Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
History
Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
England -- Social life and customs -- 16th century; Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377
Moreover, as the king doth dub knights, and createth the barons and
higher degrees, so gentlemen whose ancestors are not known to come in
with William Duke of Normandy (for of the Saxon races yet remaining we
now make none accounted, much less of the British issue) do take their
beginning in England, after this manner in our times.
Whosoever studieth the laws of the realm, whoso abideth in the
university (giving his mind to his book), or professeth physic and the
liberal sciences, or beside his service in the room of a captain in the
wars, or good counsel given at home, whereby his commonwealth is
benefited, can live without manual labour, and thereto is able and will
bear the port, charge, and countenance of a gentleman, he shall for
money have a coat and arms bestowed upon him by heralds (who in the
charter of the same do of custom pretend antiquity and service, and
many gay things), and thereunto, being made so good cheap, be called
master (which is the title that men give to esquires and gentlemen),
and reputed for a gentleman ever after, which is so much less to be
disallowed of for that the prince doth lose nothing by it, the
gentleman being so much subject to taxes and public payments as is the
yeoman or husbandman, which he likewise doth bear the gladlier for the
saving of his reputation. Being called also to the wars (for with the
government of the commonwealth he meddleth little), whatsoever it cost
him, he will both array and arm himself accordingly, and shew the more
manly courage, and all the tokens of the person which he represented.
No man hath hurt by it but himself, who peradventure will go in wider
buskins than his legs will bear, or, as our proverb saith, "now and
then bear a bigger sail than his boat is able to sustain."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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