if thou be euill lyfe shal bee euyl imployd on thee and if thou bee good thou oughtest to die imediatly and because I am woors thē all I liue lōger then all These woordes which Adrian my lord sayed doe plainely declare and expresse that in short space the pale and cruel death doth assaulte the good and lēgthneth life a great while to the euil The opinion of a philosopher was that the gods are so profound in their secrets high in their misteryes and so iust in their woorks that to men which least profit the common wealth they lengthen lyfe longest and though he had not sayd it we others see it by experience For the man which is good and that beareth great zeale and frendship to the common wealth either the gods take him from vs or the enemies do sley him or the daungers doe cast him away or the the trauailes do finish him When great Pompeius Iulius Cesar became enemyes from that enmite came to cruel warres the cronicles of that time declare that the kings and people of the occidental part became in the fauour of Iulius Cesar and the mightiest most puisaunte of al the oriental parts came in the ayd of great Pompeius beecause these two Princes were loued of few and serued and feared of al. Amongst the diuersity and sundry nations of people which came out of the oriental part into the host of the great Pompeius one nation came maruelous cruel barbarous which sayd they dwelled in the other side of the mountayns Riphees which go vnto India And these barbarous had a custome not to liue no longer then fifty years therfore when thei came to that age they made a greater fier and were burned therin aliue and of their owne willes they sacrificed them selues to the gods Let no man bee astoined at that wee haue spoken but rather let them maruel of that wee wyl speak that is to say that the same day that any man had accomplished fifty years immediatly hee cast him self quick in to the fier and the parents children and his freends made a great feast And the feast was that they did eat the fleash of the dead half burned and drank in wyne and water the asshes of his bones so that the stomak of the children beeing aliue was the graue of the fathers beeing dead All this that I haue spoken with my toung Pompeius hath seen with his eies for that some beeing in the camp did accomplish fifty years bycause the case was straunge hee declared it oft times in the Senate Let euery man iudge in this case what hee will and condemne the barbarous at his pleasure yet I wyll not cease too say what I think O golden world which had such men O blessed people of whom in the world to come shal bee a perpetuall memory What contēpt of world what forgetfulnes of him self what stroke of fortune what whip for the flesh what litell regard of lyfe O what bridell for the veruous O what confusion for those that loue lyfe O how great example haue they left vs not to feare death Sithens those heeare haue wyllingly dispised their own liues it is not to bee thought that they died to take the goods of others neither to think that our life shoold neuer haue end nor our couetousnes in like maner O glorious people and .10 thousand sold happy that the proper sensuallyty beeing forsaken hath ouercome the natural appetyte to desire to liue not beeleeuing in that they saw and that hauing faith in that they neuer saw they striued with the fatall destines By the way they assalted fortune they chaunged life for death they offred the body to death and aboue al haue woon honor with the gods not for that they should hasten death but because they should take away that which is superfluus of life Archagent a surgiō of Rome and Anthonius Musus a phisition of the Emperor Augustus and Esculapius father of the phisick shoold get litel mony in that country Hee that thē shoold haue sēt to the barbarous to haue doone as the Romaynes at that tyme did that is to wete to take siroppes in the mornings pylls at night to drynk mylk in the morning to noynt them selues with gromelsede to bee let bloud to day and purged to morrow to eat of one thing and to abstein from many a man ought to think that hee which willingly seeketh death wil not geue mony to lengthen lyfe ¶ The Emperor concludeth his letter and sheweth what perilles those old men lyue in which dissolutely like yong children passe their days and geeueth vnto them holsome counsell for the remedy therof Cap. xxii BVt returning now to thee Claude to thee Claudine mee thinketh that these barbarous beeing fifty years of age and you others hauing aboue thre score and 10. it should bee iust that sithens you were elder in years you were equal in vertue and though as they you wyl not accept death paciently yet at the least you ought to amend your euel liues willingly I do remember that it is many years sithens that Fabritius the yong sonne of Fabritius the old had ordeyned to haue deceiued mee of the which if you had not told mee great inconueniences had hapned and sithens that you did mee so great a benefit I woold now requite you the same with an other like For amongst frends there is no equal benifit then to deceyue the deceyuer I let you know if you doo not know it that you are poore aged folks your eyes are soonk into your heads the nostrels are shutt the hears are white the hearing is lost the tonge faltreth the teeth fall the face is wrincled the feete swoln the stomak cold Finally I say that if the graue could speak as vnto his subiects by iustice hee myght commaund you to inhabit his house It is great pity of the yong men and of their youthfull ignorante for then vnto such their eyes are not opened to know the mishaps of this miserable life when cruell death doth end their dayes and adiorneth thē to the graue Plato in his book of the common wealth sayd that in vaine wee geeue good counsels to fond light yongmen For youth is without experiēce of that it knoweth suspicious of that it heareth incredible of that is told him despising the counsayl of an other and very poore of his own Forsomuch as this is true that I tell you Claude and Claudine that without comparison the ignorance which the yong haue of the good is not so much but the obstinacion which the old hath in the euel is more For the mortal gods many times do dissemble with a .1000 offeces committed by ignorance but they neuer forgeeue the offence perpetrated by malice O Claude and Claudine I doo not meruel that you doo forget the gods as you doo which created you and your fathers which beegot you and your parēts which haue loued you and your frends which haue
merite to suffer many troubles if we haue not pacience therin During the time of this our miserable life we cannot denay but in euery estate there is bothe trouble and daunger For then onely our estate shal be perfit when we shal come gloriously in soule and body without the feare of deathe and also whan we shall reioyce without daungers in life Retourninge agayne to our purpose mightie Prince although we all be of value little we all haue little we all can attaine little we all know little we al are able to doe little we all do liue but little Yet in all this little the state of Princes semeth some great and high thing For that worldely men say there is no such felicitie in this life as to haue authoritie to commaunde many to be bounde to obey none But if either subiectes knewe how dere Princes by their power to commaunde or if Princes knewe howe swete a thinge it is to liue in quiet doutelesse the subiectes would pitie their rulers and the rulers would not enuy theyr subiectes For ful few are the pleasures which Princes enioy in respecte of the troubles that they endure Sithe then the estate of Princes is greater than al that he may doe more than all is more of value than all vpholdeth more than all and finally that from thence procedeth the gouernement of all it is more nedefull that the house the person and the life of a Prince be better gouerned and ordred than all the reste For euen as by the yard the marchante measureth al his ware so by the life of the Prince is measured the whole common weale Many sorowes endureth the woman in nourishing a waywerde childe great trauaile taketh a scholemaister in teaching an vntowarde scholler much paine taketh an officer in gouerning a multitude ouergreate howe greate than is the paine and peril whereunto I offer my selfe in takinge vpon me to order the life of such a one vpon whose life hangeth all the good state of a common weale For Princes and great Lords ought of vs to be serued and not offended we ought to exhort them not to vexe them we ought to entreate them not to rebuke them we ought to aduise them and not to defame them finally I say that right simple recken I that surgiō which with the same plaisters he layed to a hard héele séeketh to cure the tender eyes I meane by this cōparison that my purpose is not to tel princes and noble men in this booke what they be but to warne them what they ought to be not to tell them what they doe but to aduise them what they ought to doe For that noble man which will not amende his lyfe for remorse of his owne conscience I doe thinke that he wil amende it for the writing of my penne Paulus diaconus the historiographer in the second booke of his commentaries sheweth an antiquitie right worthy to remember and also pleasaunt to reade Although in dede to the hinderaunce of my selfe I shall reherse it It is as of the henne who by longe scraping on the donghill discouereth the knife that shall cut hir owne throte Thus was the case Hannibal the moste renowmed Prince and captayne of Carthage after he was vainquished by thaduenturous Scipio fled into Asia to kinge Antiochus a Prince then liuinge of great vertue who receiued him into his realme tooke him into his protectiō and right honourably enterteyned him in his house And certes king Antiochus did herein as a pitefull Prince for what can more beautifie the honor of a Prince than to succor nobilitie in their nedefull estate These two Princes vsed diuers exercises to spende the time honorably thus they diuided tyme. Sometime to hunt in the mountaines otherwhile to disporte them in the fieldes oft to vewe their armies But mostly they wente to the scholes to heare the Philosophers And truly they did like wise skilfull men For there is no hower in a daye otherwise so well employed as in hearinge a wise pleasaunt tonged man There was at a time in Ephesus a famous philosopher called Phormio which openly red and taught the people of that realme And one day as these twoo Princes came into the schoole the philosopher Phormio chaunged the matter whereupon be red and of a sodayne began to talke of the meanes and wayes that Princes ought to vse in warre of thorder to be kepte in geuing battaile Such so straunge and high phrased was the matter which he talked of that not onely they merueiled which neuer before sawe him but euen those also that of longe tyme had dayly hearde him For herein curious and flourisshing wittes shewe their excellency in that they neuer wante fresh mater to entreate vpon Greatly gloried the king Antiochus that this philosopher in presence of this straunge prince had so excellentlye spoken so that straungers might vnderstand he had his realme stored with wise mē For couragious and noble princes esteme nothing so precious as to haue men valiāt to defend their frontiers and also wise to gouerne their commō weales The lecturered king Antiochus demaunded of the prince Hannibal howe he liked the talke of the philosopher Phormio to whome Hannibal stoutely aunswered and in his aunswere shewed him self to be of that stoutnes he was the same day whā he wanne the great battayle at Cannas For although noble harted and couragious princes lose all their estates and realmes yet they will neuer confesse their hartes to be ouerthrowen nor vaynquisshed And these were the words that at that time Hannibal said Thou shalt vnderstande kinge Antiochus that I haue séene diuers dotinge olde men yet I neuer sawe a more dootarde foole than Phormio whom thou causest such a great philosopher For the greatest kinde of foly is whan a man that hath but a little vaine science presumeth to teach not those which haue only science but also such as haue most certeine experience Tel me kinge Antiochus what harte can brooke with pacience or what tonge can suffer with silence to sée a sely man as this philosopher is nourished all his life time in a corner of Grece studieng philosophie to presume as he hath done to talke before the prince Hannibal of the affaires of warre as though he had bene either lorde of Affrike or captayne of Rome Certes he either full little knoweth him self or els but little estemeth vs. For it appeareth by his vaine words he would seme to know more in matters of warre by that he hath red in bookes than doth Hannibal by the sundry and great battayles which he hath fought in the fieldes O king Antiochus how far and how great is the difference betwene the state of philosophers the state of captaynes betwene the skill to reade in schole and the knowledge to rule an armie betwene the science that these wise men haue in bookes and thexperience that thothers haue in warre betwene their skil to write with the penne and ours to fight
with the sword betwene one that for his pastime is set round with deskes of bookes and an other in perill of life compassed with troupes of enemies For many there are which with great eloquence in blasing dedes done in warres can vse their tongs but few are those that at the brunt haue hartes to aduenture their liues This sely philosopher neuer saw man of warre in the field neuer saw one army of men discomfeited by an other neuer heard the terrible trumpet sound to the horrible cruel slaughter of men neuer saw the treasons of some nor vnderstode the cowardnes of other neuer saw how fewe they be that fight nor how many there are that ronne away Finally I say as it is semely for a philosopher and a learned man to praise the profites of peace euē so it is in his mouth a thing vncomely to prate of the perils of warre If this philosopher hath sene no one thing with his eyes that he hath spoken but onely red them in sondry bokes let him recounte them to such as haue neither sene nor red them For warlike feates are better learned in the bloudy fields of Afrike than in the beautifull scholes of Grece Thou knowest right wel king Antiochus that for the space of 36. yeres I had continuall and daungerous warres aswell in Italy as in Spayne in which fortune did not fauor me as is alwaies her maner to vse those which by great stoutnes manhodde enterprise things high and of much difficultie a witnes wherof thou séest me heare who before my berde began to grow was serued nowe whan it is hore I my selfe begin to serue I sweare vnto the by the God Mars kinge Antiochus that if any man did aske me how he should vse and behaue him selfe in warre I would not answere him one word For they are things that are learned by experiēce of déedes not by prating in words Although princes begin warres by iustice and folow them with wisedome yet the ende standeth vpon fickle fortune and not of force nor policie Diuers other things Hannibal saide vnto Antiochus who so wil sée thē let him reade the Apothemes of Plutarche This example noble prince tēdeth rather to this end to condempne my boldnes not to cōmende my enterprise saying that thaffaires of the cōmon wealth be as vnknowen to me as the daungers of the warres were to Phormio Your maiestie may iustely say vnto me that I being a poore simple man brought vp a great while in a rude countrey do greatly presume to describe howe so puissant a prince as your highnes ought to gouerne him self and his realme For of trueth the more ignoraunt a man is of the troubles and alteracions of the worlde the better he shal be coūted in the sight of God The estate of princes is to haue great traines about them the estate of religious men is to be solitarye for the seruaunt of God ought to be alwayes voyde from vaine thoughtes to be euer accompanied with holy meditations The estate of princes is alwayes vnquiet but the state of the religious is to be enclosed For otherwise he aboue all others may be called an Apostata that hath his body in the sell and his hart in the market place To princes it is necessary to speake common with all men but for the religious it is not decente to be conuersaunt with the world For solitary men if they do as they ought should occupy their hands in trauaile their body in fasting their tonge in prayer their harte in contemplacion The estate of princes for the most part is employed to warre but the state of the religious is to desire procure peace For if the prince would study to passe his boundes and by battaile to shed the bloud of his enemies the religious ought to shede teares pray to God for his sinnes O that it pleased almighty God as I know what my boūden dutie is in my hart so that he would giue me grace to accomplish the same in my dedes Alas whan I ponder with my selfe the waightines of my matter my penne through slothe and negligence is ready to fall out of my hand I half minded to leaue of mine enterprise My intent is to speake against my selfe in this case For albeit men maye know thaffaires of princes by experience yet they shall not know howe to speake nor write thē but by science Those which ought to counsaile princes those which ought to refourme the life of princes that ought to instruct them ought to haue a clere iudgement an vpright minde their words aduisedly considered their doctrine holesom their life without suspiciō For who so wil speake of high things hauing no experēce of them is like vnto a blinde man that woulde leade teach him the way which séeth better thā he him self This is the sentēce of Xenophon the great which saith There is nothing harder in this life than to know a wise mā And the reason which he gaue was this That a wise man cānot be knowen but by an other wise mā we maye gather by this which Xenophon saieth that as one wise man cannot be knowen but by an other wise man so lykewise it is requisite that he should be or haue ben a prince which should write of the life of a prince For he that hath ben a mariner sailled but one yere on the sea shall be able to giue better counsaile and aduise than he that hath dwelled .x. yers in the hauen Xenophō wrote a boke touching the institucion of princes bringeth in Cambises the kyng how he taughte and spake vnto kyng Cirus hys sonne And he wrote an other booke likewise of the arte of cheualrye and brought in kyng Phillip how he oughte to teache his sonne Alexander to fight For the philosophers thought that writting of no auctoritie that was not intituled set forth vnder the name of those princes which had experience of that they wrate O if an aged prince would with his penne if not with worde of mouth declare what misfortunes haue happened sins the first time he began to reigne howe disobedient his subiectes haue ben vnto him what griefe his seruauntes haue wrought against him what vnkindnes his frendes haue shewed him what subtile wiles his enemies haue vsed towardes hym what daunger his person hath escaped what tarres haue ben in his palace what faultes they haue said against him how many times they haue deceiued straungers finally what grefes he hath had by day what sorrowful sighes he hath fetched in the night truly I thinke in my thought I am nothing deceaued that if a prynce wold declare vnto vs his hole lif that he wold particularly shew vs euery thing we wold both wōder at that body which had so much suffered also we wold be offended with that hart that had so greatly dissembled It is a troublesom thing a daungerous thing an insolent
learned and the other very eloquente and thus it came to passe that in liuinge they folowed Plato and in eloquence of speache they did imitate Callistratus For there are diuers menne sufficiently well learned whiche haue profounde doctrine but they haue no waye nor meanes to teache it others Demosthenes hearing Calistratus but ones was so far in loue with his doctrine that he neuer after hearde Plato nor entred into his scole for to harken to any of his lectures At which newes diuers of the sages of Grecia marueiled much seing that the tonge of a man was of such power that it had put all their doctrine to scilence Although I apply not this example I doute not but your maiestie vnderstandeth to what end I haue declared it And moreouer I say that although Princes haue in their chambers bookes so well corrected and men in their courtes so wel learned that they may worthely kéepe thestimacion which Plato had in his schole yet in this case it shoulde not displease me that the difference that was betwen Plato and Calistratus should be betwene Princes and this booke God forbidde that by this sayeng 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 doinge Plato shoulde be reiected which was diuine and Calistratus embraced which was more wordly But my desire is that sometime they would vse to reade this booke a little for it may chaunce they shal finde some holsome counsayle therein which at one tyme or other may profite them in their affaires For the good careful Princes ought to graffe in their memory the wise sayings which they reade forget the canekred iniuries wronges which are done thē I do not speake it without a cause that he that readeth this my writing shall finde in it some profitable counsaile For all that which hath bene writen in it hath bene in euery worde sentence with great diligence so wel weyed and corrected as if therein onely consisted the effecte of the whole worke The greatest griefe that learned menne feele in their writing is to thinke that if there be many that view their doings to take profit therby they shall perceiue that there are as many moe which occupy their tonges in the sclaunder and disprayse thereof In publishinge this my worke I haue obserued the maner of them that plant a new gardein wherein they set Roses which giue a pleasaunt sauour to the nose they make faire grene plattes to delight the eyes they graft fruitful trées to be gathered with the handes but in the end as I am a man so haue I written it for menne and consequently as a man I may haue erred for there is not at this daye so persite a painter but another will presume to amende his worke Those which diligētly wil endeuour themselues to reade this booke shall find in it very profitable counsailes very liuely lawes good reasons notable sayinges sentences very profound worthy examples histories very ancient For to say the trueth I had a respect in that the doctrine was auncient the stile new And albeit your maiesty be the greatest Prince of all Princes and I the least of all your subiectes you ought not for my base condicion to disdayne to cast your eyes vppon this booke nor to thinke scorne to put that thing in proofe which semeth good For a good letter ought to be nothing the lesse estemed although it be written with an euill penne I haue sayde and will say that Princes and greate Lordes the stouter the richer and the greater of renoume they be the greater nede they haue of all men of good knowledge about them to coūseil them in their affaires and of good bookes which they maye reade and this they ought to do aswel in prosperitie as in aduersitie to the end that their affaires in time conueniente may be debated and redressed For otherwise they shoulde haue time to repent but no leasure to amende Plinie Marcus Varro Strabo and Macrobius which were historiographers no lesse graue than true were at greate controuersie in prouinge what thinges were most autentike in a common weale and at what time they were of all menne accepted Seneca in a pistle he wrote to Lucillus praysed without cessing the common wealth of the Rhodiens in the which with much a doe they bent them selues altogether to kepe one selfe thinge and after they had therupon agréed they kept and mainteyned it inuiolately The diuine Plato in the sixte booke entituled De legibus ordeyned and commaunded that if any citizen did inuente any new thing which neuer before was reade nor harde of the inuentour thereof should first practise the same for the space of .10 yeares in his owne house before it was brought into the common wealth and before it shold be published vnto the people to th ende if the inuencion were good it should be profitable vnto him and if it were noughte that than the daunger and hurte therof should lighte onely on him Plutarche in his Apothemes saith that Licurgus vpō greauous penalties did prohibite that none should be so hardye in his common wealthe to goe wanderinge into straunge countreys nor that he shoulde be so hardy to admit any straungers to come into his house and the cause why this lawe was made was to th ende straungers shoulde not bringe into their houses thinges straunge and not accustomed in their common wealthe and that they trauailing through straunge contreis shoulde not learne newe customes The presumption of menne now a dayes is so great and the consideracion of the people so small that what so euer a man can speake he speaketh what so euer he can inuente he doth inuente what he would he doth write and it is no marueill for there is no man that will speake againste them Nor the common people in this case are so lighte that amonges them you may dayly sée new deuises and whether it hurt or profit the common wealth they force not If there came at this day a vayne man amonges the people which was neuer sene nor hearde of before if he be any thing subtile I aske you but this question shal it not be easy for him to speake and inuente what he listeth to set forth what he pleaseth to perswade that which to him séemeth good and al his saienges to be beleued Truly it is a wonderfull thinge and no lesse sclaunderous that one shoulde be sufficient to peruerte the sences and iudgementes of all and all not able to represse the lightnes and vanitie of one Things that are newe and not accustomed neither princes ought to allowe nor yet the people to vse For a newe thinge oughte no lesse to be examined and considered before it be brought into the common wealth than the greate doutes whiche aryse in mennes myndes Rufinus in the prologue of his seconde booke of his apologie reproueth greately the Egyptians because they
but al that Marcus Aurelius sayd or dyd is worthy to be knowen necessary to be folowed I do not meane this prynce in his heathen law but in hys vertuous dedes Let vs not staye at hys belyef but let vs embrace the good that he did For compare many chrystians wyth some of the heathen loke howe farre we leaue them behynd in faith so farre they excel vs in vertuous works Al the old prynces in times past had som phylosophers to their familiars as Alexander Aristotle King Darius Herodotus Augustus Pisto Pompeius Plauto Titus Plinie Adrian Secundus Traian Plutarchus Anthonius Apolonius Theodotius Claudius Seuerus Fabatus Fynally I say that philosophers then had such authority in princes palaces that children acknowledged them for fathers and fathers reuerenced them as maysters These sage meÌ„ wer aliue in the coÌ„pany of princes but the good Marcus Aurelius whose doctrine is before your maiestie is not aliue but dead Yet therfore that is no cause why his doctrine shold not be admitted For it may be paraduenture that this shal profit vs more which he wrate with his hands then that which others spake with their tongues Plutarche sayth in the time of Alexander the great Aristotle was aliue and Homere was dead But let vs see how he loued the one reuerenced the other for of truth hee slept alway with Homers booke in his hands waking he red the same with hys eyes alwayes kept the doctrine therof in his memory layed when he rested the booke vnder his head The which priuiledge Aristotle had not who at al times cold not be heard much lesse at al seasons be beleued so that Alexander had Homere for his frend and Aristotle for a maister Other of these phylosophers wer but simple men but our Marcus Aurelius was both a wyse phylosopher and a valiaunt prynce and therfore reason would he should be credited before others For as a prince he wyl declare the troubles as a phylosopher he wil redresse them Take you therefore Puisaunt Prince this wise phylosopher and noble emperour for a teacher in your youth for a father in your gouernment for a captayne general in your warres for a guide in your iourneys for a frend in your affayres for an example in your vertues for a maister in your sciences for a pure whyte in your desyres and for equal matche in your deedes I wil declare vnto you the lyfe of an other beinge a heathen and not the lyfe of an other being a chrystian For how much glory this heathen prince had in this world being good and vertuous so much paynes your maiestie shal haue in the other if you shal be wicked and vycious Behold behold noble prince the lyfe of this Emperour you shal se how clere he was in his iudgement how vpright in hys iustyce howe circumspect in hys life how louing to his frends how pacient in his troubles how he dissembled with hys enemies how seuere agaynst Tyraunts how quyet among the quiet how great a frend to the sage and louer of the simple how aduenturous in his warres and amyable in peace and aboue al thinges how high in words and profound in sentences Many tymes I haue bene in doubt with my selfe whether the Eternal maiesty which gyueth vnto you princes the temporal maiestie to rule aboue al other in power and authorytie did exempt you that are princes more from humaine frayltye then he did vs that be but subiects and at the last I knew he did not For I see euen as you are chyldren of the world so you do lyue according to the world I see euen as you trauaile in the world so you can know nothing but things of the world I se because you liue in the fleshe that you are subiect to the myseryes of the fleshe I see though for a tyme you prolong your lyfe yet at the last you are brought to your graue I see your trauaile is great and that within your gates there dwelleth no rest I se you are cold in the wynter and hote in the sommer I se that hunger feeleth you and thirst troubleth you I se your frendes forsake you and your ennemyes assault you I se that you are sadde and lacke ioy I se you are sicke and be not wel serued I see you haue muche and yet that which you lacke is more What wil ye se more seyng that princeâ— die O noble princes great Lordes syns you must die and become wormes meat why do you not in your lyfe tyme serche for good counsayle If the prynces and noble men commit an â—rroure no man dare chastice them wherfore they stand in greater nede of aduyse counsaile For the trauailer who is out of his waye the more he goeth foreward the more he errethe If the people do amisse they ought to be punyshed but if the prince erre hee shoulde bee admonished And as the Prynce wyl the people shoulde at his handes haue punyshment so it is reason that he at their hands should receyue counsayle For as the wealthe of the one dependeth on the wealthe of the other soo trulye if the prince bee vycious the people can not be vertuous If youre maiestie wyl punyshe your people with words commaund them to prynt this present worke in their harts And if your people would serue your hyghnes with their aduise let them likewyse beseche you to reade ouer this booke For therin the subiectes shal fynd how they may amende and you Lordes shal se al that you ought to do wdether this presente worke be profytable or noo I wyll not that my penne shal declare but they whyche reede it shall iudge For we aucthours take paines to make and translate others for vs vse to giue iudgement and sentence From my tender yeres vntil this present I haue liued in the world occupieng my selfe in reading and studieng humaine deuyne bookes and although I confesse my debilitie to be such that I haue not reade so much as I might nor studied so much as I ought yet not withstandinge al that I haue red hath not caused me to muse so muche as the doctrine of Marcus Aurelius hath sith that in the mouth of an heathen god hath put such a great treasor The greatest part of al his workes were in Greke yet he wrote also many in latin I haue drawen this out of greke throughe the helpe of my frends afterwards out of latin into our vulgare tongue by the trauaile of my hands Let al men iudge what I haue suffred in drawing it out of Greke into latin out of the latin into the vulgar and out of a plaine vulgar into a swete and pleasaunt style For that banket is not counted sumptuous vnlesse ther be both pleasaunt meates and sauory sauces To cal sentences to mynd to place the wordes to examine languages to correct sillables what swette I haue suffred in the hote sommer what bytter cold in the sharpe wynter what
ende of her lyfe Therfore why should I bewayle her death synce the gods haue lent her life but vntyll this daye The greate estimation that we haue of this life causeth that death semeth vnto vs sodayne and that the lyfe vnwares with death is ouertaken but these are wordes of the children of vanitie for that by the wyl of the gods death visiteth vs and against the wylles of men lyfe forsaketh vs. Also my chyldren be vertuous philosphers and albeit they be nowe in the handes of tyrauntes we oughte not therefore to call them captiues for a man may not call him a captiue whiche is laden with irons but him whiche is ouerwhelmed with vices And although the fire haue burnt my house yet I knowe not why I ought to be sad for of truthe it was now olde and the wynde did blowe downe the tyles the wormes did waste the woode and the waters that ran downe perished the walles and it was old and lyke to fall and perchaunce would haue done greater displeasure For most commonly enuy malice and olde houses sodainely without any warning or knocking at the doore assaulteth menne finally there came the fire whiche quited me of many troubles First of the trouble that I should haue had in repairing it secondarely it saued me money in pluckinge it downe thirdly it preserued me and myne heires from muche coste and many daungers For oftentimes that whiche a man consumeth in repayring an olde house would with auauntage by hym a newe Also those whiche saye that for the taking away of my goodes I lacke the goodes of fortune such haue no reason so to thinke or saye For fortune neuer geueth temporall goodes for a proper thing but to those whome she list and when she will dispose them therfore when fortune seeth that those men whome she hath appointed as her distributers doe hourde vp the same to them and to their heires then she taketh it from them to geue it to an other Therefore by reason I should not cōplayne that I haue lost any thing for fortune recommendeth vnto an other the temporall goodes but I cary pacience and Philosophie with me so that they haue discharged me from all other and haue no more charge but for my selfe alone Laertius declareth in his fift boke of the sayings of the Gretians That this Bias determined to goe to the playes of Mounte Olimpus whereunto resorted people of all nations and he shewed hym selfe in this place of so highe an vnderstanding that he was counted supreame and chiefe of all other philosophers and wonne the name of a true philosopher Other philosophers then beinge in the same playes Olimpicalles asked him many questions of sondry matters whereof I wyll make mention here of the chiefest ¶ The questions demaunded of the Philosopher Bias. THe first question was this Tell me who is the vnhappiest man in the worlde Bias aunswered He is moste vnhappy that is not paciente in aduersities For men are not killed with the aduersities they haue but with the impacience whiche they suffer The second was what is most hardest troublesome to iudge he answered There is nothing more difficulte then to iudge a contention betwixte two friendes For to iudge betwene two enemies th one remaineth a frend but to be iudge betwene two friendes the one is made an enemy The third was what is moste hardest to measure whereunto Bias aunswered Ther is nothing that needeth more circumspection then the measuring of time for the time shold be measured so iustly that by reason no time should want to do wel nor any time should abound to do euill The fourth was what thing is that that nedeth no excuse in the accomplishment therof Bias answered the thing that is promised must of necessity be parformed for otherwise he that doth lose the creadite of his word shoulde lose more then he that should lose the promise to him made The 5 was what thinge that is wherin the men aswell good as euill should take care Bias aunswered men ought not in any thinge to take so greate care as in sekinge counsayle and counselours for the prosperous times cannot be maintayned nor the multitude of enemyes resisted if it be not by wise men and graue counsayles The sixte was what thing that is wherin men are praised to be negligent he aunswered in one thinge only men haue lycence to be neglygente and that is in chosing of frendes Slowly ought thy frendes to be chosen and they neuer after for any thing ought to be forsaken The seuenth what is that which the afflyeted man doth most desire Bias aunswered It is the chaunge of fortune and the thing which the prosperous man doth most abhorre is to thinke that fortune is mutable For the vnfortunate man hopeth for euery chaunge of fortune to be made better and the wealthye man feareth through euery chaunge to be depriued of hys house These wer the questions which the philosophers demaunded of Bias in the playes of the mount Olimpus in the 60 Olimpiad The philosopher Bias liued 95. yeres and as hee drew nere his death the Prienenses shewing them selues to be maruelous sorofull for the losse of suche a famous man desired him earnestly to ordeine some lawes wherby they myght know howe to chose captaynes or some Prince whiche after hym mighte gouerne the Realme The phylosopher Bias vnderstandinge their honeste requestes gaue theym certaine lawes in fewe woordes whiche folowe Of the whyche the deuine Plato maketh mencion in his booke De legibus and lykewise Aristotle in the booke of Occonomices ¶ The Lawes whych Bias gaue to the Prienenses WE ordeine and commaunde that no man be chosen to be prince amonge the people vnlesse he be at least 40 yeres of age For gouernours ought to be of such age that nether youth nor small experience should cause theym to erre in their affaires nor weakenes through ouermuch age should hinder them from taking paines We ordeine and commaund that none be chosen amongest the Prienenses gouernour if he be not wel learned in the greke letters For there is no greater plague in the publik weale then for him to lack wisedome whych gouerneth the same We ordeine and commaunde that ther be none amongest the Prienenses chosen gouernour vnlesse he hath bene brought vp in the warres 10. yeres at the leaste For he alone dothe knowe how precious a thing peace is whych by experience hath felte the extreme miseryes of warre We ordeine and commaund that if any haue bene noted to be cruel that he be not chosen for gouernour of the people For that man that is cruel is likely to be a tyrant We ordeine comaund that if the gouernor of the Prienenses be so hardy or dare presume to breake the aunciēt lawes of the people that in such case he be depriued from thoffice of the gouernour and lykewise exiled from the people For there is nothing that destroyeth soner a publike weale then to ordeine new and fond lawes and
of Corinthe for I haue no commission to treate of peace with vnthriftye players but with sage gouernours Those of Athens comaunded me not to kepe company with those that haue their hāds occupied with dyce but with those that haue their bodyes loden with harnes with those that haue their eyes daseled with their bookes For those men which haue warre with the dice it is vnpossible they shold haue peace with their neighbours After he had spoken these wordes he returned to Athens I let the vnderstand my frend Pulio that the Corinthians thinke it to be the greatest felicitie in the world to occupie dayes nightes in playes and meruel not hereat neyther laugh thou them to scorne For it was tolde we by a Greeke being in Antioche that a Corinthian estemed it more felycitie to winne a game then the Romaine captaine dyd to winne a triumphe As they say the Corinthians were wyse and temperate men vnlesse it were in playes in the which thing they were to vycious Me thynke my frend Pulio that I aunswere the more ampely then thou requyrest or that my health suffreth the whych is lytle so that both thou shalte be troubled to reade it and I here shal haue paine to wryt it I wil make the a briefe some of al the others whiche now come vnto my remembraunce the which in dyuerse things haue put their ioy and chiefe felycities Of Crates the philosopher CRates the philosopher put his felycitie to haue good fortune in prosperous nauigacions sayeng that he which sayleth by sea can neuer haue perfecte ioy at his hart so long as he considereth that betwene death life there is but on bourde Wherfore the harte neuer feeleth so great ioy as when in the hauen he remembreth the perrils whyche he hath escaped of the sea Of Estilpho the philosopher EStilpho the philosopher put all his felycitie to be of great power sayeng that the man which can do litle is worth lytle and he that hath litle the gods do him wrong to let him lyue so long For he only is happie which hath power to oppresse his enemyes and hath wherwith al to succour him selfe and reward his frendes Of Simonides the philosopher SImonides the philosopher put all his felycitie to be wel beloued of the people sayinge that churlyshe men and euyl condicioned shoulde be sent to the mountaynes amongest brute beastes For ther is no greater felycity in this lyfe then to be beloued of all in the common wealthe Of Archita the philosopher ARchita the Philosopher had all his felycity in conquering a battaile sayeng that naturallye man is so much frende to hym selfe and desireth so much to come to the chiefe of his enterprise that thoughe for lytle trifles he played yet he woulde not be ouercome For the hart willynglye suffereth all the trauayles of the lyfe in hope afterwardes to wynne the vyctorye Of Gorgias the philosopher GOrgias the philosopher put all his felycytie to heare a thing whych pleased him sayeng that the body feleth not so much a great wound as the hart doth an euyl word For truly ther is no musicke that soundeth so swete to the eares as the pleasaunt words are sauoury to the hart Of Crisippus the philosopher CRisippus the Philosopher had all his felycitye in this world in making great buildynges sayeng that those which of them selues lefte no memorye both in their lyfe and after their death deserued infamye For greate and sumptuous buyldynges are perpetuall monumentes of noble courages Of Antisthenes the philosopher ANtisthenes the phylosopher put al his felicye in renowne after his death For sayth he there is no losse but of lyfe that flytteth without fame For the wiseman neade not feare to dye So he leaue a memory of his vertuous lyfe behind him Of Sophocles the philosopher SOphocles had all his ioy in hauyng children whych should possesse the inheritaunce of their father sayenge that the graffe of him that hath no children surmounteth aboue al other sorrowes For the greatest felicity in this lyfe is to haue honoure and riches and afterwards to leaue children whych shal inherite them Of Euripides the philosopher EVripides the Philosopher had all his ioy in keaping a fayre woman sayeng hys tongue wyth wordes could not expresse the griefe whiche the hart endureth that is accumbred with a foule woman therfore of truth he whych happeneth of a goodly and vertuous woman ought of ryght in hys lyfe to desire no more pleasure Of Palemon the philosopher PAlemon put the felycytye of men in eloquence sayeng and swearing that the man that cannot reason of al things is not so lyke a reasonable man as he is a brute beast For accordyng to the opinyons of many there is no greater fely citye in thys wretched worlde then to be a man of a pleasaunte tongue and of an honest lyfe Of Themistocles the philosopher THemistocles put all hys felycity in discending from a noble lynage sayeng that the man whych is come of a meane stocke is not bounde to make himselfe 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 felycitie in keaping temporal goods sayeng that the man which hath not wherwith to eate nor to susteine his lyfe it were better counsayle for him of his free wil to goe into the graue then to do any other thing For he only shal be called happie in this worlde who hath no nede to enter into another mans house Of Heraclitus the philosopher HEraclitus put all his felycitie in heaping vp treasoure sayenge that the prodygall man the more he getteth the more he spendeth but he hath the respecte of a wyse man who can keape a secrete treasoure for the necessityes to come Thou hast now sufficiently vnderstode my frend Pulio how that .vii. monethes since I haue bene taken with the feuer quartaine and I swere vnto the by the immortall gods that at this present instaunt writyng vnto the my hand shaketh which is an euident token that the cold doth take me wherefore I am constrayned to conclude this matter which thou demaundest me although not according to my desier For amongest true frends though the workes do cease wherewith they serue yet therefore the inward partes ought not to quaile wherwyth they loue If thou dost aske me my frend Pulio what I thynke of all that is aboue spoken and to whych of those I do sticke I aunswere the. That in this world I do not graunt any to be happie and if ther be any the gods haue them with them because on the one side chosynge the playne and drye way without clay and on the other syde all stonye and myerie we may rather call this lyfe the precipitacion of the euyl then the safegard of the good I wil speake but one word only but marke wel what therby I meane whych is
in their gardeynes banqueting others in the market byeng and others in the middes of the streates here and there gaddyng but the famous Lucretia was found in her house alone weuing in silke so that she flyeng company for that she would not be sene made her selfe in her honour and renowne better to be knowen I wil giue an other counsell to Princesses and great Ladyes the which I am willyng to giue so I wishe they would be as desyrous to receiue that is to wete if they will be estemed and counted for honest women that they must kepe them selues from euil company For thoughe the stinking carreine doth no harme because we eate it not yet the vnsauorye sent therof annoyeth vs by smelling The honour of women is so delicate a thing that if we giue them lycence to go abrode to vysite women we must also giue them leue to be visited of men For that one Dame should visite an other it semeth much charitie but that men should vysite women I cannot but thinke it much dishonestye In the presence of their husbandes and nere kynnesfolkes they may be visited and talked withall and this is to be vnderstode of approued and honest personnes not withstanding I say if the husband be not at home I would it shold be compted sacrilege if any man passe the thresshold of the doore to visite the wife Plutarche saith in the booke of the prayses of women that the wiues of the Numydians when their husbandes were gone out of their houses kept their gates shut locked them selues in their houses and they had a lawe that what so euer he were that knocked at the dore beyng shutte without calling he should haue his righte hand cutte of Cicero in the booke of his lawes saieth that amongest the Romaines ther was an auncient law and much vsed that if perchaunce any woman did owe any monye to any man and that the husbande beinge the detter were out of his house the creditour should not aske his wife the debt bycause that vnder the couller of recouering the goodes he should not dishonour her in her fame I would say therefore that if the creditour was not permitted in Rome to recouer his good for that the wife was not of her husbande accompanyed muche lesse they woulde giue lycence to visite a woman alone For it were more reason that the creditour shoulde enter for to recouer his goodes then thou shouldest enter onlye for thy pastime The deuine Plato in the bookes of the common wealth sayth and by profound reasons perswadeth the wiues of Grece that they haue no secret frendes but that euery one kepe this saying in memory for a principal that the woman ought not to haue any other frend but her husband For women oughte not to haue lycence to make frendes nor condicions to make ennemyes Princesses and greate Dames oughte to consider that euery one of them geueth their bodies their goodes and their liberty to their husbands Then since it is so I say that with the lybertie she ought also to geue him her will For it lytel auaileth the man and the wife that their goodes be common if their willes be priuate For to the end that god be serued and the people edified both ought in one house to abide at one table togethers to eate in one bedde to slepe and besides this they both ought one thinge to loue For if the man and the wife in loue do differ in their lyues they shal neuer be quiete I admonysh desire and counsel all women if they wil be wel maried that they thinke it good that their husband wil that they prayse al that he prayseth that they proue al that he proueth that they content them selues with that wherwith their husbandes are contented aboue al that they loue no more then their husbandes shal loue for otherwise it might be that the wife should set her eyes vpon one and the husband ingage his hart to an other Plutarche in the booke of his pollytikes sayth that a woman after she is maried hath nothing propre for the day that she contracteth mamariage she maketh her husband the only Lord of her goodes her libertie and of her personne So that if the wife willeth any other thing then that which the husband willeth if she would loue any other thing then that that her husband loueth we wil not cal her a true louer but an open thefe for theaues do not so much harme to robbe the husband of his moneye as the wife doth in withdrawing from him her hart If the woman wil lyue in peace with her husband she ought to marke wherunto he is enclyned for so much as if he be mery she ought to reioyce and if he be sadde she must temper her selfe if he be couetous she should kepe if he be prodigall she shoulde spend if he be vnpacient she should dyssemble and if he be suspected she must beware For the woman which is wise and sage if she can not as she would she ought to wyl what she may Wel whether the husband be euil inclined or in his condicions euyl manered I sweare that he cannot suffer that his wife shold haue any other louers For though the man be of a meane stocke he had rather alwayes that his wife should loue him alone then the best of the nobilitie in the towne One thing I cannot dissemble bycause I se that god is therwith offended Which is that many Ladyes make their excuses through sicknes because they would not past once in the weke come to here seruyce and yet we se them busye dayly trotting about to vysite their frendes and the worst of al is that in the morning for cold they wil not ryse to go to the churches and yet afterwardes in the heate of the daye they go a gaddyng from house to house wheras they are often tymes vntyl night I would that the Ladyes would consider with theym selues before they should go out of their houses on visitacion to what end they go abroad and if perchaunce they go abroad to be loked on let them know for a sewerty that ther be few that wil prayse their beautye but ther be manye that will dyscommend their gaddyng And wherfore do these Dames assembel together for some graue matters I warrant you shal I tel you it is eyther to banquet with some dainty dishes to talke of their petigres to deuyse of their husbands to see who hath the best gowne to note who is euil attired to flatter the faire to laugh to scorne the foule to mourmure of their neighbours and that which is worst of al that they them selues which speake euyll of them that are absent do gnaw the one the other with enuye Seldome tymes it chaunceth that the Dames chide not with their husbands after that in this sort they haue bene together for somuche as the one noteth the euil apparel the other babblyng they note the one to be a foole and the other
wete that al the Romain prisoners whom he toke he put about their necks a yoke wherin were written these wordes In spighte of Rome the Romaines shal be subiect to the yoke of the Sanites Wherwith in dede the Romains were greatly iniuried wherfore they sought stoutly to be reuēged of the Samnites for the hartes that are haughty and proud cannot suffer that others haue their mindes lofty and high The Romaines therfore created to be captaine of the warre one named Lucius Papirius who had cōmissiō to go against the Samnites This Lucius was more fortunate in his doinges then comly of his persone for he was deformed of his face notwithstanding he did so good seruice in the warre fortune fauoured him so wel that he did not onely ouercome vanquishe but also destroied them and though the iniury which the Samnites did to the Romains was great yet truly the iniury which the Romains did to the Samnites was much greater For fortune is so variable that those which yesterday we saw in most prosperitie to day we see in greatest aduersitie This Lucius Papirius therfore did not only vanquishe the Samnites kept them prisoners and made yokes for their neckes but also bounde them with cordes together in suche sorte that they made them plough the grounde drawing twoo and twoo a plough And yet not herewith contented but with gaddes they pricked and tormented them If the Samnites had had pitie of the Romains being ouercome the Romaines likewise would haue taken compassion of them when they were conquerers And therefore the prosperous haue as muche nede of good councel as the miserable haue nede of remedy For the man whiche is not mercifull in his prosperitie ought not to meruaile though he finde no frendes in his necessitie This Lucius Papirius had a doughter maried to a senatour of Rome who was called Torquatus and she was called Ypolita And about the time that she shold haue bene deliuered she went foorth to receiue her father the which she ought not to haue done for the throng of the people in receiuing him being great she her selfe being great with childe by a heuy chaunce as she would haue passed in at a narrowe gate she was so preste in the throng that she chaunged her life for death her father turned his mirth ioy into sorow sadnes For he toke the death of his doughter very heauely so much the more because it was so sodeine I say he tooke it heauily since he was so stoute a man so sage withal that al Rome thought muche that any such sodaine chaunce should haue dismaied so wise a man that of his wisedome he could take no profite but hereat let no man marueile for there are many that hath hartes to shed the bloud of their enemies yet can not withhold the teares of their eies Annius Seuerus in the third booke De infelice fortuna saith that the day that this woful mishap chaunced to Lucius Papirius he lift vp his eies to the heauens weping said O fortune deceiuoure of all mortall men thou madest me to conquere in warre to thintent thou wouldest ouercome me in peace My mynde was to declare vnto you all these auncient histories to the end all may knowe how tender and delicate women with childe are and howe diligent their husbandes ought to be to preserue them since there is nothing so tender to be kept nor any glasse so easy to be broken For there is much glasse that though it fall to the grounde yet it doth not breake but a woman with childe only for treading her foote a wry we see with daunger to be deliuered ¶ That women great with childe and especially princesses and great ladies ought to be gently vsed of their husbandes Cap. xi IF we vnderstand the chapter before we shal finde that womē with child haue bene in great daungers some through leaping some by dauncing other by eatinge others by banquetinge others through gaddinge other by straight lacing al this proceadeth through their owne follies that seeketh to be destroyers of their own bodies Truly herein princesses great ladies are worthy of great rebuke when through their owne 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 beastes for there is no beaste so brute in the wylde mountaines but escheweth that which to his life death wil be hurtful The Beares the Lionesse the wolles neuer issue our of their caues dennes so long as they be bigge this they do to auoide the daunger of the hunters because at that time they woulde not be coursed Then since these thinges are done by brute beastes whose yonglinges are always hurtful to men to thintent that their gredy whealpes might safely be brought forth to deuour our innocent cattel how much more then ought the womā to be careful 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 be none to people it for god created al things to serue the creature created the creatures to serue their creator Let women with child take example by the chessenuttes and walnuttes howe in what sorte they defende their fruite after that of their blosomes they are depriued for the chessenut tree defendeth his fruite with a rough hard huske the walnut kepeth her fruite with a thicke shale in like maner so that the water can not wette them nor the wynde shake them Nowe since that the trees whiche haue but a vegetatiue lief and the beastes a sensitiue lief take suche hede to them selues when they feele them ready to bryng foorth their fruite much more women with childe ought to take hede to them selues since they haue reason and vnderstanding least through their negligence the creature should perish Let euery man iudge how litle he looseth whē he looseth nuts and chessenuts and for the contrary let euery man iudge what the churche looseth when the woman with child do not bring forth their fruite into the light of baptisme For our mother the holy churche bewayleth not for that the vines are frosen but for the soules whiche are lost To the ende that the man may see the fruitfull blessing whiche he desireth and that the woman with child may see her self wel deliuered the husband ought to beware that he enforceth her not much to labour and the woman likewise ought to be circumspect that she take not to muche idlenes For in women with childe this is a general rule that to much traueile causeth them before their time to deliuer to much idlenes putteth them in daunger The man is cruell that wil haue his wife trauaile take as muche paines when she is bigge as he would haue her at an other time whē she is not with child for the man which is clothed can not runne
so much the more were the philosophers deuided amongest them selues When they were so assembled truely they did not eate nor drinke out of measure but some pleasaunt matter was moued betwene the masters and the scollers betwene the yong and the olde that is to wete which of them coulde declare any secrete of phylosophye or anye profound sentence O happy were such feastes and no lesse happy were they that thether were bidden But I am sory that those whiche nowe byd and those that are bidden for a trouth are not as those auncients were For there are noe feastes now adays of phylosophers but of gluttons not to dispute but to murmour not to open doubtfull things but to talke of the vices of others not to confirme aunciente amities but to begynne newe dissensions not to learne any doctrines but to approue some nouelty And that whiche worste of all is that the olde striue at the table with the yonge not on hym whiche hathe spoken the moste grauest sentence but of hym whyche hathe dronke moste wyne and hathe rinsed most cuppes Paulus Diaconus in the historye of the Lumbardes declarethe that foure olde Lumbardes made a banket in the whiche the one dranke to the others yeres and it was in this manner Theye made defyaunce to drinke two to twoe and after eche man had declared howe many yeres olde he was the one drāke as manye times as the other was yeares olde and likewise his companion pledged him And one of these foure companions had at the leaste 58. yeares the second .63 the thyrde .87 the fourthe .812 so that a man knowethe not what they did eate in this banket eyther litle or muche but we knowe that hee that dranke least dranke 58. cuppes of wine Of this so euill custome came the Gothes to make this lawe which of manye is reade and of fewe vnderstanded where it sayeth We ordeyn and commaūd on payne of deathe that no olde man drinke to the others yeres being at the table That was made because they were so muche geuen to wyne that they dranke more ofte thenne they did eate morselles The Prynces and greate Lordes whyche are nowe olde oughte to bee verye sober in drinkynge synce theye oughte greatlye to be regarded and honoured of the yonge For speakinge the truthe and withe libertie whan the olde man shall bee ouercome with wine he hath more necessitie that the yong man leade him by the arme to his house then that hee shoulde take of his cappe vnto hym or speake vnto hym with reuerence Also prynces and greate lordes oughte to be verye circumspecte that whenne theye become aged theye bee not noted for yonge in the apparayle whiche theye weare For althoughe that for wearinge a fyne and riche garmente the prynce dothe not enriche or enpouerishe his common wealthe yet we cannot denye but that it dothe much for the reputacion of his persone For the vanytie and curiositie of garments dothe shewe great lightnes of minde According to the varietye of ages so ought the diuersitie of apparaile to bee whiche semethe to bee verye cleare in that the yonge maydes are attyred in one sorte the maried women of an other sorte the widdowes of an other And lykewise I woulde saye that the apparayle of children oughte to be of one sorte those of yonge men of an other and those of olde men of an other whyche oughte to bee more honester then all For men of hoarye heades oughte not to be adourned withe precious garmētes but withe verteous workes To goe cleanlye to be well apparayled and to be well accompanied we doe not forbydde the olde especiallye those whych are noble and valyaunt men but to goe to fine to go with great traynes and to goe verye curious wee doe not allowe Let the olde men pardon mee for it is not the office but of yonge fooles For the one sheweth honestye and the other lightnes It is a confusion to tell it but it is greater shame to doe it that is to weete that manye olde men of oure time take noe small felicitye to put caules on theire heades euerye manne to weare iewels on theire neckes to laye theire cappes withe agglettes of golde to seeke oute dyuers inuencions of mettall to loade theire fingers wythe riche ringes to goe perfumed wythe odiferous fauoures to weare newe fashioned apparayle and fynallye I saye that thoughe theire face bee full of wrincles they can not suffer one wrincle to be in theire gowne All the auncient historiens accuse Quintus Hottensius the Romayne for that euerye tyme when hee made hym selfe readye he hadde a glasse beefore hym and as muche space and tyme had hee to streyghten the plaites of his gowne as a woman hadde to trymme the heares of her heade This Quintus Hortensius beinge Consul goynge by chaunce one day through Rome in a narrowe streat met wythe the other Consul where throughe the streightnes of the passage the plaightes of his gowne weare vndone vppon whych occasion hee complayned to the senate of the other Consull that he had done hym a greate iniurye sayinge that he deserued to lose hys lyfe The authoure of all this is Macrobius in the thyrde booke of the Saturnales I can not tell if I be deceiued but we maye saye that al the curiositye that olde men haue to goe fine wel appareled and cleane is for no other thinge but to shake of age and to pretende righte to youthe What a griefe is it to see dyuers auncient men the whiche as ripe figges do fal and on the other side it is a wonder to see howe in theire age they make them selues yonge In this case I saye woulde to god we might see them hate vices and not to complaine of the yeares which theye haue I praye and exhorte princes and greate lordes whom oure soueraigne lorde hathe permitted to come to age that theye doe not despise to be aged For speaking the truthe the man whiche hathe enuye to seeme olde doth delight to liue in the lightnes of youthe Also man of honour oughte to be verye circumspecte for so muche as after theye are beecome aged theye bee not suspected of theire friends but that both vnto their friends foes they be counted faythfull For a lye in a yonge mannes mouthe is but a lye but in the mouthe of an olde manne it is a heynous blasphemye Prynces and great lordes after they are become aged of one sorte they oughte to vse them selues to geue and of thother to speake For good prynces oughte to sell woordes by weighte and geeue rewardes withoute measure The auncient oftentymes complayne sayinge that the yonge will bee not conuersaunt with them and truely if there be anye faulte therin it is of them selues And the reason is that if sometimes theye doe assemble togethers to passe awaye the tyme if the olde man set a talkinge he neuer maketh an ende So that a discrete man had rather go .xii. miles on foote then to heare an olde man
dye lyueth the euill man though hee liue dyeth I swear vnto thee by the mother Berecinthia and so the god Iupiter doo preserue mee that I speak not this which I will speak fainedly which is that considering the reast that the dead haue with the gods and seeing the sorows troubles wee haue here with the lyuing I say and affirm once agayn that they haue greater compassion of our lyfe then wee others haue sorow of their death Though the death of men were as the death of beasts that is to weet that there were no furies nor deuils which shoold torment the euil that the gods shoold not reward the good yet wee ought to bee comforted to see our frends dye if it were for no other but to see thē deliuered from the thraldō of this miserable world The pleasure that the Pilot hath to bee in sure hauen the glory that the captaine hath to see the day of victory the rest that the traueler hath to see his iorney ended the contentation that the woork man hath to see his woork come to perfeccion all the same haue the dead seeing them selues out of this miserable lyfe If men were born alway to lyue it were reason to lament them when wee see them dye but since it is troth that they are borne to dye I woold say since needes dye wee must that wee ought not to lament those whych dye quickly but those whych lyue long I am assured that Claudine thy husband remembring that whych in this lyfe hee hath passed and suffered and seeing the rest that hee hath in the other though the Gods woold make him emperor of Rome hee woold not bee one day out of his graue For returning to the world hee shoold dye agayn but beeing with the gods hee hopeth to lyue perpetually Lady Lauinia most earnestly I desire thee so vehemently not to perse the heauens with thy so heauy sighes ne yet to wete the earth with thy so bitter teares since thou knowst that Claudine thy husband is in place where there is no sorow but mirth where ther is no payn but rest where hee weepeth not but laugheth where hee sigheth not but singeth where hee hath no sorows but pleasures where hee feareth not cruell death but enioyeth perpetuall lyfe Since therfore this is true it is but reason the wydow appease her anguish considering that her husband endureth no payn Often tymes wyth my self I haue thought what the widows ought to immagin when they see them selues in such cares and distresse And after my count made I fynd that they ought not to thynk of the company past nor wofull solitarynes wherin they are presently and much lesse they ought to think on the pleasures of this world but rather to remember the rest in the world to come For the true widow ought to haue her conuersacion among the lyuing and her desire to bee wyth the dead If til this present thou hadst paine and trouble to look for thy husband to come home haue thou now ioy that hee looketh for thee in heauen wherin I swere vnto thee that there thou shalt bee better vsed of the gods then hee was here of mē For in this world wee know not what glory meaneth and there they know not what payns are Licinius and Posthumius thy vncles told mee that thou art so sorowful that thou wilt receiue no comfort but in this case I think not that thou bewailest so much for Claudinus that thou alone doost think thou hast lost him For since wee did reioyce togethers in his lyfe wee are bound to weep togethers at his death The heauy and sorowful harts in this world feele no greater greef then to see others reioice at theyr sorows And the cōtrary hereof is that the wofull and afflicted hart feeleth no greater ioy nor rest in extreme mishaps of fortune then to think that others haue sorow and greef of their payn When I am heauy and comfortles I greatly ioy to haue my frend by mee and my hart dooth tell mee that what I feele hee feeleth So that all which my frend with his eyes dooth beewail and all that which of my greefes hee feeleth the more therwith hee burdeneth him self and the more therof hee dischargeth mee The Emperor Octauian Augustus the histories say on the riuer of Danuby found a kynd of people which had thys straunge custom that with eyes was neuer seene nor in books at any time euer read which was that two frends assembled and went to the aultars of the temples and there one frend confederat with an other so that their harts were maried as man and wife are maried touching their bodies swering and promysing there to the gods neuer to weepe nor to take sorow for any mishap that shoold come to their persons So that my frend shoold come to lament and remedy my troubles as if they had been his own I shoold lament and remedy his as if they had been mine O glorious world O age most happy O people of eternal memory wherin men are so gentle frendz so faithfull that their own trauails they forgot and the sorows of strangers they beewayled O Rome without rome O tyme euil spent O lyfe to vs others euil emploied O wretch that always art careles now adays the stomack and intrailes are so seuered from the good and the harts so ioyned with the euill that men forgetting them selues to bee men beecome more cruell then wyld beasts I labor to geeue thee lyfe and thou seekest to procure my death Thou weepest to see mee laugh and I laugh to see thee weepe I procure that thou doo not mount and thou seekest that I might fall Fynally without the profit of any wee cast our selues away and wythout gayn wee doo reioyce to end our lyues By the faith of a good man I swear vnto thee Lady Lauinia that if thy remedy were in my hands as thy grief is in my hart I woold not bee sory for thy sorows neither thou so tormēted for the death of thy husband But alas though I miserable man haue the hart to feele thy anguysh yet I want power to remedy thy sorows ¶ The Emperor proceedeth in his letter and perswadeth wydowes to put their willes to the will of god and exhorteth them to lyue honestly Cap. xxxviii SInce thy remedy and my desire cannot bee accomplished beecause it is a thing vnpossible to receiue and speak with the dead and not hauing power mee think that thou and I shoold referre it to the gods who can geeue much better then wee can ask O lady Lauinia I desire thee earnestly and as a frend I counsel and admonish thee and with all my hart I require thee that thou esteem that for wel doon which the gods haue doon that thou conform thy self to the will of the gods and that thou will nought els but as the gods will For they only know they erre not wherfore they haue assaulted thy husband with so
thousand sexterces Trauaile to augmēt them for her not to dymynish them I commend vnto thee Drusia the Romain wydow who hath a proces in the Senat. For in the times of the cōmotions past her husband was banished proclamed traytor I haue great pyety of so noble worthy a widow for it is now .iii. moneths since shee hath put vp her cōplaint for the great warres I could not shew her iustice Thou shalt find my sonne that in .xxxv. yeares I haue gouerned in Rome I neuer agreed that any widow should haue any sute beefore mee aboue .viii. dayes Bee carefull to fauour and dispatch the orphanes and wydows For the needy wydows in what place so euer they bee doo encurre into great daunger Not which out cause I aduertise thee that the trauaile to dispatch thē so sone as the maist to administer iustice vnto thē For through the prolōging of beautiful womēs suites their honor credit is diminished So that their busines being prolōged they shal not recouer so much of their goods as they shal lose of their renowm I cōmēd vnto thee my sonne my old seruaunts which with my long yeares and my cruell warres with my great necessityes with the combrance of my body and my long disease haue had great trouble as faithfull seruaunts oftentimes to ease mee haue annoyed them selues It is conuenient since I haue preuailed of their lyfe that they should not loose by my death Of one thing I assure thee that though my body remaine with the wormes in the graue yet beefore the gods I will remember them And heerin thou shalt shew thy selfe to bee a good child when thou shalt recompence those which haue serued thy father well Al princes which shall doo iustice shal get enemies in the excucion therof And sith it is doone by the hands of those which are neere him the more familiare they are with the prince the more are they hated of the people al in generally doo loue iustice but none doo reioyce that they execute it in his house And therfore after the Prince endeth his lyfe the people will take reuenge of those which haue beene ministers therof It were great infamy to the empire offence to the gods iniury to mee vnthankfulnes to thee hauing found the armes of my seruants redy xviii yeares that thy gates should bee shut against them one day Keepe keepe these thinges my sonne in thy memorye and since particulerly I doo remember them at my death cōsider how hartely I loued them in my life ¶ The good Marcus Aurelius Emperor of Rome endeth his purpose life And of the last woords which hee spake to his sonne Commodus and of the table of counsels which hee gaue him Cap. lvii WHen the Emperor had ended his particuler recommendacions vnto his sonne Commodus as the dawning of the day beegan to appeere so his eies beegan to close his tong to faulter his hands to tremble as it dooth accustome to those which are at the point of death The prince perceiuing then litle life to remaine commaunded his secretory Panutius to go to the coffer of his books to bring one of the coffers beefore his presence out of the which hee tooke a table of .iii. foot of bredth and ii of length the which was of Eban bordered al about with vnycorne And it was closed with .2 lyds very fine of red wood which they cal rasing of a tree where the Phenix as they say breedeth which dyd grow in Arabia And as there is but one onely Phenix so in the world is there but one onely tree of that sorte On the vttermost part of the table was grauen the God Iupiter on the other the goddesse Venus in the other was drawen the God Mars the goddesse Diana In the vppermost part of the table was carued a bull in the neythermost part was drawne a kyng And they sayd the paynter of so famous renowmed a woork was called Apelles The Emperor takyng the table in his hands casting his eies vnto his sonne sayd these woords Thou seest my sonne how from the turmoyls of fortune I haue escaped how I into miserable destenies of death doo enter where by experience I shall know what there is after this lyfe I meane not now to blaspheme the gods but to repent my sinnes But I would willingly declare why the gods haue created vs since there is such trouble in life such paine in death Not vnderstāding why the gods haue vsed so great cruelti with creatures I see it now in that after .lxii. yeres I haue sayled in the daunger peril of this life now they commaund mee to land harbour in the graue of death Now approcheth the houre wherin the band of matrimoni is losed the thred of life vntwined the key dooth lock the slepe is wakened my lyfe dooth end I go out of this troublesome paine Remembring mee of that I haue doone in my lyfe I desire no more to liue but for that I know not whyther I am caryed by death I feare refuse his darts Alas what shal I doo since the gods tel mee not what I shal doo what coūsail shal I take of any mā since no man will accompany mee in this iourney O what great disceite o what manifest blindnes is this to loue one thing al the days of his life to call nothing with vs after our death Beecause I desired to bee rych they let mee dy poore Bycause I desired to lyue with company they let mee dy alone For such shortnes of life I know not what hee is that wyl haue a house since the narow graue is our certain mansiō place beeleeue mee my sonne that many things past doo greeue mee sore but with nothing so much I am troubled as to come so late to the knowledge of this life For if I could perfectly beeleeue this neyther should men haue cause to reproue mee neither yet I now such occasion to lament mee O how certaine a thing is it that men when they come to the point of death doo promise the gods that if they proroge their death they will amend their life but notwithstanding I am sory that wee see them deliuered from death without any maner of amendment of life They haue obteyned that which of the gods they haue desired haue not perfourmed that which they haue promised They ought assuredly to think that in the sweetest time of their lyfe they shall bee constreyned to accept death For admit that the punishment of ingrate persons bee deferred yet therfore the fault is not pardoned Bee thou assured my sonne that I haue seene enough hard felt tasted desired possessed eaten slept spoken and also liued inough For vices geeue as great trouble to those which follow them much as they doo great desire to those which neuer proued them I confesse to the immortall Gods that I haue no desire to lyue yet I ensure thee
wholly his to dispose and possible as it were his right hand that they be those whom hee happely too hath doone much for in dispatching their affairs For lightly in such lyke feasts treasons poisonings are not practised with the maister of the feast but only with him that waiteth at the table to geeue drink or els by the cooks that dresseth the meat Also let not the courtier trust too much those whom hee hath been in company with all at dyuers feasts where hee neuer had hurt much lesse knew any little occasion to suspect yll of them touching any tresōment towards him For so at a tyme when hee suspecteth least hee may be in most daunger find him self deceiued And therefore by my councell hee shall not easely bee intreated to euery mans boord vnlesse hee bee first well assured of the company that are bidden as also of the seruants that wayt For the holes spaces of the french rydles with which they dust their corne sometimes is euen stopped with the very graines of the same corne and letteth the cleere passage of all the rest One of the greatest troubles or to terme it better one of the greatest daungers I see the fauored courtiers in is this that al the courtiers and in maner all the citizens desire to see them out of fauor or dead by some means For euery man is of this mynd that with the chaunge of things by his fall or death hee hopeth hee shal rise to some better state or happely to catch some part of his offices or lyuings An other mischief inconueniēce yet happeneth to this fauored courtier by haunting others tables that is that many times it chaunceth vnseemly vnhonest woords are let fall at the table perhaps quarel rise vppon it which though hee bee present yet hee can neither remedy nor appease it And because these things were done spoken in the presence of the esteemed of the prince hee that spake them hath credit and those that hard it discried it Yet ys there an other disorder that commeth by these feasts that is that hee that maketh the feast and biddeth guests dooth it not for that they are of hys acquayntaunce his kinsfolks or his faithfull frends nor for that hee is bound and beeholding to them but only to obtayn his desyre in his sutes that hee hath in hand for they are few that seeke to pleasure men but in hope to bee greatly recompenced Therefore those that are in fauor auctority about the prince that accept others bydding sure one of these two things must happen to them Eyther that hee must dispatch his busynes that inuyteth him yea although it be vnreasonable so vniust damnable that obtaining it both hee the fauored courtier goe to the deuyll togeethers for company for the wrong iniury they haue doone to an other or on the other syde refusing to doo it the bydder is stricken dead repenteth his cost bestowed vpon him Aboue all things I chiefly admonish the courtiers and officers of princes not to sell change nor engage their liberties as they doo the same day that they begin to follow such feasts or to receiue gyfts or presents or to lynk them selues in streight frendship with any or to deal parcially in any cause For by these foresaid occasions they shall oft bynd them selues to doo that that shal not bee fitt for them besydes the losse of their liberty they had beefore to doo that was most honest and commendable ¶ That the fauored of princes ought not to bee dishonest of their tongues nor enuyous of their woords Cap. xix ANaxagoras the philosopher disputing one day of the cause why nature had placed the members of mans body in such order as they are and of the property and complexiō of euery one of them and to what end they had been so orderly placed by nature eche member in his place falling in the end to treat of the tong said thus of it You must vnderstand my good disciples that not without art grete mistery nature gaue vs ii feete ii hands .ii. eares ii eyes yet for all this but one tongue whereby shee shewed vs the in our going feeling smelling hearing and seeing wee may bee as long as wee will but in speking wee shoold bee as sparing scant as coold bee alleging further that not without great reason also nature suffered vs to goe open bare faced the eyes the eares the hands the feete other parts of the body bare also except the tongue which shee hath enuironed with lawes inured with teeth and also shut with lips which shee did to geeue vs to vnderstand that there is nothing in this present life that hath more neede of gard defence then hath this our vnbrydled tong And therefore said Pithachus the philosopher that a mans tong is made lyke the yron poynt of a launce can but yet that it was more daungerous then that For the point of the launce can but hurt the flesh but the tongue perseth the hart And truely it was a true saying of this philosopher For I know not that man how vertuous or pacient so euer hee bee but thinks yt lesse hurt the bloody swoord shoold perce his flesh then that hee shoold bee touched in honor with the venimous point of the serpentyen tong For how cruel so euer the wound bee time dooth heal it maketh it well again but defame or infamy neither late nor neuer can bee amēded We see men refuse to goe by water for fear of drowning not to come too neere the fyer for fear of burning not to goe to the warres for fear of killing to eat no yll meats for being sick to clym vp a high for fear of falling to goe in the dark for fear of stumbling to auoid the yll ayer rayn for fear of rewmes and yet I see very few or none that can beware of detractors yll tongs And that this is true I tell you I doo not think that in any thing a man is in such perill and daunger as when hee lyueth accompanyed with men dishonest in their dooings and vyle and naught in their tongues I haue also read touching this matter that Aformius the philosopher being asked what he ment to goe the most part of his tyme amongst the desert mountains in hasard euery hower to bee deuoured of wyld beasts answered thus Wild beasts haue no other weapons to hurt mee but their horns nayls their teeth to deuour mee but men neuer cease to hurt and offend mee with al their whole members And that this is true behold I pray you how they looke at mee with their eyes spurne mee with their feete torment mee with their hands hate mee with their hart and defame mee with their tongue So that wee haue great reason to say that a man lyueth with more security amongst wyld beasts then among malignaunt and enuious people Plutarche in
his booke De exilio saith that the Lydians had a law that as they sent the condemned murtherers to row in the gallyes so they confyned those that were detractors and yll tongued men into a secrete place farre of from all company the space of half a yere Inso much as many tymes these lewd mates chose rather to row in the galley iii. yeres then to bee exempt from company and speaking with any but syx moneths Much lyke vnto this law dyd Tiberius the emperor make an other and condemned a great talker and rayler of hys tongue and commaunded straightly that hee shoold neuer speak woord the space of a whole yere And as the history saith hee remayned domme neuer spake during the whole terme but yet that hee did with his domnes more hurt with nods signes with his fingers then many other woold haue doon with their yll tongues By these two exaumples wee may see that sith these naughty tongs are not to bee repressed by sylence in secret nor to entreat them as frends nor by doing them good nor by sending them to galleys nor to make them hold their peace and to bee as domme men by my aduyce I woold haue them banished by generall counsell out of al colleges counsels chapters townes and common wealths For wee see daly by experience that let an apple haue neuer so lyttle a broose that broose is enough to â—ott him quickly if hee bee not eaten in tyme. Demosthenes the philosopher was of great auctority for his person graue in maners condicion very sentencious profound in his woords but with these hee was so obstinate wylfull such a talker in all his matters that all Greece quaked for fear of hym Whereuppon all the Athenians one day assembled in their hall or common house there they appointed him a great stipend of the goods of the common wealth telling him that they gaue him this not that hee shoold read but because hee shoold hold his peace Also this great and renowmed Cicero that was so valyaunt politike in martiall affairs so great a frend to the commoÌ„ weal of Rome more ouer a prince of eloquence for the latin tong though hee was cruelly put to death by Mark Antony it was not for any fact committed against him neither for any wrong or iniury hee had doon him saue only for that hee enueied against him and spake euyll of him Also the noble poet Salust and famous orator of Rome was not hated of strangers and not beloued of his own neighbors for no other cause but for that hee neuer took pen in haÌ„d to write but hee euer wrote against the one neuer opened his mouth to speak but hee alwais spake euil of the other Plutarche touching this maiâ—er reciteth in his books de republica that amongst theÌ„ of Lidia in their publik weal it was holden an inuiolat law that they should not put a murderer to death for kylling of any but that they should only execut put him to torture that would defame his neighbor or in any one woord seeme to touch him in honor or estimation So that those barbarous nation thought it more execrable so defame a man then to kill murder him And therefore I say hee that burneth my house beats my person robbeth mee of my goods must needes doo mee great dommage but hee that taketh vpon him to touch my honor and reputacioÌ„ with infamy I wil say hee offendeth mee much that so greatly as hee may well stand in feare of his life For there is not so litle an offence â—oon to a maÌ„ of stout courage but hee carieth it euer after imprinted in his hart till hee haue reuenged the villany doon him euen so in princes courts there the more quarells debates through euil tongues dishonest reports then there dooth for any play or shrewd turnes that are doon I know not what reason they haue to strike of his hand the first draweth sword fauoreth leaueth him vnpunished that draweth blood with his ill tongue O what a happy good turn were it for the common weale if as they haue in al townes well gouerned policies penal laws prohibiting to weare or cary weapon they had like laws also to punish detractiue wicked toÌ„gues Surely there caÌ„ bee none so great a blot or vice in a noble man knight or gentleman of honest behauior countenance as to bee counted reputed a tatler of his tongue there wtal a detracter of others But let not such deceiue them selues thinking that for they re countenaunce or estates sake they bee priuileged aboue others at their willes and pleasure to enlarge their tongues on whom they list in such manner but that their inferiors farre will as liberally speak of them yea and asmuch to their reproche as they before had doone of them reputing asmuch of their honesty and credit for their calling being inequiualent in estate or degree to theÌ„ as they doo of their dignitie reputacion At that tyme when I was a courtier and lyued in princes court there dyed out of the court a woorthy knight who at his noble funeralls was recommended of vs all and praysed in hys lyfe to bee a noble valyaunt woorthy and wise man and a good and deuout christian cheefely aboue all his noble heroycall vertues hee was only landed and renowmed for that they neuer hard him speak ill of any man So one of the company that was present hearing this great prayse of him tooke vpon him to say this of him If hee neuer spake ill of any then did hee neuer know what pleasure those haue that speak ill of their enemies Which woordes when wee hard though wee passed them ouer with silence yet was there none but was greatly offended at them and good cause why For to say truely the first degree of malignitie is for a man to take a felicyty in speakyng ill of his neighbor Kyng Darius being at dinner one day there were put foorth of the weighters and standers by certayn arguments of the acts and dooings of Alexander the great in whych dispute one Mignus a Captayn of the kynge and greatly in fauor with him was very earnest against Alexander went too farre in speach of him But Darius perceiuing him thus passioned sayd to him O Mignus hold thy tong for I doo not bring thee into the warrs with mee that thou shouldst infame Alexander and touch his honor with thy tongue but that thou shouldst with thy sweord ouercome him By these examples wee may gather how much wee ought to hate detraction ill speaking syns wee see that the very enemies theÌ„ selues can not abide to here their enemies ill spoken of in their presence and this is always obserued of the honorable graue and wise men that are of noble mynds For suer ech noble hart dysdaigneth to bee reuenged of his enemy wyth his tongue for his iniures doon hym if