Chapter 2

FIrste it is good that the learner doe vnderstand what is a fable, for in all matters of learnyng, it is the firste grounde, as Tullie doeth saie, to knowe what the thing is, that we may the bet- [Sidenote: What is a fable.] ter perceiue whervpo[n] we doe intreate. A fable is a forged tale, co[n]taining in it by the colour of a lie, a matter [Sidenote: Morall.] of truthe. The moralle is called that, out of the whiche some godlie precepte, or admonicion to vertue is giuen, to frame and instruct our maners. Now that we knowe what a fable is, it is good to learne also, how manifolde or diuers thei be, [Sidenote: Three sortes of fables. i. A fable of reason.] I doe finde three maner of fables to be. The first of theim is, wherein a man being a creature of God indued with reason, is onely intreated of, as the Fable of the father and his chil- dren, he willing the[m] to concorde, and this is called _Rationalis fabula_, whiche is asmoche to saie, as a Fable of men indued [Sidenote: ii. Morall.] with reason, or women. The second is called a morall fable, but I sée no cause whie it is so called, but rather as the other is called a fable of reasonable creatures, so this is contrarilie named a fable of beastes, or of other thinges wanting reason or life, wanting reason as of the Ante and the Greshopper, or of this the beame caste doun, and the Frogges chosyng their [Sidenote: iii. Mixt.] king. The thirde is a mixt Fable so called, bicause in it bothe man hauyng reason, and a beaste wantyng reason, or any o- ther thing wanting life, is ioyned with it, as for the example, of the fable of the woodes and the housebandman, of whom [Sidenote: Poetes in- uentours of fables.] he desired a helue for his hatchet. Aucthours doe write, that Poetes firste inuented fables, the whiche Oratours also doe [Fol. iij.r] vse in their perswasions, and not without greate cause, both [Sidenote: Oratours vse fables.] Poetes and Oratours doe applie theim to their vse. For, fa- [Sidenote: Good doctrin in fables.] bles dooe conteine goodlie admonicion, vertuous preceptes [Sidenote: Hesiodus.] of life. Hesiodus the Poete, intreatyng of the iniurious dea- lyng of Princes and gouernours, against their subiectes, ad- monished them by the fable of the Goshauke, and the Nigh- [Sidenote: Ouide.] tyngale in his clause. Ouid also the Poete intreated of di- uers fables, wherein he giueth admonicion, and godly coun- [Sidenote: Demosthe- nes vsed fa- bles.] saile. Demosthenes the famous Oratour of Athens, vsed the fable of the Shepeherdes, and Wolues: how the Wol- ues on a tyme, instauntlie required of the Shepeherdes their bande dogges, and then thei would haue peace and concorde with theim, the Shepeherdes gaue ouer their Dogges, their Dogges deliuered and murdered, the shepe were immediat- ly deuoured: So saieth he, if ye shall ones deliuer to Philip, the king of the Macedonians your Oratours, by whose lear- nyng, knowlege and wisedome, the whole bodie of your do- minions is saued, for thei as Bandogges, doe repell all mis- cheuous enterprises and chaunses, no doubte, but that raue- nyng Wolfe Philip, will eate and consume your people, by this Fable he made an Oracion, he altered their counsailes and heddes of the Athenians, from so foolishe an enterprise. Also thesame Demosthenes, seyng the people careles, sloth- full, and lothsome to heare the Oratours, and all for the flo- rishing state of the kingdome: he ascended to the place or pul- pet, where the Oracions were made, and began with this fa- [Sidenote: The fable of Demosthe- nes, of the Asse and the shadowe.] ble. Ye men of Athens, saied he, it happened on a tyme, that a certaine man hired an Asse, and did take his iourney from Athens to Megara, as we would saie, fro[m] London to Yorke, the owner also of the Asse, did associate hymself in his iour- ney, to brynge backe the Asse againe, in the voyage the weather was extreame burning hotte, and the waie tedious the place also for barenes and sterilitée of trees, wanted sha- dowe in this long broyle of heate: he that satte one the Asse, lighted and tooke shadowe vnder the bellie of the Asse, and [Fol. iij.v] because the shadowe would not suffice bothe, the Asse beyng small, the owner saied, he muste haue the shadowe, because the Asse was his, I deny that saieth the other, the shadowe is myne, because I hired the Asse, thus thei were at greate con- tencion, the fable beyng recited, Demosthenes descended fro[m] his place, the whole multitude were inquisitiue, to knowe [Sidenote: The conten- cion vpon the shadowe and the Asse.] the ende about the shadowe, Demosthenes notyng their fol- lie, ascended to his place, and saied, O ye foolishe Athenians, whiles I and other, gaue to you counsaill and admonicio[n], of graue and profitable matters, your eares wer deafe, and your mindes slombred, but now I tell of a small trifeling matter, you throng to heare the reste of me. By this Fable he nipped their follie, and trapped them manifestlie, in their owne dol- tishenes. Herevpon I doe somwhat long, make copie of wor- [Sidenote: Fables well applied bee singuler.] des, to shewe the singularitee of fables well applied. In the tyme of Kyng Richard the thirde, Doctour Mourton, beyng Bishop of Elie, and prisoner in the Duke of Buckynghams house in Wales, was often tymes moued of the Duke, to speake his minde frelie, if king Richard wer lawfully king, and said to him of his fidelitée, to kepe close and secret his sen- tence: but the Bishop beyng a godlie man, and no lesse wise, waied the greate frendship, whiche was sometyme betwene the Duke & King Richard, aunswered in effect nothyng, but beyng daily troubled with his mocions & instigacions, spake a fable of Esope: My lorde saied he, I will aunswere you, by [Sidenote: The fable of the Bisshop of Elie, to the duke of Buc- kyngham.] a Fable of Esope. The Lion on a tyme gaue a commaunde- ment, that all horned beastes should flie from the woode, and none to remain there but vnhorned beastes. The Hare hea- ring of this commaundement, departed with the horned bea- stes from the woodde: The wilie Foxe metyng the Hare, de- maunded the cause of his haste, forthwith the Hare aunswe- red, a commaundemente is come from the Lion, that all hor- ned beastes should bee exiled, vpon paine of death, from the woode: why saied the Foxe, this commaundement toucheth not any sorte of beast as ye are, for thou haste no hornes but [Fol. iiij.r] knubbes: yea, but said the Hare, what, if thei saie I haue hor- nes, that is an other matter, my lorde I saie no more: what he ment, is euident to all men.

In the time of king He[n]ry theight (a prince of famous me- morie) at what time as the small houses of religio[n], wer giuen ouer to the kinges hand, by the Parliament house: the bishop of Rochester, Doctour Fisher by name stepped forthe, beyng greued with the graunt, recited before them, a fable of Esope to shewe what discommoditee would followe in the Clergie. [Sidenote: The fable of the Bisshop of Rochester, againste the graunt of the Chauntries.] My lordes and maisters saieth he, Esope recited a fable: how that on a tyme, a housebande manne desired of the woodes, a small helue for his hatchet, all the woodes consented thereto waiyng the graunt to be small, and the thyng lesse, therevpo[n] the woodes consented, in fine the housbande man cut doune a small peece of woodde to make a helue, he framyng a helue to the hatchette, without leaue and graunt, he cut doune the mightie Okes and Cedars, and destroyed the whole woodd, then the woodes repented them to late. So saith he, the gift of these small houses, ar but a small graunt into the kinges ha[n]- des: but this small graunt, will bee a waie and meane to pull doune the greate mightie fatte Abbees, & so it happened. But there is repentau[n]ce to late: & no profite ensued of the graunte.

¶ An Oracion made by a fable, to the first exer- cise to declame by, the other, bee these,

{ A Fable, a Narracion. _Chria_, } { Sentence. Confutacion, } An Oracion { Confirmacion. Common place. } made by a { The praise. The dispraise. } { The Comparison, _Ethopeia_. } { A Discripcion. _Thesis, Legislatio_ }

OF euery one of these, a goodlie Oracio[n] maie be made these excercises are called of the Grekes _Progimnas- mata_, of the Latines, profitable introduccions, or fore exercises, to attain greater arte and knowlege in _Rhetorike_, [Fol. iiij.v] and bicause, for the easie capacitée and facilitée of the learner, to attain greater knowledge in _Rhetorike_, thei are right pro- fitable and necessarie: Therefore I title this booke, to bee the foundacio[n] of _Rhetorike_, the exercises being _Progimnasmata_.

I haue chosen out the fable of the Shepeherdes, and the Wolues, vpon the whiche fable, Demosthenes made an elo- quente, copious, and wittie Oracion before the Athenians, whiche fable was so well applied, that the citée and common wealth of Athens was saued.

[Sidenote: The firste exercise.]

¶ A fable.

These notes must be obserued, to make an Oracion by a Fable.

¶ Praise.

1. Firste, ye shall recite the fable, as the aucthour telleth it.

2. There in the seconde place, you shall praise the aucthoure who made the fable, whiche praise maie sone bee gotte of any studious scholer, if he reade the aucthours life and actes ther- in, or the Godlie preceptes in his fables, shall giue abundant praise.

3. Then thirdlie place the morall, whiche is the interpreta- cion annexed to the Fable, for the fable was inuented for the moralles sake.

4. Then orderlie in the fowerth place, declare the nature of thynges, conteined in the Fable, either of man, fishe, foule, beaste, plante, trées, stones, or whatsoeuer it be. There is no man of witte so dulle, or of so grosse capacitée, but either by his naturall witte, or by reading, or sences, he is hable to saie somwhat in the nature of any thyng.

5. In the fifte place, sette forthe the thynges, reasonyng one with an other, as the Ant with the Greshopper, or the Cocke with the precious stone.

6. The[n] in the vj. place, make a similitude of the like matter.

7. Then in the seuenth place, induce an exa[m]ple for thesame matter to bée proued by.

8. Laste of all make the _Epilogus_, whiche is called the con- clusion, and herein marke the notes folowyng, how to make [Fol. v.r] an Oracion thereby.

¶ An Oracion made vpon the fable of the Shepeherdes and the wolues.

¶ The fable.

THe Wolues on a tyme perswaded the Shepeher- des, that thei would ioyne amitée, and make a league of concord and vnitee: the demaunde plea- sed the Shepeherdes, foorthwith the Wolues re- quested to haue custodie of the bande Dogges, because els thei would be as thei are alwaies, an occasion to breake their league and peace, the Dogges beyng giuen ouer, thei were one by one murthered, and then the Shepe were wearied.

¶ The praise of the aucthour.

THe posteritee of tymes and ages, muste needes praise the wisedome and industrie, of all soche as haue lefte in monumentes of writyng, thynges worthie fame, [Sidenote: Inuentours of al excellent artes and sci- ences, com- mended to the posteritee.] what can bee more excellently set foorthe: or what deserueth chiefer fame and glorie, then the knowledge of artes and sci- ences, inuented by our learned, wise, and graue au[n]cestours: and so moche the more thei deserue honour, and perpetuall commendacions, because thei haue been the firste aucthours, and beginners to soche excellencies. The posteritée praiseth [Sidenote: Apelles. Parthesius. Polucletus.] and setteth forth the wittie and ingenious workes of Apelles, Parthesius, and Polucletus, and all soche as haue artificial- ly set forth their excellent giftes of nature. But if their praise for fame florishe perpetuallie, and increaseth for the wor- thines of theim, yet these thynges though moste excellent, are [Sidenote: The ende of all artes, is to godlie life.] inferiour to vertue: for the ende of artes and sciences, is ver- tue and godlines. Neither yet these thynges dissonaunt from vertue, and not associate, are commendable onely for vertues sake: and to the ende of vertue, the wittes of our auncestours were incensed to inuent these thynges. But herein Polucle- tus, Apelles, and Perthesius maie giue place, when greater [Sidenote: Esope wor- thie moche commendacio[n][.]] vertues come in place, then this my aucthour Esope, for his godly preceptes, wise counsaill and admonicion, is chiefly to [Fol. v.v] bée praised: For, our life maie learne all goodnes, all vertue, [Sidenote: Philophie in fables.] of his preceptes. The Philosophers did neuer so liuely sette forthe and teache in their scholes and audience, what vertue [Sidenote: Realmes maie learne concorde out of Esopes fables.] and godlie life were, as Esope did in his Fables, Citees, and common wealthes, maie learne out of his fables, godlie con- corde and vnitee, by the whiche meanes, common wealthes florisheth, and kingdoms are saued. Herein ample matter ri- seth to Princes, and gouernours, to rule their subiectes in all [Sidenote: Preceptes to Kynges and Subiectes. Preceptes to parentes and children.] godlie lawes, in faithfull obedience: the subiectes also to loue and serue their prince, in al his affaires and busines. The fa- ther maie learne to bring vp, and instructe his childe thereby. The child also to loue and obeie his parentes. The huge and monsterous vices, are by his vertuous doctrine defaced and extirpated: his Fables in effect contain the mightie volumes and bookes of all Philosophers, in morall preceptes, & the in- [Sidenote: The content of al Lawes.] finite monume[n]tes of lawes stablished. If I should not speake of his commendacion, the fruictes of his vertue would shewe his commendacions: but that praise surmounteth all fame of [Sidenote: A true praise comme[n]ded by fame it self.] glory, that commendeth by fame itself, the fruictes of fame in this one Fable, riseth to my aucthour, whiche he wrote of the Shepeherd, and the Wolues.

¶ The Morall.

WHerein Esope wittely admonisheth all menne to be- ware and take heede, of cloked and fained frendship, of the wicked and vngodlie, whiche vnder a pretence and offer of frendship or of benefite, seeke the ruin, dammage, miserie or destruccion of man, toune, citée, region, or countree.

¶ The nature of the thyng.

OF all beastes to the quantitée of his bodie, the [Sidenote: The Wolue moste raue- ning & cruell.] Wolue passeth in crueltee and desire of bloode, alwaies vnsaciable of deuouryng, neuer conten- ted with his pray. The Wolfe deuoureth and ea- teth of his praie all in feare, and therefore oftentymes he ca- steth his looke, to be safe from perill and daunger. And herein [Fol. vj.r] his nature is straunge fro[m] all beastes: the iyes of the Wolfe, tourned from his praie immediatlie, the praie prostrate vnder [Sidenote: The Wolues of all beastes, moste obliui- ous.] his foote is forgotten, and forthwith he seeketh a newe praie, so greate obliuion and debilitée of memorie, is giuen to that beaste, who chieflie seketh to deuoure his praie by night. The [Sidenote: The Wolue inferiour to the bandogge[.]] Wolues are moche inferior to the banddogges in strength, bi- cause nature hath framed the[m] in the hinder parts, moche more weaker, and as it were maimed, and therefore the bandogge dooeth ouermatche theim, and ouercome them in fight. The Wolues are not all so mightie of bodie as the Bandogges, of diuers colours, of fight more sharpe, of lesse heddes: but in [Sidenote: The Dogge passeth all creatures in smellyng.] smellyng, the nature of a Dogge passeth all beastes and creatures, whiche the historie of Plinie dooe shewe, and Ari- stotle in his booke of the historie of beastes, therein you shall knowe their excellente nature. The housholde wanteth not faithfull and trustie watche nor resistaunce, in the cause of the [Sidenote: Plinie.] maister, the Bandogge not wantyng. Plinie sheweth out of his historie, how Bandogges haue saued their Maister, by their resistaunce. The Dogge of all beastes sheweth moste loue, and neuer leaueth his maister: the worthines of the ba[n]- dogge is soche, that by the lawe in a certaine case, he is coun- ted accessarie of Felonie, who stealeth a Bandogge from his maister, a robberie immediatly folowing in thesame family.

[Sidenote: The worthi- nes of Shepe[.]] As concernyng the Shepe, for their profite and wealthe, that riseth of theim, are for worthines, waiyng their smalle quantitie of bodie, aboue all beastes. Their fleshe nourisheth purely, beyng swete and pleasaunt: their skinne also serueth [Sidenote: The wolle of Shepe, riche and commo- dious.] to diuers vses, their Wolles in so large and ample maner, commmodious, seruyng all partes of common wealthes. No state or degrée of persone is, but that thei maie goe cladde and adorned with their wolles. So GOD in his creatures, hath [Sidenote: Man a chief creature.] created and made man, beyng a chief creatour, and moste ex- cellent of all other, all thinges to serue him: and therefore the [Sidenote: Stoike Phi- losophers.] Stoicke Philosophers doe herein shewe thexcellencie of man to be greate, when all thinges vpon the yearth, and from the [Fol. vj.v] yearth, doe serue the vse of man, yet emong men there is a di- uersitee of states, and a difference of persones, in office and co[n]- [Sidenote: The office of the shepeher- des, are pro- fitable and necessarie.] dicion of life. As concernyng the Shepherde, he is in his state and condicion of life, thoughe meane, he is a righte profi- table and necessarie member, to serue all states in the commo[n] wealthe, not onely to his maister whom he serueth: for by his diligence, and warie keping of the[m], not onely from rauenyng beastes, but otherwise he is a right profitable member, to all [Sidenote: Wealth, pro- fit, and riches riseth of the Wolles of Shepe.] partes of the common wealth. For, dailie wée féele the co[m]mo- ditie, wealth and riches, that riseth of theim, but the losse wée féele not, except flockes perishe. In the body of man God hath created & made diuerse partes, to make vp a whole and abso- lute man, whiche partes in office, qualitée and worthinesse, are moche differing. The bodie of man it self, for the excellent workemanship of God therein, & meruailous giftes of nature [Sidenote: Man called of the Philo- sophers, a lit- tle worlde.] and vertues, lodged and bestowed in thesame bodie, is called of the Philosophers _Microcosmos_, a little worlde. The body of man in all partes at co[n]cord, euery part executing his func- cion & office, florisheth, and in strength prospereth, otherwise [Sidenote: The bodie of man without concord of the partes, peri- sheth.] thesame bodie in partes disseuered, is feeble and weake, and thereby falleth to ruin, and perisheth. The singuler Fable of Esope, of the belie and handes, manifestlie sheweth thesame [Sidenote: The common wealthe like to the bodie of manne.] and herein a florishing kingdom or common wealth, is com- pared to the body, euery part vsing his pure vertue, stre[n]gth & [Sidenote: Menenius.] operacion. Menenius Agrippa, at what time as the Romai- were at diuision against the Senate, he vsed the Fable of E- sope, wherewith thei were perswaded to a concorde, and vni- [Sidenote: The baseste parte of the bodie moste necessarie.] tée. The vilest parte of the bodie, and baseste is so necessarie, that the whole bodie faileth and perisheth, thesame wantyng although nature remoueth them from our sight, and shame fastnes also hideth theim: take awaie the moste vilest parte of the bodie, either in substaunce, in operacion or function, and forthwith the principall faileth. So likewise in a kyngdome, or common wealth, the moste meane and basest state of man taken awaie, the more principall thereby ceaseth: So God to [Fol. vij.r] [Sidenote: The amiable parte of the body doe con- siste, by the baseste and moste defor- meste.] a mutuall concorde, frendship, and perpetuall societie of life, hath framed his creatures, that the moste principall faileth, it not vnited with partes more base and inferiour, so moche the might and force of thynges excellente, doe consiste by the moste inferiour, other partes of the bodie more amiable and pleasaunt to sight, doe remain by the force, vse and integritée of the simpliest. The Prince and chief peres doe decaie, and al the whole multitude dooe perishe: the baseste kinde of menne [Sidenote: The Shepe- herdes state necessarie.] wantyng. Remoue the Shepeherdes state, what good follo- weth, yea, what lacke and famine increaseth not: to all states [Sidenote: The state of the husbande manne, moste necessarie.] the belie ill fedde, our backes worse clad. The toilyng house- bandman is so necessarie, that his office ceasyng vniuersallie the whole bodie perisheth, where eche laboureth to further and aide one an other, this a common wealth, there is pro- sperous state of life. The wisest Prince, the richest, the migh- tiest and moste valianntes, had nede alwaies of the foolishe, the weake, the base and simplest, to vpholde his kingdomes, not onely in the affaires of his kyngdomes, but in his dome- sticall thinges, for prouisio[n] of victuall, as bread, drinke, meat[,] clothyng, and in all soche other thynges. Therefore, no office or state of life, be it neuer so méete, seruyng in any part of the [Sidenote: No meane state, to be contempned.] common wealthe, muste bée contemned, mocked, or skorned at, for thei are so necessarie, that the whole frame of the com- mon wealth faileth without theim: some are for their wicked behauiour so detestable, that a common wealthe muste séeke [Sidenote: Rotten mem[-] bers of the co[m][-] mon wealth.] meanes to deface and extirpate theim as wéedes, and rotten members of the bodie. These are thefes, murtherers, and ad- ulterers, and many other mischiuous persones. These godly Lawes, vpright and sincere Magistrates, will extirpate and cutte of, soche the commo wealth lacketh not, but rather ab- horreth as an infectiue plague and Pestilence, who in thende through their owne wickednesse, are brought to mischief.

[Sidenote: Plato.] Read Plato in his booke, intiteled of the common wealth who sheweth the state of the Prince, and whole Realme, to stande and consiste by the vnitee of partes, all states of the co[m]- [Fol. vij.v] [Sidenote: A common wealth doe consiste by vnitie of all states.] mon wealth, in office diuers, for dignitée and worthines, bea- ring not equalitée in one consociatée and knit, doe raise a per- fite frame, and bodie of kingdome or common wealthe.

[Sidenote: Aristotle. What is a co[m]- mon wealth.] Aristotle the Philosopher doeth saie, that a co[m]mon welth is a multitude gathered together in one Citée, or Region, in state and condicion of life differing, poore and riche, high and low, wise and foolishe, in inequalitee of minde and bodies dif- feryng, for els it can not bée a common wealthe. There must be nobles and peres, kyng and subiect: a multitude inferiour and more populous, in office, maners, worthines alteryng. [Sidenote: A liuely exa[m]- ple of commo[n] wealthe.] Manne needeth no better example, or paterne of a common wealthe, to frame hymself, to serue in his state and callyng, then to ponder his owne bodie. There is but one hedde, and many partes, handes, feete, fingers, toes, ioyntes, veines, si- newes, belie, and so forthe: and so likewise in a co[m]mon welth there muste be a diuersitee of states.

¶ The reasonyng of the thynges conteined in this Fable.