men least.  Of all vanities and fopperies, to brag of gentility is the greatest; for what is it they crack so much of, and challenge such superiority, as if they were demigods?  Birth? Tantane vos generis tenuit fiducia vestri? [3630]It is non ens, a mere flash, a ceremony, a toy, a thing of nought.  Consider the beginning, present estate, progress, ending of gentry, and then tell me what it is. [3631]"Oppression, fraud, cozening, usury, knavery, bawdry, murder, and tyranny, are the beginning of many ancient families:”  [3632]"one hath been a bloodsucker, a parricide, the death of many a silly soul in some unjust quarrels, seditions, made many an orphan and poor widow, and for that he is made a lord or an earl, and his posterity gentlemen for ever after.  Another hath been a bawd, a pander to some great men, a parasite, a slave,” [3633]"prostituted himself, his wife, daughter,” to some lascivious prince, and for that he is exalted.  Tiberius preferred many to honours in his time, because they were famous whoremasters and sturdy drinkers; many come into this parchment-row (so [3634]one calls it) by flattery or cozening; search your old families, and you shall scarce find of a multitude (as Aeneas Sylvius observes) qui sceleratum non habent ortum, that have not a wicked beginning; aut qui vi et dolo eo fastigii non ascendunt, as that plebeian in [3635]Machiavel in a set oration proved to his fellows, that do not rise by knavery, force, foolery, villainy, or such indirect means.  “They are commonly able that are wealthy; virtue and riches seldom settle on one man:  who then sees not the beginning of nobility? spoils enrich one, usury another, treason a third, witchcraft a fourth, flattery a fifth, lying, stealing, bearing false witness a sixth, adultery the seventh,” &c.  One makes a fool of himself to make his lord merry, another dandles my young master, bestows a little nag on him, a third marries a cracked piece, &c.  Now may it please your good worship, your lordship, who was the first founder of your family?  The poet answers, [3636]_Aut Pastor fuit, aut illud quod dicere nolo._ Are he or you the better gentleman?  If he, then we have traced him to his form.  If you, what is it of which thou boastest so much?  That thou art his son.  It may be his heir, his reputed son, and yet indeed a priest or a serving man may be the true father of him; but we will not controvert that now; married women are all honest; thou art his son’s son’s son, begotten and born infra quatuor maria, &c.  Thy great great great grandfather was a rich citizen, and then in all likelihood a usurer, a lawyer, and then a—­a courtier, and then a—­a country gentleman, and then he scraped it out of sheep, &c.  And you are the heir of all his virtues, fortunes, titles; so then, what is your gentry, but as Hierom saith, Opes antiquae, inveteratae divitiae, ancient wealth? that is the definition of gentility.  The father goes often to the devil, to make his son a gentleman.