English poetry -- History and criticism; Poetry -- Early works to 1800
And in their commendable delights to be apt and accommodate, as if the
Prince be geuen to hauking, hunting, riding of horses, or playing vpon
instruments, or any like exercise, the seruitour to be the same: and in
their other appetites wherein the Prince would seeme an example of vertue,
and would not mislike to be egalled by others: in such cases it is decent
their seruitours & subiects studie to be like to them by imitation, as in
wearing their haire long or short, or in this or that sort of apparrell,
such excepted as be only fitte for Princes and none els, which were
vndecent for a meaner person to imitate or counterfet: so is it not comely
to counterfet their voice, or looke, or any other gestures that be not
ordinary and naturall in euery common person: and therefore to go vpright
or speake or looke assuredly, it is decent in euery man. But if the Prince
haue an extraordinarie countenance or manner of speech, or bearing of his
body, that for a common seruitour to counterfet is not decent, and
therefore it was misliked in the Emperor _Nero_, and thought uncomely for
him to counterfet _Alexander_ the great by holding his head a little
awrie, & neerer toward the tone shoulder, because it was not his own
naturall.
And in a Prince it is decent to goe slowly, and to march with leysure, and
with a certaine granditie rather than grauitie: as our soueraine Lady and
mistresse, the very image of maiestie and magnificence, is accustomed to
doe generally, vnlesse it be when she walketh apace for her pleasure, or
to catch her a heate in the colde mornings.
Neuerthelesse, it is not so decent in a meaner person, as I haue obserued
in some counterfet Ladies of the Countrey, which vse it much to their owne
derision. This comelines was wanting in Queene _Marie_, otherwise a very
good and honourable Princesse. And was some blemish to the Emperor
_Ferdinando_, a most noble minded man, yet so carelesse and forgetfull of
himselfe in that behalfe, as I haue seene him runne vp a paire of staires
so swift and nimble a pace as almost had not become a very meane man, who
had not gone in some hastie businesse.
And in a noble Prince nothing is more decent and welbeseeming his
greatnesse than to spare foule speeches, for that breedes hatred, and to
let none humble suiters depart out of their presence (as neere as may be)
miscontented. Wherein her Maiestie hath of all others a most Regall gift,
and nothing inferior to the good Prince _Titus Vespasianus_ in that point.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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