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to say, That those whiche did nothing, learned to doe yll. SECOND Besides that they are odious to the worlde, yea, and to BOOKE God also, who is highly displeased, when a naughtie packe * For

or an idle merchant craveth his aide and assistance.
you know how hee cursed the Figge tree which was without
fruite. Wherefore all those which delight to doe nothing,
ought to knowe that there is nothing procureth more
infamie to a man, then idlenesse and effeminatenesse. And
if it bee unseemely for the ignorant to passe the time idle,
muche more are they to bee blamed who are learned. For
it is a common saying, that he is in great faulte, which
knoweth what is good and doeth it not: and that hee doeth
muche yll, who knoweth no good. But for that I have
neither minde nor leasure to speake of these idle fellowes,
I will nowe speake of honest leasure, which belongeth to
honest men and I say that all affaires bring with them
paine and travell, by reason wherof it is requisite to take
in time and place, for medicine, rest, and recreation, whiche
are so necessary to our life, that without them we cannot
long continue. And therefore it is both reasonable and
necessary for a man, sometimes to repose himselfe, and
withdrawe his minde from waightie and earnest cogitations,
by the example of the invincible Hercules, who for recreation
sake used sometime too play with his litle children. Finally,
our life is like to instruments of musicke, whiche sometime
wresting up the stringes, and sometime by loosing them,
become more melodious. And if wee marke well the ende
of the publique and solemne playes, whiche Princes in olde
time caused to bee set foorth, wee shall knowe that they did
it not so muche to get themselves a good name amongest
the people, as to recreate and refreshe men after their
travelles that after such shewes they might returne more
willingly, and cheerefully to their worke.

GUAZ. I knowe by experience, that there is nothing doeth more weare mee out, nor as they say make the bombaste of my dublet so thinne as continuall affaires. And if I bee molested with mine own private matters, you may well thinke that I am not only molested, but even altogeather

mortified with my maisters businesse, which to dispatch to my credite, and as duetie bindeth mee, maketh mee (as you may wel thinke) often cary a pensive hearte within my brest Being assured that I had by this time left my skinne on the hedge, were it not that otherwhiles I force my selfe to use some recreation and honest pastime.

ANNIB. Though this leasure bee honest, profitable, and necessary, yet there is a certaine measure to bee kept in it, whiche wee must not exceede: For that nature hath not made us for play and pleasure, but rather to spende our time in the study and execution of grave matters.

GUAZ. You meane then to set before mee this leasure, not as meate to feede mee, but as a sallade to get mee a stomake, or els as some confect to close up my stomacke: and you allowe onely so muche leasure as is sufficient to recreate a man, and to renewe his strength after travell: meaning, that wee should play to live, but not live to play.

ANNIB. My meaning is even so for hee that shoulde wallowe continually in pleasures and delightes, remaining alwaies idle without doing any thing, woulde soone become intemperate and lascivious. Thereof it commeth, that in olde time were set downe the exercise of wrestling and Musicke, for the two strongest pillers, to stay up our life by. For as the one maketh a man strong and fierce, so the other maketh him milde and gentle: But both togeather serve both the body and minde to muche purpose. Seeing then that in the conversation with women is chiefly founde this honest leasure, which serveth to comfort, yea, and to take from us the greevous passions which oppresse our heartes, wee must take heede that wee bee not so wrapped in it, that wee never come out of it, least thereby wee distemper the minde, and effeminate it in suche sorte, that it loose that courage whiche is proper to man. And therefore wee must use that pleasure and recreation not for ordinary foode, but for some extraordinary preservative, or some exquisite restoritie, remembring that olde saying, that wee must taste honie but with our fingers end: * yea, wee must deale so warily in the matter, that it may bee said

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GUAZ. Though this honest leasure (as you say) serve to take away the care of the minde, yet it is so that oft times in discourse (whiche is caused by this leasure) the minde is voide of travell. For a man must whet his wits in suche sorte, that in steede of taking his ease, hee sometime taketh more paine then when hee is waightily affaired.

ANNIB. I thinke there is no honest leasure, but hath some exercise of the minde or of the body joyned unto it. For the wise holdeth opinion, that to injoy leasure well, it is necessary that wee imploy it in learning somewhat. And therfore you see that though musicke hath been invented for the pleasure and recreation of the minde, yet it is not learned by chaunce, but by science, about whiche a man must travel his minde, like as at Chestes or other such games. Contrariwise, it is our use when we have spent a great part of the day either in studie or about publique or private affaires, to walke either alone, or with company the space of an houre upon pleasure. And though wee exercise the body in going, and the minde in devising, yet all that time is attributed to leasure and recreation: for that it is chiefly bestowed to the ende to withdrawe the minde from waightie affaires, and carefull thoughts.

GUAZ. You make me heere remember our peasants of the countrie, who having laboured sore al the weeke, spende the sunday in daunsing out of al crie: in so much that saving your reverence, they stinke of swet, and take more payne that day only, then they doe in all the worke dayes besides. And yet according to your opinion it must bee called leasure or passetyme.

ANNIB. It can not be termed otherwise for albeit they exercise the body lesse in working then in daunsing, yet they doe the one with paine and griefe, and the other with so great pleasure, that it maketh them the next day after goe to their worke a great deale more lustily. And if you meane nothing else, I confesse that I my selfe am in that

respect of the nature of those Countrie fellowes, for beeing weeried with the continuall exercise, I use all the day, sometime on foote, sometime on horsebacke, to see my patients, in the evening, in way of pastime and recreation, I often walke with your brother, or others, almost halfe a mile out of the towne and in this paine I finde great ease and refreshing to my minde that is weeried with the travel of the day. Whereby you understande that all the time whiche is chiefly spent for pleasure, ought too goe under the name of leasure, though there bee in it some exercise either of minde or body. It is very true, that this leasure looseth it name, when it is turned into continuall exercise without doing ought els, so that a man cannot properly tearme leasure or pastime, the exercise of a Musitian, who all the day long doeth nothing but teache some or other to sing, or to play on some instrumentes. In whiche respect belike Phillip kyng of Macedon rebuked his sonne Alexander, for that hee was so skilfull in Musicke, not that he misliked musike, but because his sonne was so exquisite in it, that hee doubted it was his chiefe profession, neglecting other thinges more necessary to his estate whiche was not unlike to the doing of the Emperour Domitian, who put from being of his counsayle a Noble man, because hee daunced too artificially. Wherefore wee may gather heereby, that wee ought not in passing the time to loose the time but to limite this leasure in suche sort, that we take no more of it then is necessary for the recreation of our mindes.

GUAZ. I am of opinion, that amongest many pastimes and pleasures, whereby mens mindes are recreated, there is none more to bee accounted of, then that which is taken in feastes and banquets: I meane not the sumptuous and solemne ones, but the friendly and familiar, which are set foorth by a Poet, for the things most apperteining to the felicitie of mans life.

ANNIB. As solemne feastes are full of noyse and confusion, so the other are full of quiet and friendship. And as the first by the diversitie and delicacie of fare, provoke

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men to the pleasure and filling of the body, so the other SECOND with sobrietie, and the good companie of only friends toBOOKE gether, worke the solace and recreation of the mind.

GUAZ. I can not but often commend that most civile custome of Fraunce, where the parents, friends, and neighbors agree together, to bring every one their ordinary provision, assoone into the house of one, assoone of another, where without great cost, and yet with great varietie of meate, and diversly dressed, leaving all their pensive thoughts without the doore, they suppe merily, lovingly, and friendly together.

ANNIB. That good custome is no doubt greatly to bee commended for if sometimes in travayling by the way, it greatly refresheth us, when at our inne we meete with good companie (though straungers unto us) with whom wee may talke and be mery at the table, you may soone gesse howe much more good it doth us, when wee are in the companie of our kinsfolkes and friends.

GUAZZO. I thinke that in this kinde of conversation also, there are some orders and lawes to be prescribed, therefore I looke you should make mention therof.

ANNIB. Many excellent writers have set downe many orders to be observed in feasts, but the chiefe are these, that the feast alwayes ought to begin at the Graces, and ende at the Muses: that is, that the number of the guests be not under three, nor above nyne: that they be neither too talkative, nor too dumbe: that no man take al the talke to himself, a thing very unseemely, for al ought to bee partakers as well of the talke, as they are of the wine. That the discourse be pleasant, and of suche matters as men have no leasure to talke of abroade while they are about their businesse joyning (if it may be) pleasure with profite. That the talke, specially amongst women, be not doubtful, hard, and intricate: wherby even amongst men, the hearers are made melancholike by beating their braines to understand it. And thereupon it is saide, that a certaine Oratour being requested at a table to speake of eloquence, answered, Those things which are fit for the