The ideal of a gentleman, or, A mirror for gentlefolks : a portrayal in literature from the earliest times / by A. Smythe-Palmer.
- Abram Smythe Palmer
- Date:
- [1908]
Licence: In copyright
Credit: The ideal of a gentleman, or, A mirror for gentlefolks : a portrayal in literature from the earliest times / by A. Smythe-Palmer. Source: Wellcome Collection.
93/542 page 77
![doth well deserue double honour among men, as bearing the true coate of right or best nobilitie, where desert for vertue is quartered with discent in blood, seeing aunciencie of linage, and deriuation of nobilitie is in such credit among vs and alwaye hath bene. 1581, R. Mulcaster, Positions (ed. 1887), p. 199. True gentrie standeth in the trade of virtuous life, not in the fleshly line, for bloud is knit but gentrie is divine. The Mirror for Magistrates. Consider with thy selfe that thou art a gentleman, yea, and a Gentile, and if thou neglect thy calling thou art worse than a I ewe. Most miserable is the estate of those Gentlemen, which thinke it a blemmish to their auncestours, and a blot to their owne gentrie, to read or practize diuinitie. They thinke it now sufficient for their felicitie to ryde well vppon a great horse, to hawke, to hunt, to haue a smacke in Philosophic, neither thinking of the beginning of wisedome, neither the ende, which is Christ: onely they accompt diuinitie most contempt- ible, which is and ought to be most notable. 1579, J. Lyly, Euphues : Anatomy of Wit, p. 155 Arber). There is no Gentleman in Athens but sorroweth to see thy behauiour so far to disagree from thy birthe, for this say they al (which is the chiefest note of a gentleman) that thou should- est as well desire honestie in thy life, as honor by thy linage : that thy nature should not swerue from thy name, that as thou by duties woldest be regarded for thy progenie [ancestry], so thou wouldst endeauour by deserts to be reuerenced for thy pie tie. The pure Coral is chosen as wel by his vertue as his coulour, a king is known better by his courage, then his crowne, a right Gentleman is sooner scene by the tryall of his vertue than biasing of his armes. 1579, J. Lyly, Euphues : Anatomy of Wit, p. 191 (ed. Arber). It is vertue, yea vertue, gentlemen, that maketh gentlemen : that maketh the poore rich, the base-borne noble. 1580, J. Lyly, Euphues, p. 135 (ed. Arber). Doe not perswade your selues that euery man of skill and learning is made a perfect gentleman onlie by vertue of his](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29008529_0095.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
