And when vertue with great possessions or digniFol. 13rtie, had got continuance in one bloud, then was it nobilitie, For the which they were to be honored. Aristotle in his Politiques, rehearsed foure kinds thereof. As noblenes of riches, and noblenes of lignage, noblenes of vertue, and noblenesse of science, Of all which I meane to shew ye but of two of them, that is of vertue, & lignage, from whence all the other doe proceede, euen as one of them two proceede out of the other. Noblenes of vertue, is a glory gottẽ by courage of manhood, good conditions, chaste liuing, and by laudable honesty. All which belongeth to the harte of man, by exercise of good workes, with whom they are made familiar. S. Chrysostome saieth, a man may presume to take himselfe as verie perfile noble, which is ashamed to sinne, and will not suffer himselfe to bee ouercome of the same. And therefore as the soule is more precious then the bodie, so much is noblenes of vertue, more precious then noblenes of lignage, and so I ende of that. The noblenes of lignage, is an excellency of dignity going out of the bodie, but not comming out alwaie of himselfe that is so ennoblished, for perhaps hee neuer deserued that which came to him from his auncestours, who by their merites haue gotten the fame. And therefore comming of natures gifte, it ought not to bee boasted off. For Seneca sayeth, he that doth boast of the flock that he came off, doth praise an other man, The bondman may boast and say, all wee be commen of Adam. So Lucifer with his complices might say, all we be commen of heauen. And that is true, But yet for their punishment are all Fol. 13v driuen into the bottomles pit of hell, vnto whom the prophet Esay saith: How art thou fallen from heauen oh Lucifer? how hast thou gotten a fal euen to the ground? for thou saidst, I will climb vp into heauen, and make my seate aboue beside the stars. The same Sathael tharchangel, made after the similitude of God, full of wisedome and perfile fairnesse, as saith S. Gregorie, and Prince of the ten orders of Angels, abode not in heauen one houre, but for the sinne of pride, he with his consentants were vtterly expelled. For restitution of the which tenth order, it pleased the diuine Maiestie of God the father of his infinite goodnesse, to make man after his own similitude, as appeareth in Genesis. So man was made a liuing soule, and as the Philosophers saieth, hauing life in foure maners, that is to say, perseuerant, liuely, moouing & vnderstanding. And furthermore, man in his first creation was immortall, not by nature, as Angels, which haue no power to die, but by grace, that is to say, by possibility not to haue died, For if he had kept innocencie, hee should haue had no knowledge of death. Now the diuell that was first bound, had despite at Adam, that was then so free, and assaulted him till he had caused him to breake the commandement of God: by which, man was brought into thraldome, that continued vntill such time it pleased the father of heauen, to sende into this worlde his onely Sonne, begotten before Lucifer (as Dauid sayeth) Iesus Christ, a gentleman of great linage, (as the Genealogie of Mathewe and Luke do accord) and king of the Iewes to redeme mankind Fol. 14r to fulfil that place in heauen by meekenes, that Sathael lost by presumption, This did God ennoblis man, and endewing him with the white vesture of Baptisme, that he should euer after be a prest Souldier to fight against his enemie the diuel and all his pompes. Moreouer, for that it might be knowne, that euen anon after the creation of Adam, there was both gentlenes and vngentlenes, you shal vnderstand that the second man that was borne was a gentleman, whose name was Abell. I say a gentleman both of vertue & of linage, with whose sacrifice God was much pleased, His brother Cain was vngentle, for he offered God the worst of his fruits. And yet contrarie to the lawe of nature, slewe his brother Abell. Also Noah had foure Sonnes, in whom appeared gentlenes and vngentlenes, As in Cham it was vngently doone to discouer the priuities of his father, and laugh him to scorne. It was gently doone of Sem and Iapheth to reprooue their brother, and with feare and shame to couer their father. Wherefore Noah blessed Sem and Iapheth, and cursed Cham with seruitude and bondage, Betweene these three sonnes he deuided the worlde. Sem his Sonne and heire, hee made prince of Asia, from whõ Christ lineally descended on his mothers side, and Cham his second Sonne he made Prince of Affrica, and Iapheth his thirde sonne hee made Prince of Europa, of these children issued Emperours, Kings and diuers degrees of rulers, whereof at this daye wee haue nyne, of the which nine, fiue are noble, as Gentleman, Esquier, Knight, Baron, and Lorde: and foure are excelFol. 14vexcellent, as Earle, Marques, Duke and Prince. Le. Well sir, here is a enough for gentlenes & nobility. I pray you, what is next to be learned? Ge. I haue not yet done with this: for of these onely, I could make the booke. But for to ease your wearines, I will make short with you. There are nine gentlemen of sundry callings. Le. Which are they? Ge. The first is a gentleman of auncestrie, which must needs be a gentleman of bloud. But if hee die without issue, the whole cote armour is lost, and then it falleth to be a cote of vnperfite bearing. The seconde is a gentleman of bloud, and not of auncestrie. As when he is the seconde in degree, discended from the first of that name. The third is a gentleman of cote aromur, and not of bloud. That is to say, a gentleman of cote armour of the kings badge, as the kings deuise giuen him by an Herehaughte. This is the second vnperfite cote armour: for if hee die without heire, his cote is done. But if he haue issue to the thirde discent, that is a gentleman of bloud. The fourth is also a gentleman of cote armour, and not of bloud, as this. The king giueth a Lordship by patent, to him & his heires for euer, He may beare the cote of that Lordship, but then must hee make the Herehaught of that prouince priuie thereto: who will make searche whether there be any of that bloud yet remaining. For if there do any remaine, then he cannot beare the same, neither can the Prince by right of Armes, giue the cote. But if it be clere without challenge, then it is to him, but an vnperfite cote notwithstanding: because if he die without heire, the cote Fol. 15r Armour is doone, and may neuer be borne againe. The fift is a yeoman, a Christian man. If hee (I saye) in the seruice of God and his prince, kill an heathen gentleman, of what degree soeuer hee be (a knight baneret except) he shal beare the armes, and vle his achiuement without any difference, sauing onely the worde of the same miscreant gentleman. This is also an vnperfite cote, for if he dye without issue of his bodie, the cote is doone. But if hee haue issue to the fifte degree, then are they all gentiles of bloud, and there he taketh his first beginning to be a gentleman of bloud. And here is to bee noted, that no Christian man may beare any christian mans cote, neither pagane, paganes cote, on the condition aforesaid. And yet there is a preheminence, and this it is. If an English man in field or when the banner royall is aduanced doo put to flight any gentleman, enemy to his Prince, of what degree soeuer he be (one excepted) from his banner of armes, standard, pynnon, guydon, or ensigne &c, The English souldior may honor his own cote in the sinister quarter, with the proper cote of the gentleman so fled away. And so in like maner must you vnderstand, whẽ the like feat is practised at the besieging of a hold. Le. But I pray you, how is it in the challenge of combat? Ge. I know what maketh you doubt, indeed it hath bin said also, that if one christian man ouercome another in chalenge of combat, that then he that is victor, shal beare the cote of the vanquished, but that is an error. Yet he that is vanquished shal lose his own proper cote, but the victor shal not haue it. The herauld shal haue the cote Fol. 15v and set it vp in his office reuersed. But if the same gentleman that is ouercome, haue married a gentlewoman heire, yet all his life time after, he may beare his wiues Coate, and this is the curtesye of Armes. And further I will shewe you, that if hee come into the combate campe, with his wiues coate of Armes, her father or her vncle, may prohibite him, as saieth Bartoll, least slaunder shoulde come to those Armes. For it is doubtfull whether hee shall be victor or victus. And in like manner, if he bee a yonger brother, although he beare the coate of difference, yet the heire, or his yonger brethen may also prohibit him the cote. Le. What remedie is there then? Gerard. If he be a Knight, he may haue the wreath of his owne colours, But if an Esquire a scarpe from the left shoulder, to the right side of one colour onely. The sixt is, if a king do make a yeoman knight, he is then a gentleman of bloud, by the royaltie of the King, and knighthoode. The seuenth, is a gentleman spirituall. This, if hee bee chorles sonne, and is aduanced to any dignitie, he is then a gentleman, but not of bloud. But if hee bee a Doctour of the Ciuill lawe, hee is a gentleman of bloud, and his coate is perfect at the first bearing. The eight, is called a gentleman vntriall, and such is hee, as being brought vp in an Abbey, or with a Bishoppe, which of auncient time hath called the same Bishoppe, or Abbot, vncle, (and perhappes they are neerer of bloude, For that gentleman might be the Bishoppes sisters brothers sonne. Well, let that passe, it is seldome seene that they come to beggerie.) These, for Fol. 16r that they haue beene vertuously brought vp and trayned in seruice, were able to attend on a Prince. And in the old time before Printing was deuised, were writers of Bookes at the Kings cost. These Gentlemen I say, when they became Maisters of men their seruants were two letters vpon their sleeues, as it might be an A. & a B. The one letter for the christian name, & the other for the surname. The ninth hath bin of old called a Gentleman Apocrisate. This is such a one as serueth a Prince. And at his beginning is a page, and groweth vp by his diligence to be a grome and so higher. At the length is either Clarke of the kitchin, or Steward of the house, or lands, and weareth liuery as a gentleman. But he is without badge or Armory of his owne, except (by the Prince) at the hands of the Herhaught, he be endowed with some recognisace. Le. Oh, that you woulde not cease to tell of these things, til I were weary. Ge. Wel, for that I do see in you a will to learne this Art, I say the content of all artes, I will shew some part thereof. L. If you will let me chuse the matter, I would now desire to know somewhat of Scocheons. Ge. Although it were not the best order to begin there, yet because of your request, & that I meane not to tyre you, I will shew you my fantasie. First I meane to tell you what a Scochon is, of which there are nine sundry fashions, and all auncient. Ye shall vnderstand that a fielde onely maketh Armes, for because in the first inuention of them, they were not called Armes, but tokens.