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34

Meditation 4. Of Courtesie, or Humanity.

Thus haue I brought the Muse from pleasing shade,
And gentle sweetest Heliconian Spring,
To Stoicks Schoole, to teach her in the trade
Of Constancie, and firme perseuering:
Some Criticke will me blame for marshalling
Cato seuere, with Virgins sweet delight,
But nothing more makes for their honouring,
Than with that noble Vertue to be dight,
Which makes them high accepted eu'n in Princes sight.
And sure, O Kings, your wisedomes cannot find
More prudent Senatours, your States to sway,
Than Muses friends, which haue a constant mind,
And know as well to gouerne as obay:
Who by their Courtesie and Constance may
Order your Hals, and wield your State-affaires:
For noble Courtesie and Constance ay
Adorne Kings Iudgements-Seats, and stately Chaires,
And strangers intertaine, that to your Court repaires.
For in each flourishing and goodly State,
Vpon the royall Person of the King,
The courteous Courtier hath a place to waite,
As well as Senate for wise-gouerning:
These both must ioyne in prudent managing
Of subiect Prouinces, and to entreate,
Of Leagues with Princes on them bordering;
But he for all employments is most meete,
Where Courtesie and Constance both together greet.
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Wherefore in Court of Loues most royall Queene,
Where Graces all, in due administration,
Are in most comely order placed seene
For Kingdomes Peace, and Princes Delectation:
Behold this one thing worth thy Obseruation,
Braue Constance ay with Courtesie is ioyn'd,
For all men do obserue, with admiration,
A courteous carriage, with a constant mind,
Adoring eu'n as Gods the valiant gentle kind.
For sure except these both together meet,
Constance alone's so rigid and seuere,
She for a pedagogue is farre more meet,
Than Office in Loues gentle Court to beare:
And, if that single courtesie appeare,
Without this resolute most constant Grace,
She is but apish complement, to bleare
Beholders eyes with Conges and a face,
When nought that in her looks, within her heart hath place.
Dauid the heau'nly Muses darling deare,
An Embleme of Humanity I find,
In Camp he is vndanted, without feare,
In Court of constant, noble, courteous mind,
One Ionathans true loue to him inclin'd,
The other smites eu'n stout Goliah downe,
His Muse the euill spirit of Saul doth bind,
And rais'd him from the fould to high renowne,
And set vpon his royall head the golden Crowne.
True noble Courtesie, most heau'nly Grace,
Most high to be esteem'd and reckoned
Of all; but most of those whom God doth place,
Aboue their brethren to be honored:
For they that heere vs gouerne in his stead,
Ought, like their Lord, to gentlenesse incline,
Who, though his Throne shines round with lightning dread,
With courteous countenance on his doth shine,
Oh gentle King me grant this Grace aright to line.
36

Gentlenesse, Courtesie, Humanitie,
Diuers in name, in nature are the same,
Proceeding from the minds integrity,
And are as sparkes of Loues celestiall flame:
The outward shews which cōplements we name,
Are but as Symboles of her heart and mind,
If they be true, she is a noble Dame,
If feign'd, she is the shame of womankind,
And seekes to lye with all, where she may fauour find.
I know not whether I may better call
Her Sister, or the Child of Grauity,
But sure I find these Graces all in all,
Delighting in each others Company:
The glory of all faire Societie,
Most reuerend and amiable Peeres,
In whom all sweetnesse shines with Maiesty,
Where not least ostentation vaine appeares,
Chiefe ornaments of Youth, and grace of siluer haires.
Both doe proceed from one Dame, Sanctitie.
And both employed are in reformation
Of manners; but in briefe Humanity
A man, humane, like to his name doth fashion:
And this to Poets fables gaue occasion,
To tell how men were made of stocks and stones,
And Beasts turn'd men, by Orpheus his perswasion.
And for she thus brought men to liue as one,
Amphions Harp is said Thebes wals to build alone.
Yea those, that in Humanity transcended,
And others brought vnto ciuility,
Were deified when their liues were ended,
And euer honour'd of Posterity:
Ah! what more princely is than Courtesie?
Thus Kings to King of heau'n most neere do come,
When sauage men vnto Society
They bring, which else like furious Beasts would runne,
And eu'n more cruell to themselues than beasts become.
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Thus Courtesie with adamantine band
Men tyes in Friendship, free from Enuies rents,
For no offence can part their ioyned hand,
Where gentlenesse interprets friends intents;
Where Kindnesse euer Courtesies preuents,
And gratefull, alwayes striues to ouercome,
As Foes by Armes, Friends by munificence
The barbarous and insolentest groome
Doth gentle, kinde, benigne, by Courtesie become,
Man is the weakest creature God hath made,
For where all else, by heau'nly Prouidence,
Haue bodyes arm'd 'gainst Foes that them inuade,
And rage of Times by Natures muniments,
Man onely Vertue hath for his defence,
This gentle vertue, sweet humanity,
With louing kind and tender heart, from whence
Flow Pitie, Mercy, Loue, Benignity,
Whereby we mutuall helpes to others heere supply.
For these Companions are to gentlenesse,
Which make her heere beloued vnto all;
Sweet gracious lookes, and speeches gracefulnesse,
Are to this courteous Lady naturall,
To which she adding Maiesty withall,
And comely Guize doth steale mens hearts away,
And free, from sterne morosity and gall,
In sweet Tranquillity and Peace doth stay,
Immutable, without base perturbation, ay.
Farre from the base morose and cynnicall,
That to all others manners are auerse,
Who are so crooked, crosse and criticall,
In their owne dispositions so peruerse,
No friend with them is able to conuerse,
Delighting to be conuersant with none;
But sullen, truculent, so sterne and fierce,
You easier may wring water from a stone.
Then mirth and gentle words; or lookes from such an one.
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Neighbourhood, Countreys-Loue, Affinity,
Kindred and Friendship are cold barren names;
Such neither like nor loue the Company
Of honest equals, nor of gentle Dames:
This Vice in eu'ry man eu'n Nature blames,
But most in Officers of Court or State,
For Courteous grauity her Courtier frames;
Sweet, gentle, facile, pleasing, delicate,
Faire Almas bounteous Peares in all to imitate.
As he is worthy Death, who heere denyes
His brother Water from a liuing Spring,
Or him Sunnes comfortable Beames enuyes,
Or from his Candles-light, light-borrowing,
Or to direct aright the wandering;
So he is most discourteous, inhumane,
Who when he profit may to others bring,
Without least Damage to himselfe, or blame,
Yet to his brother churlishly denies the same.
Humanity's like fairest Iuly-flower
With silken leaues, which bud, doth yet inclose,
Which faire dispreading by sweet Natures power
As she doth waxe broader and sweeter blowes;
No flower in Loues fairest garden growes,
That more delights the smell, affects the eye,
But as from roote bright hue and sweetnesse flowes,
So from the heart springs fairest Courtesie,
Else as the Flower fades, so dyes Humanity.
For as a gentle heart it selfe bewrayes,
By doing courteous deeds, with free delight,
Eu'n so base dunghill minde it selfe displayes,
In malice, churlishnesse, reuenge and spight:
Humanity is Friendships chiefest night,
Foes reconciler, Bounty's greatest Fame,
Than to accept more ready to requite,
Gifts are to her like Oyle powr'd on the flame,
Which more and more her heart with friendly loue inflame.
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As blowing on hot coales them more enflames,
But water on them powr'd extinguisheth;
So bitter words enrage, but soft reclaimes:
One ire appeaseth, th' other kindleth:
And as more safe on Sea he trauelleth,
That passeth on with soft and gentle blast,
Than whom full Sailes like arrow carryeth:
So stands the mild, sweet gentle man more fast,
Than he whose furious mood beares all before in hast.
As lukewarme water cooles an inflamation,
So courteous language, anger pacifies,
And as wild horse is tam'd by mild tractation,
So cruell foes are wonne by courtesies:
We easier our most sauage enemies
Subdue by Gentlenesse, than cruelty,
Wild Hawkes the Faulkner surer to him tyes,
By handling gently, and familiarly,
Than if he neuer suffer'd them from fist to fly.
The Bough by gentlenesse is easily bent,
Which handled boistrously would break in sunder.
Thus fiercest Bull is with the yoake content,
And gentlenesse brings cruell Tygres vnder:
Philosophers affirme that dint of Thunder,
Doth neuer hurt, where it doth yeelding find,
It melts the blade, and yet behold and wonder!
The scabberd's not consum'd, it bones doth grind,
And yet the yeelding flesh is neither scorch'd nor pin'd.
Wisely, said he, that thought wise men below
Should not be mou'd with those which do offend,
But where they vices find increase and grow,
Should striue and do their best them to amend;
Like good Physicians, who when they attend
Their Patients, are not angry with their fit,
But to the cure best skill and cunning bend:
As all are sonnes of Eue, we sinne commit,
But he is most like God, that heere amendeth it.
40

Humanitie may haue a threefold sense,
Mans Nature, Vertue, and his education,
Jn humane Arts, and pure Intelligence;
From whence she seemes to haue denomination:
And therefore Liberall Arts by eu'ry Nation,
Are call'd the studies of humanity,
And breed in man a courteous conuersation,
With gentle manners and ciuility,
Which onely heau'ns bestow on Muses Nursery.
And hence it is, that rustique Boores and Clownes,
Who want the good of ciuill education,
So rude and rustique are in Countrey townes,
When those, that haue with Muses conuersation,
Or neere to Princes Courts their habitation,
Become more ciuill, sociable, kinde;
Hence 'tis that eu'ry rude and sauage nation,
Where gentle Arts abide not, are inclin'd
To rustique force, and sauage cruelty of mind.
No greater Grace the heau'ns to man afford,
Than gentle breeding vp in heau'nly lore,
By thews and holy knowledge to accord
Their wrathfull furious Passions euermore:
Plato the Gods immortall doth adore,
That they him reasonable made, no Beast;
A Man, no Woman: But it glads him more,
That he knew humane Arts, and heau'nly best,
By which he thought himselfe in life and death most blest.
The Emperour Traiane; when his friends him blame
As carelesse of imperiall Maiesty,
Because so mild, sweet, gentle he became
And affable to all his company;
Said he would so be in high Sou'raignty
To others: as if else he priuate were,
He wish'd to find the royall Dignity,
With whom all good men ought be free from feare,
But cruell, vile, malicious, neuer should come there.
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Philip, who had by Liberalitie
Obliged, as he thought, to him a Nation,
Receiued nought but Scorne for Courtesie,
Wherefore his Courtiers, mou'd with indignation,
Perswade their King vnto reuenge and passion:
Soft, said the Prince, if these men doe requite
Our benefits, in such a scornefull fashion,
They vs for iniuries will more despight:
True patterne of a prudent, patient, gentle Knight.
Is Iury barren then of gentle deed?
Because I onely of the Nations tell,
The liues of Abram, Isaac, Ioseph reade,
And see how they in Courtesie excell:
When as betwixt the Heardmen strife befell,
Abram leaues to his nephew Lot the Plaine,
His Courtesie the Angels greetes so well,
Their errand gently they to him explaine,
Yea gracious God to him familiar talke did daigne.
Most gentle Iacob, courteous like thy Sire,
Though Laban churlishly thee handeled;
Let all thy patient gentlenesse admire,
When thou didst see thy Dina rauished,
And for her Rape a Nation slaughtered:
Thy gentle Ioseph into Egypt sold,
Who when he sees his brethren humbeled,
Could not his heart and eyes from weeping hold,
The Dreames thus prouing true, which he before had told.
Though Shemei barke, Dauid forbids to smite,
Oh let him curse, my sonne me seekes to kill:
The Lord with Blessings may his Curse requite,
If in his fauour I continue still,
I shall returne, else be it as he will.
Mephibosheth must haue his fathers land,
And at his Table eate of Bread his fill,
Chimham in old Barzellais roome shall stand.
And nothing be denide him at King Dauids hand.
42

But Kings and People, all learne gentlenesse
Of our most courteous, gentle King of Kings,
Who, when he walk'd on earth in lowlinesse,
And was the Lord and Maker of all things,
Neuer vs'd bitter words nor threatenings,
But was to meanest, courteous, gentle, mild;
The Lord rebuke thee, Michael onely sings
When Satans malice would haue him beguil'd
Of Moses body; but he neuer him reuil'd.
As of the head, so of the members learne
Mildnesse, Humanity, and Gentlenesse,
Speeches morose, and countenances sterne
Neuer agree with worth and noblenesse:
Nor to the vessels of true holinesse:
And Dames that soft and tender are by kind,
Adorn'd with Natures goodliest gracefulnesse,
Be gentle, humble, soft and meeke in mind,
So you with God and Man, shall grace and fauour find.
No vertue so adornes a valiant man,
Nor vertuous Dame, whom valiant men doe loue,
As courtesie, which best direct them can
To beare themselues in all as doth behoue:
Whether them God hath plast to rule aboue,
Or wait below, it them befits to know
Their Duties, that none iustly may reproue
Their rudenesse, in not giuing what they ow:
Who giues each man his due, doth great discretion show.
Nothing more wins mens hearts than gentle words,
Nor their affections than sweet lookes delight,
If Men, like Beasts, should make the strongest Lords,
And be enrag'd one at anothers sight,
Societie of men would perish quight,
The rules of Policies and States would faile;
Mens liues should be in hazzard of each wight,
That them by force or cunning would assaile,
Yea sauage Beasts against their weakenesse would preuaile.
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Rude manners those that haue them doe infest,
And grieuous are to all they deale withall,
But gentlenesse in Angels, Man, and Beast,
Is much commended and belou'd of all:
The Poets want the Gods in heau'n to call
Most gentle, bountifull, and amiable;
But Fiends and Furies, cruell, tetricall,
To first they Temples build, and prayers fable,
Counting th' other dreadfull and abominable.
If Socrates a froward wife would beare,
As men ride horses wild; that they may know
To rule them better that well tamed were,
Much more should Christians sweetly beare the blow
Of proud and cruell worldlings heere below:
And not to grieue at their prosperitie,
Though heere they seeme in wealth and blisse to flow,
Alas such stand in places slippery,
And in their haughty pride shall perish suddenly.
Who that most wicked Sect doe imitate,
That would all friendship and acquaintance shun,
That they might heere enioy more happy fate,
And partners of no others losse become:
One burthen is inough for any one,
Oh! why should others losses them molest:
By this is all Humanity vndone,
And man made more vngentle than a beast,
The Heathen therefore did such beastlinesse detest.
The first and speciall Duty, which we ow,
Is Loue to God, which we call Piety;
Next, is the Mercy we to men do show,
And this indeed is true Humanity:
This is the summe of all Diuinity;
And this to Piety doth Practice ioyne:
All loue the Lord in words, but doe deny
Their hearts and hands to Mercy to incline,
God grant they both in vs together may combine.
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Chiefe Band amongst men is Humanity,
Which who would breake, deserues eternall paine,
From one man all deriue their pedigree,
And therefore Kinsmen all in him remaine:
From one God, we our soules doe all obtaine,
And so we brethren are, and neerer ioyn'd
In Soule than Body: And we hope in vaine,
If all into one head be not conioyn'd,
And feele not all one Spirit working in our minde.
Inhumane cruell Beasts! which take delight
Without iust cause Gods image to destroy,
Torment, kill, torture, cruelly despight,
When God would haue all liue in amity.
Oh measure others by thy misery!
No man without anothers ayd can liue,
He that denies helpe in aduersitie,
None at his need vnto him helpe shall giue,
As none shall be forgiu'n, that doth not heere forgiue.
No man, that doth obey Dame Natures hest,
Can hurt a man, much lesse him spoile or kill:
Learne of the gentle, meeke, and harmlesse beast,
How he Society doth couet still:
The Shepheards gentle Flocks the Plaines do fill,
Wolues, Beares and Tygres loue to Lord alone:
Where they their yong ones with the fat may fill,
And forrage all the Countrey for their owne,
Lo Mercy there is strange, where Misery's vnknowne.
Such in their Complement are onely kind;
And where they kindnesse may receiue againe,
Oh be mine heart to gentlenesse inclind!
Not for base recompence, reward, or gaine,
But for his sake, who for my sinne was slaine:
But ouer-courteously I doe abuse
My Readers patience, with vngentle straine,
Yet if he gentle be, he cannot chuse,
But my most willing mind, though not my Verse excuse.
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