But what is this trauelling? I meane it not in marchauntes, whom necessitie for their owne trade, and oftentimes neede for our vse, enforceth to trauell, and tarie long from home. Neither yet in souldiers, whom peace at home sendes abroad for skill, in forraine warres to learne how to fend at home, when peace is displeased: which yet both haue their owne, and ouergreat inconueniences, to the wringing of their countrie. For marchauntes by forcing their naturall soile beyond her proportion to some gainefull commoditie verie vtterable abroade, do breede gaules at home, and by bringing in also beyond proportion to serue pleasure and feede fantsie, proue great vndoers to a great number, which can neither temper their tast, nor restraine the fashion.
The souldier likewise, which is trained in hoat blood abroad will hardly be but troublesome in cold blood at home: vnlesse he be such a one as followed the warres for conscience to his countrie, and of iudgement to learne skil, and not vpon bare courage, or hardines of nature, or sinisterly to supply some other want. I meane not any of these, ne yet such trauellers as Solon, to preuent a mischiefe in mutabilitie of his countrie mens mindes, whom he had tyed to his lawes, not reuocable till his returne, when acquaintance for that time had wone allowance for euer: neither as Pythagoras, or Plato were, who sought cunning where it was, to bring it where it was not. For Platoes iourney into Sicile proceeded not of his minde to trauell, but vp on hope to do some good on Dionisius the tyrant, who did send for him by Diones meane. We neede not to trauell in their kinde for learning. We haue in that kind thankes be to God for the pen and print, as much at this day as any countrie needes to haue: nay euen as full if we will follow it well, as any antiquitie it selfe euer had. And yong gentlemen with that wealth, or their parentes in that wealth, might procure, and maintaine so excellent maisters and ioine vnto them so choise companions, and furnish them out with such libraries, being able to beare the charge, as they might learne all the best farre better at home in their standing studies, then they euer shall in their stirring residence, yea though the desire of learning were the cause of their trauell. Which rule serueth euen in the meaner personages, which loue to looke abroade, and alleadge learning for their shew, which might be better had at home, with their good diligence, and confirmeth it selfe by sufficient persons, which neuer crossed the sea. Let them fauour their owne fantsies neuer so much, and defende that stoutly, which they haue begone youthfully: yet the thing will proue in the end as I haue said. And if there be defect, we should deuise, as those philosopher trauellours did, to helpe it here at hoome in our owne countrie, that we be not allway borrowers, where it is but of wantonnesse, bycause we are vnwilling to straine out our owne, which of it selfe is able enough to breede, and needeth no more helpes then the generall studie, if it be studied in deede, and not be dalyed with for shew, as I wish it were not, and not I alone. Here lyeth a padde to be pitied though not to be published, they that may amend the thing are in conscience to thinke of it. But what is trauell, as it is to be constrewed in this place, where it interrupteth traine, and bringes it in question, whether yong gentlemen, while they vse trauelling, do vse that, which is best both for their countrie, and themselues. What is it to trauell? It is to see countries abroad, to marke their singularities, to learne their languages, to returne from thence better able to serue their owne countrie here with much fourniture, as they prouided, and such wisedom, as they gathered by obseruing things there.
Sure a good countenaunce to helpe trauelling withall, and to hide her skars, which in some may proue so in deede. But those some be not any generall patternes: in whom, some excellencie in nature, and vertuousnesse in disposition doth turne that to profit and good, which the thing of it selfe doth assure to be dangerous: bycause it may proue to be both perillous and pernicious in those and to those, which for heat are impetuous, for yeares to foreward, for wealth to rachelesse: and proceeding from them may be contagious to others, as cankers will creepe, and the ill taches of euery countrey do more easely allure, and obteine quicker cariage to enlarge them selues, then the good and vertuous do. But while they trauell thus, as sure me thinke I see, it is but of some errour caryed with the streame, which enwraps them so (onelesse some miscontentment at home in busie and displeased humours, vse the colour of language and learning, to absent themselues the better from that, against the which they haue conceyued some stomacke) what might they haue gained at home in the meane while? sounder learning, the same language, besides the loue and liking of their owne countrey soile which breed them, and beares them: by familiaritie, and continuance at home encreased, by discontinuance, and strangenesse mightely empared: while enamouring and liking of forreine warres doth cause lothing, and misliking of that they finde at home. Whereby our countrey receiueth a great blow, thorough alienation of their fantsies, by whom she should be gouerned, which will rather deale in nothing, then not force in the forreine.
What is the very naturall end, of being borne a countryman of such a countrey? To serue and saue the countrey. What? with forreine fashions? they wil not fit. For euery countrey setts downe her owne due by her owne lawes, and ordinaunces appropriate to her selfe, and her priuate circunstance vpon information giuen by continuers at home, and carefull countreymen.
The verie diuision of lawes, into naturall, nationall, and ciuill emport a distinction in applying, though the reason runne thorough, and continue generally one. That which is very excellent good abroad, and were to be wished in our countrey vpon circunstance which either will not admit it, or not but so troublesomly, as will not quite the coast, nor agree with the state is and must be forborne here, though it leaue a miscontentment in the trauellours heade, who likes the thing most, and thinkes light of the circunstance, which he sayth will yelde to it, though experience say no: and in some but petie toyes do shew him, how leaning to the forreine hath misfashioned our owne home. I do not deny but trauelling is good, if it hap to hit right, but I think the same trauel, with minde to do good, as it alwaye pretendeth, might helpe much more, being bestowed well at home. He that rometh abroade hath no such line to lead him, as the taryer at home hath, onlesse his conceit, yeares, and experience be of better stay, then theirs is, which be causes of this question, and bring trauelling in doubt. For the ground of his vyage being priuate, though taken to the best, is vnfreindly to our common. It is like to an idle, lasie, young gentlewoman, which hath a very faire heire of her owne, and for idlenesse, bycause she wil not looke to it, combe it, picke it, wash it, makes it a cluster of knottes, and a feltryd borough for white footed beastes: and therfore must needes haue an vnnaturall perug, to set forth her fauour, where her owne had been best, if it had bene best applied. Is not he worse then mad, that hath an excellent piece of ground, made for fertilitie, and suffereth it to be ouergrowen with wedes, while he wandreth abroade, and beholdes with delite, the good housbandes and housbandrie in other men and other soiles? The president of a copie makes a child resemble wel, and a certaine pitch to deale within a mans owne countrey in such a kinde of life, to his and her auauncement, is the surest and soundest direction to any young gentleman: first to learne by, and then to liue by: and to leuell all that waye without any forreine longing.
If he take pleasure in trauelling, and no care in expending, both the expense will bring repentaunce, when reason shall reclame, if euer she do, (as in some desperate cases, fantsie is froward, and wil bide no fronting:) and the pleasure bringes some greife, when the gentleman which in youth so much pleased himselfe, in his age shall not be able to pleasure his countrey, whom he cared for so litle, while he so counted of the forreine. Forreine matters fit vs not, and though our backes, yet not our braines, if we be not sicke there. Forreine thinges be for vs in some cases, but we were better to call home one forreine maister to vs, then they should cause vs to be forreine scholers, to such a forraging maister, as a whole forreine countrey is, to learne so by trauelling, and not by teaching.
Our ladies at home can do all this, and that with commendacion of the verie trauelled gentlemen: bycause it is not that, which they haue seene, that makes them of worth, but that which they haue brought home in language and learning, which they do finde here at their retourne. Our ladie mistresse, whom I must needes remember, when excellencies will haue hearing, a woman, a gentlewoman, a ladye, a Princesse, in the middest of many other businesses, in that infirmitie of sexe, and sundrie impedimentes to a free minde, such as learning requireth, can do all these things to the wonder of all hearers, which I say young gentlemen may learne better at home, as her Maiestie did, and compare themselues with the best, when they haue learned so much, as her Maiestie hath by domesticall discipline. It may be said that her Maiestie is not to be vsed for a president, which of a princely courage would not be ouerthrowne with any difficulty in learning that, which might auaunce her person beyond all praise, and profit her state beyond expectation. But yet withall it may be said, why may not young gentlemen, which can alledge no let to the contrarie, obtaine so much with more libertie, which her highnesse gat with so litle? It is wealth at will which egges them on to wander, and it is the same, which causeth them continue in the same humour, though they heare it misliked. If they went abroad as Embassadours, that their Princes authoritie might make their entrie to great knowledge in greatest dealinges: or if they were excellent knowen learned men, that all cunning would crepe to them, and honour them with intelligence, and notes of importance: or if they went in the traine of the one, or in the tuition of the other, where authoritie and awe might enforce their benefit, and saue them from harme, I would not mislike it, to breede vp such fellowes, as might follow them in seruice: but for any of the particular endes, which be better had at home, I cast of comparisons. Good, plaine, and well meaning young gentlemen in purse strong, in yeares weake, to trauell at a venture in places of danger to bodie, to life, to liuing, though our owne countrey be also subiect to all the same perills, but not so farre from succour, and reskue. Driue me to such a traunse, as I know not what to saye. Commende them I cannot bycause of my countrey: offend them I dare not, bycause of them selues, which may by discretion in themselues, and wisedome of their freindes prouide well for themselues, as I do confesse, though I feare nothing so much, as the ouerliking of forreine, and so consequently some vnderliking at home, which will neuer let them staye. Olde lawes in some countries enacted the contrarie, and sillie Socrates in Plato being offered to be helpt out of prison, as vniustely condemned by the furie of the people, and persuasion of his vnfreindes: would not go out of his countrey to saue his owne life, as resolued to die by commandment of that lawe, thorough whose prouision he had liued at home so long. Diuisions for religion, and quarrells of state may worke that which is not well for generall quiet, by being hartned abroade with the sight, and hearing of that, which some could be content to see, and heare at home.
Plato[63] in his twelfth booke of lawes, seemeth to rule the case of trauelling, which moueth this controuersie. Where he alloweth both the sending out of his countrymen, into forreine landes, and the receiuing of forreine people into his countrey. For to medle neither with forreine actions, nor forreine agentes might sauour of disdaine, and to suffer good home orders to be corrupted by our forreine trauellers, or their forreine trafficquers might smell of small discretion. Wherfore both to build vpon discretion to preuent harme at home, and to banish disdaine to be thought well on abroad: he taketh this order both for such as shall trauell abroad into forreine countries from his, and for such as shall repare, from forreine countries vnto his. For his owne trauellers he enacteth first. That none vnder fourtie yeares in any case trauell abroad. Then restraining still all priuate occasions, for the which he will not dispense with his lawe, neither graunt any trauelling at all: he alloweth the state in publike to send abroad, embassadours, messagers, obseruers, for so I turne Plato his θεωροὺς.
Such as are sent abroad to warre for the countrie, though foorth of the countrie, he holdes for no trauellers, as being still of, and in the state: the cause of their absence continuing their presence, and the place of their abyding, not altering the nature of their being. And the like rekening he maketh of those solemne embassadors, which they sent to communicate in sacrifice with their neighbours, at Delphi, to Apollo, in Olympus, to Iupiter, at Nemea to Hercules, in Isthmos to Neptune: where he appointed the pacificque, and friendly Embassages to be furnished out of the most, the best, and brauest citisens, which with their port, their presence, their magnificence, might honest, and honour their countrie most: as to the contrary he requireth in his martiall lieuetenant, which in the camp, and fielde shall represent the state of his country, credit, estimation, honour, purchased before by vertue and valure. His obseruer, whom he alloweth to go abroad to see fashions: he will haue not to be aboue threescore, nor vnder fiftie yeares old, and such a one, as shall be of good credit in his countrie, for great dealinges, both in warre and peace. For the occasion of his trauell pretending to see the manners of men abroad, to marke what is well and them that are good, which be most times there, where the place is least likely: and not to be marred by that which is ill, and them that are naught, which be there oftest, where good orders be rifest: to correct his countrie lawes by the better forreine: or to confirme them by the worse: how can he iudge of any of these thinges, which hath not dealt in great affaires, and shewed himselfe there to be a man of iudgement? or how is he able to auoide the euill, and cleaue to the good, whom yeares haue not stayed and giuen reason the raine, to bridle all desires, that might turne him awry? Such a man, of such a credit, of so many yeares, but no man yonger doth Plato send abroad, to learne in forreine countries, and to see forreine fashions, so many of those ten yeares betwene fiftie and sixtie, as shall please him selfe best. But what must this trauellour do at his returne? There is a counsell appointed of the grauest diuines for religion, of ten iustices for law, of the new and old ouerseers for education, whereof ech one taketh with him one younger man, aboue thirtie and vnder fourtie. This counsell hath commission to deale in matters of lawe, either to make new, or to mend the olde: to consider of education and learning, what is good and quickneth, what is ill and darckeneth. And what the elder men determine that the yonger must execute. If any of these young men behaue himselfe not well, the elder that brought him into the parlament, beareth blame of the whole house: those that behaue themselues well, are made honorable presidentes to their countrey to behold: as they are most dishonored if they proue worse then other. Where by the waye I note these three thinges. 1. First the care they had to education, and learning euen in their cheife parlament. 2. Secondly the reason they had to traine, and vse young men in their parlament. 3. Thirdly their three speciall pointes of gouernement, according to the three kindes of persons, which were present in the parlament, religion, lawe, education. How to traine before lawe, how to rule by lawe, how to temper both traine, and lawe by diuinitie, and religion.
Before this counsell, the obseruer presenteth himselfe at his returning home, and there declareth, what he hath either learned of them abroad, or deuised by their doinges, for the helpe of his countrey lawes, of his countrey education, of his countries prouision. And if he seemed neither better nor worse, neither cunninger, nor ignoranter, at his returne home, then he was at his departure from home: he was commended for his good will, and no more was said to him. If he seemed better and more skilfull, he was not only honored by the present parlament, while he liued, but by the whole countrey after his death. If he seemed to returne worse, he was commaunded to vse companie, neither with young, nor olde, as one like to corrupt vnder colour of wisedom. And if he obayed that order, he might liue still, howbeit but a priuate life. If he did not obay, he was put to death. As he was also if he vere found to be busie headed, and innouating any thing after the forreine concerning either lawe, liuing, or education. Beholde the patterne of a trauellour, rewarded for his well, punished for his ill: neither ill requited, where he meant but well.