The Nobles, Treatise

The Nobles · Treatise

THE LYTLE TREAtyſe of Philo a lewe, concernynge Nobilitye. Latyned by D. Humfrey.

WHo aduaūce Nobilitye as the chiefeſt bliſſe, and cauſe of greateſt happes, deſerue no meane blame. If at leaſte, they accōpt al ſutes of Noble houſe and ſtocke, of welthye and famous men Noble. Sith, nor their auceſtours from whome they ſo vaunte theyr gloryous byrth, were oughte the fortunater for theyr dayntic plenty. For that, whyche ſimply good is, conſiſteth nor in any forrein happe nor ornament or grace of body: no nor in euerye parte of the minde. But onelye it, whych is princeſſe and lady of the reſt. For, when it pleaſed God of his louyng kyndnes to place here emonges vsus the; greateſt good: noūnteter harborowe or Temple founde he for it, then mans mynde. For the ſoule beareth imprynted the ſtampe of that ſoueraine good: though hardly ſome thynke it. Who not ſo much as with their lippes brymmes, taſted wyſedome, or behelde that bryghteſt lyght. For ſyluer, golde, honoures and offiſye is it for anye to maynteyne good talke in ſh…we, but to exchaunge yll man…s for good not ſo ryfe. Which whiles I conſider, bothe preſentlye I accompt them foes, and hereafter wyll: who fyrſtr lyghted theſe brandes of dyſcorde, twixte theyr aunceſtours vertue and kinne. Yea, henceforth will I more ſuſpecte theym, then who are reckned moſt baſe and diſhonorable. For theyr excuſe is readye, they hauehave no priuate or houſeholde preſydente of honour. But ye by no meanes maye be cleared of crime, deſcended of Noble familyes. Who for theyr longe continued ſtaineleſſe race, earned great prayſe and honour. Yet hauinge at your noaſe yea in maner borne and bred wyth ye domeſticall paternes, youre ſelues neuer minde to practiſe ought worthy prayſe. By howe many reaſons is it euident, ye ſhould place Nobilitye onelyonly in the poſſeſſiō of vertue? And adiudge him onelyonly Noble whyche it hath, not euerye ympe of good and honeſt houſe. That auncient iſſue of the fyrſt earthly couple who may denye Noble? Yea, the prynces of Nobles? To whom befell more excellent lynage then the later poſteritye. Who ſpreng of the firſt maryage of man and woman, then firſt coupled to ſowe theyr lyke ſhape. Neuertheles, of theyr two fyrſte fruites, the elder feared not by vyolence to ſtaye the yonger. But actompliſhing his horrible pretended parricide fyrſt embrued the guylties earth with bloud.Ca…n. Abell. What auayled him the Nobilitie of his race praciuing thus villanye of minde? Whyche alſo. the ſurueyour of all worldely thynges. When fyrſt he ſawe, deteſted.

And deteſtyng, decreed it vengeaunce. Not ſtrayghte ſleainge him to reaue him forthwyth ſence of calamitye: but allottinge hym thouſand deathes. Heaped with many and ſundrye grieues and terrours. So as for guerdon he …cceyued the greateſt miferye.

Agayne, of thoſe which enſued godlyeſt, deſcended that holyeſt father. whoſe godlynes the reporter of the holy lawes, thought worthy regiſtring euen in the Bibles.Noah. He onelyonly in that great fioud, wherwith all Cityes were drenchd, and whelmed, (for euen the ſtyepeſt hilles were ſonke and ſwalowed, wyth the rage and ſwellynge of the guife) was ſaued with his whole familye. Receyuynge ſo greate guerdon of his goodnes, as none may ymagine greater. Yet of his thre ſonnes, yea partners wyth hym of the ſelfe benefyte:Cham one durſte ſcorne the cauſe of hys ſafelye, and tourned his vnwillyng fall to a ieſte and ſcoffe. Diſcouerynge to the reſte blyndyng them ſelues, thoſe partes, whyche modeſtye, and his parentes ſhame woulde hauehave couered. Therefore, degeneratynge …rō glorious Nobility he became accurſed. And the authour and originall of ſuch miſerye to his progenie, as meete was to light on him, who ſo lighte eſteemd his parentes honoure and reuerence. But whereto mencyon we theſe, ſkyppynge that fyrſte, and auncientſt earthlye parent? With whom no mortall may in this forte of Nobleſſe compare.

Faſhiond holie ſcriptures. Whereby we ſet it moſte euident, that Noblenes of houſe noughte auayleth the vnnoble. Thus hitherto hauehave we cited preſidents of the ſtayned with vice Whom, become euell, thoughe deſcended of good, theyr parentes vertues nothing holpe: but theyr owne vices infinite wayes anoyed Contrary wyſe, nowe others of better ſta…e wyll I vouche whoſe aunceſters, ſtayned wyth many and ſundry crymes, yet prooued they moſt worthy praiſe and emulacion.Abraham

The auncientſt of the Iewiſhe ſtocke, was a Chaldee. His father an Aſtronomer, of thoſe that ſtudye the Mathematicalls. Decmyng theſe ſterres, and the whole frame of the world, and ſkye Gods. Flynging downe both good and euill, to euerye one, ſuppoſing no other cauſe, then with theyr forren ſenſes they diſcerne. Then this what more villanous? What more diſhonor to the ſoule?

By the contemplacion of many meanes, and creatures, to growe to the the ignoraunce of thauncientſt, vncreate, and framer of al thinges: And both for thoſe and other infinite conſideracions, whiche mans reaſons comprehendeth not, mooſt good? Who he, when once conceyued, he ryghtelye worſhypped, forthwith forſooke his countrey, kinnc, and fathers bowers. Knowyng yſhe abode, his errours alſo of many gods continued.

Whereby, his minde ſhould leſſe further, in ſearche of the one onelyonly euerlaſting God, and father of all thinges, as well conceyued in mynde, as ſubiect to ſence. If he fled the vanitye of his opinion, altered into truthe, the errour alſo would departe his minde.

Whych his deſyre to knowe the chiefe being muche more enflamed, certayne expounded prophecyes, on whom, as ſteppes treadynge, he ſcaled the ſpeedye knoweledge, and ſearch of that vnity. Neuer ceaſſyng tyl he had conceyued the cleareſt viſion, not of Gods ſubſtāce (for that may not be) but as farre forth as may be, of his Nature and prouydence. And therefore, is fyrſt reported, to hauehave beleued in God. For he fyrſt helde an vnmooued and conſtant opinion, there was one ſupreme cauſe, gouernour bothe of the worlde, and worldlye. This Science, of all vertues the certainſt, once at…aind, forthwith he gat the reſt. So as of y^t people where he forourned, he was renerenced as a prynce, not for his robes, wherein he paſſed not a pryuate perſon: But the hawtye reache of his wytt, & pryncely minde. As ſubiects theyr prynce, ſo honoured they hym. A maſed at his maieſtie and reuerendneſſe of Nature, as more perfect, and precious thē mans. For not the commen phraſe of ſpeache, but more ſtatelye and loftye talke he vſed, nearer approchyng the deuyne maieſtye. For, enflamed wyth Gods ſpyryte, he grewe alwayes better in countenaunce, he we, ſtature, habite, ieſture, and voyce. The ſpyryte of God deſcended from aboue, poſſeſſing his mynde, & geuynge I is body grace, his talke perſuaſion, his hearers vnderſtanding. And will any deny this exile, deſtitute of all his frendes and familyers, (couetyng Nobilitye coupled wyth god and trauaylyng to be accepted & acquaynted with hym, placed emonges the Nobleſt rankes of Prophetes, crediting no mortal created man, before the vncreate immortal Father of all, eſteemd as a kynge of theym that harboured him, not conqueryng yet his Empyre (as ſome) by armes, not wyth warlike force, but the gyfte of the almygh tye God, the honourer of his godly ſeruauntes, wyth heaped authority, to theyr commodity with whom they are conuerſaunte:) to hauehave bene Noble: He is douteleſſe to all exyles, flyenge the obſeruance of monſtruous maners & deteſtable cuſtomes (attributing to ſtones ſtockes, and lyueles counterfaytes, almoſte heauenlye honoures) & ſo iour neying to the very liuelye, and quycke commen wealthe, whoſe preſydent and watch is truth: the very ſquyer and paterne of Nobilitye. Whych many godly, not onelyonly men, but women imitated. Unlearning the ignoraūce which euē in theyr cradles they ſucked, of worſhypping hand wrought I mages. And learning the doctryne of that ones gouernemente, by whoſe Monarchye the whole is payſed.

Thamar a ſimple woman, borne in that parte of Philiſtia, that bordereth on Syria, was bredde in a citye worſhipper of many Gods, ſtuffed with Sinagoges, I mages, and all fortes of Idolls. But after amyds ſhe dungeon of darkenes, as throughe a narowe chynke, the lyght glimſe of truthe was reuealed her: ſhe fled to it forthwyth though with manifeſt peryll and haſard. Not pryſyng the lyfe ſhe mought not well leade. Accountyng thonely ryght lyfe, the worſhyppe and honouryng of one onelye cauſe. Who though after wedded to two brethren, bothe wycked, to the fyrſt a mayde, the next by the lawe of enheritaunce, for his brother left no iſſue: preſeruing yet vnſtayned her wemles life, both purchaſed her ſelfe the praiſe that wonteth to accompany all good, and became thoriginal and prynceſſe of Nobilitye to her whole poſteritye. But ſhe though an alyene, was peraduinture free, and borne of Noble, and no baſe parentes. But the poore handmaydes, in the fartheſt borders of Babylon beyonde Euphrates,Agar geuen hy Sara to Abraham were geuen to the wedded ſpouſes, and vouchſaued of the Sages beddes, fyrſt ſcaled the name and dignitye of wyues. And of handmaydes became (almoſte I ſhould ſaye) peeres in honoure to theyr ladyes, yea by theym (whiche is almoſt incredible) preferd to this dignity. For enuy harboreth not in ſage breſtes. Which, where it wanteth, all thinges are commen. Theyr baſtard ſonnes were actompted legitimate, not onelyonly of the ſyre (for no wonder were it, if the father ſhewe like countenaūce to his chyldren) but euen of theyr right wiues, theyr ſtepdames. Who forgettyng their wonted hate to theyr ſonnes in lawe, vſed lyke care and louelove towardes all. The Chyldren aunſweryng wyth exchaunged louelove, reuerenced theyr ſtepdames as theyr naturall mothers. The halfe brethren alſo, ſeuered onelye by vertue, loued not wyth parted or quartered tone. But ſupplyed what wanted in Nature, with doubled, yea redoubled affection. And in ſweete harmonys and conſent of maners, endeuouted to reſemdle eyther parent. We muſt not therefore pelde to thoſe, who boaſte others gyftes as theyr owne. Who exceptynge ſuche as we laſt mencioned, may worthely be deemed enmyes of the Iſraelites, and all other Nacyons. Of theym, for they licence all of one ſtocke, to neglect the pryuate practiſe of vertue, through confidence of thonour already gotten by theyr aunceſtours. Of the Gentyles, for they teache they aſpyre to the tipe of vertue altogether in vayne, for theyr aūce ſtours were vicious. Then whych doctrine ſcarce wot I if anye be more peſtilent. For if the euell progenie of the good, auengyng plage awaite, why ſhould honour be forecloſed the good deſcended of the euel? Sith the law praiſeth or puniſheth all, not for their kinſfolkes, but their, owne deſertes.

Scapes in Prynting.

The reſt, ſmall iudgentente, by reſpecte of the circumſtances, may reforme.

¶ Imprinted AT LONDON IN Fleteſtrete nere to Saynct Dunſtons Church by Thomas Marſhe.

End of the text · Laurence Humphrey, The Nobles (1563)