Institutions, Part 3
INSTRUCTIONS OR ADVICE TO HIS GRANDSON. The third Part.
THE laſt part of our diſcourſe will concern your Actions. Virtutis laus omnis in Actione conſiſtit. The World is a Stage, and every one is to act his part before that great Spectator, God Almighty: which muſt make you carefull how you act under his all-ſeeing eye.
The higheſt acts you can perform are the acts of Religion: whcich raiſeth up your mind from earth to Heaven. Your Religion muſt be accompanied with zeal, and your zeal tempered with diſcretion, that you may not be one of them whom the Apoſtle cenſureth: Habentes zelum, ſed non ſecundùm ſcientiam.
In your Acceſs to Heaven you are to be led by two Virgins, prayer and preaching, by the one you talk with God, by the other God ſpeaketh unto you.
In your prayer, you are to be frequent and fervent. Holy David in the Evening, Morning and Noon did pray unto the Lord, and that inſtantly, and the Lord heard his prayer. He did riſe alſo at midnight to give thanks unto the Lord. Our Saviour Chriſt pernoctabat in Oratione.
As for preaching, when you enter into the houſe of God, be ready and attentive in hearing the word of God, and make it your own by meditation and practice. Thoſe beaſts onelyonly were accounted clean that ruminate and chew the cud.
It is practice, and the carefull obſervance of Gods Commandements, which brings the Reward, Hoc fac & vives. This is it that doth moſt lively denominate a Chriſtian. You ſhall know him by his fruits.
For the better obſervance of Gods Law, you are to pray in aide of Grace, as St. Auſtin adviſeth, Facere quod poſſumus, & petere quod non poſſumus. When you fall, let your prayer be, Ne derelinquas me, Domine: Strive to raiſe your ſelf again by repentance, which is no more but peccata praeterita plangere, & plangenda iterum non committere, called by St. Ierom, Secunda poſt naufragium Tabula.
The Theological Vertues which attend Religion are three, Faith, Hope, and Charity: with which you muſt joyn Humility. This is the baſis or foundation of all other vertues: the firſt ſtep of Iacobs ladder. He that humbleth himſelf ſhall be exalted.
But the Moral vertues are a more proper ſubject for Me, the firſt in order is Iuſtice.
This is the bond of all Societies, Families, Kingdomes and Commonwealths. Juſtitiâ amotâ quid ſunt regna, niſi magna Latrocinia, Juſtice is, Suum cui que tribuere, to perform your word & contracts, and thereby you will command other mens Eſtates as your own. And let this be a Rule unto you, Nullum utile quod non honeſtum; that which is unjuſtly extorted from others will never proſper: De male quaeſitis non gaudet ter…ius haeres.
Think not to be regiſtred a Saint in the Court of Heaven, unleſs you make reſtitution (aut voto …t facto) of that which you have wrongfully exacted upon earth. Non remittitur peccatum (ſay the Caſuiſts) niſi reſtituitur ablatum.
But how will you be able to …ender every one his own, unleſs you have the knowledge of Lawes, which limit every one their own, eſpecially of the common or Municipal Law of this Kingdome, under which you live, and by which you hold your Eſtate.
Yet ſome caution is to be had, that your knowledge of the Law provoke you not to commence ſuits, which are the country-mans warrs. It is the counſell of Moſes, Priuſquam expugnaveris aliquam civitatem, offeras ei pacem. Have no ſuits in Law, if you can avoid them, or if you may have peace without them. Uſe law as your laſt remedy. Suits in law will cauſe an extream diſtraction in your affairs, eſtate and mind. Sapientis eſt modico damno moleſtiam rei excluſiſſe. The Counſell of the Pſalmiſt is not onelyonly, Sequenore, but Sectare pacem: The frequentative notes, you muſt ſeek it often.
For the procuring and effecting of peace, it concerneth you in all your affairs to act nothing without the beſt and choiceſt Counſell may be had, that your contracts and ſettlements of your Eſtate be valid and perfect; and as much as in you lyeth, foreſee all inconveniences which may happen; leave as little as you can to incertainty: Fraud is ſo inquiſitive and ſearching, that if you lay open the leaſt gap, Fraud will enter thereinto, & will not only weaken and make void contracts and bargains, but even Laws alſo, never ſo judiciouſly debated and enacted.
There is an Adage among the Lawyers, Qui habet terras habet guerras, It is incident unto land to have ſuits; and the greater your Eſtate, the more ſuits; but if any ſuch be, you muſt therein be vigilant and induſtrious to apprehend opportunities, nothing is gained by ſleeping, ſaith the common Law. Vigilantibus & non dormientibus jura ſubvenient.
I am not of the opinion of ſome of our Nobility and Gentry, who, when their ſons leave the Univerſities, omit the Innes of Court, and ſend them beyond the Seas. Travail is a neceſſary Accompliſhment of a Gentleman, and an eſpecial part of his Education: but what is it to be converſant abroad, and a ſtranger at home? Theſe Innes of Court are vertuous and fruitfull ſeminaries for the breeding of youth, where they ſtudy the known Lawes of the Land and other noble exerciſes.
Another part of Iuſtice is the well diſpoſing of your own, and this vertue is called Liberality, you are to ſcatter your Almes as ſeed upon the earth, to gain thereby a plentifull Harveſt. You ſhall have the prayers of many imploring God for you: and if the curſe of the poor ſhall aſcend to his Maker, ſhall not his prayers conduce to your good. We are but diſpenſators of Gods bleſſings, and the poor muſt have a part. This is the moſt gainfull Commerce of all other. Da temporaria, ut conſequaris aeterna. Melius pecunia ſervatur, quae in manu pauperis collocatur.
Quas dederis ſolus ſamper habebis opes.
The next in order is Prudence, Prudentia non eſt tantum virtus, ſed auriga virtutum. This vertue is the directreſs of all other vertues, ſits at the helm to guide the ſhip, holdeth the judgment-ſeat, diſtinguiſheth bonum à malo, verum à falſo.
A wiſe mans eyes, ſaith Solomon, are alwayes in his head: and if his own eyes are deficient he will uſe the eyes of others: Plus vident oculi quàm oculus.
From hence ariſeth the neceſſity of Counſell: for in counſell is health: Sine conſilio facias nihil, & non poenitebis, ſaith Syracides. It is ſaid of God himſelf, who is infinite in knowledge, that he acteth all things according to the counſell of his will. Whence we may learn to do nothing raſhly or by praecipitation: Deliberandum eſt diu quod ſtatuendum eſt ſemel.
A Counſellers part is, not onelyonly to give counſell, but to keep counſell, to be ſecret and reſerved. To keep your friends ſecrets, is Religion: to keep your own, is ſafety. For ſo ſhall you not be prevented in your deſignes, which will be ſooner effected by a prudent diſguiſing of your purpoſes, like the Watermen, who in rowing turn their backs to the landing place.
Depend not upon humane wiſedome and policie, but depend on God: chooſe the fitteſt means to your juſt ends, and leave the ſucceſs to him.
After followeth Fortitude, what can be more expected: Prudence to direct what to do, & Fortitude or courage to dare to do. But this vertue is beſt obſerved in our ſelves. Man hath for his object bonum ſenſibile, & bonum ſupernaturale: the one draweth him upward, the other downward. And hence ariſeth the conflict which is in Man, himſelf againſt himſelf. Whereupon it was the dayly prayer of St. Auſtin, Domine, ſalve me à me. To triumph in the conqueſt of your ſelf, and to ſubjugate your affections and appetite to the Government of Reaſon, is more than to conquer the World: which ſome men have effected, and yet could never conquer themſelves,
Fortior eſt qui ſe quàm qui fortiſſima vincit.
Moenia.
And here great care is to be had to withſtand the blandiſhments of Proſperity, by which more inconſiderately fall, than by the blaſts and ſtormes of Adverſity. Magnae virtutis eſt cum faelicitate luctari: magnae faelicitatis à faelicitate non vinci. The Traveller put off his Claok in the ſun-ſhine, which he held faſt during the rain & ſtorm.
Another effect of Fortitude is to exclude all fear: Degeneres animos timor arguit.
Fear is defined by Solomon to be the betraying of the ſuccours, which Reaſon offers. Baſe cowardiſe, which ſuggeſts panick fears, maketh ſhadows ſubſtances, molehils to ſeem mountains. Pavor omnem ſapientiam ex animo expectorat. And therefore in difficile & dangerous actions, it concerneth you to make a collection of your ſelf, for re cognita ceſſat timor, the Iuſtice of your cauſe and the clearneſs of your conſcience will make you as bold as a Lyon, and the uglineſs of Death will not affright you.
Another part of Fortitude is Patience, by many of our Gallants called virtus aſinina, but in truth it is virtus heroica: the moſt Heroical of all the reſt, and which giveth you aſſurance of Victory: Vincit qui patitur, The patient man, like the skilfull Seaman, when the Winds are contrary, tacketh about, and ſo arriveth at the Port deſired.
I will preſent you with one inſtance for many. The Lord Pawlett, the firſt Lord Marqueſs of Wincheſter, ſo created by Edward the ſixt, continued a privy Counſeller, and in eſpecial favour, to four Princes, Henry 8. Edward 6. Q. Mary, and was Lord Treaſurer of England unto Q. Elizabeth, and being demanded how he could continue in prime favour with four Princes ſo differing in Diſpoſition, Religion, Age, and Sex, made anſwer: Patiendo, tacendo, blandiloquendo, injurias non ulciſcendo. Agreeable whereunto was another ſaying of the ſame Marqueſs: Ortus ſum ex ſalice, non ex quercu. But Virgil the Poet ſhall conclude for all.
Superanda omnis fortuna ferendo eſt.
The laſt, but not the leaſt, is the moſt rare and excellent Vertue Temperance. Epictetus taught this vertue in two words: Suſtine & Abſtine Ariſtotle defineth it: Virtus cohibens appetitum in jis duplicate page duplicate page quae turpiter appetuntur. But St. Gregory goes farther: Qui non temperat à licitis, incidet in illicita. It is not enough to abſtain from things forbidden and unlawfull, but even from the immoderate uſe of lawfull things alſo.
This is the ſweet vertue, nay the Lady and Miſtris of all the reſt. This muſt be your conſort both at Bed and at Board. At Bed to preſerve your Chaſtity: at Board to preſerve your Health. Chaſtity is a great gift of God: the chaſt ſhall follow the Lamb: They lead an Angelical life here, in carne, ſine carne. Health is the greateſt Worldly bleſſing. As it is an Axiom in Philoſophy, Anima ſequitur temperaturam corporis: ſo certainly the diſtempers of the body do dogg and diſturb the faculties of the mind.
This vertue will preſerve you from the loathſome ſin of Drunkenneſs: which if it once get poſſeſſion of you, will encreaſe with your age & gather ſtrength. Other vices may have ſome Generoſity in them, this ſavoureth too much of the Pigg. It excludeth a man from the Kingdom of God: it depriveth him of his reaſon: it expoſeth him to contempt and ſcorne: it bringeth many other ſad conſequences and diſaſters.
I know there is ſometimes a joviality amongſt men upon proſperous events, whereby you may be drawn perhaps to exceed by Perſons of Honour. But be ſure, if you drink ad hilaritatem, drink not ad ebrietatem. Make not your ſelf a Bruers Horſe to carry Drink. Pretend other buſineſs and fair excuſes to come off. Wine and ſtrong drink is a traitor. The Wine ſparkleth in the Cup, it runneth ſweetly down the throat, but it biteth like a Serpent, and the end is bitterneſs, as the wiſeſt man hath obſerved.
I preſume I might have forborne this to you, but becauſe it is morbus patrius, ſo catching and infectious, I have taken leave to deliver mine opinion thereof.
There is another ſort of Temperance, to reſtrain Anger. It will be good for you to reſiſt the beginnings of Anger, and to kill this raging ſerpent in the egge. Auguſtus Caeſar, before he would do any thing in his Anger, would ſay over the Greek Alphabet: but let your direction be, when your Anger ariſeth, to ſay over the Lords Prayer, twice or thrice, the oftener the better: and remember what Solomon ſaith: It is the diſcretion of a man to defer his anger, and his glory to paſs by offenſes.
From theſe Cardinall Virtues I ſhall now proceed to ſome good Additions, and comely Ornaments of a Gentleman.
And the firſt that I ſhall propoſe unto you is the noble exerciſe of Riding the great Horſe. A knight on Horſeback is one of the goodlyeſt ſights in the World. Methinkes I ſee Sr. James Scudamore, your thrice noble Grandfather, a brave Man of Armes both at Tilt and Barriers, after the voyage of Cales and the Cana…y Ilands (wherein he performed very remarkable and ſignal ſervice, under the Conduct of the Earl of Eſſex) enter the Tiltyard in a handſome equipage, all in compleate Armor, embeliſhed with Plumes, his Beaver cloſe, mounted upon a very high bounding horſe (I have ſeen the ſhooes of his horſe gliſter above the heads of all the people) and when he came to the encounter or ſhock, brake as many Spears as the moſt, her Majeſty Q Elizabeth, with a Train of Ladies, like the Starrs in the Firmament, and the whole Court looking upon him with a very gratious aſpect. And when he came to reſide with Sr. John Scudamore, his Father (Two braver Gentlemen ſhall I never ſee together at one time, ſuch a Father, ſuch a Son) Himſelf and other brave Cavalliers, and ſome of their Menials and of his ſuit, to manage every morning Six or more brave well-ridden Horſes, every Horſe brought forth by his Groom in ſuch decency, order and honour, that Holme-Lacy, at that time, ſeemed not onelyonly an Academy, but even the very Court of a Prince.
Sir, you may not boaſt your ſelf to deſcend from ſuch Aunceſtors, unleſs alſo you have an earneſt emulation to ſucceed them in their virtues.
The next is the moſt noble Art of Defence. You may note it is not called the Art of Offence: to offend and to do wrong, is inhumane and barbarous. Nihil intolerabilius (ſaith Tully) in benè morata republica, quàm aliquid fie…i per vim.
If you wrong your Superiour, then you know that will be impar congreſſus: upon the ſhock the Iron pot will quickly break in peices the ſides of the earthen pot. And if you wrong your Inferiour, then ſhall you deſcend, and make him equal with your ſelf; and if you be vanquiſhed, it will tend the more to your d…ſhonour. But above all things you are to avoid duelling. To be engaged in a Duell, is to be accurſed from your Mothers Womb. Two great extremities, to kill or to be killed. By the one you will be no other, than Cain after the killing of his Brother Abel, a runnagate upon the face of the earth, with the horrour of conſcience, whoſe worm dyeth not; and by the other you dy out of Charity, in the disfavour of Almighty God, a moſt fearfull condition.
To prevent and avoid Quarels, wiſe men have obſerved 4. things Firſt hold no Arguments vehemently. Every man loveth the child of his own brain, as well as the child of his body, and few men will yield. Reaſon with your Antagoniſt ſoberly, repeat his Argument, in ſome meaſure ſeem to approve it, though never ſo abſurd, crave his pardon that you diſſent from him, and then preſs your Reaſons fairly and perſpicuouſly: you are not bound to make another man of your opinion: if you cannot gain him, fall off.
Secondly, Make no Compariſons. Compariſons are odious, ſaith our Proverb. For either you will over-praiſe, which will be a fault in you: a noble Gentleman, a brave Gentleman, an honeſt Gentleman, …s praiſe ſufficient: or elſe you will detract, and that will offend alſo.
Thirdly, Lay no wagers. This hath been an occaſion of many Quarrels kindled by Avarice.
Laſtly, Avoid all ſcurrility: rubb no old ſores, and loſe not your friend for your Jeſt. Facetiae (ſaith Tacitus) quae nimium de vero traxerint, acrem ſui memoriam relinquent.
But to defend your ſelf in a juſt cauſe, that is agreeable to the Lawes of God, nature, and man: and to do it with judgment and reſolution will marvellouſly tend to your honour and ſafety,
The uſe of Arms doth much differ in theſe times I hear now the ſingle Rapier is altogether in uſe: when I was young, the Rapier and Dagger. And I cannot underſtand, ſeeing God hath given a man two Hands, why he ſhould not uſe them both for his defence.
The braveſt Gentlemen of Armes, which I have ſeen, were Sr. Charles Candiſh, and the now Marqueſs of New-Caſtle, his ſon, Sr. Kenelm Digby, and Sr. Lewis Dives; whom I have ſeen compoſe their whole bodies in ſuch a poſture, that they ſeemed to be a Fort impregnable. They were the Scholars of Iohn de Nardes of Sevilla in Spain, who with the Dagger alone would encounter the ſingle Rapier and worſt him. This exerciſe is moſt neceſſary for you, and alſo excellent for your Health.
And from this Principle or Ground of Nature, to defend your ſelf, appeareth the lawfullneſs of Warr, when as the Honour, Religion and ſafety of a Commonwealth is concerned therein. Juſtum eſt bellum, quod idem eſt neceſſarium: & pia arma, ubi nulla niſi in armis ſpes eſt.
Our Saviour adviſeth, that He who will go to Warr ſhould compute firſt. In the computation you are to make, you muſt ſurvey bona animi, bona corporis and bona fortunae. In the firſt you are to meaſure your Abilities of mind: for if you enter into warr, you muſt either go on like a man of Honour, or dy in the Bed of Honour: Next you are to conſider, whether your Body be able to endure the labours of War, and the extremities of hunger, thirſt, cold, heat, watching &c. And laſtly, what ſalary or entertainment you ſhal have (for the name ſoldier is derived from the name Solde, which is pay) that you may follow the Warrs in an honourable way, therein to uſe no violence or plundering, which will be unworthy of you; but follow St. John Baptiſts command: Neminem concutiatis: ſed contenti eſtote ſtipendiis veſtris.
But now from the rude noiſe of Armes I ſhall call you to the harmonious ſounds of Muſick, worthily placed among the liberal Arts. All creatures have an Inclination thereunto: the Birds chanting in the woods: the laborious Husband man and Artificer, in their ſeveral vocations alleviate their toilſome labours by their rude Accents, making melody to themſelves: and in all Ages Muſick hath been eſteemed quality becoming a noble perſonage. Themiſtocles the Athenian, as Tully ſaith) Quia non poter at fidibus canere, habitus eſt indoctior.
Muſick is either Vocal or Inſtumental. Vocal is beſt, becauſe made by God himſelf, adding thereunto the livelyneſs of the Muſician, ſinging ſome excellent compoſed Poem, well fitted to the Muſick: and in this kind theſe latter times have been moſt exquiſite. But you will be moſt compleat, when you joyn the vocal and inſtrumental both together.
Great is the power of Muſick. In the Kingdome of Naples, there is a ſmall creature called the Tarantula; any one bitten with it falleth into a phrenſy, and the proper cure for him is Muſick; whereby he is recovered.
Muſick did allay the evil ſpirit of Saul. Muſick prepared Eliſha the Prophet to recieve his Inſpirations. Muſick advanced Gods honour and ſervice in the Temple, and the Happineſs in Heaven …s deſcribed and ſet forth unto …s by Muſick and Singing.
Memorable is that which St. Auſtin relateth of his converſion in the book of his Confeſſions) …um reminiſcor lacrymas meas …as fudi ad cantus Eccleſiae tuae … primordiis recuperatae fidei meae, …agnam inſtituti hujus utilitatem …gnoſco.
They ſay in our Engliſh Colonies in Virginia and New England, and the ſummer Ilands, the …g…ns give wonderfull attention to the Singing of Pſalms, and hereby are ſo taken and delighted, that it is a ſpecial means of their converſion to the Chriſtian Faith.
I have ſent you a book of the Pſalmes compoſed in four parts, an excellent compoſure, whereby you may be invited to proceed farther in this divine faculty. When you are oppreſſed with ſerious and weighty buſineſs, to take your viol and ſing to it, will be a ſingular eaſe and refreſhment.
Subſervient to this faculty of Muſick is Dancing, a meaſure of the feet: and this is alſo a ſingular Ornament to a Gentleman, conducing to a comely poſture of his Body in his ſalutation of others, or otherwiſe to adapt him to a Decorum in his deportment and behaviour.
This Quality hath advanced many perſons unto Honour. Q. Elizabeth, a Princeſs of ſingular judgement in the choice of her Servants and great Officers of State, by ſeeing Sr. Chriſtopher Hatton dancing in a Mask (then but a private Gentleman of the Inner Temple) advanced him to the Dignity and place of Lord High Chancellor of England, the higheſt officer of State, next unto …er Perſon, for honour and truſt.
Some rigid Divines hold it unlawfull and impious to dance, affirming that Chorea eſt circulus cu…us centrum eſt diabolus, but others, quorum melior ſententia menti, eſteem it not onelyonly lawfull, but uſefull alſo, for the raiſing of noble ſpirits to high and heroick actions. Masks and other Courtly recreations of Gallant Gentlemen and Ladyes of Honour, ſtriving to exceed one the other in their meaſures and changes, and in their reparts of wit and complement have been beyond the Power of envy to diſgrace.
Amongſt other Arts I muſt commend unto you, that which is of very great neceſſity, eſpecially for Oeconomy and Government of your Houſe: I mean, Arithmetick. Sir John Higford, famous for his Hoſpitality, kept a diary of all his expenſes. The Great Earls of Warwick, unto whom our Anceſtors had ſome Relation, took accounts from their officers and ſervants of all the Charge and Proviſion of their Houſe keeping (which I can yet produce) even to the gaging of the Hogſheds of Beer.
The Right Honourable the Lord Scudamore is in an extraordinary meaſure verſed in this rare faculty, and when I had the honour to wait upon his Lordſhip, concerning the Treaty of Marriage with your worthy Mother, the Government of his Houſe was ſo well contrived, every officer recieving the Proviſion, one from another, with ſuch order, honour and bounty, that the managing of his Houſe-keeping (I want expreſſion) did appear to be tanquam …ies ordinata, Believe it, Thrift is the Jewell of Magnificence.
I may no longer omit that which I account an Eſſential part of a Gentleman, namely, Travell beyond the ſeas into foreign Countryes: And I could heartily wiſh, that with ſome other young Gentleman, under the conduct of ſome Grave and learned per…on, you might reſort to ſome famous Univerſity, either in the remoteſt part of France, or Italy, from the converſe of the Engliſh Nation; that you might for a time ſtudy Philoſophy and the Arts. Certainly, upon his dunghill, the Engliſh Gentleman is ſomewhat ſtubborn and churliſh: Travell will ſweeten him very much, and imbreed in him Courteſy, Affability, Reſpect and Reſervation.
In your Travell, it will be obvious to you to obſerve the ſituations of Townes, Cities, Rivers, and the diſtances of high wayes and ſtages for your Iourney: ſo alſo for the commodities of each Province or Countrey: Et quid quae que ferat regio, & quid ferre recuſet.
But you muſt not reſt there: You muſt tranſcend to higher Notions.
Tu regere Imperio populos, Romane, memento.
Your obſervations in Travell muſt be verſed in the politie and ordering of States, eſpecially Monarchies, becauſe almoſt all the World is under the ſubjection of Monarchs.
In the Monarchies therefore, you are eſpecially to obſerve the ſtate and magnificence of the Prince, his Nobility, his Penſioners, his Gaurds, his Genius and diſpoſition, his prime Favourites, his Great Officers of State, his Counſellors of State, the manner of their proceſſion, how they take places; their ſeverall Commands, Authorities and juriſdictions. Then, to obſerve his Courts of Juſtice, the quality of his Judges; the proceſſes, pleadings and progreſſions for Hearing, as well in cauſes criminal as civil; and the Reſults, Sentences, Appeals, Arreſts, Judgments depending thereupon: The latitude alſo and power of every Court of Juſtice. Then are you to conſider his Forces, what number he is able to bring into the Field, his Cavalry, his Infantry, the condition of his ſoldiers, whether mercenary, auxiliar, or natural (which is the beſt ſort) their diſcipline and order. Next, to conſider his Forces at Sea, the ſituation, capacity and convenience of his Havens and ports; what veſſels and of what burthen he is able to ſet to Sea: and then, for the maintenance of both, you may ſurvey his Ammunition, his Storehouſes, Magazins and Arſenalls: Then, what revenewes and intreates he hath to maintain, ſupport and defray the charge of his Forces both by Sea and Land: And therein to take notice of his marks of ſoveraingnty, what he can do, with, and without his people: And therein to conſider his Trea…ry, his Exchecker and Finaces, his Crown Lands, his Cuſtomes, Priviledges and Flowers of his Crown: Then, his extraordina…es, what Contributions, Subſides, …ids, Impoſitions and Gabells …e raiſeth from his People. Then …e you to conſider his Friends and Allyes: what his leagues are, …hither offenſive, or defenſive, …r both: and of what continuance …ey are like to be. Then you …ay look upon his Religion, his …leargy and the Goverment … them, their Rites and Ceremo…es, Liturgy, Sermons and Te…ers. Then are you to have re…urſe to the Univerſities, and in …em the moſt famous Men, their …putations and controverſies, and whatſoever more you ſhall finde rare and fit for imitation, when you return into England.
Now for the Commodiousneſs of your Travell, it concerneth you to be skild in the Languages of ſuch countryes, wherein you are to travell. The French is moſt in uſe. It is a moſt ſweet Tongue, called the Womans Tongue; and, as I think, for the Addreſſes from the ſervant to the Miſtris, and from the ſubject to the Soveraigne there is no ſweeter, nor more civil Language in the World. Some progreſſion were fit for you to make in this uſefull Language.
Some of your good friends have very much enabled themſelves, and gained much honour and reputation by their Reſidence in forein parts.
The Lord Scudamore hath required much honour to our Nation by his Ambaſſage into France: his directtion and Addreſſes to ſome of his noble Friends there, will be an eſpeciall Advantage to you.
The late Sr. Iohn Scudamore, unfortunately deceaſed, brought come many rare Books, and obſervations of his Travell, which are well worth your peruſall, if they might be gotten. I was in my particular much bound unto him for his Favours. He viſited and careſſed me when I was a Priſoner, and did me noble offices, which here I mention in honour to his Memory.
I muſt not forget the Princely exerciſe of Hunting, wherein the …gacity of the irrational creature …s very obſervable, Et odora canum vis.
Hunting is uſefull, to know the ſituation and diſtance of places, & to enure your Body to labour, and by the bounty of your Horſe to clime the Hills and deſcend the Vallies, like young Aſcanius, Nunc hos curſu, nunc praeterit illos.
So alſo is the Gentile exerciſe of Hawking, more eſpecially at the River, to ſee the Falcon leſſen her ſelf, and to fall down upon the Foul like a Thunderbolt.
Theſe are noble ererciſes, if the convenience of your Eſtate and affairs may afford you a diſpenſation to make uſe of them.
There are alſo other parts becoming a Gentleman, as Limming, Portraying with the Penſile and many other, which I leave to your own Election and Judgement.