English poetry -- History and criticism; Poetry -- Early works to 1800
Right so in negotiating with Princes we ought to seeke their fauour by
humilitie & not by sternnesse, nor to trafficke with them by way of indent
or condition, but frankly and by manner of submission to their wils, for
Princes may be lead but not driuen, nor they are to be vanquisht by
allegation, but must be suffered to haue the victorie and be relented
vnto: nor they are not to be challenged for right or iustice, for that is
a maner of accusation: nor to be charged with their promises, for that is
a kinde of condemnation: and at their request we ought not to be hardly
entreated but easily, for that is a signe of deffidence and mistrust in
their bountie and gratitude: nor to recite the good seruices which they
haue receiued at our hands, for that is but a kind of exprobration, but in
crauing their bountie or largesse to remember vnto them all their former
beneficences, making no mention of our owne merites, & so it is thankfull,
and in praysing them to their faces to do it very modestly: and in their
commendations not to be exessiue for that is tedious, and alwayes fauours
of suttelty more then of sincere loue.
And in speaking to a Prince the voyce ought to be lowe and not lowde nor
shrill, for th'one is a signe of humilitie th'other of too much audacitie
and presumption. Nor in looking on them seeme to ouerlooke them, nor yet
behold them too stedfastly, for that is a signe of impudence or litle
reuerence, and therefore to the great Princes Orientall their seruitours
speaking or being spoken vnto abbase their eyes in token of lowlines,
which behauiour we do not obserue to our Princes with so good a discretion
as they do: & such as retire from the Princes presence, do not by & by
turne tayle to them as we do, but go backward or sideling for a reasonable
space, til they be at the wal or chamber doore passing out of sight, and
is thought a most decent behauiour to their soueraignes. I haue heard that
king _Henry_ th'eight her Maiesties father, though otherwise the most
gentle and affable Prince of the world, could not abide to haue any man
stare in his face or to fix his eye too steedily vpon him when he talked
with them: nor for a common suter to exclame or cry out for iustice, for
that is offensiue and as it were a secret impeachement of his wrong doing,
as happened once to a Knight in this Realme of great worship speaking to
the king. Nor in speaches with them to be too long, or too much affected,
for th'one is tedious th'other is irksome, nor with lowd acclamations to
applaude them, for that is too popular & rude and betokens either
ignoraunce, or seldome accesse to their presence, or little frequenting
their Courts: nor to shew too mery or light a countenance, for that is a
signe of little reuerence and is a peece of a contempt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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