The Art of Rhetoric, Book 1 · Part · Section 13

The Art of Rhetoric · Book 1 · Part · Section 13

p. 7¶The places whereof, are these.

NOw to open al these places more largely, aswell those that are before a mannes life, as suche as are in his life, and after his death, that the reader maie further se the profite, I will do the best I cā

The house wherof a noble personage came,The house o… aūcestrie wherof a noble personage cometh. declares the state and nature of his auncesters, his alliaunce, and his kynsfolke. So that suche worthy feactes, as thei hauehave heretofore doen, and al suche honors as thei hauehave had, for suche their good seruice, redowndes wholy to the encrease and amplifiyng of his honour, that is now liuyng.

The Realme,ii. The realme. declares the nature of the people. So that some Countrey brengeth more honor with it, then another doth. To be a Frenche manne, descendyng there of a noble house, is more honor then to be an Irishe manne: to bee an Englishe manne borne, is muche more honour, then to be a Scotte, because that by these men, worthy prowesses hauehave been dooen, and greater affaires by theim attempted, then hauehave been doen by any other.

The Shire or Touneiii. The Shire or Toune. helpeth somewhat, towardes the encrease of honour: As it is muche better, to bee borne in Paris, then in Picardie, in Lōdon, then in Lincolne. For that bothe the aire is better, the people more ciuill, and the wealth muche greater, and the menne for the moste parte more wise.

To bee borne a manchilde, declares a courage, grauitie, and constancie. To be borne a woman, declares weakenes of spirite, neshenes of body, and fikilnesse of mynde.iiii. The se…e or kynde.

Now for the bringing vp of a noble personage,v. Educac…on. his nurse must be considered, his plaie felowes obserued, his teacher and other his seruauntes, called in remembraunce. Howe eueryevery one of these liued then, with whom thei hauehave liued afterwardes, and how thei liue now.

By knowyng what he taketh hymself vntounto, and wherin he moste deliteth, I maie commende hym for his learnyng, for his skill in the Frenche, or in the Italian, for his knowlege in Cosmographie: for his skill in the lawes, in the histories of all countreis, and for his gift of endityng.vi. Inclinaciō of nature. Again, I maie cōmende hym for plaiyng at weapons, for runnyng vponupon a greate horse, for chargyng his staffe at the Tilte, for vautyng, for plaiyng vponupon instrumentes, yea, and for paintyng, or drawyng of a platte, as in old tyme noble princes, muche delited therein.

Prowesse doen, declare his seruice to the Kyng, and his countrey, either in withstandyng the outwarde e…emie, or els in aswagyng the rage of his awne coūtreymē at home.vii Attemptes worthy.

His wise counsaill, and good aduise geuen, settes furthe the goodnesse of his witte.viii.

p. 8At the tyme of his departyng,Tyme of it. departing this worlde. his sufferaunce of all sicknesse, may muche commende his worthinesse. As his strong harte, and cherefull pacience euen to the ende, cannot wāt greate praise. The louelove of all men towardes hym, and the lamentyng generally for his lacke, helpe well moste highly to set furthe his honour.

After a mannes death,After departure. are considered his tombe, his cote armour set vp, and all suche honours, as are vsed in funeralles. If any one liste to put these preceptes in practise, he maie doo, as hym liketh best. And surely I do thynke, that nothyng so muche furthereth knowlege, as daiely exercise, and enuryng our selfes to do that in dede, whiche we know in woorde. And because examples geue greate lighte, after these preceptes are set furthe, I will commende two noble gentlemen, Henry Duke of Suffolk, and his brother lorde Charles DukeDuke of Suffolke, and lord Charles. with hym.