er to the king nor to the Princes of the
Realme, and besides descending of so poore a stocke, that few or none of
your parents, hauing euer made profession of armes, haue bene knowen vnto
the great estates. For albeit that from my tender yeeres I myselfe haue
applyed all my industry to follow them; and haue hazarded my life in so
many dangers for the seruice of my prince, yet could I neuer attaine
thereunto (not that I did not deserue this title and degree of gouernment)
as I haue seene it happen to many others, onely because they descend of a
noble race, since more regard is had of their birth then of their vertue.
For wel I know that if vertue were regarded ther would more be found
worthy to deserue the title, and by good right to be named noble and
valiant. I will therefore make sufficient answere to such propositions and
such things as you may obiect against me, laying before you the infinite
examples which we haue of the Romans: which concerning the point of honour
were the first that triumphed ouer the world. For how many finde we among
them, which for their so valiant enterprizes, not for the greatnesse of
their parentage, haue obtained the honour to tryumph? If we haue recourse
vnto their ancestors, wee shall finde that their parents were of so meane
condition, that by labouring with their hands they liued very basely.
(M395) As the father of AElius Pertinax, which was a poore artisan, his
Grandfather likewise was a bond man, as the historiographers do witnes:
and neuerthelesse, being moued with a valiant courage, he was nothing
dismayed for all this, but rather desirous to aspire vnto high things, he
began with a braue stomacke to learne feates of armes, and profited so wel
therein, that from step to step he became at length to be Emperour of the
Romans. For all this dignitie he despised not his parents: but
contrariwise and in remembrance of them, he caused his fathers shop to be
couered with a fine wrought marble, to serue for an example to men
descended of base and poore linages, to giue them occasion to aspire vnto
high things notwithstanding the meannesse of their ancestors. (M396) I wil
not passe ouer in silence the excellencie and prowesse of the valiant and
renowned Agathocles the sonne of a simple potter, and yet forgetting the
contemptible estate of his father, he so applied himselfe to vertue in his
tender yeeres, that by the fauour of armes he came to be king of Sicilie:
and for all this title he refus