These and such as these impugning the plaine and simple drifts of honest meaning, haue alwayes a face of brasse, wherwith to shooue forward, and to forestall what by the shamefast entendment of anie other, seemeth bashfully to bee pursued, they are still pressing on, and euermore sliding, but if they once get handfast, or happilie be after strained from the hope of that they would, their loue then and attendance immediatlie thereuppon die at one instant togithers.
Iniurious me séemeth, and too perillous is the approaching of these priuate whisperers, whose inward conuersation, as in the verie first conceit and discouerie thereof, it appeareth vnto a man vertuously giuen, to be altogither odious, so vnto him that intendeth purely of himselfe, they are in the seruices of Noblemen euermore most thwarting and malicious, insomuch as if such a one staied with honestie, woulde neuer so faithfullie, simplie and trulie endeuour himselfe by all parts of dutifull care and loialtie, hee shall yet neuer want of those peruerse créepers, that by one cautelous suppose or other, will still be before hand, wherwith if it be possible to disgrace him vtterlie.
That these and such other actions of vilitie, commonlie handled, as they are in honorable places, do become oftentimes barres to good meaning, and stumbling blockes to plaine dealing, there needeth (as I thinke) at this present verie small question. Neither would I be so misled, as to déeme that there wanteth either insight or iudgment in many noble personages to discerne them, for they are discerned &, oftentimes spurned at, I know it right well, but what of that? This beeing also a common practise and occupation of the worlde, smoothlie to slide through all thinges, and to meane trulie in nothing, it is no maruell if by the too double diligence of such men, some one or other happen now and then to be deceiued.
But forsomuch as it is of necessitie; that euerie honorable estate must and ought to bee serued, and that where a multitude good are in attendance, there ensueth cōmonly to be among them some few that are euill, either of an annexed propinquitie or opposition of good and bad, vertue and vice, emulating or rather enuieng as we see the daily progression each of the other, or else for that the world something addicted to peruerse manners, sendeth forth often times such imps of her substance, as become monstrous disturbers of euery honest endeuor. It shall notwithstanding behooue him whatsoeuer, whose end & expectation stretcheth to yᵉ sole desert, that of euerie laudable purpose is rightly to be attained, either in abstaining from anie occasion of blemish to his vertue that may happen, to resolue with himselfe neuer to serue at all, or seruing, at the least wise so to arme his conceiptes for all maner of such like disgraces as that he maie content himselfe in that being but trulie censured as he ought, the ende of his determinations are certainlie to be adiudged honest, albeit his ill hap perchance such, as therby he attain neither liking nor preferment or if either he stand in present, or be in possibilitie to attain fauor, then not to be discouraged in the honest prosequution thereof, by anie practis or enuie whatsoeuer, resting in himselfe firmly assured, that time or the true discernment of him whome hee serueth, shall at length yéeld scope to that, whereunto by true degrees of vertue he sought to haue aspired.
And séeing that in all causes of zeale and loue, where the mind is tied by an entire desire and care of weldoing, to him whom once in conceipt it seemeth to growe chary ouer, the force thereof seldom or neuer passeth lightlie at the first, without some blocke or other laid before it, whereby to hinder or discourage the proceedings alreadie determined, and that so farre forth as one while a man supposing the fidelitie of his seruice might at a time be fully effected and discharged in the requisite deliuerie of some present aduise & counsell, yet terrified perchance, or otherwise disswaded with the resolution, mightinesse, or nobility of his L. or Maister, or fearing to be argued of presumption, or else in setting downe the desire he hath of safegard vnkindlie to be mistaken. It shall not therefore be consonant to this our Secretories place of seruice thereupon immediatly to become silent, or so to suffer the euill which himself clearly séeth, to passe vnregarded, especiallie when the case is either weightie, or neerelie otherwise concerneth his nobilitie whom he serueth, for so should he by a kind of Pusillanimitie, become guiltie of the verie occasion, how great soeuer the same should happen, which somtimes lying in his credit or counsell, to haue impugned, he of a weak disposition abstained neuerthelesse to see preuented. And yet is it not (néeds must I saie and confesse) a matter altogether vntried, that men vaingloriouslie minded, or arrogantlie otherwise intending of their owne proper seruices, notoriouslie oftentimes do fal into this vain of presumption, who pricked on with the credit and fauour to them giuen by their L. or Maister, and foolishly conceiuing thereof to lead their thoughts in a string, do ignorantly or péeuishlie thereupon, take in hande manie times to direct them in their serious affaires or counsels, and controlling in their inward thoughts whatsoeuer is besides or contrarying to their own opinions, do of seruants become sawcie: of men modest, malapert: of aduisers, arrogant: and consequentlie, running into euerie misprision of others, and what else appertaining to a regarde of other mens actions, appeare at length so imperious, as by the sole default of their owne misdemeanours, they are turned at the last quite forth by the elbowes.
The defect hereof, so far discrepant as it is, from the steadie kind of gouernment hereby throughout concluded vpon, needeth not I thinke in the framing of this our Secretory, to be anie further forewarned, who by shaking from his own person anie part of the vilities that in others may seeme chieflie to be discommended, is herein to be ascertained, that in nothing so greatly can the excellent vertue or condition of any man shine, then in not first committing anie action that may appeare vile, or hardlie to bee borne withall, and next in suppressing so much as in him is, whatsoeuer commendation or liking dulie to bee annexed to his owne proper deseruing, wherein humility fréede from all maner of base and seruile purposes, shall then sufficientlie instruct him, that curtesie is a vertue, lowlinesse a thing annexed vnto gentility, to bee proud is a vice, to be contemptuous a filthines, simplicity is found, deceipt to be abhorred, Loyalty a matter in estimation, Flattery to be held abhominable. I will not here dispute how much excellent and néedfull it were vnto their estates, that the neerest attendance of honourable personages, were with men of such vertue and knowledge in this sort frequented, neither carping at sundry enormities, would I therby deuise, to draw forth vnto you a man vnmatchable in qualitie, and whereof the worlde or anie heauen besides, scarce yéeldeth either shadow or propertie, but proposing the worthiest partes which of euerie one absolutelie are fittest to be acquired, I do only endeuour to laie down no other matter or ground, then wherewith men that be speciall are at this date helde to be endued, and such as in all ages heretofore haue been thought meetest to be followed.
What should I lade this discourse with numbred examples vnto you of the great estimate and regard of those, who to kéep their faiths inuiolable to their Lordes, haue some of them beene so iealous of their honours, as for the safegard thereof, haue by great aduisement made a voluntarie aduenture of their dearest liues: some againe with great loue and fauour, entertained and reputed of by their Lordes, and not able in their seruices as they thought, during their life times sufficiently to compense the loue and especiall zeale they beare vnto their Honours, haue afterwards vnto their children beeing in great disgrace with the state present, so fully effected the fruits of their welwishing, as that by the tender accompt, reuerance and loialty to them proposed, they haue right well declared that not vnto times alone of estate & fortune, when little regard of such things might be at their hands expected, their vertues haue been limitted, but chieflie in extremity and times of want, wherin their sundry fruitions, haue bin in most aboundant maner supplied. Others likewise charged on the death bed with the secret affaires of their L. to be kept in speciall care and reckoning from the knowledge of other men, could not by multitudes of fauors, by threatnings, or other large offers whatsoeuer, bee so far seduced, (as when the dead was quite passed and gone out of the world, whereby they néeded not at all to haue doubted) they would yet be led in the least iote of al, to defraud the trust in them reposed, but haue kept the same inuiolable to their vndoubted commendation, and further increase afterward of good liking to a far greater credit.
Infinite are the remembrances that of these, and suchlike occasions are and haue béen dailie recorded, the multitude whereof for breuity I do omit. Contenting my selfe that of these two chief and principall matters of seruice, I haue thus far forth alreadie in generalitie debated, leauing therefore what els to bee considered therein to the known ability of others, I procéed vnto the next part that in the continuance of this discourse was at the first intended. And forsomuch as the exercise of these and such like peculiar vertues and qualities, appertaineth not, as I haue partly before deliuered, vnto men that are of meane spirit, to such as bee naturallie touched with anie bad or vile coercement, capacities that be insensible or ignorant, such as haue want of education, or whose demeanors are to vertue wholie insufficient. Let vs then more particularlie if ye will see what maner a one he ought to be touching his person, habilitie, and condition, that to the worthines and reputation hereof séemeth a man méetest and most allowable to be chosen a Secretory.
For the deliuerie whereof, and the better to finde our Secretory, as neere as either may bee gessed, or framed, such and none other indeed as in true and perfect meaning hee ought to be reputed, we will distinguish the seuerall considerations and respectes of such a one, in three special points sorting to his office, solie and fullie in this place to be considered.
The first shalbe of the person, touching his education or being: the second of his conuersation and order of liuing: the thirde of his sufficiencie, by skill, knowledge, and abilitie wherewith to discharge the place of his calling. Formerlie then touching the regard of his person, it is requisite, that hee be descended of honest familie or parents, the efficacie whereof conduceth not a little to the coniecture of a sound and honest condition: that he haue also had good education, whereby the minde well disposed is often times framed to verie good purpose. That he be of shape & countenance proportianable to those required vertues, forsomuch as commonly ensueth, that Nature in producing of all her creatures maketh in them effects answerable to their seuerall constitutions, as to flowers of most exquisit proportion, she giueth the most excellent fauour; the dog is not shaped like the lion, nor the curre as the Spaniell: the Rennet tree is not as the Crabbe stocke, the one bearing an Apple, wholsome, delicate and pleasing, when it commeth to be tasted: the other putting forth of the knures, no other then the sappe of Vertuyes, when the best of it is inioyed.