beholde howe greate domage ignorance dothe to all men And thoughe it be domageable to euery man yet it is moste hurtefull to a prince whiche oughte not onely to be content to knowe as moche as any other wise person knoweth but to knowe that euery man knoweth sythe he is lorde ouer all other To my iugement these princis ar not chosen that they shulde eate more meate thā all other nor to be apparayled rychelyer than all other nor to renne faster than all other but with presupposition y t they oughte to knowe more than all other Whan a prince wyll refrain his sensualitie than he ought to regarde that his person be right honest and remēbre this worde that is The gretter that a prince is of power aboue other the more ought he to be vertuous aboue al other For certainly the greattest infamy is to se a man most mighty most riche aboue all other and than to be knowen an ideot lesse of knowlege than other Al defautes in a gouernour may be borne saue ignoraunce for ignoraunce in a prince is a stroke of pestilence and it sleeth dyuers and infecteth all persons and vnpeopleth the realme chaceth awaye frendes gyueth harte to enmies of strange natiōs that were in drede finally domageth his person and sclaūdreth euery one ¶ Whan Camyll triūphed ouer the frenche men the day of his triumphe he wrote these wordes in the capytoll O Rome thou hast ben moder of all wise men and stepdame to al fooles ¶ These were worthy wordes of such a lorde and but if my remembrance begyle me certaynely Rome was more renoumed for wise persons that came thyther than for the featis of warre that were sente from thense Our auncient Romayns were more feared for their wisedome and knowlege than for their conquestes Al the erth feared them more that tourned leaues of bokes in Rome than them that were armed with armour For that cause Rome was neuer vanquished and though their armyes were deuyded and broken yet they neuer lacked wyse mē I can not say it without teares Rome is fallen frome the most hight of her estate not for faut of money and armes for to fight withall but for lacke of wyse men and vertuous for to gouerne Our forefathers wanne lyke men and we lese lyke simple chyldren All thynges that are desired of men they atteyn by trauayle susteyn with thought and departe fro with great annoyance And the reason is this There is nothynge so good nor soo well beloued but the course of tyme causeth vs to leaue it and to disprayse and abhorre it or to be wery therof This is the vayn vanite of the world and lost tyme lost for with their yonge desires they do refrayne their desires They wolde oftentimes attayne a thynge and after they study howe to go therfro agayne And yet to shewe further their lyghtnes that that coste moche they gyue for a lytel price That that they loue at one tyme they hate at an other and that that they with great study and labour haue atteyned with greatte furye they forgo And me thynketh this is the ordinaunce of the goddis that he that loueth shall haue an ende and it that is beloued shall take an ende and the tyme that we are in shall ende Than it is reasone that the loue wherwith we doo loue shall ende in lykewise Thus our appetite is so dishonest that in seinge we desire it and in desyryng we procure it and in procurynge we attayne it and in the attayninge we abhorre it and in the abhorryng we leaue it and than forthewith agayne we procure an other thynge and that newe procurynge we abhorre agayne In suche wyse that whan we begynne to loue a thyng than we fall agayne to hate it and in the fallynge to hate it we begyn ageyn to loue an other thynge So thus fynally our lyfe dothe ende er our couetyse dothe leaue vs. It is not thus of wysedome and knowlege the which if it ones entre into a mans hart it causeth hym to forget the trauayle that he toke in the attaynynge thereof For he taketh the tyme past as good and enioyeth with rightful ioy the tyme present and hateth ydelnes Nor he is not contente with that he knoweth but inforceth his appetite to knowe more louynge that other leaueth and leauyng that other loueth Finally he that is perfittely wyse sporteth in this worlde with trauayle and in trauailyng in bokes is his reste We haue not to say of all thinges but of that we fele of them For it is an other maner to speake by similitude of a stranger and of our owne experience And in this case I saye that though we hope of no rewarde of the goddis nor honour amonge men nor memorie of the worlde to come yet am I ryght gladde to be al onely a philosopher to se howe gloriously the philosophers haue passed their tyme. I demaunde one thynge whan myne vnderstandynge is dulled in that I haue to doo and whan my memorie is troubled in that I haue to determyne and whan my bodye is compassed with dolours and whan my harte is charged with thoughtes and whan I am without knowlege and whan I am set about with peryls where can I be better accompanied than with wise men or els redynge amonge bokes In bokes I fynde wysedom wherby I may lerne also there I fynd worthynes which I may folowe I fynd there prudence to counsell me I fynde suche as be sorowfull with whom I may wepe I fynde them there that be merye with whom I may laughe I fynde there symple folke at whom I may sport I fynde that is nought whiche I may leaue And fynally in bokes I fynde howe in prosperitie I ought to behaue me and howe in aduersitie I ought to guyde me O howe happy is that manne that hath wel red And yet more happy is he that though he knoweth moche yet stayeth vppon counsayle And yf this be true generally than moche more is it necessary y t he kepe the true waye whiche gouerneth all other It is a rule infallible that a prince being wyse can neuer be simply good but very good and the prince that is ignorant can not be simply yll but very yll A prince that is not wel fortunate his wysedome may greately excuse hym to his people of his mysfortune gyuen to hym by fortune Whan a prince is greatly beloued of his cōmontie and is vertuous of his persone than euery man saythe if he haue not good fortune Al though our prince wāt good fortune yet his worthy vertues fayle not and though he be not happy in his ententes yet at the leaste he sheweth his wysdom in the meane season And thoughe fortune denye hym at one howre yet at an other tyme. she agreeth by his wysedom And contrary wyse an vnwyse prince and hated of his people by yuell fortune renneth into great peryll For if ylle succede to hym in weighty mattiers than incontynent
of good inhabitauntes oughte to be praysed and not the great edifices Our predecessours haue triūphed on strangers as weake and feeble and nowe they may triumphe on vs also as menne that be more vanquysshed with vyces than any of the other By the myghtynes and prowesses of our predecessours we that be nowe are greattely honoured and exalted and by the smalle estimation of vs that be now they that come after vs shall be greatly ashamed Of a very trouthe it is a great shame to saye and no lesse infamy to doo that the goodnesse and trauayle of the auncientes shuld nowe be tourned and conuerted to folies and presumption My sonne loke wel on thy selfe that the reyne of thy youthe and lybertie of the empire cause the nor to commytte vyce He is not called onely free that is free borne but he that dieth within the same O how well are the sclaues borne that after their deth are free by their goodnes howe many haue died sclaues by their noughtynes that were borne free There is fredome where noblenes abydeth The prowes of thy persone shal gyue the more hardines and libertie than thauctoritie of thempire It is a generall rule that euery vertuous man of necessitie is to be holden hardye and euery vicious man of necessitie is to be reputed a cowarde Nowe boldely they be chastised that be noted with any vice and coldely they be chastised that deserue chastisement Let the prince be in a certayn that the loue of his people and the lybertie of his offyce hath not wherwith to vpholde hym in armes spred abrode on the erth without the dyuers vertues assembled in his person ¶ Certaynly Octauius Cesar subdewed mo nations by the renoume of his vertues than dydde Gaius his vncle with his army of many men All the worlde ioy of a vertuous prince and it semeth that al the world ryseth ageinst a vicious prince Vertue is a strong castell and can neuer be wonne it is a riuer where nedeth no rowing a see that moueth not a fire that quencheth not a treasure that neuer hath ende an army neuer ouercome a burden that neuer werieth a spie that euer retourneth a sygne that neuer deceyueth a playne waye that neuer fayleth a syrope that healeth forthwith and a renoume that neuer peryssheth O my sonne if thou knewest what thyng it is to be good and what a man thou shuldest be if thou were vertuous thou woldest doo seruyce to the goddes good renoume to thy selfe pleasure to thy frendes and engender loue of straungers and finally all the worlde shulde feare and loue the. I remembre that in the boke of yeres of the battayle of Tarentyne I founde that the renoumed Pyrrhus king of the Epyrothiens bare in a rynge grauen these wordes To a vertuous man is but a smalle rewarde to be lorde of all the erthe and it is but a small chastisement to take a vicious mans lyfe fro hym ¶ Truly it was a worthy sentence of such a prince What thinge is it be it neuer so difficile begonne by a vertuous man but there is hope to haue a good ende therof Sothly I haue sene in dyuers parties of myn empyre dyuers men very darke of good fame very lowe in goodes and vnknowen of their kynne and bloud vndertake so great thynges that to my semyng it was a feareful audacitie to begynne And yet by the wynges of vertue all onely they haue had good renoume at the last By the immortal goddis and as the god Iupiter bryng me in his mancion and stablyshe the in all that is myne There were ones a gardyner and a potter dwellynge in Rome whyche only by their vertues caused to put tenne vycious senatours out of the senate and the fyrste occasyon was for makynge a hedge of thorne and a potte for the workemanshyp and labour whereof the Senatours wolde not paye theym I tell it the my sonne bycause that vyce maketh a bolde personne thoughtefulle and vertue causeth hym that is in thought to take strengthe and boldenes I was wel ware of two thinges in my lyfe not to pleade agaynst the clerenes of iustyce nor to take part ageynst a vertuous person For with vertue god susteyneth vs and with Iustyce the people are well gouerned and ruled ¶ Of other more partycular counsaylles gyuen by the emperour to his sonne Cap. xlvi NOwe to come to thinges more particular Seinge sonne that thou arte yonge and that nature can not denye the And as in all dyfficile thinges ripe counselle is necessarie no lesse to comfort thestate of our lyuing we desire some recreations For thy youth I leue y e with gret lordis children with whom thou mayst passe the tyme And to teache the I leue olde Romains that haue nouryshed the serued me of whom thou shalt take counsell The inuention of interludes of theatres to fyshe in pōdes to hunt wilde beastes to course in the fieldes to hauke for byrdes and to exercise dedes of armes are the thynges that thy youthe desyreth And youth with youth ought to kepe companye in doinge the same But behold my son that in orderyng of armies to apply the warres to pursue vyctories to accepte truce to confyrme peace to reyse tributes to make lawes to promote some and dismisse other to chastyse the yll and recompence the good in all these thinges that be so chargeable they that be of clere mynde redy broken and trauayled of their bodies whyt heared ought to be takē to coūsel the. And sith thou art yōge lusty of body reioyce sport with them that be yong whan thou art emperor than touching thy secrete affaires take coūsel of them y t be old Beware my son of all extremities For as yll may the prince be vnder the colour of grauitie to be rulyd by the ancient persones as vnder the colour of pastyme to kepe cōpany with yonge folkes It is no generall rule that all yonge persons shall alwayes be yonge and lyght nor that all olde persons shulde be always wyse I am sure of one thynge that if the yonge man be borne with foly the olde man lyueth and dieth with couetyse Therfore my sonne beware be not extreme in extremities For the yonge people wyll corrupte the with their lyghtnes and olde folkes wil depriue thy mind with theyr couetousnes What thing can be more monstrous than a prince that commaundeth euery man to be commaunded of one Sothely the gouernyng of diuers can not be gouerned wel by the opinion of one alone Than the prince that gouernethe many oughte to haue the intention and opinion of dyuers ¶ In the annales of the Pompeyens I founde a lyttell boke of remembrance the which great Pompeie bare alway with hym wherin were dyuers good counselles and aduertisementes the which were gyuen in diuers parties of the worlde Amonge the whiche I founde these wordes He that gouerneth the common welthe and putteth the gouernance to them that are old sheweth hym selfe vnable and he
the welth of other and finally lese them selfes And therfore they aduenture them selfe into the gulfes inflame theyr lordes that haue gyuen them suche offices to gyue them to suche as haue deserued them Thou mayst know that the beginning of them is pryde and ambition and theyr middell is enuye and malyce and their ende is death and distruction And if my counsell were taken suche shulde haue no credence with princis or gouernours but as sclaundred men to be seperate not all onely fro the common welthe but fro theyr lyues Surely great is the couetyse of them that be shamelesse which without shame demaunde offices of the senate or princis but it is a more boldenes of malyce for the pryncis to gyue them In this and in the other thinges these are so dampnable that neyther the feare of the goddis doth withdrawe them nor the prince doth not refrayne them nor vengeaunce dothe not lette them nor the common welth dothe not accuse theym and aboue all other reason doth not commaund them nor the lawe subdue them ¶ O my frende Antygonus note this worde that I write in the ende of my letter In the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi. C.xlii. the Romaynes as thanne in the worlde hadde dyuers warres as Gayus Celius ageynst them of Trace and Gneo Cordon his brother agaynst Sardyne Iunius Sylla agaynst the Vmbres Minutius Ruffus ageynst the Macidoniens Seruilio Scipio ageynste the Lusitayns and Marius consull ageinst Iugurtha kyng of the Numidiens It befell so that Boco kynge of Mauritayne fauoured Iugurtha and vppon them triumphed Marius and they laded with chaines were led afore his chariot not without great compassion of them that sawe it After this triumph done incontinent the same daye by counsell of the senate Iugurtha was beheeded in prison and his companion Bocus had pardon of his life and the cause was It was a custome none to be putte to Iustice but firste the auncient bokes shulde be serched to se if any of his predecessours had done before any seruice to Rome wherdy the captiue shulde meryte to haue pardone of his lyfe and than it was found that the grauntfather of Bocus came to Rome and made great orations before the senate by whose wordes and sentences his sayd neuew merited to haue pardon of his lyfe and amonge other of his sayinges he rehersed these verses that sayd what is that realme where is no good amonge the yll nor yll amonge the good what is that realme that hath theyr houses full of good simple persons and banysheth away al wisedom Or what is that realme that suche as be good are cowardes and the yl hardy or what is the realme where al peasible are displeased and the sedycious praysed What is that realme that sleeth them that wolde theyr welth and are angry with them that wolde helpe theyr yl or what is that realme that permytteth the proude poore folkes and the ryche tyrantes or what is that realme where they all know the euyl and none procureth any goodnes or what is that realme where suche vices are openly commytted that other realmes feare to doo secretely or what is that realme where as all that they desyre they procure and al that they do procure they attayne and all that is yll they thinke and al that they thinke they say al that they say they may do and all that they may doo they dare doo and put in operation that they dare do and worst of all there is none so good to resyst it In suche a realme there shulde be none inhabitaunte For within short space the yll men shall be chaunged or elles dispeopled of good men or the goddis wyll confounde them or the tirantis shal take thē Dyuers thinges were said the which I passe ouer at this tyme. Howe thynkest thou Antigone I swere by the immortal goddis that my hart breketh to thinke of the great shame that was laid vpon Rome by such wryting as was lefte to theym by the grauntefather of this kynge Bocus This my letter I wolde thou shuldest rede in secrete to the pretours if they amende not we shall fynde the meanes to chastise them openly And as touchyng thy banishemēt I promyse the to be thy good frende to the senate that we may ioy our auncient amitie to gether And to get the out of that yle certainely I shal do my diligence I haue written to my secretarie Panutius to delyuer the .ii. M. sexters to releue thy pouertie and thus I sende the my letter to comfort thy heuy hart I say no more but the goddis giue the contentacion of that thou woldest haue ioy and rest to thy person And al corporall euyls cruel enmies and fatal destenies be seperate fro me Marke For the behalf of my wife Faustine I salute the and thy wyfe Ruffa She is thyn and I am thyn With visitation of ioy I haue receiued thy letter and thankefully I send the myn I shal not reste to desire to se thy persone in Italy and there in Sicyle to leue my feuer quartayne ¶ A letter sent by Marcus to Lambert gouernour of the yle of Helespont whan he did banishe the vacabundis fro Rome The .xi. letter MArke emperour of Rome lorde of Asie confederate with theym of Europe frende of theym of Affrike ennemye of the Maures To the Lambert gouernour of the ile of Helesponte sendethe of his parte contentation and suretie fro the sacrate senate I am furred with y e furres that thou haste sent me am clothed with thy mātel am right well pleased with thy greyhoundes If I hadde thought that thin absence fro Rome shuld haue procured so moche fruit in that yle longe ago I shulde haue determyned as well for thy profyte as for my seruice I sente to the in demaundynge but small thinges in my sporte and thou hast sent me many thynges in ernest In good sothe thou hast better proporcioned thy seruyce with noblenes than I to commaunde with my couetise For if thou remēbre I sent to the for a doseyne skynnes of furre and thou hast sent me .xii. doseyns and I dyd send but for .vi. greihoundes and thou hast sent me .xii. Truly in this case my pleasure is double For here in Rome thy great largesse is publyshed and my smal couetise there in Helesponte And bycause I am sure thou hast great thankes of me I praie to gōd to sende the salute and helthe And that fortune be not denied the at a good houre I sende the .iii. barkes of mayster foles yet I haue not sent the al. For if I had banyshed all the foles in Rome we shoulde haue peopled vs with a newe people These mayster foles haue ben so wily to teche foly the Romayn youth so apt to lerne thoughe they be but in .iii. barkes theyr disciples wold lade .iii. M. Carrakes I haue great meruayle of one thynge and my hart sclaundreth the goddis for I se wel that erthquakes
chylde the great Alexander Philip her husbande and father to the yonge chylde wrote a letter to Arestotle wherin he sayde I gyue greate graces to the goddes not all onely that they haue gyuen vnto me a sonne but bycause they haue gyuen him to me in the tyme that thou mayste be his mayster and he thy disciple Marc Aurele the emperour of whom this presente boke entreatethe he speakynge of hym selfe wrote to Polion these wordes Frende I wyl thou knowe that I am not made emperour by reason of the bloude of my predecessours nor yet for the fauour of my lynage nowe present but it was bycause I haue ben always a frende and louer of the sage people and enmy to them that haue noo good knowlege Ryght happy was Rome to chose so valyant an emperour and ryghte fortunate was that emperour to come to suche an empire not by patrimonye but by sagenes And if that aege was glorious in ioyinge of his persone no lesse it is to vs to ioye of his doctrines I wyll intitle this boke the Golden boke It maye be called golden bycause in so high estimation it holdethe the vertuous discoueringe in theyr tyme this boke with the sentences as these princes holdethe their myndes of golde in theyr Indes But I saye that at this houre there be moo hartes banyshed into the Indes of golde than to employ them to rede the werkes of this boke Salust saythe that there ought great glory be gyuen to them that haue done there hygh and great actes And that there oughte no les fame and renowme be gyuen to those that in a good style haue written them In this case I confesse to deserue noo merites for my traduction or any fame but I demaunde pardon of all them that be sage for the fawtes that they shall fynde therin For excepte the diuine letters there is nothynge soo well written but that there maye be founde necessitie of correction lyne and sensure Semed this to to be trewe by that Socrates was reproued of Plato and Plato of Aristotle Aristotle of Abenruyz Scilio of Sulpice Lelie of Varro Marinê° of Tome Enio of Horace Senec of Aule Gele Estratocles of Strabo Tesato of Galene Hermagore of Cicero Origen of saint Ierom saynt Ierome of Ruffyn and Ruffyn of Donate Sythe that in them and in theyr werkes there hath ben correctyon who were men of hyghe knowlege it is no reason that I shulde be in their fraternitie seinge that I knowe so lytel as I do to the examynation of wise and vertuous men To them I submyt this present warke and to theym that haue ben suche I them require to be contente to be the reders and not iuges therof It were no pacience to suffre nor lawe to permytte that a thynge that a sage personne with great maturite and delyberation hath written to be dispraysed by a symple persone For ones redynge oftentymes the auctours and wryters are dyspraysed not of them that can traduce and compose werkes but of them that can not vnderstande them and yet lesse rede theym I saye further of aduantage that dyuers haue written of the tyme of the sayde Marke Aureleo emperour as Herodian wrote lyttel Eutropio lesse Lampridio yet lesse Iulius Capitolyn some what more The writinges of them and of other semeth rather epitomes than histories There is difference betwene this writynge and that they wrote by herynge saye but they by whome I haue composed this present warke they were wytnesse by syghte and not by herynge of other but they wrote what they sawe them selfe That is to say among the maysters who lerned the said emperour their scieÌ„ces there were thre that is to say Iunto Rastico Cina Catule and Sexto Cheronense neue we to the greatte Plutarke These bene they that haue written this present historie Sexto Cheronense in greke and the other two in latyne I thinke of this historie is but small notice bycause vnto this houre it hath not be seene imprinted Whan I departed from the college of my study and wente to preache in the palays where I sawe soo many newe nouelties in the courtes I delybered my selfe with greatte desyre to knowe thynges and gaue my selfe to serche and knowe thinges aunciente And the case fortuned on a day redynge an historie I founde therin matter to be noted in a pistel and it semed to me so good that I put all myne humayne forces to serche farther And after in reuoluyng dyuers bokes serchyng in dyuers libraries and also speakynge with diuers sages of dyuers realmes finally I founde this tretise in Florence amonge the bokes left there by Cosme de Medicis a man of good memory I haue vsed in this writinge the whiche is humayne that that dyuers tymes hath ben vsed in diuinitie that is to reduce not worde for word but sentence for sentence We other interpretours are not bounde to gyue for the meane the wordes it suffiseth to gyue for the weyghte the sentence As the historiographes of whom there were dyuers and the historie that they made was all but one thing I wyl not deny but I haue left out some wordes which were not mete nor well sittynge rude and leaste of valure and I haue medled it with outher more swete and profitable I thynke that euery wyse man after he hathe redde this boke wyll not saye that I am the principal auctour of this warke nor yet to iuge me so ignorant to exclude me clene from it for so hygh sentences are not found at this presente tyme nor to so hygh a style they of tyme past neuer atteyned ⧠Here endeth the prologue ¶ Here begynneth the boke of the lyfe of the noble and eloquent Marke Aurely emperour ¶ Of the byrth and lyguage of Marke Aurele Anthony emperour cap. primo IN the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi. C. lxxxxv in the Olimpiade a. C.lxiii Anthony the meke beinge deed than consules Fuluie Caton and Gnee Patrocle in the hygh capytol the .iiii. daye of Octobre at the demaunde of all the people Romayn and consent of the sacred Senate was declared for emperour vniuersall of all the monarche of Rome Marc Aurely Antony This excellente baron was naturally of Rome borne in the mounte Celye And accordyng as Iulius Capitolyne sayth he was born the .vi. kalendes of May the whiche accordynge to the accompt of the latyns was the xxvi daye of the monethe of Apryll passed His father was named Anio Vero. For the occasion whereof the histories dyuers tymes calle hym Marc Anthony Vero. True it is that Adriane the emperour called hym Verissimus bycause in hym was neuer founde no lyes nor neuer fayled the trouth These Anius Veres was a lignage that auaunced them to be desceÌ„ded of Numa Pompilio and of Quintê° Curtius the famous Romayn whiche for to delyuer the towne of Rome from perylle and to gyue his persone perpetualle memorye of his owne good free wylle he yelded hym selfe to the same vorage that as than was sene in
confused for by her introduction the matter was moued And howe this mariage failed the historiens write not whom we haue folowed in this werke How Marke themperour fauored al noble exercyses and hated trewandes and fooles ca. xiiii THe vertues of this good emperour and the knowlege of sciēces the worthines in armes and the purenes of his liuinge caused hym to be named amonge the famous men of Rome The gentel conuersatiō that he had with euery man made him to be renowmed amonge the worthyest of al the worlde The thinge most agreable without reprehencion of the greattest meane and least is that a lord and prynce of many be communicable and conuersaunt with many All the good werkes of good men may be condemned with the yll intentions of theym that be ylle But the good condicions haue such a priuilege that of yl the good is praysed and the good approueth the yll In a mans lyuynge there is none so great a vyce but by good cōuersation it is couered and hid And contrary wise no crime is secrete but with ylle conuersation at the tyme that it hurteth it is more openly knowen Of two extremities hit is not so greuous to the common welthe a man to be weake and faynt in secretenes of gentyll conuersation abrode as it is of hym that is secrete and is rude of yll conuersation openly Dyuers not being of good order and policie we haue sene cōuersant a gret whyle in Rome only for beinge well condicioned And many mo we haue sene that in a short whyle after they were put in office haue ben soo proude and hasty in theyr condicions that they haue ben depriued from theyr offyces And this we say bicause this good emperour was so ioyous of vysage soo amyable in his customes so louynge in his conuersation that lyghtly he wolde caste his armes aboute the necke and on the shulders of them and take them by the handes that had any thynge to do with hym The porters shoulde not lette them that wolde accompany hym in the palays nor his garde was not so hardy to put abacke such as wold speke with hym in the fieldes In all his ages he applyed to that that euery age gaue hym by nature He was a childe amonge children yonge amonge yonge folkes worldely with them that were worldly good felowe with good felowes a baron amonge barons hardy with hardy men and finally olde with olde menne He was wonte to saye whan any in his presence that were yonge and not welle taught in their language iested at the debilitie of age or olde men at the foly of youth Leaue them sith they leaue you Many tymes of wyse yonge men cometh olde foles And of yonge fooles customably cometh wise olde men Naturalyte at the laste maketh all thynge in kynde As of greatte debilitie we canne drawe but smalle strengthe by our naturalitie we may for a tyme resiste it but not vtterly mayster it I am sore abashed that somme wyll be soo lordely and valiant in vertues and so hygh mynded and yet wyll make vs beleue that they lyuinge in the flesshe and being of fleshe onely fele not the fleshe I can not tel if nature hath made other of an other nature than I am of or me of an other nature thanne other be For I beynge neuer so faste inclosed in the swete conuersation of philosophy yea in the beste tyme this false flesshe wolle calleatte the gate with his noughtye fleshe The more that we reyse and exalte vs with science and gette lyberties the more lower we doo putte the flesshe with her myseries Beleue me one thynge that if a tree beareth not in Prymetyme his flowers we hope not to haue the fruite in harueste type and a yonge man that hathe not passed his youthe with yonge people we haue noo hope that he shulde passe his age with olde men And as we may resyste our naturalitie and not cleane to for do it so those fathers erre that are so extremely affectioned to haue theyr chyldren to begynne as olde men whervpon it foloweth that they ende as yonge This emperour was soo wyse in all thynges that amonge them that were mery he was of great myrthe And in verities he was very veritable In his pastimes he was greattely temperate and a louer of musike specially in good voyce and instrumentes and soore displeased if he harde any discorde therin He passed moste of his youthe in lernynge of sciences Whan he came to mannes state he exercised feates of knyghthode he loued disciplyne and not of adulation He was apt and happye in armes but yet in rydinge of horses he hadde ofte tymes yll happe In his yonge age he delyted to play at the tennys and at the chesse in his aege He loued not these counterfaytyng players of farces and mummeries and yet lesse trewandes that bene natural fooles iuglers and gesters for pleasure The players and gesters suffred great varietie in the empire accordynge to the diuersitie of emperours Iulius Cesar susteyned theym Octauian his neuewe droue theym away Caligula called theym agayne Cruell Nero banyshed them Nerua made theym come agayne Good Traian banyshed them out of al Italy Anthony Pius brought theym in ageyne And by the handes of this good emperour Marcus Aurelius they ended And the occasion was the Romayns dyd celebrate with great ioye the .iiii. day of May the great feaste of the mother Berecynte mother of all the goddis The sacred priestes flamines diales wold haue brought thyther these mynstrelles iugglers and gesters for to reioyce the feaste and contrarye wyse the holy nunnes vestales wolde haue done the same so that variance felle betwene theym some with force and somme with resistence and some ranne thider in fauourynge of bothe parties and not a fewe to departe theym The cruell and greate noyse of slaughter amonge them was suche that it tourned the feaste to wepynges the pleasures into sorowes and theyr songes into waylynges This good emperour laboured to pease this furie of the people and to sette peace among the neybours of Rome Whan all was done he made curious diligence to serche out all the players iuglers and iestours of Rome and in all the circuite of Italy that they might be chastised and Rome delyuered of them And for example of all the worlde he sente theym to the gate of Hostie and commaunded to sette them in Galies and to banyshe them for euer into the yles of Hellispont whiche was accomplyshed as the emperour commaunded And fro that daye was neuer sene at Rome iugler nor iester as longe as the emperour lyued But it passed not two yeres after his deathe but they retourned whan his sonne hadde the rule And excepte the bokes doo lye there was in Rome greatter nombre of fooles than of wyse men ¶ Of the good conuersation of this emperour Marcus Aurelius Cap. xv WE haue sayd of the hatred that this emperour had to trewandes reuelers getters iuglers gesters and suche other
done they retourned all into the temple that they came out of and there offred echeone as they myght And in the sayde processions it was of custome that the emperours went accompanied with the senatours but this good emperour was soo famylier that he wolde honour and accompany euery man It was accustomed in Rome that the sayde day themperour shulde weare on his robe and mantelle unperiall And all prisoners and captiues that myght touch hym with their hāde were deliuered al trespassours were pardoned and banished folke were forgiuen and called agayn And this emperour to vse his clemency and to leaue after hym perpetuall memorie lefte the procession of senatours and without any gard went the procession with prisoners and captiues The whiche doinge was occasion to leaue behynde hym perpetuall memory of hym selfe and greate example of clemencie and lowlynes to princes for to come Howe be it there is nothynge so well done of them that be good but forthwith it shalbe contraried of them that be yl And therfore this example was soo moche dispraysed of theym that were yll as praysed and allowed of theym that were good And in likewise as among them that be good there is one noted to be pure good so amonge them that be yll there is one noted to be right ylle And that worse is that the vertuous person estemeth not the glorie his vertue so great as the malitious person by his malice is shamid This is sayde bycause there was a senatour in the senate named Fuluius whiche was as blacke by his malyce as whyte by his heares He laboured soore in the dayes of Adrian to haue ben emperour and had Marcus always as competitour And as it is a naturall thyng to theym that haue yll hartes to shewe theyr malyce in smal thynges so this emperour dyd neuer no good thynge openly but this Fuluius wolde grudge therat secretely And though this emperour was greatly praysed for the delyuerynge of prisoners yet the sayd senatour coude not haue the prudence for to suffre it and so part in mockery and part in erneste he sayd these wordes to the emperour in the senate Why gyuest thou thy selfe to all men ¶ Howe Marcus the emperour aunswered a senatour in the senate Cap. xvi THe emperour Marcus Aur̄hering what the senator had said to him in the p̄sence of the senators y t is to wite Wherfore he gaue him to all men He aunswered Frende I giue me to all men bycause all men giue them to me and ar glad of me Beleue me that ouer great rigour in a prince causeth hatred of the people The goddis wyll not nor the lawes permit not nor the agreement of the cōmon welthe wyll not suffre y e princis be lordes ouer many to accompany but with a fewe I haue redde in bokes haue proued it by my selfe that the loue of subiectes the suretie of the prince the dignitie of thempire and the honour of the Senate do conserue the prince not with rigour but with gentyll conuersation The fysher goth not to take dyuers fyshes of the riuer with one baite nor y e mariner with one nette entreth into the see I promyse you the depenesse of good wylles ought to be wonne with the depenesse of the harte some with gyftes some with wordes some with promyses and some with fauours The insaciate couetous men are neuer content nor wyll open their affection but locke vp their treasours And such as serueth for loue ar lesse content with openyng of their treasure than locking vp their wylles It is an olde prouerbe of Pythagoras Loue is payd with other loue O how yl fortune it is to a prince how vnhappy it is to a cōmon welth whā y e people serue not their lordes but for rewardes the lordes to kepe mayntayne them but for their seruice With diuers stones and one ciment buyldynge is reysed and of diuers men and one lord is composed a common welthe And if geometrie begile me not the morter that ioyneth one stone with an other ought to be medled with sande and slecked lyme by reson Separate the stones and the wal openeth and let the cyment fayle and the edifice falleth He that is wyse may well vnderstande me Loue betwene neybours suffereth to be mitigate with water but hit is requysite that the loue of the prince and his people be pure Dyuers trowbles and acte dyuers tymes I haue seene among the common people of Rome in one day moued and appeased but one discorde reysed betwene the lorde and the common welthe vnto the death is neuer accorded It is a difficile thinge to make appoyntment of many with many and more difficile to accorde one with an nother But without comparison more harder it is to appoynt diuers with one than one with dyuers And in this case I wyl not saue the prince nor leue the people vncondēpned Fro whens as ye thynk cometh it now adays that lordis with annoyance commaunde vniuste thinges and in iust thinges the subiectes are vnobediente Nowe here me I shall tell you The prince doinge a thynge in dede and not of righte wyl confounde the wyl of euery manne and beleue his owne vnderstandynge and drawe of hym selfe and all other his onely wyl Contrary wise the multitude of the people dispraysynge theyr lordes vnderstandynge do as they will not as all wyll but as euery manne desireth hym selfe Of trouth it is a greuous thing although it be greately accustomed to wyll that all gounes shulde be mete fore one man and that one mans harneis shuld be mete to arme all men Than what shall we do that our fathers haue lefte thus in the worlde also we hold that we be theyr chyldren and that worse is we leaue the same to our heires O howe many princis of my predecessours I haue redde of that haue bene loste in shewynge theym selfe ouer straunge and beloued of none I wyll tell you of somme of them for exaumples that I haue redde in my bokes to thintent that pryncis maye se what they wynne by amiable conuersation and what they lose by ouermoch straungenes In the realme of Assiens greatter in armes than the Caldeens and lesse in aduantage and antiquitie than the Assiriens One maner forme of kynges endured amonge them CC. and .xx. yeres by reason they were of lowable conuersation And an nother fourme and maner as Homer sayth lasted but .xl. yeres bicause their kinges were of an yll condition And the .ix. Epiphanes of the Egiptiens was vnnombred and put down bycause there was a lawe that eche one shulde be bare legged in the temples vpon the holy dayes And this kynge on a day riding came before the god Apis god of the Egiptiens the whiche thyng was not suffred for besyde that he was put out of his realme he was chastised Also the .vi. Arfacidauel the inuincible kynge of Parthes not onely was depriued but also banyshed out of his realme bycause he dyned
at a knyghtes bridale and wolde not eate at the bridale of a cōmuner Yet also though the realme of Italy was scant theyr hartes were greatte for bycause one of their Marranes for so were their kynges called had shette his gates by nyghte for to slepe the surelyer he was depriued of his realme bycause a lawe was made that noo prynce shulde shette his gates nyght nor day for they saide they had made him kynge for to dryue awaye their ennemyes and not to be daintily nourished Tarquine the last kyng of the Romayns was vnkynde to his father in lawe diffamed his blod and kynrede was a traytour to his countrey cruell of his persone and aduoutrer with Luctece but for all that he was not called vngentyll nor infamed nor traytour nor cruell nor aduoutrer but he was named Tarquine the prowde bycause he was of ylle condicions and complexions And yet by the lawe of good menne I swere to you that if the sayd vnhappy Tarquine had had good wyll in Rome for the aduoutry of Lucrece he hadde not be put out of his realme for as moche as other greatter and more greuous harmes hadde benne doone before his tyme and also moche wors sithen by aged emperours in the empire the whyche crymes by theym commytted were suche that the offence of this frayle yonge man was but small in estimation For thynge certayne these prynces holde that if they gyue dyuers occasions for their yll wyll yet a lyttell thing suffiseth if he shewe that the hate that he hath is for none yll wyll but the hate that the subiecte hath to the lorde is bycause he hath no power ¶ Iulius Cesar the laste dictatour and firste emperour bycause he forgate to be a man among men but thinking to be a god amonge goddis beynge a lawdable custome that the senate shulde salute the emperour on their knees and the emperour to ryse courteysly agaynste theym bycause of a presumptuous mind he wold not kepe the seremonie he merited to lese his lyfe with .xxiii. strokes of pen kniues And as I saye of these so fewe a nombre I maye saye of many other The phisitions with a lyttel Rubarbe purge many humours of the body and the emperor with a littel beneuolence taketh many greues fro the stomakes of his subiectes The people owe obedience to the prynce and to do his persone great reuerence and fulfyll his cōmaundementes and the prince oweth egall iustice to euery man and meke conuersation to all men ¶ Marcus Portius sayde dyuers tymes in Rome That the publycke welthe is there perpetuall and without any sodayne falle where the prynce fyndethe obedience and all the people fyndethe loue with the prynce For of the loue of the lorde bredethe the good obedience of the subiecte and of the obedience of the subiecte bredeth the good loue of the lorde The emperour in Rome is lyke to a spider that is in the myddes of her webbe For if the sayde coppe webbe be touched with the poynte of a nedell forthwith the spider feleth hit I meane that all the werkes of the emperour in Rome benne streyghte waye knowen in all the erthe I beleue that this daye I haue bene iudged of humayne malyce for accompanyenge the processyon of the captiues and that I suffredde theym to towche me that they myghte enioy the priuilege of lybertie I yelde and gyue great graces to my goddis of my good happe bycause they haue made me pitifull for to delyuer prisoners and not cruell as a tyraunte for to make theym bonde that be free The prouerbe sayth One snare maye take two byrdes So it hath ben this daye for that benefyte rebounded onely to the myserable prisoners but the fauour to all theyr nations And doo ye not knowe that by the takyng away of their yrons I haue drawen to me the hartes of all theyr realmes and countreys Fynally hit is more sure to a prince to be serued with free hartes and loue of them that be at libertie than of subiectes constreyned with feare ¶ Howe themperour Marcus deuided the howres of the day for the busynesses of thempire Ca. xviii HEre before we haue shewid how this good emperour had great hatrede of men that were of yll lyuynge and that passed their tyme in ylle exercyse It suffiseth not the philosopher to repreue the vice of other by wordes but it is necessary that he do the werkis that he requireth other to do It is reason nowe to shewe howe this Emperour by his great prudēce compassed dispatched the great and huge busynesses of the empire the particularities of his householde the recreation of his persone thexercyse of his studies the infinite reasonynge with one and other with suche peyne takyng and in so shorte tyme. He was soo apte and wel aduysed that by hym there was no tyme yl spent Nor neuer fayled to dispatche the besynes of the empire And bycause the tyme is glorious of hym that gloriously spendeth it and the tyme is accursed that to our domage and without profyte to other passeth leauing vs ignorant as brute beastes He departed the tyme by times the order wherof was thus Seuen howres he slepte in the nyght and rested one howre in the daye At dyner and supper he wasted but onely two howres he deputed two howres for the matters of Asie Other two howres for the busynesse of Europe and Affrike and in conuersation of his house and with his wife and children seruantes and frēdes that came to see him he spente other two howres And for the outwarde besynesse as to here the complayntes of theym that were greued The suites of poore men wantynge iustyce the wydowes the robberies of pyckers of mychers and vacaboundes he deputed an other houre All the rest of the day and nyght in reding of bokes to write workes to make metres to studye antyquities to practyse with wise men to dispute amonge philosophers he passed thus ordinately in wynter And in sommer if cruel warres letted hym not or that he were troubled with great and hainous matters he went euer to bed at .ix. of the clocke and awoke at .iiii. It was of custome that emperours hadde euerlyghtes brennynge in their chaumbre And therfore whan he awoke bycause he wolde not be ydel he had euer a boke at his beddes heed And thus in redynge he spente the rest of the nyght tyll it was day He rose at .vi. of the clocke and made hym redy openly not angrely but merily he wolde demaunde of them that were presente howe they had spent all the nyght tyme. And there he wolde reherse what he had redde that nyght Whan he was redye he wolde washe his handes with very well smellynge waters for he was a great louer of al swete odours He had a good and a quycke smellynge Than in the mornynge before euery man he wolde take .iii. or .iiii. morselles of electuarie of sticados and two draughtes of Aqua vite After that in sommer he wold go forthwith
that though he scaped the pestylence yet he was vexed with hote feuers Wherfore he was fayn to leue Rome and went into Champayne and fynally in the citie of Naples he made his abode durynge the tyme that the pestilence was in Rome ¶ How Mar. answered his phisitions that wold haue him leaue his studie Cap. xxix THe emperour beinge in the sayde citie of Naples where as other soughte pastyme to conserue their lyues this emperour occupied him selfe in his bokes to augment science A man coude do hym no better seruice than to seke to gette hym a newe boke not suche as was written in his tyme but suche as were forgotten for age This emperour was not onely a louer of olde and antike bookes but also of auncient stories and set very great stoore by theym And he thus beinge in the cytie sycke and very yll at ease there was brought to hym out of a citie of Asia called Helia by certayne Hebrewes a boke writen in Hebrew he toke suche pleasure in that boke that ofte tymes he wolde leaue his meate and goo to study and for all that he was in his hote feuer he wolde not leaue to reede for all that his phisitiens warned him and his frendes prayde hym and they that were about hym counsaylled hym and demanded hym why he lefte to procure the helth of his persone in so moche redynge He aunswered By the goddis that we honour I coniure you and for the frendshyp that is betwene vs I pray you lette me alone Ye knowe well that suche as are of a delycate bloode haue not soo moche solicytude as the rusticall people that haue hard synewes and be of a more harder complexion Lyke maner they of clere vnderstandynge haue nede of other medicynes and to be heled with other syropes thā they of grosse vnderstādyng This is the differēce that I haue of eyther of them The ydeote kepeth dyete from bookes and resteth on his meate and the wyse man abhorreth meate and draweth hym to his bokes If they knewe that knowe not what thynge knowlege is I sweare to you they shuld see what auayleth more the lyttell knowlege that a wyse man hath than the greatte ryches of the ryche man For the myserable ryche persone the more that he encreaseth in rychesse the more he diminisheth in frendes and groweth in ennemyes to his domage And he that is wyttie the wiser that he is the better he is beloued of theym that be good and feared of them that be yll for his profite One of the thinges wherin I holde my selfe moste bounde to the goddis is this that they haue caused me to compas the tyme as I haue done the whiche is no lyttel gift for a man to lyue in this worlde I say it is bycause I haue had great compassion of the poore that be verye poore of wydowes of them that be sorowfull and vnhappy and of Orphelins But without comparison I haue had greattest compassiō of them that lacke knowlege For the goddis making menne ignoraunt by naturalitie myghte haue made them goddis by connynge and knowledge and as the slouthefull men are tamed and made lesse than men by their negligence so certainly blessed he is that is not contente to be a man but if he procure to be more than a man by his vertue And cursed is that man that knoweth not to be a man but maketh hym selfe lesse than a man by his vyce By the iugement of al philosophers there is but one that is the fyrste cause which is one god immortal and if there be dyuers goddis in the heuens it is bycause there are diuers vertues in the erthe And in the worlde that is paste whan the symple men were seruauntes and bonde menne and the good men rulers and gouernours they were then so estemed bycause they were knowen and renowmed for theyr good werkes in theyr lyfe Soo that they were holden and reputed as goddis after theyr deathe This is the ryghte rewarde that commeth of vertue It is a thynge consonaunt to reason that they that be good amonge soo many yll in this lyfe shulde be greattely honoured among the goddis after theyr deathe Ye are not wel content with me bycause I am alwaye redynge ▪ but I am worse content with you bycause I neuer se boke in your handes ye thynke it great trauayle to a sycke man to rede and I repute it a very peryllous thynge for a hole manne to reste and be idell Ye say my redyng is cause of my feuer quartayne in my flesshe and I saye that ydelnes engendreth great pestilence Syth I may profite by my bokes let no man haue compassion of my trauayle For I desire rather to dye as a wise person amonge wise men than to lyue ignorantly amonge men I demaunde one thynge of you A man presuming to be a man and is not lerned what difference is betwene hym and other beastes Certaynly the beastes are more profitable to labour the erthe than symple persons be to serue the common welthe A pore oxe giueth his skynne to make shone his fleshe to be eaten and his strength to labour and a poore symple shepe doth profite his flece and wol to make clothe his mylke to make chese But what profiteth a folishe ideote man Nothing but offendeth the goddis sclaundereth innocentes eateth the breade of other and is chiefe heed of vacabundes Of trouth if it lay in my handes to do I had rather giue lyfe to a simple oxe than to a malycious ideot For the beast liueth for the vtilitie of dyuers without doing domage to any other and the simple ideot man liueth to the domage of all other and without profite to any person Therfore thinke well why I am not pleased with theym that be ignoraunt and loue them that be lerned Harke syrs what I shall shewe you That man semeth good that is meke and gentyll of condition softe in wordes and restefull in his persone and gracious in conuersation And contrary wise that personne soore displeaseth me that is sharpe of wordes soore moued in his warkes riottous in his condicion and double of his promys and harde harted Also I say that if any thing wante in a wise man by nature he supplyeth it by science and he that is ignorant and folyshe if he want discretion he supplyethe it with his malice And trust surely that a worthy vertuous man therby becomethe wise and he is to be trusted and he that is of an other maner beware of hym for he goeth aboute to sell his malice He that wyll begile an other the first thing that he doth is he sheweth hym selfe to be symple and ignoraunt For a man beinge in credence may soone sprede abrode his malyce The mothes and softe wormes freete freate the clothe and the canker worme perseth the bone and flatterynge men begyle all the worlde ¶ Howe science ought to be in princis Cap. xxx THe said emperour folowing his purpose said Frendes
her expences For folye in the heed and beautie in the face bene two wormes that frete the lyfe and wasteth the goodes Also he must suffre her ryottes for a faire womā wyll that none but she haue her commandementes in the house Also he must suffre her nyce mynionnesse for euery fayre woman wyll passe her lyfe in pleasure Also he must suffre her presumption for euery fayre woman wyll haue preeminence before al other Finally he that marieth with a faire woman aparaileth him to a right great aduēture and I shall tell you wherfore Surely Carthage was neuer so enuyronned with Scipions as the howse of a faire woman is with lyght persones O vnhappye husbande whan his spirite is at rest and the body sleping than these lyght persons wyl come about his house drieng his body with ielousy casting their eies to the wyndowes scalynge the walles with ladders or clyminge ouer singyng swete songes playeng on diuers instrumētes watchinge at the gates treting with baudes vncoueryng the house waitynge at euery corner therof Al these thinges in case they shote at the pricke of the womans beautie they leue not to shote at the butte of the sorowfull husbandes good name And whether this be true or not report me to my self that maried me with your beautie and let them wite of my renoume that go so about the citie I say moche but truely I fele more No man complayneth of the goddis for gyuynge hym a fowle wyfe amonge his destenies Whyte syluer is not wroughte but in blacke pytche and the tender tree is not conserued but by the harde rynde I say the man that marieth a fowle wyfe ledeth a sure life lette euery man chuse as he lysteth and I say a man that marieth a faire wife casteth his good fame at hasarde and putteth his lyfe in peryl Al the infamy of our predecessours stode in none exercysinge of dedes of armes and nowe all the pastime of the Romayne youth is to serue ladies Whan a woman is famed to be faire than euery man gothe thyther and taketh great peyne to serue her and the women woll be sene I say Faustine you neuer sawe a yonge damoysel Romayne greatly renoumed in beautie but either in dede or in suspection there folowed som yl name of her In that lyttell that I haue redde I haue harde of dyuers fayre women bothe of grece Italy Parthe and Rome and they be not put in remembraunce bycause they were fayre but for the greatte perylles and heuy chaunces that by their beauties felle in the worlde For in maner by reason of their excellente beauties they were vysited in theyr owne landes and by their infamye shamed throughe all the worlde ¶ Whan the realme of Carthage was flourysshynge in ryches and happy in armes they ruled the common welth by wyse philosophers and susteyned it by discrete armies on the see Arminius the philosopher was as greatly estemed amonge them as Homer amonge the grekes or Cicero amonge the Romaynes he lyued in this worlde syxe score yeres and .ii. Of the whiche happy age .lxxx. yeres he ruled quietly as a baron most peasible of mynd and was as straunge to women as familiar with his bokes Than the senate seinge he was so broken with the cōmon welthe and withdrawen from all naturalle recreations they desired hym with greate instaunce to be maried bycause that memory myght be had of so perfytte a wyse man in tyme to come and the more importunate they were the more he resisted and sayd I wyll not be maried for if she be foule I shall abhorre her if she be ryche I muste suffre her if she be poore I must maynteyn her if she be faire I must take hede to her if she be a shrewe I canne not suffre her and the leaste pestylence of all these is suffycient to flee a M. men With suche wordes this wyse man excused hym selfe and he in his aege by reason of his great study lost his sight And the solytarines of his swete lyberties constrayned hym to take company of a womā and she had by him a doughter of whom descended the noble Amilcares of Carthage cōpetitours of the Scipions of Rome the which shewed no lesse worthynesse in defēce of Carthage than ours were fortunate to augment Rome ¶ Tell me Faustine may not suche suspection fall vppon your doughters though their vertue succour in the peryl and their honestie assure their persons I will discouer a secrete thynge to you There is nothynge that can be soo quyckely commytted yf a womanne be enuyronned with chast kepers and feminine shamefastnes Stedfastly they desire and with great leysure they procure these thynges that lyghtly may be atteyned There is nothynge soo certayne but that the welth of an other is matter for the own euyll And Faustine ye knowe that the moost honest womenne by our malyce are most desyred Certaynely theyr shamefastnes and kepynge close ben arowes in defence of our honestie We rede not that bludde ryches nor beautie of the vnhappy matrone Lucrece was the cause that she was desired But the clerenes of her visage the grauitie of her person the purenesse of her lyfe the kepyng of hyr selfe close in her howse the exercytie of her tyme the credence amonge her neyghbours and the great renoume that she hadde amonge straungers waked the foolyshe Tarquine to commytte with her aduoultrye by force What thynke you Wherof came this I shall shewe you We that be yll are so yll that as yll we vse the goodnes of them that be good This is no faute to the ladyes of Rome but rather in the immortall goddis Their cleane honestie accuseth our cruell malice Faustine you say your doughter is to yonge to be maried Do you not knowe that the good father ought to endoctrine his sonnes fro their yong age and to prouide for his doughters whiles they be yonge Of a trouthe yf the fathers be fathers and the mothers mothers as sone as the goddis haue giuen them a doughter forthwith they ought to fyxe in their hartes a newe remembraunce and not forgette it tyll they haue prouided their doughter an husband The fathers ought not to tary for ryches nor the moder for hygh lygnage the better to marie them So what with the one the other the tyme passeth and the doughters waxe aeged and than after this maner they be to olde to be maryed and to abyde alone they be maydens and to serue they be women they lyue in peyne the fathers in thought the parentes in suspection least they shuld be lost O what great ladies haue I knowen doughters of great senatours and not for faut of ryches nor of vertues in their persons but all only for slacke of tyme and driuinge of one houre to an other soo that at laste sodeyn dethe came to the fathers and no prouidence made for the doughters So that in maner some were couered vnder the erthe after their deathe and some buried with forgetfulnes
to be to passe his lyfe with honour and to take his deth with great vertue Ryght dere lorde I demande of you what prouffyte is it to the maryner to knowe the carde of the see and after to peryshe in a tourment or tempeste What prouffytte is it to a capitayne to speake moche of warre and after knowe not howe to gyue battayle What profyteth it to a knyght to haue a good horse and to falle in the strete What profyteth it one to teache an other the playne waye and hym selfe to wander asyde I saye what profyted it the force of your lyfe that you estemed soo lyttelle manye tymes seekynge your deathe And at this present howre that you haue founde deathe you wepe bycause it wyll take away your lyfe What thynges haue I written with myn owne hande beinge your Secretarye dyuysed by your hyghe and profounde vnderstandynge towchynge the stroke of deathe What thynge was it to se the letter that you sent Claudine vpon the deathe of her husbande what wrote you to Anthygone whan your sonne Verissimus dyed Wherin your vertue dydde consolate his heuynesse What highe thinges dyd I write in the boke that you sent to the Senate in the yere of the great pestylence comfortynge them after the great mortalitie passed therein you dydde shewe theym howe lyttell men shulde sette by deth what profyte foloweth therby And I haue seene and harde you blason dethe in your lyfe and nowe you wepe as thoughe you shulde lyue here styll Syth that the goddis cōmande it and your age requireth it your syckenes is the cause and nature permytteth it and fortune consenteth to it and is the fatall destenie of vs all than you muste nedes dye The trauayles that come of necessitie ought with a good courage to be abyden For the couragious feeleth not soo sore the harde strokes as the weake that falleth or he be foughten with You are but one man and nat two and ye ought to haue oone deathe and nat two Therfore why wolde ye for one lyfe haue two dethes enterrynge the body and sleinge the spirite with syghes After so many perylles of longe lyfe to take a sure porte wyll ye lyfte vp the sayles and entre ageyne into the swolowe of the see for to engloutte you In the see you haue chased the bulle and scaped his woodnes and nowe ye refuse to entre into the parke where you may surely slee hym You make assaute with vyctorie of your life and wyl dye atteynyng the deth you haue foughte .lxii. yeres in the campe of myserie and nowe you feare to entre into your sepulchre you haue got out of the busshes and thornes wherin you were closed and nowe at this howre you stomble in the faire way you haue had in certayne the domage of your death and now ye put in double the profyte of your death you ar entred into the campe of defyenge of the worlde and nowe you wolde tourne your backe whan it is tyme to putte your handes to armes Lxii. yere you haue foughte agaynste fortune and nowe you cloose your eies bycause fortune wyl strike you I say it bycause that willyngly you refuse this present dethe the whiche wyll cause vs to haue your lyfe passed suspect What do you high and mighty prince Why wepe you like a chyld why sigh you as one in dyspaire if you wepe bicause ye shal die why dyd you laugh so moche in your lyfetyme For of moche laughynge in the lyfe tyme cometh moche wepyng at the deth Wyl you do that you can not do and not be content with that you may do The grounde and pasture that is common you wolde ioyne to your owne the renowme of the common welthe you applyed to your owne heritage Of a subsidy or lone you wolde make your perpetuall ryghte I wylle shewe you who be deed All be deed and shall dye And amonge all other you wolde all onely lyue Wyll ye haue that of the goddis that they be goddis for That is bycause you are mortall that they make you immortall And you to haue that by priuilege which they haue by nature I that am but symple demaunde one thynge of you my lorde that are auncient and wyse whiche is the greattest or least welthe to dye well or lyue yll To lyue welle noo man can attayne certainely for hungre thirst solitarines persecution yll fortune sicknesses and disfauours This can be called no lyfe but rather a deth If an ancient man wolde make a shewe and booste of his lyfe from the tyme of his birthe to the layinge in his graue and the bodye to shewe all that it hath suffred by dolours and the harte to discouer all the strokes of fortune I thynke that the goddis wolde haue maruayle therof and men wolde be abashed therof that the body coude suffre soo moche and the harte beare it I holde the grekes wisest whiche wepe whan theyr children are borne and they synge whan an olde man dyeth but the Romaynes synge at the byrthe of theyr chyldren and wepe whan they dye olde Certaynly to laughe at the deth of them that die olde sith they dye to laugh and to wepe at the birth of chyldren sithe they are borne to wepe and that the lyfe abydeth the sentence of yl proueth well that the deathe is good Wyll you that I saye one veritie to you I haue alwayes seene that coūsell in the wysest man sonest faileth him Such as wolde gouerne al thinges by theyr opiniōs of necessitie in some or in the moste parte they do erre and fayle O Marc my dere lorde weene you that haue caused to burye soo many that some shulde not burye you in lykewise As you haue seene the ende of theyr dayes so other shal se the ende of your yeres Therfore me semeth it were better for you to dye and to go your waye to atteyne soo moche welthe than to scape and to lyue in so moche mysery If you fele deathe I haue no meruayle sythe you be a man But I meruayle that you do not dissimule it sythe you are dyscrete They that haue clere vnderstandynge feele many thynges at theyr harte that putteth them to peyne which they shewe not outwarde for the presumption of honour If al the poyson that is in a heuy hart were spred abrode in the weake flesshe by smalle greynes noo walles shulde suffyse vs to rubbe nor our nayles to scratche For certainly the deathe is but a playe wherin the player if he be apt aduentureth but lyttell to wynne moche and they that play may se wel that this is a wyly play and not a strōg And that also as well they lese that haue but a smal card not fearyng dethe as they that with a greatte carde loue long lyfe What thinge is deth but a trappe dore wherin the tent is closed in the whiche is solde all the miseries of our life This the goddis do change vs fro an olde filthy house
and seruices that we haue made Thou complaynest howe the goddes haue broken thy houses with an erthquake and haue slayne thy doughter felowe in thy banyshemente and al in one daye But thou dost not remembre the offences that thou hast coÌ„mitted in dyuers cases O my frende Antigonê° thou knowest not y t out of our yl processes cometh forth good sentences and thou knowest not y t our wicked workes are but a waking of true Iustice Knowest thou not that the fierse chastisementes is but a presse that hasteth the gret coÌ„minges of your yonge desires and knowest thou not that it is no thynge that the goddes do chastise openly to that they do dissimule in secrete Dost thou not knowe that in conclusion the goddis be goddis the mortalles are mortalles and they may do vs more good in one day than we can do seruice in a. C.M. yere Doest thou not knowe that the least yl done by the handes of the pitiefull goddis is more goodnes than all the welth that may come by the handes of the cruel men ThaÌ„ wherof dost thou complain I pray the be styl And sith thou art amonge straÌ„gers suffre And thou wilte haue honour dishonour not the goddis of the Romayns For the vniust meÌ„ do gret iniustice to speke yll of them that be iust specially of the goddis for they are most iust Certainly as Cicero sayth the greatest faut in a man that is good is to approue the yl rather thaÌ„ y e good and the moste greattest yuell in an yll man is to condemne the good for the yll Thou knowest not howe iust the goddis be Of trouthe they chaunge not for any prayer nor leaue nat for any thretenynges nor mocke not by wordes nor be not corrupt with gyftes Great ought thyn offence to be sithe the erthe hath taken vengeance for the goddis and thy innocent doughter hathe payde the faute for the offence of her father O Antigonus doste thou not know that in all thynges the goddis may werke after their own opinyon and wylle excepte in Iustyce for in that they be goddis of all they oughte to be egall to all And if theyr bountie doth bynde them to rewarde vs for goodnesse no lesse their iustyce constrayneth them to chastyse vs for our ylles It is a greatte custome and a ryghtouse Iustyce He that wyllyngely draweth to synne agaynst his wyll is drawen to peyne I say it bycause thy doughter hath lefte to do some good openly or elles she hath done some secrete ylle sithe in her youth her lyfe is bereued frome her father for ensample of chastysement in other And in the ende of thy letter thou complaynest that the peyne that men doo to the is more greatter than the offences that thou haste done to the goddis And if hit be thus frende Antygone thou oughtest to haue no displeasure but pleasure no heuynes but ioye And I swere to the by the immortall goddis I wolde gladly chaunge my lybertie for thy captiuytie and the state of Rome for thy banyshement of Sycile And I shall telle the why He is honoured amonge theym that be honoured that fortune abateth without faute and he is shamed amonge theym that be shamed that fortune inhaÌ„ceth without merite For the shame is not in the incoÌ„uenientes that is done to vs by men but it is of the offeÌ„ce that we commytte ageynst the goddis And in like case the honourable honour restethe not in the dygnyties that we haue but in the good workes wherby we meryte And therby the wordes seme trewe that the .xi. emperour of Rome bare writen in a rynge on his fynger whiche sayde thus More is he to be honoured that deserueth honour than he that hath it and deserueth it not These wordes are greatly to be noted and spoken by a great lorde Than retourne to the purpose Thou complaynest of the wronges and greues that men do to men and leue the goddis I haue no meruayle for as the goddis do neuer vniuste thynges so the menne neuer lyghtly do any thynge iuste Note this that I say and forgette it not The senate gyueth an open peyne and publyssheth the secrete faulte in suche maner that with the peyne they hurte vs and with the faute they shame vs. The goddes are more pitiefull for though they gyue vs pein yet they kepe the faut close A my frende Antigone though the goddes gather togider the slouthe and wyckednes that we commytte secretelye Beleue me and doubte not the goddis gyue lyfe to many the whiche men bereueth Therfore I thynke that thou shuldest thynke and wyshe that syth the goddis haue suffred the ylles that thou hast done secretly that thou must suffre open chastysement that men haue gyuen to the. For otherwise thinkynge to put away the peyne thou shalt abyde charged with infamy I haue written to the this loÌ„g epystle to thentent that thou shuldest haue some thyng to passe the tyme with Certaynly the greattest easemente to ease hym that is in trauayle is to exercyse the wauerynge harte with some good occupations I wyll write no more to the at this tyme but as touchynge thy banyshemente truste me I shal brynge the at one with the senate I sende Panutius my secretarie to the gyue as moche credence to his wordes as to my letter And he bryngeth a gowne to the and therwith my harte and wylle for to comforte the. Salutation peace and good age be with the and theire of the goddis and yll fortune be seperate fro me Marke my household wyfe and chyldreÌ„ salute the as thyn own And we salute all thy family as our owne Thoughe the halfe of my letter be not of my hande comforte the for my harte is entirely thyne Thou knoweste howe I was greuously hurte in the warres of Dacye in my hande and in moyste wethers one of my fyngers slepeth Thus I make an ende as always thyn owne ¶ An other letter sent by Marc themperour to the same Antigonus ageynst cruell iuges The leuenth letter MArc the sycke manne to the Antigonus banyshed desyreth salute for hym and reste for the. To eschewe the enuious trauaylles of Rome and to se certayne bokes of Hebrewe that were broughte to me fro Helya I came hyther to Sanya I made great haaste in my iournayes howe be it at Salon the feuer toke me and the .xx. day of Iune I receyued thy seconde letter and the same houre the feuer quartayne toke me I thynke none of vs bothe had the better hande For neyther my longe letter dydde put away thy trauayle nor thy shorte letter dyd put away my feuer And though as nowe the felynge of thy trauaile minissheth that I had the more brenneth the desire to remedy the. Therfore I wyll say some thinge to the but not that I fynde any consolation that thou haste nede therof In the lawe of Rhodes I haue founde these wordes we commaunde that none be so hardy to gyue counsail with out remedy
of his mother syde was so enamored of a woman of Thebes that he taught her al his coūnynge and whan he was sycke in his bedde she redde in the schole for hym Epimenides of Crete that slepte .xv. yeres without waking and though he was .x. yere a great worshypper of the goddis yet he was banysshed frome Athenes for the loue of women Archyta Tarentyn mayster of Plato and disciple of Pythagoras occupied his mynde more to inuente the kindes of loue than his forces in doctrines of vertues Gorgio Cleontino borne in Sycyll kepte rather concubines in his chambre than bokes in the scholes All these were wyse men and yet we maye se howe at the laste they were ouercome with the flesshe Than blame not me alone for as I haue tolde of so fewe in noumbre so I coude recyte of other a holle armye Of trouth he ought to haue many thynges that wylle be taken as curious in loue He muste haue his eien displayed on her that he loueth his vnderstandynge fore altered in that he thinketh his tonge troubled in that he shulde say So that in seinge he be blynded in thoughtes wandring and in speakynge troubled O lady Libia the louynge in mockerie passeth by mockerie but where as the true hart is there is the grefe and no mockerie Loue shedeth her poysone and cruell Cupydo fyxeth his arowes vppe to the fethers Than the eien wepe the harte syghethe the flesshe trymbleth the synewes shrynke the vnderstandynge waxeth grosse reason fayleth and so all falleth to the erthe so that fynally the heuy louer abydynge in hym selfe holdeth lyttell or nothynge of hym selfe All this I say bicause that knowlege to loue fayleth in me yet be ye sure that the workes faile me not to worke in thy seruice And syth it was myn aduenture to see the nowe it is my chaunce to knowe the I demaunde nothyng elles of the but that thou wylte loue me truely syth I loue the withoute feynynge And if thou haste harde that I am sycke at my harte I desyre the to do me some good for sythe it is all onely in the it is reason that thou all onely seke for remedy I was greatly comforted whan Fabius Carlynus desyred me in thy behalfe to be a prisoner and I dyd incontinent all that thou dyddest desyre to thentente that thou on some day shuldest do that I desyre And beholde lady Lybia the woman that is serued with seruyces it is reasonne that she receyue some prayers And though my strengthes haue no power to open the gates of thy pourpose as not to agree to thy demaunde yet all my labours be bycause of thy renoume I praye the discouer not the one nor begyle me nat with the other For now thou seest that in grauntynge is remedy and in truste is comforte but promesse is deceyuable the delayenge is peryllous and the entreatynge byndeth I see verye welle that the hasty demaunde deserueth a longe aunswere but I wold not that thou shuldest do soo but as I desyre the soo desyre me I saye agayne I am all thyne and not myne owne And as for my selfe in al thynges I wyll serue the. And lady Libia regard that it were as moche honour for the as profytable for me to tourne thy disordinate desyres and pourposes For thou seest well it is moch better to heale shortly than to late with faylynge of thy pourpose All women kepe one daungerous opynyon that is they wyll neuer receyue counsell that is gyuen them in a great cause and if it be so as I thynke syth thou arte praysed and estemed of great beautie than be estemed to receyue good counsell And in this maner in case that my domage be very great and thy pacience very lyttell I shalbe called wise to gyue the suche counsell and thou ryghte gratious to folowe it One thynge I saye and pardone me though I shewe it to the howe that women be greatly infamed that wyll take no counsell and suche as wylle assure their renoume by the opinion of other as moche as though they were determyned so to doo their selfe Wherfore I wolde ye shuld do one thyng for an other as I coūsayle you And if thou fyndest any ylle therby withdrawe thy hande I wyll say no more to the but that I doo present to the al my vnhappy troubles my desperate syghes and my seruyces as thy seruaunt My troubled dolours my wordes of philosophy and my amorous teares Also I sende the a gyrdelle of golde and I gyue it the on the condition that thou sette thyn eies theron and apply thy harte to me I pray the goddis to gyue me to the and the to me Marcus Aurelius the philosopher writeth this in very great secrete ¶ THVS ENDETH THIS GOLDEN Boke of the eloquent Marc Aurelie emperour who so euer be reder therof may take it by reason for a ryche and a newe labour and specially pryncis and gouernours of the common welth and mynisters of iustyce with other Also the common people eche of theym may fynde the labour conueniente to their estate And therin is conteyned certayne right hygh and profounde sentences and holsom counselles and meruaylous deuyses ageynst thencumbraunce of fortune and ryght swete cōsolations for them that are ouerthrowen by fortune Finally it is good to them that digeste it and thanke god that hath gyuen suche grace to a paynym in gyuynge vs exaumple of vertuous lyuynge with hye and salutary doctrines and meruaylous instructions of perfectnes Certainly as great prayse as ought to be gyuen to the auctour is to be gyuen to the translatours that haue laboriously reduced this treatyse oute of Greke into latyn and out of latyn into Castilian and out of Castilyan into frenche and out of frēche into englishe writen in high and swete styles O ryght happy trauayle sythe that suche fruyte is issued therof And also blessyd be the handes that haue wrytten hit A ryghte precyous meate is the sentences of this boke But finally the sauce of the sayd swete style moueth the appetite Many bokes there be of substancial meates but they be so rude and so vnsauery and the style of so smal grace that the fyrste morsell is lothesome and noyful And of suche bokes foloweth to lye hole and sounde in Lybraries but I truste this wylle not Of trouthe great prayse is due to the auctour of his trauayle And syth there can be no grace equipolent in erthe lette vs pray to god to gyue hym grace rewarde in heuen Amen Graces to god FINIS ⧠Thus endeth the volume of Marke Aurelie emperour otherwise called the golden boke translated out of Frenche into englyshe by Iohn̄ Bourchier knyghte lorde Barners deputie generall of the kynges towne of Caleis and marches of the same at the instant desyre of his neuewe syr Francis Bryan knyghte ended at Caleys the tenth day of Marche in the yere of the Reygne of our souerayn lorde kynge HENRY the VIII the XXIII LONDINI IN AEDIBVS THOMAE BERTHELETI REGII IMPRESSORIS ANNO M.D.XXXVII CVM PRIVILEGIO LUCRECIA ROMANA THOMAS BETHELETVS
Soo all these thynges tyme acheueth and burieth but onely trouthe the whiche of the tyme and of all thynge that is in the tyme triumpheth Neyther to be fauoured of the good nor to be persecuted of the yll may be but that somtyme trouth may be stopped and hydde but whan it is displeased and wyl displease than at the laste she commeth to a good porte and taketh londe The fruites in the spryngyng tyme haue not the vertue to gyue sustenaunce nor perfyte swetenesse to satisfie the taste of them that eatetth therof but thanne passeth the season of sommer and haruest comethe whiche tyme dothe better rype them and thanne that that we doo eate dothe profyte vs the profe therof is ryghte sauerynesse and gyuethe the more force and vertue and the greatter is the taste I wyll in these fyrste wordes saye that in the fyrste aeges menne were more estemed by theyr meke customes and delycatenes than they were after reproued by their grosse and rude vnderstandynges Certaynely somme of the aunciente philisophers I speake of the mooste aunciente as welle Caldees as Grekes who fyrste lyfted theym selues to regarde the sterres of the heuen and surmounted the hyghe mounte of Olympius there to contemplate and regarde the influences of the planettes in the heuen I dare well saye that they haue rather merited pardon by theyr ignoraunces than praysynge or grace by their wysedome These were the fyrste that wolde serch the trouthe of the elementes of the heuen and yet they were the fyrste that dyd so we errours in thinges natural of the erthe Homere in his Illiade said these wordes in speakynge of philosophers I prayse nothyng the knowlege of myn auncesters but I can them greatte thanke and prayse in that they desyred knowlege This was welle sayde of Homer For if amonge the aunciente men had not rayned suche ignoraunce there had not ben soo many sectes and parcialities in euery schole He that hath redde the auncient antiquities of the philosophers shall not denay me the presumption of the knowledge and ignorance of that they desired to knowe the whiche is chiefe cause that science is not all one There is greatte nombre of parcialities Cynitiens Catoniens Peripaticiens Academyens and Epicuriens who were as contrary in their opinions as dyuers in their naturalities I wil not that my penne be so dismeasured to reproue soo moche the auncient men that the glorie all onely shoulde abyde with them that be present Truely if he merite guardon and prayse that sheweth me the way wherby I thynke to passe yet no lesse meriteth he that sheweth and aduisethe me of the waye wherby I maye fayle The ignoraunce of the auncient men hath ben but as a guyde to aduyse and aduertise all other and bycause they erred we haue foūd sith the waye to their great prayse and to our gret shame I say that if we that be no we present had benne than wo had knowen lesse than they dydde And if they that were than were nowe at this houre they shoulde surmounte vs in knowlege And that this is trewe tt appereth wel For the auncient sages with their diligēce to know the trouth by their close and ferme made the wayes But we by our slouthe folowe not the open wayes Than to the purpose that I wyll saye we that be nowe present canne not complayne of them that haue bene but that the trouthe the which accordynge to Aule Gel. is doughter of the tyme In this tyme of the worlde declarethe to vs the errours that we oughte to flee and the trouthe of the doctrine that we ought to folowe But as nowe the humayne malyce is so experte and the vnderstandynge of mortall menne is so dulle that in tyme of nede in goodnes of wyt we fayle and in all yll we knowe more than we ought to knowe In suche wyse that some with one parte of the more and some with lesse al presume to wyn the game And though this be true yet it is but a smalle thynge to that we abyde fore There is so moche that we oughte to knowe For the moste that we knowe is the least parte of that we be ignorant of as the thynges natural accordyng to the varietie of the tyme lyke maner dothe the operations of the elementes In semblable wise in thynges mortall as the ages hath succeded so are discouered the sciences For certayne all the fruites cometh not together Whan one fayleth an other begynneth to entre in reason I wylle saye that neyther all doctours amonge christen menne nor all the philosophers amonge the gentylles were concurrante in one tyme but after the deathe of one good an other came better The hygh and supreme wysedome the whiche all meane thynges gouerneth by Iustice and departeth it accordynge to his bountie wyll not that at oone tyme the worlde shulde want or be destitute of sage men nor at an other tyme want of symple personnes some desyringe the fruite and some the leaues In such sort that they shulde haue enuy of that other were impeched This auncient world that ranne in Saturnus dayes the whiche other wyse was called the golden worlde the whiche was so estemed of them that sawe it and soo moche praysed of theym that harde the writynge therof and soo moche desired of them that felt no parte therof was not gold by the sages that dyd gylte it but bycause that there was none yll that did vngylt it This our age nowe is of iron yet it is not called of yron for faute of sages but bycause the malycious people surmounte I confesse one thynge and I thynke I shall haue manye wyll fauour me in the same that there was neuer in the worlde so moche people teachynge vertue and soo fewe folowynge the same Aul. Gele sayth in his boke that the ancient sages were holden in reputation bycause there were fewe teachers and many lerners at this houre it is contrary there be but fewe lerners and many teachers The small esteme that the sages be in at this tyme maye be sene by greatte veneration that the philosophers were holden in as than the whiche thynge was trewe Homer among the grekes Salomom amonge the Hebrewes Lygurge amonge the Lacedemonyens Lyuie amonge the Romayns Cicero amonge the Latines Apolonius Thianeus amonge all the barbarike nations I desyre to haue ben in all these ages whan the worlde was so ryche of sage persons and so poore of symple persons whan they assembled out of ferre countreys and of dyuers realmes and strange nations not all onely to haue hard their doctrines but also to haue sene their persones I thynke I am not begyled in the histories for whan Rome in his moste prosperitie was hyghest in tryumphe Titus Liuius dothe write it in his histories and the glorious saynt Ierome affirmethe it in the prologe of the byble that mo people came to Rome to se the eloquences of the bokes more than to ioy any Romayne trumph Whan Olympias was delyuered of her