So said king _Alexander_ very like himselfe
to one _Perillus_ to whom he had geuen a very great gift, which he made
curtesy to accept, saying it was too much for such a mean person, what
quoth the king if it be too much for thy self, hast thou neuer a friend or
kinsman that may fare the better by it? But peraduenture if any such
immoderat gift had bene craued by the Philosopher and not voluntarily
offred by the king it had bene vndecent to haue taken it. Euen so if one
that standeth vpon his merite, and spares to craue the Princes liberalitie
in that which is moderate and fit for him, doth vndecently. For men should
not expect till the Prince remembred it of himselfe and began as it were
the gratification, but ought to be put in remembraunce by humble
folicitations, and that is duetifull, & decent, which made king _Henry_
th'eight her Maiesties most noble father, and for liberality nothing
inferiour to king _Alexander_ the great, aunswere one of his priuie
chamber, who prayd him to be good & gracious to a certaine old Knight
being his seruant for that he was but an ill begger, if he be ashamed to
begge we wil thinke scorne to giue. And yet peraduenture in both these
cases, the vndecencie for too much crauing or sparing to craue, might be
easily holpen by a decent magnificence in the Prince, as _Amazas_ king of
_AEgypt_ very honorably considered, who asking one day for one _Diopithus_
a noble man of his Court, what was become of him for that he had not sene
him wait of long time, one about the king told him that he heard say he
was sicke and of some conceit he had taken that his Maiestie had but
slenderly looked to him, vsing many others very bountifully.
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