And for this cause, the Ragusian Common-wealth, Switzers, and the united Provinces, in all their Aristocracies, or Democratical Monarchies, (if I may so call them) exclude all these degrees of hereditary honours, & will admit of none to bear office, but such as are learned, like those Athenian Areopagites, wise, discreet, & well brought up. The Chinenses observe the same customes, no man amongst them noble by birth; out of their Philosophers and Doctors they choose Magistrates; their politick Nobles are taken from such as be moraliter nobiles, vertuous noble, nobilitas ut olim ab officio, non à naturâ, as in Israel of old and their office was to defend and govern their Country in war and peace, not to hawk, hunt, eat, drink, game alone, as too many do.

Their Loysii, Manderini, literati, licentiati, and such as have raised themselves by their worth, are their noblemen only, thought fit to govern a state; and why then should any that is otherwise of worth, be ashamed of his birth? why should not he be as much respected that leaves a noble posterity, as he that hath had noble ancesters? nay why not more? for plures solem orientem, we adore the sun rising most part; and how much better is it to say, Ego meis majoribus virtute præluxi, to boast himself of his vertues, then of his birth?

Cathesbeius Sultan of Ægypt and Syria, was by his condition a slave, but for worth, valour and manhood second to no King, and for that cause (as Jovius writes) elected Emperour of the Mameluches. That poor Spanish Pizarro for his valour made by Charles the fifth Marquesse of Anatillo; The Turkie Bassa’s are all such.

Pertinax, Philippus Arabs, Maximinus, Probus, Aurelius, &c. from common souldiers, became Emperours. Cato, Cincinnatus, &c. Consuls. Pius secundus, Sixtus quintus, Johan. secundus, Nicholas quintus, &c. Popes. Socrates, Virgil, Horace, libertino patre natus. The Kings of Denmark fetch their pedegree, as some say, from one Ulfo, that was the son of a bear. E tenui casa sæpe vir magnus exit, many a worthy man comes out of a poor cottage.

Hercules, Romulus, Alexander, (by Olympia’s confession) Themistocles, Jugurtha, king Arthur, William the Conquerour, Homer, Demosthenes, P. Lumbard, P. Comestor, Bartholus, Adrian the fourth Pope, &c. bastards; and almost in every kingdom, the most ancient families have bin at first Princes bastards; their worthiest captains, best wits, great scholars, bravest spirits in all our Annals, have been base. Cardan in his subtilties, gives a reason why they are most part better able then others, in body and mind, and so per consequens, more fortunate.

Castruccius Castrucanus a poor child, found in the field, exposed to misery, became prince of Luke and Senes in Italy, a most compleat souldier, and a worthy captain; Machiavel compares him to Scipio or Alexander. And ’tis a wonderfull thing (saith he) to him that shall consider of it, that all those, or the greatest part of them, that have done the bravest exploits here upon earth, and excelled the rest of the nobles of their time, have been still born in some abject, obscure place, or of base and obscure abject parents.

A most memorable observation, Scaliger accompts it, & non prætereundum, maximorum virorum plerosque, patres ignoratos, matres impudicas fuisse. I could recite a great catalogue of them, every kingdome, every province will yeeld innumerable examples: and why then should baseness of birth be objected to any man?

who thinks worse of Tully for being Arpinas, an upstart? Or Agathocles that Sicilian king for being a potters son? Iphicrates and Marius were meanly born. What wise man thinks better of any person for his nobility? as he said in Machiavel, omnes eodem patre nati, Adams sons, conceived all and born in sin, &c. We are by nature all as one, all alike, if you see us naked; let us wear theirs and they our clothes, and what’s the difference?

To speak truth as Bale did of P. Schalichius, I more esteem thy worth, learning, honesty, then thy nobility; honour thee more that thou art a writer, a Doctor of divinity, then Earl of the Hunnes, Baron of Skradine, or hast title to such and such provinces, &c.

Thou art more fortunate and great (so Jovius writes to Cosmus Medices then Duke of Florence) for thy vertues, then for thy lovely wife, and happy children, friends, fortunes, or great dutchy of Tuscany. So I accompt thee; and who doth not so indeed? Abdolominus was a gardner, and yet by Alexander for his vertues, made king of Syria.

How much better is it to be born of mean parentage, & to excell in worth, to be morally noble, which is preferred before that naturall nobility, by divines, philosophers, and politicians, to be learned, honest, discreet, well qualified, to be fit for any manner of imploiment, in country and common-wealth, war and peace, then to be Degeneres Neoptolemi, as many brave nobles are, only wise because rich, otherwise idiots, illiterate, unfit for any manner of service?

Udalricus Earl of Cilia upbraided John Huniades with the baseness of his birth, but he replied, in te Ciliensis Comitatus turpiter extinguitur, in me gloriose Bistricensis exoritur, thine Earldome is consumed with riot, mine begins with honor and renown.

Thou hast had so many noble ancestors; what is that to thee? Vix ea nostra voco, when thou art a disard thy self: quod prodest Pontice longo stemmate censeri? &c.

I conclude, hast thou a sound body, and a good soul, good bringing up? art thou vertuous, honest, learned, well qualified, religious, are thy conditions good? thou art a true nobleman, perfectly noble, although born of Thersites, —— dum modo tu sis —— Æacidæ similis, non natus, sed factus, noble κατ’ ἐξοχήν; for neither sword, nor fire, nor water, nor sickness, nor outward violence, nor the divel himself can take thy good parts from thee.