knowledge of Christes true Religion, I counte this the greatest,
that it pleased God to call me, to be one poore minister in
settyng forward these excellent giftes of learnyng in this most
excellent Prince. Whose onely example, if the rest of our
Ill Exam- // nobilitie would folow, than might England be,
ples haue // for learnyng and wisedome in nobilitie, a spectacle
more force, // to all the world beside. But see the mishap of
then good // men: The best examples haue neuer such forse
examples. // to moue to any goodnes, as the bad, vaine, light
and fond, haue to all ilnes.
And one example, though out of the compas of learning,
yet not out of the order of good maners, was notable in this
Courte, not fullie xxiiij. yeares a go, when all the actes of
Parlament, many good Proclamations, diuerse strait commanude-
mentes, sore punishment openlie, speciall regarde priuatelie, cold
not do so moch to take away one misorder, as the example of
one big one of this Courte did, still to kepe vp the same: The
memorie whereof, doth yet remaine, in a common prouerbe of
Birching lane.
Take hede therfore, ye great ones in y^e Court, yea though
Great men // ye be y^e greatest of all, take hede, what ye do,
in Court, // take hede how ye liue. For as you great ones
by their // vse to do, so all meane men loue to do. You be
example, // in deed, makers or marrers, of all mens maners
make or // within the Realme. For though God hath placed
marre, all // yow, to be cheife in making of lawes, to beare
other mens // greatest authoritie, to commaund all others: yet
maners. // God doth order, that all your lawes, all your authoritie, all your
commaundementes, do not halfe so moch with meane men, as
Example // doth your example and maner of liuinge. And
in Religion. // for example euen in the greatest matter, if yow
your selues do serue God gladlie and orderlie for
conscience sake, not coldlie, and somtyme for maner sake, you
carie all the Courte with yow, and the whole Realme beside,
earnestlie and orderlie to do the same. If yow do otherwise,
yow be the onelie authors, of all misorders in Religion, not
onelie to the Courte, but to all England beside. Infinite shall
be made cold in Religion by your example, that neuer were
hurt by reading of bookes.
And in meaner matters, if three or foure great ones in
_the brynging vp of youth._ 221
Courte, will nedes outrage in apparell, in huge hose, in mon-
strous hattes, in gaurishe colers, let the Prince Pro- // Example
clame, make Lawes, order, punishe, commaunde // in apparell.
euerie gate in London dailie to be watched, let all
good men beside do euerie where what they can, surelie the
misorder of apparell in mean men abrode, shall neuer be
amended, except the greatest in Courte will order and mend
them selues first. I know, som greate and good ones in Courte,
were authors, that honest Citizens of London, shoulde watche
at euerie gate, to take misordered persones in apparell. I know,
that honest Londoners did so: And I sawe, which I saw than,
& reporte now with some greife, that som Courtlie men were
offended with these good men of London. And that, which
greued me most of all, I sawe the verie same tyme, for all theis
good orders, commaunded from the Courte and executed in
London, I sawe I say, cum out of London, euen // Masters,
vnto the presence of the Prince, a great rable of // Vshers, &
meane and light persons, in apparell, for matter, // Scholers
against lawe, for making, against order, for facion, // of fense.
namelie hose, so without all order, as he thought himselfe most
braue, that durst do most in breaking order and was most
monsterous in misorder. And for all the great commaunde-
mentes, that came out of the Courte, yet this bold misorder,
was winked at, and borne withall, in the Courte. I thought,
it was not well, that som great ones of the Court, durst declare
themselues offended, with good men of London, for doinge their
dewtie, & the good ones of the Courte, would not shew them-
selues offended, with ill men of London, for breaking good
order. I fownde thereby a sayinge of _Socrates_ to be most trewe
that ill men be more hastie, than good men be forwarde, to
prosecute their purposes, euen as Christ himselfe saith, of the
Children of light and darknes.
Beside apparell, in all other thinges to, not so moch, good
lawes and strait commaundementes as the example and maner
of liuing of great men, doth carie all meane men euerie where,
to like, and loue, & do, as they do. For if but two or three
noble men in the Court, wold but beginne to // Example
shoote, all yong Ientlemen, the whole Court, all // in shoo-
London, the whole Realme, wold straight waie // tyng.
exercise shooting.