IL n’est subiect si vain, qui ne merite vn rang en cette rapsodie. A nos regles communes, ce seroit vne notable discourtoisie et à l’endroit d’vn pareil, et plus à l’endroit d’vn grand, de faillir à vous trouuer chez vous, quand il vous auroit aduerty d’y deuoir venir: Voire adioustoit la Royne de Nauarre Marguerite à ce propos, que c’estoit inciuilité à vn Gentil-homme de partir de sa maison, comme il se faict le plus souuent, pour aller au deuant de celuy qui le vient trouuer, pour grand qu’il soit: et qu’il est plus respectueux et ciuil de l’attendre, pour le receuoir, ne fust que de peur de faillir sa route: et qu’il suffit de l’accompagner à son partement.
There is no subject so trivial that it does not deserve a place in this rhapsody. By our common rules, it would be a notable discourtesy, both toward an equal and still more toward a great man, to fail to be at home when he had told you he would come. Indeed, Queen Margaret of Navarre added on this point that it was uncivil for a gentleman to leave his house, as is most often done, to go and meet a visitor who is coming to see him, however great he may be; that it is more respectful and civil to wait for him in order to receive him, if only for fear of missing him on the road; and that it is enough to escort him when he leaves.
Pour moy i’oublie souuent l’vn et l’autre de ces vains offices: comme ie retranche en ma maison autant que ie puis de la cerimonie. Quelqu’vn s’en offence: qu’y ferois-ie? Il vaut mieux que ie l’offence pour vne fois, que moy tous les iours: ce seroit vne subiection continuelle. A quoy faire fuit-on la seruitude des cours, si on l’entraine iusques en sa taniere? C’est aussi vne regle commune en toutes assemblees, qu’il touche aux moindres de se trouuer les premiers à l’assignation, d’autant qu’il est mieux deu aux plus apparans de se faire attendre.
For my part, I often forget both of these empty duties, just as I cut out as much ceremony in my house as I can. Someone takes offense: what can I do about it? Better that I offend him once than myself every day: it would be a perpetual subjection. What is the point of fleeing the servitude of courts if we drag it all the way into our own den? It is also a common rule in all gatherings that it falls to the lesser to be first at the appointed place, since it is more fitting for the most eminent to be waited for.
Toutesfois à l’entreueuë qui se dressa du Pape Clement, et du Roy François à Marseille, le Roy y ayant ordonné les apprests necessaires, s’esloigna de la ville, et donna loisir au Pape de deux ou trois iours pour son entree et refreschissement, auant qu’il le vinst trouuer. Et de mesmes à l’entree aussi du Pape et de l’Empereur à Bouloigne, l’Empereur donna moyen au Pape d’y estre le premier et y suruint apres luy.
However, at the meeting arranged between Pope Clement and King Francis at Marseille, the King, having ordered the necessary preparations, withdrew from the city and gave the Pope two or three days’ leisure for his entry and rest before he came to see him. And likewise, at the entry of the Pope and the Emperor into Bologna, the Emperor allowed the Pope to be there first, and arrived after him.
C’est, disent-ils, vne cerimonie ordinaire aux abouchemens de tels Princes, que le plus grand soit auant les autres au lieu assigné, voire auant celuy chez qui se fait l’assemblee: et le prennent de ce biais, que c’est afin que cette apparence tesmoigne, que c’est le plus grand que les moindres vont trouuer, et le recherchent, non pas luy eux.
It is, they say, an ordinary ceremony at meetings of such princes that the greatest should be at the appointed place before the others, even before the one in whose territory the meeting is held; and they take it this way: the purpose is for this appearance to show that it is the greatest whom the lesser go to find and seek out, not he them.
Non seulement chasque païs, mais chasque cité et chasque vacation a sa ciuilité particuliere. I’y ay esté assez soigneusement dressé en mon enfance, et ay vescu en assez bonne compaignie, pour n’ignorer pas les loix de la nostre Françoise: et en tiendrois eschole. I’aime à les ensuiure, mais non pas si couardement, que ma vie en demeure contraincte. Elles ont quelques formes penibles, lesquelles pourueu qu’on oublie par discretion, non par erreur, on n’en a pas moins de grace. I’ay veu souuent des hommes inciuils par trop de ciuilité, et importuns de courtoisie.
Not only each country, but each city and each profession has its own particular civility. I was trained in it carefully enough in my childhood, and have lived in good enough company, not to be ignorant of the laws of our French civility; I could teach a school in them. I like to follow them, but not so timidly that my life is constrained by them. They have some tiresome forms, and provided one forgets them out of discretion and not by mistake, one is no less gracious for it. I have often seen men uncivil through too much civility, and importunate with courtesy.
C’est au demeurant vne tres-vtile science que la science de l’entregent. Elle est, comme la grace et la beauté, conciliatrice des premiers abords de la societé et familiarité: et par consequent nous ouure la porte à nous instruire par les exemples d’autruy, et à exploitter et produire nostre exemple, s’il a quelque chose d’instruisant et communicable.
For the rest, the art of dealing with people is a very useful knowledge. Like grace and beauty, it smooths the first approaches of society and familiarity; and consequently it opens the door for us to learn from the examples of others, and to put to use and display our own example, if it has anything instructive and communicable.