Ofthe vanitie ofteorldlpaobilitie. 335 therebeing farre greatercaufe why their progenitors fhould beafhamed of fuch a degenerate ofrpring, then why they fhould be proudoffuch anceflors, whom theydo not at all refemble in their vertues and good parts. It is true indeed that a yong colt ismuch efleemed forhis race, and the vn- tried whelpe for hiskind hecommeth of: butif being corne toproofe, there beno courage or mettle in the one, nor any fwiftnes or fagacity in the other;notwithfianding their race andkind, we eliceme nobetter ofthemfclues, but as jades and curs; becaufe it is not the goodnes oftheirkind which will helpe them in the race, or caufe them to win the game, if they be vtterly void of felfe-exccllencie. And fo in like maner,howfoeuergreatnes ofbirthmay commend yong no- bilitie, as giuing fome hope in courfe ofnature, that they will refemble the worth and vertues oftheirprogenitours : yet whenbeingcome to riperage,they plainly difcouer that theyare vtterly degenerate,ful ofbafè qualities,ignoble and vicious:they(notwithf}anding the worth oftheiranceflors) are to be elleemedferuile and contemptible. For as paren- tage doth notabfolutely conferrevenue, fo neither nobili- tie;and asvertue it Idle is not hereditarie;fo neither is nobi- litie,which (asIhaue laid) is chieflygroundedvpon vertue and goodnes.We feebyexperience,tharfrom the fame oare commethbale drofl'eand pure rgold, from the fame roote, a fharpe prickle and a fwcetrofe, and from the fame graineof corne, both firawand chaffe,and altopurewheate : And it is often to be feene that the fame vertuousparentshaue both good andbad children dcfcendedofthem : fo faithful! sA Grahamhadan Ifnael,as well as an If:ac;and Ifasc as wella prophane Efeete, as avertuous Jacob : good Samuelhad a de- generate offpring : and holy Dmid aswell an abfolon and Adonieh, as a Salomon,and aNathan : whereby itappea- vireutvon ell reth that vertues cannot be entailed like lands, or though bereditaria. fuch anentalle weremade, yet itprouerhnoperpetuitie,fee- ing it is eauly cut off, when as they degenerate from their anceflors, and hold a contrarie courfe in all manner of vice and wicked¡wife. But let vs confider the vnprofuablenes ofworldlynobi_ litie.Thevnprefrte-
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