lacking a skilfull master, most commonlie, doth either, sinck it
selfe vpon sandes, or breake it selfe vpon rockes. And euen so,
Vaine plea- // how manie haue bene, either drowned in vaine
sure, and // pleasure, or ouerwhelmed by stout wilfulnesse,
stoute wil- // the histories of England be able to affourde ouer
fulnes, two // many examples vnto vs. Therfore, ye great and
greatest // noble mens children, if ye will haue rightfullie
enemies to // that praise, and enioie surelie that place, which
Nobilitie. // your fathers haue, and elders had, and left vnto
you, ye must kepe it, as they gat it, and that is, by the onelie
waie, of vertue, wisedome, and worthinesse.
For wisedom, and vertue, there be manie faire examples in
this Court, for yong Ientlemen to folow. But they be, like
faire markes in the feild, out of a mans reach, to far of, to shote
at well. The best and worthiest men, in deede, be somtimes
seen, but seldom taulked withall: A yong Ientleman, may
somtime knele to their person, smallie vse their companie, for
their better instruction.
But yong Ientlemen ar faïne commonlie to do in the Court,
as yong Archers do in the feild: that is take soch markes, as be
Ill compa- // nie them, although they be neuer so foule to
nie marreth // shote at. I meene, they be driuen to kepe
youth. // companie with the worste: and what force ill
companie hath, to corrupt good wittes, the wisest men know
best.
And not ill companie onelie, but the ill opinion also of the
The Court // most part, doth moch harme, and namelie of
iudgeth // those, which shold be wise in the trewe de-
worst of the // cyphring, of the good disposition of nature, of
best natures // cumlinesse in Courtlie maners, and all right
in youth. // doinges of men.
But error and phantasie, do commonlie occupie, the place
of troth and iudgement. For, if a yong ientleman, be demeure
and still of nature, they say, he is simple and lacketh witte: if
he be bashefull, and will soone blushe, they call him a babishe
_Xen. in_ 1. // and ill brought vp thyng, when _Xenophon_ doth
_Cyr. Pæd._ // preciselie note in _Cyrus_, that his bashfulnes in
youth, was y^e verie trewe signe of his vertue &
The Grace // stoutnes after: If he be innocent and ignorant of
in Courte. // ill, they say, he is rude, and hath no grace, so
_the brynging vp of youth._ 207
vngraciouslie do som gracelesse men, misuse the faire and
godlie word GRACE.
But if ye would know, what grace they meene, go, and
looke, and learn emonges them, and ye shall see that it is:
First, to blush at nothing. And blushyng in youth, sayth
_Aristotle_ is nothyng els, but feare to do ill: which feare beyng
once lustely fraid away from youth, then foloweth, // Grace of
to dare do any mischief, to contemne stoutly any // Courte.
goodnesse, to be busie in euery matter, to be
skilfull in euery thyng, to acknowledge no ignorance at all.
To do thus in Court, is counted of some, the chief and greatest
grace of all: and termed by the name of a // _Cic._ 3. _de_
vertue, called Corage & boldnesse, whan _Crassus_ // _Or._
in _Cicero_ teacheth the cleane contrarie, and that
most wittelie, saying thus: _Audere, cum bonis_ // Boldnes
_etiam rebus coniunctum, per seipsum est magnopere_ // yea in a
_fugiendum_. Which is to say, to be bold, yea // good mat-
in a good matter, is for it self, greatlie to be // ter, not to
exchewed. // be praised.
Moreouer, where the swing goeth, there to follow, fawne,
flatter, laugh and lie lustelie at other mens liking. // More
To face, stand formest, shoue backe: and to the // Grace of
meaner man, or vnknowne in the Court, to // Courte.
seeme somwhat solume, coye, big, and dangerous of looke,
taulk, and answere: To thinke well of him selfe, to be lustie
in contemning of others, to haue some trim grace in a priuie
mock. And in greater presens, to beare a braue looke: to be
warlike, though he neuer looked enimie in the face in warre:
yet som warlike signe must be vsed, either a slouinglie busking,
or an ouerstaring frounced hed, as though out of euerie heeres
toppe, should suddenlie start out a good big othe, when nede
requireth, yet praised be God, England hath at // Men of
this time, manie worthie Capitaines and good // warre, best
souldiours, which be in deede, so honest of // of conditi-
behauiour, so cumlie of conditions, so milde of // ons.
maners, as they may be examples of good order, to a good sort
of others, which neuer came in warre. But to retorne, where
I left: In place also, to be able to raise taulke, and make
discourse of euerie rishe: to haue a verie good // Palmistrie.
will, to heare him selfe speake: To be seene