faults, so as a man may say unto a brother when he doth a fault:
Witless, stark naught, yea, wretched though thou be,
Yet can I not forsake and cast off thee,
lest that (ere I be well aware) I might seem in my hatred towards thee for to punish sharply, cruelly and unnaturally in thy person some infirmity or vice of mine own father or mother instilled into thee by their seed. As for strangers and such as are not of our blood, we ought not to love first, and afterwards make trial and judgment of them; but first we must try and then trust and love them afterwards; whereas contrariwise, nature hath not given unto proof and experience the precedence and prerogative to go before love, neither doth she expect according to that common proverb; That a man should eat a bushel[1] or two of salt with one whom he minded to love and make his friend; but even from our nativity hath bred in us and with us the very principle and cause of amity, in which regard we ought not to be bitter unto such, nor to search too nearly into their faults and infirmities.
But what will you say now if contrariwise some there be, who if mere aliens and strangers otherwise, yet if they take a foolish love and liking unto them, either at the tavern or at some game and pastime, or fall acquainted with them at the wrestling or fencing school, can be content to wink at their faults, be ready to excuse and justify them, yea, and take delight and pleasure therein; but if their brethren do amiss, they be exceeding rigorous unto them and inexorable; nay, you shall have many such, who can abide to love churlish dogs and skittish horses, yea, and find in their hearts to feed and make much of fell ounces, shrewd cats, curst unhappy apes, and terrible lions; but they cannot endure the hasty and choleric humour, the error and ignorance, or some little ambitious humour of a brother. Others again there be who unto their concubines and harlots will not stick to assign over and pass away goodly houses and fair lands lying thereto; but with their brethren they will wrangle and go to law, nay, they will be ready to enter the lists and combat for a plot of ground whereupon a house standeth, about some comer of a messuage or end of a little tenement and afterwards attributing unto this their hatred of brethren the colourable name of hating sin and wickedness, they go up and down cursing, detesting, and reproaching them for their vices,
- ↑ Medimnus is a measure containing six modii, which is about six pecks with us.
