[Sidenote: Why so many desire to be gentlemen.]
Yet it is no meruell if the base couet his best, as his perfection in nature, and his honour in opinion: no more then that the _asse_ doth desire the _lions_ skin, to be thought though but a while, very terrible to behold. But counterfeat mettall for all his best shew will neuer be so naturall, as that is, which it doth counterfeat: neither will naturall mettalles euer enterchaunge natures, though the finest be seuered, and the _Alcumist_ do his best: And for all the _lions_ skin, sure the _asse_ is an _asse_ as his owne eares will bewray him, if ye fortune to see them: or your eares will discerne him, if you fortune to hear him: he will bray so like a beast. I can say no better, though this may seeme bitter, where I see _nobilitie_ betraid to donghillrie, and learning to doultrie. You _gentlemen_ must beare with me, for I wish you your owne: you scholers must pardon me, I pity your abuse. Your _apes_ do you harme, and scratch you by the face, for all the friendship they finde, which if they found not, they might tarie _apes_ still. Their suttletie supplantes you, and your simplenes lettes them see, what fellowes you are. Call vertue to aide, and put slauerie in pinfold, let learning leade you, and send loselles to labour, more fit for the shouell, then to shuffle vp your cardes. Thus much for the causes which make _nobilitie_, whose leader is learning, and honour is vertue, not to vse more discourse to proue by particular, where the matter is so plaine, as either vertue will admit praise, or historie bring proofe.
For the finall cause it is most euident, that if some sufficiencie this way be the meane to _nobilitie_, the effect of such sufficiencie doth crowne the man, and accomplish the matter. But wherefore is all this? to shew how necessarie a thing it is to haue yong gentlemen well brought vp. For if these causes do make the meane man noble, what will they do in him, whose honour is augmented with perpetuall encrease, if with his _nobilitie_ in blood he do ioyne in match the worthines of his owne person? Wherefore the necessitie of the traine appearing to be so great, I will handle that as well as I can in generall precept, for this present place, as hauing to deale with such personages, whose _wisedom_ is their weight, _learning_ their line, _iustice_ their balance, _armour_ their honour, and all _vertues_ in all kindes their best furniture in all executions, and their greatest ornamentes in the eies of all men, all this tending directly to the common good.