me rare pastime or sport that hath beene made there that
nothing in the world could worse haue becomen them, and others very wise
men, whether it haue ben of some pleasant humour and complexion, or for
other default in the spleene, or for ill education or custome, that could
not vtter any graue and earnest speech without laughter, which part was
greatly discommended in them.

And _Cicero_ the wisest of any Romane writers, thought it vncomely for a
man to daunce: saying, _Saltantem sobrium vidi neminem_. I neuer saw any
man daunce that was sober and his right wits, but there by your leaue he
failed, not our young Courtiers will allow it, besides that it is the most
decent and comely demeanour of all exultations and reioycements of the
hart, which is no lesse naturall to man then to be wise or well learned,
or sober.

To tell you the decencies of a number of other behauiours, one might do it
to please you with pretie reportes, but to the skilfull Courtiers it
shalbe nothing necessary, for they know all by experience without
learning. Yet some few remembraunces wee will make you of the most
materiall, which our selues haue obserued, and so make an end.

It is decent to be affable and curteous at meales & meetings, in open
assemblies more solemne and straunge, in place of authoritie and iudgement
not familiar nor pleasant, in counsell secret and sad, in ordinary
conferences easie and apert, in conuersation simple, in capitulation
subtill and mistrustfull, at mournings and burials sad and sorrowfull, in
feasts and bankets merry & ioyfull, in houshold expence pinching and
sparing, in publicke entertainement spending and pompous. The Prince to be
sumptuous and magnificent, the priuate man liberall with moderation, a man
to be in giuing free, in asking spare, in promise slow, in performance
speedy, in contract circumspect but iust, in amitie sincere, in ennimitie
wily and cautelous [_dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirit_, saith the
Poet] and after the same rate euery sort and maner of businesse or affaire
or action hath his decencie and vndecencie, either for the time or place
or person or some other circumstaunce, as Priests to be sober and sad, a
Preacher by his life to giue good example, a Iudge to be incorrupted,
solitarie and vnacqainted with Courtiers or Courtly entertainements, & as
the Philosopher saith _Oportet iudicem esse rudem & simplicem_, without
plaite or wrinkle, sower in looke and churlish in speach, contrar