To exhort young men to those qualities, which do make noble and gentlemen, is to haue them so excellently qualified, as they maye honest their countrey, and honour themselues. To encourage noble young gentlemen to maintaine the honour of their houses, is to wish them to apply such vertues, as both make base houses bigge in any degree, and tofore did make their families renowmed in theirs. If abilitie will attaine, and idlenesse do neglecte, the ignominie is theirs: if want of abilitie appeare to be so great, as no endeuour can preuaile, God hath set his seale and men must cease to muse, where the infirmitie is euident, and thinke that euery beginning is to haue an ende. Hereby I take it to be very plaine both what the termes of noble and gentle do meane, and what they infer to be in those parties to whom they are proper. For as gentility argueth a courteous, ciuill, well disposed, sociable constitution of minde in a superior degree: so doth nobilitie import all these, and much more in an higher estate nothing bastarded by great authoritie. And do not these singularities deserue helpe by good and vertuous education?
The causes and rgoundes of nobilitie.
What be the groundes and causes of nobilitie, both the efficient which make it, and the finall for whom it serues? Concerning the efficient. Though the chiefe and soueraigne Prince, of whom for his education I will saye somwhat herafter, be the best and fairest blossom of nobilitie, yet I will not medle any further with the meane to attaine vnto the dignitie of the crowne, then that it is either come by, by conquest, which in meaner people is called purchace, and hangeth altogether of the conquerours disposition: or else by discent, which in other conueyances continueth the same name, and in that highnesse continueth the same lawes, or altereth with consent. Neither will I speake of such, as the Prince vpon some priuate affection doth extraordinarily prefer. Alexander may auaunce Hephestio for great good liking, Assuerus Hester, for great good loue, Ptolome Galetes for secret vertue.[61] And vpon whom soeuer the Prince doth bestow any extraordinarie preferment, it is to be thought that there is in them some great singularity, wherewith their princes, which can iudge be so extraordinarily moued. Neither will I say any more then I haue said of nobilitie by discent, which enioyeth the benefite of the predecessours vertue, if it haue no priuate stuffe: but if it haue, it doth double and treble the honour and praise of auncestrie.
But concerning other causes, that come by authoritie, which make noble and gentlemen vnder their Prince, who be therefore auaunced by their Prince, bycause they do assist him in necessarie functions of his gouernment, they be either single or compound, and depend either holy of learning: or but only for the groundes of their execution. Excellent wisedome which is the meane to auaunce graue and politike counsellors, is but a single cause of preferment: likewise valiancie of courage which is the meane to make a noble and a warrious captaine is but a single cause of auauncement: but where wisedome for counsell, doth coucurre with valiancie of courage in the same man, the cause is compound and the deserte doubled. The meanes of preferment, which depend vpon learning for the ground of their execution be either Martiall for warre and defence abroad, or politike, for peace and tranquilitie at home. For the man of warre will seeme to hange most of his owne courage and experience, which without any learning or reading at all hath oftimes brought forth excellent leaders, but with those helpes to, most rare and famous generalles, as the reason is great, why he should proue an excellent man that waye with the assistance of learning which without all learning could attaine vnto so much, Sylla[62] the cruell in deede, though surnamed the fortunate of such, as he fauored, was a noble generall without any learning. But Cæsar which wondered at him for it, as a thing scant possible to do any great matter without good learning, himselfe with the helpe of learning, did farre exceede him.
Such as vse the penne most in helping for their parte, the direction of publike gouemment, or execute offices of either necessarie seruice for the state, or iusticiarie, for the common peace and quietnesse, without profession of further learning, though they haue their cheife instrument of credit from the booke, yet they are not meere dettours to the booke, bycause priuate industrie considerate experience, and stayed aduisement seeme to chalendge some interest, in their praiseworthie dealing. The other which depend wholly vpon learning be most incident to my purpose, and best beseeme the place, where the question is, how gentlemen must be trained to haue them learned.
A politike counsellour.
The highest degree whervnto learned valure doth prefer, is a wise counsellour, whose learning is learned pollicie: not as pollicie is commonly restrayned, and opposed to plainnesse, but as we terme it in learning and philosophie, the generall skill to iudge either of all, or of most thinges rightly, and to marshall them to their places, and strait them by circunstance, as shall best beseeme the present gouernment, with least disturbance, and most contentment to the setled state, of what sorte soeuer the thinges be, diuine or humaine, publike or priuate, professions of minde, or occupations of hande. This man for religion is a Diuine, and well able to iudge of the generalities, and application of Diuinitie, for gouernement, a lawyer, as one that first setts lawes, and knowes best how to haue them kept: generally for all thinges, he is simply the soundest, whether he be choosen of the Ecclesiasticall or Temporall, out of whatsoeuer degree, or whatsoeuer profession: so able as I say, and so sufficient in all pointes. And though the particular professour know more then he in euery particular, which his leasure will not suffer him to runne thorough, like the particular student: yet of himselfe he will enquire so consideratly, and so methodically of the particuler professour, as he will enter into the very depth of the knowledge, which the other hath, and when he hath done so, handle it better, and more for the common good, then the priuate professour can, for all his cunning in all his particuler: Nay he will direct him in the vse, which enformed him in the skill. Of all them that depend wholy vpon learning, I take this kinde of man worthyest to be preferred, and most worthily preferred for his learned iudgement, the first and chiefe naturally in diuinitie among diuines though he do not preach: in law among lawyers though he do not pleade: and so throughout in all other thinges that require any publike direction.
The diuine.
2. Of the secondary and particuler professions, the worthynes of the subiect, and the authoritie of the argument preferreth the diuines. For they dealing carefully with the charge of soules, the principall part of our composition, and the fairest matter that is dealt in, beside the soule of a ciuill societie, which is compounded of infinite particular soules: and being the miniters and trumpettes of the allmightie God, auancing vertue, and suppressing vice, denouncing death and pronouncing life, which be both most sure, and that euerlastingly to ensue according to demeanour: do well deserue to be honoured of men, with the simple benefit of their temporall estimation, as what they can do, where they cannot do enough. For what reward for vertue is an olyue braunch, though it signifie the rewarders good will, confessing the thing to be farre aboue any mortall reward? which estimation yet is not to be desired of them, though it be deserued by them. For humilitie of minde in auauncing the diuine draweth him still backeward, as officious thankefullnes in the profited hearer doth worthely and well push him still on forward. And as the temporall braunche of the common weale being so many in number hath distinction in degrees, for the better methode in gouernment, which function doth honour the executours: so likewise with proportionate estimation for the parties executours, the church consisting of many, and hauing charge ouer all hath her distinction in dignities and degrees to stay that state the better, which would soone be shaken, if there were no such stay: the argument of religion being vsed mostwhat contemplatiue, and in nature of opinion, and therefore a verie large field to bring forth matter of controuersies, specially in yong men, whose naturall is not staied, though their resolution seeme to be, and their zeale carie them on, to the profit of their hearer, their owne commendation, and the honour of him, whose messengers they are. Howbeit in the middle of all these contradictions, the particular execution to beleeue this, and to do that, according to ones calling, which is but one in all, to beleeue truely, and to do honestly, by that same one, doth check the diuersities of all difference in saying. Which great difference in saying, and diuersities in opinion, the church may most thanke the Grecian for, who ioyning with religion after diuorce with philosophie, was as bold to be factious in the one, as he had bene in the other, and could not rest in one, still deuided into numbers, as it still appeareth in the ecclesiasticall historie where factious heresies assaile the firme catholike. Neither doth this difference in publike degrees empaire that opinion, that all be but ministers, and in that point equal any more, then that both the prince and the plowman be one, in respect of their humanitie, and first creation. And yet the prince is a thought aboue him for all he be his brother in respect of old Adam. The matter of both these two, the wise counsellour, and the graue diuines honour is best proued to be in the worthynes of their owne persons, which is the true ensigne of right nobilitie, bycause both their places and lyuinges, in respect of their degree depart and die with them (though their honorable memorie remaine after) and be not transported to their heires, as the inheritaunce of blood, but to their successours, as the reward of vertue. If it so chaunce that the same person for worthynes be successour both in place, and patrimonie, it is most honorable to himselfe, and most comfortable to his friendes, and reioyced at of all men.
The lawyer.