntill the starres were seene in the skie hauing beforehand taken order that Nennio should the next day followe with his discourse at the same time that Possidonio and Fabricio had done theirs and then we entred into the house where after we had walked a little seeing it a fit houre to go to bed the torches being lighted vve vvere brought euerie one vnto his lodging The third Booke AS often as waighing with my selfe I consider howe great the weakenes is which nature yeeldeth vnto maÌ„ I cannot surely imagin whence it shoulde proceed that al men what soeuer doe oftentimes feele a certaine motion of bloud which spreadeth it selfe about the heart when as they do only call to minde but the verie name of Nobilitie which they possesse and that much more when they are told thereof by some other Nay there are some who without measure coueting that title doe puffe vp their mindes esteeming that to be the greatest fauour of all other Other some there are without doubt of a more damnable opinion who are mounted vp to that height of pride by the onely remeÌ„brance likewise of that name hauing no thought to the difficultie of the effect thereof that they doe verilie perswade themselues such is the deâ—eiueable beliefe of mortall men that the whole worlde is at their commandement and surely they deeme themselues to be equal to no other then to God himselfe and by this conceite they being led away they despise all vertue Surely this doth draw me into great doubtes For as I say if I enter into consideration of mans weakenes and do waigh wherof he is made I see nothing therein but vile filthinesse And nature did not onely giue this vnto man at his first creation but likewise in the dissolution of this mortall life it made the same farre worse Seeing that the weake and fraile members of man as it is euident of it self so soone as the spirit is separated from the bodie how soone they are changed into wormes into earth loathsom smels O miserable life of man and of short continuance But in truth this ought to be smally regarded although it be a great argument of y e frailty of man if we did note not only in the beginning the end of the life of man but euen in the midst therof matters of greater woonder because we see that all thinges vnder the heauens doe make continuall warre ech one against themselues and all togither bid most cruell battaile against man alone The aire oftentimes is assailed with darcke cloudes with flashing lightning and threatning thunder and all these are ordained to vexe man The water against the fire The fire against the water and both togither do fight against man Moist thinges against drie thinges and drie thinges against moist and both most and drie warre against man The South striueth with the North and the other windes and all of them togither blowing with great impetuositie in the depth of the swelling seas with great force do often deceiue y e vain affections of man What shal I say more One man doth conspire against another If then the life of man be after so strange a maner wrapped in so many miseries and in so many dangers I cannot wel imagine what cause he hath to wax so proud with this title of Nobilitie which is giuen him And as for my selfe I know not els what I should say vnto you but that such men being on high lifted vp with a superfluous desire of glory do let theÌ„selues be carried away with their vaine appetites like vnto a bird which flying in the aire hath no assurance O foolish Nobilitie if so we ought to call it or rather deceitfull shadow For we are not able to comprehend what aid this Nobilitie no lesse desired then reuerenced of mortal men may bring vs for asmuch as it neither bringeth wisedome nor knowledge incomparable gifts which are sent vs from God neither doth it make vs more iust or more prudent which are qualities that consist in the soule It may be that it is an aide vnto the body No surely in my opinion for it doth not giue neither greater beautie nor greater strength nor greater grace thereunto by all which reasons we may easily gather into how great errour these maner of men doe so foolishly fall Yet will I not say but that sometimes Nobilitie is cause of great good as it is indeed when it is true Nobilitie but that which at this day beareth sway in y e most part of men is not onely cause of any good but contrarilie of great euill For if we would without imagination passe thorow all the Cities that are in the world we shuld find very few or it may be none at al where there are not factions diuisions between gent. and the common sort from whence afterwards do bud hatred quarrels so many murthers as we may heare of euery where Amongst many histories I might here recite to you how y e people of Rome by reason of y e discords which did
life by poyson then to drown his wealth in the sea So that it cannot be denied but that riches are the cause of all euill For besides the mischiefe I haue alreadie recited that commeth by the greedie desire of them we see which my tongue hath horror to tell that the father is the murtherer of his sonne the brother of the brother and one friend of another I wil not to this purpose alleadge thee any examples either out of auncient or moderne histories being a thing that thou mayst now a dayes heare out of the mouth of euery man and a matter so manifest that euery where we haue tidinges thereof Men doe on all sides set vpon eche other and are in warre continually for this pelfe We see in euerie place abhominable treasons and conspiracies to attaine vnto riches This is not all that may be said thereof but much more for the rich man is alwaies in feare that being pursued by some enuious person he be not at sometime or other murthered If he eate he feareth poison if he walke abroad terror attendeth on him he quaketh at the name of warre he standeth in dread of water of aire of fire and to conclude he is neuer without feare And this happeneth because he knoweth that riches vanish away as lightly as the smoke before the winde what shall I say more The rich man is alwaies a thirst with an vnquenchable drought as hee that is tormented with a quotidian ague For if he be wealthy he coueteth still to possesse more so y t the whole world cannot suffice to glut his greedie desire Who is then so vnaduised to terme such a one rich who miserable man is no otherwise tormented then Tantalus who sitting in the middest of fresh and cleere running streames seeth most pleasant and delightfull fruite rounde about him and his heart burning to eate and drinke of them and yet hee cannot God forbid that such a one should be called rich but rather poore and needie aboue all other men Surely if riches were so necessarie the wise Athenians woulde neuer haue decreed and ordained for a law that whosoeuer became rich within their Citie shoulde for ten yeares space be banished Athens esteeming it to be farre more profitable to voide the Citie of such persons then to let them remaine there The Athenians knew well what infections riches doe bring with them which was the cause that as some plague they banished them out of Athens Now thou seest Possidonio what good these thy goodes doe bring Fabricio proceeded in like maner to the handling of his other argumentes when as M. Peter Anthony as it were taking the word out of his mouth saide thus vnto him Truely Fabricio that which thou hast spoken of riches hath brought me into a great doubt For hearing what thou hast discoursed therof on the one side it seemeth vnto me to be true and yet on the other side I am perswaded it is not wholly so Forasmuch as euerie day and in all places the most part of mortall men do some after one maner some after another giue themselues to the getting of gold and siluer yea not onelie the base and vulgar sort but likewise men of great credite and reputation old and yong men and those that are most wise in worldly matters Others carelesse of their owne life doe indeuour to enrich themselues vpon the sencelesse waters of the sea and doe daily scoure the coasts of the East countries the shores of the west parts and from North to South and South to North and leaue no place vntouched where they may inrich themselues Others to that purpose doe follow bloudy battels and some men doe manfully labour both night and day to get wealth These men in woodes mountaines those in vallies and plaines Others seek to come by riches by dangerous robberies Others by diuelish vsurie Wherefore if as thou sayst riches were cause of so great euill surely no man that loueth his welfare would against his will purchase his owne bane with so many cares and intollerable disquiet So that I seeing so strong reasons on both sides it is hard for mee nay a thing impossible to bolte out the trueth It is an easie matter to resolue this thy doubt aunswered Fabricio For auncient authours haue left vs in writing that riches whosoeuer first had the sight thereof is a thing most deformed wearing on the naturall visage thereof a masque of most fine gold denoting thereby that it is faire in apparence but foule within wherefore they who trauell so many Countries and take such paines to seeke it are enamoured with the outward shewe which blindeth the eyes of the vnderstanding so that they can hardly discerne how hurtfull the inward deformitie thereof is Which maketh man who is forgetfull of himselfe to addict his minde thereto Which Paulus Emilius perceiuing when he ouercame Perseus king of Macedonia and gloriously triumphed ouer him hee did not onely forbeare to touche the infinite treasure of the king but likewise to see it although he might haue been possessor of a wonderfull bootie Pompey the great hauing taken by force the temple of Ierusalem whereof I lately made mention found there an inestimable treasure and did not onely abstaine from taking the spoile thereof as Marcus Crassus did afterwardes but also from touching it as hee which knew well what hurt riches did bring And hee who before-hand knoweth the secrets of man as hee who made them that by the apparent beauty of riches man would easily contemne true and eternall treasure hath often put vs in minde in his infallible doctrine that here on earth man shoulde not heape vp riches as a corruptible thing and subiect to a thousand hazardes M. Peter Anthonie knew not well what to reply to his answere which pleased him aboue measure shewing that he was thoroughly satisfied therewith Wherfore Fabricio following on his discourse proceeded in this maner Gentlemen besides that riches are goodes Possidonio would haue them conioyned to Nobilitie by such necessitie that if anie noble man whatsoeuer were depriued thereof hee should no more be accompted noble amongst men His meaning is then that so long as a noble man enioyeth wealth he shall be honourable and afterwards be of base accompt O foolish opinion and deceitful beliefe Doest not thou consider Possidonio that this thy Nobilitie is light as the winde and dependeth of Fortune euen as hee who being on the maine sea hath lost both sterne and saile togither at a clappe Forasmuchas if those small nūber of souldiers which are now left to guard the towne did spoile thy treasure surely thou shouldest in one instant leese both thy wealth and thy nobility And as often as this were true that riches did make a man noble it should necessarily follow that an vsurer or a theefe beeing borne a gentleman shoulde become more Noble then he was before by meanes of his substance which he should gaine vnlawfully which howe farre it disagreeth from
the trueth I need not further to manifest vnto you This is the great glorie which riches bringeth to Nobilitie of the which Possidonio thou wouldest that liberalitie should proceede wherein thou art as much deceiued as in that which hath alreadie been spoken of because true liberalitie springeth not from riches but from the loue of the minde Which Philip of Macedonia that I may not further inlarge my discourse to perswade you therein did manifestly prooue when hee seeing Alexander his sonne ouerlauishe to certaine Princes of his kingdome whose loue hee sought to winne vnto him by liberall giftes in aduising him like a father he wrote vnto him that hee ought not to hope for anie faithfulnesse in those friendes who are purchased by presentes which when we want to send then doe they faile vs likewise but that hee ought to gratifie them with loue and sinceritie of heart wherein true liberalitie consisteth This king was well acquainted of what efficacie liberalitie which proceedeth from riches was Thou seest then Possidonio that the Nobilitie which yesterday thou diddest affirme to bee true and perfite is nowe fraile vaine and none at all I say then that it is neither the stately pallaces nor pleasant gardens nor fertill fields nor well fashioned apparell nor aboundance of golde or siluer as thinges which haue no stabilitie in them which doe make a man Noble but vertue whiche shineth in the minde There doth the perfection of nobility remaine there the bright glorie of man doth giue light Nay let warres spring amongst mightie Potentates let floudes of waters fall from heauen let the riuers and the Sea both togither swell let the fire bee kindled in these riches which thou callest goods for all this this kind of Nobilitie will neuer shrink nor become lesse because it is incorruptible which the philosopher no lesse replenished with nobilitie then wisdome may easilie perswade thee I meane Bias who seeing Priene his country vtterly brought to ruine and many bearing away their substance from thence and hee being asked why he did not carrie part of his goods with him aunswered I alwaies carie all my riches with me and trulie he did charge his mind not his shoulders with them as others doe and his wealth was not discerned with the eies of the body but with the eies of his mind But nowe that I haue sufficiently answered the reasons which thou diddest alleadge in the behalfe of riches for by this which I haue said thou mayst imagine how they make for thee now I say it shall not be from the purpose if I return to the other proposition which I left vnspoken of to wit that in a learned and vertuous man there can bee no nobilitie if hee want riches which are required in a gentleman bicause that learning is of it selfe vaine to ennoble any man What Possidonio dost thou affirme that learning is a vain thing in nobilitie and that science and knowledge are vaine Dooest thou holde that that is vaine which doth infuse the true light into nobilitie O wonderfull vndiscreetnesse ful of meere follie O most erroneous opinion worthy of all blame But why doe I so much maruell if a blind man cannot discerne the right waie Well thou shalt before we depart from hence wel perceiue what force learning and knowledge are of in nobilitie And truely if they had not beene worthy great estimation Philip the Macedonian king whose force and power was knowne to all Greece woulde not so soone as he had a sonne borne haue written to Aristotle the onely learned and wise philosopher in that sort he did Knowe thou Aristotle that I haue a sonne born vnto me for the which I render immortal thanks vnto the Gods not so much for that he is borne as because his birth hath happened in the daies of thy life for asmuch as I hope that being instructed and trained vppe by thee hee will proue a worthy successour of vs and our kingdome Weigh with thy selfe how the mind of a good prince vvas full of ioy because his sonne was borne in his time whose knovvledge and learning did not onely with the sound thereof fill all the worlde but euen pierce the cloudes He being a good father did desire to adorn his son with learning and science as treasures of far more inestimable value then his nobilitie his kingdome and riches were the greatnesse and the Nobilitie of his Sonne when as Alexander the Great was scarcely borne vnto him And Alexander himselfe hauing vnderstood that Aristotle his maister had published his vvorks abroad especiallie those which did intreat of naturall causes he was much offended therewith and saide Wherin shall we excel other men if those Sciences wherof we make profession are common to euery man Surely I had rather passe other men in learning knowledge then in riches and in Lordly dominion O vvordes most worthy of so great a Prince who preferred knowledge before all things in the world This was hee vvho going from Corinth to visit the Philosopher Diogenes in his tubbe enuyed his glorie saying vnto him that if he had not beene Alexander he vvould haue desired to haue beene Diogenes and that not bicause of the worthinesse of his Nobilitie but in regard of his great learning and wisedome vvhich would neuer haue happened that Alexander shoulde haue desired being not that which he was but to haue beene Diogenes You may novv see what power learning is of Possidonio what force the Sciences haue for if Alexander the great the ruler of all the East part of the world did so much loue and affect them as I haue giuen you to vnderstand it is not to be beleeued that they are vaine in the ennobling of man And Paulus Emilius hauing ouercome Perseus king of Macedonia as I lately tolde you took only out of all his treasure two bookes to instruct his children withal thereby likewise you may perceiue how farre greater the estimation of learning then of riches is and whether they bring not greater glory to a noble man then it dooth Whereby thou mayest vnderstand that in arguing vainely yesterdaie thou diddest alleadge such things as were not worthie the recitall But I will not gentlemen particularly call to minde euery seueral argument which hee heaped togither For he might alledge many more which notwithstanding by the answeres I haue already made woulde bee soone ouerthrown as reasons nothing at al sauoring of troth Tel me Possidonio doost thou indeed iudge thy weapons to be of as great force as thou didst beleeue Alas how foolish is this thy opinion and thy self more sottish if thou yet remaine therein VVel I hope by this resistance that I haue made y t I haue hitherunto satisfied you in euery point Yea but qd the lady Laura with a feminine readines where haue you forgot that which he saide when as he granted if my memory serue me wel that thou wert likewise a man of honor but in regard that his nobilitie is more ancient than
nobility of man dooth neither consist in antiquity of bloud nor in wealth but in the vertues of the mind when I shall haue alleadged such reasons as my slender capacity y e smal time which is left me wil will giue me leaue albeit that to perswade you in this point the reasones already rehearsed may seeme sufficient Whereunto Fabricio added some other words and after he had a little taken breath and called his wits togither as one halfe weary already he gaue this beginning to his future discourse Most worthy gentlemen It was his pleasure whose will doth moue the heauens to create and frame all things we see in this world to a certaine and due ende The sunne which for the most part doth shine vnto vs and from the which lesser starres doe take their light principally to shewe vnto vs the magnificence of his glory and next for the profit of man Likewise he created the earth the water the ayre the fire and other liuing creatures for the vse of man But man himselfe was formed for God that soueraign and infinite good and not for any other thing here beneath on earth We know also by those motions we doe feele in our selues that man is neuer thorowlie contented albeit he haue vnder his power and dominion whatsoeuer hee may especiallie wish or desire in this world for though some one delight to haue children or riches or great offices dignities and honour and that fortune doe fauor him in al his demands yet is y e desire of his minde neuer in rest but hee still longeth couetously more and more after somthing or other bicause there is not here on earth any stability nor the ende of any infinite good But man by the intellectual knowledge of his vnderstanding gaining the infinite grace and excessiue loue of him who in himselfe is the infinitie of goodnes his mortall desire is staid resteth it selfe like vnto a stone which being cast on high neuer resteth vntill it come to the bosome of the earth which is the last end of the rest thereof Now I say that he is most perfit and noble who approcheth neerest vnto this last end Forasmuch as if I desire heate surely how much the neerer I shall draw neerer vnto the fire by so much shall I attain vnto my desire Then to see who is y e most noble most perfit of vs two wee ought to consider which of vs approcheth neerest vnto the end hee was made for For without doubt he shal be deemed the most noble and not he who is descended of most noble bloud And as you knowe that no man can attaine vnto any end but by some meanes The meanes wee haue to come thereunto is vertue which hath residence in the soule and not in the bodie and God made the soule vnto his likenesse and not the body where it remaineth which in it selfe doth onely resemble brutish beastes If then Possidonio thou doest inrich this thy body with apparell and with wealth if thou doest fill it with daintie fare and leauest thy soule without the ornament of vertue and good conditions surely thou doest not adorne thy selfe with perfit Nobilitie as degenerating from the determinate end thereof For man being framed of body and soule his will shall either encline to the body or the minde If to the bodie because it was framed of earth which draweth downwardes hee cannot comprehend nor desire any other thing but terrestriall and earthly matters If to the minde because it is nothing but a celestiall spirite he cannot couet after anie other thing then to mount on high where al perfection consisteth and disdaine fraile thinges which are on the earth But man ought to gouerne himselfe according vnto reason not according as the bodie but as his soule guideth him the one being subiect vnto corruption the other made to liue eternally Likewise the ornamentes of the soule as that is immortall euen so are they and those that set forth the body are corruptible as the body is Forasmuch as both the internall and externall goodes of the bodie which consist in a iust proportiō of members in health in force in riches in procreation of children in building of pallaces and such other things are al fraile and transitorie in asmuch as to day they haue their being and in a moment are brought to the ground whereas contrarily the goods of the soule are durable perpetuall and eternall You see then howe much the soule is farre more perfit and noble then the body Wherefore if thou desirest to please the body and I determine to serue and obey the soule I shall haue so much aduauntage of thee in nobilitie as the one excelleth the other as if I should say Those thinges that doe set forth the soule are vertues which a man doth irreuocablie poure into his minde for vertue is a firme abiding affection of the minde which causeth whosoeuer is possessed therewith to deserue great praise And whensoeuer it is not constant it looseth the name of vertue seeing that this stabilitie of affection by continuall vse and practise is changed into an habitude Some of these vertues doe consist in good maners and behauiour others in the vnderstanding The former doe consist in a meane betweene two extreames the latter neither in extremitie nor in a meane as prudence science intelligence and wisedome Other some which by auncient writers are called morall vertues are so many appetites and desires as come into our minde For if so bee that I am naturally addicted vnto women or some other aboue measure desirous of daintie fare Or else if when reason commandeth I doe abstaine from looking on a woman or that other from his meate surely both of these in vs is a vice Vertue then considering the middle of these extreames with a strong bridle ouerruleth these inordinate appetites which a man can hardly withstand at the first assault because hee cannot so well at the first temper the naturall motions of the fleshe nor refrayne the insatiable desire of the belly The like I may say of diuerse and sundrie desires of man which cause him to fall into abhominable vices Now if Vertue did not oppose it selfe against vice I doubt not but our estate shoulde whollie resemble if it were not worse then the life of beastes voide of reason There are besides other vices which man beeing ouertaken withall perswading himselfe they proceede from vertue hee falleth headlong into them As if I should extreamely thirst after honor and dignitie And thou shouldest shewe thy selfe ouer liberall in spending thy goods If this man should rashly thrust himself into the midst of a fray In these vnbrideled appetites albeit they seeme good because that to be placed in honour to bee liberall and a man of courage haue the apparence of good thinges yet notwithstanding they are vitious and ought to bee auoided Forasmuch as my desire leaneth to ambition thine to prodigalitie and the rashe courage of the other to
other Elementes The like is to be obserued in the orders of Angels which are deuided into three Hierarchies and the Hierarchies into so many Thrones Inasmuch as that is the most worthie Hierarchie which approcheth neerest vnto the creator of heauen Now the Seraphins as being neerest vnto God forasmuch as no Angelicall spirite dooeth not contemplate more immediatly his diuine essence then they doe and the Cherubins with the Thrones which are seated in the first Hierarchie doe exceede in perfection and nobilitie the Gouernement the Principalities and the powers which are in the second Hierarchie These are more noble then the third as being further off from the diuine presence in the number whereof are the Vertues the Archangels and Angels To speake more plainly vnto thee Possidonio take me for example a Prince in Soueraigne degree of nobilitie whose children haue issue I demand if his children their issue shal be accompted as noble as his owne Surely no because they are a discent farther off from the Prince from whom their nobilitie proceedeth then the first issue from him and so wee ought to esteeme of the lower degrees If then â—ossidonio thou doest approche neerest vnto the end whereunto we were framed thy mind being so highly qualified with vertues as I haue briefly recited to thee I wil then yeeld vp my interest touching this coÌ„trouersie without debating y e matter any more in regarde of any nobility of bloud deriued froÌ„ thy ancestors which maketh as much for true nobilitie as the light of a candle neere vnto the cleere sunne-shine But if I prooue vnto thee that I doe come neerest vnto this end wilt not thou graunt me that I am more noble then thou art and that the victory belongeth vnto me Surely thou canst not say any thing to the contrary I will sufficiently declare vnto thee that I come neerest thereunto hauing graced my life with vertues vvhich are the only meanes to attaine vnto it Fabricio hauing spoken in this maner and somwhat taken breath after his long discourse turning himselfe againe towardes the company with a plyant voice proceeded on this manner You see most worthy gentlemen that by the verie matter of this discourse I am constrained fullie to laie open my life vnto you and consequently such vertues as are in me and not other mens Wherfore this smal speech wil necessarily turne to my praise and commendation contrary to my pretended purpose bicause that true nobilitie consisting in my opinion in the proper vertues of the minde as I did most plainly prooue vnto you I cannot declare and much lesse make you vnderstande whether I am noble or not except I recount them vnto you for this respect and God knoweth how willingly I had rather that heereafter some other should take the matter vpon him for me as likewise bicause I would not that any should girde at me therfore which in friendlie maner I beseech you may not be denied me seeing that I am constrained thereunto and that it lyeth vpon mee vainly to set foorth mine owne praises and to tax another man Howsoeuer it happen trusting in your vertues I will freely embolden my self with the greatest breuitie that I can to sette foorth my praises vnto you I then being in my childish years after that my tung began by little and little to vntie it selfe instructed in precepts of vertue I say I began to adorne my life and my mind with such qualities as were fittest for my tender age and likewise my young mind beeing capeable of vnderstanding my memorie of retaining and my wit apt for learning I gaue my selfe to the pleasant studie of humanitie where I did not onelie lay vp in my memorie the remembrance of manie fables and manie histories but likewise the knowledge of mans life by the which I might easilie discerne for the ornament and dutie of my life what waie was to be auoided and which was to be followed And longing further to attaine to the knowledge of the Artes and Sciences and not onelie of them by which vvee doe discerne that which is false from the troth and of those other by vvhich vve are made partakers of the vnderstanding both of matters naturall and heauenlie but especiallie desiring to embrace moral philosophie which if vvee vvil giue credite vnto Cicero and others wise Socrates leauing the studie of natural philosophie as lesse profitable to coÌ„uerse one with another in this world broght from heauen to earth I vvas constrained to leaue my Countrie and my parentes to trauaile thither vvhere all liberall exercises are maintained euerie dull vvit is instructed and euerie harde vnderstanding softened There did I beautifie my vnderstanding and my mind with knowledge and vertue in so large measure as I need not nowe to declare vnto you By this meanes Possidonio doe I beleeue that a man becommeth renovvmed and noble By vertue accompanied with worthie sciences the mind of man is made noble and excellent Vertue is that which tempereth a man that is of a milde nature graceth him with honest and courteous conditions maketh him prudent and wise and finallie of a mortal man immortall That is the onely meanes by which we attaine to the perfect knowledge of him who is the last ende and marke wee aime at I saie vertue is that wherewith the soule being beautified doth cause vs to approch to the ende wee were made for and consequentlie maketh vs partakers of the light therof He that is a true noble man doth not shine neither ought he to shew himselfe by means of any other beames then those that spring and growe from vertue Now thou mayest be able hereafter to knowe Possidonio from whence true Nobilitie of the minde dooth proceed and to perceiue likewise if learning is vaine or rather necessary yea and the Sciences themselues for the aduancement of nobilitie Now thou mayst vnderstande how much learning is to be esteemed aboue riches by those that are perfect noble men But besides the examples I haue already alleadged I will yet moreouer giue you to vnderstand how highlie it hath beene accounted of by other men of olde time For asmuch as onlie by the Poet Euripides his going to Syracusa the Syracusans who had vnder their power many Athenian prisoners they gaue them all their libertie bicause they had learned without booke manie verses of Euripides who was an Athenian by birth Bee you now the iudge what greater guift they might haue presented to the Author of these verses And diuine Plato being by Denis the Tyrant called from Athens into Sicilia which voyage hee made by Sea he no sooner set foote on land but he was by him receiued in a triumphant chariot and after that maner he entered the citie Surely Denis did not this honour neither to the wealth of Plato nor to the worthinesse of his bloud but to his deepe skill and vertue Alexander of Macedonia hauing giuen Darius King of Persia the ouerthrowe amongest the kinges treasure hee founde a most pretious