Richard Rainolde

“ Death.
Mariage. other. She that was by death left a widowe, mariage again
hath coupled her to a newe housbande: and doeth restore that
whiche death tooke awaie. That that death dissolueth and
destroieth, mariage increaseth, augmēteth, and multiplieth.
Bee it so, but mariage is a painfull life, it forceth euery one
to trauaile, to vpholde and maintaine his state, I commende
not the idell life, neither a life occupied to no vertuous ende.
Nature moueth euery manne to loue hymself and his, so thy
care and paine be to a godlie purpose. It is commendable. ”

“ The Troians so moche estemed, the beautie of Helena,
as that the state of all their kyngdome perished. It was no
[Fol. xxviij.v] glorie nor honour to the Grecians, to resiste by armour, and
to defende the violente takyng awaie of Helena, from her
housbande: nor it was no honour, the Grecians to pursue by
armour, the takynge awaie of Helena, beyng a harlotte. So
that by no meanes it can followe, these thynges to bee true,
of the battaile of Troie. ”

“ Now that we knowe what a fable
is, it is good to learne also, how manifolde or diuers thei be,
Three sortes
of fables.
i. A fable of
reason. I doe finde three maner of fables to be. The first of theim is,
wherein a man being a creature of God indued with reason,
is onely intreated of, as the Fable of the father and his chil-
dren, he willing thē to concorde, and this is called Rationalis
fabula, whiche is asmoche to saie, as a Fable of men indued
ii. Morall. with reason, or women. ”

“ How sone would the whole worlde be
dissolued, and in perpetuall ruine, if that God from tymes
and ages, had not by godlie procreacion, blessed this infinite
The dignitee
of man, she-
weth the
worthines of
mariage. issue of mankinde. The dignitée of man in his creacion, she-
weth the worthie succession, maintained by procreation. In
vaine were the creacion of the worlde, if there were not as
manne so excellente a creature, to beholde the creatour, and
his meruailous creacion. ”

“ The libertie
in mariage. and Mediocritée of life, with thy spoused wife. There is no
greater ioye, libertée, or felicitée, who so practiseth a dissolute
life: whose loue and luste is kindeled, and sette on fire with a
A brutishe
societie with
harlottes. harlotte, he followeth a brutishe societée. What difference is
there, betwene them and beastes? The beaste as nature lea-
deth, he obaieth nature. Reason wanteth in beastes, manne
then indued with reason, whiche is a guide to all excellencie
how is it that he is not ruled by reason. ”

“ For what is beautie, where
honestie and vertue lacketh, it is an vncomly matter, though
the Poetes so faigne it, not onely that in heauen, a contenciō
should fall emong the Goddises of their beautie, or that Iu-
piter of whom thei make an ignoraunt God, to chuse Paris
the kynges sonne of Troie, chief arbitratour & Iudge of that
matter, to whō he should giue the goldē Apell to her beautie,
as chief of al other, was ascribed these thynges, are vndecent
to thinke of the Goddeses, and moste of all, to thinke there is
more Goddes then one. ”

“ Should Mariage bée lesse sette by, be-
cause alwaies riches and quietnes happeneth not.
¶ The obieccion.
The losse of a good wife and children, is a greate grefe to
[Fol. lviij.r] any man, and a cause to blame mariage.
¶ The aunswere.
The lawe of
Nature. You your self are borne to dye, thei also by death obaye
likewise Nature, this is the Lawe of Nature ones to dye,
whiche you séeme to blame. Then the death of thy wife and
childrē, is not the blame in Mariage. What is the cause that
you dye? Natures imbecillitée and weakenes, then in theim [.] ”

“ In the Grecians there was neither wisedome,
neither commendacion, to pursue with a maine hoste, with a
greate Nauie of Shippes, to bryng backe againe a harlotte,
whose enterprise rather might better bee borne, to banishe &
exile soche a beastlie disposed persone. ”

“ Ere in example, all menne maie take to frame their
owne life, and also to bryng vp in godlie educacion
their children: that while age is tender and young,
thei maie learne by example of the Ante, to prouide in their
grene and lustie youth, some meane of art and science, wher-
by thei maie staie their age and necessitée of life, al soche as do
flie labour, and paine in youth, and seeke no waie of Arte and
science, in age thei shall fall in extreme miserie and pouertée. ”

“ For, dailie wée féele the cōmo-
ditie, wealth and riches, that riseth of theim, but the losse wée
féele not, except flockes perishe. In the body of man God hath
created & made diuerse partes, to make vp a whole and abso-
lute man, whiche partes in office, qualitée and worthinesse,
are moche differing. The bodie of man it self, for the excellent
workemanship of God therein, & meruailous giftes of nature
Man called
of the Philo-
sophers, a lit-
tle worlde. and vertues, lodged and bestowed in thesame bodie, is called
of the Philosophers Microcosmos, a little worlde. ”

“ The ground
of al learning [.] Irste it is good that the learner doe vnderstand
what is a fable, for in all matters of learnyng,
it is the firste grounde, as Tullie doeth saie, to
knowe what the thing is, that we may the bet-
What is a
fable. ter perceiue whervpō we doe intreate. A fable
is a forged tale, cōtaining in it by the colour of a lie, a matter
Morall. of truthe. The moralle is called that, out of the whiche some
godlie precepte, or admonicion to vertue is giuen, to frame
and instruct our maners. ”

“ Who liue in
all ages. ses, by vertue rooteth immortalitée. Who so liueth, as that
his good fame after death ceaseth not, nor death with the bo-
die cutteth of their memorie of life: Soche not onely in life,
but also in death are moste fortunate. In death all honor, di-
Good fame
chieflie rou-
teth after
death. gnitée, glorie, wealthe, riches, are taken from vs: The fame
and glorie of singulare life is then, chieflie takyng his holde
and roote, wise men and godlie, in life, knowen famous, af-
ter death, remain moste worthie & glorious. Who knoweth
Tullie. ”

“ Lawe. bee determined: then at the will of euery manne, as a Lawe
by death to bee ended, the common wealthe shalbee in more
quiet state, when the horrible factes of wicked menne, by the
The Iudge,
a liuely lawe. Lawe made worthie of deathe: are neuerthelesse by a liuelie
Lawe, whiche is the Iudge, pronounced and condemned, ac-
cordyng to the Lawe. Els many mischiues might rise in all
kyngdomes and common wealthes, vnder a colour of lawe,
many a honeste persone murthered: and many a murtherer,
by cloke of a Lawe, from daunger saued. ”

“ The ende of
Aristocratia. good, as Aristotle and Plato sheweth: The ende of this go-
uernemente, fell euer to one, with a ruine of the kingdome
Politcia. and people. The multitude to beare dominion, and though a
publike wealth bée sought for a tyme, moche lesse thei conti-
nue in any good state: for in the ende, their rule and gouerne-
ment, will be without rule, order, reason, modestie, and their
lawe must bee will. The other three states, are the refuse of
good common wealthes, not to bée tollerated in any region. ”

“ Paminundas came not of anie highe nobilitie or
blood, but his parentes were honeste and verteous
who as it semed were verie well affected to vertue,
instructyng their soonne in all singulare and good
qualities, for by good and vertuous life and famous enter-
prises from a meane state, manie haue bene extolled to beare
scepter, or to attaine greate honour, for as there is a begyn-
Nobility rose
by vertue. nyng of nobilitie, so there is an ende, by vertue and famous
actes towarde the common wealthe, nobilite first rose. The
Cesar. ”

“ Man beyng a chiefe crea-
Man borne
by nature to
societee. ture or God, indued with manie singuler vertues, is framed
of nature to a mutuall and Godlie societie of life, without
the whiche moste horrible wolde the life bee, for not onlie by
concorde and agremente, the life of man dothe consiste but al
things on the earth haue therin their being: the heauens and
lightes conteined in the same, haue a perpetuall harmonie
& concente in finishyng their appointed race. The elementes
All thinges
beyng on the
yearth, dooe
consiste by a
harmonie or
concorde. ”

“ Yet thei doe so
moche leaue reason, vertue, & integritée of minde, as that thei
had been framed without reason, indued with no vertue, nor
adorned with any excellent qualitée. All creatures as nature
hath wrought in them, doe applie them selues to followe na-
ture their guide: the Ante is alwaies diligent in his busines,
and prouident, and also fore séeth in Sommer, the sharpe sea-
son of Winter: thei keepe order, and haue a kyng and a com-
mon wealthe as it were, as nature hath taught them. ”

“ No doubt, but that in all common wealthes,
famous gouernours haue been, but in all those, the moste
parte haue not been soche, that all so good men, and so good
magistrates: that it is doubted, whether thei were better mē,
Good man,
good magi-
strate, boothe
a good man
and a good
magistrate. or better magistrates. It is a rare thyng to be a good manne,
but a more difficult matter, to bee a good Magistrate: and
moste of all, to be bothe a good man, and a good Magistrate. ”

“ What saie you to be a murderer? Soche a thyng saieth he, is [Fol. xxxvij.v]
Usurie. A brief sentence againste Usurers, but wittely pro-
nounced from the mouth of a godlie, sage, noble, and descrite
persone, whiche sentence let the Usurer, ioigne to his Usury
retourned, and repeate at the retourne thereof, this sentence
The sentence
of Cato a dis-
comfort to v-
surers. of Cato, I haue murthered. This one sentence will discou-
rage any Usurer, knowyng hymself a murtherer. Though
moche more maie be spoken against it, this shalbe sufficient. ”

“ A beaste will not take
excesse in feedyng, but man often tymes is without reason,
and hauyng a pure mynde and soule giuen of God, and a face
to beholde the heauens, yet he doeth abase hymself to yearth-
Greshopper. lie thynges, as concernyng the Greshopper: as the Philoso-
phers doe saie, is made altogether of dewe, and sone perisheth [.]
[Fol. xj.r] The Greshopper maie well resemble, slothfull and sluggishe
persones, who seke onely after a present pleasure, hauyng no
fore witte and wisedom, to foresée tymes and ceasons: for it is
A poincte of
wisedome. ”

“ For, to
whom wealthe and plentie riseth, at their handes many bee
releued, and helped, all soche as bee oppressed with necessi-
tie and miserie, beyng caste from all helpe, reason and proui-
dence maimed in theim: All arte and Science, and meane of
life cutte of, to enlarge and maintain better state of life, their
Pouertie. miserie, necessitie, and pouertie, shall continuallie encrease,
who hopeth at other mennes handes, to craue relief, is decei-
ued. ”

“ The praise of
Homere. dacion to all ages. What Region, Isle, or nacion is not, by
his inuencion set foorthe: who although he were blinde, his
minde sawe all wisedome, the states of all good kyngdomes
The content
of Homers
bookes. and common wealthes. The verie liuely Image of a Prince
or gouernour, the faithfull and humble obediēce of a subiect,
toward the prince, the state of a capitaine, the vertue and no-
ble qualities, that are requisite, in soche a personage, be there
set forthe. The perfite state of a wiseman, and politike, is in-
treated of by hym. ”

“ Prince and Capitaine to be a cowarde, there wanted neither
men, nor treasure, if ye haue respecte to the kyng hymself, for
cowardlinesse ye will dispraise the kyng, but his threasures
beeyng so infinite, ye will maruaile at the plentie thereof,
whose armie and infinite hoste, though mightie floodes and
streames, were not able to suffice for drinke, yet his richesse
Xerxes laste
in battaile,
and first to
runne awaie. semed not spente nor tasted of. Xerxes hymself would be laste
in battaile to fight, and the firste to retire, and runne awaie. ”

“ Who for wisedome was called Marcus
Philosophus, in his sonne what vice was thē that he practi-
sed not, belie chier, druncknes and harlottes, was his delite,
his crueltie and bluddie life was suche that he murthered all
the godlie and wise Senatours, had in price with Marcus
Seuerus. his father. Seuerus in like maner, was a noble and famous
Emperor, in the Senate moste graue, politike, and in his
Marcus
Antonius
Caracalla. warres moste fortunate, but in his sonne Marcus Antoni-
nus Caracalla, what wickednes wanted, whose beastlie life
is rather to be put in silence, then spoken of. ”

“ Logike is like faith he to the fiste, for
euen as the fiste closeth and shutteth into one, the iointes and
partes of the hande, & with mightie force and strength, wrap-
Similitude [.]
Logike. peth and closeth in thynges apprehended: So Logike for the
deepe and profounde knowlege, that is reposed and buried in
it, in soche sort of municion and strength fortified, in few wor-
des taketh soche force and might by argumente, that excepte
[Fol. j.v] like equalitée in like art and knowledge doe mate it, in vain
the disputacion shalbe, and the repulse of thaduersarie readie. ”

“ Frendship. thyng soner faileth, then frendship, and the soner it faileth, as
Homere. fortune is impouerished. Seyng that, as Homere doeth saie,
a slothfull man, giuen to no arte or science, to helpe hymself,
or an other, is an vnprofitable burdein to the yearth, and God
dooeth sore plague, punishe, and ouerthrowe Citees, kyng-
domes, and common wealthes, grounded in soche vices: that
the wisedome of man maie well iudge, hym to be vnworthie
of all helpe, and sustinaunce. He is worse then a beast, that is
not able to liue to hymself & other: no man is of witte so vn-
Nature. ”

“ For, as Demosthenes the famous Orator of A-
thenes doeth saie. If that wicked men cease not their violēce
if that good men in all quietnes and securitie, can not enioye
their owne goddes, while lawe and aucthoritie of the magi-
strate, seuerelie and sharply vseth his aucthoritie and sword.
If dailie the heddes of wicked men, cease not to subuerte la-
wes, orders, and decrees godlie appoincted. Whiles that in
all Citees and common wealthes, the Princes and gouer-
The force of
lawes. nours, are by lawes a terror to them. ”

“ Zopyrus therfore, beautified his countrée, by
the deformitie of his bodie. Better it wer to haue many soche
deformed bodies, then the whole state of the realme destroied
or brought to naught: if we weigh the magnanimitie of that
man, and his enterprise, there is so moche honour in the fact,
that his fame shall neuer cease.
¶ A common place.
Why it is cal-
led a common
place. Common place is a Oracion, dilatyng and ampli-
fiyng good or euill, whiche is incidente or lodged in
any man. ”