bout to exceede his soueraigne lord and maister in curtesie: where
in be conteyned many notable and pleasaunt chaunces, besides the
great patience and loyaltie naturally planted in the sayd
Ariobarzanes._

A question is mooued manye times among learned men and Gentlemen
addicted to the seruice of the Court, whether commendable deede,
or curteous and gentle fact done by the Gentleman or Courtier
towardes his soueraine Lord, ought to be called Liberalitie and
Curtesie, or rather Band and Dutie. Which question is not
proponed with out greate reason. For so muche as ech man doth
know, that a seruaunt do what he can for his Mayster, or lette
him imploy the vttermost of his endeuour, al the labor and
trauayle he bestoweth, all trouble and daunger which he
sustayneth, is to little, yea and the same his very bounden
duty. Haue wee not red of many, and knowne the lyke that to
gratifye their prince and mayster, haue into a thousande
daungers and like number of deaths, aduentured their own propre
liues? Marcus Antonius that notable oratour beying accused of
incest, and broughte to the iudgement seate, his accusers
required that his seruante should be called, for because he bare
the candel before his maister, when hee went to do the deede,
who seyng his mayster's life and death to depend vpon his
euidence, vtterly denied the facte: and notwithstanding that he
was whipped, racked, and suffered other cruel tormentes, would
rather haue loste his lyfe than accuse and betray his mayster.
I could alleage and bring forth in place, the example of
Mycithus, the seruaunt of one Anaxilaus Messenius, the fidelitye
of the seruauntes of Plotinus Plancus, the faythful mayden
called Pythias, that waited vpon Octauia, the chast Empresse and
wife of that monster Nero, with diuers other: but that I thinke
they be to the learned wel knowen, and of the vnlearned the
vertue of seruauntes fidelitye is greatly liked and commended:
but if the faythful seruaunt know that his desertes do gayne the
grace and fauoure of his mayster, what trauayles, what payns
ought he to suffer to mayntayne his reputation and to encrease
the fauour obtayned? for as the common prouerbe and wise sayinge
reporteth, that the vertve is no lesse to conserue Frendship
gotten, than the wisedome was great to get and win the same.
Other there be which do contrarily contend, and with very
stronge argumentes do force to proue that al which the seruant
doth besydes his duetye a