& stile: but that is otherwise, for the
good maker or poet who is in decent speach & good termes to describe all
things and with prayse or dispraise to report euery mans behauiour, ought
to know the comlinesse of an action aswell as of a word & thereby to
direct himselfe both in praise & perswation or any other point that
perteines to the Oratours arte. Wherefore some examples we will set downe
of this maner of decency in behauiour leauing you for the rest to our
booke which we haue written _de Decoro_, where ye shall see both partes
handled more exactly. And this decencie of mans behauiour aswell as of his
speach must also be deemed by discretion, in which regard the thing that
may well become one man to do may not become another, and that which is
seemely to be done in this place is not so seemely in that, and at such a
time decent, but at another time vndecent, and in such a case and for such
a purpose, and to this and that end and by this and that euent, perusing
all the circumstances with like consideration. Therefore we say that it
might become king _Alexander_ to giue a hundreth talentes to _Anaxagoras_
the Philosopher, but not for a beggerly Philosopher to accept so great a
gift, for such a Prince could not be impouerished by that expence, but the
Philosopher was by it excessiuely to be enriched, so was the kings action
proportionable to his estate and therefore decent, the Philosophers,
disproportionable both to his profession and calling and therefore
indecent.

And yet if we shall examine the same point with a clearer discretion, it
may be said that whatsoeuer it might become king _Alexander_ of his regal
largesse to bestow vpon a poore Philosopher vnasked, that might aswell
become the Philosopher to receiue at his hands without refusal, and had
otherwise bene some empeachement of the kings abilitie or wisedome, which
had not bene decent in the Philosopher, nor the immoderatenesse of the
kinges gift in respect of the Philosophers meane estate made his
acceptance the lesse decent, since Princes liberalities are not measured
by merite nor by other mens estimations, but by their owne appetites and
according to their greatnesse. So said king _Alexander_ very like himselfe
to one _Perillus_ to whom he had geuen a very great gift, which he made
curtesy to accept, saying it was too much for such a mean person, what
quoth the king if it be too much for thy self, hast thou neuer a friend or
kinsman that may fare the be