Pierces Supererogation
OR
A NEW PRAYSE OF THE
OLD ASSE. A Preparatiue to certaine larger Discourses, intituled
NASHES S. FAME.
Gabriell Harueypan>.
Il vostro Malignare Non Giova Nvlla.
LONDON
Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe.
1593
Louing M. Barnabe, M. Iohn, and M. Antony (for the rest of my partiall Cōmenders must pardon me, till the Print be better acquainted with their names), I haue lately receiued your thrise-curteous Letters, with the Ouerplus of your thrise-sweet Sonets annexed: the liberallest giftes, I beleeue, that euer you bestowed vpon so slight occasion, and the very prodigallest fruites of your floorishing wittes. Whose onely default is, not your, but my default, that the matter is nothing correspondent to the manner; and miselfe must either grosely forget miselfe, or franckly acknowledge mi simple selfe an vnworthy subiect of so worthy commendations. Which I cannot read without blushing, repeate without shame, or remember without griefe, that I come so exceeding-short in so excessiue great accountes; the summes of your rich largesse, not of my poore desert; and percase deuised to aduertise me what I should be, or to signifie what you wish [me] to be; not to declare what I am, or to insinuate what I may be. Eloquence, and Curtesie were euer bountifull in the amplifying veine: and it hath bene reputed a frendly Pollicy, to encourage their louing acquaintance to labour the attainement of those perfections, which they blason in them, as already atcheiued. Either some such intention you haue, by / way of Stratageme, to awaken my negligence, or enkindle my confidence; or you are disposed by way of Ciuility, to make me vnreasonably beholding vnto you for your extreme affection. Which I must either leaue vnrequited; or recompense affection with affection, & recommende me vnto you with your owne Stratageme, fitter to animate fresher spirites, or to whet finer edges. Little other vse can I, or the world reape of those great-great commendations, wherewith you, and diuers other Orient wittes haue newly surcharged me, by tendring so many kinde Apologies in my behalfe, and presenting so many sharpe inuectiues against my aduersaries: vnlesse also you purposed to make me notably ashamed of my cōfessed insufficiency, guilty of so manifold imperfectiōs, in respect of the least semblance of those imputed singularities. Whatsoeuer your intendment in an ouerflowing affection was, I am none of those, that greedily surfet of selfe-conceit, or sottishly hugge their owne babyes. Narcissus was a fayre boy, but a boy: Suffenus a noble braggard, but a braggard: Nestor a sweet-tongued old-man, but an Old-man: and Tully (whom I honour in his vertues, and excuse in his ouersightes) an eloquent Selfe-loouer, but a Selfe-loouer. He that thought to make himselfe famous with his ouerweening and brauing Il'e, Il'e, Il'e, might perhaps nourrish an aspiring imagination to imitate his Ego, Ego, Ego, so gloriously reiterated in his gallant Orations. Some smirking minions are fine fellowes in their owne heades, and some cranke Princockes iolly men in their owne humours: as desperate in resolution, as the dowtiest ranke of Errant knightes; and as coye in phantasie, as the nicest sort of simpring damosels, that in their owne glasses find no creature so bewtifull, or amiable, as their delitious selues. I haue beheld, / & who hath not seene some lofty conceites, towring very high, & coying themselues sweetly on their owne amounting winges, young feathers of old Icarus? The gay Peacocke is woondrously inamored vpon the glittering fanne of his owne gorgious taile, and weeneth himselfe worthy to be crowned the Prince of byrdes, and to be enthronished in the chaire of supreme excellency. Would Christ, the greene Popiniay, with his newfangled iestes, as new as Newgate, were not asmuch to say, as his owne Idol. Queint wittes must haue a Priuiledge to prank-vp their dainty limmes, & to fawne vpon their owne tricksie deuises. But they that vnpartially know themselues, seuerely examine their owne abilities; vprightly counterpoise defectes with sufficiencies; frankly confesse the greatest part of their knowledge to be the least part of their ignorance; aduisedly weigh the difficulties of the painfull and toylesome way, the hard maintenance of credit easely gotten, the impossible satisfaction of vnsatisfiable expectation, the vncertaine ficklenesse of priuate Phantasie, & the certaine brittlenesse of publique Fame; are not lightly bewitched with a fonde doting vpon their owne plumes. And they that deepely consider vpon the weakenesse of inward frailty, the casualtie of outward fortune, the detraction of Enuie, the virulency of Malice, the counter-pollicy of Ambition, and a hundred-hundred empeachments of growing reputation: that aswell diuinely, as philosophically haue learned to looue the gentlenesse of Humanity, to embrace the mildnesse of Modestie, to kisse the meekenesse of Humilitie, to loath the odiousnesse of Pride, to assuage the egreness of Spite, to preuent the vengeance of Hatred, to reape the sweet fruites of Temperance, to tread the smooth Path of Securitie, to take the firme course of Assuraunce, / and to enioy the felicitie of Contentment: that iudiciously haue framed themselues to carry Mindes, like their Bodies, and Fortunes, as apperteineth vnto them, that would be loth to ouerreach in presumptuous conceit: they I say, and all they that would rather vnderly the reproche of obscuritie, then ouercharge their mediocritie with an illusiue opinion of extraordinary furniture, and I wott not what imaginarie complementes: are readier, and a thousand times readier, to returne the greatest Prayses, where they are debt, then to accept the meanest, where they are almes. And I could nominate some, that in effect make the same reckoning of Letters, Sonets, Orations, or other writinges commendatory, that they do of meate without nourishment, of hearbes without vertue, of plants without fruite; of a lampe without oyle, a linke without light, or a fier without heate. Onely some of vs are not so deuoide of good manner, but we conceiue what belongeth to ciuill duty, and will euer be prest to interteine Curtesie with curtesie, & to requite any frendship with frendship: vnfainedly desirous, rather to recompense in deedes, then to glose, or paint in wordes. You may easely persuade me to publish, that was long sithence finished in writing, and is now almost dispatched in Print: (the amendes must be addressed in some other more materiall Treatise, or more formal Discourse: and haply Nashes S. Fame may supply some defectes of Pierces Supererogation:) but to suffer your thrise-affectionate Letters and Sonets, or rather your thrise lauish beneuolences to be published, which so farre surmount not onely the mediocrity of my present endeuour, but euen the possibility of any my future emproouement; I could not be persuaded by any eloquence, or importunacy in the world, were I not as monstrously / reuiled by some other without reason, as I am excessively extolled by you without cause. In which case he may seeme to a discreet enemy excusable, to an indifferent frend iustifiable, that is not transported with his owne passion, but relyeth on the iudgement of the learnedest, and referreth himselfe to the Practise of the wisest. In the one, esteeming Plutarch or Homer as an hundred Autors: in the other, valuing Cato, or Scipio, as a thousand Examples. I neuer read, or heard of any respectiue, or considerate person, vnder the degree of those that might reuenge at pleasure, contemne with autority, assecure themselues from common obloquy, or commande publique reputation (mighty men may finde it a Pollicy, to take a singular, or extraordinary course), so carelesse of his owne credit, so recklesse of the present time, so senselesse of the posterity, so negligent in occurents of consequence, so dissolute in his proceedings, so prodigall of his name, so deuoide of all regarde, so bereft of common sense, so vilely base, or so hugely hawtie of minde; that in case of infamous imputation, or vnworthy reproch, notoriously scattered-abroad, thought it not requisite, or rather necessary, to stand vpon his owne defence according to Equity, and euen to labour his owne commendation according to the presented occasion. Discourses yeeld plenty of Reasons: and Histories affourde store of Examples. It is no vain-glory to permit with consideration, that abused Modesty hath affected with discretion. It is vanity to controwle, that true honour hath practised: and folly to condemne, that right wisedome hath allowed. If any dislike Immodesty indeede, despise vanity indeede, reprooue Arrogancy indeede, or loath Vainglory indeede; I am as forward with Tongue and Hart as the foremost of the forwardest: and were / my pen answerable, perhaps at occasion it should not greatly lagge behinde. To accomplish, or aduaunce any vertuous purpose (sith it is now enforced to be sturring), it might easely be entreated, euen to the vttermost extent of that little-little Possibility, wherewith it hath pleased the Greatest to endowe it. Howbeit Curtesie is as ready to ouerloade with prayse as Malice eger to ouerthrow with reproch. Both ouershoote, as the manner is; but malice is the Diuell. For my poore part, I hope the One shall do me as little harme as fayre weather in my iorney: I am suer, the other hath done me more good, then was intended, and shall neuer puddle or annoy the course of the cleere running water. Albeit I haue studied much, and learned little: yet I haue learned to gleane some handfulls of corne out-of the rankest cockle: to make choice of the most fragrant flowers of Humanitie, the most vertuous hearbes of Philosophie, the most soueraine fruites of Gouernment, and the most heauenly manna of Diuinitie: to be acquainted with the fayrest, prouided for the fowlest, delighted with the temperatest, pleased with the meanest, and contented with all weather. Greater men may professe, and can atchieue greater matters: I thanke God I know the lēgth, that is, the shortnes of mine owne foote. If it be any mans pleasure to extenuate my sufficiēcy in other knowledge, or practise, to empeach my ability in wordes, or deedes, to debase my fortune, to abridge my commendations, or to annihilate my fame, he shall finde a cold aduersary of him that hath layed hoat passions awatering, and might easely be induced to be the Inuectiue of his owne Non-proficiency. Onely he craueth leaue to estimate his credit, and to value his honesty, as behooueth euery man, that regardeth any good: and if withall it be his / vnfained request, that Order should repeale disorder; moderation restraine licentiousnesse; discretion abandon vanity; mildnesse assuage choller; meeknesse alay arrogancy; consideration reclaime rashnesse; indifferency attemper passion; Curtesie mitigate, Charity appease, & Vnity attone debate: pardon him. Or, in case nothing will preuaile with fury but fury, and nothing can winne desired amity but pretended hostility, that must driue-out one naile with another, & beat-away one wedge with another, according to the Latin Prouerbe: Pardon him also, that in the resolution of a good minde, will commaund, what he cannot entreat; and extort, what he cannot persuade. That little may be done with no great adoo: and, seeing it may as surely, as easely be done, I am humbly to beseech established Wisedome, to winke at one experiment of aduenturous Folly; neuer before embarked in any such actiō, and euer to eschewe the like with a chary regard, where any other mediation may purchase redresse. I will not vrge what conniuence hath been noted in as disfauorable cases: it is sufficient for me to pleade mine own acquittall. Other prayse he affecteth not, that in a deepe insight into his innermost partes findeth not the highest pitch of his Hope equiualent to the lowest pit of your commendation. And if by a gentle construction, or a fauorous encouragement, he seemeth any thing in others opinion, that is nothing in his owne Censure, the lesser his merite, the greater their mercy; and the barrainer his desert, the frutefuller your liberality. Whose vnmeasurable prayses I am to interpret, not as they may seeme in some bounteous conceit, but as they are in mine owne knowledge; good wordes, but vnfitly applied; frendly beneuolences, but wastfully bestowed; gallant amplifications, but slenderly deser/ued: what but termes of Ciuility, or fauours of Curtesie, or hyperboles of Looue: whose franke allowance I shall not be able to earne with the study of twenty yeares more: in briefe, nothing but partiall witnesses, preiudicate iudgements, idle preambles, and in effect meere wordes. And euen so as I found them, I leaue them. Yet let me not dismisse so extensiue curtesie with an empty hand. Whatsoeuer I am (that am the least little of my thoughtes, and the greatest contempt of mine owne hart), Parthenophill and Parthenophe embellished, the Spanish Counsellour Inglished, and Shores Wife eternised; shall euerlastingly testifie what you are: go forward in maturity, as ye haue begun in pregnancy, and behold Parthenopoeus the sonne of the braue Meleager, Homer himselfe, and of the swift Atalanta Calliope herselfe: be thou, Barnabe, the gallant Poet, like Spencer, or the valiant souldiour, like Baskeruile; and euer remember thy French seruice vnder the braue Earl of Essex. Be thou, Iohn, the many-tongued Linguist, like Andrewes, or the curious Intelligencer, like Bodley; and neuer forget thy Netherlandish traine vnder Him, that taught the Prince of Nauarre, now the valorous king of Fraunce. Be thou Antony, the flowing Oratour, like Dooue, or the skilfull Heralde, like Clarentius; and euer remember thy Portugall voyage vnder Don Antonio. The beginning of vertuous Proceedings is the one halfe of honorable actions. Be yourselues in hope, and what yourselues desire in effect: and I haue attained some portion of my request. For you cannot wish so exceeding-well vnto me, but I am as ready with tongue, and minde, to wish a great-deale better vnto you, and to reacquite you with a large vsury of most-affectionate prayers, recommending you to the diuine giftes and gratious blessings of Heauen.
May / it please the fauorable Reader, to voutsafe me the Curtesie of his Patience, vntill he hath thoroughly perused the whole Discourse at his howers of leysure (for such scriblings are hardly worth the vacantest howers): I am not to importune him any farther; but would be glad he might finde the Whole lesse tedious in the end, then some Parts in the beginning, or midst; or, at-least, that one peece might helpe to furnish-out amendes for an other. And so taking my leaue with the kindest Farewell of a most thankfull minde, I desist from wearying him with a tedious Preface, whom I am likely to tire with so many superfluous Discourses. Howbeit might it happely please the sweetest Intercessour to ensweeten the bitterest gall of Spite, and to encalme the roughest tempest of Rage, I could cordially wish that Nashes S. Fame might be the Period of my Inuectiues: and the excellent Gentlewoman, my patronesse, or rather Championesse in this quarrel, is meeter by nature, and fitter by nurture, to be an enchaunting Angell, with her white quill, then a tormenting Fury with her blacke inke. It remaineth at the election of one, whom God indue with more discretion.
At London: this 16. of July, 1593. The inuiolable frend of his entire frendes, Gabriell Haruey. /
Her owne Prologue, or Demurr.
O Muses, may a wooman poore, and blinde,
A Lyon-draggon, or a Bull-beare binde?
Ist possible for puling wench to tame
The furibundall Champion of Fame?
He brandisheth the whurlewinde in his mouth,
And thunderbolteth so-confounding shott:
Where such a Bombard-goblin, North, or South,
With drad Pen-powder, and the conquerous pott?
Silly it is, that I can sing, or say:
And shall I venture such a blustrous fray?
Hazard not, panting quill, thy aspen selfe:
Hel'e murther thy conceit, and braine thy braine.
Spare me, ô super domineering Elfe,
And most, railipotent for euer raine,
Si Tibi vis ipsi parcere, parce Mihi.