The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Queſtions and Anſwers. Scholler.
I HaueHave harkened all this while vntounto your diſcourſe, the which I like very well of, but now I am deſirous if it pleaſe you to be inſtructed with ſome of your skill.
Maſter.
At what weapon are you deſirous to learn.
Scholler.
Such as you thinke fit for my defence.
Maſter.
Then I hold it neceſſary for thee to learne the perfect vſe of ſixe kinds of weapons, not that thou ſhouldeſt ſtill bee armed with ſo many weapons, but with the skill of them, for that will not burthen thee nothing at all: for thou maiſt in trauell by chance meet at ſundry times, with ſundry men, which are armed with ſundry kind of weapons, now if thou bee prouided before hand with skill at ſuch a weapon, as by chance thou maiſt meet withall, knowing the danger thou wilt the better preuent the miſchiefe.
Scholler.
What be the ſixe weapons which you would hauehave me to learne.
Maſter.
The firſt and two principall weapons are the rapier and dagger, and the ſtaffe, the other fowre are the back ſword, the ſingle Rapier, the long ſword and dagger, and the ſhort ſword and dagger, but with the two former weapons thou maiſt encounter by skill with any man in the world, the rapier and dagger againſt any weapon of the ſame length, at ſingle hand and with a ſtaffe againſt any two handed weapon, as againſt the welch hooke, two hand ſword, the Halberd, Partiſan, and gloue, or any other weapon of the like aduantage: but prouided alwayes thou muſt be ſure armed with skill at thoſe two eſpecially: and with all the reſt if thou canſt, for then maiſt thou bee the bolder to encounter with any man at any of the other, if thy enemy charge thee vponupon the ſuddaine with a contrary weapon, thou wilt preſently know what thy enemy can doe with his weapon, which if thou haſt no skill in, it will ſeeme the more fearefull vntounto thee.
For if Golias had been experienced in the cunning of a ſling, hee would not hauehave condemned Dauid ſo raſhly, nor made ſo light account of him as he did: but if thou hauehave skill with ſuch a weapon, as thou art to encounter againſt, it will be nothing troubleſome vntounto thee, for there is no way to hit, but there is a way to defend, as thou ſhalt here more at large, but firſt tell me what thou art, and thy bringing vp.
Scholler.
I was a yeomans ſonne, and always brought vp idle vnderunder my father, but now my father is dead, and that little which he left mee for the moſt part I hauehave conſumed and ſpent, wherefore I pray you direct me my courſe, by ſome of your good counſell, for I hauehave little to truſt to, but only my hands, therefore I am willing to learne any thing which may gain me a good report, and ſomething beneficiall for my maintenance.
Maſter.
Indeed meanes to liue and a good name withall, is more then gold, and becauſe thou ſheweſt thy ſelfe willing to be inſtructed, thou ſhalt heare briefly what I would doe if my ſelfe were in thy caſe, for if I ſhould enter into large diſcourſes I might thereby well make thee weary with the hearing of it, but perhaps neuer the wiſer, and ſo thereby thou mighteſt well giuegive me occaſion to account the time very ill ſpent in writing of it. Neuertheleſſe I will reckon little of my labour, for I am in hope to doe thee good, for thou muſt or ſhouldeſt know not only how to vſe and gouerne thy weapon, but alſo thy ſelfe, in all companies, and in all places, where thou ſhalt happen to come; for kinde and curteous behauiour winneth fauour and louelove whereſoeuer thou goeſt, but much the better if it be tempered with manhood and skill of weapons. Now ſome will ſay that skill in weapons is good moſt chiefly for gentlemen, but I ſay it ſhould be in all men, for I hauehave known and ſeen many poore mens ſonnes come to great honor and credit, and chiefly it was becauſe they had skill in weapons, wherefore in my mind it is the moſt excellent quality of all both for high and low, rich and poore. But when thou art experienced at thy weapon, I would wiſh thee to make choice of one of thoſe three exerciſes for thy continuall expences and maintenance ſo long as thou liueſt, and not liue like a drone vponupon other mens labours, for leaſt in time if thou wert neuer ſo good a man, yet eueryevery one would waxe weary of thy company.
Scholler.
I pray you, what be the three Exerciſes which you would counſell me to take my choice of?
Maſter.
Marry, thy ſelfe being of reaſonable good yeares, and hauing neither lands, nor but alittle liuing left thee, chooſe whether thou wilt goe learne ſome trade or occupation, or elſe goe into the wars, or be a ſeruing man; for when thou haſt skill in thy weapon, thou muſt hauehave ſome meanes to maintaine thine expences; for idle hands will make a hungrie bellie, and a hungrie bellie muſt needes hauehave meate, and meate will not be bought in the market for honeſtie without money.
Scholler.
Which of theſe Exerciſes would you aduiſe me to follow?
Maiſter.
I commend them all, but yet an occupation is a more certaine ſtay vntounto a man, both in his youth and in his age, then any of the other two are; and as thou art in yeares, ſo oughteſt thou to bee the more witty, if it be not ſo, it ſhould be ſo, and a man of reaſon will the ſooner be his craftſ-maſter. A man is neuer too olde to learne, eſpecially any thing that may be to the good and profit of the commonwealth; and it is better to learne late then neuer: and he that hath a trade, let him looke vntounto it, and hee which will not labour, let him not eate, ſaith Saint Paul.
Schol.
What trade would you hauehave me to learne?
Maſter.
Such a trade or occupation, as thy minde bendeth moſt vntounto, and then to apply thy ſelfe to it, and follow it, and ſtriue by honeſt meanes and painefull labour to be rich, for thou mayeſt be poore when thou wilt, but there is no trade good to him which will not to follow it, for he that hath neuer ſo many trades, and yet giueth his mind to drunkenneſſe, and loueth to leade an idle and loytering life: ſuch a one will neuer thriue, but fit in an Ale-houſe, and complaine, that the world is hard, and that worke is very ſcant; indeede, ſo it is with ſuch a one, for a man can ſeldome finde them in their owne houſes, whereby to put worke into their hands, but thoſe that doe looke for worke, and attend it, need neuer to want worke, but will alwayes be in other mens worke, or elſe they will be able (by their good husbandry) to ſet themſelues aworke, and it is a very bad commoditie, that will not yeelde mony at one time or other.
Do you vnderſtand me? if not, I will make it more plaine, hearken to that which followeth, then aboue all, giuegive not thy minde to ranging or running from Towne to Towne, or from Countrey to Countrey, for a rolling ſtone will neuer gather moſſe, the Graſhopper will rather die then goe out of the graſſe; and thou (with good behauiour) mayeſt better liue with a groat in thine owne Countrey, then with a pound in a ſtrange place, for in a ſtrange place, although thou be of good behauiour, yet many will feare thee, and be loath to giuegive thee credite, and will thinke, if thou wert of good behauiour, thou ſhouldeſt hauehave had no neede to come out of thine owne Countrey: Againe, thy flying away will be a great diſcredite vntounto thee, if thou thinke to come home againe; for eueryevery man almoſt will be loath to put credite, or anie thing of valew into the hands of a ranger, becauſe that they are not reſolued that thy minde is ſetled to ſtay in thine owne Country, when thou doſt turne from thy race againe. Many men there are that conſume their time in ranging abroade, and at the laſt, ſeeing the vanity of the world, they recall themſelues, and repent of the time which they hauehave conſumed in trauell: but then they hauehave experience although no money; now Experience is no coiner, nor a tradeſman woorth a pinne without his tooles; for what auayleth it to be a cunning Gold-ſmith, and hauehave neyther gold nor ſiluer: few there are that will truſt a traueller any further then they can ſee him, eſpecially, if hee hauehave beene one that hath ſerued as a Souldier in a forreine Countrey: therefore, although home be homely, indeuour thy ſelfe to liue by honeſt and good meanes, and be contented with thine homely home; but beware, ſpend not Michaelmaſſe rent in Midſummer quarter abroade, as many bad husbands vſe to doe.
Now if a trade be too tedious for thee to learne, or too painefull for thee to follow, then goe thou vntounto the warres, and ſerue eyther by Sea or Land, as thy affections ſhall beſt leade thee vntounto: but in ſeeking by the warres to get wealth, if thou looſeſt thy life while thou art yoong, thou needeſt not to care for olde age; yet by the warres (if fortune ſerue) but to ſpeake more Chriſtian-like (if God will) thou maieſt get that in one houre, which (with good diſcretion and gouernement) thou mayeſt be the better for, ſo long as thou liueſt: the goods which do come by the warres, are neyther light come by,The warres are not like throwing of ſnowe balles: farre deceiued are they that ſo thinke. nor godlily gotten (in my minde;) yet many thinke that wealth gotten by the warres, is eaſily gotten; for ſo it appeareth by the prodigall and vaine ſpending of it: wherefore I would hauehave thee furniſh thy ſelfe with Diſcretion and Knowledge before hand, that thereby thou maiſt the better vſe wealth when thou haſt it; but then thou muſt not abuſe it, as many other Souldiers hauehave done heretofore: for I hauehave knowne many get both goods and money by the warres, but hauehave made no other reckoning, but as one would ſay, lightly come lightly goe; and ſo ſuffering it to melt away like butter in the Sunne: therefore if thou happen, by the warres, vponupon that may doe thee good, keepe it warily, and ſpend it wiſely: for it is ſaid, a dog ſhall hauehave a day, and a man ſhall hauehave his time; but if he let Time ſlip, ſhe is bauld behinde, and therefore no holde to be taken of her after her backe is once turned; for I hauehave knowne many by the wars, get at one voyage, enough to liue by all their liues long, if with diſcretion it had bin gouerned; but they hauehave conſumed it in ſo ſhort a time, that a man would thinke it impoſſible; and then to the warres againe they go in hope of the like fortune, but they hauehave not in ſeauen yeares, nay all their life time got ſo much, as they ſpent in one day, when they had crownes.
Goods gotten by the warres are like a liue Bird in the hand, which, the hand no ſooner opened but ſhe ſtrait flieth away.Then conſider with thy ſelfe, that if thou doe light vponupon wealth, that thou commeſt not light by it, if thou get it by the warres, though indeede it is gotten in an houre, yet it is gotten with great hazard of thy life, and no doubt it is diſpleaſing to God, for goods gotten by the warres ſerue but for ſpending mony for the time preſent; thoſe which doe ſaue them, and hoord them vp, they are conſumed before two generations doe paſſe, yea though it were aboundance, it cometh to nothing, as in my farewell to Plimmouth more at large appeareth.
Now (in my minde) the third and the worſt choiſe I hauehave left till the laſt, and that is a ſeruing-mans life, yet it is as it happeneth, for ſome happen into good ſeruice, and ſome againe ſpend ſeauen yeeres, yea all their life time, and ſo they grow the older, little the wiſer, nor neuer a whit the richer; and ſome of them neuer care ſo they hauehave from hand to mouth, nor neuer thinke vponupon a rainy day vntill it come, and gentlemen are wiſe for they will not keepe a dog and barke themſelues, neither will they keepe a cat except ſhee will catch mice; therefore if thou wilt be a ſeruing-man thou muſt take great paines, otherwiſe thou wilt hauehave ſmal gaines at the end of thy ſeruice; yea though thou be neuer ſo painfull and dutifull, yet when thou lookeſt to receiue thy reward, there may be ſuch great fault found in thy ſeruice, that all the golden words and faire promiſes which thou haſt been deluded and haled forward withall, they may all come to nothing except thy bare wages, there may be a bill of caueling put in for the reſt, ſaying if thou hadſt been an honeſt man, thou ſhouldeſt hauehave had this or that, if thou liue neuer ſo vprightly, yet there may be faults found, for it is a very eaſie matter to find a ſtaffe to beat a dogge withall, but becauſe I cannot well diſplay the life of a ſeruingman, but either I ſhall diſpleaſe the Maſter or the man, or both; therefore I will here conclude, and leaue the reſt to thy daily experience, and ſo for a while harken vntounto the skill of weapons.