The erle per|fect in the scriptures and matters of religion.He therefore in his time had diligentlie tra|uelled in the scriptures, and so furnished himselfe with principles of christian religion, that he was able readilie to discerne sermons and disputations, and to find out who had veritie on their side: and also pro|bablie to speake with authoritie of scripture in mat|ters of controuersie. His vnderstanding by the espe|ciall worke of the holie ghost was so illumined, that he claue & drew to true christian religion, as the ada|mant stone cleaueth and draweth to stéele. His lord|ship therefore furthered and fauoured all preachers of Gods word,He was a fa|uourer of preachers. so that whosoeuer will iudge of the suc|cesse of Christs religion by humane reason, must con|fesse that the gospell hath lost a mightie protector, and an earnest defender. But God in setting out of his word, vseth to worke beside the expectation of man, and beyond the reach of reason.His expert|nesse in chro|nicles, histo|ries, &c. I haue yet further to speake of his lordship, that I beléeue there be verie few noble men in England, more readie and expert in chronicles, histories, genealogies, and pedegrées of noble men, and noble houses, not onlie within the realme, but also in forren realmes, than this noble earle was in his time. He excelled in describing and blasing of armes, and in all skill perteining thereto: and to be short, his vnderstanding and capacitie was so liu [...]lie and effectuall, that it reached to all kind of matters that a perfect nobleman shall haue to deale withall in this world.

Fortitude a noble vertue wherewith [...] earle was [...].Fortitude is another founteine from whense nobi|litie floweth, of Cicero In Tusculanis quaestionibus thus defined: Est affectio animi qua grauia patiendo legibus obtẽ|peratur: It is an affection of the mind whereby to sa|tisfie the lawes a man is content to suffer hardnesse; he meaneth mans lawes, and not Gods law. It sée|meth therefore that it may be thus more euidentlie and fullie defined: Fortitude is an affection of the mind, wherby a man is made hardie and couragious to suffer difficulties and dangers, auoiding on the one side rashnesse, & expelling on the other side feare, to performe that which Gods law and honestie pre|scribeth and commandeth. Although by this definiti|on we find, that the effect of fortitude resteth much in banishing of feare of bodilie hurts: yet dooth it agrée verie well with the feare of God. Iethro therefore counselling Moses to choose men to gouerne vnder him, saith; Prospice viros fortes, timentes Deum; Exod. 28, 21 Séeke out men indued with fortitude, fearing God, &c. Whereby we perceiue, that fortitude and the feare of God va|rie not, but are linked togither. Déepe was the floud of nobilitie that this valiant earle had fetched out of this founteine.The earles chiualrie, mar [...]iall knowledge and prowesse aduanced. For in this togither with the well of prudence, he found that excellent knowledge of chi|ualrie, the cunning to lead an armie, to guide and to rule soldiors, that experience of stratagems & war|like policies, that notable magnanimitie and inuin|cible courage, whereby he indured and ouercame so manie dangers and perils, for the which he is renow|med in England and Ireland, and shall neuer be for|gotten. He was by nature the sonne of Mars; and by practising feats of war and exercise aforehand he had made himselfe in manner a perfect warrior, a|fore that euer he came to the wars; and was for pro|wesse, magnanimitie, and high corage to be compa|red to the old Romane capteins, that be so much in stories commended.Fortitude néedfull both in time of peace and warre. This fortitude is no lesse neces|sarie for nobilitie in time of peace than in time of war. For it belongeth vnto them to minister iustice betwixt partie and partie, without respect of persons, which cannot be performed without the assistance of this vertue. I haue good cause to thinke of this noble earle, that there was no subiect in England, that could feare or corrupt him from executing of iustice. He was to the proud and arrogant a lion, and to the méeke and humble a lambe, neither is there anie contrarietie in this: for true nobilitie discerneth a due and conuenient time and place to vse both the one and the other.

Iustice is the third well of nobilitie,Iustice a no|ble vertue, wherwith this erle was indued. it is a con|stant and a perpetuall will to giue euerie man his owne. This is a diuine vertue, pretious, and com|mendable in all men, and especiallie in the nobilitie, who by reason of authoritie may doo iniurie without remedie for the same. We sée by experience that great is the number of them that would oppresse, if they had authoritie: we see also the iniuries that are doone dailie by them that haue colour of authoritie, be it neuer so simple. But examine the life of this earle who will, and I beléeue there is no man liuing that can iustlie complaine of anie iniurie or wrong doone by him.The bishop reporteth of the earles iu|stice vpon his owne know|ledge. I once in my time heard him not a litle offended with one of his men that was complained vpon; saieng that his seruant could doo him no grea|ter dishonor, than by pretense of his authoritie to doo anie poore man wrong. Iob in the time of his autho|ritie & wealth, was commended to be a iust & a righ|teous man. And in the explication of part of that iustice Iob hath these words, Fui oculus caeco, Iob. 29, 15. vice pedum claudo, &c: I was the eies to the blind, and I was the féet to the lame, I was a father to the poore, and when I knew not the cause I sought it out diligentlie, I brake the chawes of the vnrighteous man, and pluc|ked the preie out of his téeth.The paterne of a good earle indéed. Here we find that who soeuer will doo iustice, must not onelie doo no wrong, but must also with all his might, succour and comfort the helplesse and oppressed. In this part of iustice there was neuer noble man more forward than this good earle. He was the comfortable refuge of all such as were in aduersitie, or oppressed by power.