but he that spendeth it in Apparel not requisite to seeke delitious Wines and to eate delicate meates To such a one I would say that the pouertie which he suffereth is not sufficient for his deserts For of all troubles there is none so great as to see a man suffer the euil whereof hee himselfe hath bin the occasion Also according to the counsell of Seneca the Auncients ought to be wel aduertised in that they should not only be temperate in eating but likewise they should be sober in drinking and this both for the preseruation of theyr health as also for the reputation of their honestie For if the olde physitians doe not deceyue vs humaine bodyes doe drye and corrupt because they drinke superfluously and eate more then Nature requireth If I should say vnto the olde men that they should drinke no wine they might tell mee that it is not the counsell of a Christian But presuppose they ought to drinke and that for no opinion they should leaue it yet I admonish exhorte and desire them that they drinke little and that they drinke very temperate For the disordinate and immeasurate drinking causeth the young men to be drunke and the olde men both drunke and foolish Oh howe much authoritie lost they and what grauitie doe honorable and ancient men lose which in drinking are not sober Which seemeth to be true forasmuch as the man being loden with wine although he were the wisest in the world he should bee a very foole that would take counsel of such one in his affaires Plutarche in a booke which he made of the Fortunes of the Romaines saied that in the Senate of Rome there was an Auncient man who made great exclametions that a certaine young man hadde in such heinous sort dishonoured him that for the iniuryes hee had spoken he deserued death And when the yong man was called for to answere to that he had said vnto him he answered Fathers conscript though I seeme young vnto you yet I am not so young but that I knew the Father of this olde man who was a vertuous and noble Romane and somewhat a kinne to mee And I seeing that his Father had gotten much goods fighting in the warres and also seeing this oldeman spending them in eating and drinking I sayde vnto him one day I am very sorry my Lord and vncle for that I heare of thy honour in the market place and am the more sorry for that I see done in thy house wherein we saw fifty men armed before in our houre and now wee see a hundred knaues made drunke And worse then that as thy Father shewed to all those that entered into his house the Ensignes hee had wonne in the Warres so now to those that enter into thy house thou shewest them diuers sorts of Wines My vncle complayned of mee but in this case I make the Plaintife iudge against mee the defendant And I would by the immortall Gods hee deserued no more paine for his workes then I deserue by my words For if hee had been wise he would haue accepted the correction which secretely I gaue him and had not come openly to declare his faults in the Senate The complaint of the old man being heard by the Senate and the excuse in like manner of the yong-man they gaue iudgement that they should take all the goods from the olde man and prouide him of a Tutour which should gouerne him and his house And they commaunded the Tutour That from hence forward hee should not giue him one cuppe of Wine since hee was noted of drunkennesse Of truth the sentence which the Senate gaue was very iust For the olde man which giueth himselfe to wine hath as much neede to haue a Gouernour as an Infant or a foole Laertius made a booke of the Feasts of Philosophers and declareth sundry auncient banquets among the which hee putteth one where were assembled many great Philosophers And admit that the meates were meane and simple yet the bidden guests were sage And the cause why they did assemble was not to eate but to dispute of some graue doctrines whereof the Philosophers did somewhat doubt For in those dayes the greater the Stoyckes and the Peripatetikes were in number so much the more were the Philosophers diuided amongst themselues When they were so assembled truly they did not eate nor drinke out of measure but some pleasant matter was moued betweene the masters and the schollers betweene the young and the olde that is to say which of them could declare any secret of Philosophy or any profounde sentence O happy were such feasts and no lesse happy were they that thether were bidden But I am sorry that those which now bidde and those that are bidden for a truth are not as those Ancients were For there are no feastes now a dayes of Philosophers but of gluttons not to dispute but for to murmure not to open doubtfull things but to talke of the vices of others not to confirme auncient amities but to beginne new dissentions not to learne any doctrines but to approue some nouelty And that which worst of all is the old striue at the table with the yong not on him which hath spoken the most grauest sentence but of him which hath drunke most wine and hath rinsed most cups Paulus Diaconus in the history of the Lumbards declareth that foure olde Lumbards made a banquet in the which the one dranke to the others yeares and it was in this manner They made defyance to drinke two to two and after each man had declared how many yeares olde hee was the one dranke as many times as the other was yeeres olde and likewise his companion pledged him And one of these foure companions had at the least 58. yeares the second 63 the third 87. the fourth 92. so that a man knoweth not what they did eate in this banquet eyther little or much but wee know that hee that dranke least dranke 58. cups of wine Of this so euill custome came the Gothes to make this Law which of many is read and of a few vnderstood where it sayeth We ordaine and commaund on paine of death that no olde man drinke to the others yeares being at the table That was made because they were so much giuen to Wine that they dranke more oft then they did eate morsels The Princes and great lords which now are old ought to be very sober in drinking since they ought greatly to be regarded honoured of the yong For speaking the truth and with liberty when the olde man shall be ouercome with wine hee hath more necessity that the young man leade him by the arme to his house then that hee should take off his cappe vnto him with reuerence Also Princes and great Lordes ought to bee very circumspect that when they become aged they bee not noted for young in the apparrel which they weare For although hat for wearing a fine and riche garment the Prince
to peruert the senses and iudgements of all and all not able to represse the lightnesse and vanity of one Things that are new and not accustomed neyther Princes ought to allow nor yet the people to vse For a newe thing ought no lesse to bee examined and considered before it be brought into the cōmon wealth then the great doubts which arise in mens mindes Ruffinus in the Prologue of his secōd Booke of his Apologie reprooueth greatly the Egyptians because they were too full of deuises and blamed much the Grecians because they were too curious in speaking fine wordes and aboue all other hee greatly prayseth the Romanes for that they were very hard of beleefe and that they scarcely alwayes credited the sayings of the Greekes and because they were discreete in admitting the inuentions of the Egyptians The Author hath reason to prayse the one and disprayse the other For it proceedeth of a light iudgement to credit all the thinges that a man heareth and to doe all that he seeth Returning therefore now to our matter Marcus Varro sayde that there were fiue things in the Worlde very hard to bring in whereof none after they were commonly accepted were euer lost or forgotten for euen as things vainely begunne are easily left of so thinges with great feare accepted are with much care and diligence to bee kept and obserued The first thing that chiefly throghout all the World was accepted was all men for to liue together that is for to say that they should make places Towns Villages Citties and Common wealthes For according to the saying of Plato the first best inuentors of the common-wealth were the Antes which according to to the experience wee see do liue together trauell together do go together also for the winter they make prouision together and furthermore none of these Antes doe giue themselues to any priuate thing but all theirs is brought into their common wealth It is a maruellous thing to behold the common wealth of the ants how nearely they trim their hils to behold how they sweepe away the graine when it is wette and how they drye it when they feele any moysture to behold how they come from their work and how the one doth not hurt the other and to behold also how they do reioyce the one in the others trauell and that which is to our greatest confusion is that if it comes so to passe 50000. Ants wil liue in a litle hillocke together and two men onely cannot liue in peace and concord in a common wealth Would to God the wisedome of men were so great to keep themselus as the prudence of the ants is to liue When the world came to a certaine age and mens wits waxed more fine then tirants sprang vp which oppressed the poore theeues that robbed the rich rebels that robbed the quiet murderers that slew the patient the idle that eate the swet of other mens browes all the which things considered by them which were vertuous they agreed to assemble and liue together that thereby they might preserue the good and withstand the wicked Macrobius affirmeth this in the second booke of Scipions dreame saying That couetousnes ond auarice was the greatest cause why men inuented the commonwealth Plinie in the seuenth booke 56. Chapter sayth the first that made small assemblies were the Athenians and the first that built great Cities were the Egyptians The second thing that was accepted throughout al the world were the letters which wee read whereby wee take profite in writing According whereunto Marcus Varro sayth the Egyptians prayse themselues and say that they did inuent them and the Assyrians affirme the contrary and sweare that they were shewed first of all amongst them Plinie in the 7. booke sayth that in the first age there was in the alphabet no more then 16. letters that great Palamedes at the siege of Troy ladded other 4. and Aristotle saith that immediatly after the beginning there were found 18. letters And that afterwards Palamedes did add but 2. and so there were 20. and that the Philosopher Epicarmus did adde other 2. which were 22. it is no great matter whether the Egyptians or the Assyrians first foūd the letters But I say and affirme that it was a thing necessary for a common wealth and also for the encrease of mans knowledge For if wee had wanted letters and writings wee could haue had no knowledge of the time past nor yet our posterity could haue bin aduertised what was done in our daies Plutarch in the second booke entituled De viris illustribus and Pliny in the seuenth booke and 56. Chapter doe greatly praise Pirotas because hee first found the fire in a flint stone They greatly commended Protheus because he inuented barneyes and they highly extolled Panthasuea because she inuented the hatchet They praysed Citheus because hee inuented the bowe and the arrowes they greatly praysed Phenisius because hee inuented the Crossebow and the sling They highly praised the Lacedemonians because they inuented the Helmet the Speare and the Sworde and moreouer they commende those of Thessalie because they inuented the combat on hors-back and they commend those of Affrike because they inuented the fight by Sea But I doe praise and continually will magnifie not those which found the Art of fighting and inuented weapons to procure warres for to kill his neighbour but those which found Letters for to learne Science and to make peace betweene two Princes What difference there is to wet the Penne with inke and to paint the Speare with bloud to be enuironed with bookes or to be laden with weapons To studie how euery man ought to liue or else to goe priuily and robbe in the Warres and to kill his Neighbour There is none of so vaine a iudgement but will praise more the Speculation of the Sciences then the practise of the warres Because that in the ende he that learneth sciences learneth nought else but how he and others ought to liue And he that learneth warlike feats learneth none other thing then how to slay his Neighbour and to destroy others The third thing that equally of all was accepted were lawes For admit that all men now liued together in common if they would not be subiect one to another there would contention arise amongst them for that according to the saying of Plato That there is no greater token of the destruction of a Common-weale then when many rulers are chosen therein Plinie in his seuenth booke 56. chap sayth that a Queene called Ceres was the first that taught them to sowe in the fields to grinde in Milles to paste and bake in Ouens and also shee was the first that taught the people to liue according to the Law And by the meanes of these things our Fore-fathers called her a Goddesse Since the time we neuer haue seene heard nor read of any realme or other nation as well strange as barbarous whatsoeuer they were but haue had Lawes
that is to say Whether to reward the good or to punish the euill were for a Prince more naturall Hee aunswered As naturall as both the right and left arme is in a man so necessarie is reward and punishment in a Prince But as wee helpe our selus more with the right arm then with the left so the Prince ought more to endeauour himselfe to reward then to punish For punishment ought to bee by the handes of a stranger but reward ought to bee with his owne proper hands When wee perswade Princes to bee iust and that they doe iustice it is not to bee vnderstood that they should be head murderers banish rebels and seditious persons hang theeues and burie felons aliue For such or other like things rather appertaine to bloudy Hangmen then to pittifull Kings All the profit of iustice is in that the Prince be honest of person carefull for his householde zealous of the Common-wealth and not large of his Conscience For Princes ought not to bee commended for murdering many cruelly but for reforming the common wealth louingly Plutarch in the comfortable Oration that hee wrote to Appoloni speaking of the Lawes which Promotheus gaue to the Egyptians amongst the residue he recited these three that follow Wee ordaine and commaund that Princes lay not hands on others for any crimes or offences done vnto himselfe For Princes ought not to vse their hāds to reuenge their owne iniuries but rather by iustice to defend other that bee iniuried Wee ordaine and commaund that all times when they shall bee in their Common wealth and not in wars they shall not weare weapons defensiue and much lesse offensiue For good Princes neyther ought to bee hastie to the ende they may kill nor yet to haue vices whereby they may be killed We ordaine and commaund that the Prince doe not onely not kill with his handes but also that doe not see them doe iustice with his eyes For how much noble and worthy a thing it is before the presence of a Prince that al should receyue honor so slaunderous a thing it is that any in his presence should lose their liues CHAP. II. The way that Princes ought to vse in choosing their Iudges and Officers in their Countries SParthianus in the liues that he wrote of thirty tyrants sayde that Ciriacus the Tirant had a memoriall made of certaine of the Senatours whom he would haue killed and when the thing was discouered they slew him They found in the hands of another tyrant named Regilius after hee was dead a memoriall of those which with his own hands he had depriued of their liues wherfore they afterward depriued him of his buriall O how many Iudges are there in this world that doe as much aduance themselues of those whom they haue caused to be whipt to bee slaine to be beheaded to be hanged quartered and slaine as others doe which haue redeemed many captiues or haue married Orphanes Those Iudges which according to the order of Lawes customes and iurisdictions to punish the euill I do wel allow but to reioice and aduance themselues of them whom they haue condemned I vtterly abhor for the vertuous and Christian Iudge ought rather to shed teares in the Churches then by affection to shed bloud of men in the seate of iudgement And for the confirmation of that which I haue sayde I affirme that the good iudge and gouernor of the common-wealth ought not to beare in minde the murthers and slaughters done by others but to record the iniuryes which they haue done themselues For in other mens offences we ought to be silent and for our owne iniquities wee ought to be penitent Iudges execute some punishments which men disallow and God doeth aproue an other time God condemneth them though the world do allow them Therefore the surest thing for Iudges is not to reioyce of their brethren whom they haue corrected but what they themselues for theyr owne offences haue deserued In iudging others by false witnes the Iudges many times against theyr wills doe erre but in their owne matters they can neuer erre vnlesse they will since the offences which wee commit are alwayes certaine Therefore it grieueth mee much that there be some so euill which being accused before GOD would excuse themselues before men yet their owne breethren with false witnesses they dare condemne Great care ought Princes to haue to examin them whom they wil make Iudges and gouernors For the iudge which daylie maketh not an account with his Conscience in secrete shall commit euery houre a thousand euills in the Common-wealth Oh poore and miserable common-wealth where the gouernours and iudges thereof doe not cast their eyes but vnto them whome they ought to chastise where they doe not thinke in their hearts but how they may enrich their Coffers where they doe not occupie their handes but to take bribes and doe not passe the time but in feastings and Bankettes And I sayd not without a cause bankets For there are too many iudges which employ their studyes more to get them Friendes to maintaine their state proudly then for to reade good bookes and to iudge mens causes vprightly The iudge which neuer readeth the iudge which neuer studyeth the iudge which neuer openeth booke the iudge which is neuer in his house the iudge which day and night robbeth How is it possible that hee should execute one true iustice There can bee no greater feare in a man nor slaunder more great in the commonwealth then when the iudge who ought to iudge and chastise the offences of others is alwayes ouerwhelmed with vices The iudge which presumeth to bee good and wil be good and which desireth to be good a man should finde him no where vnlesse hee be studying in his house or else sitting in the place of Iustice c. Let not Noble Princes trust vppon this when they prouide Iudges and Gouernours saying That if they finde any euill they wil soone cut him off For such are so euill that if they want no meanes to get to those Offices they shal want no cautils nor corrupt Friends to suborne them therin When Noble Princes and great lords shall find any iudge euill I counsell them to auoyde him immediately or that they shew themselues not contēted with his doings For such a one shall forthwith enforce himselfe to do iustice with intention that those of the commonwealth might desire him to be their iudge Although my pen doth reproue these iudges which are extreame and cruell yet my intention is not to cōmend the others which are negligent and carelesse the which neyther by knowledge can iudge nor with stoutnesse punish The Iudges which iudge and gouerne they ought not to bee with all so familiar that all dare take vpon them to aske him for in this case if some commend his gentle conuersation others will blame his partiall Iustice I counsell admonish and require Princes that they content themselus not onely to be
those that contrary your opinion Be not proud and seuere vnto those you doe commaund neyther doe any thing without good aduisement and consideration For albeit in Princes Courts euery man doth admire and beholde the excellencie and worthines of the person yet are those alwayes that are most in fauour of the Prince more noted regarded and sooner accused then others 10 If you will not erre in the counselles you shall giue nor fayle in those things you shall enterprise Embrace those that tell you the truth and reiect and hate those whom you know to be Flatterers and dissemblers For you should rather desire to bee admonished of the thing present then to be counselled after the dammage receyued Although wee suppose assuredly that all these things aboue-written are not likely to happen nor yet come euen so to passe as I haue spoken yet if it may please you Syr to remember they are not therefore impossible For spitefull Fortune permitteth oftentimes that the Sayles which in stormie weather the Lightnings and boystrous Tempests could not breake and teare in piecâ—â— are afterwardes vpon a sudden euen in the sweete of the mornings sleepe each man taking his rest leauing the Seas before in quiet calme all to shiuered and torne a sunder He that meaneth to giue another a blowe also the more he draweth backe his arme with greater force hee striketh And euen so neyther more nor lesse sayeth Fortune with those on whom for a time shee smyleth For the longer a man remayneth in her loue and fauor the more cruell and bitter she sheweth herselfe to him in the ende And therefore I would aduise euery wise and Sage person that when Fortune seemeth best of all to fauour him and to doe most for him that then hee should stand most in feare of her and least of all to trust her deceits Therefore Syr nake no small account of this my Booke little though it bee For you know that doubtlesse as experience teacheth vs of greater price and value is a little sparke of a Dyamond then a greater ballast It forceth little that the Booke bee of small or great volume sith the excellencie thereof consisteth not in the number of leaues more or lesse but only in the good and graue sentences that are amply written therein For euery Authour that writeth to make his booke of great price and shew ought to be briefe in his words and sweete and pleasaunt in his matter hee treateth of the better to satisfie the minde of the Reader and also not to growe tedious to the hearer And Syr I speake not without cause that you should not a little esteeme this smal treatise of mine since you are most assured that with time all your things shall haue ende your Friendes shall leaue you your goods shall bee diuided your selfe shall dye your fauour and credit shall diminish and those that succeede you shall forget you you not knowing to whome your Goods and Patrimonie shall come and aboue all you shall not knowe what conditions your heyres and children shall be of But for this I wryte in your royall Historic and Chronicle of your laudable vertues and perfections and for that also I serue you as I doe with this my present worke the memorie of you shall remaine eternized to your Successors for euer Chilo the Phylosopher beeing demanded whether there were anything in the world that Fortune had not power to bring to nought aunswered in this sort Two things only there are which neither Time can consume nor Fortune destroy And that is the renowne of man written in bookes and the veritie that is hidden For though truth for a time lye interred yet it resurgeth againe and receiueth life appearing manifestly to all And euen so in like case the vertues we find written of a man doe cause vs at this present to haue him in as great veneration as those had in his time that best knewe him Reade therefore Syr at times I beseech you these writings of mine albeit I feare me you can scant borrow a moment of Time with leysure once to looke vpon it beeing as I knowe you are alwayes occupyed in affayres of great importance wherin me thinketh you should not so surcharge your selfe but that you might for your commodity and recreation of your spirits reserue some priuate houres to your selfe For sage and wise men should so burden themselues with care of others toyle that they shold not spend one houre of the day at the least at their pleasure to looke on their estate and condition As recounteth Suetonius Tranquillus of Iulius Caesar who notwithstanding his quotidian warres he had neuer let slip one day but that he reade or wrote some thing So that being in his Pauillion in the Campe in the one hand hee held his lance to assault his enemie and in the other the penne he wrote withall with which he wrote his worthy CoÌ„mentaries The resonable man therfore calling to mind the straight account that he must render of himselfe and of the time he hath lost shall alwayes be more carefull that hee lose not his time then he shall be to keepe his treasure For the well imployed time is a meane and helpe to his sal saluation and the euill gotten good a cause of his eternall damnation Moreouer yet what toyle and trauell is it to the body of the man and how much more perill to the liuing soule when hee consumeth his whole dayes and life in worldly broyles and yet seely man hee cannot absent himselfe from that vile drudgery til death doth summon him to yeelde vp his account of his life and doings And now to conclude my Prologue I say this booke is diuided into two parts that is to say in the first tenne Chapters is declared how the new-come Courtier shall behaue himselfe in the Princes Court to winne fauour and credit with the Prince and the surplus of the work treateth when hee hath atchieued to his Princes fauour and acquired the credite of a worthy Courtier how he shall then continue the same to his further aduancement And I doubt not but that the Lords and Gentlemen of Court will take pleasure to reade it and namely such as are Princes familiars and beloued of Court shall most of all reape profite thereby putting the good lessons and aduertisements they finde heretofore written in execution For to the young Courtiers it sheweth them what they haue to do and putteth in remembrance also the olde fauoured Courtyer liuing in his princes grace of that he hath to be circumspect of And finally I conclude Syr that of all the Treasures riches gifts fauours prosperities pleasures seruices greatnesse and power that you haue and possesse in this mortall and transitorie life and by the Faith of a true Christian I sweare vnto you also that you shal carrie no more with you then that onely Time which you haue well and vertuously employed during this your Pilgrimage THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE
times Princes are so earnest of their game and so desirous to kill that they hunt that they are wonte boldly to chase the beastes they hunt and pursue them so that oftentimes they lose the sight of the rest In such a case the good Courtier must euer haue his eyes vpon him and rather seeke to follow the King then to take pleasure in hunting of other beasts for in that case it shal be a better hunting for him to finde out the King and to be with him then he should take pleasure in being alone with the Hart. It may happen lightly that the king galloping his horse vpon the rockie stones he might stūble at such a stone as both the King and his horse should come to the ground and at that time it could not be but very profitable to the Courtier to bee present For it might so happen that by means of the Princes fall he being ready to helpe him he might thenceforth beginne to grow in fauour and credite with the Prince The most part of those that delight to goe a hunting are wont commonly to eate their meate greedily drinke out of measure and besides to shout and make a wonderful noise as they were out of their wits which thinges the graue and wise Courtier should not do for they are rather fit for vagabonds idle persons that set not by their honesty then they are for the honest Courtier that only desireth and endeauoreth by modesty wise behauiour to become great and in fauour CHAP. X. Of the great pains and troubles the Courtier hath that is toilde in sutes of Law and how hee must suffer and behaue himselfe with the Iudges THere are in the Court also diuers kindes of men that bee not Courtiers Princes seruants but only are Courtiers of necessity by reason of suites they haue with the counsell And these manner of Courtiers haue as much need of counsell as of helpe for hee that hath his goods in hazard hath also his life in ieopardy To speake of the diuers and subtill wayes of suffering it is no matter worthy to bee written with ynke but onely with liuely bloud For indeed if euery one of these suters were forced to abide for his faith and beleeue those paines troubles and sorrowes that he doth to recouer his goods as much cruelty as tortures should Vaglioditi and Grauata haue as euer had Rome in times past In my opinion I thinke it a hell to continue a long suter And surely we may beleeue yea and sweare to that the Martyrs executed in olde time in the Primitiue Church which were many in number did not suffer so much neyther felt such griefe to loose their life as doth now a daies an honest man to see himselfe depriued of all his faculties It is a great trouble and charge to recouer any thing but in the end of these two effects a wise man suffereth and feeleth more the displeasure he receyueth then he doth the goods hee spendeth And in my iudgement to striue and contend is nothing else but to bring matter to the hart to sigh and lament to the Eyes to weepe to the Feet to go to the Tongue to complaine to the handes to spend to intreat his Friendes to fauour his cause and to commaund his seruaunts to be carefull and diligent and his bodie to labour continually He that vnderstandeth not the conditions of contention I will let him know they are these which follow Of a rich man to become poore of a mery man to be made sad and Melancholie of a free man a bond-man of a liberall man a couetous man of a quiet man an vnquyet person and of a htaefull a desperate person How is it otherwise possible but that the haplesse Poore Suter must become desperate seeing the Iudge looketh vppon him with a frowning counteuaunce his goods to bee demaunded of him wrongfully and that now it is so long a time hee hath not bin at home and knoweth not as yet whether Sentence shall be giuen with him or against him And besides all this that the Pooreman in his lingring Sute hath spent so much that hee hath not left him sixe pence in his purse If any of these troubles be ynough to bring a man to his end much more shal they be to make the poore-man desperate and weary of his life So diuers are the effects and successes seene in matters of Sutes that many times there is no wit able to dyrect them nor goods to bring them to end Nay wee may boldly and truely say that the Lawes are so many diffuse of themselues and mens iudgements so simple to vnderstand them that at this day there is no Suite in the world so cleer but there is found another law to put that in doubt make it voyd And therfore the good and ill of the Suter consisteth not so much in the reason he hath as in the Law which the Iudge chuseth to giue iudgmēt of It is well that the Suter belieue and thinke that he hath right but the chiefest thing of importaunce is that the Iudge also desire that hee haue his right For that Iudge that fauoureth my cause and desireth to doe mee Iustice he will labour and study to seeke out some Law that shal serue my turn to restore mee againe to my right To contend is so profound a science that neither Socrates to the Athenians nor Solon to the Greeks nor Numa Pom pylius to the Romaines nor Prometheus to the Egiptians nor Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians nor Plato to his Disciples nor Apolonius to the Poets of Nemesis nor Hiarcus to the Indians could euer teach it them and much lesse could they tell how to finde anie way to write it in the bookes of their Common-wealth The cause why these famous men did not finde it was because this Science could not be learned by studying of diuers bookes nor by trauelling through diuers countreyes but onely by framing great Sutes and Processes and by infinite charge and expences of money Happie yea truly and most treble happie were those ages in which they neither knew nor yet could tell what strife or contention meant For indeede from that time hetherto the world hath fallen to decay and chiefly since men haue grown to quarrel and each one contēded with his neighbor Plato was wont to say that in that Commonweale where there were found many Physitians it was also an euident token that there were many vicious people and likewise we may say that in that Citie where there are manie Suters it is to bee thought it followes also that there are many yll disposed-people That onely may be called a blessed and fortunate Common Weale where men liue quietly and haue not to doe with Iustices nor Iudges for it is a true rule when Physitians are much frequented and Iudges much occupied that amongst that people there is little health and lesse quiet But to returne to the troubles of our
ΑΡΧΟÎΤΟΡΟΛΟΓΙΟΠOR THE DIALL OF PRINCES CONTAINING THE GOLDEN AND FAMOVS BOOKE OF MARCVS AVRELIVS Sometime Emperour of Rome DECLARING What Excellency consisteth in a Prince that is a good Christian And what euils attend on him that is a cruell Tirant WRITTEN By the Reuerend Father in God DON ANTONIO of Gueuara Lord Bishop of Guadix Preacher and Chronicler to the late mighty Emperour CHARLES the fift First translated out of French by THOMAS NORTH Sonne to Sir EDWARD NORTH Lord NORTH of Kirthling And lately reperused and corrected from many grosse imperfections With addition of a Fourth Booke stiled by the Name of The fauoured Courtier LONDON Imprinted by Bernard Alsop dwelling by Saint Annes Church neere Aldersgate 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR HENRY MOVNTAGVE Knight Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Pleas Holden before his most Royall Maiestie c THe Emperour Traiane Right Honourable writing a Letter to the Senate of Rome concerning the weightie and carefull condition of Princes among many other matters vsed these wordes of himselfe I doe freely confesse vnto you that since I tasted the cares and trauels attending on this Imperiall dignitie I haue repented a thousand times that euer I did vndertake it because if it bee accounted Honour to enioy an Empire there consisteth farre greater paine and labour to order and gouerne it as it ought to be But beside what enuie doth hee expose himselfe to multitude of mislikes that hath the charge of gouerning others If hee be iust hee is branded with cruelry if mercifull hee is contemned if beautifull tearmed lauish and prodigall if hee hoorde vp money then basely couetous if inclined to peace then hee is a coward If full of courage proudly anbitious if discreetly graue surly and scornefull if affably courteous silly and simple if affecting solitude a dissembling hypocrite if addicted to mirth and pleasure then wantonly dissolute In the end of all te worthy Emperour thus concluded Although willingly I accepted this high office at the first yet sorrow hath since made mee shrinke vnder so brdensom a charge For the Sea and dignitie are thinges pleasing to looke â—n but very perillous to meddle withall I haue alledged his example worthie Lord because present vnto your gracious acceptance his ancient and famous Booke called The Diall of Princes wherein is at lige and amply set downe what care and respect awayteth on the liues of Prinâ—â—s and great persons for if they canot runne into the smallest errour but redoundeth to the hurt of many nor neglect their duty without other mens userie Then sayde the Philosopher well A Prince should not appropriate the Common-wealth to himselfe but shape himselfe wholy to the Common wealth And so much the rather because he standing accountable to no man in this Life ought to remember a farre stricter account before him that maketh no respect of Princes saue onely in this that they shall finde the Iudge the more seuere against them by how much they haue abused their place of eminencie as also their power and princely authority In the learned Discourses following set downe by that good Emperour Marcus Aurelius the honourable Argument of all this worke are three especiall duties and actions obserued necessarily required in an absolute and perfect Prince as namely In Ruling Iudging and Defending To rule by iust lawes and good Example To Iudge by Wisedome Prouidence and Iustice And Defend by valour care and vigilancy And this is that which the Spirit of God so often intimateth by the Prophet Ieremie â—ap 22. verse 3. To execute Iudgement and righteousnesse To deliuer the oppressed from the handes â—â— the oppressour Not to vexe the Stanger fatherlesse or Widdow Neyther to doe violence or shedde the innocent bloud Into infinite other famous presidents for Princes I could enter and set them downe expressely but that I know they are so frequent to your Honour both in reading and memorie that it were as lost labour as to hold a burning Taper in the bright Sunne at Noone-day and therefore these few shall suffice Nor doe I dedicate this vnto your graue and learned iudgement as a new labour of mine owne or as a worke neuer seene before because it hath already past diuers impressions albeit not in so exact a maner nor with the like paines as hath now bin bestowed vpon it from many absurde and grosse imperfections and yet not so cleanely purged as I could wish it were nor as it shall bee if euer it come to the Presse againe Wherefore I humbly entreate your Honour to accept it as it is and as an oblation of my loue vnfainedly to you which gladly would shew it selfe by any possible meanes as time hereafter may better enable me Til when I remain ready at your Honours seruice to the very vtmost of my best abilitie Your Honors in all duty A. M. A GENER ALL PROLOGVE VPON THE BOOKE ENTITVLED THE DYALL OF PRINCES WITH THE FAmous Booke of MARCVS AVRELIVS Compyled by the Reuerend Father in GOD the Lord ANTONY of GVEVARA Byshop of Guadix Confessor and Chronicler to Charles the fifth Emperour of Rome vnto whom and to all other Princes and Noble-personages this worke was directed APolonius Thianeus disputing with the schollers of Hiareas said that among all the affections of nature nothing is more naturall then the desire that all haue to preserue life Omitting the dispute of these great Phylosophers herein wee our selues hereof haue daily proofe that to liue men do trauell to liue byrds do flie fishes do swimme and to liue beasts do hide themselues for feare of death Finally I say there is no liuing creature so brutish that hath not a naturall desire to liue If many of the auncient Paynims so little regarde life that of their owne free willes they offered themselues death they did it not for that they despised life but because they thought that for their little regarding life wee would more highly esteem their fame For wee see men of hauty courages seeke rather to winne a long-during-Fame then to saue a short lasting-life How loth men are to die is easily seen by the great paines they take to liue For it is a naturall thing to all mortall men to leaue their liues with sorrowe and take their deaths with feare Admit that all doe taste this corporall death and that generally both good and euill doe die yet is there great difference between the death of the one and the death of the other If the good desire to liue it is onely for the greater desire they haue to do more good but if the euill desire to liue it is for that they would abuse the world longer For the children of vanity call no time good but onely that wherein they liue according to their owne desires I let you vnderstand that are at this present and you also that shall come heereafter that I direct my writings vnto those which embrace vertue and not vnto such as are borne away with vice GOD
the state of the rich is good if they will Godly vse it I say the estate of the Religious is good if they be able to profite others I say the estate of the communaltie is good if they will content themselues I say the estate of the poore is good if they haue pacience For it is no merite to suffer troubles if wee haue not pacience therein During the time of this our miserable life we cannot denie but in euery estate there is both trouble danger For then onely our estate shall be perfite when we shall come gloriously in soule and bodie without the feare of death and also when we shall reioyce without daungers in life Returning againe to our purpose Mightie Prince although wee all be of value little wee all haue little we all can attaine little wee all know little we all are able to doe little we all loue but little yet in all this little the state of Princes seemeth some great and high thing For that worldly men say There is no such felicitie in this life as to haue authoritie to cōmaund many and to be bound to obey none But if eyther subiects knew how deere Princes by their power to command or if princes knew how sweet a thing it is to liue in quiet doubtles the subjects would pittie their rulers and the rulers would not enuie their subiects For full fewe are the pleasures which Princes enjoy in respect of the troubles that they endure Since then the estates of Princes is greater then all that hee may do more then all is of more value then all vpholdeth more then all And finally that from thence proceedeth the gouernement of all it is more needefull that the House the Person and the life of a Prince be better gouerned and ordered then all the rest For euen as by the meate-yard the Marchaunt measureth all his wares So by the life whole of the Prince is measured the whole common-weale Many sorrowes endureth the woman in nourishing a way-ward child great trauell taketh a Schoolmaster in teaching an vntoward scholler much paines taketh an Officer in gouerning a multitude ouer-great How great then is the paine and perill wherevnto I offer my selfe in taking vpon mee to order the life of such an one vpon whose life dependeth all the good estate of a Common-weale For Noble Princes and great Lords ought of vs to bee serued and not offended wee ought to exhort them not to vexe them wee ought to encreate them not to rebuke them wee ought to aduise them and not to defame them Finally I say the right simple reckon I that Surgion which with the same plaisters hee layed to a harde heele seeketh to cure the tender Eyes I meane by this comparison that my purpose is not to tell Princes and Noble-men in this booke what they be but to warne them what they ought to bee not to tell them what they do but to aduise them what they ought to doe For that Noble-man which will not amende his life for remorse of his owne conscience Iidoe thinke hee will doe it for the writing of my pen. Paulus Dyaconus the first Hystoriographer in the second booke of his Commentaryes sheweth an antiquitie right worthie to remember and also pleasaunt to read Although indeed to the hinderaunce of my selfe I shall rehearse it It is as of the Henne who by long scraping on the Dung-hill discouereth the knife that shall cut her owne throate Thus was the case Hanniball the most renowmed Prince and captain of Carthage after hee was vanquished by the aduenturous Scipio fled into Asia to king Antiochus a prince then liuing of great vertue who receyued him into his realme tooke him into his protection and right honourably intertayned him in his house And truly king Antiochus did heerein as a pittyfull prince For what can more beautifie the honour of a Prince then to succour Nobilitie in their needefull estate These two Noble Princes vsed diuers exercises to spende the time honourablie and thus they diuided their time Sometime to hunt in the mountains otherwhiles to disporre them in the fields oft to view their Armeys But chiefly they resorted to the Schooles to heare the Phylosophers And truely they did like wise and skilfull men For there is no houre in a day otherwise so well employed as in hearing a wise pleasant tongued man There was at a time in Ephesus a famous Philosopher called Phormio which openly and publikely read and taught the people of the realme And one day as these two Princes came into the Schoole the Philosopher Phormio chaunged the matter whereupon he read and of a sudden began to talke of the meanes and wayes that Princes ought to vse in warre and of the order to bee kept in giuing battell Such so strange and high phrased was the matter which hee talked of that not onely they maruelled which neuer before saw him but euen those also that of long time had daily heard him For herein curious and flourishing wits shew their excellency in that they neuer want fresh matter to entreate vpon Greatly gloried the King Antiochus that this Philosopher in presēce of this strange Prince had so excellently spoken so that strangers might vnderstand he had his realme stored with wise men For couragious and noble Princes esteem nothing so precious as to haue men valiāt to defend their Frontiers and also wise to gouerne their common-weales The Lecture read King Antiochus demaunded of the Prince Hannibal how he liked the talke of the Philosopher Formio to whom Hanibal stoutly answered and in his answer shewed himselfe to bee of that stoutnesse he was the same day when he wan the great battell at Cannas for although noble hearted and couragious Princes lose all their estates and realmes yet they will neuer confesse their harts to be ouerthrowne nor vanquished And these were the words that at that time Hannibal sayde Thou shalt vnderstand K. Antiochus that I haue seene diuers doting old men yet I neuer saw a more dotard foole thē Phormio whom thou callest such a great Philosopher For the greatest kinde of folly is when a man that hath but a little vaine science presumeth to teach not those which haue onely science also such as haue most certaine experience Tell me King Antiochus what hart can brooke with patience or what tongue can suffer with silence to see a silly man as this Philosopher is nourished all his life time in a corner of Greece studying Philosophie to presume as hee hath done to talke before the prince Hannibal of the affayres of warre as though hee had beene eyther Lord of Affrique or Captaine of Rome Certes hee eyther full little knoweth himselfe or else but little esteemeth vs For it appeareth by his vaine wordes hee would seeme to know more in matters of warre by that hee hath read in bookes then doth Hanniball by the sundry great battels which he hath fought in the fields Oh King Antiothus how
farre and how great is the difference betweene the estate of Phylosophers and the state of Captaines betweene the skyll to reade in Schooles and the knowledge to rule an Armey betweene the science that wise men haue in bookes and the experience that the others haue in warre betweene their skill to write with the penne and ours to fight with the Sword betweene one that for his pastime is set round with deskes of bookes and an other in perill of life encompassed with troups of Enemyes For many there are which with great eloquence in blazing deeds don in warres can vse their tongues but fewe are those that at the brunte haue hearts to aduenture their liues This Phylosopher neuer saw man of war in the field neeer saw one Armey of men discomfited by an other neuer heard the terrible Trumpet sound to the horrible cruel slaughter of men neuer saw the Treasons of some nor vnderstood the cowardnes of others neuer saw how few they be that fight nor how many ther are that run away Finally I say as it is seemly for a Phylosopher and a learned man to praise the profite of peace Euen so it is in his mouth a thing vncomely to prate of the perills ' of warre If this Phylosopher hath seene no one thing with his Eyes that hee hath spoken but onely read them in sundry bookes let him recount them to such as haue neyther seene nor read them For warlike feates are better learned in the bloudy fields of Affricke then in the beautifull schooles of Greece Thou knowest right well king Antiochus that for the space of thirty and sixe yeares I had continuall and daungerous warres as well in Italie as in Spayne In which Fortune did not fauour mee as is alwayes her manner to vse those which by great stoutnesse and manhood enterprise things high and of much difficultie a witnesse whereof thou seest mee here who before my beard beganne to growe was serued and now it is hoare I my selfe beginne to serue I sweare vnto thee by the God Mars king Antiochus that if any man did aske mee how hee should vse and behaue himselfe in warre I would not aunswer him one word For they are things which are learned by Experience of deedes and not by prating in words Although Princes beginne warres by justice and followe them with wisedome yet the ende standeth vppon fickle Fortune and not of force nor pollicie Diuerse and sundrie other things Hannibal sayde vnto king Antiochus who so bee desirous to see let him reade in the Apothegmes of Plutarche This example Noble Prince tendeth rather to this end to condemne my boldnesse and not to commend my enterprise saying that the affayres of the common wealth bee as vnknowne to mee as the dangers of the warres were to Phormio Your Maiestie may iustly say vnto me that I being a poor simple man brought vp a great while in a rude Countrey doe greatly presume to describe how so puissant a Prince as your Highnes ought to gouerne himselfe and his Realme For of truth the more ignorant a man is of the troubles and alterations of the world the better he shall be counted in the sight of God The estate of Princes is to haue great traines about them and the estate of religious men is to bee solitary for the seruant of God ought to be alwaies void from vaine thoughts to be euer accompanied with holy meditations The estate of Princes is alwayes vnquiet but the state of the religious is to bee enclosed For otherwise he aboue all others may be called an Apostata That hath his body in the Cell and his heart in the market place To Princes it is necessary to commune and speake with all men but for the religious it is not decent to be cōuersant with the world For solitary men if they do as they ought should occupy their hands in trauel their bodies in fasting their tongue in prayer and their heart in contemplation The estate of Princes for the most part is employed to war but the estate of religious is to desire procure peace For if the Prince would study to passe his bounds and by battell to shed the bloud of his enemies the religious ought to shed teares and pray to God for his sinnes O that it pleased Almighty God as I know what my bounden duty is in my heart so that hee would giue me grace to accomplish the same in my deedes Alas when I ponder with my selfe the weightines of my matter my Pen through slouth and negligence is readie to fall out of my hand and I halfe minded to leaue off mine enterprize My intent is to speake against my selfe in this case For albeit men may know the affaires of Princes by experience yet they shall not know how to speake nor write them but by science Those which ought to counsell princes those which ought to reforme the life of princes and that ought to instruct them ought to haue a cleare iudgement an vpright minde their words aduisedly considered their doctrine wholesome and their life without suspition For who so wil speake of high things hauing no experience of them is like vnto a blinde man that would leade and teach him the way which seeth better then hee himselfe This is the sentence of Xenophon the great which saieth There is nothing harder in this life then to know a wise man And the reason which hee gaue was this That a wise man cannot bee knowne but by another wise man wee may gather by this which Xenophon sayeth That as one wise man cannot be knowne but by another wise man so likewise it is requisite that he should be or haue bin a Prince which should write of the life of a Prince For hee that hath bin a marriner and hath sailed but one yeare on the Sea shall bee able to giue better counsell and aduise then he that hath dwelled ten yeares in the hauen Xenophon wrote a booke touching the institution of princes bringeth in Cambyses the king how hee taught and spake vnto king Cyrus his sonne And he wrote an other book likewise of the Arte of Chiualry and brought in king Philip how he ought to teach his sonne Alexander to fight For the philosophers thought that writing of no authoritie that was not entituled and set foorth vnder the Names of those Princes who had experience of that they wrote Oh if an aged Prince would with his penne if not with word of mouth declare what misfortunes haue happened since the first time hee beganne to raigne how disobedient his subjects haue bin vnto him what griefes his seruants haue wroght against him what vnkindnesse his Friendes haue shewed him what wiles his enemies haue vsed towards him what daunger his person hath escaped what jarres hath bin in his Pallace what faultes they haue layde against him how manie times they haue deceyued straungers Finally what griefes hee hath had by day and what sorrowfull sighs
he hath fetched in the night Truely I thinke and in my thought I am nothing deceiued that if a prince would declare vnto vs his whole life and that hee would particularly shewe vs euery thing wee would both wonder at that bodie which had so much suffered and also we would be offended with that heart which had so greatly dissembled It is a troublesome thing a dangerous thing and an insolent and proud enterprise for a man to take vpon him with a penne to gouerne the Common-wealth and with a Prince to reason of his life For in deed men are not perswaded to liue well by faire words but by vertuous deedes And therefore not without cause I say that hee is not wise but very arrogant that dare presume vnasked to giue a Prince counsell For princes in many things haue their mindes occupyed and haughtely bent and som of them also are affectionate and whereas wee peraduenture thinke to haue them mercifull wee finde them more angrie and heauie against vs. For counsell doeth more harme then profite if the giuer thereof be not very wise and hee also which receyueth it very pacient I haue not bin a Prince for to know the trauels of Princes nor am as president to counsell Princes and yet I was so bolde to compile this Booke it was not vpon presumption to counsell a Prince so much as by an humble sort to giue mine aduise For to giue counsell I confesse I haue no credite but to giue them aduise it sufficeth mee to bee a subiect What the order is in that I haue taken in this Booke how profitable it is to all men and how vnpleasaunt to no man how wholsom and profound doctrine in it is contayned and how the Historyes bee heerein applyed I will not that my pen doe write but they themselues shall judge which shall read this worke We see it oft come to passe that diuers Bookes doe loose their estimation not for that they are not very good and excellent but because the Authour hath been too presumptuous and vaine-glorious For in mine opinion for a man to praise his owne wrytings much is nothing else but to giue men occasion to speake euill both of him and of his workes Now let no man thinke that I haue written this which is written without great aduisement and examination I doe confesse before the Redeemer of the whole world that I haue consumed so many yeares to seeke what I should write that these two yeares one day hath scarcely escaped me wherein my Pen hath not done his dutie to write or correct in this worke I confesse that I tooke great paines in writing it for of truth it hath been written twice with mine owne hand and thrice with another mans hand I confesse I haue read and searched in diuers and sundrie partes manie good and straunge books to the end I might finde good and pleasaunt doctrine and besides that I trauelled much to set and apply the Hystories to the purpose For it is an vnseemely thing to applie an hystorie without a purpose I had great respect in that I was not so briefe in my wrytings that a man might note mee to bee obscure nor yet in anie thing so long that any man should slaunder mee with too much talke For all the excellencie of Wryting consisteth where many and goodly Sentences are declared in fewest and aptest words For oft times the long stile is loathsome and tedious both to the Hearers and Readers Nero the Emperour was in loue with a Ladie in Rome named Pompeia the which in beautie to his fantasie exceeded all others In the ende partly with intreatie partly with Money and presents he obtained of her that hee desired For in this case of loue where prayers and importunities bee paciently heard resistance doth lacke The inordinate loue that Nero bare to Pompeia proceeded of the yealow haires she had which were of the colour of Amber and in praise of her he compiled diuers and sundry songs in Heroicall-Meeter and with an instrument sang them himselfe in her presence Nero was a sage Prince wise and excellently well learned in the Latine tongue and also a good Musitian yet Plutarch in his book of the jests of noble women to declare the vanitie and lightnes of Nero reciteth this history and describing Pompeia that her bodie was small her fingers long her mouth proper her eyelids thin her nose somwhat sharpe her teeth small her lips red her necke white her fore-head broad and finally her eyes great and rowling her brest large well proportioned What think you would Nero haue done if hee had so affectionately set his fantasie vpon al other her beautiful properties since that for the loue only of her yellow locks he was depriued both of his wisdom also senses For vaine light men loue commonly not that which reason commandeth but that which their appetite desireth The loue of the Emperour increased with folly so much that not onely he counted seuerally al the haires that his louer Pompeia had on her head but also gaue to euery hayre a proper name and in prayse of euery one of them made a song insomuch that this effeminate Prince spent more time in banqueting and playing with his louer Pompeia then he did to reform and amend the faults of the common wealth yea his folly so much surmoūted all reason that he commaunded a combe of golde to bee made and therewith hee himselfe combed her yellow locks And if it chaunced that any one hayre in combing fell off hee by and by caused it to be set in golde offered it vp in the Temple to the Goddesse Iuno For it was an ancient custome among the Romanes that the thinges which they entirely loued whether it were good or euill should bee offered vp to their gods And when it was once knowne that Nero was so in loue with those haires of Pompeia which were of the color of amber all the Ladies endeauoured themselues not onely to make artificially theyr hayre of that colour but also to weare their garments and other attires of the same colour in somuch that both men and women did vse collers of amber brooches and ringes set with amber and all their other iewels were of amber For alwayes it hath beene seene and euer shall be that those things whereunto the Prince is most addicted the people follow and aboue all other couet the same Before this Emperour Nero plaied this light part in Rome the amber stones was had in little estimation after that hee set so much by it there was no precious stone in Rome so much esteemed Yea and furthermore the Marchant gained nothing so much whether it were in golde or silke as he did in the amber stones nor brought any kind of marchandize to Rome more precious or more vendible then that was I do maruell at this vanitie foras-much as the children of the world do loue desire and labour more to
follow the straunge follie of another then to furnish and supplie their owne proper necessitie Therefore returning againe to my purpose most excellent Prince by this example you may coniecture what I would say that is that if this writing were accepted vnto Princes I am assured it would be refused of no man And if any man would slanderously talke of it hee durst not remeÌ„bring that your Maiesty hath receyued it For those things which Princes take to their custody wee are bound to defend and it is not lawfull for vs to diminish their credite Suppose that this my worke were not so profound as it might be of this matter nor with such eloquence set out as many other bookes are yet I dare bee bolde to say that the Prince shall take more profit by reading of this worke then Nero did by his loue Pompeia For in the end by reading and studying good bookes men turn and become sage and wise and by keeping ill company they are counted fooles and vitious My meaning is not nor I am not so importunate and vnreasonable to perswade Princes that they should so fauour my doctrine that it should be in like estimation now in these parts â—a the amber was there in Rome But that onely which I require and demaund is that the time which Nero spent in singing and telling the hayres of his loue Pompeia should now bee employed to redresse the wrongs faults of the common wealth For the noble and worthy Prince ought to employ the least part of the day in the recreation of his person After hee hath giuen audience to his Counsellours to the Ambassadours to the great Lords and Prelates to the rich and poore to his own countrey men strangers and after that he be com into his Priuy Chamber then my desire is that hee would reade this Treatise or som other better then this for in Princes chambers oftentimes those of the Priuie Chamber and other their familiars lose great time in reciting vaine and trifling matters and of small profit the which might better bee spent in reading some good good booke In all worldly affayres that wee do and in all our bookes which we compile it is a great matter to bee fortunate For to a man that fortune doth not fauour diligence without doubt can little auaile Admit that fortune were against mee in that this my worke should bee acceptable vnto your Maiesty without comparison it should be a great griefe and dishonour vnto mee to tel you what should be good to reade for your pastime if on the other part you would not profite by my counsell and aduise For my mind was not onely to make this booke to the end Princes should reade it for a pastime but to that end in recreating themselues sometimes they might thereby also take profit Aulus Gelius in the 12. Chapter of his third booke entituled De nocte attica sayde that amongst all the Schollers which the diuine Plato had one was named Demostenes a man among the Greekes most highly esteemed of the Romanes greatly desired Because hee was in his liuing seuere and in his tongue and doctrine a very Satyre If Demosthenes had come in the time of Phalaris the tyrant when Grecia was peopled with tirants and that hee had not beene in Platoes time when it was replenished with Philosophers truely Demosthenes had been as cleare a lanterne in Asia as Cicero the great was in Europe Great good hap hath a notable man to bee born in one age more then in another I meane that if a valiant Knight come in the time of a couragious and stout Prince such a one truly shall bee esteemed and set in great authority But if hee come in the time of an other effeminate and couetous Prince bee shall not bee regarded at all For hee will rather esteeme one that wel augment his treasure at home then him that can vanquish his enemies abroad So likewise it chanceth to wise and vertuous men which if they come in the time of vertuous and learned princes are esteemed and honoured but if they come in time of vaine and vicious Princes they make small account of them For it is an auncient custom among vanities children not to honour him which to the Common wealth is most profitable but him which to the Prince is most acceptable The end why this is spoken Most puissant Prince is because the two renowmed Philosophers were in Greece both at one time and because the diuine Philosopher Plato was so much esteemed and made of they did not greatly esteeme the Philosopher Demosthenes For the eminent high renowne of one alone diminisheth the fame and estimation among the people of many Although Demosthenes was such a one indeed as wee haue sayde that is to witte eloquent of tongue ready of memory sharpe and quicke of witte in liuing seuere sure and profitable in giuing of counsell in renowne excellent in yeares very auncient and in Philosophy a man right well learned yet hee refused not to goe to the Schooles of Plato to heare morall Philosophie He that shall reade this thing or heare it ought not to maruel but to follow it and to profit likewise in the same that is to vnderstand that one Philosopher learned of another and one wise man suffred himself to be taught of another For knowledge is of such a quality that the more a man knoweth dayly there encreaseth in him a desire to know more All things of this life after they haue beene tasted and possessed cloyeth a man wearieth and troubleth him true science onely excepted which neuer doth cloy weary nor trouble them And if it happen wee weary any it is but the eyes which are wearied with looking and reading and not the spirite with seeling and tasting Many Lords and my familiar friends doe aske mee how it is possible I should liue with so much study And I also demaund of them how it is possible they should liue in such continuall idlenes For considering the prouocation and assaults of the flesh the daungers of the world the temptations of the deuil the treasons of enemies importunity of friends what hart can suffer so great and continuall trauell but onely in reading and comforting himselfe in bookes Truely a man ought to haue more compassion of a simple ignorant man then of a poore man For thereis no greater pouerty vnto a man then for to lacke wisedom whereby he should know how to gouerne himselfe Therefore following our matter the case was such one day Demosthenes going to the schoole of Plato saw in the market place of Athens a great assembly of people which were hearing a Philosopher newly come vnto that place and hee spake not this without a cause that there was a great company of people assembled For that naturally the common people are desirous to heare new and strange things Demosthenes asked what Philosopher hee was after whom so many people went and when it was
aunswered him that it was Calistratus the Philosopher a man which in eloquēce was very sweete and pleasant hee determined to stay and heare him to the end hee would know whether it were true or vaine that the people tolde him For oftentimes it hapneth that among the people some get thēselues great fame more by fauor then by good learning The difference betwixt the diuine Philosopher Plato and Calistratus was in that Plato was exceedingly wel learned and the other very eloquent and thus it came to passe that in liuing they followed Plato and in eloquence of speech they did imitate Calistratus For there are diuers men sufficiently well learned which haue profound doctrine but they haue no way nor meanes to teach it vnto others Demosthenes hearing Calistratus but once was so farre in loue with his doctrine that he neuer after heard Plato nor entered into his Schoole for to harken to any of his lectures At which newes diuers of the Sages and Wise men of Grecia maruelled much seeing that the tongue of a man was of such power that it had put all their doctrine vnto silence Although I apply not this example I doubt not but that your Maiesty vnderstandeth to what ende I haue declared it And moreouer I say that although Princes and great Lordes haue in their Chambers Bookes so well corrected and men in their Courts so well learned that they may worthily keepe the estimation which Plato had in his Schoole yet in this case it should not displease me that the difference that was between Plato and Calistratus should bee betweene Princes and this Booke God forbid that by this saying men should thinke I meane to disswade Princes from the company of the sage men or from reading of any other booke but this for in so doing Plato should bee reiected which was diuine and Calistratus embraced which was more worldly But my desire is that sometimes they would vse to reade this booke a little for it may chaunce they shall finde some wholesome counsell therein which at one time or other may profite them in their affayres For the good and vertuous Prince ought to graffe in their memory the wise sayings which they reade and forget the cankred iniuries and wrongs which are done them I do not speake it without a cause that hee that readeth this my writing shall finde in it some profitable counsell For all that which hath bin written in it hath beene euery word and sentence with great diligence so well wayed and corrected as if therein onely consisted the effect of the whole worke The greatest griefe that learned men seele in their writing is to thinke that if there bee many that view their doings to take profite thereby they shall perceyue that there are as many more which occupie their tongues in the slaunder and disprayse thereof In publishing this my worke I haue obserued the manner of them that plant a new garden wherein they set Roses which giue a pleasant sauour to the nose they make faire greene plattes to delight the eyes they graft fruitfull trees to bee gathered with the hands but in the end as I am a man so haue I written it for men and consequently as a man I may haue erred for there is not at this day so perfect a painter but another will presume to amend his worke Those which diligently will endeauour themselues to reade this booke shall finde in it very profitable counsels very liuely lawes good reasons notable sayings sentences very profound worthy examples and histories very ancient For to say the truth I had a respect in that the doctrine was auncient and the Stile new And albeit your Maiesty bee the greatest Prince of all Princes and I the least of all your Subiects you ought not for my base condition to disdaine to cast your eyes vpon this booke nor to thinke scorne to put that thing in proofe which seemeth good For a good letter ought to be nothing the lesse esteemed although it be written with an euill pen. I haue sayde and will say that Princes and great Lords the stouter the richer and the greater of renowme they bee the greater need they haue of all men of good knowledge about them to counsell them in their affayres and of good bookes which they may reade and this they ought to doe as well in prosperity as in aduersity to the end that their affayres in time conuenient may be debated and redressed For otherwise they should haue time to repent but no leasure to amend Plinie Marcus Varro Strabo and Macrobius which were Historiographers no lesse graue then true were at great controuersie improouing what things were most authenticke in a common weale and at what time they were of all men accepted Seneca in an Epistle hee wrote to Lucullus praysed without ceasing the Common wealth of the Rhodians in the which with much ado they bent themselues altogether to keepe one selfe thing and after they had therupon agreede they kept and maintained it inuiolably The diuine Plato in the sixt booke entituled De Legibus ordained and commanded that if any Cittizen did inuent any new thing which neuer before was read nor heard of the inuentour thereof should first practise the same for the space of ten yeares in his own house before it was brought into the Common-wealth and before it should bee published vnto the people to the end if the inuention were good it should be profitable vnto him and if it were nought that then the daunger and hurt thereof should light onely on him Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayeth that Lycurgus vpon grieuous penalties did prohibite that none should bee so hardy in his Common wealth to goe wandring into strange Countries nor that hee should be so hardy to admit any strangers to come into his house and the cause why this law was made was to the end strangers should not bring into their houses things strange and not accustomed in their Common wealth and that they trauelling through strange countries should not learne new Customes The presumption of men now adayes is so great and the consideration of the people so small that what soeuer a man can speake he speaketh what so euer he can inuent he doth inuent what hee would hee doth write and it is no maruell for there is no man that wil speak against them Nor the common people in this case are so light that amongst them you may dayly see new deuises and whether it hurt or profit the Common wealth they force not If there came at this day a vaine man amongst the people which was neuer seene nor heard of before if hee bee any thing subtill I aske you but this question Shall it not bee easie for him to speake and inuent what hee listeth to set forth what he pleaseth to perswade that which to him seemeth good and all his sayings to be beleeued truly it is a wonderfull thing and no lesse slaunderous that one should be sufficient
whereby the good were fauoured and also institutions of grieuous paines wherewith the wicked were punished Although truely I had rather and it were better that the good should loue reason then feare the law I speake of those which leaue to doe euill workes for feare onely of falling into the punishments appoynted for euill doers For although men approue that which they do for the present yet God condemaeth that which they desire Seneca in an epistle hee wrote vnto his friende Lucille saide these wordes Thou writest vnto mee Lucille that those of Scicile haue carryed a great quantitie of Corne into Spaine and into Affrike the which was forbidden by a Romaine law and therefore they haue deserued most grieuous punishment Now because thou art vertuous Thou mayest teache mee to doe well and I that am olde will teach thee to say well and this is because that amongst wise and vertuous men it is enough to say that the Law commaundeth appoynteth and suffereth this thing but in as much as it is agreeing with reason For the crowne of the good is reason and the scourge of the wicked is the law The fourth thing that commonly through the worlde amongst all men was accepted was the Barbers And let no man take this thing in mockery For if they doe reade Plinie in the 59. chapter and the seuenth booke there they shall finde for a Trueth that in those former times the Romaines were in Rome 454. yeares without eyther powling or shauing the hâ—ires off the bearde of anie man Marcus Varro said that Publius 〈◊〉 was the first that brought the barbers from Scicilie to Rome But admit it were so or otherwise yet notwithstanding there was a great contention among the Romaines For they sayd they thought it a rash thing for a man to commit his life vnto the curtesie of another Dyonisius the Syracusian neuer trusted his Beard with any barbor but when his Daughters were very little they clipped his beard with sisers but after they became great hee would not put his trust in them to trimme his beard but hee himselfe did burne it with the shales of nuttes This Dyonisius Syracusan was demaunded why hee would not trust any Barbours with his beard He aunswered Because I know that there bee some which will giue more to the Barbor to take away my life then I will giue to trimme my beard Plinie in the seuenth booke sayeth that the great Scipio called Affrican and the Emperour Augustus were the first that caused them in Rome to shaue their beards And I thinke the end why Plinie spake these things was to exalt these two Princes which had as great courage to suffer the rasours to touch their throats as the one for to fight against Hanniball in Affricke and the other against Sextus Pompeius in Scicilie The fifte thing which commonly throgh the world was accepted were the Dyalls and clockes which the Romains wanted a long time For as Plinie and Marcus Varro say the Romaines were without clockes in Rome for the space of 595. yeares The curious Hystoriographers declare three manner of dyalls that were in old time that is to say Dyalls of the houres Dyalls of the Sunne and Dyalls of the Water The dyall of the Sunne Aneximenides Millesius inuented who was great Animandraes scholler The dyall of the water Scipio Nasica inuented the dyall of houres one of the Schollers of Thales the phylosopher inuented Now of all these Antiquities which were brought into Rome none of them were so acceptable to the Romaines as the Dyalls were whereby they measured the day by the houre For before they could not say we will rise at seuen of the clocke wee will dine at ten we will see one the other at twelue at one wee will doe that wee ought to doe But before they sayde after the Sunne is vp wee wil doe such a thing and before it goe downe wee will do that wee ought to doe The occasion of declaring vnto you these fiue antiquities in this preamble was to no other entent but to call my Booke the Diall of Princes The name of the Booke beeing new as it is may make the learning that is therin greatly to be esteemed God forbid that I should bee so bolde to say they haue been so long time in Spaine without dayes of learning as they were in Rome without the Diall of the Sunne the water and of the houres For that in Spaine haue beene alwaies men well learned in Sciences and very expert in the warres By great reason and of greater occasion the Princes ought to bee commended the knights the people their wits and the fertility of their Countrey but yet to all these goodnesse I haue seen many vnlearned bookes in Spaine which as broken Dials deserue to bee cast into the fire to bee forged anew I doe not speake it without a cause that many bookes deserue to bee broken and burnt For there are so many that without shame and honesty doe set forth bookes of loue of the world at this day as boldlie as if they taught them to despise and speake euill of the world It is pitty to see how many dayes and nights be consumed in reading vaine bookes that is to say Orson and Valentine the Court of Venus and the foure sonnes of Amon and diuers other vaine bookes by whose doctrine I dare boldly say they passe not the time but in perdition for they learne not how they ought to flye vice but rather what way they may with more pleasure embrace it This Diall of Princes is not of sand nor of the Sunne nor of the houres nor of the water but it is the Diall of Life For the other Dials serue to know what houre it is in the night and what houre it is of the day but this sheweth and teacheth vs how wee ought to occupie our minds and how to order our life The property of other Dials is to order things publike but the Nature of this dyal of Princes is to teach vs how to occupie our selues euerie houre and how to amend our life euery moment It little auaileth to keepe the dyalls well and to see thy Subiects dissolutely without any order to range in routes and dayly rayse debate and contention among themselues The End of the generall Prologue THE AVTHOVRS PROLOGVE SPEAKETH PARTICVLARLIE of the Booke called MARCVS AVRELIVS which he translated and dedicated to the Emperour CHARLES the fift THe greatest vanity that I finde in the world is that vaine men are not onely content to be vaine in their life but also procure to leaue a memory of their vanity after their death For it is so thought good vnto vaine and light men which serue the world in vain works that at the houre of death when they perceyue they can do no more and that they can no longer preuaile they offer themselues vnto death which now they see approch vpon them Many of the World are so fleshed in the World that
although it forsaketh them in deedes yet they will not forsake it in their desires And I durst sweare that if the World could grant them perpetuall life they would promise it alwayes to remaine in their customable folly O what a number of vaine men are aliue which haue neyther remembrance of God to serue him nor of his glorie to obey him nor of their conscience to make it cleane but like bruit beasts fellow and runne after their voluptuous pleasures The bruit beast is angry if a man keepe him too much in awe if he bee weary hee taketh his rest hee sleepeth when hee lifteth he eateth and drinketh when hee commeth vnto it and vnlesse hee be compelled hee doth nothing hee taketh no care for the common-wealth for he neither knoweth how to follow reason nor yet how to resist sensuality Therefore if a man at all times should eate when hee desireth reuenge himselfe when he is moued commit adulterie when hee is tempted drinke when he is thirsty sleep when he is drousie wee might more properly call such a one a beast nourished in the mountaines then a man brought vp in the common-wealth For him properly wee may call a mā that gouerneth himselfe like a man that is to say conformable vnto such things as reason willeth not where sensuality leadeth Let vs leaue these vaine men which are aliue and talke of them that bee dead against whom wee dare say that whiles they were in the world they followed the world and liued according to the same It is not to be maruelled at that since they were liuing in the world they were noted of some world point But seeing their vnhappy and wicked life is ended why will they then smell of the vanities of the World in their graues It is a great shame and dishonour for men of noble and stout hearts to see in one moment the end of our life and neuer to see the end of our solly Wee neyther reade heare nor see any thing more common then such men as bee most vnprofitable in the Common wealth and of life most reprobate to take vpon them most honour whiles they liue and to leaue behind them the greatest memory at their death What vanity can bee greater in the world then to esteeme the world which esteemeth no man to make no account of God who so greatly regardeth all men What greater folly can there bee in man then by much trauell to encrease his goods with vaine pleasures to loose his soule It is an olde plague in mans nature that many or the most part of men leaue the amendement of their life farre behind to set their honour the more before Suetonius Tranquillus in the first booke of the Emperours sayth that Iulius Caesar no further then in Spaine in the City of Cales now called Calis saw in the Temple the triumphes of Alexāder the great painted the which when hee had well viewed he sighed maruellous sore and being asked why hee did so hee answered What a wofull case am I in that am now of the age of thirty yeares and Alexander at the same yeeres had subdued the whole world and rested him in Babylon And I being as I am a Romane neuer did yet thing worthy of prayse in my life nor shall leaue any renowne of mee after my death Dion the Grecian in the second booke De audacia sayeth that the noble Drusius the Almaine vsed to visite the graues and tombes of the famous and renowmed which were buryed in Italie and did this alwayes especially at his going to warfare And it was asked why hee did so Hee answered I visit the sepulchers of Scipio and of diuers others which are dead before whom all the Earth trembled when they were aliue For in beholding their prosperous successe I did recouer both strength and stoutnesse He saith furthermore that it encourageth a man to fight against his enemyes remembring hee shall leaue of him a memory in time to come Cicero saith in his Rhethorike and also Plynie maketh mention of the same in an Epistle that there came from Thebes in Egipt a knight to Rome for no other purpose but only to see whether it were true or no that was reported of the notable things of Rome Whom Moecenas demanded what he perceyued of the Romaines and what he thought of Rome He answered The memory of the absent doth more content me then the glory of the present doth satisfie me And the reason of this is The desire which men haue to extoll the liuing to be equall vnto the dead maketh things so straunge in their life that they deserue immortal fame after their death The Romaines reioyced not a little to heare such wordes of a straungers mouth wherby he praised them which were departed and exalted them which yet liued Oh what a thing it is to consider the auncient heathens which neyther feared Hell nor hoped for Heauen and yet by remembrance of weaknes they tooke vnto them strength by cowardnes they were boldened throgh feare they became hardy of dangers they tooke encouragement of enemyes they made friends of pouertie they tooke patience of malice they learned experience Finally I say they denyed their owne willes and followed the'opinions of others only to leaue behind them a memorie with the dead and to haue a little honour with the dead Oh how many are they that trust the vnconstantnesse of Fortune onely to leaue some notable memorie behinde them Let vs call to minde some worthie examples whereby they may see that to be true which I haue spokē What made king Ninus to inuent such warres Queene Semiramis to make such buildings Vlisses the Grecian to sulke so many Seas king Alexander to conquere so many Lands Hercules the Thebane to set vp his Pillars where hee did Caius Casar the Romaine to giue 52. battells at his pleasure Cyrus King of Persia to ouercome both the Asiaes Hanniball the Carthaginian to make so cruell warres against the Romaines Pyrrhus king of the Epirotes to come down into Italie Attila King of the Hunnes to defie all Europe Truely they would not haue taken vpon them such daungerous enterprises onely vpon the wordes of them which were in those dayes present but because we should so esteem them that should come after Seeing then that wee bee men and the children of men it is not a little to bee maruelled at to see the diuersitie betweene the one and the other and what cowardnes there is in the hearts of some and contrarywise what courage in the stomackes of others For we see commonly now-adayes that if there bee tenne of stoute courages which are desirous with honour to dye there are ten thousands cowards which through shamefull pleasures seeke to prolong their life The man that is ambitious thinking him most happie who with much estimation can keepe his renowm and with little care regard his life And on the other side hee that will set by his life
much as I might nor studyed so much as I ought yet notwithstanding all that I haue read hath not caused me to muse so much as the doctrine of Marcus Aurelius hath sith that in the mouth of an heathen God hath put such a great treasure The greatest part of all his works were in Greeke yet hee wrote also many in Latine I haue drawn this out of Greeke through the helpe of my friends and afterwards out of latine into our vulgar toung by the trauell of my hands Let all men iudge what I haue suffered in drawing it out of Greeke into Latine out of the Latine into the vulgar and out of a plaine vulgar into a sweete and pleasant Stile For that banquet is not counted sumptuous vnlesse there be both pleasant meates and sauoury sauces To call sentences to minde to place the wordes to examine languages to correct sillables What swet I haue suffered in the hote summer what bitter colde in the sharpe winter what abstinence from meats when I desired for to eate what watching in the night when I would haue slept What cares I haue suffered in stead of rest that I might haue enioyed Let other proue if mee they will not credit The intention of my painefull trauels I offer vnto the diuine Maiesty vpon my knees and to your Highnesse most Noble Prince I present this my worke and do most humbly beseech the omnipotent and eternall GOD that the Doctrine of this Booke may bee as profitable vnto you and to the common wealth in your Life as it hath beene vnto me tedious and hinderance to my health I haue thought it very good to offer to your Maiestie the effect of my labours though you peraduenture will little regarde my paines for the requiring of my travell and rewarde of my good will I require nought else of your Highnesse but that the rudenesse of my vnderstanding the basenesse of my Stile the smalnesse of my eloquence the euill order of my sentences the vanity of my words bee no occasion why so excellent and goodly worke should bee little regarded For it is not reason that a good Horse should bee the lesse esteemed for that the Rider knoweth not how to make him runne his carrere I haue done what I could doe do you now that you ought to doe in giuing to this present worke grauity and to mee the Interpretor thereof authority I say no more but humbly doe beseech God to maintaine your estimation and power in earth and that you may afterward enioy the fruition of his Diuine presence in Heauen The End of the Authors Prologue THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE CALled THE DIALL OF PRINCES Wherein the Authour declareth his Intention and manner of proceeding ARchimenedes the great and famous Philosopher to whom Marcus Marcellus for his knowledge sake granted life and after vsing Nigromancy deserued death being demanded what time was sayde That Time was the inuentor of all nouelies and a Register certaine of Antiquities which seeth of it selfe the beginning the middest the ending of all things And finally time is he that endeth all No man can deny but the definition of this Philosopher is true for if Time could speake he would certifie vs of sundry things wherin we doubt and declare them as a witnes of sight Admit all things perish and haue an end yet one thing is exempted and neuer hath end which is truth that amongst all things is priuiledged in such wise that shee triumpheth of time and not time of her For according to the diuine saying It shal bee more easie to see heauen and earth fall then once truth to perish There is nothing so entier but may bee diminished nothing so healthfull but may bee diseased nothing so strong but may bee broken neyther any thing so wel kept but may be corrupted And finally I say There is nothing but by time is ruled gouerned saue onely truth which is subiect to none The fruits of the Spring time haue no force to giue sustenance nor perfect sweetnesse to giue any fauour but after that the Summer is past and haruest commeth they ripe and then all that wee e ate nourisheth more giueth a better taste I meane by this when the world began to haue wise men the more Philosophers were esteemed for their good manners the more they deserued to bee reproued for their euill vnderstanding Plato in his second booke of the Common-wealth sayde That the auncient Philosophers as well Greekes as Egyptians and Caldees which first began to behold the starres of heauen and ascended to the toppe of the mount Olimpus to view the influences and motions of the Planets of the earth deserued rather pardon of their ignorance then prayse for theyr knowledge Plato sayde further that the Philosophers which were before vs were the first that gaue themselus to search out the truth of the Elements in the Heauen and the first which sowed errors in thinges naturall of the earth Homer in his Ilyades agreeing with Plato saieth I condemne all that the auncient phylosophers knewe but I greatly commend them for that they desired to know Certes Homer saide well and Plato saide not amisse for if amongst the first Phylosophers this ignorance had not raigned there had not beene such contrary Sects in euery Schoole He that hath read not the books which are lost but the opinions which the auncient Phylosophers had will graunt mee though the knowledge were one yet their sects were diuerse that is to say Cinici Stoyci Academici Platonici and Epicurei which were as variable the one from the other in their opinions as they were repugnant in their conditions I will not neither reason requireth that my Pen should bee so dismeasured as to reprooue those which are dead for to giue the glory all onely to them that are aliue For the one of them knew not all neyther were the other ignorant of all If hee deserue thanks that sheweth mee the way whereby I ought to goe no lesse then meriteth hee which warneth mee of that place wherein wee may erre The ignorance of our fore-Fathers was but a guide to keepe vs from erring for the errour of them shewed vs the Trueth to their much praise and to our great shame Therefore I dare boldly say If wee that are now had been then wee had knowne lesse then they knewe And if those were now which were then they would haue knowne more then we know And that this is true it appeareth well for that the auncient Phylosophers through the great desire they had to knowe the Truth of small and large wayes the which wee now will not see nor yet walke therein Wherefore wee haue not so much cause to be wayle their ignoraunce as they had reason to complaine of our negligence For truth which is as Aulus Gellius saith the daughter of Time hath reuealed vnto vs the errours which wee ought to eschewe and the true doctrines which wee ought to follow
speake the like of it that they did of Marcus Aurclius Because men are so long in speaking and so briefe in studying that without any let or shame they will auowe no Booke to be in the world this day but that they haue eyther reade or seene it I haue as much profited in this writing which is humane as other Doctours haue done in matters which are diuine It is not translated word for word but sentence for sentence For wee other Enterpreters are not bound to giue wordes by measure but it sufficeth vs to giue Sentences by weight I beganne to studie this worke in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred and eyghteene and vntill the yeare a thousand fiue hundred twentie and soure I could neyther vnderstand nor know wherein I was occupyed and albeit I kept it as secrete as I could for the space of sixe yeares yet it was knowne abroad whervpon the Emperour his Majestie being with the Feauer diseased sent to mee for it to passe the time away And I according to his commaundement shewed him Marcus Aurelius that then was vncorrected and humbly beseeching him sayde That for recompence of all my trauâ—lâ— I desired no other rewarde but that no man in his Chamber might copie the Booke And in the meane time proceeded to accomplish the worke because I did not meane in such manner to publish it for otherwise I saide his Majestie should be euill serued and I also of my purpose preuented but my sinnes caused that the Booke was coppyed and conueyed from one to another and by the hands of Pages sunday times written so that there increased daily in it errours and faultes And since there was but one originall copie they brought it vnto me to correct which if it could haue spoken would haue complained it selfe more of them that did write it then of those that did steale it And thus when I had finished the worke thought to haue published it I perceyued that Marcus Aurelius was now imprinted at Seuill And in this case I take the Readers to be judges between mee and the imprinters because they may see whether it may stand with Law and justice that a Booke which was to his Imperiall Maiestie dedicated the author thereof being but an jnfant and the booke so vnperfite and vncorrected without my consent or knowledge should bee published Notwithstanding they ceased not but printed it againe in Portugall and also in the Kingdome of Nauarre And if the first impression was faulty truely the second and the third were no lesse So that which was written for the wealth and good of all men generally each man did applye to the profite of himselfe particularly There chaunced another thing of this booke called The golden booke of Marcus Aurelius which I am ashamed to speake but greater shame they should haue that so dishonestly haue done That is some made themselus to be authors of the whole worke Others say that parte of it was made and compyled of their owne heads the which appeareth in a booke in priut wherein the authour did like a man voyd of all honesty in another booke one vsed likewise the wordes which Marcus Aurelius spake to Faustine when shee asked him the key of his Studie After these Theeues came to my knowledge iudge you whether it were ynough to prooue my patience For I had rather they had robbed me of my goods then taken away my renowme By this all men may see that Marcus Aurelius was not then corrected nor in any place perfect whereby they might perceyue that it was not my minde to Translate Marcus Aurelius but to make a Dyall for Princes whereby all Christian people may be gouerned and ruled And as the doctrine is shewed for the vse of manie so I would profite my selfe with that which the wise men had spoken and written And in this sort proceedeth the worke wherein I put one or two chapters of mine and after I put some Epistles of Marcus Aurelius and other doctrine of some Auncient men Let not the Reader bee deceyued to thinke hat the one and the other is of the Authour For although the phrase of the Language be mine yet I confesse the greatest part that I knew was of another mans althogh the Historiographers and Doctours with whom I was holpen were manie yet the doctrine which I wrote was but one I will not denye but I haue left out some things which were superfluous in whose steade I haue placed things more sweete and profitable So that it needeth good wittes to make which seemeth in one language to be grosse in another to giue it the apparance of gold I haue deuided into three books this present Dyall of Princes The first treateth that the Prince ought to bee a good Christian The second how hee ought for to gouerne his wife and children The third teacheth how he should gouerne his person and his Common wealth I had begunne another booke wherein was contained how a Prince should behaue himselfe in his Court and Pallace but the importunity of my friendes caused me to withdraw my penne to the end I might bring this worke to light The end of the Argument A COMPENDIOVS TABLE OF ALL THE SEVERALL ARGVMENTS contayned in these distinct Bookes of MARCVS AVRELIVS * ⎠* The first Booke OF the Birth and Linage of the vise Philosopher and Emperor Marcus Aurelius Also of three seuerall Chapters in the beginning of this book concerning a discourse of his life for by his Epistles and doctrine the whole course of the present worke is approued Chap. 1. Fol. 1. Of a Letter sent by Marcus Aurelius to his friend Pulio wherein hee declareth the order of his whole life And among other things hee maketh mention of a thing which happened to a Romane Censor with his Host of Compagnia chap. 2. fol. 5. The Letter concluded by Marcus Aurelius declaring at large what Science hee had learned and all the Masters he had Beside he reciteth fiue notable things in obseruance whereof the Romanes were curious chap. 3. fol. 8. Of the excellency of Christian Religion which manyfesteth the true God and disproueth the vanitie of the Ancients in hauing so many gods And that in the old times when enemies were reconciled in their houses they caused also that their gods should imbrace each other in their Temples chap 4. fol. 13. How the Philosopher Bruxelius was greatly esteemed among the Ancients for his life And of the words which hee spake to the Romanes at the houre of his death chap. 5. fol. 15. chap. 6. fol. 16. How the Gentiles thought that one God could not defend them from their enemies And how the Romanes sent throughout all the Empire to borrow gods when they fought against the Gothes chap. 7. fol. 17 Of a Letter sent from the Senate of Rome to all the Subiects of the Empire chap. 8. fol. 18. Of the true and liuing God And of the maruailes wrought in the old Law to manifest
How Cresus King of Lidia was a great friend and louer of Wise men Of a letter which the same Cresus wrote to the Philosopher Anacharsis and an other letter of the Philosophers answer to him chap. 45 162 Of the wisdome and sentences of Phalaris the tyrant And how hee put an artezan to death for deuising new torments chap. 46 166 The letter of Phalaris the tirant which was sent to Popharco the Philosopher 169 Of seuerall great and powerfull Kinges who were all of them true friends and louers of the Sages chap. 47. 170 The letter of King Philip to Aristotle the Philosopher 172 The second Booke Of what excellency marriage is and whereas common people marry of free-will Princes and noble men ought to marry vpon necessity and vrgencie chap. 1 177 How the Author prosecuting his purpose of marriage declareth that by means thereof many mortall enemies haue been made good and perfect friends c. 2. f. 180 Of diuers and sundry lawes which the Ancients had in contracting matrimony not onely in the choyce of women but also in the manner of celebrating marriage chap. 3 183 How princesses and great Ladies ought to loue their husbands and that loue ought not to be procured by coniurations and enchantments but by wisedom honesty and vertue desired ch 4. 187 Of the reuenge which a woman of Greece tooke on him that had killed her husband as hoping to enioy her in marriage chap. 5. 189 That Princesses and great Ladies ought to be obedient to their husbands and how great shame it is to the husband that his wife should command him ch 6. 194 That women especially princesses great Ladies should be very circumspect in going abroad out of their houses and that they should not deserue to be ill spoken of by such as resort to their houses chap. 4 198 Of the commodities and discommodities which follow princes and great Ladies that go abroad to visite or abide in their houses chap. 8 200 That women great with child especially princesses and great Ladies ought to be circumspect for the danger of creatures wherin is shown many misfortunes happening to women with child in olde time chap. 9 202 Of other inconueniences and vnluckie mischances which haue happened to women with child chap. 10 207 That women great with child especially princesses and great Ladies ought to be gently vsed of their husbands c. 11. 209 What the philosopher Pisto was and of the rules hee gaue concerning women with child chap. 12 212 Of three counsels which Lucius Seneca gaue vnto a Secretary his friend who serued the Emperour Nero And how the Emp. M. Aurelius spent the houres of the day chap. 13 214 The importunity of the Empresse Faustine to the Emperour concerning the keye of his closet chap. 14 219 The answere of the Emperour to Faustine concerning her demaund for the key of his study chap. 15 223 Of great dangers ensuing to men by excessiue haunting the company of women And of certaine rules for married men which if they obserue may cause them to liue in peace with their wiues chap. 16 228 A more particular answer of the Emperour to Faustine concerning the key of his study chap. 17 235 That Princesses and noble women ought not to be ashamed to giue their children sucke with their owne breasts chap. 18 239 A further continued perswasion of the Author that women should giue their owne children sucke chap. 19 242 That Princesses and great Ladies ought to be very circumspect in choice of theyr Nurses and of seuen especiall properties which a good Nurse should haue cha 20 249 Of three other especiall conditions which a good Nurse ought to haue that giueth sucke chap. 21 254 Of the disputations before Alexander the Great concerning the time of the sucking of babes chap. 22 259 Of sundry kinds of Sorceries charmes and witchcrafts which they in old time vsed in giuing their children suck which in Christians ought to be auoided ch 23. fol. 260 Of a letter which Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Dedalus inueighing against such women as vse to cure children by sorceries charms enchantments ch 24 264 How excellent a thing it is for gentlemē to haue an eloquent tong ch 25 270 Of a letter which the Athenians sent to the Lacedemonians chap. 26 273 That Nurses which giue sucke to the childrē of Princes ought to bee discreete and sage women chap. 27 275 That women may be no lesse wise then men though they be not it is not thorow the defect of nature but rather for want of good bringing vp chap. 28. 279 Of a letter which Pythagoras sent to his sister Theoclea he being in Rhodes and she in Samcthrace both studying Philosophy chap. 29 281 A further perswasion of the Authour to Princesses and other great Ladies to endeauour themselues to be wise like as the women in elder times were c. 30. 282 Of the worthines of the Lady Cornelia and of a notable Epistle which she wrote to her two sons seruing in the warres Tiberius and Caius disswading them from the pleasurs of Rome exhorting them to endure the trauels of war chap. 31. 288 The Letter of Cornelia to her two sons Tiberius and Caius 289 Of the education and doctrine of children while they are young with a declaratiō of many notable histories c. 32. 294 Princes ought to take heede that their children bee not brought vp in pleasures and vaine delights because oftentimes they are so wicked that the fathers would not onely haue them with sharpe discipline corrected but also with bitter teares buried chap. 33 302 How Princes and great Lords ought to be careful in seeking wise men to bring vp their children Of ten conditions which good Schoolmasters ought to haue chap. 34. 309 Of the two children of Marcus Aurelius the best wherof dyed And of the masters he prouided for the other chap. 35. 317 Of the words which Marcus Aurelius spake to 5. of the 14. masters which hee had chosen for the education of his son And how he dismissed them from his pallace because they behaued thēselus lightly at the feast of their god Genius c. 36. 322 That Princes and noble men ought to ouersee the tutors of their children least they should conceale the secrete faultes of their scholler chap. 37. 326 Of the determination of the Emperour when he committed his childe to the tutors chap. 38 331 Tutors of Princes and noble mens children ought to bee very circumspect that their schollers do not accustom themselus in vices while they be yong but especially to be kept frō 4. vices chap. 39 343 Of two other vices perillous in youth which their masters ought to keepe them from chap. 40 348 The third Booke How Princes and great Lords ought to trauell in administring iustice to all men equally chap. 1 353 The way that Princes ought to vse for choyse of Iudges and Officers in theyr Countreyes chap. 2 fol 357 A villaine argueth in an Oration
paine answere thy demand For the doings of youth in a yong man were neuer so vpright honest but it were more honest to amend them then to declare them Annius Verus my father shewing vnto me his fatherly loue not accomplishing yet fully 13. years drew me frō the vices of Rome and sent mee to Rhodes to learn science howbeit better accompanied with books then loden with money where I vsed such diligence and fortune so fauored me that at the age of 26. years I read openly natural and moral Philosophy and also Rhetoricke and there was nothing gaue mee such occasion to study and reade books as the want of money For pouerty causeth good mens children to be vertuous so that they attaine to that by vertue which others com vnto by riches Truely friend Pulio I found great want of the pleasures of Rome especially at my first comming into the Isle but after I had read Philosophy x. yeares at Rhodes I tooke my selfe as one born in the countrey And I think my conuersation among them caused it seeme no lesse For it is a rule that neuer faileth That vertue maketh a stranger grow naturall in a strange country and vice maketh the naturall a stranger in his owne countrey Thou knowest well how my Father Annius Verus was 15. years a Captain in the Frontiers against the barbarous by the commandement of Adrian my Lord and Master and Antoninus Pius my Father in Law both of them Princes of famous memory which recommended mee there to their olde friends who with fatherly counsell exhorted me to forgette the vices of Rome and to accustome my selfe to the vertues of Rhodes And truely it was but needfull for mee For the naturall loue of the country oft times bringeth damage to him that is borne therein leading his desire still to returne home Thou shalt vnderstand that the Rhodians are men of much courtesie and requiting benenolences which chanceth in few Isles because that naturally they are persons deceitfull subtill vnthankefull and full of suspition I speake this because my Fathers friends alwaies succored me with counsel mony which 2 things were so necessary that I could not tell which of them I had most need of For the stranger maketh his profite with money to withstand disdainefull pouerty profiteth himself with counsel to forget the sweet loue of his country I desired then to reade Philosophie in Rhodes so long as my Father continued there Captaine But that could not bee for Adrian my Lord sent for me to return to Rome which pleased me not a litle albeit as I haue said they vsed me as if I had beene borne in that Iland for in the end Although the eyes bee fedde with delight to see strange things yet therefore the heart is not satisfied And this is all that touched the Rhodians I will now tell thee also how before my going thither I was borne and brought vp in mount Celio in Rome with my father from mine infancie In the common wealth of Rome there was a law vsed and by custome well obserued that no Citizen which enioyed any liberty of Rome after their sonnes had accomplished tenne yeares should bee so bold or hardy to suffer them to walke the streetes like vacabonds For it was a custome in Rome that the children of the Senators should sucke till two yeares of age till foure they should liue at their own willes till sixe they should reade till eight they should write til ten they should study Grammer and ten years accomplished they should then take some craft or occupation or giue themselues to study or goe to the warres so that throughout Rome no man was idle In one of the lawes of the twelue Tables were written these words Wee ordaine and commaund that euery Citizen that dwelleth within the circuite of Rome or Liberties of the same from ten yeares vpwards to keepe his son well ordered And if perchance the child being idle or that no man teaching him any craft or science should thereby peraduenture fall to vice or commit some wicked offence that then the Father no lesse then the Sonne should bee punished For there is nothing so much breedeth vice amongst the people as when the Fathers are too negligent and the children bee too bold And furthermore another Law sayde Wee ordaine and commaund that after tenne yeares bee past for the first offence that the child shall commit in Rome that the Father shall bee bound to send him forth some where else or to bee bound surety for the good demeanour of his Sonne For it is not reason that the fond loue of the Father to the Sonne should bee an occasion why the multitude should bee slaunred Because all the wealth of the Empire consisteth in keeping and maintaining quiet men and in banishing and expelling seditious persons I will tell thee one thing my Pulio and I am sure thou wilt maruell at it and it is this When Rome triumphed and by good wisdome gouerned all the world the inhabitants in the same surmounted the number of two hundred thousand persons which was a maruellous matter Amongst whom as a man may iudge there was a hundred thousand children But they which had the charge of them kept them in such awe and doctrine that they banished from Rome one of the sonnes of Cato Vticensis for breaking an earthen pot in a Maydens hands which went to fetch water In like manner they banished the sonne of good Cinna only for entring into a garden to gather fruit And none of these two were as yet fifteene yeeres old For at that time they chastised them more for the offences done in iest then they do now for those which are don in good earnest Our Cicero sayth in his booke De Legibus That the Romanes neuer tooke in any thing more pains then to restrain the children as well olde as the young from idlenes And so long endured the feare of their Law and honour of their common wealth as they suffered not their children like vagabonds idlely to wander the streetes For that country may aboue all other bee counted happy where each one enioyeth his owne labour and no man liueth by the sweate of another I let thee know my Pulio that when I was a child although I am not yet very old none durst bee so hardy to goe commonly through Rome without a token about him of the craft and occupation hee exercised and wherby hee liued And if any man had beene taken contrary the children did not onely crie out of him in the streets as of a foole but also the Censour afterwards condemned him to trauell with the captiues in common workes For in Rome they esteemed it not lesse shame to the child which was idle then they did in Greece to the Philosopher which was ignorant And to the end thou mayest see this I write vnto thee to be no new thing thou oughtest to know that the Emperour caused
but without comparison the gods whom they worshipped and inuented were greater in multitude then the Realmes and Prouinces which they conquered and possessed For by that folly the auncient Poets durst affirme in their writings that the Gods of one Nation and Country were mortall enemies vnto the Gods of another Prouince So that the Gods of Troy enuied the Gods of Greece more then the Prince of Greece enuied the Prince of Troy What a strange thing was it to see the Assyrians in what reuerence they worshipped the God Belus The Egyptians the God Apis. The Caldeans the God Assas The Babilonians the deuouring Dragon The Pharaones the statue of gold The Palestines Belzebub The Romans honoured the God Iupiter The Affricans the God Mars The Corinthians the God Apollo The Arabians God Astaroth The Arginians the Sun Those of Acaia the Moone The Cidonians Belphegorn The Amonites Balim The Indians Baccus The Lacedemonians Osiges The Macedonians did sacrifice to Mercurie The Ephesians to their goddesse Diana The Greekes to Iuno The Armenians to Liber The Troians to Vesta The Latines to Februa The Tarentines to Ceres The Rhodians as sayth Apolonius Thianeus worshipped the God Ianus and aboue all things wee ought to maruell at this That they striued oftentimes amongst themselues not so much vpon the possessions and seignories of Realmes as vpon a certaine obstinacie they had to maintaine the Gods of the one to bee of greater power then the others for they thought if their gods were not esteemed that the people should be empouerished vnfortunate and persecuted Pulio in his second booke De dissolatione regionum Orientarum declareth that the first Prouince that rebelled against the Emperour Helius Adrianus which was the fifteenth Emperour of Rome was the land of Palestine against which was sent a Captaine named Iulius Seuerus a man of great courage and very fortunate and aduenturous in Armes This Captaine did not onely finish the warres but hee wrought such an outragious destruction in that land that he besieged 52. Cities and razed them to the ground and burned 680. Villages and slew so many in battell skirmish and by Iustice that amounted to the number of 5000. persons For vnto the proud and cruell Captaines victory can neuer bee glorious vnlesse they water the ground with the bloud of their enemies And furthermore in the Cities and Townes besieged the children olde men and women which dyed through hunger and pestilence were more in number then those which were slaine in the wars For in wars the sword of the enemies lighteth not vpon all but pestilence and famine hath no respect to any After this warre of the Palestines was ended immediately after arose a more crueller betwixt the Alleynes and Armenians For there are many that see the beginning of the troubles and miseries which arise in Realmes but there are few that consider the end and seeke to remedie the same The occasion of this warre was as they came to the feast of the Mount Olimpus they fell in disputations whether of their Gods were better and which of them ought to bee preferred before other Whereof there sprang such contradictions and such mortall hatred that on euery part they were furiously moued to warres and so vnder a colour to maintaine the gods which they honoured both the common wealthes were brought into great pouerty and the people also into great misery The Emperour Helius Adrianus seeing such cruell warres to arise vpon so light occasion sent thither the Captaine aboue named Iulius Seuerus to pacifie the Allaines and Armenians and commaunded him that he should persecute those with warres which would not be ruled by his arbitremēt sentence For those iustly deserue the sword which with no reasonable conditions will condiscend vnto peace But Iulius Seuerus vsed such policy that he made thē good friends and neuer touched them nor came neare them Which thing was no lesse acceptable to the Emperour then profitable to the Realmes For the Captaine which subdueth the Country by entreatie deserueth more honor then he which ouercommeth it by battell The agreement of the peace was made vpon such condition that the Allaines should take for their Gods the Armenian Gods and the Armenians on the contrary the Gods of the Allaines And further when the people should embrace and reconcile themselues to the Senate that then the Gods should kisse the one the other and to be reconciled to the temple The vanity of the Ancients was such and the blindnesse of mortall men so great so subiect were they to diuelish deuises that as easily as the eternall wisedome createth a true man now a dayes so easily then a vain man might haue inuented a false God For the Lacedemonians had this opinion that men had no lesse power to inuent gods then the gods had to create men CHAP. V. How the Philosopher Bruxellus was greatly esteemed amongst the Ancients for his life and the words which hee spake vnto the Romanes at the houre of his death PHarasmaco in his 20 booke De libertate Deorum whereof Cicero maketh mētion in his booke De natura Deorum sayth that when the Gothes tooke Rome and besieged the high Capitoll there came amongst them a Philosopher called Bruxellus the which after the Gothes were repulsed out of Italy remained with Camillus at Rome And because at that time Rome wanted Philosophers this Bruxellus was had in great veneration amongst all the Romanes so that hee was the first stranger of whom being aliue a statue was euer made in the Senate the Romanes vsed to make a statue of the Romanes being aliue but not to strangers till after their death The age of this Bruxellus was 113. whereof 65. hee had been an inhabitant of Rome And among other things they recite 7. notable things of his life 1 The first that in 60. yeeres no mā euer saw him issue out of the wals of Rome For in the olde time the Sages were little esteemed if in their behauiours they were not iust and vpright 2 The second that in 60. yeares no man heard him speake an idle word For the words that are superfluous doe greatly deface the authoritie of the person 3 The third that in all his time they neuer saw him lose one houre of time For in a wise man there is no greater folly then to see him spend a moment of an houre idely 4 The fourth that in all his time hee was neuer detected of any vice And let no man thinke this to bee a small matter For few are they of so long life which are not noted of some infamy after their death The fifth that in all the 60. years he neuer made quarrell nor striued with any man and this thing ought to be no lesse esteemed then the other For truly hee that liueth a long time without offering wrong to another may be called a monster in nature 6 The sixt that in 3. or 4. yeares hee neuer issued out of the
God neyther themselues nor their Realms can prosper For the Felicitie or miserie of Realms proceedeth not of the paines and trauells that the Kings and people doe take but of the merits which the Kings Realms deserue In great perill liueth that Realm whose Prince is an euill Christian Happie sure is that cōmonwealth wherof the Prince hath a good conscience For the man that is of a good conscience will not do any euil thing to the cōmonwelth CHAP. XI Of sundry Gods which the ancients worshipped Of the office of those Gods how they were reuenged of them when they displeased them and of the twentie elect Gods THough to men of cleare iudgement the works of God are great of themselues without any comparison to others yet that the white may be better knowne from the blacke I will satisfie somwhat the curious reader in reckoning vp a flocke of false Gods that by them and theyr power men shall see how much the Princes are bound to the true God The ancient Painyms had gods of diuers sortes howbeit the chiefe of all were these which they called Diis electi They would haue said gods of heauen which gods as they thought sometime descended from Heauen to earth These gods were xx in number as Ianus Saturnus Iupiter Genius Mercurius Apollo Mars Vulcanus Neptunus Sol Orcus Vibar Tellus Ceres Iuno Minerna Luna Diana Venus Vesta These viii last rehearsed were goddesses and xii of the first were gods No man might take any of those as his owne god but as common and indifferēt to al. Their office was to profit all I mean al of any one Realm one Prouince singular or one noble citie And first note they had one god whō they called Candus whom they honoured much and offred vnto him manie sacrifices to the ende that God might giue them wise children And this if they had demanded of the True GOD they should haue had reason For the impostumation of humane malice is swelled in such wise that that man is in great jeopardie whome God hath not indued with wise iudgement They had also an other Goddesse whom they named Lucina to whom they did commend women quicke and great with Childe to sende them safe deliuery And without the walles of Rome in a streete called Salaria she had a great Church wherein all the Romane women conceiued with childe did sacrifice to their goddesse Lucina and as Fronten declareth De veneratione Deorum there they remayned nine dayes and nine nightes making their vowe Numa Pompilius built the church of this Goddesse which was plucked downe by the Consull Rutilius because a Daughter of his great with childe made her vow kept her nine vigilles and vpon more deuotion was desirous to bee deliuered in the saide Temple Such was her mishap that her deliueric was not onely euill but her death worse Whervpon Rutilius in his rage caused the tēple secretly to be burned For we read many times that whē the Gentiles saw they were distressed and in great necessity they recommended themselues to their Gods and if they did not then succour them in their necessitie immediately they tooke from them their sacrifice beate downe their temples or chaunged their Gods And further the Gentiles had another God called Opis which was called the God of the Babe-newborne euen as Lucina was Goddesse of the Mother which bare it The custome was that during all the nine monethes that the Woman was quicke with childe shee carryed the image of the God Opis hanging vpon her belly tyed to her gyrdle or sowed to her Garments and at the houre of her deliuerie the Mid-wife tooke in her handes the layde Image and euen in the very byrth before herselfe layde handes vpon it shee first of all touched the Childe with the Idoll If the childe were well borne the parents that day made great Oblations to the Idoll but if it were euill or dead borne straight-wayes the Parents of the Childe did beate the Image of the poore God Opis to powder or else burned it or drowned it in the riuer Also the Gentiles worshipped an other God called Vaginatus and vnto him they did great Sacrifice because theyr Children should not weepe much and therefore they carryed the image of this god Vaginatus hanged about their neckes for the Gentiles thought it an euil signe and token when the Babe wept much in his infancie he should haue very euill fortune in his Age. They had also another God called God Guninus him they honoured with Sacrifices to the ende that hee should be their Patrone for the safetie of theyr Children in their cradels And those which were poore had the God Guninus hanged vpon the cradels but the Rich had very sumptuous cradels wherein were painted manie Gods Gunini Herodian and Pulio declareth in the life of Seuerus how that when the Emperour Seuerus was in the warre against the Gaules his wife whose name was Iulia was deliuered of a Daughter which was his first And it happened that a Sister of this Iulia named Mesa natiue of Persia and of the Cittie of Mesa sent vnto her Sister at Rome a Cradell all of an Vnicorns horne and fine gold and about the same was paynted many images of the God Cuninus The cradle was of so great value that many yeares after it was kept in the treasurie of Rome Though indeed the Romanes kept those things more for the desire of memorie then for the loue of riches The Romaines had likewise an other god whome they called god Ruminus which was as much to say as god of sucking-babes and to him the Matrones of Rome offred diuers sacrifices to the end he would keepe their breasts frō corruption and giue them milke enough for their little children And all the while they gaue the child sucke they had the image of this God about their necks hanging downe to their breasts And euery morning before she gaue the child sucke the mother sent a dishful of milk to offer the god Ruminus and if she happened to bee in such place where there was no Church dedicated to the god Ruminus then she bathed her god Ruminus which she daily carryed with her in milke They had also another God whom they called god Stellinus and him they impropered to their Children when they began to goe To this god the matrones offred many gifts that their children might not be lame dwarfes nor impotent or decrepite but that they might be able to goe well For among the Romanes those that were criples or dwarfs were had in such cōtempt that they could neyther beare office in the Senate nor be admitted Priests in the Temples Hercules in his third Booke De repub saith that Cornelia that worthy woman and Mother of the Gracchi had her two first sonnes the one Lame and the other a Dwarfe Wherevpon supposing the God Stellinus had beene wrath with her shee built him a temple in the twelfth region neere to the fieldes Gaditanus
was a Goddesse of the bars and hinges of the gates and the cause why the Auncients did sacrifice to her was that no man should breake the gates nor lift vp the hinges and that if they went about to put to their hands immediately the hinges should make a noyse to awake the Master of the house that hee might heare it and know that his enemies were at the gate There was another God who was called Siluanus and was most honored among the Auncients especially among all the Romanes This God had the charge to keepe those from perill and misfortune that went for their pleasures and recreation to the Gardens as Plinie sayth in an Epistle he wrote to Rutilius The first that built a Temple for the God Siluanus was Mecenas which was in the time of Augustus And hee desired aboue all other men to make feasts and banquets in Gardens This Temple was in the eleuenth Warde in the field of the Goddesse Venus neare vnto the house of Murcea which was destroyed in the time of the Emperour Antoninus Pius through an Earthquake whereby many buildings and houses fell in Rome Iugatiuus was the God of marriages who had charge to make the loue which begunne in youth to endure till the olde age It was wonderful to see how the women newly married went on pilgrimage for Deuotion vnto this God and what gifts and presents they offered in his Temple Suetonius Tranquillus sayeth that there was a Temple of this God but I finde not in writing by whom it was built saying that Helius Spartanus sayeth that the Emperour Heliogabalus found much riches in the Temple of Iugatibus the which hee tooke away to maintaine his wars Bacchus was the God of drunkards and the custome in Rome was that only mad men and fooles celebrated the feast of this God and if there were found any of wit and vnderstanding were it neuer so little they thrust him forthwith out of the Temple and sought in his steade another drunkard The Temple of Bacchus was in the 10. Warde in the meadowes which they call Bacchanales without the City in the way of Salaria by the Altars of the goddesse Februa and it was built by the Gaules when they besieged Rome in the time of Camillus Februa was a Goddesse for the feuers and they vsed in Rome when any was taken with the feauer immediately to send some sacrifice vnto her This Goddesse had no Temple at all but her Image was in Pantheon which was a Temple wherein all the Gods were and in this place they sacrificed vnto her Pauor was the God of feare who had the charge to take feare from the Romanes hearts and to giue them stoute courage against their enemies The Temple of this God Pauor was in Rome in the sixth Ward in the place of Mamuria neare to the olde Capitoll and euer when they had any enemies the Romaines forth with offered in this place sacrifices and there was in the same Temple a statue of Scipio the Affricane all of siluer which hee offered there when hee triumphed ouer the Carthagenians Meretrix was the Goddesse of dishonest women and as Publius Victor sayeth There was in Rome forty streetes of common women In the middest whereof the Temple of this Meretrix was It chanced in the time of Ancus Martius the fourth King of the seuen Romane Kinges that there was in Rome a Curtezan Natiue of Laurento which was so fayre that with her body shee gained great riches wher of shee made all the Romane people partakers Wherefore in the memory of her the Romanes built there a temple and made her Goddesse of all the common women in Rome Cloatina was Goddesse of the stoole and to this Goddesse all those commended themselues which were troubled with the Collycke to the ende shee would helpe them to purge their bellies Quies was the Goddesse of rest and to her the Romanes did offer great Sacrifices because that she should giue them pleasure and rest especially on that day when there was any triumph or solemnitie in Rome they gaue in this Temple many gistes because shee should preserue the glory and ioy of the triumphes Numa Pompilius second King of the Romaines built the Temple of this Goddesse and it was without the City for to note that during the life of man in this world hee could neyther haue pleasure nor rest Theatrica was a Goddesse which had the charge to keepe the Theaters and Stages when the Romanes celebrated their Playes and the occasion of inuenting of this Goddesse was because when the Romaines would set foorth theyr Tragedyes they made so solemne Theaters that there might well stand twentie thousand men aboue and as manie vnderneath for to behold the spectacle And sometime it hapned that for the great weight of them aboue the wood of the Theaters and Stages brake and killed all those which were vnderneath and so after this sort all their pastime turned into sorrow The Romanes which vvere prouided in all things agreed to doe Sacrifice vnto the Goddesse Theatrica to the ende shee should preserue them from the dangers of the Theaters and built her a Temple in the ninth ward in the market-place of Cornelia neere to the House of Fabij Domitian the twelfth Emperour of Rome destroyed this Temple because in his presence one of the Theaters brake and killed manie people And for that the Goddesse Theatrica had not better preserued them hee made this Temple to be beaten down Peraduenture those that haue read little shall finde these things now ynough but let them reade Cicero in his booke De Natura Deorum Ihon Bocchas of the Genealogie of Gods and Pulio of the Auncients Gods And Saint Augustine in the first the eleuenth and the eighteenth booke of Citie of God and they shall finde a great number more then is heere spoken of CHAP. XIII ¶ How Tiberius the Knight was chosen Gouernour of the Empyre and afterwards created Emperour onely for being a good Christian And how GOD depriued Iustinian the younger both of his Empyre and Senses for beeing an Heretique THe fiftie Emperour of Rome was Tiberius Constantinus who succeeded Iustinian the younger which was a cruell Emperour And Paulus Dyaconus sayeth That hee was an enemie to the poore a Thiefe to the Rich a great louer of riches and an enemie to himselfe in spending them For the propertie of a couetous man is to liue like a Beggar all the dayes of his life and to be found rich at the houre of his death This Iustinian was so exceeding couetous that hee commaunced strong coffers and chests of yron to be made and brought into his Pallace to keepe in safety the euil-gotten treasures that he had robbed And of this you ought not to maruell for Seneca saith That couetous Princes do not only suspect their Subiects but also themselues In those daies the Church was greatly defiled by the heresie of the Pelagians and the maintayner of that Sect was
done but well ordained For in the end sith man is man in few things hee can be eyther certaine or assured and sith God is God it is vnpossible that in any thing hee should erre It is a great benefite of the Creator to bee willing to reforme and correct the words of the Creatures For if God would suffer vs to doe after our owne mindes wee should bee quite contrary to his pleasure God without a great mistery did not ordayne that in one family there should bee but one Father among one people there should be but one Cittizen that should commaund in one Prouince there should be but one Gouernour alone and also that one King alone should gouerne a prowde Realme and also that by one onely Captaine a puissant Armie should be ledde And furthermore and aboue all he willeth that there bee but one Monarchiall King and Lord of the Worlde Truely all these things are such that wee with our eyes doe see them and know them not wee heare them with our eares and vnderstand them not we speake them with our tongues and knowe not what wee say For truely mans vnderstanding is so dull that without doubt he is ignorant of more then he knoweth Appolonius Thyaneus compassing the most part of Asia Affrike and Europe That is to say from the bridge of Nilus where Alexander was vnto Gades where the pillers of Hercules were hee beeing one day in Ephese in the Temple of Diana the Priestes asked him what thing hee wondered at most in all the world For it is a general rule that men which haue seene much alwayes doe note one thing aboue another Although the Phylosopher Appolonius greatlyer esteemed the workes then the speaking of them that demanded the question yet foorthwith hee made them this answere I let you know Priests of Diana that I haue bin throughout France England Spayne Germanie through the Laces and Lydians Hebrues Greeks Parthes Medes Phrygians and Corinthiās and so with the Persians aboue in all the great Realme of India For that alone is more woorth then all these Realms together I will you vnderstand that all these Realmes in many and sundry things doe differ as in languages persons beasts mettals waters flesh customs Lawes Lands buildings in Apparell and Forts and aboue all diuers in their Gods and Temples For the Language of the one differeth not so much from the language of the other as the Gods of Europe differ from the Gods of Asia and the Temples and Gods of Asia and Europe differ from them of Affricke Amongst all things which I haue seene of two onely I did maruell which is that in all the parts of the world wherein I haue trauailed I haue seene quiet men troubled by seditious persons the humble subiect to the proude the iust obedient to the Tyrant I haue seene the cruell commaunding the mercifull the coward ruling the hardie the ignorant teaching the wise and aboue all I saw that the most Thieues did hang the innocent on the gallowes The other thing whereat I maruelled was this That in all the places and where I haue bene I knowe not neyther could I finde any man that was euerlasting but that all are mortall and in the end both high and low haue an ende For manie are layd too night in theyr graue which the next Day following thought to bè aliue Leaue aside the diuine iudgement in that hee spake hee said highly and like a Philosopher for it seemeth to bee a pleasant thing to see how men gouerne the World Therefore now to the matter It is but reason we know the cause of this so ancient a noueltie which is That God willeth and ordayneth that one onely command all and that all together obey one For there is nothing that God doeth although the cause thereof bee vnknowne vnto vs that wanteth reason in his Eternall wisedome In this case speaking like a Christian I say that if our Father Adam had obeyed one onely Commaundement of Almightie GOD which was forbidden in the Terrestriall Paradise we had remained in liberty vpō the earth and should haue bin Lords and maisters ouer all But sith hee would not then obey the LORD wee are now become the abiects and slaues of so many Lords Oh wicked sinne accursed be thou sith by thee onely the Worlde is brought into such a bondage without teares I cannot speake that which I would that through our first Fathers which submitted themselues to sinne we their childrē haue lost the Seignoric of the world For sith they were prisoners vnto sinne in their soules little auaileth the libertie of their bodies There was great diuersitie betwixt the opinions of Pythagoras and the opinions of Socrates for so much as those of Socrates schoole said That it were better all things should be common and all men equall The other of Pythagoras schole saide the contrarie And that the Common-wealth were better wherein each one had his owne proper and all should obey one so that the one of them did admitte and graunt the name of seruants and the others did despise the name of Lords As Laertius in his first booke of the lise of Phylosophers saide that the Phylosopher Demosthenes was also of the same opinion that to the ende the people should be well gouerned hee would two names should be vtterly abolished and taken away That is to say Lords and subiects Maisters and seruants For the one desirous to rule by fiercenesse and the others not willing to obey to tyrannie would shed the bloud of the innocent and would be violent against the poore They would destroy the renowmed and famous people and Tyrannie would waxe stoute the which things should be taken away if there were no seignorie nor seruitude in the world But notwithstanding these things the Philosopher in his first booke of his Pollitiques saith That by foure naturall reasons wee may prooue it to be very necessarie that Princes doe commaund and the people obey The first reason is of the parts of the Elements simple and mixt For wee see by experience that the Elements doe suffer to the ende they would be ioyned together the one to haue more power then all the which is shewed by experience Forasmuch as the Element of the Fire the Element of the Ayre and the Element of the Water doe obey the Element of the Earth doth commaund For against their nature he bringeth them all to the Earth But if all the noble and chiefest Elements were obedient to the most vile Element only to forme a bodie mixt it is a greater reason that all obey to one vertuous person that the Common-wealth might therby the better be gouerned The second reason is of the bodie and the soule in the harmonie wherof the Soule is the mistresse which commaundeth and the bodie the seruant which obeyeth For the bodie neyther seeth heareth nor vnderstandeth without the bodie The sage Philosopher by this inferreth that the
Common-wealth hee which is most worth shal be no more esteemed then the fingers or paring the nailes or the falling of an haire from the head Let euery man the fore liue in peace in his common-wealth and acknowledge obedience vnto his prince and he that will not do so away with him for euen as the onely offence proceedeth of him so let the onely paine rest vpon him For it is an old saying That hee that taketh vp the sword against his Maister will shortly after lay his head at his feete The second condition is To compare the King to the head because the head is the beginning of Mans life The most part of things that euer God created according to their natures worke their operations as in growing high and towards the heauens We see the vapors ascend high the Trees budde out on high the sourges of the Sea mount high and the nature of Fire is alwayes to ascend mount on high onely the miserable Man groweth downwards and is brought low by reason of the feeble and fraile flesh which is but Earth commeth of earth and liueth on earth and in the ende returneth to earth againe from whence he came Aristotle saith well That Man is as a Tree planted with the rootes vpwardes whose roote is the head and the stocke is the bodie the braunches are the armes the barcke is the Flesh the knoties are the bones the sappe is the heart which with the braine is the seate of the soule first liuing and last dying the rottennes is malice the gumme is loue the flowers are wordes and the Fruites are the good workes To make the man to goe vprightly his head should be where his feet are and the feete where the head is sith the head is the root and the feet are the bowes but in this case I sweare that we are correspondent to our beginning for it our flesh bee planted contrariwise so much more contrary we haue our life ordered Therefore concerning our matter I say that the Realme hath no lesse his beginning of the King then the King of the Realme which thing is plainely seene for that the King giueth lawes and institutions vnto a Realme and not the Realme to the King The gifts and benefits which the King giueth cōmeth to the realm and not from the Realme to the King To inuent wars to take truce to make peace to reward the good and to punish the euill proceedeth from the King to the Realme and not to the contrary For it appertaineth only to the Maiesty of a Prince to commaund and ordaine and to the common wealth to authorize and obeye him As in a great sumptuous building it is more dāgerous where one stone of the foundation doth fall thē when ten thousand tiles fall from the toppe so he ought more to bee blamed for one onely disobedience committed and done to the King and his iustice then for fiue thousand offences against the common wealth For wee haue seene of a little disobedience a great slander arise in a cōmon wealth O it is a goodly matter for a Prince to be beloued of his subiects and a goodly thing also for the Realme to be fearefull of their King for the king that is not loued of his Subiects cannot liue in peace or quiet therealm that is not fearefull of their King cannot be well gouerned The Realme Sicilia had alwayes mighty Princes and Gouernors for in ancient time it was gouerned by vertuous Princes or els by cruell and malicious tyrants In the time of Seuerus the Emperour there raigne◠in Cecil a King called Lelius Pius who had so many good things in him that throughout all the Empire hee was very well esteemed and chiefly for foure Lawes amongst others he ordayned in that Realme which were these following Wee ordaine that if amongst equall persons there bee any iniuries offered that they be punished or else that they be assembled for where enuy is rooted betweene two it profiteth more to recōncile their good willes then to punish their persons Wee ordaine that if the greatest bee offended by the least that such offence bee little reproued and well punished for the audacite and little shame and also the disobedience of the seruant to the master ought not to be reformed but by grieuous punishment We ordaine that if any resist or speake against the commandement of a Prince that presently without delay he suffer death before them all for they may boldly by the way of supplication reuerently declare their griefes and not by slaunder rebelliously disobey their Lords Wee ordaine that if any rayse the common wealth against the Prince hee that can first strike off his head may lawfully without fearing any daunger of punishment for his head is iustly taken from him that would there should be many heades in the common weale Of all this before spoken Herianus is the Authour in his fourth Booke of the Kinges of Sieile where hee putteth many and singular Lawes and Customes whith the Auncients had to the great confusion of those that be present For truely the Auncients did not onely exceede those that bee present in their works doings but also in speaking profound wordes Therefore returning to our matter mans life greatly trauelleth alwayes to defend the head in such sort that a man would rather suffer his hand to bee cut off then to suffer a wound to bee made in his head By this comparison I meane that a fault in a Common-wealth is a cut which cankereth and festereth but the disobedience to a Prince is a wound which forthwith killeth If a man did aske mee what vnion Princes should haue with their Common wealth I would answere them in this sort that the wealth of the King and Realme consisteth herein That the King should accompany with the good and banish the euill For it is vnpossible that the King should bee beloued of the Common-wealth if the company hee hath about him be reputed vicious Hee should also loue his Realme without dissimulation and the Realme should serue him vnfaynedly for the Common-wealth which knoweth it to bee beloued of their Prince shall not finde any thing too hard for his scruice Further that the King vse his Subiects as his children and that the Subiects serue him as a Father for generally the good Father cannot suffer his children to bee in danger neyther the good children will disobey their Father Also the King ought to bee iust in his commaundements and the subiects faithfull For if it bee a good thing in their seruices to liue vnder a iust Law it is much better to liue vnder a iust King Also the King ought to defend his Subiects from enemies and they ought well to pay him his tribute For the Prince who defendeth his people from enemies and tyranny worthily deserueth to be Lord of all their goods Also the King ought to keepe his Common-wealth in quiet and ought not to be presumptuous of his
of in my time of my predecessors which were vtterly vndon by too much pride and presumption but I neuer read nor hearde of any which were destroyed for being courteous and louing to his subiects I will declare by some examples which I haue read in bookes to the end that the Lords may see what they win by theyr good conuersation and what they loose by being too hautie The Realme of the Sidonians was greater then that of the Chaldeans in weapons and inferiour in antiquitie vnto that of the Assyrians In this Realme there was Debastia which was called a King of Kings that endured two hundred and xxv yeeres because all these Kings were of a commendable conuersation And another of Debastia endured no longer then forty yeares And our ancients tooke pleasure of peace wherof we are 〈◊〉 and were ignorant of the 〈…〉 which wee now vse so much Alwayes they desired to haue Kings which should bee good for the Common-wealth in peace rather then valiant and couragious in the warre as Homere in his Ilyades saith The auncient Egiptians called theyr Kings Epiphanes and had a custom that Epiphanes should enter into the temples barefoote And because it chanced the Epiphane on a time to come into their Church hoased hee was immediately for his disobediēce depriued and expulsed the Realme and in his stead an other created Homere declareth here that this king was prowde and euill conditioned wherfore the Egyptians depriued him and banished him the Realme taking oceasion that hee did not enter into the temple barefoot For truely when Lordes are euill-willed and not beloued for a little trifle and occasion the people will arise and rebell against them The said Homer saide also that the Parthes called theyr Kings Assacides and that the sixt of that name was depriued and expulsed the Realme for that of presumption hee bad himselfe to the marriage of a knight and being bidden and desired would not goe to the marriage of a poore Plebeyan Cicero in his Tusculanes sayth That in olde time the people perswaded theyr Princes to communicate with the poore and that they should abstaine flye from the rich For among the poore they should learne to bee mercifull and with the rich they shall learne nothing but onely to bee prowd Yee knowe right well Fathers conscript how this our countrey was first called Great Greece afterwards it was called Latium and then Italie And when it was called Latium they called their kings Marrani and truely although theyr borders were but narrow yet at the least theyr stoutnesse was great The Annales of those times say that after the thirde Syluius succeeded a Marrine who was proude ambicious and euill conditioned in such sorte that for feare of the people alwaies he slept locked vp and therefore they both depriued him and banished him the Realme For the auncients sayd That the king should locke his dores at no houre of the night against his Subiects neyther he should refuse in the day to giue them audience Tarquine which was the last of the seuen Kings of Rome which was very vnthankfull towards his Father in law he was an infamie to his bloud a traitour to his countrey and cruell of his person who also enforced the Noble Lucretia and yet notwithstanding this they doe not call him vnthankfull infamous cruell traitour nor adulterer but Tarquine the proude onely for that he was euill conditioned By the faith of a good man I sweare vnto you Fathers conscript that if the miserable Tarquin had bin beloued in Rome hee had neuer bin depriued of the Realme for committing adulterie with Lucretia For in the end if euery light offence which in youth is committed should bee punished within short space there should be no Common-wealth All these euils both before and after Tarquine were committed by the ancients in the Romaine Empire which were such as these of this young and light prince and were nothing in comparison vnto thee For truly considering the youth of the one and the experience of the other the greatest offence of the young is but a counterfeit to the least that the olde committeth Iulius Caesar last Dictatour and first Emperour of Rome beeing a thing commendable both to Senatours to salute the Emperour on theyr knees and to the Emperour to rise against them and resalute eache one according to this order because of presumption and that he would not obserue this ceremonie with xxiii woundes they dispatched him of his life Tiberius was an Emperour whome they blame for drunkennes Caligula was an Emperor also whome they accuse of Incest with his Sisters Nero was an Emperour who for that hee slew his Mother and his maister Seneca hath for euer bin named cruell Sergius Galba was a deuouring and a gluttonous Emperor for that he caused for one onely Banket seuen thousand Bynds to be killed Domitian was an Emperour who was greatly noted of all euils For all euils which in manie were scattered in him alone were found All these miserable Princes in the ende were betrayed hanged and beheaded And I sweare vnto ye Fathers conscript that they died not for theyr vices but because they were proud and euill conditioned For finally the Prince for one vice onely cannot much endamage the people but for being too haultie and presumptuous and of euill conditions they may destroy a Commonwealth Let Princes and great Lords be assured that if they giue many occasions of euill example afterwardes one onely-suffiseth to stirre theyr subiects to destroy them For if the Lord shew not his hatred it is for that hee will not but if the subiect do not reuenge it is for that he cannot Beleue me fathers conscript sacred Senate that euen as the Physition with a little triacle purgeth many euil humors of the body so the sage Princes with very litle beneuolence draw out of theyr Subiects much rancour and inward filthinesse of heart diuerting their euill wills into true and faithfull loue And because the members should be agreable with the head in mine opinion it behoueth the people to obey the commaundements of theyr Prince and to doe honour and to reuerence his person and the good Prince to bee iust and equall to all in generall and gentle in conuersation with euery one O happy commonwealth wherein the Prince findeth obedience in the people and the people in like manner loue in the Prince For the loue of the Lord springeth obedience in the subiect and of the obodience of the Subiects springeth loue in the Lord. The Emperour in Rome is as the Spyder in the midst of her Cobweb the which beeing touched with the needles point by one of the threedes of the same bee it neuer so little immediately the spyder feeleth it I meane that all the worke which the Emperor doth in Rome are immediately published throughout all the countrey For in fine since princes are the myrrour of all they can not well cloake theyr vices
by vices and deliciousnesse but by weapons and prayers The Romanes were very sore grieued with the and a city of this Consull Lucius Pius and not contented to haue beheaded him and to haue set on his graue so defamous a title but made proclamation forthwith thorow out all Rome by the sound of a Trumpet how al that Lucius Pius had done the sacred Senate condemned for nothing and should stand to no effect For there was an auncient Law in Rome when they beheaded any by iustice they should also take away the authority hee had in Rome After the warres were ended and all the land of Sarmatia subiect the Consull Lucius Pius came to Rome for reward of his trauell required the accustomed triumph the which was not onely denyed him but also in recompence of his fact hee was openly beheaded and by the decree of all the Senate about his graue was written this Epitaph And not contented with these things the sacred Senate wrote to the Sarmates that they did release them of their homage making themselues subiects of the Romanes wherefore they restored them againe to their liberty They did this thing because the custome among the stoute and valiant Romanes was not to gette nor winne Realmes in making their enemies drunke with delicate Wines but in shedding their proper bloud in plaine field I haue tolde thee this my friend Pulio because the Consull Lucius Pius did perceyue that the Sarmates put all their felicity to ingorge themselues with wine Of the Philosopher Chylo IN the 15. Dinastia of the Lacedemonians and Deodeus beeing King of Medes Gigion being king of Lides Argeus being king among the Macedonians and Tullius Hostilius king of the Romaines in the Olympiade 27. there was in Athens a Phylosopher borne in Greece whose name was Chylo one of the seuen Sages which the Greekes had in theyr treasurie In that time there was great warres betweene the Athenians and the Corinthians as wee may perceyue by the Greeks histories which we see written Since Troy was ruinated and destroyed there was neuer peace in Greece for the warres betwixte the Greeks and Troyans was neuer so great as that which afterwards they made among themselues Sith the Greekes were now wise mē they did deuide the offices of the Commonwealth according to the ability of euery person that is to know that to the stoute and hardy men they gaue the gouernment to the sage they recommended the Embasies of of strange countreys And vpon this occasion the Athenians sent the Phylosopher Chilo to the Corinthians to treate of peace who came vnto the cittie of Corinth By chaunce on that day there was celebrated a great Feast wherefore hee found all men playing at dice the women solacing themselues in theyr gardens the Priestes shorte with theyr crosse-bowes in the Temples the Senatours played in the consistory at tables the maisters of Fence played in the streetes And to conclude hee found them all playing The Philosopher seeing these things without speaking to any man or lighting off from his horse returned to his countrey without declaring his message and when the Corinthians went after him and asked him why hee did not declare the cause of his comming he aunswered Friends I am come from Athens to Corinth not without great trauell and now I returne from Corinth to Athens not lattle offended and yee might haue seene it because I spake neuer a word to any of you of Corinth For I haue no commission to treate of peace with vnthrifty players but with sage gouernours Those of Athens commaunded mee not to keepe company with those that haue theyr hāds occupyed with Dyce but with those that haue theyr bodyes loden with harnes and with those which haue theyr Eyes dazeled with Bookes For those men which haue warres with the Dyce it is vnpossible they should haue peace with theyr Neighbours After he had spoken these words he returned to Athens I let thee vnderstand my friende Pulio that the Corinthians thinke it to be the greatest felicity in the world to occupy dayes and nights in playes and maruel not hereat neither laugh thou them to scorne For it was told mee by a Greeke being in Antioche that a Corinthian esteemed it more felicitie to winne a game then the Romaine Captaine did to winne a Triumph As they say the Corinthians were wise and temperate men vnlesse it were in Playes in the which thing they were too vicious Me thinke my friend Pulio that I answer thee more amply then thou requirest or that my health suffereth that which is little so that both thou shalt be troubled to read it and I here shall haue paine to write it I will make thee a briefe summe of all the others which now come to my remembrance the which in diuersethings haue put theyr ioy and chiefest felicities Of Crates the Philosopher CRates the Philosopher put his felicity to haue good fortune in prosperous nauigation saying that hee which sayleth by sea can neuer haue perfect ioy at his his heart so long as hee confidereth that between death and life there is but one bourd Wherefore the heart neuer feeleth so great ioy as when in the Hauen he remembreth the perils which hee hath escaped on the sea Of Estilpho the Philosopher EStilpho the Philosopher put all his felicity to bee of great power saying that the man which can doe little is worth little and he that hath little the gods doe him wrong to let him liue so long For hee onely is happy which hath power to oppresse his enemies and hath wherewithall to succour himselfe and reward his friendes Of Simonides the Philosopher SImonides the Philosopher put all his felicity to bee well beloued of the people saying That churlish men and euill conditioned should bee sent to the mountaines amongst brute beasts For there is no greater happinesse or felicity in this life then to bee beloued of all in the Common-wealth Of Archita the Philosopher ARchita the Phylosopher had all his felicitie in conquering a Bartell saying that naturally man is so much friend to himselfe and desireth so much to come to the chiefe of his enterprise that though for little trifles he played yet he would not bee ouercome For the heart willingly suffereth all the trauels of the life in hope afterwardes to win the victory Of Gorgias the Philosopher GOrgias the Philosopher put al his felicity to heare a thing which pleased him saying That the body feeleth not so much a great wound as the heart doth an euill word For truely there is no musicke that soundeth so sweete to the eares as the pleasant wordes are sauourie to the heart Of Chrysippus the Philosopher CHrysippus the Philosopher had all his felicity in this Worlde in making great buildings saying that those which of themselues left no memory both in their life and after their death deserued infacny For great and sumptuous buildings are perpetuall monuments of
noble courages Of Antisthenes the Philosopher ANtisthenes the Philosopher put al his felicity in renowne after his death For sayeth hee there is no losse but of life that flitteth without fame For the Wise man needeth not feare to die so he leaue a memory of his vertuous life behinde him Of Sophocles the Philosopher SOphocles had al his ioy in hauing children which should possesse the inheritance of their Father saying that the graft of him that hath no children surmounteth aboue all other sorrowes for the greatest felicity in this life is to haue honour riches and afterwardes to leaue children which shall inherite them Of Euripides the Philosopher Euripides the Philosopher had all his ioy in keeping a fayre woman saying his tongue with wordes could not expresse the griefe which the hart endureth that is accombred with a foule woman therefore of of truth hee which hapneth of a good vertuous woman ought of right in his life to desire no more pleasure Of Palemon the Philosopher PAlemon put the felicity of men in eloquenee saying and swearing that the man that cannot reason of all things is not so like a reasonable man as he is a brute beast for according to the opinions of many there is no greater felicity in this wretched world then to be a man of a pleasant tongue and of an honest life Of Themistocles the Philosopher THemistocles put all his felicity in discending from a Noble lynage saying that the man which is come of a meane stocke is not bound to make of a renowmed fame for truly the vertues and prowesses of them that are past are not but an example to moue them to take great enterprises which are present Of Aristides the Philosopher ARistides the Philosopher put all his felicity in keeping temporal goods saying that the man which hath not wherwith to eate nor to sustaine his life it were better coūsell for him of his free will to goe into the graue then to do any other thing For he onely shall bee called happy in this world who hath no neede to enter into an other mans house Of Heraclitus the Philosopher HEraclitus put al his felicity in heaping vp treasure saying that the prodigall man the more begetteth the more he spendeth but he hath the respect of a wise man who can keep a secret treasure for the necessitie to come Thou hast now sufficiently vnderstood my friend Pulio that 7. moneths since I haue been taken with the feuer quartaine and I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that at this present instant writing vnto thee my hand shaketh which is an euident token that the colde doth take mee wherefore I am constrained to conclude this matter which thou demaundest mee although not according to my desire For amongst true friendes though the workes doe cease wherewith they serue yet therefore the inward parts ought not to quaile wherwith they loue If thou doest aske mee my friend Pulio what I thinke of all that is aboue spoken and to which of those I doe sticke I answere thee That in this World I doe not graunt any to bee happy and if there be any the gods haue them with them because on the one side chosing the plaine and drye way without clay and on the other side all stony and myerie wee may rather call this life the precipitation of the euill then the safegard of the good I will speake but one word onely but marke well what thereby I meane which is that amongst the mishaps of fortune wee dare say that there is no felicitie in the World And hee onely is happy from whom wisdome hath plucked enuious aduersity and that afterwards is brought by wisedome to the highest felicitie And though I would I cannot endure any longer but that the immortall Gods haue thee in their custody and that they preserue vs from euill fortune Sith thou art retired now vnto Bethinie I know well thou wouldest I should write thee some newes from Rome and at this present there are none but that the Carpentines and Lusitaines are in great strife dissention in Spaine I receiued letters how that the barbarous were quiet though the Host that was in Ilium were in good case yet notwithstanding the Army is somwhat fearefull and timorous For in all the coast and borders there hath beene a great plague Pardon me my friend Pulio for that I am so sickly that yet I am not come to my selfe for the feuer quartane is so cruel a disease that he which hath it contenteth himselfe with nothing neyther taketh pleasure in any thing I send thee two of the best horses that can be found in al Spaine and also I send thee two cups of gold of the richest that can bee found in Alexandria And by the law of a good man I sweare vnto thee that I desire to send thee two or three howers of those which trouble mee in my feuer quartane My wife Faustine saluteth thee and of her part and mine also to Cassia thy olde mother and noble Widdow we haue commended Marcus the Romane Emperour with his own hand writeth this and againe commendeth him vnto his deere friend Pulio CHAP. XLI That Princes and great Lords ought not to esteeme themselues for being fayre and well proportioned IN the time that Ioshua triumphed amongst the Hebrewes and that Dardanus passed from great Greece to Samotratia and when the sons of Egenor were seeking their sister Europe and in the time that Siculus raigned in Scicil in great Asia in the realme of Egypt was builded a great City called Thebes the which K. Busiris built of whom Diodorus Siculus at large mentioneth Plinie in the 36. Chapter of his naturall history and Homer in the second of his Iliades Statius in al the booke of his Thebiade doe declare great maruels of this City of Thebes which thing ought greatly to bee esteemed for a man ought not to thinke that fayned which so excellent authours haue written For a truth they say that Thebes was in circuit forty miles and that the walles were thirty stades hie and in bredth sixe They say also that the City had a hundred gates very sumptuous and strong and in euery gate two hundred Horsemen watched Through the midst of Thebes passed a great riuer the which by milles and fish did greately profite the City When Thebes was in his prosperity they say that there was two hundred thousand fires and besides all this all the Kings of Egypt were buried in that place As Strabo sayeth De situ orbis when Thebes was destroyed with enemies they found therein seuenty seuen Tombes of Kings which had bin buried there And here is to bee noted that all those tombes were of vertuous kings for among the Aegyptians it was a law inuiolable that the King which had beene wicked in his life should not bee buried after his death Before the noble and worthy Numantia
it is he that shall hereafter destroy the Romaine people as Suetonius Tranquillus affirmeth in the booke of Caesar Albeit that Iulius Caesar was vncomlie in his behauior yet in naming onely his name he was so feared through the world as if by chance any king or Princes did talke of him at their table as after supper for feare they could not sleepe that night vntill the next day As in Gallia Gotica where Iulius Caesar gaue battell by chance a French knight tooke a Caesarian knight prisoner who beeing led prisoner by the Frenchmen said Chaos Caesar which is to say Let Caesar alone Which the Gaulloys hearing the name of Caesar let the prisoner escape and without any other occasion hee fell besides his horse Now then let Princes and great Lords see how little it auaileth the valiant man to bee faire or foule sith that Iulius Caesar being deformed only with naming his name caused all men to feare to change their countenance Hanniball the aduenterous captaine of Carthage is called monstruous not onely for his deedes he did in the world but also for the euill proportion of his bodie For of his two eyes he lacked the right and of his two feete he had the left foote crooked and aboue all he was little of body and verie fierce and cruell of countenance The deeds and conquests which Hanniball did among the people of Rome Titus Liuius declareth at large yet I will recite one thing which an Historiographer declareth and it is this Frontine in the book of stoutenesse of the Penians declareth that in seuenteene yeeres that Hannibal warred with the Romaines he slue so great a number that if the men had bin conuerted into Kine and that the blood which was shed had beene turned into Wine it had beene sufficient to haue filled and satisfied his whole armie being foure score thousand footmen and seuenteene thousand horsemen in his campe I demand now how many were at that time fairer and more beautifull of their bodyes and countenance then he was whose beautie at this day is forgotten whereas his valiantnesse shall endure for euer For there was neuer any Prince that left of him eternall memorie only for being beautiful of countenance but for enterprising great things with the sword in the hand The great Alexander was no fairer nor better shapen then another man For the Chronicles declare of him that he had a litle throte a great head a blacke face his eyes somewhat troubled the body little and the members not well proportioned and with all his deformitie hee destroyed Darius king of the Perses and Medes and he subdued all the tyrants he made him selfe Lord of all the Castles and took many kings and disherited and slue mightie Lords of great estate hee searched all their riches and pilled all their treasors and aboue all things all the earth trembled before him not hauing the audacitie to speake one word against him Of a letter the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his Nephew worthie to be noted of all yong Gentlemen CHAP. XLII SExtus Cheronensis in his second booke of the life of Marcus Aurelius declared that this good Marcus Aurelius had a sister called Annia Melena the which had a sonne named Epesipus who was not onely nephew but also Disciple to Marcus Aurelius And after he was created Emperour he sent his nephew into Greece to study the Greeke tongue and to banish him from the vices of Rome This yong Epesipus was of a good and cleare iudgement well made of his body and faire of countenance and sith in his youth he esteemed his beauty more then his learning the Emperour his vncle wrote him a letter in Greeke which sayd thus Marcus Aurelius the Romaine Emperour first Tribune of the people and Bishop wisheth to thee Epesipus his Nephew and Scholler health and doctrine In the third Calends of December came thy cousin Annius Verus at whose comming all our parentage reioyced and so much the more because that hee brought vs newes out of Grecia For truely when the heart hath the absence of that he loueth it is no minute of an houre without suspition After that thy cousen Annius Verus had spoken in generally to all bringing newes from their friends and children we talked together and he gaue me a letter of thine which is contrary to that which was written mee out of Greece because thou writest to mee that I should send thee mony to continue thee in studie and they did also write vnto me from thence that thou art more youthfull and giuen more to the pleasures of the world then becommeth thee Thou art my blood thou art my Nephew thou wert my Scholler and thou shalt bee my sonne if thou art good But God wil neuer that thou be my Nephew nor that I shall call thee my sonne during the time that thou shalt be yong fond light and frayle For no good man should haue parentage with the vitious I cannot deny but that I loue thee from the bottome of my stomacke and so likewikewise thy vnthriftinesse greeueth me with all my heart For when I read the letters of thy follies I will content my selfe For the sage wise men though against their willes they heare of such things past yet it pleaseth them to redresse other things that may come heareafter I know well that thou canst not call it to minde though perhaps thou hast it that when thy vnlucky mother and my sister Annia Melena died she was then yong enough for she was no more but eighteene yeares of age and thou haddest not then foure houres For thou wert borne in the morning and shee dyed iust at noone-tide so when the wicked childe possessed his life then the good mother tasted death I can tell thee that thou hast lost such a mother and that I haue lost such a sister that I beleeue there was no better in Rome For she was sage honest and faire the which things are seldome seene now a dayes For so much as thy mother was my sister and that I had brought her vp and marryed her I read then Rethorike at Rhodes because my pouertie was extreame that I had no other thing but that which by reading Rethorike I did get When newes came vnto me of the death of thy mother and my sister Annia Milena al comfort laid on side sorrow oppressed my heart in such wise that all members trembled the bones shiuered my eyes without rest did lament the heauy sighes ouercame me at euery minute my heart vanished away from the bottome of my heart I inwardly lamented and bewayled thy vertuous mother and my deare sister Finally sorrow executing his priuiledge on mee the ioyfull company greeued me and onely with the louely care I quieted my selfe I know not nor cannot expresse vnto thee how and in what sort I tooke the death of my sister Annia Milena thy mother for in sleeping I dreamed of her and dreaming I saw her when I was awake
danger In the olde time when vertuous Princes dyed and that they left their children for Successors in their Realmes and besides that forasmuch as they saw their children young and euill instructed in the affayres of their Realmes they committed them to Tutours that should teach them good works and doctrine rather then they would giue them Suruayors which should encrease and augment their Cofers and Rents For truely if the Common-wealth bee defended with great treasures it is not gouerned with good counsels The princes which are young accustomely are giuen to vices for in the one part youth raigneth and on the other part honesty wanteth And to such truely vices are very dangerous specially if they want Sages to counsel them to keepe them from euill company For the couragious youth will not bee brideled nor their greate liberty can bee chastised Princes without doubt haue more neede of wise and stayed men about them to profite them in theyr counselles then any of all their other Subiects for since they are in the view of all they haue lesse licence to commit vice then any of all For if you behold all and that they haue authority to iudge all will they nill they they are beholden and iudged of all Princes ought to be circumspect whom they trust with the gouernement of their Realmes and to whom they commit the leading of their Armies whom they send as Ambassadours into strange Countries and whom they trust to receyue and keepe their treasures but much more they ought to bee circumspect in examining of those whom they choose to bee their Counsellours For looke what is he that counselleth the prince at home in his pallace so likewise shall his renowne be in strange countries and in his owne Common-wealth Why should they not then willingly examine and correct theyr owne proper palace Let Princes know if they do not know that of the honesty of their seruants of the prouidence of their Counsels of the sagenesse of their persons and of the order of their house dependeth the welfare of the Common-wealth for it is impossible that the branches of that tree whose rootes are dryed vp should bee seene to beare greene leaues CHAP. XLIIII How the Emperour Theodosius prouided â—ise men at the houre of his death for the edification of his two sonnes Archadius and Honorius I Gnatius the Historian in the booke that he made of the two Theodosij of the 2. Archadij and of the 4. Honorii declareth that the first great Theodosius being â—0 yeares olde and hauing gouerned the empire 11. years lying on his death bed called Archadius and Honorius his two sons and committed them to Estilconius and Ruffâ—nus to be instructed and ordayned them likewise for gouernours of their estates and signiories Before that the father dyed hee had now created his children Caesars being then of the age of 17. yeares Therefore the Father seeing them not as yet ripe nor able to gouerne their Realms and Signiories he committed them vnto masters and tutors It is not alwayes a generall rule though one be of 25. yeares of age that he hath more discretion to gouerne realms then another of fifteene for dayly wee see that wee allow and commend the ten yeeres of one and reproue the forty yeares of an other There are many Princes tender of yeares but ripe in counsels and for the contrary there are other Princes olde in yeares and young in counsels When the good Emperour Vespatian dyed they determined to put his sonne Titus in the gouernement of the Empire or some other aged Senatour because they sayde Titus was too young And as they were in controuersie of the matter the Senator Rogerus Patroclus said vnto the Senate For my part I require rather a Prince which is young and sage then I do a Prince which is olde and foolish Therefore now as touching the children of Theodosius one day Estiltorius the tutor of Archadius speaking to a Greeke Philosopher very sage whose name was Epimundus sayd thus vnto him Thou and I long time haue beene acquainted together in the Palace of the Emperour Theodose my Lord who is dead and we are aliue thou knowest it had been better that we two had dyed and that he had liued for there bee many to bee seruants of Princes but there are few to be good Princes I feele no greater griefe in this world then to know many Princes in one Realme For the man which hath seene many Princes in his life hath seene many nouelties and alterations in the common wealth Thou knowest well that when Theodosius my master dyed hee spake to mee these words the which were not spoken without great sighes and multiplying of teares O Estilconus I dye and am going into an other world wherin I shall giue a streight account of the Realmes and Seignories which I had vnder my charge and therefore when I thinke of mine offences I am maruellously afrayde But when I remember the mercy of God then I receyue some comfort and hope As it is but meet wee should trust in the greatnesse of his mercy so likewise is it reason wee should feare the rigour of his iustice For truely in the christian law they are not suffered to liue as we which are Princes that liue in delights of this world without repentance to goe to Paradise Then when I thinke of the great benefites which I haue receyued of God and of the great offences which I haue committed and when I thinke of the long time I haue liued and of the little which I haue profited and also that vnprofitably I haue spent my time On the one part I am loath to dye for that I am afrayde to come before the tribunall seate of Iesus Christ and on the other part I would liue no longer because I doe not profite The man of an euill life why doth hee desire to liue any longer My life is now finished and the time is short to make amends And sith God demaundeth nought else but a contrite heart with all my heart I doe repent and appeale to his iustice of mercy from his iustice to his mercy because it may please him to receyue mee into his house and to giue mee perpetuall glory to the confusion of all my finnes and offences And I protest I dye in the holy catholike faith and commend my soule to God and my body to the earth and to you Estilconus and Ruffinus my faithfull seruants I recommend my deere beloued children for hereby the lone of the children is seene in that the Father forgetteth them not at the houre of his death In this case of one onely thing I doe warne you one onely thingâ—â— require you one thing I desire you and one onely thing I command you and that is that you occupie not your minds in augmenting the realms and seignories of my children but onely that you haue due respect to giue theÌ„ good education and vertuous seruaÌ„ts for
it was onely the wise men which I had about me that thus long haue maintained mee in this great authority It is a goodly thing for a Prince to haue stout captains for the warres but without comparison it is better to keepe and haue wise men in his palace for in the end the victory of the battel confisteth in the force of many but the gouernment of the commonwelth oftentimes is put vnder the aduise of one alone These so dolefull and pittifull words my Lord and Master Theodosius spake vnto me Now tell mee Epimundus what I shall doe at this present to fulfill his commendement For at his heart hee had nothing that troubled him so much as to thinke whether his children would vndoe or encrease the Common wealth Thou Epimundus thou art a Grecian thou art a Philosopher thou hast vnderstanding thou art an old seruant thou art my faithfull friend therefore for all these things thou art bound to giue mee good and healthfull counsell For many times I haue heard Theodosius my master say That he is not accounted sage which hath turned the leaues of many bookes but hee which knoweth and can giue good and healthfull counsell Epimundus the philosopher answered to these words Thou knowest well Lord Estilconus that the ancients and great Philosophers ought to be briefe in words and very perfect in their works for otherwise to speake much and worke little seemeth rather to bee done like a tyrant then like a Greeke Philosopher The Emperour Theodosius was thy Lord and my friend I say friend because it is the liberty of a Greeke Philosopher to acknowledge no homage nor seruice to a superiour for hee in his heart can haue no true licence that to rebuke the vitious keepeth his mouth shut In one thing I content my selfe in Theodosius aboue all other Princes which were in the Romane Empire and that is that he knew and talked wisely of al his affairs and also was diligēt to execute the same for all the fault of princes is that they are apt bold to talk of vertues in executing them they are very slacke and fearfull For such Princes cannot continue in the vertue which they doe commend not yet resist the vice which they doe disprayse I graunt that Theodosius was an executor of iustice mercifull stout sober valiant true louing thankfull and vertuous and finally in all thinges and at all times he was fortunate for Fortune oftentimes bringeth that to princes which they will and desire yea many times better then they look for Presupose it be true as it is most true that the time was alwayes prosperous to the Emperour Theodosius yet I doubt whether this prosperity will continue in the succession of his children For worldly prosperity is so mutable that with one onely man in a moment shee maketh a thousand shrewde turnes and so much the more it is hard to continue stedfast in the second houre Of slow and dull horses come oftentimes couragious and fierce colts and euen so of vertuousfathers come children euill brought vp For the wicked children inherite the worst of the Father which is riches and are dishenherited of the best which are vertues That which I perceyne in this matter as wel of the father which is dead as of the children which are aliue is that Theodose was vertuous in deede and the children are capable to follow both good and euill and therfore it is requisite that you now go about it for the Prince which is yong is in great perill when in his youth he beginneth not to follow the steps of vertue To speake particularly of Archadius Honorious I let thee know Estilconus that it is a thing superfluous to talk of it for I should lose my time because the things of princes are very delicate and though wee haue licence to prayse their vertues yet wee are bound to dissemble their faults As a sage father Theodose I desire thee to giue his children good doctrine and alwayes to accompany thē But I as a friend do counsell thee that thou keepe them from euill for in the end all is euill to accompany with the euill and forsake the good but the worst euill pursueth vs rather by the presence of the euill then by the absence of the good It may wel be that one being alone without the company of the good may yet notwithstāding be good but for one that is accompanied with euil men to be good of this I greatly doubt for the same day that a man accompanieth himselfe with the vicious the selfe same day he is bound to be subiect to vice O Estilconus since thou so much desirest to accomplish the commādemēt of thy Lord and master Theodose if thou canst not cause that Archadius Honorius which are yong princes do accompany with the good yet at the least withdraw them from the company of the euill for in the courts of princes vitious men are none other but solicitors in this world to tempt others to be vicious how many and what solicitors haue we seen thou and I in Rome the which forgetting the affaires of their Lords did solicite for themselues vices and pleasures I will not tell what seruants of princes haue bin in times past but what they were and what they are euery man may easily see I will tell thee onely not of those which ought to be coūsellors to princes but also of those which ought not to liue in their courts For the counsellors and officers of princes ought to be so iust that sheares cannot find what to cut away intheir liues nor that there needeth any needle or thred to amend their fame If thou Estilconus hast heard what I haue sayd marke now what I wil say and keepe it in memory for it may profit thee one day In the Courts of Princes proude men ought to haue no familiarity nor entertainement For it is vnseemely that those which are not gentle in words should commaund and those that haue not their hearts ready to obey should bee familiar with the Prince In the Courts of Princes there ought not to bee of Counsell and much lesse familiar enuious men for if enuy raigne amongst Princes and Counsellours there shall alwayes bee dissentions in the common-wealth In the Courts of Princes hasty men ought not to haue familiarity for oftentimes it chanceth that the impatience of Counsellours causeth the people to be euill content with their Princes In the Courts of Princes there ought not to be familiar nor of counsell greedy nor couetous men for the Princes giue great occasion to the people to bee hated because their seruants haue alwayes their hands open to receyue bribes In the Courtes of Princes there ought not to be familiar fleshly men for the vice of the flesh hath in it so little profite that he that is wholy ouercome therewith is or ought to be to the Prince alway suspected In the Pallace of a King there ought not
thee I shall not follow my selfe and beeing thine I shall cease to bee mine Thou art come to haue the name of the Great Alexander for conquering the world and I haue attained to come to renowme of a good Phylosopher in flying the world And if thou dost imagine that thou hast gotten and wonne I thinke I haue not erred nor lost And since thou wilt be no lesse in authoritie then a King doe not thinke that I will lose the estimation of a Phylosopher For in the world there is no greater losse vnto a man then when hee looseth his proper libertie When he had spoken these words Alexander saide vnto them that were about him with a lowde voyce By the immortall Gods I sweare and as god Mars rule my hands in Battell if I were not Alexander the Great I would bee Diogenes the Phylosopher And hee saide further In mine opinion there is no other Felicitie vpon the earth then to bee King Alexander who commaundeth all or to bee Diogenes to commaund Great Alexander who commaundeth all As king Alexander was more familiar with some Philosophers then with others so hee esteemed some bookes more then others And they say he read oftentimes in the Iliades of Homer which is a booke where the story of the destruction of Troy is and that when he slept he layd vnder his head vpon a bolster his sword and also his booke When the great King Alexander was borne his father Philip king of Macedonia did two notable things The first was that hee sent many and very rich gifts into the I le of Delphos where the Oracle of Apollo was to the ende to present them with him and to pray him that it would please him for to preserue his sonne The other thing that hee did was that immediately hee wrote a letter to the great Philosopher Aristotle wherin he sayd these words The letter of King Philip to Aristotle the Phylosopher PHilip King of Macedonia wishes health and peace to the philosopher Aristotle which readeth in the Vniuersitie of Greece I let the vnderstand that Olympias my wife is brought to bedde of a goodly man childe whereof both she and I and all Macedonia do reioyce For kings and Realms ought to haue great ioy when that there is borne a sonne sueccssour of the natural prince of the prouince I render thankes vnto the immortall gods and haue sent many great gifts to the Temples and it was not so much for that I haue a son as for that they haue giuenhim vnto me in the time of so great and excellent Philosopher I hope that thou wilt bring him vp teach him in such sort that by heritage hee shall be Lord of my patrimony of Macedonia and by desert he shall be Lord of Asia to that they should call him my sonne and thee his father Vale foelix iterumque vale Ptolomeus father in law who was the eight king of the Aegyptians did greatly loue the Sages as well of Caldea as of Greece and this thing was esteemed for a great vertue in king Ptolome For there was as much enuy betweene the phylosophers of Greece and the Sages of Egypt as betweene the Captaines of Rome and the Captaines of Carthage This Ptolome was very wise and did desire greatly to bee accompanied with Phylosophers and after this hee learned the letters of the Latines Caldes and Hebrues for the which cause though the kings named Ptolomei were eleuen in number and all warrelike men yet they put this for the Chiefe and Captaine of all not for battels which hee wanne but for the sentences which he learned This king Ptolomeus had for his familiar a Philosopher called Estilpho Magarense who was so entirely beloued of this Prince that laying aside gentlenesse and benefits which hee shewed him hee did not onely eate with the king at his table but oftentimes the king made him drink of his owne cup. And as the sauours which Princes shew to their seruants are but as a watch to proue the malitious it chanced that when this king gaue the philosopher to drinke that which remayned in his cuppe an Egyptian knight moued with enuy sayde vnto King Ptolome I thinke Lord how thou art neuer satisfied with drinking to leaue that which remaineth in the cuppe for the Philosopher to drinke after thee To whom the king answered Thou sayst well that the Phylosopher Estilpho is neuer filled with that which I doe giue him For that which remaineth in my cup doth not profite him so much to drinke as the Phylosophy which remaineth in him should profite thee if thou wouldst take it The king Antigonus was one of the most renowmed seruants that king Alexander the great euer had who after his death enherired a great part of his Empire for how much happy the king Alexander was in his life so much hee was vnhappy at the time of his death because he had no children which might enherite his goods and that hee had such seruants as spoyled him of his renowme This king Antigonus was an vnthrist and excessiue in all vices But for all hee loued greatly the phylosophers which thing remained vnto him from king Alexander whose pallace was a schoole of al the good phylosophers of the world Of this ensample they may see what great profite ensueth of bringing vp of them that bee yong for there is none that euer was so wicked or inclined vnto euill but that in long continuance may profite somwehat in his youth This king Antigonus loued two philosophers greatly the which florished in that time that is to say Amenedius and Abio of which two Abio was wel learned and very poore For in that time no phylosopher durst openly reade philosophy as if hee were worth any thing in temporall goods As Laertius sayth and as Pulio declares it better in the book of the rulers and noble men of the Greekes The Schooles of the Vuiuersitie were so correct that the philosopher which knew most had least goods so that they did not glorifie of any thing eise but to haue pouertie and to know much of philosophy The case was such that the phylosopher Abio was sicke and with that sickenes he was so vexed that they might almost see the bones of his weake bodie The king Antigonus sent to visite him by his owne sonne by whom hee sent him much money to helpe him withall For hee liued in extreame pouertie as it behoued the professors of phylosophy Abio was sore sicke being aged and crooked and though he had made himselfe so leane with sicknesse yet notwithstanding he burned alwayes vpon the weeke of good life I meane that he had no lesse courage to despise those gifts then the king Antigonus had nobles to send them This Phylosopher not contented to haue despised those gifts in such sort sayd vnto the sonne of Antigonus who brought them Tell king Antigonus that I giue him great thankes for the good entertainement hee gaue me alwayes
in my life and for the gifts he sends mee now at my death For one friend can doe more to another then to offer him his person to depart with his proper goods Tell the king thy father that I maruell what hee should meane that I now beeing foure score yeares of age and haue walked all my life time naked in this world should now be laden with vestures and money since I must passe so great a gulfe in the Sea to go out of this world The Egyptians haue a custome to lighten the burden of their Camels when they passe the Desartes of Arabia which is much better then to ouercharge them I meane that he onely passeth without trauell the dangers of the life which banisheth frō him that thought of temporall goods of this world Thirdly thou shalt say to the King thy Father that from hence forth when any man will dye he doe not succour nor helpe him with Money Golde nor Riches but with good and ripe counsell For Golde will make him leaue his life with sorrow and good Counsell will moue him to take his death with patience The fifth king of the Macedonians was called Archelaus who they say to be the grandfather of king Philip father of the great Alexander This king boasteth himselfe to descend from Menelaus King of the Grecians and principall Captaine which was at the destruction of Troy This king Archelaus was a great friend to the Sages and amongst others there was a Poet with him called Euripides who at that time had no lesse glory in his kinde of Poetrie then Archelaus in his king dome being king of Macedonia For now a dayes we esteeme more the Sages for the bookes which they wrote then we do exalt kings for the Realms which they ruled or the battels which they ouercame The familiaritie which Euripides had with the king Archelaus was so great that in the Realme of Macedonie nothing was done but first it was examined by the hands of this Philosopher And as the simple and ignorant would not naturally be subiect to the Sage it chanced that one night Euripides was talking a long time with the King declaring vnto him the ancient Histories and when the poore Poet would depart to goe home to his house his enemies espyed him and let the hungrie dogges flie vpon him the which did not onely teare him in peeces but also eate him euery morsell So that the intrayles of the dogges were the wofull graue of the most miserable Poet. The King Archelaus being certified of this wofull case immediately as soone as they told him was so chafed that almost he was bereft of his senses And hereat maruell not at all For gentle hearts doe alter greatly when they are aduertised of any suddaine mishappe As the loue which the King had to Euripides in his life was much so likewise the sorow which he felt at his death was very great for he shed many teares from his eyes he cut the hairs off his head he rounded his beard hee changed his apparrell which he ware and aboue all he made as solemne a funerall to Euripides as if they had buried Vlisses And not contented with al these things he was neuer merry vntill such time he had done cruell execution of the malefactors for truely the iniury or death which is done vnto him whom wee loue is no other but as a bath and token of our owne good wills After iustice was executed of those homicides and that some of the bones all gnawne of the dogs were buried a Grecian Knight said vnto King Archelaus I let the know excellent king that all Macedonta is offended with thee because that for so small a losse thou hast shewed so great sorrow To whom king Archelaus aunswered Among Sages it is a thing sufficiently often tryed that noble hearts ought not to shew themselues sad for mishaps and sodaine chances for the king being sadde his Realme cannot and though it might it ought not shew it selfe merry I haue heard my father say once that Princes should neuer shed teares vnlesse it were for one of these causes 1 The first the Prince should bewaile the losse danger of his common wealth for the good Prince ought to pardon the iniuries done to his person but to reuenge the least act done to the Common-wealth he ought to hazard himselfe 2 The second the good Prince ought to lament if any man haue touched his honour in any wise for the prince which weepeth not drops of bloud for the things touching his honour deserueth to be buried quicke in his graue 3 The third the good Prince ought to bewayle those which can little and suffer much For the Prince which bewayleth not the calamities of the poore in vaine and without profit liueth on the earth 4 The fourth the good Prince ought to bewayle the glory and prosperity wherein the tyrants are For that Prince which with tyranny of the euill is not displeased with the hearts of the good is vnworthy to bee beloued 5 The fift the good Prince ought to bewayle the death of Wise men For to a Prince there can come no greater losse then when a wise man dyeth in his Common wealth These were the words which the King Archelaus answered the Grecian Knight who reproued him because he had wept for the death of Euirpides the Philosopher The ancient Historiographers can say no more of the estimation which the Philosophers and wise men had as well the Greekes as the Latines but I will tell you one thing worthy of noting It is well knowne through all the world that Scipio the Ethnicke was one of the worthiest that euer was in Rome for by his name and by his occasion Rome got such a memory as shall endure And this was not only for that he conquered Affricke but for the great worthinesse of his person Men ought not to esteeme a little these two giftes in one man that is to say to be happy and aduenturous For many of the Auncients in times past wanne glory by their swords and after lost it by their euill liues The Romane Historiographers say that the first that wrote in Heroicall meeter in the Latine tongue was Ennius the Poet the workes of whom was so esteemed of Scipio the Ethnick that when this aduenturous and so luckie Romane dyed he commaunded in his will and testament that they should hang the image of this Ennius the Poet ouer his graue By that the great Scipio did at his death wee may well coniecture how great a friend he was of Sages in his life since he had rather for his honour see the Statue of Ennius on his graue then the banner wherwith he wonne and conquered Affricke In the time of Pirrus which was King of the Epirotes and great enemy of the Romanes flourished a Philosopher named Cinas borne in Thessaly who as they say was the Disciple of Demosthenes The Historiographers at that time did so much
esteeme this Cinas that they sayde he was the Master and measure of mans eloquence for he was very pleasant in words and profound sentences This Cinas serued for three offices in the Palace of king Pirrus 1 First he made pastime at his Table in that hee did declare for he had a good grace in things of laughter 2 Secondarily he wrote the valiant deedes of his history for in his stile hee had great cloquence and to write the truth he was a witnesse of sight 3 Totrdly he went for Ambassadouring at affayres of great importance for he was naturally subtill and witty and in dispatching businesse hee was very fortunate He vsed so many meanes in his businesse and had so great perswasion in his words that hee neuer tooke vpon him to speake of things of warre but eyther he set a long truce or else hee made a perpetuall peace The King Pirrus saide to this Cinas O Cinas for 3. things I thanke to the immortall Gods 1 The first for that they created mee a King and not a seruant for the greatest good that mortall men haue is to haue liberty to commaund many and not bee bound to obey any 2 The second I thanke the immortal gods for that they naturally made mee stout of heart for the man which with euery trifle is abashed it were better for him to leaue his life 3 The third I giue the immortall gods thanks for that in the gouernement of my commonwealth and for the great affaires and busines of my realme as well in wars as in other things they gaue me such a man as thou art in my company For by thy gentle speech I haue conquered and abtained many Cities which by my cruell sword I could neuer winne nor attaine These were the words which Pyrrus sayd vnto his friend Cinas the Poet. Let euery Prince know now how great louers of wise men those were in times past and as vpon a sodaine I haue recited these few examples so with small study I haue heaped infinite Histories The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE DYALL OF PRINCES WHEREIN THE AVTHOR TREATETH HOW NOBLE Princes and great Lordes should behaue themselues towardes their Wiues And how they ought to nourish and bring vp their Chyldren CHAP. I ¶ Of what excellencie Marriage is and whereas common people marrie of free will Princes and Noble-men ought to marry of necessitie AMong al the friendships companies of this life there is none so naturall as that betweene the husband the wife liuing in one house For all other companyes are caused by free will onely but this proceedeth both by wil and necessitie There is at this day no Lyon so fierce no Serpent so venemous no Viper so infectiue no Aspicke so mortall neyther any beast so terrible but at the least both male and female do once in the yeare meete and conioyne and although that in brute beasts there lacketh reason yet notwithstanding they haue a natural instinction to assemble themselues for the conseruation of their kinde In this case men deserue no lesse reproch then Beasts merite praise For after that the Females by generation are bigge they neuer agree that the Males should accompanie with them According to the diuersity of Nations so among thēselues they differ the one from the other in Lawes Languages Ceremonies customs but in the ende all agree in one thing for that they enforce themselues to celebrate marriage As the Scripture teacheth vs Since the world was created there hath nothing bene more ancient then the Sacrament of Marriage For that day that Man was formed the selfe same day he celebrated mariage with a Woman in the terrestriall Paradise The ancient Hystoriographers aswell Greekes as Latines wrote many great things in the praise of Mariage but they could not say nor write so much as continuall experience doth shew vs. Therfore leauing the superfluous and taking the most necessary wee say that fiue commodities follow the Sage man who hath taken the yoke of Matrimonie The first is the memorie which remaineth to the children as successors and heyres of their Fathers For as the Phylosopher Pythagoras sayeth When a father passeth out of this present life and leaueth behinde him a Childe being his Heyre they cannot say vnto him that hee dyeth but that he waxeth young in his Childe since the child doth inherite the Flesh the Goods and the memorie of the Father Among the ancients it was a common prouerbe that the taste of all tastes is Bread the sauour of all sauours is Salt and the greatest loue of all Loues is from the Fathers to their children And though perchaunce we see the Father shew some rigor to their children we ought not therefore to say that they hate them and despise them for the tender loue of the Father to the Sonne is such that hee cannot endure him to doe any thing amisse or worthy of rebuke Not only men of reason and brute beasts but also the Hedge and Garden-trees to their possibilitie procure to continue their kinde and it is plainly seene in that before the fruits and hearbs were formed to be eaten the seeds and kirnels were made to be kept Men naturally desire honor in their life and memorie after theyr death Therefore I say that they come to honour by High and Noble and Heroycall facts but the Memorie is left by the good and Legittimate children For the children which are borne in adultrie are begotten in sinne and with great care are nourished The second benefit of Marriage is that they auoyd adulterie and it is no small matter to auoyde this vice For the Adulterers are not onely taken in the Christian religion for offenders but euen amongst the Gentiles also they are counted infamous The sage Solon in the lawes that he gaue vnto the Athenians commaunded vpon streight precepts that they should Marrie to auoyde adulterie vpon paine that the childe borne in adultrie should be made the common slaue of the Cittie The Romanes as men foreseeing all things ordained in the tables of theyr Lawes that the children which were born in adultery should not be heyres of the Goods of theyr Fathers When the Oratour Eschynes was banished out of Athens as he came by the Rhodes he tooke no such pains in any one thing as he did in perswading the Rhodians to marry and not to liue in adulterie For among those barbarous Matrimonie was not common but onely among them which were Officers of the Commonwealth Cicero in a familiar Epistle saith that the great Romaine Marcus Porcio being gouernor in the Common-wealth neuer agreed that an Vnckle of his should bee maister of the Romain chiualry vnlesse he were marryed which office was promised him by the Senate His name was Rufus a stout and valiant man of warre this notwithstanding Marcus Porcio saide that that praise which Rufus deserued for being valiant and hardie he lost againe for liuing
dyed Truely this case was no lesse to be lamented then the other for so much as Gaius lost his Sister the Husband lost his Wife and his Childe and the wife and the childe lost their liues and for that that Rome lost so Noble and excellent a Romane and aboue all for that it chaunced in such a time of so great ioy and pleasure For there can come no vnluckier newes then in the time of much myrth to heare tell of any great mischance Of this matter mention is made in Blandus in the book of the declinatioÌ„ of the Empire The second warre of Affrike which was betweene Rome and Carthage was in the 540. yeares after the Foundation of Rome wherein were Captaines Paulus Emilius and Publius Varro the which two Consulls fought the great and famous bloudy Battell of Cannas in the Prouince of Apulia I say famous because Rome neuer lost such Nobilitie and Romaine youth as shee lost in that day Of these two Consulles Paulus Emilius in the Battell was slayne and Publius Varro was ouercome and the most couragious Hanniball remained conquerour of the Field wherein dyed xxx Senatours and 300. officers of the Senate and aboue xl thousand footmen and three thousand horsemen Finally the end of all the Roman people had been that day if Hannibal had had the witte to haue followed so noble a victory as he had the courage to giue so cruell a Battell A litle before that Publius Varro departed to goe to the warres hee was married to a faire and young Romaine called Sophia and within seuen moneths shee was quicke and as newes was brought her that Paulus Aemilius was dead and her husband ouercome she died suddenly the creature remaining aliue in her bodie This case aboue all was very pittifull in that that after he himselfe was vanquished and and that he had seene his companion the Consull Emilius slaine with so great a number of the Romane people Fortune would that with his own eyes he should behold the entrailes of his wife cut to take out the Childe and likeewise to see the Earth opened to burie his wife Titus Liuius saith that Publius Varro remained so sorrowfull in his heart to see himselfe ouercome of his enemyes and to see his wife so suddenly and so vnluckely stricken with death that all the time that his life endured he neyther combed his beard slept in bed nor dined at the Table and hereat we ought not to maruel for a man in his hart may be so wounded in one houre that hee shall neuer reioyce all the dayes of his life If wee put no doubts in Titus Liuius the Romaines had long and tedious warres against the Samnites which endured for the space of lxiii yeares contiually vntill such time as the Consull Ancus Rutilius who was a vertuous man did set a good appointment of peace between the Samnites and the Romanes For the noble stout harts ought alwaies by vertue to bring their enemies to peace These warres therfore being so cruell and obstinate Titus Venurius and Spurius Posthuminus which were Romaine Captains were ouercome by Pontius the valiant Captaine of the Samnites who after the victorie did a thing neuer seene nor heard of before That is to say that all the Romaine prisoners whom hee tooke hee put about theyr necks a yoke wherein was written In spight of Rome the Romaines shall be subtects to the yoke of the Samnites Wherewith indeed the Romains were greatly iniuried wherefore they sought stoutto be reueÌ„ged of the Samnites for the harts that are haughty proud caÌ„not suffer that others haue theyr mindes lofty and high The Romaines therefore created to bee Captaine of the Warre one named Lucius Papirius who had Commission to goe against the Samnites This Lucius was more Fortunate in his doings then comely of his person for he was deformed of his face notwithstanding hee did so good seruice in the warre and Fortune fauoured him so well that he did not onely ouercome and vanquish but also destroyed them and though the iniurie which the Samnites did to the Romaines was great yet truely the iniurie which the Romaines did to the Samnites was much greater For Fortune is so variable that those which yesterday we saw in most prosperitie too day wee see in greatest aduersitie This Lucius Papirius therfore did not only vanquish the Samnites kept them prisoners and made yokes for theyr neckes but also he bound them with cords together in such sort that they made them plough the ground drawing two and two a plough And yet not herewith conteÌ„ted but with gads they pricked and tormented them If the Samnites had had pitie of the Romaines beeing ouercome the Romaines likewise would haue taken compassion of them when they were Conquerours And therefore the prosperous haue as much neede of good counsell as the miserable haue neede of remedie For the man which is not merciful in his prosperitie hee ought not to maruel though he finde no friendes in his necessitie This Lucius Papirius had a Daughter maried to a Senator of Rome who was called Torquatus and she was called Ypolita And about that time that she should haue bene deliuered shee went forth to receiue her Father the which she ought not to haue don for the throng of the people in receiuing him being great and she herselfe being great with child by a most heauie chaunce as she would haue passed in at a narrow gate shee was so prest in the throng that she chaunged her life for death and her Father turned his mâ—th and ioy into sorrow and sadnes For he tooke the death of his daughter very heauilie and so much the more because it was so suddenly I say hee tooke it heauily since he was so stoute a man and so Sage withall that all Rome thought much that any such sudden chaunce should haue dismayed so worthie a man that of his wisedome he could take no benefite but heereat let no man maruell For ther are many that haue harts to shed the bloud of their enemies and yet caÌ„not withholde the teares of their eyes Annius Seuerus in the third booke De infelieitate Fortuna saith that the day that this wofull mishap chaunced to Lucius Papirius hee lift vp his eyes to the Heauens and weeping saide Oh Fortune deceiuer of all mortall men thou madest mee to conquere in warre to the intent to ouercome me in peace My mind was to declare vnto you all these ancients hystories to the end that al may know how tender women with childe are and how diligent their Husbands ought to bee to preserue them since there is nothing so tender to be kept nor any glasse so easie to be broken For there is much glasse that thogh it fall to the ground yet it doeth not breake but a woman with Childe onely for treading her foote awry we see with daunger to be deliuered CHAP. XI That Women great with childe and especially Princesses great
ladyes ought to be gently vsed of theyr Husbands IF wee vnderstand the Chapter before wee shall finde that women with childe haue bin in great dāgers some through leaping some by dauncing others by eaung others by banquetting others throgh gadding others by straight lacing and all this proceedeth throgh their own follies that seeke to bee destroyers of theyr owne bodyes Truly herein Princesses and great Ladyes are worthie of much rebuke when throgh their own follies they are not safely deliuered of their creatures And I would gladly they toke example not only of reasonable men but also of brute beasts for there is no beast so brute in the wilde mountains but escheweth that which to his life and death will be hurtfull The Beares the Lyonnesse and the Wolfes neuer issue out of their caues and dennes so long as they be bigge and this they doe to auoyde the dangers of the Hunters because at that time they would not be coursed Then seeing these things are done by the brute beastes whose younglings are alwayes hurtfull vnto men to the intent theyr rauening greedie Whealpes might safely bee brought foorth to deuoure our innocent Cattell How much more then ought the Woman to be carefull for her fruite which is the increase of christian congregation If Women brought not forth and Children were not borne though there be earth yet there should bee none to people it For GOD created all things to serue the creature and created the creatures to serue their Creator Let VVomen that are with childe take example by the Chesse-nuts and Wal-nuts how and in what sort they defend their fruite after that of theyr blossoms they are depriued for the chessenuttree defendeth his fruit with a rough and hard huske the wall-nut keepeth her fruite with a thicke shale in like maner so that the water cannot wet them nor the winde shake them Now since that the Trees which haue but a vegetatiue life and the Beasts but a Sensitiue life take such heede to themselues when they feele them ready to bring forth their fruite much more women with child ought to take heede to themselues since they haue reason and vnderstanding lest through theyr negligence the creature should perish Let euery man iudge how little he loseth when he loseth nuttes and chessenuts and for the contrarie let euery men iudge what the Church looseth when the women with child do not bring forth their fruit into the light of baptisme For our mother the holy Church bewaileth not for that the vines are frozen but for the soules that are lost To the ende that the man may see fruitfull blessing which hee desireth that the woman with child may see her selfe well deliuered the Husband ought to beware that hee enforceth her not much to labour and the woman likewise ought to be circumspect that shee take not too much idlenes For in women with child this is a generall rule that too much trauell causeth them before theyr time to deliuer and too much idlenesse putteth them in daunger The man is cruell that will haue his Wife trauell and take as much paines when shee is big as he would at another time when she is not with childe for the man which is clothed can not runne so swifte as hee that is naked Aristotle in the sixt booke de Animalibus saith When the Lyonnesse is bigge with whelp the Lyon doth not only hunt for her himselfe but also both night day he wandreth cōtinually to watch her I meane that Princesses and great Ladyes when they be with Childe should bee of theyr Husbands both tended and serued For the man cannot do the woman so great a pleasure before her lying down as she doth to him when she bringeth forth a sonne Considering the daunger that the woman abideth in her deliueraunce and beholding the paines that the Husband taketh in her seruice without comparison that is greater which she suffereth then that which hee endureth For when the woman deliuereth she doth more then her power and the Husband though hee serueth her well doeth lesse then his duetie The gentle and louing Husband ought not one moment to forsake his wife specially when hee seeth shee is great For in the law of a good Husband it is written that hee should set his eyes to beholde her his handes to serue her he shold spend his goods to cherish her and should giue his heart to content her Let not men thinke it paines to serue their wiues when they are with childe for their labour consisteth in their strength but the trauell of their wiues is in their entrails And that which is most pitiful is that when the sorrowfull women will discharge their burden on the earth they often times bring thēselues vnto the graue The meane women of the Plebians ought no lesse to be reproued for that when they are with child they would be exempted from all businesse of the house the which neyther they themselues ought to desire nor yet their husbands to suffer for idlenesse is not onely an occasion not to deserue heauen but also it is a cause whereby women oft times haue ill successe in their trauaile for considering both the daintie Lady with childe that hath her pleasure and doth little and on the other side the poore mans wife which moderately laboureth you shall see that the great Ladyes for all their pleasures abideth more danger then the other doth with all her labour The husband ought to keepe his wife from taking too much paynes for so ought he to doe and the wife likewise ought to flee too much pleasure for it behoueth her For the meane trauell is no other but occasion of a safe deliuerie The women with childe also ought to take heede to themselues and in especially noble great ladies that they be not too greedy hasty in eating For the woman being with child ought to be sober and the woman which is a great eater with great pains shal liue chaste Women with child oft times doe disorder themselues in eating licorous meats and vnder the colour of feeding themselues their infant they take too excessiuely which is not onely vnholsome for the Childe but also dishonour for their mothers For truely by the excesse of the Mother being with child commeth many diseases to the infant whē it liueth The Husbands also ought neyther to displease nor grieue their Wiues especially when they see them great with childe for of truth oftentimes she deliuereth with more daunger by reason of the offences that men doe vnto them then by the aboundance of meates which they doe eate Though the Woman when shee is with Childe in some things doth offend her Husband yet hee like a wise man ought to forbeare her hauing respect to the childe wherewith she is great and not to the iniuries that she hath committed For in the end the Mother cannot bee so great an offender but the child is much more innocent For
the proofe of this it needeth not books to read but onely our eyes to see how the brute Beasts for the most part when their females are bigge do not touch them nor yet the Females suffer them to be touched I meane that the Noble and high Estates ought to absent thēselues from their wiues carnally being great with childe and hee that in this case shall shewe himselfe most temperate shall of all men be deemed most vertuous I doe not speake this to the ende it should binde a man or that it were an offence then to vse the companie of his wife but vnto men that are vertuous I giue it as a counsell For some things ought to bee done of necessitie and others ought to be eschued for honestie Dyodorus Siculus saieth that in the Realme of Mauritania there were so few men and so many women that euery man had fiue wiues where there was a law among them that no man should marrie vnder three wiues furthermore they had a wonderfull and foolish custome that when any Husband died one of those women shuld cast herselfe quicke into the graue and be buried with him And if that within a moneth she did it not or that she dyed not by iustice shee was openly put to death saying that it is more honestie to bee in companie with her Husband in the graue then it is to be alone in her house In the Isles of Baleares the contrary is seene for there increase so many men and so few women that for one woman there was seuen men and so they had a custome especially amongst the poore that one woman should bee marryed with fiue men For the rich men sent to seeke for women in other strange Realmes wherfore then Merchants came heauie loaden with women as now they doe with marchandize to sell Vpon which occasion there was a custome in those Isles that for as much as there were so few women when any woman with childe drew neere the seuen monethes they were seperated from their husbands and shutte and locked vp in the Temples where they gaue them such things as were necessary for them of the common treasure For the ancients had their Gods in such veneration that they would not permit any person to eate that which he brought but of that which vnto the Gods of the Temple was offered At that time the Barbarous kept theit wiues locked in the Church because the Gods hauing them in their Temples should bee more mercifull vnto them in their deliuerie and also to cause them to auoyde the dangers at that time and besides that because they tooke it for a great villany that the women during that time should remaine with their husbands The famous and renowmed Philosopher Pulio in the fift Booke De moribus antiquorum said That in the Realme of Pannonia which now is Hungarie the women that were great with childe were so highly esteemed that when any went out of her house all those which mette with her were bound to returne backe with her and in such sort as wee at this present doe reuerence the holy Communion so did these Barbarous then the women with childe The women of Carthage being with childe when Carthage was Carthage had as great priuileges as now our Sanctuaries haue for the safegard of misdoers for in times past all such offenders as could enter into the house where a woman lay in child-bed should haue beene free from correction of Iustice As Fronto saith in his Booke of the Veneration of the Gods the Gallois Transalpins did not only honor reuerence the women with childe but also with much care and diligence watched her deliuery for it little auaileth the Shippe to haue passed safe the dangerous Seas if at the Shore she be cast away The case was in this sort that al the ancient Gentiles honored some gods in their Temples and kept other in their houses the which were called Lares and Penates and when any woman began to labour each neighbour brought his familiar god vnto her to present her with all because they thought that the more gods there were of so much more power they were to keepe her from perills Speaking like a Christian Truely those gods were of small value since they could not helpe the woman safely to be deliuered that was in trauaile CHAP. XII What the Philosopher Pisto was and of the Rules hee gaue concerning women with childe IN the time of Octauian the Emperour was a Philosopher called Pisto which was of the sect of Pithagoras and when Rome flourished he was very familiar with the Emperour Octauian and well beloued of all the people which ought not to be a little esteemed for he which of the Prince is most fauored commonly of the people is much hated This Emperour Octauian was a Prince very desirous of all vertuous things so that when he dined with his Captaines he spake of Warre when he supped with the Sages hee reasoned of the Sciences and he that vttered any dishonest or idle word in his presence hee alwaies afterward tooke him as his enemie This Pisto was very graue in waightie affaires very pleasant in slents and jests and oft times he was demanded many questions of the Emperour whereof the answeres of some according to the demands and questions here followeth The Emperour sayd to Pisto Of all these that liueth whom takest thou to be most Foole To whom the Philosopher answered In my opinion I take him to be most foole of whose word there commeth no profite for truely he is not so very a foole that flingeth stones into the winde as he that vttereth vaine words Tell me Pisto Whom ought wee of right to desire to speake whom of right to command to be silent He answered It is good when speech doth profite and good to keepe silence when speech is hurtfull for the one desiring to maintaine the good and the other to defend the euill warres begin throughout all the world Tell mee Pisto from what thing ought the fathers most to keepe their children He sayd In my opinion parents ought in nothing to watch so much as to keepe them from being vicious for the father ought rather to haue his sonne dye well then to liue euill Tell me Pisto What shall man do if hee be brought to this extremitie That if he speake truth hee condemneth himselfe and if hee make a lye he saueth himselfe The vertuous man said he ought rather to choose to be ouercome by truth then to ouercome by lyes for it is vnpossible that a man which is a lyer should continue long in prosperity Tell me Pisto What shall men do to obtaine rest He answered As I thinke the man cannot haue rest vnlesse he forsake worldly affayres for the men that are occupied with weightie affaires cannot be without great cares or alwaies accompanied of great troubles Tell me Pisto wherein a man sheweth himselfe to be most wise He answered
one that hath proued it it is reason that I bee beloued in this case and that is That the entent of Princes to conquere strange Realmes and to permit their owne to suffer wrongs is for no other thing but because that the commendations which they speake of the Princes past they should likewise talke the same of them that bee to come Concluding therefore my minde and declaring my intention I say that the Prince that is Noble and desireth to leaue off himselfe from fame let him consider and see what it is that those can write of him which write his history for it profiteth little that hee atchieue great affayres by the sword if there bee no Writer to set them forth with the pen and afterwards to exalt them with the tongue These words thus spoken by the Noble Emperour Marcus Aurelius he gaue the key of his Studie to the Honourable olde man Pompeianus that tooke all the Writings and put them in the high Capitoll where the Romanes honoured them as the Christians the holy Scriptures All these Writings besides many others perished in Rome when by the barbarous it was destroyed for the Gothes vtterly to extinguish the name of Rome destroyed not onely the walles thereof but also the Bookes that were therein And truely in this case the Gothes shewed more crueltie to the Romanes then if they had slayne the children of their bodyes or beate downe the walles of their Cities For without doubt the liuely Letter is a more sweeter witnesse of renowme that alwayes speaketh then eyther the Lime Sand or Stone wherewith Fortresses are builded CHAP. XIIII Of the importunate suite of the Empresse Faustine to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius concerning the Key of his Closet WE haue declared how the Emperour Marcus Aurelius had his Study in the secretst place of all the Palace and how that he himselfe did keepe the key It is to be vnderstood that hee would neuer let his wife his children nor any other of his familiar friends come into it for he sayd I had rather suffer that they should take from mee my treasures then that any man should turne the leaues of my Bookes It chanced that on a day the Empresse Faustine being great with childe importuned the Emperour much by all the meanes shee could that he would be so fauourable vnto her as to giue her the key of his Studie and it is no maruell for naturally women despise that which is giuen thē lust for that that is denied them Faustine instantly besought him not once but many times not onely with faire words but with abundant teares alleadging vnto him these reasons I haue required thee sundry times that thou wouldest giue mee the key of thy chamber and thou hast by iesting made frustrate my request the which thou my Lord oughtest not to haue done considering that I am with childe for oftentimes it chanceth that that wherefore the husband reioyceth this day to morrow he doth lament Thou oughtest to remember that I am that Faustine the renowmed the which in thy eyes am the fayrest and of thy tongue haue beene most commended of thy person I was best beloued and of thy heart I am most desired then since it is true that thou hast me so deepely in heart why then doubtest thou to shew mee the Writings of thy Studie Thou dost communicate with mee the secrets of the Empire and thou hidest from me the books of thy study Thou hast giuen me thy tender heart of flesh and now thou denyest mee the hard key of iron now I must needs thinke that thy loue was fayned that thy words were double and that thy thoughts were others then they seemed for if they had been otherwise it had been vnpossible thou shouldest haue denyed mee the key that I doe aske thee for where loue is vnfayned though the request bee merrily asked yet it is willingly graunted It is a common custome that you men vse to deceiue vs simple women you present vs with great gifts you giue many fayre words you make vs faire promises you say you will doe maruels but in the ende you doe nothing but deceiue vs for we are persecuted more of you thē of any others When men in such wise importune the women if the women had power to deny and withstand wee should in short space bring yee vnder the yoke and leade you by the noses but when we suffer our selues to be ouercome then you beginne to forsake vs and despise vs. Let mee therefore my Lord see thy Chamber consider I am with childe and that I dye vnlesse I see it If thou dost not to doe me pleasure yet doe it at least because I may no more importune thee for if I come in danger through this my longing I shall but lose my life but thou shalt lose the childe that should be borne and the mother also that ought to beare it I know not why thou shouldest put thy noble heart into such a dangerous fortune wherby both thou I at one time shuldperish I dying so yōg and thou in losing so louing a wife By the immortall Gods I doe beseech thee and by the mother Berecinthia I coniure thee that thou giue me the key or that thou let me enter into the Study and stick not with me thy wife in this my small request but change thy opinion for al that which without consideration is ordayned by importunate suite may bee reuoked We see daily that mē by reading in Bookes loue their children but I neuer sawe heart of man fall in such sort that by reading and looking in Bookes hee should despise his children for in the ende Bookes are by the words of others made but children are with their own proper bloud begotten Before that any thing of wisedome is begunne they alwaies regard the inconueniences that may follow therefore if thou wilt not giue mee this key and that thou art determined to be stubborne still in thy will thou shalt lose thy Faustine thou shalt lose so louing a wife thou shalt lose the creature wherewith she is bigge thou shalt lose the authoritie of thy Palace thou shalt giue occasion to all Rome to speake of thy wickednesse and this griefe shall neuer depart from thy heart for the heart shall neuer bee comforted that knoweth that he only is the occasion of his owne griefe If the Gods doe suffer it by their secret indgements and if my wofull mishappes deserue it and if thou my Lord desirest it for no other cause but euen to doe after thy will for denying me this key I should dye I would willingly dye But of that I thinke thou wilt repent for it chanceth often times to wise men That when remedy is gone the repentance commeth suddenly and then it is to late as they say to shutte the Stable doore when the Steede is stolne I maruell much at thee my Lord why thou shouldest shew thy selfe so froward in this case since thou knowest that
womē to nourish dogs giuing them Milke from theyr owne breasts They replyed in the Senate and saide Tell vs Marcus Porcia What wouldest thou wee should doe which liue now to resemble our Fathers which are dead Marcus Portio aunswered them The woman that presumeth to be a Romain Matrone ought to be found weauing in her house and out of that to bee found in the Temple praying to God and the Noble and stoute Romaine ought to be found in his House reading Bookes and out of his house fighting in the plaine Field for the honor of his countrey And surely these were wordes worthie of such a man Annius Minutius was a Noble Romaine and captaine of great Pompeius who was a great friend to Iulius Caesar after the battell of Farsalie For hee was an Auncient and one that could giue good counsell wherfore hee neuer scaped but that hee was chosen in Rome for Senatour Consull or Censor euery yeare For Iulius Caesar was so mercifull to them that hee pardoned those which had been his most enemies in the warres were of him in peace best beloued This Annius Minutius then beeing chosen Censour within Rome which was an Office hauing charge of Iustice by chaunce as hee went to visite the wife of another Friend of his the which lay in Child-bed because she had great aboundance of milke hee found that a little prettie Bitche did sucke her Vpon the which occasion they say hee saide these wordes to the Senate Fathers conscript a present mischiefe is now at hand according to the token I haue seen this day that is to say I haue seene a Romaine woman denie her owne Children her milke and gaue suck to a filthy bitche And truly this Annius had reason to esteeme this case as a wonder For the truest and sweetest loues are not but betweene the Fathers and Children and where the mother embraceth the brute beast and forsaketh her natural child which she hath brought forth it cannot bee otherwise but there either wisdome wanteth or follie aboundeth for the Foole loueth that hee ought to despise and despiseth that which he ought to loue Yet though the mothers will not giue their children sucke they ought to do it for the danger which may come to the health of their persons ' for as the women which bring forth Children doe liue more healthfull then those which beare none so these which doe nourish them haue more health then those which doe not nourish them For although the bringing vp of children be troublesome to women yet it is profitable for their health I am ashamed to tell it but it is more shame for Ladyes to do it to see what plaisters they put to theyr Breasts to drie vp their milke and hereof commeth the iust iudgements of God that in that place ofte times where they seeke to stoppe their milke in the selfe same place they themselues pocure theyr sudden death I aske now if women do not enioy their children being young what pleasure hope they to haue of them when they be olde What a great comfort is it for the Parents to see the young Babe when hee will laugh how hee twinckleth his little eyes when he will weepe how he will hang the pretie lippe when he would speake how he will make signes with his litle fingers when hee would goe how hee casteth forward his feete and aboue all when he beginneth to babble how he doubleth his words What thing is more pleasant to the Father then to see them and to the mother to agree to it when the children doe sucke they plucke forth the Breasts with the one hand and with the other they plucke their cradle and further they beat their feete together and with their wanton eyes they cast on theyr Parents a thousand louing lookes what is it to see them when they are vexed and angrie how they will not be taken of the Fathers how they strike their Mother they cast away things of gold and immediately they are appeased with a little apple or rushe What a thing is it to see the innocents how they answere when a man asketh them what follies they speake when they speak to them how they play with the dogges and runne after the Catts How they dresse them in wallowing in the dust how they make litle houses of Earth in the streetes how they weepe after the birdes when they flie away All the which things are not to the Eyes of the Fathers and Mothers but as nightingales to sing and as Bread and meate to eate The Mothers peraduenture will say that they will not bring vp their children because when they are young they are troublesome but that after they shold be nourished and brought vppe they would be glad To this I answer them that the mothers shal not deny me but that some of these things must needes meete in their children that when they be olde they shal be eyther proud enuious couetous or negligent that they shal be Lecherous or else Theeues that they shal be Blasphemers or else gluttons that they shal be rebells or fooles and disobedient vnto their Fathers I belieue that at this day there are manie Mothers in the world which did hope to be honoured and serued with the Children which they hadde brought vp and afterwards perceyuing their manners would willingly forgoe the pleasures which they hoped for so that they might also be deliuered from the troubles which for their euill demeanours are like to ensue For that time which the Parents hoped to passe with their Children in pleasures they consume seeing their vnthriftie life in sorrowfull sobbes and sighes I counsell admonish and humbly require Princesses and great Ladyes to nourish and enioy their Children when they are young and tender for after that they are great a man shall bring them newes euery day of diuers sorts and māners they vse for asmuch as the one shall say that her sonne is in prison and another shall say that hee is sore wounded another that he is hid others that hee hath played his cloke others that hee is slaundered with a common harlot another that he stealeth his goods from him another that his enemies doe seeke him another thet hee accompanieth with vnthrifts And finally they are so slurdie vnhappie and so farre from that which is good that oftentimes the fathers would reioyce to see them die rather then to see them liue so euill a life Mee thinketh that the knot of loue between the mother and the childe is so great that not onely she ought not to suffer them to be nourished out of the house one whole yeare but also she ought not to suffer them to be out of her presence one onely day For in seeing him shee seeth that which is borne of her entrailes she seeth that which shee hath with so great paines deliuered she seeth him who ought to inherite all her goods shee seeth him in whome the memorie of their Auncestors remaineth and
she seeth him who after her death ought to haue the charge of her affayres and businesse Concluding therefore that which aboue is spoken I say that which the great Plutarch saide from whom I haue drawn the most part of this chapter that the mother to bee a good Mother ought to haue and keepe her Childe in her armes to nourish him and afterwards when he shal be great she ought to haue him in her hart to helpe him For we see oft times great euills ensue to the Mother and to the Childe because she did not bring him vp her selfe and to put him to nourish to a straunge breast there commeth neither honour nor profite CHAP. XX. ¶ That Princesses great Ladyes ought to bee very circumspect in choosing of their Nurses Of seuen propertyes which a good Nurse should haue THose which ordayned Lawes for the people to liue were these Promotheans which gaue lawes to the Egyptians Solon Solinon to the Greekes Moyses to the Iewes Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians and Numa Pompilius to the Romains for before these Princes came their people were not gouerned by written lawes but by good auncient customes The intention of these Excellent Princes was not to giue lawes to their predecessors for they were now dead neyther they gaue theÌ„ onely for those which liued in their time being wicked but also for those which were to come whome they did prestippose would not be good For the more the World increaseth in yeares so much the more it is loaden with vices By this that I haue spoken I meane that if the Princesses and great Ladies euery one of them would Nourish their owne childe I neede not to giue them counsell But since I haue supposed that the women which shall be deliuered hereafter will be as proude and vaine-glorious as those which were in times past We will not let to declare here some Lawes and aduises how the Ladie ought to behaue her selfe with her Nurce and how the Nurce ought to content her selfe with the creature For it is but iust that if the mother be cruell and hardie to forsake the creature that she be sage pitifull and aduised to chose her Nurce If a man finde great treasure and afterwards care not how to keepe it but doeth commit into the hands of suspected persons truly we would call him a foole For that which naturally is beloued is alwayes of all best kept The Woman ought more wisely to keepe the treasure of her own bodie then the treasure of all the Earth if she had it And the Mother which doth the contrarie and that committeth her Childe to the custodie of a straunge Nurce not to her whome shee thinketh best but whom she findeth best cheape we will not call her a foolish beast for that name is too vnseemly out we will call her a sotte which is somewhat more honester One of the things that doth make vs most belieue that the ende of the world is at hand is to see the little loue which the mother doth beare to the childe being young and to see the want of loue which the Childe hath beare to his Mother being aged That which the childe doeth to the Father and Mother is the iust iudgement of God that euen as the Father would not nourish the child in his house being young so likewise that the sonne should not suffer the Father in his house he being olde Returning therefore to the matter that sith the woman doth determine to drie and shut vp the fountaines of milke which Nature hath giuen her shee ought to bee very diligent to search out a good nurse the which ought not only to content herselfe to haue her milke whole but also that shee be good of life For otherwise the childe shal not haue so much profite by the which hee sucketh as the nurse shall doe it harme if shee bee a woman of an euill life I doe aduise Princesses and great Dames that they watch diligently to knowe what their Nurses are before they commit their children to them for if such Nurses be euill and slaundered they are as Serpents which doe byte the Mother with their mouth and do sting the childe with her taile In my opinion it were lesse euill the Mother should suffer that her Childe should perish in deliuering it then for to keepe in her house an euill woman For the sorrow of the death of the Childe is forgotten and brought to nought in time but the slaunder of her house shall endure as long as shee liueth Sextus Cheronensis sayeth that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius commanded his Sonne to be brought vp of a woman the which was more faire theÌ„ vertuous And when the good Emperour was aduertised thereof he did not onely send her from his Pallace but also hee banished and exiled her from Rome swearing that if she had not nourished his Sonne with her pappes he would haue commaunded her to haue been torne in pieces with Beasts For the woman of an euill renowme may iustly bee condemned and put to death Princesses and great Ladyes ought not greatly to passe whether the nurses be faire or fowle For if the milke be sweete white and tender it little skilleth though the face of the Nurse be white or blacke Sextus Cheronensis saith in the booke of the nurture of children that euen as the black Earth is more fertile then is the white earth So likewise the Woman which is browne in countenance hath alwayes the most substantiall milke Paulus Dyaconus in his greatest Hystorie saieth that the Emperour Adocerus did Marrie himselfe with the daughter of another Emperour his predecessor called Zeno and the Empresse was called Arielna The which in bringing forth a Sonne had a woman of Hungarie maruellous faire to nourish it and the case succeeded in such sort that the Nurse for beeing faire had by the Emperor iij. children the one after the other and his wofull Wife neuer had any but the first alone A man ought to belieue that the Empresse Arielna did not only repent her selfe for taking into her house so faire a Nurse but also was sorry that euer shee had any at all sith the Ribalde thereby was Mistresse in the house and she remained without husband all her life I doe not say it for that there are not many foule women vicious nor yet because there are not many faire women vertuous but that Princesses and great Ladyes according to the qualities of their Husbands ought to bee profitable and tender Nurses to bring vp their Children For in this case there are some men of so weake a complexion that in seeing a little cleane water immediately they die to drinke thereof Let therefore this be the first counsell in choosing Nurses that the Nurse before shee enter into the house be examined if shee be honest and vertuous For it is a trysâ—e whether the Nurse be faire or foule but that she be of a good life and of an honest behauiour
Secondarily it is necessary that the Nurse which nourisheth the child be not onely good in behauiour of her life but also it is necessary that she be whole as touching the bodily health For it is a rule vnfallible that of the milke which we do sucke in our infancie dependeth all the corporal health of our life A childe giuen to the Nurse to nourish is as a Tree remoued from one place to another And if it be so as in deed it is it behoueth in all points that if the Earth wherein it shall be newe put were no better that at the least it be not worse For this should bee a great crueltie that the Mother beeing whole strong and well disposed should giue her Childe to a leane woman to nurse which is feeble sore and diseased Princesses and great Ladyes doe chose leane women weake and sicke for to nourish their Infants And in that they doe faile it is not for that they would erre But it is because that such feeble and weake Nurses by a vaine desire they haue to be Nurses in a Gentlemans house on the one part they say they will little money and on the other part they doe make great suites What thing it is when a Princesse or a Noble-woman is deliuered of a Childe to see the deuises of other women among themselues who shall be the Nurse and how those which neuer nourished their owne children doe preserue the milke to nourish the children of others To procure this thing for women me thinketh it proceedeth of aboundance of follie and to condescend to their requests mee thinketh it is for want of wisedome They looke not alwayes to the manners and abilitie of the Nurse how apt shee is to nurse their childe but how diligent shee is to haue to nourish They eare not greatly whether they be good or no For if the first be not good they wil take the second and if the second pleaseth them not they will haue the third and so vpwards vntil they haue found a good Nurse But I let you to know you Princesses and great Ladyes that it is more daunger for the Children to chaunge diuers milkes then vnto the olde men to eate diuers meates Wee see daily by experience that without comparison there dyeth more children of Noble-women thē children of women of the meaner estate And wee will not say that it is for that they do flatter their children more nor for that the wiues of labourers doe eate fine meates but that it chaunceth oft times that the children of a poore woman doth neither eate nor drinke but of one kinde of meat or milke in two yeares and the child of a Ladie shal change and alter three Nurses in two moneths If Princesses and great Ladyes were circumspect in choosing their nurses and that they did looke whether they were whole without diseases and honest in their manners and would not regarde so much the importunitie of their suites the Mothers should excuse themselues from many sorrowes and the children likewise should bee deliuered from many diseases One of the most renowmed Princes in times past was Titus the Sonne of Vespasian and Brother of Domitian Lampriains saieth that this good Emperour Titus the most part of his life was subiect to grieuous diseases infirmities of his person and the cause was for that when hee was young he was giue to a sicke Nurse to be nourished So that this good Emperour sucking her Dugge but a while was constrayned to passe all his life after in paine Thirdly Princesses and great Ladyes ought to know and vnderstand the complexion of their children to the ende that according to the same they might seeke pitifull Nurses that is to say if the childe were Cholerick Flegmatcke Sanguine or Melancholie For looke what humor the childe is of of the same qualitie the milke of the Nurse should be If vnto an old corrupted man they minister medicins conformable to his diseases for to cure him why then should not the Mother seeke a wholesome Nurse to the tender Babe agreable to his complexion to nourish him And if thou sayest it is iust that the flesh olde and corrupted bee sustained I tell thee likewise that it is much more necessary that the Children should bee curiously and well nourished to multiplie the world For in the ende wee doe not say it is time that the Young leaue the bread for the Aged but contrarie it is time that the olde leaue the bread for the young Aristotle in the booke De secretis secretorum and Iunius Rusticus in the tenth booke De gestis Persarum say that the vnfortunate king Darius who was ouercom by Alexander the great had a Daughter of a maruellous beauty And they say that the Nurse which gaue suck to this daughter all the time that shee did nourish it did neyther eate nor drinke any thing but poyson and at the ende of three yeares when the Childe was weyned and plucked from the dugge she did eate nothing but Colubers and other venomous wormes I haue hearde say many times that the Emperors had a custome to nourish their Heyres and Children with poisons when they were young to the intent that they should not be hurt by poyson afterwarde when they were old And this error cometh of those which presume much and know little And therefore I say that I haue heard say without saying I haue read it For some declare hystories more for that they haue hearde say of others then for that they haue read themselues The truth in this case is that as wee vselat this present to weare chaines of golde about our neckes or iewells on our fingers so did the gentils in times past a Ring on their fingers or some iewell in theyr bosome replenished with poyson And because the Paynims did neither feare hell nor hoped for heauen they had that custome for if at any times in Battell they should finde themselues in distresse they had rather ende their liues with poyson then to receyue any iniurie of theyr enemyes Then if it were true that those Princes had bin nourished with that Poyson they would not haue carryed it about them to haue ended their liues Further I say that the Princes of Persia did vse when they had any child borne to giue him milke to sucke agreable to the Complexion hee had Since this daughter of Darius was of melancholy humor they determined to bring her vp with venom and poyson because all those which are pure melancholie do liue with sorrow and die with pleasure Ignatius the Venetian in the life of the fiue Emperours Palleolus which were valiant Emperours in Constantinople sayeth that the second of that name called Palleolus the hardie was after the xl yeares of his age so troubled with infirmities and diseases that alwayes of the twelue moneths of the yeare he was in his bed sick nine moneths and being so sicke as he was the affayres and businesse of the
Empire were but slenderly done and looked vnto For the Prince cannot haue so small a Feuer but the people in the common-wealth must haue it double This Emperour Palleolus had a wife whose name was Huldonina the which after she had brought all the Physitions of Asia vnto her Husband and that shee had ministred vnto him all the medicines shee could learne to helpe him and in the end seeing nothing auaile there came by chaunce an old woman a Grecian borne who presumed to haue great knowledge in hearbes and sayd vnto the Empresse Noble Empresse Huldouina If thou wilt that the Emperour thy husband liue long see that thou chafe anger and vexe him euery weeke at the least twise for hee is of a pure melancholy humour and therefore hee that doth him pleasure augmenteth his disease and hee that vexeth him shall prolong his life The Empresse Huldouina followed the counsell of this Greeke woman which was occasion that the Emperour liued afterwardes sound and whole many yeeres so that of the nine monethes which hee was accustomed to be sicke euery yeere in twenty yeeres afterwards he was not sicke three monethes For where as this Greeke woman commaunded the Empresse to anger her husband but twice in the week she accustomably angred him iiii times in the day Fourthly the good mother ought to take heede that the nurse be very temperat in eating so that she should eate little of diuers meates and of those few dishes she should not eate too much To vnderstand the thing yee must know that the white milke is no other then bloud which is sodden that which causeth the good or euill bloud commeth oft times of an other thing but that eyther the person in temperate or else a glutton inâ—ating and therefore it is a thing both healthful and necessary that the nurse that nourisheth the child doe eate good meates for among men and women it is a generall rule that in litle eating there is no danger and of too much eating there is no profite As all the Phylosophers say the wolfe is one of the beasts that denoureth most and is most greedyest and therefore hee is most feared of all the Shepheards But Aristotle in his third booke De Animalibus saith That wheÌ„ the wolfe doeth once feele her selfe great with young in all her life after shee neuer suffereth herselfe to bee coupled with the wolfe againe For otherwise if the wolfe shold yearely bring forth vij or viij whelps as commonly she doth and the Sheepe but one lambe there would be in short space more wolues theÌ„ sheepe Beside all this the wolfe hath an other propertie which is that although she be a Beast most deuouring and greedie yet when she hath whelped she feedeth very temperately and it is to the ende to nourish her whelps and to haue good milke And besides that she doth eate but once in the day the which the dogwolfe doth prouide both for the Bitch whelps Truly it is a monstrous thing to see and noysome to heare and no lesse slaunderous to speake that a Wolfe which giueth sucke to viij whelps eateth but one only kinde of meate and the woman which giueth sucke but to one Childe alone will eate of vii or viii sortes of meates And the cause hereof is that the Beast doth not eate but to sustain nature a womaÌ„ doth not eate but to satisfie her pleasure Princesses and great Ladyes ought to watche narrowly to know when how much the Nurses do eate which doe nourish their children For the child is so tender and the milk so delicate that with eating of sundry meats they become corrupt and with eating much they waxefat If the childreÌ„ suck those which are fat grosse they are coÌ„monly sicke and if they sucke milke corrupted they oft times goe to bed whole in the morne be found dead Isidor in his etimologies saith that the men of the prouince of Thrace were so cruell that the one did eate the other and they did not onely this but also further to shew more their immanity in the sculs of those that were dead they dranke the bloud of him that was lately aliue Though men were so cruell to eate mens flesh and to drinke the bloud of the veines yet the Women which nourished their children were so temperate in eating that they did eate nothing but netles sodden and boiled in Goates milk And because the women of Thrace were so moderate in eating the Phliosopher Solon Solynon brought some to Athens for the Auncients sought no lesse to haue good women in the common-wealth then to haue hardy and valiant Captaines in the warre CHAP. XXI The Author addeth three other conditions to a good nurse that giueth sucke that they drinke no wine that shee be honest and chiefly that shee bee well conditioned THe Princesses and great Ladies may know by this example what difference there is between the women of Thrace which are fedde with nettles only and haue brought forth such fierce men and the womeÌ„ of our time which throgh their delicate and excessiue eating bring forth such weake and feeble children Fiftly the Ladies ought to bee very circumspect not onely that Nurses eate not much and that they bee not greedy but also that they be in wine temperate the which in olde time was not called wine but venom The reason hereof is apparant and manifest enough For if wee doe forbid the fatte meates which lyeth in the stomacke wee should then much more forbid the moyst Wine which washeth all the veynes of the bodie And further I say that as the Childe hath no other nourishment but the milke only and that the milke proceedeth of bloud and that bloud is nourished of the wine and that wine is naturally hote from the first to the last I say that Woman which drinketh wine and giueth the child sucke doth as shee that maketh a great Fire vnder the panne where there is but a little milke so that the pan burneth and the milke runneth ouer I will not denie but that somtimes it may chaunce that the childe shal be of a strong complexion and the Nurse of a feeble and weake nature and then the childe would more substantial milke when the woman is not able to giue it him In such a case though with other things Milke may be conferred I allow that the nurse drinke a little wine but it should bee so little and so well watered that it should rather bee to take away the vnsauorinesse of the water then for to taste of any sauour of the wine I do not speake this without a cause for the nurse being sicke and feeble of herselfe and her milke not substantial it oftentimes moueth her to eat more then necessity requireth and to drinke wine which is somewhat nutritiue So that they supposing to giue the Nurse Triacle doe giue her poyson to destroy her childe Those excellent and Auncient Romaines if they had been in
to come with me from Capua to Rome the selfesame thou hadst to goe with another from Rome to Capua It is an euill thing for vicious â—eâ— to reprooue the vices of others wherein themselues are faulty The cause why I condemn thee to dye is onely for the remembrance of the old Law the which commandeth that no nurse or woman giuing sucke should on paine of death be begotten with childe truly the Law is very iust For honest women do not suffer that in giuing her child sucke at her breast she shold hide another in her entrails These words passed between Gneus Fuluius the Consul and the Ladie Sabina of Capua Howbeit as Plutarche saith in that place the Consull had pitie vpon her and shewed her fauour banishing her vpon condition neuer to returne to Rome againe Cinna Catullus in the fourth booke of the xxij Consulls saith that Caius Fabricius was one of the most notable Consulles that euer was in Rome and was sore afflicted with diseases in his life onely because hee was nourished foure moneths with the milke of a Nurse being great with Childe and for feare of this they locked the nurse with the Childe in the Temple of the Vestall virgines where for the space of iij. yeares they were kept They demaunded the Consul why he did not nourish his children in his house He answered that children being nourished in the house it might bee an occasion that the Nurse should begotteÌ„ with child and so she should destroy the children with her corrupt milke and further giue me occasion to do iustice vpon her person wherefore keeping them so shut vp wee are occasion to preserue their life and also our children from perill Dyodorus Siculus in his librairy and Sextus Cheronensis saith in the life of Marc. Aurelius that in the Isles of Baleares there was a custom that the nurses of young children whether they were their owne or others should be seuered from their Husbands for the space of two yeares And the woman which at that time though it were by her husband were with child though they did not chasten her as an adulteresse yet euery man spake euill of her as of an offender During the time of these two yeares to the ende that the Husband should take no other wife they commanded that hee should take a concubine or that hee should buye a Slaue whose companie hee might vse as his wife for amongst these barbarous hee was honoured most that had two Wiues the one with child and the other not By these Examples aboue recited Princesses and great Ladyes may see what watch care they ought to take in choosing their Nurses that they be honest since of them dependeth not onely the health of their children but also the good fame of their houses The seueÌ„th condition is that Princesses and great ladies ought to see their nurses haue good conditions so that they be not troublesome proud harlots liars malicious nor flatterers for the viper hath not so much poyson as the woman which is euil coÌ„ditioned It little auaileth a man to take wine from a woman to entreate her to eate little and to withdrawe her from her husband if of her owne nature she be hatefull and euill mannered for it is not so great daÌ„ger vnto the child that the nurse be a drunkard or a glutton as it is if she be harmfull malitious If perchaunce the Nurse that nourisheth the child be euil conditioned truly she is euill troubled the house wherin she dwelleth euil coÌ„bred For such one doth importune the Lorde troubleth the Lady putteth in hazard the childe aboue all is not contented with her selfe Finally Fathers for giuing too much libertie to their nurses oft times are the causes of manie practises which they doe wherewith in the ende they are grieued with the death of their childreÌ„ which foloweth Amongst all these which I haue read I say that of the ancient Roman Princes of so good a Father as Drusius Germanicus was neuer came so wicked a son as Caligula was being the iiij Emp of Rome for the Hystoriographers were not satisfied to enrich the praise the excellencies of his Father neyther ceased they to blame and reprehend the infamies of his Sonne And they say that his naughtines proceedeth not of the mother which bare him but of the nurse which gaue him sucke For often times it chaunceth that the tree is green and good when it is planted and afterwardes it becometh drie and withered onely for being carryed into another place Dyon the Greeke in the second book of Caesars saieth that a cursed woman of Campania called Pressilla nourished and gaue suck vnto this wicked child Shee had against all nature of women her breasts as hayrie as the beardes of men and besides that in running a Horse handling her staffe shooting in the Crosse-bowe fewe young men in Rome were to bee compared vnto her It chaunced on a time that as shee was giuing sucke to Caligula for that shee was angrie shee tore in pieces a young child and with the bloud therof annoynted her breasts and so she made Caligula the young Childe to sucke together both bloud and milke The saide Dyon in his booke of the life of the Emperour Caligula saieth that the women of Campania whereof the saide Pressilla was had this custom that wheÌ„ they would giue their Teat to the childe first they did annointe the nipple with the bloud of a hedge-hog to the ende their children might be more fierce and cruell And so was this Caligula for hee was not contented to kill a man onely but also hee sucked the bloud that remained on his Sworde and licked it off with his tongue The excellent Poet Homer meaning to speake plainely of the crueltyes of Pyrrus saide in his Odisse of him such wordes Pyrrus was borne in Greece nourished in Archadie and brought vp with Tygers milke which is a cruell beast as if more plainely he had saide Pyrrus for being borne in Greece was Sage for that hee was brought vp in Archadie he was strong and couragious for to haue sucked Tygars milke he was very proud and cruell Hereof may be gathered that the great Grecian Pyrrus for wanting of good milke was ouercome with euill conditions The selfe same Hystorian Dyon saith in the life of Tiberius that hee was a great Drunkard And the cause hereof was that the Nurse did not onely drinke wine but also she weyned the childe with soppes dipped in Wine And without doubt the cursed Woman had done lesse euill if in the stead of milke she had giuen the child poyson without teaching it to drinke wine wherefore afterwardes he lost his renowne For truely the Romane Empire had lost little if Tiberius had dyed being a childe and it had wonne much if he had neuer knowne what drinking of Wine had meant I haue declared all that which before is mentioned to the intent that Princesses and great Ladyes might
be aduertised that since in not nourishing their children they shew themselues cruel yet at the least in prouiding for thē good Nurses they shold shew themselues pittifull for the children oft times follow more the condition of the milke which they sucke then the condition of their mothers which brought them forth or of their fathers which begot them Therefore they ought to vse much circumspection herein for in them consisteth the fame of the wiues the honour of the husband and the wealth of their children CHAP. XXII Of the Disputations before Alexander the great concerning the time of the sucking of Babes OVintus Curtins saith that after the great Alexander which which was the last King of the Macedonians and first Emperour of the Greekes had ouercome King Darius and that he saw himselfe onely Lord of all Asia he went to rest in Babylon for among men of warre there was a custome that after they had beene long in the warres euery one should retire to his owne house King Philip which was father of King Alexander alwayes counselled his sonne that he should leade with him to the warres valiant Captaines to conquere the World and that out of his Realmes and Dominions hee should take and chuse the wisest men and best experimented to gouerne the Empire Hee had reason in such wise to counsell his sonne for by the counsell of Sages that is kept and maintained which by the strength of valiant men is gotten and wonne Alexander the great therefore being in Babylon after hee had conquered all the Countrey since all the Citie was vicious and his Armie so long without warres some of his owne men began to robbe one another others to play their own some to force women and others to make banquets and feasts when some wee drunk others raysed quarrels strifes and discentions so that a man could not tell whether was greater the rust in their Armours or the corruptions in their customes For the propertie of mans malice is that when the gate is open to idlenesse infinite vices enter into the house Alexander the great seeing the dissolution which was in his Armie and the losse which might ensue heereof vnto his great Empire commanded straightly that they should make a shew and iust thorow Babylon to the end that the men of warre should exercise their forces thereby And as Aristotle saith in the book of the Questions of Babylon the Turney was so much vsed amongst them that sometimes they carryed away more dead and wounded men then of a bloudie battaile of the enemie Speaking according to the lawe of the Gentiles which looked not glory for their vertues nor feared hell to dye at the Turney the commandement of Alexander was very iust for that doing as he did to the Armie he defaced the vice which did waste it and for himselfe he got perpetuall memory and also it was cause of much suertie in the Common-weale This good Prince not contented to exercise his army so but ordayned that daily in his presence the Philosophers should dispute and the question wherein they should dispute Alexander himselfe would propound whereof followed that the great Alexander was made certaine of that wherein hee doubted and so by his wisedome all men exercised their crafts and wits For in this time of idlenesse the bookes were no lesse marred with dust because they were not opened then the weapons were with rust which were not occupyed There is a booke of Aristotle intituled The Questions of Babilon where he sayd that Alexander propounded the Philosophers disputed the Principalles of Persia replyed and Aristotle determined and so continued in disputations as long as Alexander did eate for at the Table of Alexan der one day the Captaines reasoned of matters of warre and another day the Philosophers disputed of their Philosophie Blundus saieth in the booke intituled Italia Illustrata that among the Princes of Persia there was a custome that none could sit downe at the Table vnlesse hee were a King that had ouercome another King in battaile and none could speake at their table but a Philosopher And truely the custome was very notable and worthy to be noted for there is no greater folly then for any man to desire that a Prince should reward him vnlesse hee know that by his works hee had deserued the same King Alexander did eate but one meale in the day and therefore the first question that he propounded vnto them was That the man which did not eate but once in the day at what houre it was best to eate for the health of his person and whether it should be in the morning noone dayes or night This question was debated among the Philosophers whereof euery one to defend his opinion alleadged many foundations For no lesse care haue the Sages in their mindes to issue out of them disputations victorious then the valiant Captaines haue in aduenturing their persons to vanquish their enemies It was determined as Aristotle maketh mention in his Probleames that the man which eateth but once in the day should eate a little before night for it auayleth greatly to the health of the body that when the digestion beginneth in the stomacke a man taketh his first sleepe The second question that Alexander propounded was What age the childe should haue when hee should be weyned from the dugge And the occasion of this question was for that he had begotten a young daughter of a Queene of the Amazous the which at that time did sucke and for to know whether it were time or not to weyne her there was great dispurations for the childe was now great to sucke and weake to weyne I haue declared this History for no other purpose but to shew how in Babylon this question was disputed before King Alexander that is to say how many yeeres the childe ought to haue before it were weyned from the teate for at that time they are so ignorant that they cannot demand that that is good nor complaine of that that is naught In that case a man ought to know as the times are variable and the regions and prouince diuers so likewise haue they sundry wayes of bringing vp and nourishing their children for there is as much difference betweene the Countreys of one from the Countries of others in dying and burying the dead bodies as there hath beene varieties in the world by way of nourishing bringing vp of children CHAP. XXIII Of sundry kindes of Sorceries Charmes and Witchcrafts which they in olde time vsed in giuing their children sucke the which Christians ought to eschew IT is not much from our purpose if I declare here some old examples of those which are past Strabo in his booke De situ Orbis saith that after the Assirians which were the first that raigned in the world the Siconians had signorie which long time after were called Arcades which were great and famous wrastlers and Schoolemasters at the Fence from whom came the
first and best Masters of Fence the which the Romanes kept alwaies for their Playes for as Trogus Pompeius sayth the Romanes found it by experience that there were no better men in waightie affayres then those of Spaine nor no people apter to playes and pastimes then those of Arcadia As those Siconians were ancient so they were maruellously addicted to follies and superstitious in their vsages and customes for among other they honoured for their God the Moone and during the time that shee was seene they gaue their children sucke imagining that the Moone shined vpon the brests of the mother it would doe much good vnto the childe The Authous hereof is Sinna Catullus in the booke De edicandis pueris and as the same Historian sayth the Aegyptians were great enemies to the Siconians so that all that which the one did allow the others did repoue as it appeareth for as much as the Siconians loued Oliues and Akorns they were cloathed with linnen and worshipped the Moone for their God The Aegyptians for the contrary had no Oliues neyther nourished they any Okes they did weare no linnen they worshipped the Sunne for their God and aboue all as the Siconians did giue their children sucke whiles the Moone did shine so the Aegyptians gaue their children sucke whiles the Sunne did shine Among other follies of the Caldeans this was one that they honoured the Fier for their God so that hee that was not marryed could not light Fier in his house because they sayd the custodie of Gods should be committed to none but to married and ancient men They had in Mariages such order that the day when any children did marry the Priests came into his house to light new Fire the which neuer ought to bee put out vntill the houre of his death and if perchance during the life of the husband and of the wife they should finde the fire dead and put out the marriage betweene them was dead and vndone yea though they had beene fortie yeeres together before in such sort and of this occasion came the prouerbe which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to say Pronoke me not so much that I throwe water into the fire The Caldeans vsed such wordes when they would diuorce and separate the marriage for if the woman were ill contented with her husband in casting a little water on the fire immedately she might marry with an others and if the husband in like manner did put out the fire hee might with another woman contract marriage I haue not beene marryed as yet but I suppose there are many Christians which wish to haue at this present the libertie of the Caldes for I am well assured there are many men which would cast water on the fire to escape from their wiues also I sweare that there would be a number of women which would not onely put out their fire but also the ashes imbers and coales to make themselues free and to bee dispatched of their husbands and in especially from those which are iealous Therefore returning to our matter The Caldeans made before the fire all notable things in their lawe as before their God for they did eate before the fire they slept before the fire they did contract before the fire and the mothers did neuer giue the children sucke but before the fire for the milke as they imagined did profite the childe when it sucked before the fire which was their God The Author of this that is spoken is Cinna Catuilus The Mauritanians which at this present are called the realms of 〈◊〉 were in times past warlike men of whom the Romans had great victories and the more valiant the men were in the warres so much the more superstitious their wiues were in soceries charmes and enchantments 〈◊〉 the husband that is long abâ—â—nt from his wife ought not to maruell though in her bee founde some 〈◊〉 Cicero in the booke De Natura Deorum and much more at large Boccâ—s sayeth That as many men and women as were in that Realme 〈◊〉 many gods there were among the people for euery one had one particular God to himselfe so that the god of the one was not the god of the other And this was to bee vnderstood in the weeke dayes for in the holy and festiuall dayes they had no other gods the which altogether they did honour The manner that they had in choosing gods when a woman was with child was this Shee went to the Sacrificer of the Idoll and tolde him that shee was great with childe and besought him to giue her a God for her child And the sacrificer gaue her a little idoll of stone gold siluer or of wood the which the mother hanged at the necke of the child And as often as the childe did sucke the dugge so oft the mother putteth the Idoll on his face for otherwise shee had not giuen him a droppe of milke to sucke vnlesse first shee had consecrated to the god the milke of her brest That which I haue spoken is little in respect of that I will speake which is that if perchance the child dyed before the time or that any young man by some perilous mishap dyed before hee was somewhat ages the Fathers and kinsmen of the dead did assemble and came to the Idoll of him and eyther stoned it â—â—ng it drew it burnt it or else they cast it into the deepe well saying that sith the gods did kill man without reason that they might lawfully kill them by iustice The same Bocchas in the second booke De Natura Deorum sayth that the Allobroges had a custome that those which were Priests of the gods should from the wombe of their mothers bee chosen vnto that dignitie And as soone as the childe was born before he tasted the milke of the brest they earned it into a Priestes house for they had a custome that the man which had tasted the thinges of the world merited not to serue the Gods in the Temples One of the lawes that they sayde Priests had was that not onely they could not by violence shedde any bloud nor yet see it neyther touch it so that immediately as the Priest should by chance touch mansbloud euen so soone he lost his Priesthood This law afterwards was so narrowly looked vnto that the Priests of the Allobroges did not onely not shedde drinke nor touch mans bloud when they were now men but also when they were little infants those that should bee Priests they gaue them no milke of the brest at all And this was their reason That to sucke milke was no other but to drinke white bloud for white milke is but sodden bloud and redde bloud is but raw milke Pulio in the booke de educandis pueris sayeth That the Auncients had a certaine kinde of reedes that breaking it in sunder there issued white milke wherewith they accustomed to nourish their children but let it bee as it is that this law
prohibite children their milke which hereafter should bee made Priestes of the temples mee thinketh it a tricke rather of superstitious sorcerers then of religious Priests For there is neyther diuine nor humane Law that will forbid or prohibite any such thing without the which mans life cannot endure These were the maners and customes that the Ancients had in the nourture of their children And indeede I maruell not at that they did for the Gentiles esteemed this cursed Idol as a great God as wee Christians doe the true and liuing God I was willing to declare all these antiquities to the end that Princesses and great Ladies shoulde haue pleasure in reading them and knowing them but not to that end they should imitate and follow them in any kind of thing For according to the faith of our Christian Religion as sure as wee be of the offences that those did vnto God through following those superstitions so sure wee are of the good seruices which wee doe vnto God in forsaking them How long time the mothers ought to giue their children sucke and what age they ought to weine them not for that which I haue read nor for that which I haue demaunded in this case I am able to answere but forasmuch as Aristotle sayeth in the booke aboue named that the child at the most ought to sucke but two yeares at the least one yeare and a halfe for if hee sucke lesse he is in danger to be sicke and if hee sucke more he shall be alwayes tender I will not omit that which Sextus Cheronensis sayeth in the fourth booke of his common-wealth And hereof Bocohas also maketh mention in the third booke De natura Deorum that when Alexander the Great passed into India amongst other renowmed Philosophers there was one with him called Arethus who as by chance he was in Nissa an ancient City of India there came a mā of the Countrey to shew him such antiquities as were there Arethus the Philosopher beheld them as a sage and wise man for the simple man onely beholdeth the doings and how they seeme but the sage man enquireth and demandeth of the causes and from whence they came Among other things he shewed this good Philosopher a great house being in the end of the City therin were many women whereof euery one of them had a chamber and in euery chamber there was two beds and adioyning to the one herbs were sowen in maner of nettles and adioining to the other there was kind of twigges as of Rosemary and in the midst of the house there were many graues of small children The Phylosopher Arethus asked why that house was so great and the Indian answered This house is to nourish the Children which are Orphanes when they bee of their Parents and friendes abandoned For it is a custome in this City that immediately when the Father of one chelde dyeth the City then taketh him for her sonne And from that time forward he is called the child of the City which nourisheth him and not the childe of the Father which begot him Arethus the Philosopher secondarily asked him why there were so many women in that house without any man among them whereunto the Indian answered In this Country there is a custome that the women are seuered from their husbands all the time they giue their children sucke For the will of our God is that the woman be not in company with her husband after shee is with child and this not onely vntil such time as shee is deliuered but also vntill such time as the childe be wayned from the brest The Philosopher Arethus thirdly demaunded him why euery one had her chamber seuerally The Indian answered Thou knowest that now naturally raigneth so much malice in the woman that shee alwayes enuyeth the felicity of another And if they were altogether they would haue amongst them such quarrels debates that they would corrupt the milke which they should giue to the child Fourthly the Philosopher Arethus asked why in euery chamber there was a great bed and a little pallet since there was but one woman and one child whereunto the Indian answered In this India they doe not consent that the Nurses should sleepe together in one bed with the young childe whom they nourish for when the women are heauy a sleepe not taking heede to the childe they many times ouerlay the poore infant and so smother it aliue Fiftly the Philosopher asked why ioining to the beds there was nettles which are without fauour in eating and dangerous in touching The Indian answered I let thee know that in this India against al nature the childrē weepe not whiles they are young and therefore they haue growing by the beddes nettles to make them weepe for our Philosophors tell vs that if dayly the childe doth weepe two houres it profiteth him not onely for the health of his body but also for to prolong his life Furthermore the Philosopher for the sixt asked why there were so many twigges like Rosemary by the bed side whereunto the Indian aunswered Know thou that in India there is an olde plague that wee cannot defende our selues from these witches the which by their sorceries and with the onely lookes of their eies destroy many children and they say that all the children which shall bee perfumed with those hearbes can take no hurte through the lookes of those witches CHAP. XXIIII Of a letter which Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Dedalus in the ende whereof he enuaieth against those women which cure children by sorceries charmes and enchantments PRincesses and great Ladyes ought to take heed that their nurses be not Witches and that they doe not suffer the babes whiles they are yet young to take any charmes or sorceries for the medicine putteth the life of the creature in perill and those sorceries doe not onelie harme to the body of the child but also to the soule of her selfe which vseth it To prayse more them that are past and to confound more the present I will that those which shall reade this doe reade a letter of Marcus Aurelius which he sent to a friend of his in the end whereof it appeareth how great enemies the Auncients were to Witches Charmers to all kind of Sorcerers for truely I know not which was greater eyther the temperance that they had in nourishing their children being Gentiles or the foolish hardinesse which wee haue being Christians Here followeth therefore the Letter in the ende of the which hee speaketh against Witches and euill women The letter of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius MArcus Aurelius the Romane Emperour fellow with his brother Annius Verus in the same Empire wisheth to thee Dedalus his speciall friend health to thy person and good fortune against all euill Since the day that thou diddest take shipping at the Hauen of Ostia I read no letter of thine neyther haue I seen as yet any man of thy house yea and moreouer they could not tell
thee so much to keepe thy children from witches For otherwise the cursed Women will doe them more harme then the good milke shal profite them I haue beene moued and prouoked to write thus much vnto thee for the great loue which I do beare thee and also calling to minde that which thou when we were in the sacred Senate oft times toldest me which was that thou diddest desire a sonne And since now thou hast thy petition I would not thou shouldst prouoke the Gods wrath by sorceries For in the faith of a good man I doe sweare vnto thee that when the Fathers are in fauour with the Gods there needeth no sorceries vnto the Children I had manie other things to write vnto thee Some of the which I will cōmunicate with thy seruant Fronton rather then to send them by letters And maruel not at this for letters are so perillous that if a man be wise hee wil write no more in a close letter thē he would declare openly in Rome Pardon me my friend Dedalus though indeede I write not vnto thee as thy appetite would nor yet as my will desireth For thou hast need to know many things and I haue not leaue by letter to put thee in trust therewith I cannot tell what I should write vnto thee of me but that alwayes the Goute doth take me and the worst of all is that the more I growe in yeares the more my health diminisheth For it is an old course of mans frailtie that where wee thinke to goe most surest there haue we most lets The Popinjay which thou didst send me as soone as I receyued it my wife did seaze it and truely it is a maruellous pleasure to heare what thinges it doth speak but in the end the women are of such power that when they wil they impose silence to the liuing and cause that in the graues the dead men speake According to that I doe loue thee and according to that I owe thee and as I haue vsed that which I doe sende thee is very little I say it because that presently I do send thee but two horses of Barbarie twelue swords of Alexandrie and to Fronton thy seruant for a new yeares gift for his good newes I haue giuen him an Office which is worth to him 20. thousand Sexterces of Rent in Cecyl Faustine did bid mee I should send thy wife Perusa a cofer full of odoriferous odours of Palestine and another cofer full of her owne Apparrel the which as I thinke thou wilt not a little esteeme For naturally Women are of theyr owne Goods niggardes but in wasting spending of others very prodigall The Almighty gods bee with thee and preserue thee from euill fortune The which I humbly beseech to graunt that vnto thee and mee and vnto my wife Faustine and to thy wife Pertusa that we all meete merily together in Rome for the heart neuer receyueth such ioy as when hee seeth himselfe with his desired friend Marcus of Mount Celio writeth to thee with his own hand CHAP. XXV How excellent a thing it is for a Gentleman to haue an eloquent tongue ONe of the chiefest things that the Creatour gaue to man was to know and be able to speake for otherwise the soule reserued the brute beasts are of more value then dumbe men Aristotle in his Aesconomices without comparison prayseth more the Pythagoricall sort then the Stoicall saying that the one is more conforme to reason then the other is Pythagoras commaunded that al men which were dumbe and without speech should immediately and without contradiction be banished and expulsed from the people The cause why this Phylosopher had commanded such things was for so much as he saide that the tongue is moued by the motions of the soule and that he which had no tong had no soule And hee which hath no soule is but a brute beast and he that is a beast deserueth to serue in the fieldes among brute beasts It is a good thing not to bee dumbe as bruite beasts are and it is a greater thing to speake as the reasonable men doe but it is much more worthy to speake wel as the eloquent Philosophers doe For otherwise if hee which speaketh doth not weigh the sentences more then the wordes oft times the Popingayes shall content thē more which are in the cage then the men which doe reade in Schooles Iosephus in the booke De Bello Iudaico sayeth That King Herod not onely with his person and goods but also with all his friends and parents followed and gaue ayde to Marcus Anthonius and to his louer Cleopatra howbeit in the end Octauian had the victory For the man which for the loue of a woman doth enterprise conquests it is impossible that eyther he lose not his life or else that hee liue not in infamy Herod seeing that Marcus Antonius was dead determined to go towards the Emperour Octauian at whose feet he layd his crowne and made a notable Oration wherein hee spake so pleasant words and so high sentences that the Emperour Octauian did not onely pardon him for that hee was so cruell an enemie but also hee confirmed him again vnto his realm and tooke him for his deare and speciall friend For among the good men and noble hearts many euill workes are amended by a few good works If Blundus in the booke intituled Roma triumphante do not deceiue me Pirrus that great King of the Epirotes was stoute and hardy valiant in armes liberall in benefices patient in aduersities and aboue al renowned to be very sweet in words and sage in his answeres They sayde that this Pirrus was so eloquent that the man with whome once hee had spoken remained so much his that from that time forward in his absence hee tooke his part and declared his life and state in presence The aboue named Blundus sayed and Titus Liuius declareth the same That as the Romaines were of all things prouided seeing that King Pyrrus was so eloquent they prouided in the Senate that no Romane Ambassadour should speake vnto him but by a third person for otherwise he would haue perswaded them through his sweet words that they should haue returned againe to Rome as his procurers and soliciters Albeit Marcus Tullius Cicero was Senatour in the Senate Consull in the Empire rich amongst the rich and hardy amongst men of warre yet truely none of these qualities caused him eternall memorie but onely his excellent eloquence This Tullius was so esteemed in Rome for the eloquence of his tongue onely that oft times they heard him talke in the Senate three houres together without any man speaking one word And let not this bee little esteemed nor lightly passed ouer for worldly malice is of such condition that some man may easily speake foure houres then another man shal haue patience to heare him one minute Antonius Sobellicus declareth that in the time of Amilcares the Affrican a Philosopher named Afronio flourished in
great Carthage who being of the yeares of 81 dyed in the first yeere of the wars of Punica they demaunded this Philosopher what it was that he knew he answered He knew nothing but to speake well They demaunded him againe what hee learned He answered Hee did learne nothing but to speake well Another time they demaunded him what hee taught Hee answered He taught nothing but to speake well Me thinketh that this good Philosopher in fourescore yeares and one said that he learned nothing but to speake well hee knew nothing but to speake well and that he taught nothing but to speake well And truely hee had reason for the thing which most adorneth mans life is the sweet pleasant tongue to speake well what is it to see two men in one counsell the one talking to the other the one of them hath an euill grace in propounding and the other excellent in speaking Of such there are some that in hearing them talke three houres wee would neyther be troubled nor wearied and of the contrary part there are others so tedious and rude in their speech that as soone as men perceiue they beginne to speake they auoyde the place And therefore in mine opinion there is no greater trouble then to hearken one quarter of an houre a rude man to speake and to be contrary there is no greater pleasure then to heare a discreete man though it were a whole weeke The diuine Plato in the Booke of Lawes sayde that there is nothing whereby a man is known more then by the words he speaketh for of the wordes which we heare him speake we iudge his intention eyther to bee good or euil Laertius in the life of the Phylosopher saieth that a young childe borne at Athens was brought vnto Socrates the great phylosopher being in Athens to the ende he should receyue him into his companie and teach him in his Schoole The yong childe was strange and shamefast and durste not speake before his Maister wherefore the Phylosopher Socrates sayd vnto him Speake friend if thou wilt that I know thee This sentence of Socrates was very profound I pray him that shall reade this writing to pause a while thereat For Socrates will not that a man be known by the gesture he hath but by the good or euill wordes which he speaketh Though eloquence and speaking well to euery man is a cause of augmenting their honour and no diminisher of their goods yet without comparison it shineth much more is most necessary in the Pallaces of Princesses and great Lords for men which haue common offices ought of necessity hearken to his naturall Countrimen and also to speake with strangers Speaking therefore most plainely I say that the Prince ought not to trauell onely to haue eloquence for the honour of his person but also it behoueth him for the Common-wealth For as the Prince is but one and is serued of all so it is vnpossible that hee haue so much as will satisfie and content them all And therefore it is necessary that hee requite some with money and that hee content others with good words For the Noble heart loueth better a gentle worde then a reward or gift with the tong of a rude man Plato Liuius Herodotus Vulpicius Eutropius Diorus Plinie and many other innumerable ancient Historiographers doe not cease to prayse the eloquence of Greeke princes and Latines in their workes Oh how blessed were those times when there were sage Princes and discreete Lordes truely they haue reason to exalt them For many haue obtayned and wonne the royall crownes and scepters of the Empire not so much for the great battels they haue conquered nor for the high bloud and generation from whence they are discended as for the wisedome and eloquence which they had Marcus Aurelius was naturall of Rome borne in Mount Celio hee was poore in patrimony and of base lynage little in fauour left and forsakē of his parents and besides all this onely for being vertuous in this life profound in doctrine and of so high eloquence the Emperour Antonius called Pius gaue him his daughter Faustine for wife who being reproued of many because he gaue his daughter to so poore a Philosopher answered I had rather haue a poore Philosopher then a rich foole Pulio in his seuenth booke of the Romaine lawes sayth that in Rome there was a law very well kept and obserued of the Consels by a custom brought in that the Dictators Censor and Emperors of Rome entred into the Senate once in the weeke at the least and in this place they should giue and render account in what state the common wealth remayned O would to God that at this present this Law were so kept and obserued for there is none who doth minister so good iustice as he which thinketh to giue account of his doings They say that Caligula the fourth Emperour of Rome was not onelie deformed infamous and cruell in his life but also was an Idiot in eloquēce and of an euill vtterance in his communication so that hee among all the Romane Princes was constrained to haue others to speake for him in the Senate This wicked man was so vnfortunate that after his cruell and infamous death they drew him throughout Rome and set vpon his graue this Epitaph Caligula lyeth here in endlesse sleepe That stretcht his raigne vpon the Empires head Vnfitte for rule that could such folly heape And fitte for death where vertue so was dead I Cannot tell why Princes do praise themselues to be strong and hardie to bee well disposed to bee runners to iust well and doe not esteeme to be eloquent since it is true that those gifts doe profite them onely for their life but the eloquence profiteth them not onely for to honour their life but also to augment their renowne For wee doe reade that by that many Princes did pacifie great seditions in the common wealth and besides that they deserued immortall memory Suetonius Tranquillus in the first book of Caesars sayth that the aduenturous Iulius Caesar being as yet but 16. yeares of age when there dyed in Rome an aunt of his called Cornelia at her buriall hee made an Oration in the which hee beeing so young shewed maruellous great eloquence which was so accepted that day in al people that in the end euery man iudged him to bee a valiant Romane Captaine And as Appianus declareth they say that Silla spake these words That which I perceyue of this young man Caius Caesar is that in the boldnesse of his tongue he declareth how valiant he ought to bee in his person Let therefore Princes and great Lordes see how much it may profite them to know to speake well and eloquently For wee see no other thing dayly but that a man of base lynage by his eloquence commeth to be exalted and the other which of linage is nobly borne for want of speaking well and being eloquent is the first that discendeth most vilest of all other
and suspition By this comparison I mean that since I haue much perswaded that the Fathers do learne and teach their children to speake well it is but reason that they doe seeke them some good Masters For the counsell hath no authority if hee which giueth it seeketh not speedily to execute the same It is much for a man to bee of a good nature or else to bee of an euill inclination to bee rude in vnderstanding or else to bee liuely in spirit and this not onely for that a man ought to doe but also for that hee ought to say For it is no small thing but a great good benefite when the man is of a good nature of a good vnderstanding and of a cleare iudgement This notwithstanding I say that all the good and cleare iudgements are not alwayes eloquent nor all the eloquentest of liuely spirites and vnderstanding Wee see many men which of a small matter can make much and for the contrarie wee see many men which haue great knowledge and yet no mean s to vtter it So that nature hath giuen them high vnderstanding and through negligence of bringing vp it is hid Oftentimes I doe maruell that the soule of the Babe when it is borne for the one part is of no lesse excellencie then the soule of the olde man when hee dyeth And on the other side I muse at the babe which hath the members so tender wherewith the soule doth worke his operations that they little seeme to participate with reasonable creatures For where the soule doth not shewe her selfe mistresse it wanteth little but that the man remaineth a beast It is a wonder to see the Children that as yet being two yeares of Age they lifte heir feete for to goe they holde themselues by the walls for falling they wil open their eyes to know and they fourme a defuzed voyce to speake So that in that age a creature is none otherwise then as a tree at the first spring For the Tree two moneths beeing past beareth leaues immediatly and the childe after ij years beginneth to frame his words This thing is spoken for that the Fathers which are wise should begin to teache their children at that Age For about that time the Vynes beare grapes and other trees their fruite For the perils of this life are such that if it were possible the Father before he see his Sonne borne ought to admonish him how he should liue In mine opinion as they conueigh the water about to turne the Mill So from the tender youth of the Infant they ought to shewe and teach him to bee eloquent and affable For truely the Childe learneth distinctly to pronounce his words when he doth sucke the milke of his Nurse We cannot denie but that the children beeing but two or three yeares olde it is too soone to giue them maisters or correcters For at that Age a Nurse to keepe them cleane is more necessarie then a maister to correct their speech On the one part the children are very tender for to learne to speake well and on the other part it is necessarie that when they are very young and little they should be well taught and instructed I am of that opinion that Princesses and great Ladyes should take such Nurses to giue theyr Children sucke that they should bee sound to giue them their milke and sage for to teach them to speake For in so young and tender Age they doe not suffer but that shee which giueth them sucke doth teach them to speake their first words As Sextus Cheroner sis in the booke of the diuersitie of the Languages saith That the Toscanes were the first which called the natural tongue of the countrey the Mother tongue which is to say the tongue of our Mother to the ende we should take it of the Mother which bringeth vs forth and of the Nurse which giueth vs sucke And in this case we haue lesse neede of the Mother then of the Nurse For the children before they know their Mothers which brought them into the world doe call the Nurse mother that gaue them sucke Plutarche in the second booke of the Regiment of Princes saith that one of the greatest thinges the Romaines had in their Commonweale was that of all the Languages and manners which they spake thoroughout the whole earth they had Colledges and Scholes in Rome so that were he neuer so barbarous that entered into Rome immediately hee found that vnderstood him The Romaines vsed that craft and subtiltie to the ende that when Rome sent Embassadors into strange Countreys or that some strange Countreys came to Rome they would that the Entâ—rpretours and brokers should be of theyr owne Nation and not of a strange tongue or Countrey And truely the Romaines had reason for the affaires of great importance are oftentimes craftely compassed by a straungetongue A man will maruell greatly to read or heare this that I speake which is that the Women which nourish the children of Princes be eloquent And truly he that at this doth maruell hath seen little and read lesse For I cannot tell which was greater the glory that the Ancients had to enjoy so excellent women or the infamy of them that are present to suffer dishonest Harlots I will not denie when I drew neere this matter that my spirits were not in great perplexitie First to see in this my writing of what women my Pen should write that is to say the dissolute vices of Women which I haue sâ—â—n or else the prowesses and vertues of women whereof I haue read Finally I am determined to intreate of our Graine and Corne and to leaue the rotten strawe on the Earth as without profite For the tongue which is noble ought to publish the goodnes of the good and honest women to the ende that all know it for the contrarie the frailenesse of the wicked ought to bee dissembled and kept secret to the ende that no man follow it Men which are sage and noble treating of Women are bound to visite them to preserue them and to defend them but in no wise they haue licence to slaunder them For the man which speaketh of the frailenes of women is like vnto him that taketh a sworde to kill a flie Therefore touching the matter Princesses and great Ladies ought not to cease to teach their young children all that they can sonnes or daughters And they ought not to deceyue themselues saying that foras much as their daughters are Women they are vnable to learne sciences for it is not a generall rule that all men children are of cleane vnderstanding nor that all the daughters are of rude spirite and wit for if they and the others did learne together I thinke there would bee as many wise women as there are foolish men Though the world in times past did enioy excellent women there was neuer any Nation had such as the Greekes had For though the Romanes were glorious in weapons the Greekes
often times it chanceth that the wisedome of the good child doth remedy the folly of the wicked Father The Historians say that this Lelya Sabina had not onely a great grace in reading but also shee had much excellency in writing for she wrote many letters and orations with her own hand which her Father Lucius Sylla afterwards learned by hart and as he was indeed quicke of spirite so he vsed to recite them to the Senate alwayes for his purpose And let no man maruaile hereat for there are some of so grosse vnderstanding that that which they write and studie they can scarcely vtter others againe are of such liuely wits that of that onely which they haue heard it seemeth maruellous to heare with what eloquence they will talke Because Sylla had such and so excellent a daughter in his house hee was esteemed for a sage and wise councellour throughout all the Common wealth He was counted very absolute in executing strong in maintaining for right eloquent in speaking Finally of this came this ancient prouerbe which sayth Lucius Sylla gouerneth his own countrey with the eloquence of his tongue and is Lord of strange nations by the force of his sword What the great Plato hath beene and what great authority he hath had amongst his countrey men and amongst the strangers it is apparant for so much as the Greekes do acknowledge him of all other Phylosophers to be the Prince and likewise the Latines by one consent call him diuine And me thinketh that in doing this they doe no Phylosopher iniurie for as Plato in his life time had great modestie so truely in his writing hee exceeded mans capacitie An Historian called Hyzearchus declareth that Lasterna and Axiothea were two Greekes very well Iearned and amongst the Schollers of Plato chiefly renowmed The one was of so perfect a memory and the other of so high an vnderstanding that Plato oft times beeing in the chayre and these two not readie hee would not beginne to reade And being demaunded wherefore hee reade not his Lecture hee answered I will not reade for that there wanteth here vnderstanding to conceyue and also memory to retaine Meaning that Lasterna was absent that Axiothe was not yet come The wisedome of these two women ought to bee much since Plato without them would not vtter one word vnlesse they were present in his Schoole For Plato esteemed more the vnderstanding and memory of those two women alone then hee did the phylosophy of his other Schollers together Aristippus the phylosopher was Scholler to Socrates and of the most renowmed of Athens Hee had a daughter called Aretha the which was so well learned in Greeke and Latine letters that the common renowme sayd the soule of Socrates was entred into Aretha and the cause that mooued them to say this was because shee read and declared the doctrine of Socrates in such wise that it seemed to most men shee had rather write by hand then learne by studie Bocchas in the second booke of the prayse of women sayeth that this Aretha was so excellent a woman that shee did not only learne for her selfe but also to teach others and did not onely teach in diuers Schooles but also shee wrote many and sundrie bookes one especially in the prayse of Socrates an other of the manner of bringing vp children an other of the Warres of Athens an other of the tyrannicall force an other of the Common Wealth of Socrates an other of the infelicity of Women an other of the tillage of the Auncients an other of the Wonders of the Mount Olimpus an other of the vaine care of the Sepulchre an other of the care of the Antes an other of the Workemanshippe of the Bees in honey and shee wrote two others the one of the vanities of youth and the other of the miseries of age This woman did reade openly naturall and morall Phylosophy in the Schooles of Athens for the space of fiue and twenty yeares she made fortie bookes she had a hundred and ten Phylosophers to her Schollers shee dyed being at the age of seuentie and seuen yeares and the Athenians after her death engraued on her graue these words THe slysed stones within their bowels keepe Wise Aretha the great and onely wight That forceth enuie gentle teares to weepe For Greekes decay on whom the losse doth light The eye of Fame the heart of vertues life The head of Greece lyes here engraued loe More heauenly forme then had that heauenlie wife Which vnderminde the Phrigies toyes with woe Within the chest of her vnspotted mind Lay Thyrmas truth and eke her honest faith Within her hand as by the gods assignde Stoode Aristippus penne that vertue wayeth Within the dungeon of her body eke Imprisoned was wise Socrates his soule That liued so well and did so wisely speake That follies brest he could to wisodome toule Within her head so ouer heapt with wit Lay Homers tongue to staine the Poets arte Erst was the golden age not halfe so fit For Vertues Impes as when her life did part As Marcus Varro sayth the sects of the Philosophers were more then seuenty but in the end they were reduced into seuen and in the end they were brought into three sects chiefly That is to say Stoickes Peripatetickes and Pythagoriques Of these Pythagoriques Pythagoras was the Prince Hizearcus Annius Rusticus and Laertius with Eusebius and Boccas all affirme one thing whereunto I did not greatly giue credite which is that this Phylosopher Pithagoras had a sister not onely learned but if it bee lawfull to speake it excellently learned And they say that not she of Pythagoras but Pythagoras of her learned phylosophy And of a truth it is a matter whereof I was so greatly abashed that I cannot tell who could bee maister of such a woman since shee had Pythagoras the great phylosopher to her Scholler The name of the woman was Thecclea to whom Pythagoras her brother wrot and sent her a letter when hee read phylosophy at Rhodes and she at Samothracia doing the like The Epistle was thus CHAP. XXIX Of a Letter which Pythagoras sent to his sister Theoclea hee beeing in Rhodes and shee in Sam othracia reading both Philosophie PYthagoras thy brother and Disciple to thee Theoclea his sister health encrease of wisedome wisheth I haue read the book which thou diddest send mee of fortune and misfortune from the beginning to the end and now I know that thou art no lesse graue in making then gracious in teaching The which doth not chance very oft vnto vs which are men and much lesse as wee haue seene to you women For the Philosopher Aristippus was rude in speaking but profound in writing and Amenides was briefe in writing and eloquent in speaking Thou hast studyed and written in such sort that in learning that thou shewest thou seemest to haue read all the Philosophers and in the antiquities that thou doest declare it seemeth that thou hast seene all
this coate The poore Poet answered him I let thee know my friend that I cannot tell which is greater thy euill lucke or my greate felicitie The Romane Calphurnius replyed Tell me Cornificius How canst thou call thy selfe happy since thou hast not a loafe of bread to eate nor a gowne to put on thy backe and why sayest thou that I am vnhappy since thou and thy family may be fed with that alone which at my table remayneth To this the poet answered I will that thou know my friend and neighbour that my felicitie is not for that I haue little but for that I desire lesse then I haue And thy euill lucke is not for that thou bast much but for that thou desirest more and doest little esteem that that thou hast And if thou be rich it is for that thou neuer spakest truth and if I he poore it is because I neuer tolde lye For the house that is stuffed with riches is commonly voyd of the truth And I tell thee further that I call my selfe happie because I haue a sister which is the best esteemed in all Italie and thou hast a Wife the most dishonest in all Rome And sith it is so betweene thee and mee I referre it to no mans iudgement but to thine which is better eyther to be poore as I am with honour or else to bee rich as thou art and liue with infamte These wordes passed betweene the Romane Calphurnius and the Poet Cornificius I desire to declare the excellencie of those few auncient women as well Greekes as Latines and Romanes to the intent that Princesses and great Ladyes may knowe that the auncient women were more esteemed for their sciences then for their beauties Therefore the Princesses and great Ladies ought to thinke that if they be womē the other were also in like māner and if they bee fraile the others were also weake If they be marryed the others also had Husbands if they haue theyr willes the others had also what they wanted If they be tender the others were not strong Finally they ought not to excuse themselues saying that women are vnmeete for to learne For a woman hath more abilitie to learne Sciences in the scholes then the Parate hath to speake words in the cage In my opinion Princesses and great Ladyes ought not to esteeme themselues more then another for that they haue fairer hayres then others or for that they are better Apparrelled then another or that they haue more riches then another But they ought therfore to esteeme themselues not for that they can doe more then others To say the trueth the faire and yeallow hayres the rich and braue Apparel the great treasurs the sumptuous Pallaces and strong Buildings these and other like pleasures are not guydes and leaders vnto vertues but rather Spyes and Scowtewatches to vices Oh what an excellent thing were it that the noble Ladyes would esteeme themselues not for that they can doe but for that they knowe For it is more commendations to know how to teach two Philosophers then to haue authority to commaund a hundred knightes It is a shame to write it but it is more pittie to see it that is to say to reade that wee read of the wisedome and worthinesse of the auncient Matrons past and to see as we do see the frailenes of these yong ladies present For they coueted to haue Disciples both learned and experimented and those of this present desire nothing but to haue seruants not only ignorant but deceitfull and wicked And I doe not maruell seeing that which I see that at this present in Court she is of little value least esteemed amōg Ladies which hath fairest Seruants is least entertained of Gentlemen What shall I say more in this matter but that they in times past striued who shold write better and compile the best books and these at this present doe not striue but who shall haue the richest and most sumptuous Apparrell For the Ladyes thinke it a jolyer matter to weare a Gowne of a new fashion then the ancients did to read a lesson of Phylosophie The ancient Ladyes striued which of them was wisest but these of our dayes contend who shal be fairest For at this day the Ladyes would choose rather to haue the face adorned with beautie then the heart endued with wisedome The Auncient Ladyes contended which should bee best able to teach others but these Ladyes now a dayes contend how they may most finely apparrell themselues For in these dayes they giue more honour to a Woman richly Apparrelled then they giue to another with honesty beautified Finally with this word I doe conclude and let him marke that shall reade it that in the olde time women were such that their vertues caused all men to keepe silence and now their vices bee such that they compell all men to speake I will not by this worde any man should be so bold in general to speake euill of all the Ladyes for in this case I sweare that there are not at this day so many good vertuous women in the world but that I haue more enuie at the life they lead in secrete then at all the sciences which the auncient women read in publike Wherefore my pen doth not shew it selfe extreame but to those which onely in sumptuous Apparrell and vaine words doe consume their whole life and to those which in reading a good Booke would not spend one onely houre To proue my intention of that I haue spoken the aboue written sufficeth But to the ende Princesses and great Ladyes may see at the least how much beter it shal be for them to know little then to haue and possesse much and to be able to do more I wil remēber them of that which a Romain woman wrote to her children wherby they shal perceiue how eloquent a woman she was in her sayings and how true a mother in her coūsel For in the end of her letter she perswadeth her children to the trauels of the warre not for any other cause but to auoyde the pleasures of Rome CHAP. XXXI Of the worthinesse of the Lady Cornelia and of a notable Epistle shee wrote to her two sonnes which serued in the warres Tiberius and Caius disswading them from the pleasures of Rome and exhorting them to endure the trauels of warre ANNius Rusticus in the booke of the Antiquities of the Romanes sayeth that in Rome there were fiue principall Iynages that is to say Fabritii Torquatii Brutii Fabit and Cornelii though there were in Rome other new lynages whereof there were many excellent personages yet alwayes these which came of the fiue lynages were kept placed and preferred to the first Offices of the common wealth For Rome honoured those that were present in such sort that it was without the preiudice of those that are gone Amongst those v. linages the Romaines alwayes counted the Cornelii most fortunate that which were so hardy and couragious in fight
eye to thy childe whom of thy own bloud thou hast begotten And if thou doest it not because he is thy childe thou oughtest to doe it because hee is thy neerest For it is vnpossible that the child which with many vices is assaulted and not succoured but in the ende hee should be infamed and to the dishonour of the father most wickedly ouercome It is vnpossible to keepe Flesh well sauoured vnlesse it bee first salted It is vnpossible that the Fish should liue without water It is vnpossible but that the Rose should wither which is of the thorne ouergrowne So like it is vnpossible that the Fathers should haue any comfort of their children in their age vnlesse they haue instructed them in vertue in their youth And to speake further in this matter I say that in the Christian catholike Religion where in deede there is good doctrine there alwaies is supposed to bee a good conscience Amongst the Writers it is a thing well knowne how Eschines the Phylosopher was banished from Athens and with all his familie came to dwell at Rhodes The occasion was because that hee and the Phylosopher Demosthenes were in great contention in the common-wealth Wherefore the Atheniās determined to banish the one and to keepe the other with them And truely they did well for of the contentions and debates of Sages Warres moste commonly arise amongst the people This Phylosopher Eschines being at Rhodes banished amōgst others made a solemne Oration wherin he greatly reproued the Rhodians that they were so negligent in bringing vp their children saying vnto them these words I let you vnderstand lords of Rhodes that your Predecessours aduaunced themselues to descend and take theyr beginning of the Lides the which aboue all other Nations were curious and diligent to bring vp theyr Children and hereof came came a Law that was among them which saide Wee ordeine and commaund that if a Father haue many Children that the most vertuous should inherite the goods and riches and if there were but one vertuous that he alone shold inherit the whole And if perchance the Children were vicious that then all should be depriued from the heritage For the goods gottē with trauell of vertuous Fathers ought not by reason to be inherited by vicious childrē These were the wordes that the Philosopher spake to the Senate of the Rhodes and because he sayde in that oratiō many other things which touch not our matter I will in this place omit them For among excellēt Writers that writing loseth much authority when the Author from his purpose digresseth into an other matter To say the truth I doe not maruell that the children of Princes and great Lords be adulterers and belly-gods for that on the one part youth is the mother of idlenesse and on the other little experience is the cause of great offences And furthermore the fathers being once dead the children enherite their goods as quietly being loden with vices as if in deed they were with all vertues endued If the young children did know for a certaine that the lawes of the Lydes should be obserued that is to say that they should not inherite vnlesse they be vertuous it is vnpossible but that they would leade a vertuous life and not in this wise to run at large in the worlde For they doe abstaine more from doing euill fearing to lose that which they doe possesse then for anie loue to doe that which they ought I do not denie but according as the natures of the Fathers is diuers so the inclination of the children is variable For so much as some following theyr good inclinations are good and others not resisting euill sensualities are euill But yet in this matter I say that it lyeth much in the Father that doeth bring them vp when as yet they are young so that the euill which nature gaue by good bringing vp is refrayned For oft times the good custome doth ouercome all euill inclination Princes and great Lordes that will be diligent in the instruction of theyr children ought to enforme their maisters and tutors that shall teach them to what vices and vertues their Children are moste inclined And this ought to bee to encourage them in that that is good and contrarie to reproue them in all that is euill For men are vndone for none other cause when they be olde but for that they had so much pleasure when they were young Sextus Cheronensis in the second booke of the auncients saith that on a day a cittizen of Athenes was buying things in the market and for the qualitie of his person the greatest parte of them were superfluous and nothing necessarie And in this case the poore are no lesse culpable then the rich and the riche then the poore For that is so little that to sustaine manslife is necessarie that he which hath least hath therevnto superfluous Therefore at this time when Athens and her common-wealth was the Lanterne of all Greece there was in Athens a Law long vsed and of a great time accustomed that nothing should be bought before a Philosopher had set the price And truly the law was good and would to God the same law were at this present obserued For there is nothing that destroieth a commonwealth more then to permit some to sell as tyrantes and others to buye as fooles When the Theban was buying these things a philosopher was present who saide vnto him these words Tell me I pray thee thou man of Thebes Wherefore doest thou consume and wast thy money in that which is not necessarie for thy house nor profitable for thy person The Thebane answered him I let thee knowe that I doe buye all these things for a sonne I haue of the age of xx yeares the which neuer did any thing that seemed vnto mee euil nor I neuer denyed him any thing that hee demaunded This Philososopher answered Oh how happy wert thou if as thou art a Father thou wert a sonne and that which the Father saieth vnto the sonne the sonne would say vnto the father but I am offended greatly with that thou hast told me For vntill the childe be xxv yeares old he ought not to gainesay his father and the good father ought not to condiscend vnto the appetites of the sonne Now I may call thee cursed father since thou arte become subject to the will of thy sonne and that thy sonne is not obedient to the will of his Father so that thou alterest the order of nature For so much as the father is become sonne of his sonne and the sonne is become father of his father But in the ende I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that when thou shalt become old and aged thou shalt lament and weepe by thy selfe at that which with thy Sonne thou diddest laugh when he was young Though the words of this Phylosopher were fewe yet a wise man will iudge the sentences to be manie I conclude therfore that Princes and
the high wayes And after that he was forty yeares of age he became King of the Lusitaines and not by force but by election for when the people saw themselues enuironed and assaulted on euery side with enemies they chose rather stout strong and hardy men for their Captaines then noble men for their guides If the ancient Historiographers deceyue me not when Viriatus was a thiefe hee ledde with him alwayes at the least a hundred theeues the which were shod with leaden shooes so that when they were enforced to runne they put off their shooes And thus although all the day they went with leaden shooes yet in the night they ranne like swift buckes for it is a generall rule that the looser the ioynts are the more swifter shall the legges be to runne In the booke of the iests of the Lumbardes Paulus Diaconus sayeth that in the olde time those of Capua had a Law that vntill the children were married the fathers should giue them no bed to sleepe on nor permit them to sit at the table to eate but that they should eate their meate in their hands and take their rest on the ground And truly it was a commendable law for rest was neuer inuēted for the yong man which hath no beard but for the aged being lame impotent and crooked Quintus Cincinatus was second Dictator of Rome and indeed for his deserts was the first Emperour of the earth This excellent man was brought vp in so great trauell that his handes were found full of knots the plough was in his armes and the swette in his face when hee was sought for to bee Dictator of Rome For the Ancients desired rather to bee ruled of them that knew not but how to plough the ground then of them that delighted in nothing else but to liue in pleasures among the people Caligula which was the fourth Emperour of Rome as they say was brought vp with such cost and delicatenesse in his his youth that they were in doubt in Rome whether Drusius Germanicus his father employed more for the Armies then Caligula his sonne spent in the cradle for his pleasures This rehearsed againe I would now know of Princes and great lords what part they would take that is to say whether with Cincinatus which by his stootenes wan so many strange Countries or with Caligula that in his filthy lusts spared not his proper sister In mine opinion there needeth no great deliberation to aunswere this question that is to say the goodnesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other for there was no battell but Cincinatus did ouercome nor there was any vice but Caligula did inuent Suetonius Tranquillus in the second Booke of Caesars sayeth That when the children of the Emperour Augustus Caesar entred into the high Capitoll where all the Senate were assembled the Senatours rose out of their places and made a reuerence to the children the which when the Emperour Augustus saw hee was much displeased and called them backe againe And on a day beeing demaunded why bee loued his childrē no better he answered in this wise If my children will bee good they shal sit hereafter where I sit now but if they bee euill I will not their vices should bee reuerenced of the Senators For the authoritie and grauitie of the good ought not to bee employed in the seruice of those that be wicked The 26 Emperour of Rome was Alexander the which though he was young was as much esteemed for his vertues amongst the Romanes as euer Alexander the great was for his valiantnes amongst the Greekes Wee cannot say that long experience caused him to come to the Gouernment of the common-wealth for as Herodian saieth in his sixth booke The day that the Senatours proclaymed him Emperour hee was so little that his owne men bare him in theyr armes That fortunate Emperour had a Mother called Manea the which brought him vp fowel and diligently that she kept alwayes a great guard of men to take heed that no vicious man came vnto him And let not the diligence of the Mother to the childe be little esteemed For Princes oft times of their owne nature are good and by euill conuersation only they are made euill This worthie woman keeping alwayes such a faithfull guarde of her childe that no Flatterers should enter in to flatter him nor malicious to tell him lyes By chaunce on a day a Romane saide vnto her these wordes I thinke it not meete most excellent princesse that thou shouldest be so diligent about thy Sonne to forget the affaires of the commonwealth for Princes ought not to be kept so close that it is more easie to obtaine a suite at the Gods then to speake one word with the Prince To this the Empresse Manea answered and saide They which haue charge to gouerne those which do gouern without comparison ought to feare more the vices of the King then the enemyes of the realme For the enemyes are destroyed in a Battell but vices remaine during the life and in the end enemies doe not destroy but the possessions of the Land but the vicious prince destroieth the good māners of the commonwealth These words were spoken of this worthy Romane By the Hystories which I haue declared and by those which I omitte to recite all vertuous men may knowe how much it profiteth them to bring vppe their children in trauels or to bring them vp in pleasures But now I imagine that those which shall reade this will prayse that which is well written and also I trust they will not giue their childrē so much their owne wils for men that reade much and worke little are as belles which doe found to call others and they themselues neuer enter into the church If the fathers did not esteeme the seruice they doe vnto God their owne honour nor the profite of their owne children yet to preserue them from diseases they ought to bring them vp in vertue withdraw them from vices for truly the children which haue beene brought vp daintily shall alwayes be diseased and sickly What a thing is it to see the sonne of a Labourer the coate without points the shirt tattered and torne the feet bare his head without a cap his body without a girdle in summer without a hat in winter without a cloke in the day plowing in the night driuing his heard eating bread of Rye or Otes lying on the earth or else on the straw and in this trauell to see this yong man so holy and vertuous that euery man desireth and wisheth that hee had such a sonne The contrary commeth of Noble mens sonnes the which wee see are nourished and brought vp betweene two fine Holland sheetes layed in a costly cradell made after the new fashion they giue the Nurse what she will desire if perchance the child be sicke they change his Nurse or else they appoint him a dyet The father and the mother sleepe neyther night nor day all
the warres were between Carthage and Rome the Common wealth of Carthage was very well gouerned and as it beseemed such a noble City but it is an ancient priuiledge of the warre that it killeth the persons consumeth the goods and aboue all engendreth a new passion and misery and in the end destroyeth all good ancient customes The Carthagenians therefore had a custome that the children and especially those which were of honest men should be put in the Temples from three yeeres till twelue and so from twelue till twenty they learned crafts sciences and occupations and from 20. til 25. they instructed thē in the feates of war and at the end of 30. yeares they gaue themselues to marriage for amongst them it was a Law inuiolable that no man should marrie vntill he were thirty yeares of age and the woman 25. And after that they were married the moneth following they ought to present themselues before the Senate and there to choose what kinde of estate they would take vpon them to liue in and what their mindes most desired that is to say if they would serue in the Temples follow the warre or trauell the seas or get their liuing by land or follow their occupation which they had learned And looke what estate or office that day they chose the same they kept and occupyed during their life and truely the law was very good because such change of estates and Offices in the World are occasion that presently so many come to destruction All the excellent and ancient Princes had many great Philosophers for their Masters and this seemeth to be true by this that king Darius had Lichanins the philosopher for his master the great Alexander had Aristotle the Philosopher for his Master King Artaxerces had Pindarus the philosopher for his Master The aduenturous and hardy captaine of the Athenians Palemo had Xenocrates the philosopher for his master Xemaides onely king of the Corinthians had Chilo the philosopher for his Master and tutour to his Children Epamynundus Prince of the Thebanes had for his master and councellour Maruchus the Philosopher Vlysses the Greeke as Homer sayeth had for his master and companion in his trauels Catinus the philosopher Pirrus which was King of the Epirotes and a great defendor of the Tharentines had for his Master and Chronicler Arthemius the philosopher of whom Cicero speaketh ad Atticum that his sword was sharper to fight then his penne ready for to write The great King Ptholomeus Philodelphus was not onely Scholer of the most singular Philosophers of Greece but also after he was King he sent for 72. Philosophers which were Hebrewes Cirus King of the Persians that destroyed the great Babylon had for his Master Pristicus the Philosopher Traian the Emperour had Plutarch for his Master who did not onely teach him in his youth but also wrote him a booke how he ought to gouerne himselfe and his commōwealth By these few examples which I haue expressed and by many other which I omit Princes at this present may see how carefull princes were in times past to giue their children wise and learned men O princes great Lords since you at this present do presume and take vpon you that which your Forefathers did I would that now you would consider who brought them to so high estate who leaueth them eternall memorie for without doubt noble men neuer wan renown for the pleasurs they had in vices but for the trauels they had in vertues Againe I say that Princes in times past were not famous for their stoutnes apt disposition of their bodies nor for discent of noble lynage nor for the possessiō of many Realmes or heaping vp of great treasures but they wanne and obtained immortall renowne for that their Fathers in their youth put them vnder the tuition of wise and learned tutours which taught them good doctrine and when they were of age gaue them good counsellours to gouerne the common-wealth Laertius in the life of the Phylosophers and Bocchas in the Booke of the linage of Gods say thus That among the Phylosophers of Athens there was a custome that no straunge Phylosopher should reade in their Schooles before hee were first examined in naturall and morall Phylosophie For among the Greekes it was an auncient Prouerbe That in the schoole of Athens no vicious man could enter nor idle word be spoken neyther they did consent that any ignorant Phylosopher should come in to reade there Now as by chaunce many phylosophers were come from the Mount Olympus amongst the refidue there was one came to see the philosophers of Athens who was natiue of Thebes a man as afterwardes hee declared himselfe in Morall and naturall phylosophie very well learned And since he desired to remaine in Athens hee was examined and of many and diuers things demanded And amongst the others these following were some of them First they asked him what causeth women to bee so froward since it is true that nature made them shamefaste and created them simple The Phylosopher answered A woman is not froward but because shee hath too much her will and wanteth shame Secondarily they asked him why young men are vndone hee answered because Time aboundeth them for to doe euill and Maisters wanteth to enforce them to doe good Thirdly they asked him why are Wise men deceyued as well as the simple he answered The wise man is neuer deceyued but by him that vseth faire wordes and hath euill conditions Fourthly they asked him of whom men ought most to beware he aunswered That there is to a man no greater enemie then hee which seeth that thing in thee which hee desireth to haue in himselfe Fifthly they asked him why manie princes begunne well and ended euill hee aunswered Princes begin well because their nature is good and they ende euill because no man doth gaine-say them Sixtly they asked him why do princes commit such follyes hee answered Because Flattterers aboundeth that deceyue them and true men are wanting which should serue them Seuenthly they asked him why the Auncients were so sage and men at this present were so simple hee aunswered Because the Auncients did not procure but to knowe and these present doe not trauell but for to haue Eightly they asked him why so manie vices were nourished in the pallaces of princes hee aunswered Because pleasures abound and counsell wanteth The ninth they asked him why the most parte of men liued without rest and fewe without paine he aunswered No man is more without and suffereth more paine then hee that dyeth for the goods of another and little esteemeth his owne The tenth they asked him whereby they might knowe the Common-wealth to bee vndone hee aunswered There is no Common-wealth vndone but onely where the young are light and the old vicious The 11. they asked him wherwith the Common-wealth is maintained he answered The common wealth cānot decay where iustice remaineth for the poore punishment for the tyrants
will play his coate Waying the matter more deeply and aggrauating this vice I say further and affirme that when the children of Princes and great Lords play a man ought not to make account of that which they may winne or loose for that of all miseries were most miserie if therefore my penne should forbidde them play For play ought not to be forbidden to young children for the money that they lose but for the vices which they winne thereby and for the corrupt manners which therein they doe learne Octauian who was the second Emperour of Rome and one of the fortunatest Emperours that euer was among all his vertues was noted of one thing onely which is that from his youth he was much giuen to play at tennis Of the which vice hee was not onely admonished secretly but also was forbidden it openly For as Cicero sayeth in his booke of Lawes when the Emperour was noted of any open vice they might boldly reproue him in the open Senate When Octauian was for this vice reproued by the Senate they sayde hee spake these wordes You haue reason O Fathers conscript in taking from me my pastime for it is necessary that the vertues of Princes should be so many that al men might prayse them and their vices so fewe that no man might reproue them These wordes were notable worthy of such a rare and excellent Prince For in the end considering their delicate and wanton bringing vp together with the liberty that they haue Wee ought to thanke and commend them for the good workes which they doe and most of all to reioyce for the vices which they want To our matter therefore amongst the other wicked vices that children gette in their youth when they are players This is one that they learne to bee theeues and lyers For the money that they playe to demaund it their Fathers they are afrayde and ashamed and of theyr owne proper goods as yet they haue none in their hands Wherefore a man may easily conclude tha◠if children play of necessitie they must steale The sixe and thirtieth Emperor of Rome was Claudius Luganus a man very temperate in eating moderate in apparrell vpright in iustice and very fortunate in chiualry for he did not onely repulse the Gothes from Illyria but also vanquished in a batrell the Germaines wherin were slaine aboue a hundred thousand This battell was neere vnto the Lake Verucus in a place called Luganus and for a memory of that great battell and victory they called him Claudius Luganus For it was a custome among the Romaines that according to the good or euill workes that Princes did so they were iudged and know by such surnames whether it were good or euill This Emperour had but one onely sonne which was a prince of comely personage and liuely of vnderstanding but aboue all things giuen to play so that these good gifts which nature gaue him to work in vertue he misused alwayes in play And amongst young men he desired rather to haunt vice then among the Philosophers to learne vertue And hereat a man ought not to maruell for all men of great courage vnlesse they be compelled to do vertuous acts doe exercise of themselues many detestable vices It chaunced when this young prince had no more to play nor gage he robbed out of his Fathers chamber a rich Iewell of golde whereof also his Master was priuie And when the knowledge thereof came to the Emperours eates hee immediately dishenherited his sonne of the Empire and caused the head of the Master to bee cut off his body and all those likewise that played with him to be banished the Countrey This act made euery man afrayde for correction executed after a good sorte hath this property that it encourageth the good to be good and feareth the wicked from their wickednesse Merula in the tenth booke of Caesars whereas at large hee mentioneth this matter sayeth that the Romaines esteemed more the banishment of those players from Rome then to haue drouen out the Gothes from Illyria and to say the trueth they had reason For a prince deserueth a greater growne of glory to banish the vitious from his palace then hee doeth for chasing the enemies out of his dominion CHAP. XL. ¶ Of two other vices perillous in Youth which the Maisters ought to keepe them from and that is to bee shamelesse in countenance and addicted to wickednesse and the lusts of the Flesh THirdlie Tutours ought to trauel that that the Children which they haue in charge be not light worldly nor that they do consent that they be bolde or shamelesse And I say that they doe not suffer them to be light or vnconstant For of young men vnconstant and light commeth oftentimes an olde man fonde and vnthriftie I say that they doe not suffer them to be too rashe For of too hardie young men commeth rebellious and seditious persons I say that they doe not consent they bee shameles For of the vnshamefastnes commeth slaunderous persons Princes and great Lords ought to haue much care and circumspection that their Children bee brought vp in shamefastnes with honestie For the crowne doth not giue so much glorie to a King nor the head doth more set forth the man nor the precious jewell more adorne the breast nor yet the regal Scepter more become the hand then shamefastnes with honesty beautifieth a young man For a man of what estate soeuer hee be the honesty which hee sheweth outwardly doeth most commonly hyde many secret vices wherewith he is indued inwardly In the time of the reigne of the Emperour Helyus Pertinax the nineteenth Emperour of Rome two Consulls gouerned the Common-wealth the one was named Verut and the other Mamillus One day they came vnto the Emperour and were humble suiters to his Highnesse beseeching him that it would please him to accept and receyue their two children into his seruice the eldest of the which passed not as yet twelue yeares of age the which request after the Emperour had graunted the Fathers were not negligent to bring them vnto him and beeing come before his presence eache of them made an oration the one in Latine and the other in Greeke Wherewith the Emperour was greatly pleased and all the residue amazed For at that time none serued the Romaine Princes but hee that was very apte to Chiualrie or very toward in Sciences As these two Children in the presence of the Emperour made their orations the one of them behelde the Emperour in such sorte that his eyes neuer went off him neither once mouing his head to looke downe to the earth and the other contrarie behelde the earth alwayes and neuer lift vp his head during his oration Wherewith the Emperour beeing a graue man was so highly pleased with the demeanours of this Childe that hee did not onely admit him for to serue him at his Table but also hee suffered him to enter into his Chamber and this was a preferment of
great estimation For Princes did not vse to be serued at their Tables nor in their chambers with any vnlesse they were of his owne Kinred or auncient Seruants And concerning the other childe which was his companion the Emperour returned againe to his father saying That when hereafter hee should bee more shamefaste hee would receyue him into his seruice And certainely the Emperour had great reason for good graue Princes ought not to be serued with light shamelesse children I would now demaund Fathers which loue their children very well and would they should bee worthy what it auayleth their children to be faire of countenance wel disposed of body liuely of spirit white of skinne to haue yellow hayres to bee eloquent in speech profound in science if with all these graces that nature giueth them they bee too bolde in that they doe and shameles in that they say The Author hereof is Patritius Senensis in the first booke De Rege et regno One of the most fortunate princes was the great Theodosius the which amongst all other vertues had one most singular the which was that hee was neuer serued in his pallace with any young man that was vnshamefast or seditious nor with any olde man which was dishonest for he sayde oft times that Princes shall neuer bee well beloued if they haue about them lyers or slaunderers This good Emperour spake as a man of experience and very sage for if the Councellers and familiars of Princes bee euill taught and vnpatient they offend many and if they bee lyers they deceyue al and if they be dishonest they slaunder the people And these offences bee not so great vnto them that commit them as they bee vnto the Prince which suffereth them The Emperour Theodose had in his palace two Knights the one called Ruffinus and the other Stelliconus by whose prudence and wisedome the Common wealth was ruled and gouerned And as Ignatius Baptista sayeth they two were the Tutours and Gouernours of the children of Theodose whose names were Archadius and Honorius for as Seneca saith When good Princes doe die they ought to bee more carefull to procure Masters and Tutours which shall teach their children then to procure realmes or kingdomes for to enrich them The two Masters Stelliconus and Ruffinus had in the palace of Theodose each of them a sonne the which were maruellous well taught and very shamefast and for the contrary the two Princes Honorius and Arcadius were euill mannered and not very honest And therefore the good Emperour Theodose tooke these children oft times and set them at his Table and contrary hee would not once behold his owne Let no man maruel though a Prince of such a grauity did a thing of so small importance for to say the truth the shamefast children and well taught are but robbers of the hearts of other men Fourthly the Tutors and Masters of Princes ought to take good heed that when the young princes their Schollers waxe great that they giue not themselues ouer to the wicked vice of the flesh so that the sensuality and euill inclination of the wanton child ought to bee remoued by the wisedome of the chaste Master For this cursed flesh is of such condition that if once by wantonnes the wicket be opened death shall sooner approch then the gate shall be shut againe The trees which budde and cast leaues before the time our hope is neuer to eate of their fruit in season I meane that when children haunt the vice of the flesh whiles they be yong there is small hope of goodnesse to bee looked for in them when they be olde And the elder we see them waxe the more wee may be assured of their vices And where wee see that vice encreaseth there wee may affirme that vertue diminisheth Plato in his second booke of laws ordayneth and commaundeth that young men should not marry before they were 25. yeares of age and the young maydens at 20. becaust at that age their fathers abide lesse dangers in begetting them giuing of them life and the children also which are borne haue more strength against the assaults of death Therefore if it bee true as it is true indeed I aske now if to bee married and get children which is the end of marriage the Philosophers doe not suffer vntill such time as they bee men then I say that Masters ought not to suffer their schollers to haunt the vices of the flesh when they bee children In this case the good fathers ought not alone to commit this matter to their Tutors but also thereunto to haue an eye themselus For oft times they will say they haue been at their deuotions in the Temples when in deed they haue offered veneriall sacrifice to the Curtezan The vice of the flesh is of such condition that a man cannot giue himselfe vnto it without grudge of Conscience without hurt of his renowne without losse of his goods without shortning of his life and also without offence to the Common-wealth for oft times men enclined to such vice doe rebell trouble and slaunder the people Seneca satisfied me greatly in the which he writeth in the second booke De Clementia to Nero where hee sayeth these words If I knew the Gods would pardon me and also that men would not hate mee yet I ensure thee for the vilenes therof I would not sinne in the flesh And truly Seneca had reason for Aristotle sayeth That all Beastes after the act of Venerie are sorry but the Cocke alone O Gouernours and Masters of great Princes and Lords by the immortal Gods I sweare which created vs I coniure you and for that you owe to the Nobility I desire you that you will bridle with a sharpe snafle your charge and giue them not the reine to follow vices for if these young children liue they will haue time ynough to search to follow to attaine and also to cast off those yokes for through our frailety this wicked vice of the flesh in euery place in all ages in euery estate and at all times bee it by reason or not is neuer out of season What shall I say to you in this case if the children passe the furiousnes of their youth without the bridle then they bee voyde of the loue of God they follow the trumpet of sensuality after the sound whereof they runne headlong into the yoake and loose that that profiteth to win that which hurteth For in the carnall vices he that hath the least of that which sensuality desireth hath much more therof then reason willeth Considering that the Masters are negligent the children bolde their vnderstandings blinded and seeing that their appetites do accomplish beastly motions I aske now what remayneth to the childe and what contentation hath hee of such filth and naughtinesse Truly since the fleshly and vicious man is ouercome with his appetite of those that escape best I see none other fruit but that their bodies
remaine diseased and their vnderstanding blinded their memory dulled their sense corrupted their will hurted their reason subuerted and their good fame lost and worst of all the flesh remaineth alwayes flesh O how many young men are deceyued thinking that for to satisfie and by once engaging themselues to vices that from that time forwarde they shall cease to bee vicious the which thing not onely doth not profite them but also is very hurtfull vnto them For fire is not quenched with drye wood but with cold water But O God what shall wee doe since that now a dayes the Fathers doe as much esteeme their children for being fine and bolde minions among women as if they were verie profound in science or hardie in feates of Armes and that which is worst they oft times make more of their bastards gotten in adulterie then of their legitimate childe conceiued in matrimony What shall wee say then of mothers Truely I am ashamed for to speake it but they should bee more ashamed to doe it which is because they would not displease their husbands they hide the wickednesse of their children they put the children of their harlots to the Nurse they redeeme their gages they giue them money to play at dice they reconcile them to their fathers when they haue offended they borrow them money to redeeme them when they are indebted Finally they are makers of their bodies and vndoers of their soules I speake this insidently for that the masters would correct the children but the Fathers and mothers forbid them For it little auayleth for one to pricke the horse with the spurre when hee that sitteth vpon him holdeth him back with the bridle Therfore to our matter what shall we do to remedy this ill in the young man which in his flesh is vicious Truely I see no other remedie but with the moist earth to quench the flaming fire and to keepe him from the occasions of vice For in the warre honour by tarrying is obtained but in the vice of the flesh the victory by flying is obtayned The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE DIALL OF PRINCES WITH THE FAMOVS BOOKE OF MARCVS AVRELIVS WHERE HEE entreateth of the vertues which Princes ought to haue as Iustice Peace and Magnificence CHAP. I. How Princes and great Lordes ought to trauell to administer to all equall iustice EGidius Frigulus one of the most famous and renowmed Philosophers of Rome sayde that that betweene two of the Zodaicall signes Leo and Libra is a Virgine named Iustice the which in times past dwelled among men in earth and after that shee was of them neglected shee ascended vp to Heauen This Philosopher would let vs vnderstand that Iustice is so excellent a vertue that she passeth al mens capacitie since shee made heauen her mansion place and could finde no man in the whole earth that wold entertaine her in his house During the time they were chaste gentle pittifull patient embracers of vertue honest and true Iustice remayning in the earth with them but since they are conuerted vnto adulterers tyrants giuen to be proud vnpatient lyers and blasphemers shee determined to forsake them and to ascend vp into heauen So that this Philosopher concluded that for the wickednesse that men commit on earth Iustice hath leapt from them into Heauen Though this seeme to bee a Poeticall fiction yet it comprehendeth in it high and profound doctrine the which seemeth to be very cleare for where wee see iustice there are few theeues few murderers few tirants and few blasphemers Finally I say that in the house or Common wealth where Iustice remaineth a man can not committe vice and much lesse dissemble with the vicious Homer desirous to exalt justice could not tell what to say more but to call Kings the children of the great God Iupiter and that not for that naturalty they haue but for the office of iustice which they minister So that Homer concludeth that a man ought not to call iust Princes other but the children of God The diuiue Plato in the fourth booke of his common-wealth saieth that the chiefest gift God gaue to men is that they being as they be of such vile clay should bee gouerned by justice I would to GOD all those which reade this wryting vnderstoode right well that which Plato said For if men were not indued with reason and gouerned by iustice amongst all beasts none were so vnprofitable Let reason be taken from man wherwith he is indued and iustice whereby he is gouerned then shall men easily perceyue in what sort he will leade his life He cannot fight as the Elephant nor defend himselfe as the Tygre nor he can hunte as the Lyon neither labour as the Oxe and that wherby he should profite as I thinke is that he should eate Beares and Lyons in his life as now he shall be eaten of worms after his death All the Poets that inuented fictions all the Oratours which made Orations all the Philosophers which wrote books all the Sages which left vs their doctrines and all the Princes which instituted Lawes meant nothing else but to perswade vs to think how briefe and vnprofitable this life is and how necessary a thing iustice is therin For the filth and corruption which the bodie hath without the soule the selfe same hath the common-wealth without iustice Wee cannot denye but that the Romaines haue been prowde enuious adulterers shamelesse and ambicious but yet with all these faultes they haue beene great obseruers of iustice So that if God gaue them so manie Triumphs beeing loaden and enuironed with so many vices it was not for the vertues they had but for the great iustice which they did administer Plinie in his second booke saith that Democrites affirmed there were two gods which gouerned the vniuersall world that is to say Reward and Punishment Whereby wee may gather that nothing is more necessarie then true and right iustice For the one rewardeth the good and the other leaueth not vnpunished the euill Saint Austine in the first Booke De Ciuitate Dei saieth these words Iustice taken away what are Realmes but dennes of Theeues Truely hee had great reason For if there were no whips for vagabonds gags for blasphemers fines for periurie fires for heretiques sword for murderers galowes for theeues nor prisons for Rebells we may boldly say there would not bee so many Beasts on the mountains as there would be thieues in the Common-wealth In many things or in the greatest parte of the commonwealth wee see that Bread Wine Corn Fish Wool and other things necessary for the life of the people wanteth but we neuer saw but malicious men in euery place did abound Therefore I sweare vnto you that it were a good bargaine to chaunge all the wicked men in the commonwealth for one onely poore sheepe in the fielde In the Common-wealth wee see nought else but whipping daylie beheading slaying drowning hanging but notwithstanding this
banishment To flye the extreame heate of Rome and to reade some bookes which are brought mee from the realme of Palestine I am come hither to Capua and for the haste I made to ride great iourneyes the Ague hath ouertaken me which is more troublesome then perillous For it taketh me with cold and plucketh my appetite from me The 20 day of Ianuary I receyued thy second letter and it hapned that thy letter and my feuer tooke mee both at one instant but the feuer grieeued me in such wise that I could not long endure to reade thy letter Mee thinketh wee haue no stay nor meane thou beeing so briefe and I so long for my long letter hath taken thy grieuous sorrows from mee but thy short letter could not take my feuer from me now that my mind is beating of thy trauell the desire that I haue to remedy it is enflamed I would tel thee one thing succor thee with som counsel but I find that the consolation which thou wantest I cannot giue thee and that which I can giue thee thou needest not In this letter shall not be written that which was in the first but herein I will trauell the best I can to answer thee I wil not occupie my self to comfort thee because I am so out of course with this disease that I haue neyther will to write ne yet any fauour in any pleasant things If perhaps this letter bee not sauoury nor compendious neither so comfortable as those which I was wōt to write vnto thee attribute not the blame vnto my good will which desireth to serue thee but to the sicknes that giueth no place thereunto For it sufficeth the sicke to be contented with medicines without satisfying theyr friendes If thy comfort consisted in writing many letters and offering thee many words truely I would not sticke to doe that for my feuer but it neither profiteth thee nor satisfieth mee since I haue little to proffer thee much Talking now of this matter I doe remember that the ancient lawes of the Rhodians sayd these words We desire and admonish all men to visite the Captiues the Pilgrimes and the comfortlesse and further we ordaine and commaund that none in the Common wealth be so hardy to giue counsell vnlesse therewith hee giue remedy For to the troubled heart words comforteth little when in them there is no remedy Of a truth the Law of the Rhodians is good and the Romane which shall obserue them much better Assure thy self that I am very desirous to see thee and also I know that thou wouldest as gladly speake vnto me to recount mee all thy griefes Truely I doe not maruell because the wounded heart quieteth himselfe more declaring his owne griefes thē hearing another mans consolations Thou writest vnto me of sūdry things in thy letter the effect whereof that thou certifiest me is that the Iudges and Officers in that Realme bee very rigorous and extreame and that therefore the Cicilians are greatly displeased with the Senate Hitherto thou hast neuer tolde mee lye the which moueth me to beleeue all that thou writest now in thy letter Wherefore I take it for a thing most true that forasmuch as all those of Cicill are malitious and enuious they giue the Iudges fitte occasion to bee cruell For it is a generall rule where men are out of order the Ministers of iustice ought to bee rigorous And though in other realms it chaunced not it is to be beleeued that it is true in this Realme whereof the ancient Prouerbe sayth All those which inhabite the Isles are euill but the Cicilians are worst of all At this day the wicked are so mighty in their malice and the good are so much diminished in their vertues that if by Iustice there were not a bridle the wicked would surmount al the world and the good should vanish immediately But returning to our matter I say that considering with what how many euils wee are enuironed and to how many miseries wee are subiect I doe not maruell at the vanities that men commit but I am ashamed of the cruelty which our iudges execute so that wee may rather call them tyrants which kill by violence then Iudges which minister by iustice Of one thing I was greatly astonied and almost past my sense which is that iustice of right pertayneth to the Gods and they being offended will bee called pittifull and wee others borrow iustice and not beeing offended doe glorifie our selues to be called cruell I know not what man will hurt another since wee see that the Gods forgiuing their proper iniuries haue obtained the renowne of mercifull and wee others punishing the iniuries done vnto another doe remaine with the name of the tirants If the punishment of the Gods were so seuere as our sinnes are filthy and that they should measure vs with this measure the only desert of one offence is sufficient to take life from vs. With reason hee cannot be called a man amongst men but a sauage amongst the sauages that forgetting to be of feeble flesh tormenteth the flesh of his brother If a man he helde himselfe from toppe to toe he shall finde not one thing in him to moue him to cruelty but he shall see in him many instruments to exercise mercy For hee hath his eyes wherewith hee ought to behold the needy and indigent hee hath feete to goe to the Church and Setmons he hath hands to helpe all hee hath his tongue to fauour the Orphanes he hath a heart to loue God And to conclude hee hath vnderstāding to know the euill and discretion to follow the good If men owe much to the Gods for giuing them these Instruments to be pittifull truely they are bound no lesse vnto them for taking from them all occasions to be cruell For hee hath not giuen them hornes as to buls neither nailes as to the cat nor yet hee hath giuen them poyson as to the Serpent Finally hee hath nor giuen them so perilous feet as to a horse to strike nor hee hath giuen them such bloudie teeth as to the Lyons to bite Then sith the Gods bee pittifull and haue created vs pittifull and commaunded vs to bee pittifull why do our Iudges desire then to be cruell O how many cruell and seuere Iudges are there at this day in the Romane Empire which vnder the colour of good zeale to iustice aduenture to vndo the common wealth For not for the zeale of iustice but for the desire to attaine to renowne they haue beene ouercome with malice and denyed their owne proper Nature I doe not maruell that a Romane Censor should enuie my house will euill to my friends fauour mine enemies dispise my children with euill eyes behold my daughters couet my goods speake euill of my person but that which I am ashamed of is that diuers Iudges are so greedy to teare mens flesh as if they were Beares mans flesh were nointed with honey CHAP. VIII The Emperour
prosperous he loseth his goodes and honour and if he perchauce attaine to that he desired peraduenture his desire was to the damage of the Common-Wealth and then hee ought not to desire it For the desire of one should not hurt the profite of all When God our Lord did create Princes for Princes and people accepted them for their Lordes It is to beleeue that the Gods did neuer commaund such things nor the men would euer haue excepted such if they had thought that Princes wold not haue done that they were bound but rather that whereunto they were inclined For if men follow that wherunto their sensuality enclineth them they alwayes erre therfore if they suffer themselus to be gouerned by reasō they are alwayes sure And besides that Princes shold not take vpon thē warres for the burdening of their consciences the mis-spending of theyr goods and the losse of their honour they ought also to remember the duties that they owe to the Common-wealth the which they are bound to keepe in peace and iustice For wee others need not gouernours to search vs enemyes but good Princes which may defend vs from the wicked The diuine Plato in his 4. booke De Legibus sayth that one demaunded him why hee did exalt the Lydians so much and so much dispraise the Lacedemonians c Plato aunswered If I commend the Lydians it is for that they neuer were occupyed but in tylling the Fielde and if I doe reproue here the Lacedemonians it is because they neuer knew nothing else but to conquere realmes And therfore I say that more happy is that realme where men haue their hands with labouring full of blysters then where their arms in fighting are wounded with Swordes These words which Plato spake are very true and would to GOD that in the gates harts of Princes they were written Plinius in an Epistle sayeth that it was a Prouerbe much vsed amongst the Greekes That hee was king which neuer saw king The like may we say that he onely may enioy peace which neuer knewe what warres meant For simple and innocent though a man bee there is none but will iudge him more happy which occupieth his hand kerchiefe to drye the sweate off his browes then he that breaketh it to wipe the bloud off his head The Princes and great Lords which are louers of warres ought to consider that they doe not only hurt in generall all men but also especially the good and the reason is that although they of their owne wills doe abstaine from Battell doe not spoyle doe not rebell nor slay yet it is necessary for them to endure the iniuryes and to suffer their owne losse and damages For none are meete for the warre but those which little esteeme theyr life and much lesse their consciences If the warre were only with the euill against the euill and to the hurte and hinderance of the euill little should they feele which presume to be good But I am sorrie the good are persecuted the good are robbed and the good are slaine For if it were otherwise as I haue saide the euill against the euill we would take little thought both for the vanquishing of the one and much lesse for the destruction of the other I aske nowe what fame what honour what glorie what victorie or what Riches in that warre can be wonne wherin so many good vertuous and wise men are lost There is such penurie of the good in the world and such neede of them in the common-wealth that if it were in our power we with our tears ought to plucke them out of their graues and giue them life and not to leade them into the Warres as to a shambles to be put to death Plinie in one Epistle and Seneca in another say that when they desired a Romaine Captaine that with his armey he should enter into a great danger whereof great honour should ensue vnto him and little profite to the Commonwealth He made answere For nothing would I enter into that daunger if it were not to giue life to a Romane Citizen For I desire rather to goe enuironned with the good in Rome then to goe loaden with treasures into my Countrey Comparing Prince to Prince and law to law and the Christan with the Pagan without comparison the soule of a Christian ought more to be esteemed thē the life of a Romane For the good Romane obserueth it as a law to dye in the warre but the good christian hath the precept to liue in peace Snetonius Tranquillus in the second Booke of Caesars sayeth That among all the Romane Princes there was no Prince so well beloued nor yet in the warres so fortunate as Augustus was And the reason hereof is because that Prince neuer beganne any war vnles by great occasion he was thereunto prouoked O of how manie princes not Ethnicks but Christians we haue heard and read all contrary to this which is that were of such large conscience that they neuer took vpon them any warre that was iust to whom I swear and promise that since the warre which they in this worlde beganne was vniust the punishment which in another they shall haue is most righteous Xerxes King of the Persians being one day at dinner one brought vnto him verie faire and sauourie figges of the prouince of Athens the which beeing set at the table hee sware by the immortall Gods and by the bones of his predecessors that hee would neuer eate figges of his Countrey but of Athens which were the best of all Greece And that which by words of mouth king Xerxes sweare by valiant deedes with force and shield hee accomplished and went forthwith to conquer Grecia for no other cause but for to fill himselfe with the figges of that Countrey so that hee beganne that warre not only as a light prince but also as a vitious man Titus Liuius sayeth that when the French men did taste of the wine of Italy immediately they put them selues in Armes and went to conquer the Country without hauing any other occasion to make warre against them So that the Frenchmen for the licoriousnesse of the pleasant wines lost the deare bloud of their owne hearts King Antigonus dreamed one night that hee saw King Methridates with a Sithe in his hand who like a Mower did cut all Italy And there fell such feare to Antigonus that hee determined to kill King Methridates so that this wicked prince for crediting a light dreame set all the world in an vprore The Lumbardes being in Pannonia heard say that there was in Italy sweet fruits sauourie flesh odorifetous Wines faire Women good Fish little colde and temperate heate the which newes moued them not onely to desire them but also they tooke weapons to goe conquer Italie So that the Lumbardes came not into Italy to reuenge them of their enemies but to bee there more vicious and riotous The Romanes and the Carthagenians were friendes of long time but after they
knew that there was in Spaine great mynes of gold and siluer immediately arose betweene them exceeding cruell warres so that those two puissant Realmes for to take from each other their goods destroied their owne proper Dominions The Authors of the aboue saide were Plutarchus Paulus Diaconus Berosus and Titus Liutus O secrete iudgements of God which sufferest such things O mercifull goodnes of thee my Lord that permitteth such things that through the dreame of one prince in his chamber another for to robbe the treasures of Spaine another to flye the colde of Hungarie another to drinke the Wines of Italy another to eate figs of Greece should put all the Countrey to fire and bloud Let not my penne bee cruell against all Princes which haue vniust warres For as Traianus sayd Iust warre is more worth then fained peace I commend approue and exalt princes which are carefull and stout to defend and keepe that which their predecessors left them For admitte that for dispossessing them hereof commeth all the breach with other princes Looke how much his enemy offendeth his conscience for taking it so much offendeth he his Common-wealth for not defending it The wordes which the diuine Plato spake in the first booke of his Lawes did satisfie me greatly which were these It is not meete we should be too extream in commending those which haue peace nor let vs bee too vehement in reproouing those which haue warre For it may bee now that if one haue warre it is to the end to attaine peace And for the contrary if one haue peace it shall be to the end to make warre Indeed Plato sayd very true For it is more worth to desire short warre for long peace then short peace for long warre The Philosopher Chilo being demanded whereby a good or euill Gouernour might be knowne he answered There is nothing whereby a good and euill man may bee better known then in that for which bey striue For the tyrannous Prince offereth himselfe to aye to take from another but the vertuous Prince trauelleth to defend his owne When the Redeemer of this world departed from this world hee sayde not I giue yee my warre or leaue yee my warre but I leaue you my peace and giue you my peace Thereof ensueth that the good Christian is bound to keepe the peace which Christ so much commaunded then to inuent warre to reuenge his proper iniurie which God so much hated If Princes did that they ought for to doe and in this case would beleeue mee for no temporall thing they should condiscend to shedde mans bloud if nothing else yet at the least the loue of him which on the Crosse shedd his precious bloud for vs should from that cleane disswade vs. For the good Christians are commaunded to bewayle their owne sinnes but they haue no licence to shed the bloud of their enemies Finally I desire exhort and further admonish all princes and great Lords that for his sake that is prince of peace they loue peace procure peace keepe peace and liue in peace For in peace they shall bee rich and their people happie CHAP. XIIII The Emperour Marcus Aurelius writeth to his friend Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discommodities of warre and the vanitie of Triumph MArcus Aurelius wisheth to thee Cornelius his faithfull friend health to thy person and good lucke against all euil fortune Within fifteene dayes after I came from the warre of Asia whereof I haue triumphed here in Rome remembring that in times past thou wert a companion of my trauell I sent immediately to certifie thee of my triumphes For the noble hearts doe more reioyce of their friends ioy then they do of their owne proper delights If thou wilt take paines to come when I send to call thee bee thou assured that on the one part thou shalt haue much pleasure to see the great abundance of riches that I haue brought out of Asia and to beholde my receiuing into Rome and on the other thou canst not keepe thy selfe from weeping to see such a sorte of Captiues the which entred in before the triumphant chariots bound and naked to augment the conquerours most glory and also to them vanquished to be a greater ignomie Seldome times we see the Sun shine bright all the day long but first in the Summer there hath beene a mist or if it be in the winter there hath beene a frost By this Parable I meane that one of the miseries of this world is that wee shall see few in this world which now bee prosperous but before haue had fortune in some cases very malitious For wee see by experience some come to bee very poore and other chaunce to attaine to great riches so that through the empouerishing of those the other become rich and prosperous The weapon of the one causeth the other to laugh so that if the bucket that is empty aboue doth not goe downe the other which is ful beneath cannot come vp Speaking therefore according to sensuality thou wouldest haue beene glad that day to haue seene our triumph with the abundance of riches the great number of Captiues the diuersity of beasts the valiantnes of the Captaines the sharpenesse of wittes which wee brought from Asia and entred into Rome wherby thou mightest well know the daungers that wee escaped in the ware Wherefore speaking the truth the matter betweene vs and our enemies was so debated that those of vs that escaped best had their bodies sore wounded and their veins also almost without bloud I let thee know my Cornelius that the Parthians are warlike men in dangerous enterprises very hardie and bold And when they are at home in their Country euery one with a stout hart defendeth his house and surely they doe it like good men and valiant Captaines For if we other Romanes without reason and through ambition doe goe to take an other mans it is meete and iust that they by force doe defend their owne Let no man through the aboundance of malice or want of wisedom enuie the Romane Captaine for any triumph that is giuen him by his mother Rome for surely to get this onely one dayes honour he aduentureth his life a thousand times in the field I will not speake all that I might say of them that wee ledde foorth to the warres nor of them which wee leaue here at home in Rome which bee all cruell Iudges of our fame for theyr iudgement is not vpright according to equity but rather proceedeth of malice and enuie Though they take mee for a patient men and not farre out of order yet I let thee know my Cornelius that there is no patience can suffer nor heart dissemble to see many Romanes to haue such great enuie which through their malitious tongues passe not to backebite other mens triumphes For it is an olde disease of euill men through malice to backebite that with theyr tongue which through their cowardnesse they neuer durst enterprise with their
of counsel they themselues imagine and other flattrers telleth that thogh they haue much in respect of other princes yet they can doe little Also they say vnto them that if their substaunce bee great their Fame ought to bee greater Further they tell them that the good Prince ought little to esteeme that hee hath inherited of his predecessors in respect of the great deale more hee ought to leaue to his successours Also they tell them that neuer prince left of him any great memory but inuenting some cruell Warre against his enemie Also they tell them that the houre that one is chosen Emperour of Rome hee may boldely conquer the whole earth These vaine reasons being heard of the princes afterwardes as their Fortune is base and their mindes high immediately they defie their enemies they open their Treasures they assemble great armies and in the end of all the Gods suffer that they thinking to tkae an other mans goods they waste and lose their owne Oh Princes I knowe not who doth deceyue yee that you which by peace may be rich and by war wil be poore Oh Princes I know not who doth deceiue you that you which may be loued doe seeke occasions to be hated Oh princes I knowe not who doth beguyle yee that yee which may enioy a sure life doe aduenture your selues to the mutabilitie of Fortune Oh princes I knowe not who doeth deceyue you that you so little esteeme and weigh your owne aboundance and so greatly set by the wants of others Oh princes I know not who doth deceiue you that all hauing need of you you should haue neede of others I let thee to knowe my Cornelius though a prince bee more quicke and carefull then all other his predecessors haue bin in Rome yet it is vnpossible that all things touching warre should succeede vnto him prosperously For in the greatest neede of warres eyther he wanteth money or his subiects do not succour him or time is contrarie vnto him or he findeth perilous pasges hee lacketh Artillerie or the captaines rebell or else succour commeth to his aduersaryes so that hee seeth himselfe so miserable that thoughtes doe more oppresse his heart then the enemies do harme his land Though a prince had no warre but for to suffer men of warre yet he ought to take vpon him no warre I aske thee now my Cornelius what trauell so great to his person or what greater damage to his Realme can his Enemies do then that which his own men of warre doe c The Enemies to doe the worst they can will but robbe our Frontiers but our men of War do robbe the whole countrey The Enemies we dare and may resist but to ours we cannot nor dare not speake The Enemyes the worst they can do is once in a moneth to robbe and runne their wayes but ours daily do robbe and remaine still The Enemyes feare their enemies only but ours doe feare their enemyes and haue no pitie on their friends The enemies the further they goe on the more they diminish but ours the further they goe the more they encrease I know no greater warre that Princes can haue then to haue men of warre in their realmes For as experience doth shew vs before the Gods they are culpable to Princes importunate and to the people troublesome so that they liue to the damage of all and to the profit of none By the God Mars I swear vnto thee my friend Cornelius as hee may direct my hands in the war that I haue more complaints in the Senate of the thefts which my Captaines did in Illyria then of all the enemies of the Romane people Both for that I say and for that I kept secret I am more afraid to create an Ensigne of two hundred men of warre then to giue a cruell battell to thirty thousand men For that battell fortune good or euill forthwith dispacheth but with these I can bee sure no time of all my life Thou wilt say vnto me Cornelius that since I am Emperour of Rome I should remedy this since I know it For that Prince which dissembleth with the fault of another by reason hee will condemne him as if it were his owne To this I answere that I am not mighty enough to remedy it except by my remedy there should spring a greater inconuenience And since thou hast not beene a Prince thou couldest not fall into that I haue nor yet vnderstand that which I say For Princes by their wisdom know many things the which to remedy they haue no power So it hath beene so it is so it shall be so I found it so I keepe it so will I leaue it them so I haue reade it in bookes so haue I seen it with my eyes so haue I heard it of my predecessors And finally I say our Fathers haue inuented it and so will wee their children sustaine it and for this euill wee will leaue it to our heyres I will tell thee one thing and imagine that I erre not therein which is considering the great dammage and little profite which men of warre do bring to our Common wealth I thinke to doe it and to sustaine it eyther it is the folly of men or a scourge giuen of the Gods For there can be nothing more iust then for the Gods to permit that wee feele that in our owne houses which wee cause others in strange houses to lament All those thinges I haue written vnto thee not for that it skileth greatly that I know them but that my heart is at ease for to vtter them For as Alcibiades sayde the chests and the hearts ought alwayes to be open to their friends Panutius my Secretary goeth in my behalfe to visite that Land and I gaue him this Letter to giue thee with two Horses wherewith I doe thinke thou wilt be contented for they are Genets The Weapons and riches which I tooke of the Parthians I haue now diuided notwithstanding I do send thee two Chariots laden with them My wife Faustine greeteth thee and shee sendeth a rich glasse for thy Daughter and a iewell with stones for thy sister No more but I doe beseech the gods to giue thee a good life and me a good death CHAP. XVII An Admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the entent that the more they grow in yeares the more they are bound to refrayne from vices AVlus Gelius in his booke De noctibus Atticis sayeth that there was an auncient custome among the Romanes to honour and haue in great reuerence aged men And this was so inuiolate a Law amongst them that there was none so noble of bloud and linage neyther so puissant in riches neyther so fortunate in battels that should go before the aged men which were loden with white hayres so that they honoured them as they did the Gods Amongst other the aged men had these preheminences that is to say that in feasts they sate highest in the
be so many couetous men in the common wealth for nothing can bee more vniust then one rich man heape vp that which wold suffice 10000. to liue with all we cannot deny but that cursed auarice to al sorts of men is as preiudicial as the moth which eateth all garments Therefore speaking the truth there is no house that it doth not defile for it is more perillous to haue a clod of earth fall into a mans eye then a beame vpon his foote Agesilaus the renowmed king of the Lacedemonians beeing asked of a man of Thebes what word was most odible to be spoken to a King and what word was that that could honor him most hee aunswered The Prince with nothing so much ought to bee annoyed as to say vnto him that hee is rich and of nothing hee ought so much to reioyce as to be called poore For the glory of the good Prince consisteth not in that hee hath great treasures but in that hee hath giuen great recompences This word without doubt of all the world was one of the most royallest and worthyest to be committed vnto me morie Alexander Pyrrhus Nicanor Ptholomeius Pompeius Iulius Caesar Scipto Hanniball Marcus Porlius Augustus Cato Traian Theodose Marcus Aurelius c. All these Princes haue bin very valiaunt and vertuous but adding hereunto also the Writers which had written the deeds that they did in their liues haue mentioned also the pouertie which they had at their death So that they are no lesse exalted for the riches they haue spent then for the prowesses they haue done Admit that men of meane estate be auaritious and Princes great Lords also couetous the fault of the one is not equall with the vice of the other though in the ende all are culpable For if the poore man keepe it is for that hee would not want but if the knight hoord it is because he hath too much And in this case I would say that cursed bee the Knight which trauelleth to the end that goods abound and doth not care that betweene two bowes his renowm fall to the ground Sithens Princes and great Lordes will that men doe count them Noble vertuous and valiaunt I would fayne know what occasion they haue to be niggards and hard If they say that that which they keepe is to eate herein there is no reason for in the end where the rich eateth least at his table there are many that had rather haue that which remaineth then that which they prouide to eate in their houses If they say that that which they keepe is to apparrell them herein also they haue as little reason for the greatnes of Lordes consisteth not in that they should bee sumptuously apparrelled but that they prouide that their seruants goe not rent not torne If they say it is to haue in their chambers precious iewels in their hals rich Tapestry as little would I admit this answere for all those which enter into Princes Pallaces doe behold more if those that haunt their chambers bee vertuous then that the Tapestries be rich If they say it is to compasse their Cities with walles or to make fortresses on their frontiers so likewise is this answere among the others very cold For good Princes ought not to trauell but to be well willed and if in their realms they be welbeloued in the world they can haue no walles so strong as in the hearts of their Subiects If they tell vs that that they keepe is to marry their children as little reason is that for sithence Princes and great Lords haue great inheritances they need not heape much For if their children bee good they shall encrease that shall be left them and if by mishappe they be euill they shall as well lose that which shall bee giuen them If they say vnto vs that which they heape is for the wartes in like manner that is no iust excuse For if such warre bee not iust the Prince ought not to take it in hand nor the people thereunto to condiscend but if it be iust the common-wealth then and not the Prince shall beare the charges thereof For in iust warres it is not sufficient that they giue vnto the Prince all their goods but also they must themselues in person hazzard theyr liues If they tell vs that they keepe it to giue and dispose for theyr soules at their dying day I say it is not onely for want of wisedome but extreame sollie For at the houre of death princes ought more to reioyce for that they haue giuen then for that at that time they giue Oh how Princes and great Lordes are euill counselled since they suffer themselues to be slaundered for being couetous onely to heape a little cursed treasure For experience teacheth vs no man can be couetous of goods but needs he must be prodigall of honour and abandon libertie Plutarche in the Booke which hee made of the fortunes of Alexander saith That Alexander the great had a priuate seruant called Perdicas the which seeing that Alexander liberally gaue all that which by great trauell hee attained on a day he said vnto him Tell mee most Noble Prince sithens thou giuest all that thou hast vnto others what wilt thou haue for thy selfe Alexander answered The glorie remaineth vnto mee of that I haue wonne and gotten and the hope of that which I will giue and winne And further he said vnto him I will tell thee Perdicas If I knew that men thought that all that which I take were for couetousnes I sweare vnto thee by the God Mars that I would not beate downe one corner in a Towne and to winne all the world I would not go one dayes iourney My intention is to take the glorie vnto my selfe and to diuide the goods amongst others These words so high were worthy of a valiant and vertuous Prince as of Alexander which spake them If that which I haue read in books doe not beguile mee and that which with these eyes I haue seen to become rich it is necessarie that a man giue For that Princes and great lords who naturally are giuen to bee liberall are alwayes fortunate to haue It chaunceth oft times that some man giuing a little is counted liberal and another giuing much is counted a niggard the which proceedeth of this that they know not that liberalitie and niggardnesse consisteth not in giuing much or little but to knowe well how to giue For the rewardes and recompences which out of time are distributed doe neyther profite them which receyue them neyther agree to him which giueth them A couetous man giueth more at one time then a noble and free heart doeth in twentie thus saith the prouerbe It is good comming to a niggardes feast The difference betweene the liberality of the one and the misery of the other is that the noble and vertuous doth giue that he giueth to many but the niggard giueth that hee giueth to one onely Of the which vnaduisement
thinke thou wilt do so For by the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee that my heart neither suspected iâ— nor yet the aucthority of so graue a Romane doth demand it for to thee onely the fault should remaine and to me the wonder Heartily I commend vnto thee thy honesty which to thy selfe thou oughtest and the care which behooueth so worthy and notable a widow For if thou art tormented with the absence of the dead thou oughtest to comfort thee with the reputation of the liuing At this present I will say no more to thee but that thy renowne among the present be such and that they speake of thee so in absence that to the euill thou giue the bridell to be silent and to the good spurres to come and sefue thee For the widow of euill renowne ought to be buried quicke Other things to write to thee I haue none Secret matters are dangerous to trust considering that thy heart is not presently disposed to heare newes It is reason thou know that I with thy parents and friends haue spoken to the Senate which haue giuen the office that thy husband had in Constantinople to thy sonne And truly thou oughtest no lesse to reioyce of that which they haue said of thee then for that they haue giuen him For they say though thy husband had neuer beene Citizen of Rome yet they ought to haue giuen more than this onely for thy honest behauiour My wife Faustine saluteth thee and I will say I neuer saw her weepe for any thing in the world so much as shee hath wept for thy mishap For shee felt thy losse which was very great and my sorrow which was not little I send thee foure thousand sexterces in money supposing that thou hast wherewith to occupy them as well for thy necessaries as to discharge thy debts For the complaints demaunds and processes which they minister to the Romane Matrons are greater then are the goods that their husbands doe leaue them The gods which haue giuen rest to thy husband O Claudine giue also comfort to thee his wife Lauinia Marcus of mount Celio with his owne hand CHAP. XXXIX That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world for that there is nothing in the world but plaine deceit PLato Aristotle Pythagoras Empedocles Democrates Seleucus Epicurus Diogenes Thales and Methrodorus had among them so great contention to describe the world his beginning and propertie that in maintaining euery one his opinion they made greater wars with their pens then their enemies haue done with their lances Pythagoras sayde that that which wee call the World is one thing and that which wee call the vniuersall is an other the Philosopher Thales said that there was no more but one World and to the contrarie Methrodorus the Astronomer affirmed there were infinit worlds Diogenes sayd that the world was euerlasting Seleucus sayd that it was not true but that it had an ende Aristotle seemed to say that the world was eternall But Plato sayde clearely that the world hath had beginning and shall also haue ending Epicurus sayd that it was round as a ball Empedocles saide that it was not as a bowle but as an egge Chilo the Philosopher in the high Mount Olimpus disputed that the world was as men are that is to say that hee had an intellectable and sensible soule Socrates in his Schoole sayeth and in his doctrine wrote that after 37 thousand yeares all things should returne as they had beene before That is to say that he himselfe should bee borne anew and should be nourished and should reade in Athens And Dennis the Tytant should returne to play the Tyrant in Syracuse Iulius Caesar to rule Rome Hannibal to conquer Italy and Scipio to make warre against Carthage Alexander to fight against King Darius and so foorth in all others past In such and other vaine questions and speculstions the auncient Philosophers consumed many yeares They in writing many bookes haue troubled their spirites consumed long time trauelled many Countryes and suffered innumerable dangers and in the end they haue set forth few truthes and many lyes For the least part of that they knew not was much greater then all that which they euer knew When I tooke my penne in my hand to write the vanity of the world my intention was not to reproue this material world the which of the four Elements is compounded that is to say of the earth that is cold and drie of the water that is moist and cold of the ayre that is hote and moist of fire that is drie and hote so that taking the world in this sort there is no reason why we should complaine and lament of it since that without him we cannot liue corporally When the Painter of the world came into the world it is not to be beleeued that he reproued the water which bare him when hee went vpon it nor the ayre that ceased to blow in the sea nor the earth that trembled at his death nor the light which ceased to light nor the stones which brake in sunder nor the fish which suffered themselues to bee taken not the trees which suffered themselues to be drie nor the monuments that suffered themselues to bee opened For the creature acknowledged in his Creator omnipotency and the Creator founded in the creature due obedience Oftentimes and of many persons wee heare say O woefull world O miserable world O subtill world O world vnstable and vnconstant And therefore it is reason wee know what the world is whereof the world is from whence this world is whereof this world is made and who is lord of this world since in it all things are vnstable all things are miserable all things deceitfull all things are malicious which cannot be vnderstood of this materiall worlde For in the fire in the aire in the earth and in the water in the light in the Planets in the stones and in the Trees there are no sorrowes there are no miseryes there are no deceytes nor yet any malice The world wherein wee are borne where we liue and where we die differeth much from the world whereof we doe complaine for the world against whom wee fight suffereth vs not to be in quyet one howre in the day To declare therefore my intention this wicked World is no other thing but the euill life of the Worldlings the Earth is the desire the fire the couetise the water the inconstancie the ayre the folly the stones are the pride the flowers of the Trees the thoughts the deepe Sea the heart Finally I say that the Sunne of this world is the prosperity and the moon is the continuall change The Prince of this so euill a world is the diuell of whom IESVS CHRIST laid The prince of this world shall now be cast out and this the Redeemer of the World sayeth For he called the worldlings and their worldly liues the world For since they be seruants of sinne of
necessity they must be subiects to the diuell The pride the auarice the enuie the blasphemie the pleasures the leachery the negligēce the gluttony the ire the malice the vanity the follie This is the worlde against which wee fight all our life and there the good are princes of vices and the vices are Lordes of the vicious Let vs compare the trauels which we suffer of the Elements with those which wee endure of the vices and wee shall see that little is the perill wee haue on the sea and the land in respect of that which encreaseth our euill life Is not he in more danger that falleth throgh malice into pride then hee which by chaunce falleth from a high rocke Is not hee who with enuie is persecuted in more danger then he that with a stone is wounded Are not they in more perill that liue among vitious men then others that liue among brute and cruell beasts Doe not those which are tormented with the fire of couetousnes suffer greater danger thē those which liue vnder the mount Ethna Finally I say that they be in greater perils which with high imaginations are blinded thē the trees which with the importunate winds are shaken And afterwards this world is our cruell enemy it is a deceitfull friend it is that which alwayes keepeth vs in trauell it is that which taketh from vs our rest it is that that robbeth vs of our treasure it is that which maketh himselfe to bee feared of the good and that which is greatly beloued of the euill It is that which of the goods of other is prodigall and of his own very miserable Hee is the inuentor of all vices the scourge of all vertues It is hee which entertaineth all his in flatterie and sayre speech This is hee which bringeth men to dissention that robbeth the renowme of those that bee dead and putteth to sacke the good name of those that bee aliue Finally I say that this cursed World is hee which to all ought to render account and of whom none dare aske account Oh vanitie of vanities where all walke in vanitie where all thinke vanitie where all cleaue to vanitie where all seemeth vanity and yet this is little to seeme vanitie but that indeede it is vanitie For as false witnesse should he beare that would say That in this Worlde there is any thing Assured Healthfull and True as hee that would say that in Heauen there is any vnconstant variable or false thing Let therefore vaine Princes see how vaine their thoughts bee and let vs desire a vaine Prince to tell vs how he hath gouerned with him the vanityes of the world For if hee belieue not that which my pen writeth let him be leeue that which his person proueth The words written in the booke of Ecclesiastes are such I Dauids Sonne that swayes the Kingly seate With hungrie thyrst haue throwne amid my brest A vaine desire to proue what pleasures great In fleeting Lise haue stable foote to rest To taste the sweete that might suffise my will With rayned course to shunne the deeper way Whose streames of high delight should so distill As might content my restlesse thoughts to stay For loe Queene Follyes Impes through vaine beleefe So proudly shape their search of tickle reatch That though desert auayles the waue of griefe To Science toppe their clymbing will doth stretch And so to drawe some nice delighting ende Of Fancyes toyle that feasted thus my thought I largely waighed my wasted boundes to bende To swelling Realmes as Wisedomes Dyall wrought I Royall Courtes haue reached from the soyle To serue to lodge my huge attending traine Each pleasaunt house that might be heapt with toyle I reared vp to weelde my wanton rayne I causde to plante the long vnused vines To smooth my taste with treasure of the Grape I sipped haue the sweete inflaming Wines Olde rust of care by hidde delight to scape Fresh Arbours I had closed to the skyes A shrowded space to vse my fickle Feete Rich Gardeins I had dazling still mine Eyes A pleasaunt plot when dayntie Foode was meete High shaking-trees by Arte I stroue to sette To fraight desire with Fruits of liking taste When boyling flame of Summers-Sunne did heate The blossom'de Boughes his shooting beames did waste From Rocky hilles I forced to be brought Colde siluer Springs to bayne my fruitfull grounde Large throwne-out Ponds I laboured to be wrought Where numbers huge of swimming Fish were found Great compast Parkes I gloryed long to plant And wylde Forrests where swarmed Heards of Deere Thousands of Sheepe ne Cattell could not want With new encrease to store the wasted yeere Whole rowtes I kept of seruile wights to serue Defaultes of Princely Courtes with yrke some toyle Whose skilfull hand from cunning could not swarue Their sway was most to decke my dayntie soyle The learned weights of Musickes curious art I trayned vp to please mee with their play Whose sugred tunes so sayled to my heart As flowing griefe agreed to eble away The tender Maydes whose stalke of growing yeares Yet reached not to age his second rayne Whose royall am s were swallowed in no cares But burnt by loue as Beautyes lotte doth gaine Loe I enioyde to feede my dulled spirite With strained voyce of sweete alluring song But yet to mount the Stage of more delight I ioyed to see theyr comely Daunces long The hilles of massie Golde that I vp heapt So hugie were by hoord of long excesse That clottered clay with prouder price was kept In sundry Realmes when ruthfull neede did presse In some I say my bodyes rowling guyde Did gaze for nought but subiect lay to sight My iudge of sounds wisht nothing to abyde But was instild to kindle more delight The clother of my corps yet neuer felt That pleasde him ought but aye it toucht againe My sicher of sauours if ought be smelt That might content his would was neuer vaine The greedy sighes of my deuoured brest Trauelled in thought to conquere no delight But yeelded streight as wyer to the wrest To office such as wanton will be hight But when the doore of by abused eyen Where hoysed vp with lookes and lookes againe And that my eager hands did aye encline To touch the sweete that season still their paine When wanton tast was fed with each conceyt That strange deuise brought forth from flowing wit When restlesse will was ballast with the weight Of princely reach that did my compasse fit I saw by search the sory vnstable bloome The blasted fruit the flitting still delight The fickle ioy the oft abused doome The slipper stay the short contented sight Of such as set their heauen of singing life In pleasures lappe that laugh at their abuse Whose froward wheele with frowning turne is ryse To drowne their blisse that blindely slept with vse For loe the course of my delighting yeares That was embraste in armes of Fancies past When wisedomes Sunne through follies clowds appeares Doth
one neighbour or our proper brother doth enuy vs we will neuer thogh he do require vs pardon him and wee cease not to follow the world though wee know he persecuteth vs. So that wee draw our swords against flies and will kil the Elephants with needles There is no greater ill in the world then to thinke all things in the world are in extremitie for if wee be abased we sigh alwais to mount if we be high we weepe alwayes for feare of falling Such ouerthrowes hath the world and his snares are so secret that we are no sooner shipped but wee see both our hands and feete entangled with vices by the which our libertie is brought into such extreme and cruell captiuitie that wee bewayle our mishaps with roaring voyce as brute beasts but as men wee dare not once vtter them I know not whereof this commeth for some I see which willingly fall and other I see which would recouer themselues I see diuers that would bee remedyed and I see all do complaine but in the end I see no man that doth amend These things I haue written vnto thee for no other thing but because from henceforth thou shouldst liue more circumspectly for as thou know est I say nothing whereof I haue not long experience The colt which thou hast sent mee is prooued verie good especially for that he leapeth very well and for the careere hee is exceeding ready and hath a comely grace I send thee two thousand sexterces wherewith thou mayst releeue thy necessities Finding opportunitie as touching thy banishment I will speake to the Senate in thy behalfe I say no more to thee but that the consolations of the gods and the loue of the gods be with thee Torquatus The malice of the euill and the ire of the furies bee absent from mee Marcus My wife Faustine saluteth thee and in her behalfe and mine recommend vs to thy faire daughter in law Solophonia and thy daughter Amilda Marke of Mount Celio writeth to thee Torquate with his owne hand CHAP. XLIII Princes and Nobles ought not to beare with Iuglers Iesters Parasites and common Players nor with any such kinde of raskals and loyterers And of the lawes which the Romaines made in this behalfe LIcurgus Promotheus Solon and Numa Pompilius famous inuentors and ordayners of Lawes shewed the subtilty of their wits and the zeale which they had to their people in ordaining many Lawes which they taught not onely what they ought to doe but that which they ought to flye For the good and expert Physitions doe deserue more prayse for to preserue vs before we are sicke then to heale vs after that wee are diseased Plutarch in his Apothegmes neuer ceaseth to exalt the Lacedemonians saying That when they did obserue their Lawes they were the most esteemed of all the Greekes and after they brake them they were the most vylest Subiects which euer the Romanes had The felicitie or infelicitie of Realms doth not consist to haue good or euill Lawes but to haue good or euill Princes For little profiteth vs the Lawes to be iust if the King be wicked Sextus Cheronensis in the life of Nero saith When the Romaines and the Greekes had warres together and that the Embassadours of those two Nations were at controuersie which of them should haue the Rhodians to bee their Friends The Greeke Embassadour sayd to the Romain Yee ought not to make your selues equall O Romains with the Greekes since the truth is that ye came from Rome to Greece to seeke Lawes The Romaine Embassadour aunswered him I graunt thee that from Rome we sent to seeke Lawes in Greece but thou wilt not denye that from Greece you haue brought the vices to Rome I say vnto thee the truth that without comparison greater damage haue the vices done vnto vs then your Lawes hath profited vs. Plutarch in an Epistle hee wrote to Traiane saide these words Thou writest vnto me most noble Prince that thou art occupyed in ordayning newe Lawes but in my opinion it had beene much better that thou hadst kept and caused to be kept the olde For little profiteth it to haue the Bookes full of good Lawes and that the Common-wealth bee full of euill customes I haue seene very fewe Princes but to make Lawes they had abilitie sufficient and to keepe them they haue felte in themselues great debilitie and weakenesse Hereof we haue example For Nero was he which made the best Lawes in Rome and that afterwards of life was most corrupt For the Gods oftentimes permit that by the handes of some euill men the others should bee constrained to bee good Plutarche saith further If thou wilt Noble Prince trust thine owne vnderstanding in my poore counsell in fewe wordes I would recyte vnto thee all the ancient lawes I wil send thee very briefe and sweete Lawes not to the ende thou shouldest publish them in Rome but to the ende thou keepe them in thy house For since thou hast made Lawes for all I will make Lawes for thee The first Law is that thou behaue thy selfe in such sort that thou bee not detected of any notable vice For if the Prince bee vertuous in his Pallace none dare be dissolute in his house The second Lawe is that equally thou keepe Iustice as well to him which liueth farre off as to him which is neere about thee For it is much better that thou depart of thy goods to thy Seruants then that thou shouldest giue that Iustice which appertaineth to others The third Law is that thou delight in word and deede to be true and that they take thee not in this defaulte to speake too much For Princes which in theyr words are vncertaine and in theyr promises doubtfull shall be hated of theyr Friends and mocked of their enemyes The fourth Law is that thou bee very gentle of behauiour and conditions and not forgetfull of seruices done For vnthankfull Princes are hated of GOD and despised of men The fifth Lawe is that as a Pestilēce thou driue and chase awà y from thee all cunning Sycophantes and Flatterers For such with theyr euill life doe disturbe a whole Common wealth and with theyr Flatteryes doe obscure and darken thy Renowme If thou most Noble Prince wilt obserue these fiue Lawes thou shalt neede to make no more Lawes For there is no neede of other Lawes in the Common wealth then to see that the Prince bee of good life c. This wrote Plutarche to the Emperour Traian and euery vertuous man ought to haue them writen in his hart I was willing to touch this Historie onely to shewe the profite of this last Law where it sayeth that Princes admit into their conuersation no Flatterers of whom it is reason wee talke of now For so much as there are diuers men with whom they lose theyr time and spend their goods When Rome was well ordered two Officers were greatly esteemed to the Romaines The one was the maisters of Fence which
say they are faithfull for oftentimes greater are the theeues which are receiuers and treasurers then are they that doe rob among the people I leaue thee my sonne expert and ancient men of whom thou maiest take counsell and with whom thou maiest communicat thy troubles for there can bee fourmed no honest thing in a Prince vnlesse hee hath in his company auncient men for such giue grauitie to his person and authoritie to his pallace To inuent Theaters to sish ponds to chase wilde beasts in the forrests to runne in the fields to let thy haukes flye and to exercise weapons al these things we can denie thee as to a yong man and thou being yong mayest reioice thy selfe in all these Thou oughtest also to haue respect that to ordaine armes inuent warres follow victories accept truces confirm peace raise bruites to make lawes to promote the one and put down the others to punish the euill and first to reward the good the counsell of all these things ought to bee taken of cleare iudgements of persons of experience and of white heads Thinkest thou not that it is possible to passe the time with the yong and to counsell with the old The wife and discreet Princes for all things haue time enough if they know well how to measure it Beware my sonne that they note thee not to vse great extremities for the end and occasion why I speake it is because thou shouldst know if thou knowest not that it is as vndecent a thing for a Prince vnder the colour of granitie to bee ruled and gouerned wholie by olde men as vnder semblance of pastime alwaies to accompanie himselfe with the yong It is no generall rule that all young men are light nor all old men sage And thou must according to my aduise in such case vse it thus if any old man lose the grauity of his age expulse him from thee if thou finde any young men sage despise not their counsell For the Bees doe drawe more honey out of the tender flowers then of the hard leaues I do not condemne the aged nor I doe commend the young but it shall bee well done that alwayes thou choose of both the most vertuous For of truth there is no company in the Worlde so euill ordered but that there is mean to liue with it without any suspition so that if the young are euill with solly the olde are worse through couetousnesse Once againe I returne to aduertise thee my sonne that in no wise thou vse extremitie for if thou beleeue none but young they will corrupt thy manners with lightnesse and if thou beleeue none but the old they will depraue thy iustice through couetousnesse What thing can bee more monstrous then that the prince which commaundeth all should suffer him to be commaunded of one alone Beleeue me sonne in this case that the gouernements of many are seldome times gouerned well by the head of one alone The Prince which hath to rule and gouerne many ought to take the aduise and counsell of many It is a great inconuenience that thou beeing Lord of many Realmes shouldst haue but one gate wherein all doe enter into to doe their businesse with thee For if perchance he which shall be thy familiar be of his owne nature good and be not mine enemy yet I would be afraid of him because hee is a friend of mine enemies And though for hate they doe me no euill yet I am afraide that for the loue of another he will cease to do me good I remember that in the Annalles of Pompeius I found a little booke of memories which the great Pompeius bare about him wherein were many things that he had reade and other good counsels which in diuers parts of the world he had lerned and among other wordes there were these The Gouernour of the Common-wealth which committeth all the gouernment to old men deserueth very little and hee that trusteth all young is light Hee that gouerneth it by himselfe alone is beyond himselfe and he which by himselfe and others doth gouerne it is a wise Prince I know not whether these sentences are of the same Pompeius or that hee gathered them out of some book or that any Philosopher had told him them or some friend of his had giuen him them I meane that I had them written with his hands and truly they deserued to bee written in letters of gold When thy affayres shall bee waighty see thou dispatch them alwayes by counsell For when the affaires be determined by the counsell of many the fault shall be diuided among them all Thou shalt finde it for a truth my sonne that if thou take counsell of many the one will tel the inconuenience the other the perill other the feare the other the damage the other the profite and the other the remedy finally they will so debate thy affayrs that plainly thou shalt know the good and see the danger thereof I aduertise thee my son that when thou takest counsel thou behold with thy eyes the inconuenience as well as the remedies which they shall offer vnto thee for the true counsell consisteth not to tell what they ought to doe but to declare what thereof is like to succeede When thou shalt enterprise my son great and weighty affayres as much oughtest thou to regard the little dammages for to cutte them off in time as the great mishaps to remedy them For oftenttmes it chanceth that for the negligence of taking vp a gutter the whole house falleth to the ground Notwithstanding I tell thee thou take counsell I meane not that thou oughtest to be so curious as for euery trifle to cal thy counsell for there are many thinges of such quality that they would bee immediately put in execution and they doe endammage themselues attending for counsell That which by thine own authority thou mayest dispatch without the dammage of the Common-wealth referre it to no other person and herein thou shalt be iust and shalt doe iustice conformable for considering that thy seruice dependeth onely of them the reward which they ought to haue ought to depend onely on thee I remember that when Marius the Consull came from the warres of Numedia he diuided all the treasure hee brought among his souldiers not putting one jewell into the common Treasurie And when hereof hee was accused for that he had not demaunded licence of the Senat he answered them It is not iust I take counsell with others for to giue recompence to those which haue not taken the opinions of others to serue me Thou shalt find my sonne a kind of men which are very hard of money and exceeding prodigal of counsell There are also diuers lenders which without demaunding them doe offer to giue it With such like men thou shalt haue this counsell neuer looke thou for good counsell at that man whose counsell tendeth to the preiudice of another for he offereth words to thy seruice and trauelleth thy businesse
ENTITVLED THE FAuoured Courtyer wherein the Authour sheweth the intent of his worke exhorting all men to studie good and vertuous Books vtterly reiecting all Fables vaine trifling storyes of small doctrine erudition AVlus Gellius in his Booke De noctibus Atticis saith That after the death of the great Poet Homer 7-famous cities of Grece were in great controuersie one with the other each one of them affirming that by reason the bones of the saide Poet was theirs and only appertained to them all 7. taking their oaths that he was not only borne but also nourished broght vp in euery one of thē And this they did Supposing that they neuer had so great honor in any thing but that this was far greater to haue educated so Excellent and rare a Man as hee was Euripides also the phylosopher born and broght vp in Athens trauelling in the realm of Macedonia was suddēly strucken with death which woful newes no soner came to the Athenians eares declared for a truth but with all expedition they dispatched an honorable Embasie only to intreat the Lacedemoniās to be contented to deliuer them the bones of the said phylosopher protesting to them that if they wold frankly grant them they would regratifie that pleasure done them and if they would denie them they should assure themselues they would come and fetch them with the sword in hand K Demetrius helde Rhodes besieged long time which at length he won by force of arms the Rhodiās being so stubborn that they wold not yeeld by composition nor trust to his princely clemencie hee cōmanded to strike off al the Rhodians heads to rase the city to the hard foundations But when he was let vnderstand that there was euen then in the Cittie Prothogenes a Phylosopher and Paynter and doubting least in executing others hee also vnknowne might bee put to the sword reuoked his cruell sentence gaue straight commandement forthwith they should cease to spoile and deface the towne further and also to stay the slaughter of the rest of the Rhodians The diuine Plato beeing in Athens aduertised that in the city of Damasco in the realme of Palestine were certaine bookes of great antiquity which a Philosopher borne of that Country left behind him there when he vnderstood it to be true went thither immediately led with the great desire he had to see them purposely if they did like him afterwards to buy them And when hee saw that neyther at his suit nor at the requests of others he could obtaine them but that he must buy thē at a great price Plato went and solde all his patrimony to recouer them and his owne not being sufficient hee was faine to borrow vpon interest of the commō Treasury to helpe him so that notwithstanding he was so profound and rare a Philosopher as indeed he was yet he would sell all that small substāce hee had onely to see as hee thought some prety new thing more of Philosophy As Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Egypt not contened to bee so wise in al sciences as he was nor to haue in his Library 8000. bookes as hee had nor to study at the least 4. houres in the day nor ordinarily to dispute at his meales with Philosophers sent neuerthelesse an Ambassage of Noble men to the Hebrewes to desire them they would be contented to send him some of the best learned and wisest men amongst them to teach him the Hebrew tongue and to reade to him the books of their Laws When Alexander the Great was borne his father King Philip wrote a notable letter immediately to Aristotle among other matters hee wrote there were these I let thee to vnderstand O greatest Philosopher Aristotle if thou knowest it not that Olimpius my wife is brought to bedde of a sonne for which incessantly I giue the Gods immortall thankes not so much that I haue a sonne as for that they haue giuen him mee in thy time For I am asassured hee shall profite more with the doctrine thou shalt teach him then he shall preuayle with the Kingdomes I shall leaue him after me Now by the examples aboue recited and by many more wee could alledge wee may easily consider with what reuerence and honour the auncient Kings vsed the learned and vertuous men in their time And wee may also more plainely see it sith then they helde in greater price and estimation the bones of a dead Philosopher then they doe now the doctrine of the best learned of our time And not without iust occasion did these famous and heroycall Princes ioy to haue at home in their houses and abroad with them in the field such wise and learned men whilest they liued and after they were dead to honour their bones and carcases and in doing this they erred not a a iot For whosoeuer accompanieth continuallly with graue and wise men enioyeth this benefit and priuiledge before others that he shall neuer bee counted ignorant of any therfore continuing stil our first purpose let vs say that whosoeuer will professe the company of sober wise men it cannot otherwise be but he must maruellously profit by their cōpany for being in their company they wil put al vain and dishonest thoughts from him they will teach him to subdue resist al sudden passions motions moued of choler by thē they shal win good friends and learn also neuer to be troublesom or enemy to any they will make him forsake all sinne vice declaring to him what good works he shall follow and what hee shall most flye and eschew they will let him vnderstand how hee shall humble and behaue himselfe in prosperity and they will also comfort him in his aduersity to keep him from all sorrow and despaire For though a man be neuer so carefull and circumspect yet hath he hath always need of the councell of another in his affaires if therefore such a person haue not about him good vertuous sage men how can it otherwise bee but that he must stūble oft and fall down right on his face hauing no man to aid or help him Paulus Dyaconus sayth that albeit the Affricanes were wilde and brutish people yet had they notwithstanding a law amongst them that the senators amongst them could chuse no other Senator if at the Election there were not present a philosopher So it hapned on a day amongst the rest that of manie phylosophers they had in Carthage amongst them there was one named Apolonius who ruled for the space of 62. yeares all their Senat with great quyet and to the contentation of all the Senators which to shew themselues thankfull to him erected in the market place so many images of him as hee had gouerned their Common-weale yeares to the ende the fame and memorie of him should bee immortall and yet they did dedicate to their famous Hannibal but one only image and to this Phylosopher they set vp aboue 60. Alexander the great whē he was most
bēt to bloudy wars went to see speake with Diogines the Phylosopher offring him great presents discoursing with him of diuers matters So that wee may iustly say This good Prince of himselfe tooke paines to seeke out wise men to accompanie him electing by others choyce and aduise all such as hee made his Captaines to serue him in the warres It is manifest to all that Dyonisius the Syracusan was the greatest Tyrant in the worlde and yet notwithstanding his Tiranny it is a wonder to see what sage and wise men he had continually in his Courte with him And that which makes vs yet more to wonder of him is that hee had them not about him to serue him or to profite one jote by their doctrines and counsell but onely for his honour and their profite which enforceth mee to say concurring with this example that sith Tyrants did glorie to haue about them Sages wise and worthie men Much more should those reioice that their works deeds are noble freeharted And this they ought to do not onely to bee honoured with them openly but also to be holpen with their doctrine and counsells secretly And if to some this should seeme a hard thing to follow we will say that worthy men not being of abilitie and power to maintayne such Wise-men ought yet at least to vse to reade at times good and vertuous books For by reading of vertuous Bookes they may reape infinite profite As for example By reading as I say these Good Authours the desire is satisfied their iudgement is quickned ydlenesse is put away the heart is disburdened the Time is well employed and they lead their liues vertuously not being bound to render account of so manie faults as in that time they might haue committed And to conclude it is so good an exercise as it giueth good example to the Neighbour profite to himselfe and health to the soule We see by experience after a man taketh vppon him once the Studie of holie Scriptures and that hee frameth himselfe to bee a Diuine hee will neuer willingly thenceforth deale in any other studyes and all because he will not forgoe the great comfort and pleasure he receyueth to reade those holy sayings And that causeth that we see so manie learned wise men for the more part subiect to diuers diseases and full of Melancholike humours For so sweete is the delight they take in theyr Bookes that they forget and leaue all other bodily pleasure And therefore Plutarche writeth that certaine phylosophers being one day met at the lodging of Plato to see him demanding what exercise he had at that time Plato answered thē thus Truely my brethren I let you know that euen now my onely exercise was to see what the great Poete Homer said And this he tolde them because that they took him euen then reading of some of Homers bookes and to say truely his aunswere was such as they should all looke for of him For to reade a good booke in effect is nothing else but to heare a wise man speake And if this our iudgement and aduise seeme good vnto you we would yet say more that you should profite more to reade one of these bookes then you should to heare speake or to haue conference with the Author him selfe that made it For it is without doubt that all Writers haue more care and respect in that their penne doth write then they haue in that their tongue doth vtter And to the end you should not thinke we cannot proue that true that we haue spoken I giue you to vnderstand that euerie Author that will write to publish his doing in print to lay it to the shew and iudgement of the world and that desireth thereby to acquire honour fame and to eternize the memory of him turneth many bookes conferreth with other wise and lerned men addicteth himselfe wholy to his book endeauoureth to vnderstand well oft refuseth sleepe meat and drinke quicneth his spirites doing that he putteth in writing exactly with long aduise and consideration which he doth not when hee doth but onely speake and vtter them though oft in deede by reason of his great knowledge in speech vnawares there falleth out of his mouth many godly and wise sentences And therefore God hath giuen him a goodly gift that can reade and him much more that hath a desire to study knowing how to chuse the good bookes from the euill For to say the truth there is not in this world any state or exercise more honourable and profitable then the study of good books And we are much bound to those that read more to those that study and much more to those that write any thing but most doubtlesse to those that make compile goodly books and those of great and high doctrine for there are many vaine and fond bookes that rather deserue to be throwne into the fire then once to be read or looked on for they do not only shew vs the way to mocke them but also the ready meane to offend vs to see them occupie their braines and best wittes they haue to write foolish and vaine things of no good subiect or erudition And that which is worst of all yet they are occasion that diuers others spend as much time in reading their iests and mockeries as they would otherwise haue imploied in doctrine of great profit and edifying the which to excuse and defend their error say they did not write them for men to take profite thereby but only to delight and please the Readers to passe the time away merily whom we may rightly answer thus That the reading of ill and vaine bookes cannot bee called a pastime but aptly a very losse of time And therefore Aulus Gelius in the fifteenth of his booke writeth that after the Romanes vnderstood the Orators and Poets of Rome did giue themselues to write vain voluptuous and dishonest bookes causing Enterludes and Poeticall Comedies to be played they did not only banish them from Rome but also out all the parts of Italy for it beseemed not the Romane grauity neyther was it decent for the Weale publike to suffer such naughty bookes among them and much lesse for to beare with vicious and lasciuious gouernours And if the Romane Panims left vs this for example how much more ought wee that are Christians to continue and follow it since that they had no other Bookes for to reade saue onely Histories and we now a dayes haue both Histories and holy Scriptures to read which were graūted vs by the church to the end that by the one we might take some honest pleasure and recreation and with the other procure the health of oursoules Oh how farre is the Common-wealth nowe-adayes digressed from that wee wryte and counsell since we see plainely that men occupie themselues at this present in reading a nūber of Books the which only to name I am ashamed And therfore said Aulus Gelius in his 14. book That there
was a certain philosopher wrote a book of hie and eloquent stile but the subiect very harde and diffuse to vnderstand which Socrates other philosophers hearing of cōmanded immediatly the Booke to be burned and the Author to be banished by which exāple we may well perceiue that in that so perfit and reformed Vniuersitie they would not onely suffer any Lasciuious or vicious booke but also they would not beare with those that were too hawtie and vainglorious in their stiles and whose matter was not profitable and beneficiall to the Publike-weale That man therfore that walloweth in idlenes lap that vouchsafes not to spēd one houre of the day to read a graue sentence of some good Booke wee may rather deseruedly cal him a brutish beast then a reasonable creature For euery wise man ought to glory more of the knowledge he hath then of the aboundance of goods he possesseth And it cannot be denyed but that those which reade vertuous Bookes are euer had in better fauor and estimation then others For they learne to speake they passe their time without trouble they know many pleasant things which they after tel to others they haue audacitie to reproue others euery man delighteth to heare them in what place or companie soeuer they come they are alwaies reuerenced honored aboue others euery man desireth their knowledge and acquaintance and are glad to aske them counsell And that that is yet of greater credit to them is that they are not few in number that trusteth them with their bodie goods And moreouer I say that the wise and learned man which professeth studie shall know very well how to counsel his friend and to comfort himselfe at all times when neede doeth serue which the foolish ignorant person can not doe For he cannot only tell how to comfort the afflicted in aduersitie but also hee cannot helpe himselfe in his own proper affaires nor take coūsell of himselfe what is best to doe But returning againe to our purpose we say because we would not be reproued of that we rebuke others of wee haue beene very circumspect and aduised and taking great care and paines in our study that all our books and workes wee haue published and compyled should be so exactly done that the Readers might not find any ill doctrine nor also any thing worthy reproofe For the vnhonest bookes made by lasciuious persōs do giue deseruedly euident token to the Readers to suspect the Authours and troubleth the iudgements of those that giue attentiue care vnto them And therefore I counsell and admonish him that will enterprise and take vppon him to bee a wryter and a setter forth of Bookes that hee bee wise in his matter hee sheweth and compendious in the wordes hee writeth and not to bee like to diuers Wryters whose workes are of such a phrase and style as we shall reade many times to the middest of the booke ere wee finde one good and notable sentence so that a man may say that al the fruit those reape for their paine watches and trauell is none other but onely a meere toye and mockery they being derided of euery man that seeth their workes That Authour that vndertaketh to write and afterwardes prostrateth to common iudgement the thing hee wryteth may bee assured that hee setteth his wittes to great trauell and studie and hazardeth his honour to present perill For the iudgement of men being variable and diuers as they are indeede manie times they doe meddle and enter into iudgement of those things whereof they are not only not capable to vnderstand but also lesse skilfull to reade them Now in that booke wee haue set out of The Dyall of Princes and in that other wee haue translated of the Life of the Romaine Emperours and in this wee haue now set forth Of the fauoured Courtiers the Readers may bee assured they shall find in them goodly and graue sentences whereby thy may greatly profit and they shall not read any wordes superfluous to comber or weary them at all For we did not once licence our pen to dare to write any word that was not first weyed in true ballāce measured by iust measure And GOD can testifie with vs that without doubt wee haue had more paine to be briefe in the wordes of our books we haue hitherto made then we haue had to gather out the inuention and graue sentences thereof For to speake good words and to haue good matter and wise purposes is the property of one that naturally is modest and graue in his actions but to write briefely he must haue a deepe vnderstanding When at the Fonte of the Printers Forme we first baptized the Booke of Marcus Aurelius wee intituled it The Dyall of Princes and this therefore that we haue now made and added to it we call it more for briefnes The fauoured Courtyer which portendeth the whet-stone and instruction of a Courtyer For if they will vouchsafe to reade and take the fruitfull counselles they finde written heerein they may assure themselues they shall awaken out of the vanityes they haue long slept in and shall also open their eies to see the better that thing wherin they liue so long deceyued And albeit indeed this present work sheweth to you but a fewe contriued lines yet GOD himselfe doeth knowe the paines we haue taken herein hath bin exceeding great and this for two causes the one for that the matter is very straunge and diuerse from others the other to thinke that assuredly it should be hated of those that want the taste of good discipline And therefore wee haue taken great care it should come out of our hands well reformed and corrected to the ende that Courtyers might finde out many Sentences in it profitable for them and not one word to trouble them Those Noble-men or Gentlemen that will from henceforth haue their children brought vp in the Courtes of Princes shall finde in this Booke all things they shall neede to prouide them of And those also which haue beene long Courtyers shall finde all that they ought to doe in Court And such also as are best fauoured of Noble Princes and carrie greatest reputation of honour with them shall find likewise excellent good counsels by meane whereof they may alwayes maintain and continue themselues in the chiefest greatnesse of their credite and fauour so that it may well be called a Mithridaticall Electuary recuring and healing all malignant opilations Of all the Bookes I haue hitherto compiled I haue Dedicated some of them vnto the Imperiall Maiestie and others to those of best fauor and credite with him where the Readers may see that I rather glorie to bee a Satyr then a Flatterer for that in all my sentences they cannot finde one cloked word to enlarge and embetter my credite and estate But to the contrary they may reade an infinite number of others where I doe exhort them to gouern their person discreetly and honorably and to amend their
neuer tooke toye in his head to goe see any thing but for one of these 3. causes that is to say eyther to imitate that he saw to buy it or else clearely to conquer it Oh worthy wordes of Focion and Traiane and very meete to be noted and retained Now to speake more particularly of the troubles daily heaped on their necks that follow the Court and that are to be lodged in diuers places and strange houses I say that if the poore courtyer doe depart at night from the Court to repayre to his lodging hee findeth oft times the host of his house and other his guests at home already in theyr beds and fast a sleepe so that it happeneth sometimes he is faine to goe seeke his bed in another place for that night And also if he should rise early in the morning to followe his matters or to wayte vpon his Lord or Master his Host perhappes and his housholde are not yet awake nor styrring to open him the doore And further if his Hoste be angrie and displeased and out of time who shall let him to locke his doores the day once shutte in and who should compell him to open his dores before it be brode day Truely it is a great hap to be well lodged about the Courte and much more to meete with an honest Hoste For it hapneth oft that the great pleasure and contentation we receiue being lodged in a faire Lodging is lightly taken from vs by the harde intreatie and streight vsage of the Hoste of the same And in this is apparant the vanity fondnes and lightnes of some Courtyers that rather desire and seeke for a faire and pleasaunt lodging then for a good and profitable The ambition of the Courtyer is now growne to so great a follie that hee desireth rather a faire lodging for his pleasure then a commodious or profitable for his familie For admit the Harbinger doe giue them a good and commodious lodging if it be not sightly to the Eye and stand commodiously they can not like of it by no meanes So that to content them the Fouriers must needs prouide them of a faire lodging to the eye though little handsome to lodge in and yet sometimes they will hard and scant be pleased with that And if the Courtyer be of reputation and beloued in Courte I pray you what payne and trouble shall the poore Harbinger haue to content his minde and to continue in his fauour For before master Courtyer will be resolued which of the 2. Lodgings he will take the faire and most honorable or the meane and most profitable he bleedeth at the nose for anger and his heart beates and leaps a thousand times in his bodie For his person would haue the good and commodious Lodging and his follie the pleasaunt and faire I neuer saw dead man complaine of his graue nor Courtyer content with his Lodging For if they giue him a Hall hee will say it wanteth a chimney if they giue him a chamber hee will say it lacketh an inner-Chamber if they giue him a kitchen hee will say it is too low and smoaky and that it wanteth a larder if they giue him a stable that it wanteth a spence or storehouse if they giue him the best and chiefest parts of the house yet hee sayeth he wanteth small and little houses of office and if hee haue accesse to the well he must also haue the commodity of the Base-Court And in fine if they giue him a low paued Hall to coole and refresh him in summer hee will also haue a high borded Chamber for the winter and possible hee shall not haue so many roomes at home in his owne house as he will demaund in his lodging abroad And therefore many thinges suffereth the Courtier in his owne house that he will not beare with all in an Inne or an other mans house And it may bee also that the Harbingers haue prouided them of a fayre and goodly lodging where hee shall commaund both master stuffe and al other things in the house and yet the Courtier shall mislike of it finding fault it is too farre from the Court reputeth it halfe a dishonour and an impairer of his credit to be lodged so farre off since others that are beloued and in fauour in Court in deede lye hard adioyning to the Court or at the least not farre of For this is an olde sayde saying The neerest lodged to the Court commonly the best esteemed of the Prince I haue seene many Courtiers offer large gifts and rewards to intreate the Harbingers to lodge them neere the Court but I neuer saw any that desired to be lodged neere the church and this commeth for that they rather glory to be right Courtiers then good Christians And therefore Blondus reciteth in his booke De declinatione Imperit that a Grecian called Narsetes a Captain of Iustinian the Great was wont to say oft That he neuer remembred he went to the sea nor entred into the Pallace not beganne any battell nor counselled of warres nor mounted on horsebacke but that first hee went to the Church and serued God And therefore by the doings and saying of Narsetes wee may gather that euery good man ought rather to incline to bee a good Christian then to giue himselfe to armes and chiualry to be a right Courtier It hapneth many times that after the Courtier bee come to his lodging hee liketh of it well and is well pleased with all but when hee hath beene in others lodgings and hath looked vpon them straight way hee falleth out of liking of his owne and thinketh himselfe ill lodged to others And this misliking groweth not of his ill lodging but of an inward malice and spite hee hath to see his enemy preferred to a better then his owne For such is the secret hate and enuy in Princes Courts a thing common to Courtiers that they disdaine not onely to thanke the Harbingers for their care taken of them in placing them in good lodgings but they must also complaine and speake ill of them for the good lodgings they haue giuē to their Aduersaries and companions better then that of theirs There is also a foule disorder in Court among the Harbingers in appointing lodgings and little modesty besides in Courtiers in as king them For such there are that many times neyther they nor their parents haue any such lodgings at home in their owne houses as they will demand only for their horsekeepers and seruants But the great pain of the Court is yet that such nouels as come newly to the Court they say they are of great estimation in the Countrey rich and of an ancient house and his Father of great authority and estimation and when the truth is knowne his fathers authority and first estimation was of good labourers and husbandmen their onely rents and reuenues consist in that they gote by the dayly swet and labour of their persons and their power and
worthy person Albeit the Courtyer be come of a Noble house and that he be yong of yeares rich and wealthie yet would I like better hee should vse rather a certain mean and measure in his apparell wearing that that is comely and Gentlemanlike then others of most coste and worship For like as they would count him a foole for wearing that he could not pay for so they likewise would thinke him simple if hee ware not that that become him and that he might easily come by His apparrell should be agreeable with his yeares that is to say on the holy dayes some more richer and brauer then on the worke dayes and in the Winter of the hotest furres in the summer light garments of sattin and damaske and to ride with some others of lesser price and more durable For as the wisdome of man is knowne by his speaking so is his discretion decerned by his apparrell Let not the poore Courtier study to weare or deuise any new or strange fashioned garment for if he be of that humour he shall quickly vndoe himselfe and giue others occasion also to follow his light and vaine inuention There are now a dayes found out so many strange wayes to dresse meate and so many fashions and patterns of apparrell that now they haue vniuersities of Taylers and Cookes What more greater vanity and lightnes can there be then this that they will not suffer the mothers gowns to be made fit for their daughters saying that they are olde and out of fashion and that they vse now a new kinde of apparrell and attire farre from the old manner And notwithstanding those gownes bee it a manner new good whole cleane rich and well made without weme yet their daughters must needes haue new gownes at their marriage So that we may aptly say that a new folly seekes alwayes a new gowne namely when they are light persons without wit and discretion And I pray you is it not a goodly sight in the Court to see a foolish Courtier weare a demy cappe scant to couer the crowne of his heade to haue his beard merquizotted a payre of perfumed gloues on his hands his shooes cut after the best fashion a little curted cappe his Hose fayre pulled out his doublet sleeues brauely cut and pinct his rapier his dagger guilded by his side and then on the other side the pestilence of penny he hath in his purse to blesse him with and besides he is deepe in the Marchants booke for all those things hee hath taken vp of credit of him Their nagges foote clothes would not be so litle and narrow that should seeme a Fryers hood neyther so great large as the foot cloths of Bishops moyles Also the Courtier must see that his footcloth be good and whole cleane and without spot not tattered and seame rent This we speake because there are some miserable Courtiers that haue their footclothes threed bare broken and seeme rent foule and durty narrow and all digged full of holes with spurres And therefore no man deserueth to be called a right Courtier vnlesse hee he fine and neate in his apparrell hee weareth and also courteous and ciuill in his words and entertainement And yet touching the rest of the furniture of their horse or gelding their harnesse and trappes must bee kept blacke and cleane and they must looke that the reines of the bridle bee not brokeÌ„ nor vnsowed which I speak not without cause for there are a number of Courtiers that at Primero will not sticke to set vp a iest of a 100. or 200. crowns and yet will think much to giue their poore horsekeepers 12. pence to buy them a payre of reynes And truly the Courtier in my iudgement that is content to tye his horse with vntagged points to see his fire smoke when hee should warme them to ride with broken reines and to cut his meate at the table with a rusty knife I would thinke him base borne and rudely brought vp When the Courtier will ride his horse let him looke euer before hee take his backe that he haue all his furniture fitte for him his maine and tayle finely combed his stirroppes bright glistering his stirrops leather strong and his saddle well stuffed and aboue all let him sit vpright in his seate and carry his body euen swaruing of neyther side holding his legges still and keepe his stirrop For this name to bee called Chiuallier signifieth in our tongue a rider of a horse came first because hee could ride and manage his horse well And when he would stirre his legges to spurre his horse let him beware hee stoupe not forwardes with his body and when he doth spurre his horse let him not spurre him low but hie in the flankes and whether he will runne or stand still with his horse let him alwayes haue his eye vpon the reines that in no case the raines goe out of his hand And in giuing his horse a carere let him not writhe with his body nor bee too busie in beating or spurring his horse oft For in his carere to know when to spurre him when to giue him head or to pull him backe againe and to stoppe him I haue seene many take it vpon them but few indeed that euer were skilfull coulde do it well Now the Courtier being mounted on horse or moyle without his rapier by his side seemeth rather a Physitian that goeth to visite his sicke patients then a Gentleman of the Court that for his pleasure and disport rideth abroad throgh the streets and if he were by chance intreated by some noble man to accoÌ„pany him or to ride behind him throgh the streets euery honest Courtier ought not only to doe it but vnasked to be ready to offer himselfe to waite vpon him and â—o goe with him willingly And let the fine Courtier beware that in giuing his hand to a Gentlewoman hee be not gloued and if she bee a horsebacke that hee talke with her bare headed to doe her the more honour and if shee ride behinde him they chance to discourse together let him neuer looke backe vpon her to behold her for that is a rude manner and a token of ill education And one common courtesie there is among Courtiers that when they are in talke with Ladies and Gentlewomen and entertaining of them they suffer them to do with them what they will to raigne ouer them and to bee ouercommed in argument of them and they holde it good manners to doe them seruice when they haue any occasion offered to serue them And when he shal accompany any Gentlewoman to goe a visitation with her or to talke abroad for their pleasure through the streetes he must ride fayre and softly and if she should happen to keepe him so long in talke till she should alight the good Courtier must beare it courteously make a good countenance as thogh it grieued him nothing sith wee know very well that when
wee now at this present doe also aduise them to take heede that they doe not accept and take all that is offered and presented although they may lawfully doe it For if hee be not wise in commaunding and moderate in taking a day might come that hee should see himselfe in such extremity that he should be inforced to call his Friends not to counsell him but rather to helpe and succour him It is true that it is a naturall thing for a Courtyer that hath twenty crowns in his purse to desire suddenly to multiplie it to an 100. from a 100. to 200. from 200. to a 1000. from a thousand to 2000. and from 2000 to an hundred thousand So that this poore wretched creature is so blinded in couetousnes that hee knoweth not nor feeleth not that as this Auarice continually increaseth and augmenteth in him so his life daily diminisheth and decreaseth besides that that euery man mocks and scorns him that thinketh The true contentation consisteth in commanding of Money and in the facultie of possessing much riches For to say truly it is not so but rather disordinate riches troubleth and grieueth the true contentation of men and awaketh in them daily a more appetite of Couetousnes We haue seen many Courtiers rich and beloued but none indeede that euer was contented or wearyed with commaunding but rather his life should faile him then Couetousnes Oh how many haue I seene in the Court whose legges nor feete haue bin able to carry them nor their bodie strong enough to stand alone nor their hands able to write nor their sight hath serued them to see to reade nor their teeth for to speake nor their iawes to eate nor their eares to heare nor their memory to trauell in any suite or matter yet haue not their tongue fayled them to require presents and giftes of the Prince neyther deepe and fine wit to practise in Court for his most auaile and vantage So incurable is the disease and plague of auarice that hee that is sicke of that infirmity can not bee healed neyther with pouerty nor yet bee remedied with riches Since this contagious maladie and apparant daunger is now so commonly knowne and that it is crepte into Courtiers and such as are in high fauour and great authoritie by reason of this vile sinne of auarice I would counsell him rather to apply himselfe to bee well thought of and esteemed then to endeauour to haue enough Also Queene Semiramis was wife to king Belius and mother of king Ninus and although by nature shee was made a woman yet had shee a heart neuer otherwise but valiant and Noble For after shee was widdow shee made her selfe Lord by force of armes of the great India and conquered all Asia and in her life time caused a goodly tombe to bee made where she would lye after her death and about the which she caused to bee grauen in golden Letters these words Who longs to swell with masse of shining golde And craue to catch such wealth as fewe possesse This stately Tombe let him in hast vnfolde Where endlesse heapes of hatefull coyne do rest Many dayes and kinges raignes past before any durst open this Sepulchre vntill the comming of the great Cyrus who commaunded it to be opened And being reported to him by those that had the charge to seeke the treasure that they had sought to the bottomlesse pit and Worldes end but treasure they could find none nor any other thing saue a stone wher in were grauen these words Ah haplesse Knight whose high distracted mind By follies play abused was so much That secret tombes the carcasse could none binde But thou wouldst reaue them vp for to be rich Plutarch and also Herodotus which haue both written this history of Semiramis doe shew and affirme that Queen Semiramis got great honour by this iest and King Cyrus great shame and dishonour If Courtiers that are rich thinke and beleeue that for that they haue money inough and at their will that therefore they should be farre from all troubles and miseries they are deceyned For if the poore soule toyle and hale his body to get him onely that he needeth much more dooth the rich man torment and burne his heart till hee be resolued which way to spende that superfluitie he hath Iesu what a thing is it to see a rich man how bee tormenteth himselfe night and day imagining and deuising with himselfe whether hee shall with the mony that is left buy leases milles or houser anuities vines or cloth lands tenemēts or pastures or some thing in see or whether he shal enrich his sonne with the thirds or fifts and after all these vaine thoughts Gods will is for to strike him with death suddenly not onely before he hath determined how hee should lay out or spend this money but also before he hath made his will I haue many times tolde it to my friends yea and preached it to them in the Pulpit and written it also in my bookes that it is farre greater trouble to spend the goods of this world well and as they ought to be spent then it is to get them For they are gotten with swette and spent with cares Hee that hath no more then hee needeth it is hee that knoweth well how to parte from them and to spend them but he that hath aboundance and more then needfull doth neuer resolue what hee should doe Whereof followeth many times that those which in his life time were enemies to him shall happen to bee heyres after his death of all the goods and money he hath It is a most sure and certaine custome among mortall men that commonly those that are rich while they are aliue spend more money vainely in thinges they would not and that they haue no pleasure in and wherein they would lest lay it out and after their death they leaue the most part of their inheritance to those whom they loued least for it hapneth many times that the sonne which hee loueth worst enheriteth his goods that sonne which hee loued best and made most of remaineth poore Therfore continuing still our matter I say that I know not the cause why the fauoured of the Court desire to bee so rich couetous and insatiable sith they alone haue to gette the goods where afterwardes to spende them they haue need of the counsell and aduise of many Let not those also that are in fauour with the Prince make too great a shew openly of their riches but if they haue aboundance let them keepe it secret For if their lurking enemies know not what they haue the worst they can doe they can but murmur but if they see it once they will neuer leaue till they haue accused him To see a Courtier builde sumptuous houses to furnish them with wonderfull and rich hangings to vse excesse and prodigality in their meates to haue their cupbordes maruellously decked with cups and pots of golde and siluer to
vice and sinne But the further we seeke to flye from it the more daunger we finde to fall into it And albeit to auoyd other vices and sinnes it shall suffice vs to bee admonished yet against that alone of the flesh it behoueth vs to bee armed For there is no sinne in the world but there are meanes for men to auoyd it This only excepted of the flesh wherewith all wee are ouercome and taken Prisonners And to proue this true it is apparant thus Where raigneth Pride but amongst the Potentates where Enuie but amongst equalls Anger but amongst the impacient Gluttony but amongst gourmands auarice but amongst the Rich slouth but amongst the ydle And yet for all these the sinne of the Flesh generally reigneth in all men And therefore for not resisting this abhominable vice we haue seen kings lose their kingdoms Noblemen their Lands and possessions the marryed wiues their auowd faith the religious nunnes their professed virginitie So that wee may compare this sinne to the nature and condition of the venemous serpent which being aliue stings vs and after hee is dead offendeth vs with his noysome stinke Examples by Dauid who for all his wisedome could not preuaile against this sinne nor Salomon for al his great knowledge nor Absolon for all his diuine beautie nor Sampson with his mighty force which notwithstāding the great Fame they had for their renowmed vertues yet through this only defect they lost all accompanying with harlots licentious women Into which shameful felowship fell also Holofernes Haniball Ptholomeus Pyr-Pirrhus Inlius Caesar Augustus Marcus Antonius Seuerus and Theodorius and many other great Princes with these aboue recited the most part of the which we haue seene depriued of their Crownes and afterwards themselues haue come to their vtter shame and dishonour on their knces to yeelde themselues to the mercy of these their infamed louers crauing pardon and forgiuenesse Many graue Writers of the Grecians say that the Ambassadours of Lidia comming one day into the chamber of Hercules vpon a suddaine to speake with him they found him lying in his Curtesans lappe she pulling his rings off on his fingers hee dressed on his head with her womanly attire and she in exchnnge on hers bedect with his royall crowne They write also of Denis the Syracusian that albeit of nature hee was more cruell then the wild beast yet he became in the end so tractable and pleasant by meanes of a Curtezan his friend called Mirta that she only did confirme all the prouisions and depeches of the affayres of the Weale publike and he onely did but ordaine and appoint them And if the Histories written of the Gothes deceyne vs not wee finde that Antenaricus the famous king of the Gothes after he had triumphed of Italy and that hee had made himselfe Lord of all Europe hee became so farre in loue with a Louer of his called Pincia the whilest shee combed his head hee made cleane her slippers Also Themistocles the most famous Captaine of the Greekes was so enamoured of a woman hee had taken in the Warres of Epirns that shee beeing afterwardes very sicke when shee purged her selfe hee would also bee purged with her If shee were let bloud hee would also bee let bloud and yet that that is worst to bee liked is that hee washed his face with the bloud that came out of her Arme so that they might truly say though shee were his prisoner yet hee was also her slaue and subiect When King Demetrius had taken Rhodes there was broght to him a faire gentlewomen of the Cittie which he made his friend in loue and this loue betwixt them in time grewe so great that she shewing her selfe vpon a time to be angry with Demetrius and refusing to sit neare him at the Table and also to lye with him Demetrius vtterly forgetting himselfe and his royall estate did not onely on his knees pray her to pardon him but also imbracing her conueighed her in his armes into his chamber Myronides the Grecian albeit hee had made subiect to him the kingdom of Boetia yet hee was notwithstanding made subiect with the beautie of Numidia his louer Hee enflamed thus with loue of her she likewise strucken with couetous desire of his goods in fine they agreed that he shold giue her all the spoyle he had wonne in the warres of Boetia and that she should let him lye with her in hir house onely one night Hanniball made warres xvii yeares with the Romaines and in all that time he was neuer vanquished till hee was ouercome with the Loue of a young mayden in the cittie of Capua which proued a most bitter loue to him sith thereby it happened that whereas hee had so many yeares kept in subiection all Italie hee now was made a subiect at home in his owne countrey Plutarch in his booke De Republica writeth That Phalaris the Tyraunt would neuer graunt a man any thing that he desired neyther euer denyed any thing that a dissolute Woman requested No small but great disorder happened to the Common-weale of Rome by the occasion of the Emperour Caligula who gaue but 6000. Sexterces onely to repayre the Walls of Rome and gaue otherwise for furring one one gowne alone of his Lemmans a 10000. sexterces By all these examples aboue recited wee may easily vnderstand how daungerous a thing it is for the Courtier to haue friendshippe and acquaintance with women of so vile a facultie For the woman is of like quality that a knot tyed of corde is which is easily tyed of sundry knots and very hardly afterwards to bee vndone againe Heretofore wee haue besought Courtiers and the fauoured of Princes that they should not bee so liberall in commaunding and now once againe wee pray them to beware of fornication and adultery for albeeit this sinne of the flesh be not the greatest in fault yet it is the most daungerous in fame There is no King Prelate nor knight in this World so vicious and dishonest of life but would be glad to haue honest vertuous and well conditioned seruants so that it is impossible therefore for the fauoured Courtier liuing dishonestlie to continue any long time in fauour with his Prince For wee haue seene many in Princes Courts and Common Weales also that haue lost their honour fauour riches not for any pride they shewed in themselues nor for enuy that they had nor for any treasure nor riches that they robbed nor for any euil words that they should speake neither for any treason that they committed but onely through the euill fame that went of them for haunting the company of naughty women for women be of the right nature of Hedge-hogs which without seeing or knowing what they haue in their heart do notwithstanding drawe bloude of vs with their prickes And let not any man deceyue himselfe hoping that if hee did commit a fault through the flesh that it shal be kept from the Princes cares or
men are to die Too much merriment in life breedeth woe in death A custome of the Grecians and Romains Wise men do outwardly dissemble inward griefes The custoÌ„e of many widowes There are two things that grieue men at their death The same order that Time keepeth man ought to follow This transitory life not worth the desiring Man neuer happy till death The trauell of death is harder then all the trauell of life The cause why men feare death He giues best counsel to the sorrowfull that is himselfe likewise tormented The occasion why Aurelius tooke his death heauily Children brought vp in liberty wantonnes easily fals into vices It is perillous to be adorned with naturall giftes to want requisite vertues What parents should glory of in their children Many yong vicious princes in Rome The cruell inscription in Coligulaes brooch The cruelty of Nero to his Mother They seldome mend that are vicious in youth The difference betweene the poore and the rich in death Vicious children by an ancient law disinherited Fiue things that oppressed Marcus Aurelius heart The counsell of the Emperour to his sonne Comodus What words cannot doe treason will The sinnes of a populous Cittie not to be numbred As vice intangleth the vicious so vertue cleaneth to the vertuous Disobedience of children is their vndoing Ripe counsell proceedeth from the aged The pastime that Princes should seeke Princes are to accompanie Ancient men All young men are not light nor all olde men sage Princes that rule many must take counsell of many Weighty affayres are to be dispatched by counsell Whose couÌ„sell is to be refused The marks of an vndiscreet prince or ruler It is more perillous to iniure the dead then the liuing The duty of a thankefull child Ministers are to bee honoured of all men A good admonition for children how to vse their stepmothers Women are of a tender condition Princes that doe iustice doe get enemies in the execution thereof The Emperour here concludeth his speech and endeth his life Death altereth all things Deferring of the punishment is not the pardoning of the fault The wisedome of God in disposing his gifts A Table of good counsell The painefull iourney the Philosophers booke to viâ—â—t good â—en The properties of a true friende What Loue is A remarkeable saying of Zenocrates Great eate is to bee had in choosing a friend The saying of Seneca touching frindship Good workes doe maruellously cheare the heart The times past better then the times present A question demaunded by the Emperour Augustus of Virgil and his answere Sinne is not so pleasaot in the committing as it is likesome in the remembraÌ„ce Good counsell for all men especially for Courtiets Christians are in all things to be prefered before all others What the Author or wryter of books should ayme at A wise man reserueth some time for his profite and recreation Leâ—rned men greatly honored in times past The letter of K. Phili to Aristol at the birth of his sonne Alexander The benefite that accreweth by companying with wise men They are oft times most known that least seeke acquaintaÌ„ce No misery comparable to that of the Courtier Why this name Court was adhibited to the Pallace of Princes It is more difficult to bee a Courtier then a religious person Many a Courtier spends his time all The life of aâ— Courtier an open penance The Courtier is abridged of his liberty An honest hart is more greeued to shew his misery then to suffer it The Courtyer subiect to much trouble What epences the Courtier is at The misery that Courtiers are subiect vnto How Courtyers ought to order their expences The trouble courtyers haue with Friends The griefe of thâ— courtyer that caÌ„not pleasure his friend The mishaps of the Court are more then the fauors The Courtier wanteth many things hee would haue Few purchase fauor in the court A speech of Lucullus and may well bee applyed to euery Courtier Courtiers are rather grieued then relieued with the princely pompes of the Court. The particular troubles of theÌ„ which follow the Court. The Ambition of the Courtyers Many rather glory to be right Courtiers tken good Christians The Courtyer of least calling proues most troublesom All Courtiers subiectto the authority of the Harbingers How a courtyer may make the Harbinget his friend How the Harbinger is to appoint his lodgings The Courtier must entrear his host well where hee lyeth â—ow the Courtier may make his host beholden to him It is necessary for Courtiers to keepe quiet seruants The Courtier is to commaund his seruants courteously to aske of his Host all needfull things Too many women about the Court. The care the Courtier ought to haue of his Apparell How the Courtier is to demeane himselfe at his departure from his lodging The troble of him that is in fauour in the court is great Want of audacity hinders good fortunes The reason why fortune rayseth some and throweth down others The course he must take that would bee in his Princes fauour The saying of Dionisius to Plato other Philosophers that came to visite him Backbyting is a kinde of treason especialâ—y against princes The law of A drian the Emperour againest sedicious persons Good seruice demaÌ„ds recompence though the tongue bee silent Things to be eschewed of him that would speake with the King In what sort the Courtier is to demand recompeuce of the prince The Courtier shoulde not be obstinate How princes are to be spoken to if they be in an error How the Courtier must demean himselfe when his Prince sporteth before him Where wise men are best known What disposition should be in a Princes Iester He that will come to fauour in the Court must be acquainted with all the Courtiers in the Court. A Prince hath alwais some fauourite The inconueniences that follow the needles reasoning of that the King allowes Betweene words spokeÌ„ the inteÌ„t with which they were spoken is great difference It is best for the Courtier to bee 〈◊〉 friendshippe with all if can possible There is no man but giues more credit to one then another Wherein true visitation of our betters or friends consisteth The indiscretion of some that are visited The discretion the Courtyer is to vse in his curtesie One gyft in necessitie is better then a thousand words Two things which a maÌ„ should not trust any with A custome wherein the Courtier may lauish hia reputation When a wise man may put himselfe in perill How hee that is biddeÌ„ to a feast may purchase thaÌ„kâ— of the bidder To what ende wee should desire riches Many not 〈◊〉 to serue God as their own bellies How he is welcome that is a common runner to other mens Tables How he is to demeane himself that will visite noble means Table Many loue to haue their cheere and attendance commended Wine tempered with water bringth 2. commodities No man ought to complaine of want at anothers table What talke should bee vsed at the
against the Romaines who without cause or reason had conquered his Countrey Approouing mainifestly that through offending the Gods they had thus preuayled And the Oration is diuided into chapt 3. fol. 362. ch 4. fol 366. And ch 5. f 366 That Princes and Noble-men ought to be very circumspect in choyce of their Iudges and Officers because therein consisteth the benefite of the weale publique chapt 6. fol 373 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Antigonus answering an other which hee sent him out of Scicile concerning the crueltie exercised by the Romaine Iudges The letter is diuided in chap 7. fol 379. cha 8. fol. 381. chap 9. fol. 385 chapt 10. fo 387 cha 11. fol. 391 An exhortation of the Authour vnto great Princes and Noble-men to embrace peace and to auoyde all occasions of warre chap 12 fol. 394 Of the commodities which ensue by peace declaring that diuers Princes vppon light occasions haue made cruell warres chap 13 fol. 397 The Emperour Marcus Aurelius wryteth to his friende Cornelius wherein hee describeth the discomodities which come by warres and the vanitie of Triumphes Chap 14 fol. 406 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on further in his letter declaring the order which the Romains vsed in setting forth their men of warre And of the outragious villainyes which Captaines and Souldiours vse in warre chap 15 fo 408 The Emperours further pursuite in the same letter shewing what great dammages haue ensued by warre begun with strange and forraigne Realmes ch 16 fo 409 Ad admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the intent that the more they growe in yeares the more they stād bound to refrain frō vices ch 17. 415 That Princes whē they are aged should be temperate in eating sober in drinking modest in apparel aboue al things else true in their cōmunication ch 18. fo 418 Of a letter written by the Emperour M. Aurelius to Claudius Claudinus reprouing them being olde men because they liued ouer youthfully chap 19 fo 423 A prosecution of the Emperours letter perswading Claudius and Claudinus beeing now aged to giue no more credite to the world nor to any of his deceiptfull flatteries chap 20. fol 430 A further continuation of the Emperour in the same Letter approouing by good reasons that in regard aged persons will bee serued and honoured of younger people they ought therefore to be more vertuous and honest then they of younger degree chap 21. fol 433 The Emperours conclusion of his Letter shewing what perills those olde men liue in that dissolutely like young Children spend their dayes And he giueth wholesome councell vnto them for better means and remedy therof ch 22. 438 How Princes ought to take heede that they bee not noted guiltie of Auarice because the Couetous man is hated both of God and man ch 24 441 Great reasons to discommend the vices of couetous men ch 24 444 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Cincinnatus who being a Romaine Knight became a Marchaunt of Capua reproouing such Gentlemen as take vppon them the trade of Marchaundise contrarie to their owne vocation declaring what vertuous men ought to vse and the vices which they ought to shunne instructing also how to despise the vanities of the world And although a man bee neuer so wise yet hee shall haue neede of another mans councell ch 25. fol 447. c. 26. fo 449. c. 27. 451. A perswasion to Princes great Lords to shunne couetousnes and to become liberall bountifull which vertue should alwayes appertaine to a Royall personage chap 28 fol. 454 A perswasion to Gentlemen and such as follow Armes not to abase themselues for gaynes-sake in taking vpon them any vile office or function ch 29 458 Of a Letter which the Emperour wrote to his Neighbour Mercurius a Marchant of Samia instructing men in those daungers which ensue by traffique on the Seas and the couetousnes of them that Trauell by Land chap 30 461 The conclusion of the Emperours Letter reprouing Mercurius because he tooke thought for the losse of his goods Shewing him the nature of Fortune and conditions of couetous men ch 31 fol 464 That Princes and Noble-men ought to consider the miserie of mans nature And that brute Beasts are in some pointes reason excepted to bee preferred with men chapt 32. fol. 466 A further comparison of the miseryes of men with the liberty of beasts ch 33. 469 A letter of the Emperour M. Aurelius to Domitius a cittizen of Capua comforting him in his Exile being banished for a quarrell betweene him and an other about the running of a Horse Comfortable for such as haue bin in great fauour afterward falne into disgrace ch 34 fo 474 That princes and Noble men ought to be aduocates for widdowes fathers of Orphans and helpes to the comfortlesse chap. 35 479 That the troubles sorrowes and griefes of widdows are much greater then those of Widdowers wherefore Princes and Noble men ought to haue more compassion vpon such women then men ch 36 fol. 462 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to a Romane Lady named Lauinia comforting her in her husbands death ch 37 486 A perswasion to widdowes to depend onely vpon Gods will and exhorting them to liue honestly chap. 38 489 That Princes and Noble men ought to despise the world because there is nothing in it but plaine deceit ch 39 493 A vehement inuectiue against the deceites of the world with a further proofe by strong and weightie reasons perswading all men that liue in the world not to trust it or any thing therein verefied by a letter of the Emperour to his friend Torquatus chap. 40. 41. 42. fol. 498. 501. 504 Princes and Nobles ought not to beare with Iuglers Iesters parasites and cōmon players nor with any such kind of rascals and loyterers And of the Lawes which the Romanes made especially on that behalfe chap. 43 507 How some Iesters were punished by our graue Ancients and of the Iesters loyterers in our time chap 44. 510 Of a letter which the Emperour wrote to Lambartus his friend then Gouernour of Hellespont certifying him that hee had banished from Rome all fooles and loy terieg players a notable lesson for them that keepe counterfeit fooles in their houses chap. 45 514 Marcus Aurelius proceedeth on in his letter declaring how he found the Sepulchres in Hellespont of many learned philosophers whereunto he sent all those loiterers chap. 46 517 The Letters conclusion relating the cause and time why and when Iuglers Iesters were admitted into Rome ch 47. 520 How Princes and Noble men ought to remember that they are mortall and must die with notable consolations against the feare of death chap. 48. 522 Of the death of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius and how there are few friendes that dare speake the truth to sicke men chap. 40 527 Of the comfortable wordes which the Secretarie Panutius spake to the
the Realme of Thracia which then was subiect to the Romanes And the Emperour Valente without any couenant receiued them into his land wherein hee committed great folly and vsed little wisedome for it is a generall rule where rebels vagabonds strangers come to inhabite there the Realme and dominions is destroyed The Gothes remained certain yeares among them without any dissention or quarrelling against the Romaines but afterwards through the couetousnes of Maximus chiefe Captain of the Romaines who denyed the Gothes of their prouision which so long time remained Friendes arose betweene them so cruell warres that it was the occasion of the losse and vtter vndoing both of Rome and of all Italie For truly there is no enmity doth somuch hurt as that of Friends when they fall out at discord The Warres now being kindled the Gothes were scattred through the Kingdome of Thrace and they left no Forte but they battered downe they came to no Townes Villages nor Cities but they sacked and spoyled They tooke no Women but they forced and rauished they entred into no house but they robbed Finally the Gothes in short time shewed the poison that they had against the Romans let no man maruell that the Gothes committed so many cruel and hainous facts sith we that are Christians doe commit dayly greater offences For among rebels it is a common errour that that which they rob in the warres they say they are not bound to restore in peace The Emperor Valente was then in the citie of Antioch and sith he had assembled there a great armie and had great aide out of Italy he determined himselfe in person to goe into the campe of the Romans and to giue the onset against the Gothes wherein hee shewed himselfe more bold then wise for a Prince in battael caÌ„ do no more then one man nor fight more then one man and if he die he is the occasion of the death and destruction of them all When both the hosts of the Romaines and the Gothes ioyned there was betweene them a cruell and mortall fight so that in the first brunt the Gothes shewed themselues so valiant that they put to flight the Romans horsemen leauing their footemen alone in great ieopardie the which in short space after were discomfited and slaine not one left aliue For the barbarous sware that that day the Gothes should all die or else vtterly they would destroy the name of the Romanes And in this first charge the Emperour Valente was mortally wounded who perceyuing he had his deathes wound and that the battell was lost hee determined to flye and saue himselfe but when fortune beginneth to persecute any man shee leaueth him not vntill shee see him dead or beaten downe without recouery Therefore as this wicked Emperour thinking to saue himselfe came into a sheepecote the enemies seeing him in the end set fire on the shepecote and burnt him aliue So in one day hee loft his person his life his honour and his Empire For it is meete that Princes and great Lords should lift vp their eyes to consider well the Historie of Valente that they stray not from the Catholike Faith that they dishonour not Gods Ministers and maintaine heresyes For as this accursed Emperour Valente for his wicked doings was condignely punished by the hands of Almighty God So let them be assured the selfe same God will not pardon their offences For it is a rule infallible That that Prince which is not a good Christian shal fall into the hands of his cruell enemies CHAP. XXV Of the Emperor Valentinian and Gracian his Sonne which raigned in the time of Saint Ambrose which because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and that God giueth victory vnto Princes more through the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of those that fight IAlentinian and Valent were brethren and the eldest of them was Valentinian who succeeded in the Empire after the death of his Father to bee Pretor of the Armies For amongst the Romaines there was a Law in vre that if the Father dyed in the fauour of the people of right the sonne without any other demand was heyre This Valentinian was a lusty yong man of a sanguine complexion and of his body well shaped and aboue all hee was a good Christian and of all the people generally welbeloued For nothing adorneth the noble man more then to bee counted ciuill and courteous of behauiour At that time when the Emperour Iulian persecuted most the Christians Valentinian was Pretour of the Armies and when Iulian was aduertised that Valentinian was a Christian hee sent vnto him and bad him doe sacrifice to the Idols of the Romane Emperor or else to forsake the office of his Pretorship Iulian would gladly haue killed Valentinian but he durst not for it was a Law inuiolable amongst the Romanes that no Citizen should be put to death without the decree of the Senate Valentinian receyuing the message of this Emperour Iulian aduertised of his will which was to renounce his faith or to leaue his office hee did not onely resigne his office but therewithall forgaue the Emperour all the money hee ought him for arrerages of his sernice And because hee would liue with a more quiet conscience he went from Rome into a Cloyster where hee banished himselfe for two yeares and a halfe for this hee was highly esteemed and commended For it is a good signe That man is a good Christian which of his owne free will renounceth worldly goods Shortly after it happened that Iulian the Emperour went to conquere the Realme of Persia where in a battell hee was very sore wounded and fell downe dead in the present place For to the mishaps of Fortune the Emperour with all his estate and pleasures is as much subiect as is the poorest man that lieth in the streetes When the newes came to Rome that Iulian was dead by the consent of all Valentinian was created Emperour so that hee being banished for Christs sake was called againe and crowned Prince of the Romane Empire Let no man care to loose all that hee possesseth let no man weigh to see himselfe despised for Christes sake For in the end men cannot in a thousand yeeres so much abase vs as God in one houre can exalt vs. In the same yeare which was from the foundation of Rome â—119 in a City called Atrobata it rained very fine wooll so that all the City became rich In the same yeare in the City of Constantinople it hayled such great stones that they killed many men left no heards in the fields aliue At that same time there came an Earthquake throughout Italy and so likewise in Sicille that many houses fell and slew sundry persons and aboue all the sea rose in such sort that it drowned many Cities nigh thereunto Paulus Diaconus in the 11. booke De Legibus Romanorum sayeth that the Emperour Valentinian was of a subtill wit of
graue countenance eloquenr in speech yet hee spake little stout in his affaires and diligent in his businesse in aduersities patient and a great enemie of the vicious temperate in eating drinking and a friend of religious persons so that they sayde hee resembled the Emperour Aurelius For after that the Emperour Marcus Aurelius dyed with whom the felicitie of the Roman Empire ended they euer vsed thēcefoorth in Rome to compare and liken the yong and new come Princes to the ancient Emperours their Anrecessors That is to say if the Prince were couragious they sayde hee was like Iulius Caesar if he were vertuous they sayde he was an other Octauian if he were fortunate that hee was Tiberius if hee were rash they say de he was Caligula if he were cruell they compared him to Nero if hee were mercifull they said he was like to Traian or Antoninus Pius if he were beaucifull they likened him to Titus if idle they compared him to Domitian if he were patient they called him Vespasius if he were temperate they likened him to Adrian if he were deuout to their gods then he seemed Aurelianus Finally he that was sage and vertuous they compared him to the good Marcus Aurelius This Emperour Valentinian was a good Christian and in all his affaires touching the Empire very wise and circumspect and yet he was noted for one thing verie much and that was that hee trusted and fauoured his seruants so much and was so led by his Friends that through their occasion they abusing his loue and credite there arose many dissentions amongst the people Seneca saide once vnto the Emperour Nero I will that thou vnderstand Lorde that there is no patience can suffer that two or three absolutely commaund all not for that they are most vertuous but for that they are most in fauour with thee O yee Noble Princes and great Lords if you were as I am I know not what you would doe but if I were as you bee I would behaue my selfe in such sorte to them of my house that they should be seruants to serue and obey mee and not to boast themselues to bee so farre in fauour as to commaund mee For that Prince is not sage that to content a fewe getteth the hatred of all The Emperour Valentinian dyed in the fiue and fiftie yeare of his byrth and the eleuenth yeare of his Empire languishing of a long sicknes that his vaynes were so dryed vppe that they could not drawe one drop of bloud out of his bodie And at the day of his Funeralles where the dead corps was greatly bewayled Saint Ambrose made an excellent Sermon in commendation of him For in those dayes when any Noble Prince departed that loued and succoured the Church all the holy Bishops met together at his buryall The two brethren beeing Emperours that is to say Valentinian and Valent through the desire of the Father in law of Gracian who was father to his wife and desirous to haue one of his daughters childrē chose Valentiniā to bring vp who had a sonne named Gracian which was created Emperor so young that as yet he had no beard And truly the Senate would not haue suffered it if the Father had not bin vertuous and the childe sage But the Senate would haue done this and more also for Valentinian because hee did deserue it well of the Romaine people For it is reason in distributing of the Offices That Princes haue more repsect to the deserts of the Fathers then to the tender age of the Children This young Gracian began to be so temperate and was so good a Christian in fauouring the Church that it was much quiet and great pleasure to the Romaine people to haue chosen him and greater ioy to the Father being aliue to haue begotten him so that he left for him after his death an immortall memorie of his life For the childe that is vertuous is alwayes the memorie of the Father after his death In the yeare of the Foundation of Rome a thousand an hundred thirtie and two the said Gracian the younger was created sole Heyre of the whole Empire his vnckle Valent and his Father being departed the world And after Gratian came to the Empire many Bishops which were banished in the time of his Vnckle Valent were restored to the Church againe and bannished all the sect of the Arrians out of his Region Truely he shewed himselfe to bee a very religious and Catholike Prince For there is no better iustice to confound humain malice then to establish the good in theyr estate In the first yeare of the raigne of Gracian Emperour all the Germanes and the Gothes rebelled against the Romane Empire for they would not onely not obey him but also they prepared an huge Army to inuade his Empire Imagining that sith Gracian was young hee neyther had the wit nor yet the boldnesse to resist them For where the Prince is young there oftentimes the people suffered much wrong and the Realme great misery Newes came to Rome how that the Gaules and Germaines were vp the Emperour Gracian wrote to all the Catholike Bishops that they should offer in their Churches great Sacrifices with prayers vnto God and in Rome likewise it was ordayned that generally processions should be had to the end Almighty God should moderate his ire against his people For good Christians first pacifie God with Prayers before they resist their enemies with weapons This good Prince shewed himselfe to be no lesse warlike in his outward affayres then a good Christian in his Religion for God giueth victories vnto Princes more through tears then through weapons These things thus finished and his affayres vnto God recommended the noble Emperour Gracian determined to march on and himselfe in person to giue the battell And truly as at the first hee shewed himselfe to bee a good Christian so now he declared himselfe to bee a valiant Emperour For it were a great infamy and dishonour that a Prince by negligence or cowardnes should lose that which his Predecessors by force of armes had gotten The army of the enemies exceeded farre the Romane army in number and when they met together in a place called Argentaria the Romaines being inferiour to their enemies in number were afraide For in the warres the great multitude of enemies and their puissant power maketh oft-times the desired victorie to be doubtful This thing seene of the Romanes and by them considered importunately they besought the Emperour not to charge the battell for they sayde hee had not men sufficient And herein they had reason For the sage Prince should not rashly hazard his person in the warre nor yet should lightly put his life in the hands of Fortune The Emperour Gracian not changing countenance nor stopping in his words to all the Knights which were about him answered in this wise CHAP. XXVI Of the godly Oration which the Emperour Gracian made to his Souldiers before hee gaue the battell VAliant
and vertuous workes are now ful of babling Orators and none issue out from thence at this present but the euill and vitious So that if the sacred Romane lawes are exalted once in a weeke with their tongs they are broken ten times in the day in their works What will you I say more since I cannot tell you any thing without hurting my mother Rome but that at this present all the pleasures of vaine men is to see their children ouercome others by disputing but I let you vnderstand that all my glory shall bee when my sonne shall surmount others not in words but in silence not to be troublesome but to bee patient not in speaking subtill words but in doing vertuous works For the glory of good men is in working much and speaking little Consider my friends and doe not forget it that this day I commit my honor vnto you I put into your hands the estate of Comodus my sonne the glory of Rome the rest of the people which are my subiects the gouernement of Italie which is our Country and aboue all I referre vnto your discretion the peace and tranquility of the whole common wealth Therefore hee that hath such a charge by reason ought not to sleep for as the wise men say To great trust is required much diligence I will say no more but that I would my sonne Comodus should be so wel taught that he should haue the feare of God the science of Philosophers the vertues of the ancient Romanes the approued counsell of the aged the courage of the Romane youth the constancy of you which are his Masters Finally I would that of all the good he should take the good as of me hee ought to take the heritage succession of the Empire For hee is the true prince and worthy of the Empire that with his eyes doth behold the great Signiories he ought to inherite and doth employ his heart how to gouerne it whereby hee shall liue to the great profite of the Common wealth And I protest to the immortall Gods with whom I hope to goe and to the goodnesse of my predecessors whose faith I am bound to keepe I protest to the Romane lawes the which I did sweare to obserue in the conquest of Asia wherein I am bound my selfe to continue and to the friendshippe of the Rhodians the which I haue offered my selfe for to keepe to the enmitie of the Affricanes the which not for me but for the oath of my predecessors I bound my selfe to maintaine And I protest vnto the vessell of the high Capitoll where my bones ought to bee burnt that Rome doe not complaine of mee beeing aliue nor that in the world to come shee curse mee after my death If perchance the prince Comodus my sonne by his wicked life should bee occasion of the losse or hinderance of the Common-Wealth And though you which are his Masters vndoe it for not giuing him due punishment and hee thorow his wicked gouernement destroy it yet I discharge my selfe by all these protestations that I haue made which shall bee witnesses of my will For the Father is bound no more towardes his Childe but to banish him from his pleasures and to giue him vertuous Masters And if hee bee good hee shall bee the glory of the Father the honour of himselfe the wealth of you and the profite and commodity of the whole Common wealth CHAP. XXXIX The Tutors of Princes and Noble mens children ought to be very circumspect that their Schollers doe not accustome themselues in vices whiles they are young and specially they must keepe them from foure vices THe good and expert Surgeons vnto great daungerous wounds doe not onely apply medicins and ointments which do resolue and stoppe but also minister other good playsters for to restraine and heale them And verily they shew themselues in the one no lesse sage then in the other expert for as great diligence ought to bee had to preserue the weake flesh to purge the rotten wound to the end it may be healed so likewise the wise Trauellers learne diligently the way before they take vpon them any iourney that is to say if there bee any dangers in the way eyther of robbing or slaying wherein there is any by-path that goeth out of the high-way Truly hee that in this point is circumspect is worthy to bee counted a Sage mam for according to the multitude of the perilles of the world none can be assured vnlesse hee know first where the daunger is wherein hee may fall To shew therfore that which by these parables I meane I say that the Tutours and Master of Princes and great Lordes ought not to bee contented onely to know what science what doctrine and what vertue they ought to shew and teach their Schollers but also with greater care and diligence they ought to know from what euilles or wicked customes they ought to withdraw them For when the trees are tender and young it is more necessary to bow them and cut off the superfluous branches with kniues then to gather their fruits with baskets Those which take vpon them to gouerne Moyles of great price and value and those that tame breake horses of a good race take great paines that such beasts be light that they leape well and be well made to the spurre and bridle but they take much more paines that they be gentle familiar and faithfull and aboue all that they haue no euill qualities Then sith it is so Masters ought diligently to watch if they bee good that in young Princes there be no apparance of any notable vices for the vertues which the young doe learn doth not them so much profite as one onely vice doth them hurt if they doe thereunto consent knowing that thereby they may bee hereafter blamed or despised For if any man knew a beast that is wilde and stubborne and not gentle and will buye him at a great price such a one hath his head more full of follies then of wisedome Albeit that Masters ought to withdraw their Schollers from many euill customes amongst all there are foure principals in any of the which if the Prince bee defamed the master which hath taught him should deserue great punishment For according to the humane Lawes and Customes all the damage and harme that the beasts doe to the vineyarde the keeper that hath charge thereof shall as he is bound recompence First the Master ought to reform in such sort the tongus of their schollers that neyther in sport nor in earnest they permit them to tell lyes for the greatest fault that is in a good and vertuous man is to bee briefe in the truth and the greatest villany that is in a vicious man is to bee long in lyes Merula in that 5. booke of Caesars sayeth that the first warre that Vlpius Traianus made was against the Romanes and with no small victory ouercame the Emperour Domitian in a battell which they
fought together for as Nafica sayde the pleasures that Rome had to see many victories were not so great as the displeasure was which she tooke to see her selfe once ouercome The good Vlpius Traianus gaue battell to king Cebalus wherein Cebalus was not onely ouercome but also taken and afterwardes brought before the Emperor Traianus which sayde vnto him these words Speake Cebalus Why diddest thou rebell against the Romaines since thou knowest that the Romanes are inuincible King Cebalus answered him If the Romans could not bee ouercome how then did I ouercome the Emperour Domitian Traian the Emperour sayde vnto him againe Thou art greatly deceyued King Cebalus to thinke that when thou ouercamest the Emperor thou hadst ouercome the Romanes For when that Romulus founded Rome the Gods ordained that though their Emperour dyed in any battell yet notwithstanding it is not to bee thought that the Empire is ouercome The Historiographers made a great matter of the words that this Vlpius Traianus spake for therin he shewed that the Rom Empire was invincible After that this King Cebalus was dead and that for his deserts hee was depriued as the Emperour Traian was a mercifull Prince so hee prouided that a little child that Cebalus had should bee brought vp in his Palace with intention that if the Child became good they would giue him the Realme which his Father through treason had lost For in Rome there was an auncient Law that all which the Father lost by reason the sonne should recouer by his faithfull acts It chaunced that the good Traian taking his pleasure in the garden of Vulcan saw the sonne of King Cebalus and many other young children of Rome stealing fruit foorth of an Orchard and it is no wonder for the Locustes did not so much harme to the corne as the children do to the fruites when they enter into the Orchards When the Emperour afterwardes demaunded him from whence hee came hee answered from his study hearing Rethorike but indeed hee came from stealing of fruit The Emperour Traian was so angry and displeased that the child was a lyer that he commanded he should vtterly be depriued and made voide of all hope to recouer the Realme of his Father The Emperour Traian was greatly importuned as wel of strange Ambassadours as of his owne countrimen that he would change that cruell sentence For Princes in a fury doe commaund that which when they are patient they doe vndo The Emperour Traian answered them if the Father of this child which was King Cebalus had been a true Prince he had not lost his life neyther his Realme nor had not put mee and the Empire so many times in daunger but since the Father was a lyer and the sonne is not true it were too vniust a thing to render him the Realme For to me it should be great reproach and to our mother Rome as much dishonour that shee being the mother of truth should giue Realmes to children beeing lyers This was it that Vlpius Traian spake vnto the sonne of King Cebalus Marcus Aurelius the 17. Emperour of Rome had two sonnes as before we haue rehearsed the eldest of the which was called Comodus and his father procured greatly to dishen herite him of the Empire for hee would that the second sonne named Verissimus should haue enherited it and hee did not onely determine it but also spake it oft times openly For that thing is with great difficulty dissembled that excessiuely is beloued By chance an olde Senator and friend of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour one day both going out of the Senate house sayde vnto him I maruell at thee most Excellent Prince Why thou doest dishenherite thy sonne which is eldest to make thine Heyre the youngest knowing that they are both thy sonnes and that the gods haue giuen thee no other but them For the good Fathers are bound to chasten their children but they haue not licence to dishenherite them The Emperour Marcus Aurelius answered him If thou wert a Greeke Philosopher as thou ort a Romane Citizen and if thou knowest tke fathers loue towards the child thou wouldest not take pitty on my sonne which vndoeth the Empire but thou shouldest haue compassion on me his Father which doth dishenherite him For the child scarcely knoweth what hee looseth but I that am his Father doe bewayle the dammage which I doe vnto him For in the end there is not in the world so cruell a Father but if his sonne should bee hurt with the pomell of the sword in the hand the Father would feele incontinently the dent of his blade at his heart In this case I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods that I do that which I would not doe and I take that from him which I would not take For Anthonius my Lord and Father in law gaue mee the Empire for no other cause but because hee neuer found in mee any lye and for this occasion I doe depriue my sonne from it for that I neuer found in him any truth For it is not meete that the Empire beeing giuen vnto me for that I was true should bee left in heritage to him that is a lyer For in the ende it is better that the sonne doe loose the heritage then the father should loose his renowne By these two examples those which are the tutors and masters of Princes and great Lordes may see how to bee diligent to keepe them from lyes whilest they are yong and it ought to be in such sort that neyther in pastime neyther in earnest answering they should bee suffered to tell a lye For those that for their pleasures were accustomed to lye in their youth will not fayle for their profite to lye in their age Secondarily the Tutours and Masters ought to keepe their Disciples that they bee no gamesters that they doe not accustome themselues in their youth to bee vnthrifts for it is a great token of the decay of the Empire when the Prince in his youth is affectionated to play Experience sheweth vs that to play is a vice as Seneca saieth which hath the property of a raging dogge with whom if a man bee once bitten vnlesse hee hath present remedie forthwith he runneth mad and the disease also continueth with him vncurable vntill the houre of his death Players not without a cause are compared to madde dogges for al those that vse it hurt their conscience loose their honour and consume their substance It chaunceth oft that in that wherein Masters should bee most circumspect they for the most part are most negligent that is to say that vnder the colour of some honest recreation they agree to their Schollers to vse some pastime which if therein bee contained no commendable exercise the children ought not to vse it nor yet the tutors to suffer it for vice is of such a propertie that if a childe in his youth dare play a point it is to bee feared when he commeth to yeares hee