A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike Part 12

aunciente Citee of London, shewyng the auncient buildyng of thesame: the commyng of Brutus, who was the firste au- cthor and erector of thesame. As Romulus was of the migh- tie Citee Rome, what kyngs haue fro[m] tyme to tyme, lineal- ly descended, and succeded, bearing croune and scepter there- in: the valiauntnes of the people, what terror thei haue been to all forraine nacions. What victories thei haue in battaile obteined, how diuers nacions haue sought their amitee and [Sidenote: Fraunce and Scotlande vpholded by y^e gouernors of this lande.]

league. The false Scottes, and Frenche menne truce brea- kers: many and sonderie tymes, losyng their honour in the field, and yet thei, through the puissaunt harte of the kynges of this lande, vpholdyd and saued, from the mighte and force [Sidenote: Cambridge.

Oxforde.]

of other enemies inuadyng theim. The twoo famous Uni- uersitees of this lande, from the whiche, no small nomber of greate learned men and famous, haue in the co[m]mon wealthe sp.r.o.ng, with all other thynges to it.

The praise of a Kyng, Prince, Duke, Erle, Lorde, Ba- ron, Squire, or of any other man be maie declaimed of obser[-]

uing the order of this parte of _Rhetorike_.

This parte of _Rhetorike_ called praise, is either a particu- ler praise of one, as of kyng Henry the fifte, Plato, Tullie, Demosthenes, Cyrus, Darius, Alexander the greate.

[Fol. xl.r]

Or a generalle and vniuersalle praise, as the praise of all the Britaines: or of all the citezeins of London.

-- The order to make this Oracion, is thus declared.

Firste, for the enteryng of the matter, you shall place a _exordium_, or beginnyng.

The seconde place, you shall bryng to his praise, _Genus eius_, that is to saie: Of what kinde he came of, whiche dooeth consiste in fower poinctes.

{ Of what nacion. } { Of what countree. } { Of what auncetours. } { Of what parentes. }

After that you shall declare, his educacion: the educacion is conteined in three poinctes.

{ Inst.i.tucion. } In { Arte. } { Lawes. }

Then put there to that, whiche is the chief grounde of al praise: his actes doen, whiche doe procede out of the giftes, and excellencies of the minde, as the fort.i.tude of the mynde, wisedome, and magnanimitee.

Of the bodie, as a beautifull face, amiable countenaunce[,]

swiftnesse, the might and strength of thesame.

The excellencies of fortune, as his dignitee, power, au- cthoritee, riches, substaunce, frendes.

In the fifte place vse a comparison, wherein that whiche you praise, maie be aduaunced to the vttermoste.

Laste of all, vse the _Epilogus_, or conclusion.

-- The example of the Oracion.

-- The praise of Epaminundas.

IN whom nature hath powred singuler giftes, in whom vertue, & singularitee, in famous en- terprises aboundeth: whose glorie & renoume, rooteth to the posteritee, immortall commen- dacion. In the graue, their vertues and G.o.dlie [Fol. xl.v]

[Sidenote: Obliuion.]

life, tasteth not of Obliuion, whiche at the length ouerthro- weth all creatures, Citees, and regions. Thei liue onelie in all ages, whose vertues spreadeth fame and n.o.ble enterpri- [Sidenote: Who liue in all ages.]

ses, by vertue rooteth immortalitee. 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- [Sidenote: Good fame chieflie rou- teth after death.]

gnitee, 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 G.o.dlie, in life, knowen famous, af- ter death, remain moste worthie & glorious. Who knoweth [Sidenote: Tullie.

Demosthe- nes.

Iulius Ce- sar.

Octauius Augustus.

Uespasia.n.u.s[.]

Theodosius.

Traianns.

Adria.n.u.s.]

not of Tullie, the famous Oratour of Rome. Doeth De- mosthenes lieth hidden, that n.o.ble Oratour of Athenes. Is not y^e fame of Iulius Cesar, Octauius Augustus remainyng of Uespasia.n.u.s: of Theodosius, of Traia.n.u.s, of Adria.n.u.s, who by praise minded, be left to the ende of al ages. Soche a one was this Epaminundas, the famous Duke of Thebe, whose vertues gaue hym honour in life, and famous enter- prises, immortalitee of fame after death. What can bee saied more, in the praise and commendacion, of any peere of estate, then was saied in the praise of Epaminundas, for his ver- tues were so singulare, that it was doubted, he beyng so good a manne, and so good a Magistrate, whether he were better manne, or better Magistrate: whose vertues were so vnited, that vertue alwaies tempered his enterprises, his loftie state as fortune oftentymes blindeth, did not make hym vnmind- full of his state. 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 me[n], [Sidenote: 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.

Honour and preeminent state, doeth sometyme induce obli- uion, whereupon thei ought the more vigilantlie to wade: [Fol. xlj.r]

in all causes, and with all moderacion, to temper their pree- [Sidenote: The saiynge of the Philo- sophers.]

minent state. The Philosophers ponderyng the brickle and slippere state of fortune, did p.r.o.nounce this sentence: _Diffici- lius est res aduersas pati, quam fortunam eflantem ferre_, it is more easie to beare sharpe and extreme pouertie, then to rule and moderate fortune, because that the wisest menne of all [Sidenote: Obliuion.]

haue as Chronicles doe shewe, felte this obliuion, that their maners haue been so chaunged, as that natures molde in the[m]

had ben altered or nuelie framed, in the life of Epaminu[n]das moderacion and vertue, so gouerned his state, that he was a honor and renowne to his state, nothing can be more ample in his praise, then that which is lefte Chronicled of him.

[--] Of his countrie.

EPaminundas was borne in Thebe a famous citie in [Sidenote: Cadmus.

Amphion.

Hercules.]

Beotia, the which Cadmus the sone of Agenor buil- ded, whiche Amphion did close & enuiron with wal- les, in the whiche the mightie and valiaunt Hercules was borne, & manie n.o.ble Princes helde therin scepter, the which Citie is t.i.tuled famous to the posterity by the n.o.ble gouern- ment of Epaminundas.

-- Of his auncetours.

EPaminundas came not of anie highe n.o.bilitie 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- [Sidenote: n.o.bility rose by vertue.]

nyng of n.o.bilitie, so there is an ende, by vertue and famous actes towarde the common wealthe, n.o.bilite first rose. The [Sidenote: Cesar.

Scipio.]

stock of Cesar and Cesars was exalted from a meaner state, by vertue onelie to n.o.bilitie. Scipios stocke was not alwais n.o.ble, but his vertues graffed n.o.bilitie to the posteritie of his line and ofspryng followynge. And euen so as their fa- [Fol. xlj.v]

mous enterprices excelled, n.o.bilite in theim also increased.

[Sidenote: Catilina.]

Catilina wicked, was of a n.o.ble house, but he degenerated from the n.o.bilitie of his auncestours, the vertues that graf- fed n.o.bilitie in his auncestors, were first extinguished in Ca- [Sidenote: Marcus Antonius.]

iline. Marcus Antonius was a n.o.ble Emperour, a Prince indued with all wisedome and G.o.dlie gouernme[n]t, who was of a n.o.ble pare[n]tage, it what a wicked sonne succeded him, the [Sidenote: Commodus.]

father was not so G.o.dlie, wise, and vertuous, as Commo- dus was wickedlie disposed and pestiferous. There was no vertue or excellence, meete for suche a personage, but that Marcus attained to. Who for wisedome was called Marcus Philosophus, in his sonne what vice was the[m] 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 G.o.dlie and wise Senatours, had in price with Marcus [Sidenote: Seuerus.]

his father. Seuerus in like maner, was a n.o.ble and famous Emperor, in the Senate moste graue, politike, and in his [Sidenote: 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. In the a.s.semble of the Grecians, gathered to consulte vpon the contencion of [Sidenote: Aiax.

Ulisses.]

Achilles armour, Aiax gloriouslie aduaunceth hymself of his auncestrie, from many kinges descended, whom Ulisses his aduersarie aunswered: makyng a long and eloquente Ora- cion, before the n.o.ble peeres of Grece, concernyng Aiax his auncetours. These are his woordes.

_Nam genus et proauos et que non fecimus ipsi, Vix ea nostra voco, sed enim quia retulit Aiax, esse Iouis p.r.o.nepos._

As for our parentage, and line of auncetours, long before vs, and n.o.ble actes of theirs: as we our selues haue not doen the like, how can we call, and t.i.tle their actes to be ours. Let them therefore, whiche haue descended from n.o.ble blood, and famous auncetours: bee like affected to all n.o.bilitee of their auncetours, what can thei glory in the n.o.bilitee of their aun- [Fol. xlij.r]

cetours. Well, their auncetours haue laied the foundacion, [Sidenote: n.o.bilitee.]

and renoume of n.o.bilitee to their ofspryng. What n.o.bilitee is founde in them, when thei builde nothyng, to their aunce- tours woorke of n.o.bilitee. Euen as their auncetours, n.o.blie endeuoured them selues, to purchase and obtain, by famous actes their n.o.bilitee) for, n.o.bilitee and vertue, descendeth al- waies to the like) so thei contrary retire and giue backe, fro[m]

all the n.o.biliee of their auncestours, where as thei ought, [Sidenote: A beginnyng of n.o.bilitee.]

with like n.o.bilitee to imitate them. Many haue been, whiche through their wisedome, and famous enterprises, in the af- faires of their Prince, worthelie to honour haue been extol- led and aduaunced: who also were the firste aucthours and founders of n.o.biliee, to their name and ofspring. Whose of- spring indued with like n.o.bilitee of vertues, and n.o.ble actes haue increased their auncestors glorie: the childre[n] or ofspring lineally descendyng, hauyng no part of the auncestours glo- rie, how can thei vaunte them selues of n.o.biliee, whiche thei lacke, and dooe nothyng possesse thereof, Euen from lowe [Sidenote: Galerius a Shepherds sonne Empe- ror of Rome.

Probus a Gardeiners sonne, Em- perour.]

birthe and degree. Galerius Armentarius was aduaunced, euen from a Shepherdes sonne, to sit in the Imperiall seat of Roome. Galerius Maximinus whom all the Easte obaied, his vertues and n.o.ble acts huffed hym to beare scepter in the Empire of Roome. Probus a Gardiners soonne, to the like throne and glorie asce[n]ded, so G.o.d disposeth the state of euery man, placyng and bestowing dignitee, where it pleaseth him as he setteth vp, so he pulleth doune, his prouidence & might is bounde to no state, stocke, or kindred.

-- Of his educacion.