The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Sheweth what an excellent thing skill is, with perſwaſion to all men to forbeare the maintaining of idle quarrels.
TO ſhew you what skill is it will be a hard queſtion to decide, and a matter too deepe for me to handle, for we ſee daily many principall and cunning men euen at their wits end in ſtudying and deuiſing skill and cunning in all arts and ſcience, and yet to the end of their liues they find themſelues ignorant in many things, and are ſtill to learne, yea euen in that which they hauehave alwayes bin trained vp vntounto.
Wherefore I think the ground of art and cunning is not to be found out, no although a man doe trauell more larger ground then the whole earth, or if hee ſhould flye aboue the clouds, or diue deeper then the ſea, all which is vnpoſſible: wherefore ſeeing it is ſo large that I cannot compas it, ſo high I cannot reach it, and ſo deepe a hidden ſecret, that I cannot ſound the bottom of it; for I cannot trauaile ſo far, climbe ſo high, nor wade ſo deepe, yet ſo farre hauehave I trauelled and ſo high hauehave I climbed, and ſo deepe hauehave I waded, that I ſee art & skill ſo preuaile with thoſe which bendeth their minds thereunto, they become more famous thē any other ordinary men are, for skill is ſuch an excellent thing, that it abateth the choller and courage of the haſty and furious man, ſo that hee be tempered with diſcretion; euen as yron being tempered with ſteele, maketh a blade; whereas if it be all ſteele, it will be too brittle and ſoone broken; or all yron, then it will be too blunt: euen ſo, he which is furious and haſty will be ſoone killed. Againe, skill, vſe and exerciſe therein doth ouercome many ill humours, which without it, are neuer to be left, as you ſhall heare.
For, skill maketh thoſe hardy at their weapons, which are ſo timerſome, as they will wincke at euerie blow; yea, and if he were as fearefull and as cowardly as a Hare by nature, yet ſuch a one (by skill) becommeth, bold, hardy, and valorous; alſo (by vſe and practiſe) it maketh a man to vſe both his hands alike: wherefore I would hauehave no man that carrieth the perſonage or ſhape of a man, but hee ſhould learne as much skill in his weapons as poſſible hee can; and likewiſe learne as many gards at each weapon as thou mayeſt, that thereby thou mayeſt be the better able to anſwer any man vponupon a good quarrell, if his skill and cunning were neuer ſo good, but he which hath skill but at one weapon, and is acquainted but with one guard, and hath but one kinde of blow, or but one kinde of thruſt; I doe not ſee how ſuch a man ſhould bee able to defend himſelfe from one that is skilfull and cunning in many other guards, and many blowes and thruſts; for one guard, one blow, or one thruſt will quickely be worne threed-bare; it is ſuppoſed, that if a horſe did know his owne ſtrength, a man could not rule him; euen ſo, for want of ſuch manly knowledge, as eueryevery one ought to be experienced in, doe neuer come to the knowledge of their ſtrength, nor dare not attempt any thing worth the commendations of manhoode, onelyonly for want of experience and practiſe; for little doth any man know what good fortune is allotted out for him, and ſure the greateſt credite and honour that euer came to any man, was through skill in weapons: ſuch an excellent armour is Skill, that it maketh a man fight without feare: and he which hath it, will fight with ſuch warineſſe, that he will hurt, and not be hurt himſelfe, except it bee by great oddes of weapons, or more then one weapon at once.
Hee which is a man of his hands will hauehave many tales brought him, but before thou giuegive any credite vntounto a Tale-bearer, conſider well the condition of the meſſenger, before thou put any confidence in his ſpeeches, whether he be a drunkard, a coward, or a foole; for any of theſe three ſorts of men, there is no credite nor truſt to be giuen vntounto their ſpeech. Againe, a Gentleman, or a man of any good faſhion, ought not to carry tales: but if ſuch a one doe heare his friend wronged behinde his backe, he ought with diſcretion to anſwer him, in his friends behalfe, with reaſonable words, and not to report vntounto his friend, the worſt that he heareth an idle fellow ſpeake, except it be a matter which concerneth his life, then it is not amiſſe to warne thy friend, to the end he may be prouided againſt ſuch a miſchiefe; but the carrying of eueryevery idle tale betwixt man and man, doth much hurt, and ſetteth whole houſholds together by the eares. Againe, he which is a carrier of tales, can not truely deliuer a mans ſpeech, without adding or diminiſhing: and either of theſe two doe alter the whole property of the ſpeech which was firſt deliuered, and it ſo falleth out many times, that the Tale-bearer bringeth himſelfe into many quarrells, and to be enuied on both ſides: therefore, he which can heare, and ſee, and ſay little, will finde moſt quietneſſe, for little ſaid is ſoone anſwered: but he that talketh much, can neuer place all his words well, nor pleaſe eueryevery mans humour: and ſurely Tale-bearers are the breeders of great miſchiefe.
For many times vponupon others words ſome do beare malice one to another, without cauſe of deſert, and yet occaſion is taken, and perhappes none giuen neither; the one party doth not know of the malice the other beareth him of a long time, and this is not well, for if thou be grieued, reueale thy minde, and make a bolt or a ſhaft of it quickely, either to end it with weapons or with words or by the perſwaſions of friends, as occaſion ſhall ſerue, when it cometh in queſtion, and then afterwards be friends, but at no hand, let no enuious hatred remaine in thy heart againſt anie perſon, of what condition ſoeuer; but rather go vntounto him which ſpake ill words againſt thee, and aske him in curteous meanes, but not in outrage and anger, vntill thou heare his tale; for the Tale-bearer it may be, is in the fault, in telling a tale to make a quarrell, when there is none meant.
Meddle not with great men which are aboue thy calling, for though they wrong thee, and that thou haſt a good quarrel), yet thou canſt get little by maintaining ſuch a quarrell; for might (oftentimes) ouercommeth right, and the weakeſt goeth commonly to the walles: then is it better to beare the burthen of the mighty, and indure their malice with patience and let ſuch quarrells ſlippe, rather then ſtirre further in them, leſt it be thy ouerthrow: and, he carrieth the moſt honourable minde, which in talking of his enemie, can ſo bridle his affections, as to vſe no railing, nor vndecent ſpeeches behind his enemies backe, for he that doth ſo, diſhoneſteth himſelfe: beſides, thoſe which heare him, will iudge that hee had rather fight with his tongue then with his ſword.
Againe, a man of great power and authoritie ought not to offer wrong vntounto any man of meaner ſort: for it hath beene often ſeene, that a worme being troden vponupon, will turne againe; and many poore men will rather looſe their liues, if ſo twere they durſt aduenture to challenge the rich for feare of the Lawe, I do meane when they are oppreſſed, wronged, and diſgraced by the rich and mighty men; for the Lawe is a quirke to reſtraine or to checke poore mens wills, for it doth hamper and temper, and bring them into ſubiection: and as the olde Prouerbe goeth, The rich men hauehave the Lawe in their owne hands.
Euen as the ignorant and vnskilfull do many times feare to diſpleaſe a ſwaggerer or a common quarreller; euen ſo poore men are afraide to offend the rich.
Now concerning a rich man, I remember a prettie example or a tale, and as I heard it, you ſhall heare it, There was a Gentleman which built a gallant faire houſe, whom I will leaue nameleſſe, but he had many ploughs and carriages for timber, lime, and ſtones; ſome ſeruing his preſent need, for louelove, ſome for mony, and ſome for feare (as you ſhall heare) for at night, (when the carriage was ended) the Gentleman called them one after an other, and vntounto the firſt hee ſaid; What hauehave you earned? Sir (ſaid he) I came for louelove, and not for money. I thanke you (ſaid the Gentleman.) So then he asked another, ſaying Sirra, what came you for? Sir (ſaid he) I am but a poore man, and I came for mony. And ſo the Gentleman payed him his wages: Then he called an other, and asked him wherefore he came, or what he had deſerued? Sir (ſaid he) I came not to you for louelove, nor for money, but onelyonly for feare of your diſpleaſure. Said the Gentleman, why art thou afraid of me which neuer did thee hurt in all my life? Yea, but ſir (ſaid he) I hauehave ſeene many poore men enuyed, wronged, and impriſoned many times for ill will by the rich, when they hauehave but little deſerued it; thereby ſhewing, that ſome rich men will beare ſuch malice vntounto a poore man, if hee ſhall deny him ſuch carriage, or if hee doe not helpe him in the harueſt, or if hee ſhall denie him the ſelling of a horſe, ground, or cattell, that the Gentleman hath a minde vntounto; for many of them thinke that a poor man ſhold denie them nothing, but if they doe, a grudging hatred continueth vntill they hauehave reuenged it; but if in a long time they cannot finde a hole in his coate, whereby to reuenge their malice: yet when a preſſe commeth, then they put him forth for a Souldier, although there be twentie others in the ſame Pariſh, which would willingly ſerue, and likewiſe that might be farre better ſpared, and a great deale more fitte, for an vnwilling ſeruant ſeldome doth his maiſter good ſeruice.