Alphonsus ALphonsus king of Naples had in his Court a foole or iester who did vse to put downe in a booke or paire of writing tables all the follies at least those which he thought such of all the Lords Gentlemen and others of his time which he knew to frequent the Court. It happened that the king Alphonsus hauing a Moore in his house sent him into the LeuaÌ„t with ten thousand duckets there to buy him horses the foole set downe in his booke this act of the king as a tricke of folly A few daies after the king Alphonsus called to his foole to see his booke hauing not seene it of a good time before In reading within it in the end thereof he found the historie of himselfe and his Moore and the 10000. duckets which he had deliuered him whereat the king being offended and growing into choler demaunded of the foole wherefore he had put him in his booke Because quoth the foole you did a very foolish act in giuing your money to a straunger whome you are like to see no more But how if he come backe againe said the king and bring the horses with him where is my folly then Marrie replyed the foole whensoeuer he commeth againe I will then blot your name out of my booke and will put in his in stead of yours for then I shall hold him the more foole of the two The magnificence of a king of England CHiniton or Chinite king of England who raigned about the yeare of Christ 1025. was of so haughtie and so great a mind that he caused a royal throne to be prepared and erected for him neare the sea side and seeing the tide to beat with the waues against his seat he spake out aloud vnto the sea Thou art my subiect and the land whereon I am set is mine and therefore I forbid thee to rise against my land or to wet the bodie and apparell of thy Lord and maister the sea notwithstanding holding on his course in flowing came to wet his feete which he seeing presently gaue backe and said Now may all men know that all humane power is but meere vanitie and no mortall man is worthy to beare the name of a king but he only to whose commaund the heauens the earth and the sea by a perpetuall decree are subiect and obedient A pleasant conceipt of an Italian Gentleman vpon the interpretation of the names of two Popes AFter the death of Pope Alexander the sixt Nicholas the fifth being created Pope certain Italian Gentlemen walking in the Popes hall deuised together of the death of the one and the creation of the other and of the conditions of theÌ„ both Amongst them was maister Antonio Agnello who with a good grace said vnto the rest of the company My maisters you need not much to trouble your selues in giuing your iudgements of the two Popes for I beleeue that these two inscriptions will easily resolue vs of our doubts and so saying he cast his eye vpon one of the two portals of the hall and standing still shewed them with his finger this inscription Alexander PP VI. which signifieth Alexander Pope the sixth of that name See said he what this inscription doth import Is it not as much as to say that Alexander was made Pope by force Let vs see now if we can vnderstand any thing touching the new Pope then turning himselfe as if it had bene at aduentures to the other portall he shewed them this inscription N. PP V. which signifieth Nicholas Pope the fifth O Lord God quoth he see here is ill newes Nihil Papa valet that in English is The Pope is nothing woorth An honourable act of an Italian Lord. AN Italian Nobleman surnamed the grand Captaine being set at his table and seeing two Gentlemen who had serued very valiantly in the warres to stand below in his hall because the seates at the table were all filled he immediatly arose and caused all the rest of his guests to make place for these two saying Make place I pray for these two Gentlemen to dine for if they had not bene in our company elsewhere we should not haue had at this time whereof to eate Of a mocke which he gaue to another Gentleman THe same Captaine seeing a Gentleman of his own come before him in good order and richly armed after the battell of Serignolle and when all things were safe and in quiet he said vnto his company We neede not now feare any storme for Saint Hermes hath appeared vnto vs. By this quippe he taxed the Gentleman to be of small valour for comming to the field after al daunger of fight was past for the common opinion is that Saint Hermes doth vse to appeare at sea to the Mariners after that the furie of a tempest at sea is gone past A speech of the same Captaine to a Gentleman touching himselfe DIego Garsia Spanish Gentleman counselled the grand Captaine Gonsaluo to withdraw himselfe from a place of great daunger where the Artillerie of the enemie did play vpoÌ„ them O quoth he seeing that God hath not put any feare in thy courage do not thou seeke to put any in mine Of the brother of the great Turke GEin Ottoman brother vnto the great Turke being prisoner at Rome and seeing the Gentlemen of Italy to iust aâ—d tilt together he said That that manner of turney in his opinion seemed too much to be done in sport and too little to be done in earnest It happened on a time that one in the presence of this Turke highly commended the young king Ferdinand of Naples in regard he was a man of excellent agility and actiue of his person for running vaulting leaping and other corporall exercises of that kind whereof he tooke occasioÌ„ to say That in his countrey those were the exercises of slaues and that the young Gentlemen and Noblemen did learne to practise bountie and liberalitie and that by such vertues they made themselues the more commendable Liberalitie is a vertue whereby Princes do purchase and entertaine the loue both of their subiects and of strangers A pleasant quip giuen to a Gentleman by the Marquesse of Mantua THe Marquesse Frederick of Mantua sitting at the table in companie of many Gentlemen one of them after he had eaten vp all the broth tooke his porenger with that little that remained and threw it on the ground saying withall as it were by way of excuse my Lord I pray pardon me whereupon the Marquesse suddenly answered Demand pardoÌ„ of the swine for if there be any harm done it is to them and not to me A comparison made by Iohn Gonzaga THe lord Iohn de Gonzaga playing and loosing his money at dice saw that his sonne Alexander did grieue at his losse whereupon he said vnto some Gentlemen there present It is written of Alexander the Great that when he heard of a victorie gotten by his father Philip king of Macedon and of a realme which he had conquered
in that booke but to take good heed of the subtiltie of the Florentines for said they it is not good nor safe to trust an enemie and it may be that some venimous and infectious poiseâ—n is secretly hidden either in the letters or leaues of this booke which may empoison you as you are reading of it For all these disswasions the king opened the booke and hauing both read therein and turned it ouer in many leaues each after other he the said vnto his Phisitions Learne now to leaue these fooleries and know this that the spirit of a king doth not gouerne it selfe by the iudgement of priuate persons Of a merrie conceipt vttered by one to the king Alphonsus THis king Alphonsus being well knowne to be a prince that took great pleasure and delight in good speeches and wittie sayings well and aptly placed a certaine man of very meane and base estate came as a suter vnto him and said Sir do me iustice I haue a certaine creditour vnto whom my late deceased father ought a certain debt and my father left me nothing wherewith to pay him howbeit afterwards I payed this debt vnto that creditour who notwithstanding demanded it of me againe with great extremitie and I payed it him the second time he not so content still demandeth of me the same debt againe and againe in somuch as I haue many and oftentimes paid it and yet he pursueth me still for this debt as if he had not bene paid at all Now sir I haue not any more left wherewith to pay him and if your Highnesse do not helpe me to acquit me of this creditour I know not what remedie to find for this mischiefe Beleeue me quoth the king this is a most rigorous cruell creditour Who is it Sir said the poore man it is my belly vnto whom I haue so often paid the debt which is due vnto him as I haue nothing more left to giue him I humbly therefore beseech your Highnesse in charitie to help and releeue me to content him Why quoth the King I my self haue euen such another like creditour as thine You say true Sir replyed the poore man but you God be thanked haue wherewithall to satisfie him and I haue not The king hearing this request and esteeming it to proceede of a quicke and good inuention caused a certaine summe of money to be deliuered vnto him An answer vvhich Alphonsus made vnto a Dreamer A Certain person in the kings presence being in talke of dreames and of their signification there was a pleasant Courtier who to trie the king told with a good grace before all the company how the night before he dreamed a dreame that the King bestowed vpon him a bagge full of duckats Whereunto the king presently answered why foole art thou so very a beast as to thinke that a Christian man ought to giue credit to dreames The same Alphonsus had a daughter called Eugenia who being maried had no children and one day it happened that she brought out of her Coffer certaine Poppets which being made very finely caryed a resemblance of excellent beautie honestie and gracious cariage whereupon Alphonsus said vnto her O my daughter how much better had it bene both for thy father thy husband and thy self also if thou haddest had children of thy bodie so wise and vertuous as they might haue represented the countenances of these l'oppets The answer of Anthony Panormitane to king Alphonsus ANthony of Panorm being demanded by the king Alphonsus what things were most requisite and necessarie to liue a ioyfull and peaceable life in the estate of mariage considering that ordinarily it is full of trobleâ—s vexations and discontentments He answered that there are two things most needfull The first that the husband be deafe not to vnderstand the follies the ill speeches and maner of his wiues behauiour The second that the wife be blind not to see all the intemperate qualities and misdemeanours of her husband A speech vvhich he vsed to one that had imbezilled his rings ON a time as he was readie to sit downe at his table being about to wash his hands he drew off his fingers certaine rings of gold which were very rich and precious and gaue them to one that came first and next to hand not much heeding who it was that tooke them The partie to whome the King deliuered them for that he did not againe demaund theÌ„ thought that he had forgotten them and therefore was easily drawn to retaine them which he did And for a long time after seeing that the matter was vnremembred he then kept them for altogether But ere the yeare was ended the king being readie another time to sit downe at the table the same man drew very neare for another booty to the king and held out his hand to take his rings of him as he had done before But the king rounding him in the eare said vnto him with a very soft voice Let it suffice thee to haue had the former for these may serue for anothers turne He said that in the flourishing estate of Rome the Romanes had caused to be built right ouer against their Senatehouse a temple which was dedicated to Iupiter depositorie wherein before their entrie into the Senate the Senatours and Councellors of Estate came to disrobe themselues of all affections of loue fauour hatred vengeance and other priuate passions and affections Seeing on a time a woman to daunce and vault very high with great shamelesnesse and immodesty he said vnto the standers by Stay awhile and you shall see Sibilla will giue foorth her Oracles noting thereby dauncing to be a kind of furie for the Sibils neuer gaue their answers but when they were surprized with furie A certaine Knight which had bene taken prisoner in the warres complained him to the king Alphonsus of his losses and misfortunes and demaunded of him many gifts which being exceeding great yet by his importunitie he obtained them After he was departed the king said vnto his familiars I was in a feare lest this importunate fellow would haue begged my wife also from me Another Courtier who had very prodigally spent many a gift which the king had bestowed on him did preffe him very vrgently to giue him a certaine peece of money to whom the king said If I should continue to be thus liberall in giuing I should sooner impouerish my selfe then enrich thee for whosoeuer giueth thee doth nothing else but powre water into a Siue Being demaunded which of his subiects he loued best Those quoth he who are more afraid for me then of me A Certaine Knight a Neapolitane named Stephen hauing many Offices and places of great charge vnder the king Alphonsus within his realme of Naples and being by meanes of an amorous potion bereft of the vse of his senses some of the Court begged his Offices of the King pretending it to be a thing very vnfit and inconuenient that such places should be administred by one that was
Remember man thou art but dust and ashes and into dust and ashes shalt returne he said Remember man thou art a Gibelline and die thou shalt with the Gibellines This sheweth with how great power the passion of hatred doth transport men when it causeth euen those which should be most holy and deuout to forget their dutie and their reuerence to God and his religion Of the same Boniface and the French king Philip le Bel. THe same Boniface being at some difference with the French king Philip the fair touching the supreme power and authoritie in matters both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall in certain letters which he sent vnto the King had these words We will that thou shouldest know that the whole Soueraigntie both of spirituall and temporall matters in thy Realme of Fraunce is of right and dutie belonging to vs and whosoeuer shall say the contrary we repute them as fooles The King returned him in writing this answer Philip by the grace of God King of Fraunce to Boniface calling himselfe Pope we will thee to take notice that we acknowledge in our temporall affaires no superiour but God alone and whosoeuer shall affirme the contrarie we hold him for a foole and a sot Another conceipt of Pope Boniface touching one that resembled him in countenance POpe Boniface being told by one of his Court that there was a pilgrime of the country of Bauyer come to Rome of purpose to visite the Religious places of the citie who did altogether resemble him both in person and in countenance Boniface hauing caused him to be sent for to his presence demaunded of him if his mother had euer bene at Rome The pilgrime perceiuing himselfe touched with suppose of bastardie answered Holy Father my mother was neuer in this countrie but my father hath bin here many times In this answer the pilgrim soberly returned that quippe vpon the Pope which he thought to haue put vpon him Of Pope Gregorie and one that praised him to his face POpe Gregorie hearing one to coÌ„mend him beyond all measure and more then himselfe desired said vnto him God graunt my friend that I proue such a one as thou reportest me and that thou be so honest a man as the opinion which thou hast of me may be free from blame and exception Of Cardinal Cossa who made himselfe Pope by force AFter the decease of Pope Alexander the Cardinals being assembled in the towne of Bolonia the great and shut vp within the Conclaue to chuse a new Pope the Cardinall Baltazar Cossa Bishop of that Citie being there with great forces told the Cardinals freely and plainely that if they did not chuse such a one to be Pope as should be to his liking they should repent it The Cardinals â—â—tonished at his menaces and seeing his armed forces attending round about the Conclaue named diuerse vnto him but none of them would content him whereupon they being the more terrified willed him to nominate some one and promised that if so be he were a person capable of the place they would receiue and admit him With that Cossa called for the Popes Pall that he might set it on him whom he should chuse which being brought and giuen vnto him he set it on his owne shoulders saying I am Pope The Cardinals howbeit this act was against all law and custome yet durst not gainesay him but consenting to his election they named him Iohn the three and twentieth A saying of Pope Alexander the fifth POpe Alexander the fifth of that name was very liberall bountiful to the poore and to such as were learned And he was wont to say in his common talke that when he was but a Bishop he was rich and being made a Cardinall he became poore but after that he came to be Pope he was a starke begger Of Pope Calixtus which would haue but one Benefice CAlixtus the third Pope of that name the yeare before he was exalted to the Popedome being only Bishop of Valentia and Cardinall would neuer accept of any other Benefice nor Ecclesiasticall preferment saying that he was well content to haue one onely virgine to his spouse and maried wife Notable sentences of Pope Pius the second POpe Pius the second was wont to say That in a towne of libertie euery man may speake liberally and freely Being told on a time that a certaine person had spoken very badly of him he answered the partie reporting it If thou hadst bene in Campo de Fier thou shouldest haue heard many others who would haue spoken farre worse of me In esteeming more of good books then of riches he was wont to say That the most sumptuous richest iewels and precious stones which he had were inclosed within his books His saying was That by counsell a man might prouide remedie for any misfortunes or mishaps like as in diseases there needed nothing but medâ—cine yet so as it be taken in time and place conuenient He said That the lawes had the force and vertue to bridle the common inferior sort of people but they had little or no command ouer the richer and greater persons and that the great affairs of Princes were not vsually determined or decided by the lawes but by force of armes Ignorant and vnlearned persons said he are easily led and moued with eloquent and artificial speeches but wise men are nothing moued therewithall He was wont to say that Phisitions ought not to demaund money of their patients but their health Of sutes in law he had a saying That the suters or clients are the birds the courts or places of pleas are the fields the ludges are the nets and the Aduocates are the birders He said that men ought to be bestowed vpon dignities and not dignities vpon men An ignorant Bishop he compared to an asse Ignorant Phâ—sitions quoth he kill the bodie and ignorant Priests destroy the soules of their patients He that is too hastie and easie in pardoning the follies of his child nourisheth to himselfe an enemie A couetous man is not pleasing to men liuing nor doth any good till himselfe be dead A luxurious and riotous life doth at all times spoile a man but in old age it vtterly killeth him Lying is a most base and seruile kind of vice A sentence of Pope Innocent POpe Innocent the eighth was woÌ„t to say that it was not fit to make warre to get glorie or for conquest but onely to purchase peace and quietnesse The titles which Pope Iulius gaue vnto his seruants POpe Iulius the second of that name had his houshold seruants of sundry nations And when he took his repast in priuate he would for his sport and recreation call those Spaniards that attended him the birds of the aire because he reputed them vaineglorious and great boasters and desirous of the vpper hand The Venetians and Genowaies he named the fishes of the sea because they frequeÌ„ted the seas and many times the fishes fed vpon their dead bodies The Almaines he named the
world are their vertuous deeds The reuenge which a king of Arragon tooke of some of his Nobles that derided him RAymire the second of that name king of Arragon a very simple man being determined to make warres vpon the Moores his Barons caused him to be armed and mounted on horsebacke and put a shield in his left hand and a launce in his right hand and offering to put the reines of his bridle in his hand likewise Let be quoth the king and giue me theÌ„ to hold in my mouth for my hands are full enough alreadie At which speech his Barons fel a laughing with open mouth and making a iest of it demeaned themselues very vnseemely without any kind of reuerence But the king Raymire perceiuing their mocquerie got eleuen of the most noble and chiefest of his Barons to come into the towne of Osey where he caused them to loose their heades without saying any other words then these La renardaille Nesçait de qui elle se raille The humilitie of Godfrey of Buillon VVHen the duke Godfrey of Buillon was chosen king of Ierusalem by the Christian Princes and the Diademe being presented vnto him he refused it saying It is not fit nor conuenient for any Prince Christian to weare a Crowne of gold sithence Iesus Christ the King of kings did weare one made but of thornes The ansvver of the great Turke to the Ambassadours of Hungarie BAiazet the sonne of Amurath Emperour of the Turkes being with a great armie in Bulgaria which is a part of Hungarie the king Sigismond sent his Ambassadours vnto him to pray him that he would not molest his countrie and Dominions wherein he had no right nor interest Baiazet for answer to this Ambassade caused all the armed forces of that Prouince to be assembled together into a great hall where hauing made the Ambassadours of the king of Hungarie to be called he said vnto them pointing to those forces with his finger Behold said he the reason and the right by which I haue do hold the possession of Bulgarie Right and equitie haue no place in the Court of a Tyrant The ansvver of the Count de Lazaran to the Ambassadours of the Turke NO lesse notable was that answer which the County de Lazaran made vnto the Ambassadours of Lamorabaquin or Baiazet the Amira or king of the Turkes who purposing to inuade the realme of Hungary with a mightie armie sent his messengers to the Count de Lazaran with a mule laden with Rice and demaunded to haue passage through his countrey into Hungarie The Ambassadours proceeding on their Commission found the County in his castell called the Archforme and according to their charge did demand passage for their Lord and his armie and that he should become his vassall and subiect otherwise that their Lord Baiazet would bring into the countrey of the Count more men of warre then there were graines of Rice in the sackes wherewith their mule waâ— laden and in so saying they powred out the graine in the middest of the castell yard The Count receiued heard their message very courteously and the third day after being disposed to giue them their answer coÌ„maunded to be brought into his Castle court a great number of powltry which for three daies together had bene shut vp without any meat giueÌ„ vnto them the which in lesse then a quarter of an houre did eate vp all the Rice which had bene there powred out Whereupon he said vnto the Ambassadours Now go tell your Lord that true it is he hath a great number of armed souldiers howbeit he cannot bring so many into the field but they shall be either slaine or vanquished as you haue seene these grains of Rice deuoured by my pullen And according to his hope the Count had the victorie A vvorthy Sentence of the Ambassadors of Sicilia CErtaine Ambassadours of Sicilia deliuering that which they had in charge to Iames the eleuenth king of Arragon he shewed them that they ought to yeeld their obedience to the Church and to Charles king of Naples his father in law whereupon one of the Ambassadours said vnto him Sir we reade in many histories that peoples haue bene defeated by their Princes and we haue seene the proof thereof in our time but that subiects haue bin destroied by their kings we haue neuer yet seen or hard it spokeÌ„ Of the death of Vladislaus king of Hungarie VLadislaus king of Hungary and of Poland whome the French named Launcelot leauying a puissant armie against Amurath great Seigneur of the Turkes was disswaded from it by many Barons of his realm and other his allies Amongst whom one Dracocles a Valachian did disswade him from that enterprise But in the end seeing that his aduice took no effect he yeelded that his sonne should go in his company with two thousand horse and at their departure he gaue vnto the king Vladislaus and to his sonne two very swift and light horses saying Because I foresee that the losse is like to fall on your side in this warre which you enterprise I haue giuen you these two horses by whose swiftnesse of foote you may saue your selues and serue you of them in your necessitie for I feare me that you shall haue great need of them And accordingly it fell out for in a set battell foughten betweene Vladislaus the Turks in the yeare 1444. as Dracocles had foretold the king there lost his life Of the tvvo verses vvhich Conrad king of Naples caused to be vvritten vpon a horse of brasse COnrad the sonne of Fredericke hauing taken the towne of Naples by composition in the yeare 1253. caused the wals fortresses and principall houses of the citie to be ruinated and going into the great church within the middle whereof was a horse of brasse without a bridle which had bene kept there of a long time for the antiquitie of it he caused a bridle to be put vpon him and on the reines thereof were written these two verses Hactenus â—ffrenis Domini nunâ— paret habenis Rex domat hunc aequus parthenopensis equum That is to say This horse till now vnbridled now is made To beare the reines which on his necke are laid His lord the rightfull king of Naples towne Did tame this horse and bring his courage downe The saying of Rene king of Sicilia REne king of Sicilie said oftentimes vnto the Princes and Ambassadors of diuerse places that came to visit him I loue the countrey life aboue all others because it is the best manner and the surest course of liuing and the most free from earthly ambition This King loued husbandry exceedingly and vvas the first that caused to be brought into Fraunce out of straunge countries vvhite Peacockes red Partriges vvhite blacke and red Conies Betony and roses of Prouence He was a good Prince a perfect Musitian and composed sundry bookes in verse and in proes amongst the vvhich are that of the conquest of Gentle mercie and that of
of the said king A Motion being made vnto him on a time to marie the Ladiâ— Claude his daughter to some straunge Prince he answered No quoth he I will neuer make any other alliance then with the Cats and Mice of my owne kingdome A Princely speech of king Frauncis KIng Frauncis the first of that name to one that demaunded pardon for another man that had vsed ill speeches of his Maiestie said Let him for whome thou art a suter learne to speake little and I will learne to pardon much A speech of the same king touching Religion IN an Oration which he made on a time at Paris in the presence of his Princes and Nobles against the Heretickes with intent to purge his realme of them amongst other words he vsed this speech If I knew that my arme were infected with that contagion I would cut it off separate it from my bodie and cast it into the fire The opinion vvhich he had of Noblemen HE was wont to say that it much grieued him that the GentlemeÌ„ of his Realm did not giue themselues to the studie and exercise of letters to the intent he might prouide them of the dignities and Offices appertaining to the long robe For he was perswaded that that kind of men did do him the best seruice and that they ought to be lesse enclined to dishonest actions then men of meane parentage and base condition An excellent Apothegme of the same king THere being a purpose of a treatie of peace betweene the Emperour Charles the fifth and the said king Frauncis and being euen vpon the point to conclude it he said It is not possible that we can long continue in peace and amitie because the Emperour cannot abide any equall or companion and I can lesse endure to haue any man to my maister Of Pope Benedict the twelfth and his Epitaph POpe Benedict the twelfth was one that loued peace and vsed to say that he would neuer vse the sword against any person because it was not belonging to his place and calling He made many good decrees and constitutions and amongst others prohibited religious persons to go to Rome to sue for Benefices notwithstanding after his death whether it were right or wrong or vpon hatred some made this Epitaph of him Hic silus est Nero laicis mors Vipera clero Deuius á vero cupa repleta mero Which is to say Here lyeth a Nero to the laity a cruel tyrant to the Cleargy a viper To truth a mortall enemy and a notable wine bibber A mocke of the Flemmings to king Philip. IN the yeare a thousand three hundred twenty and eight the king Philip de Valois in the quarrell and behalfe of the Earle of Flaâ—ders gaue battell to the Flemings at Mount Cassell where were slaine of the said Flemings 19800. who before the conflict seeing the mightie Armie and puissance of the king very arrogantly caused the picture of a great cocke to be painted vpon a great peece of cloth about the which was written this Distichon VVhen this cocke shall happen to crovv The king shall here enter and not before I trovv But this mocke cost them deare for they sustained a bitter ouerthrow that same day Princely sayings and sentences of Alphonsus king of Naples ALphonsus surnamed the couragious the 17. king of Aragon and king of both Sicilies hearing it reported how one of the kings of Spain was wont to say that it was not decent nor conuenient for a Prince or great personage to be learned he said This speech was not the speech of a man but of an Asse crowned One day as he sate at supper a certaine old man being a suter vnto him for some thing which importuned him exceedingly beyond all measure to haue his petition graunted him in somuch as the king could not eate his meat quietly so troublesome was this fellow vnto him Whereupo he brake into these speeches Assuredly I see that the state and conditioÌ„ of Asses is better then this of Princes for their maisters do allow theÌ„ time and leasure to eate but kings cannot obtaine so much of their subiects A certaine knight being imprisoned for debt who for a long time had bene a prodigall and great spender and had liued voluptuously vpon the goods of diuerse Merchants and others to whom he was become indebted some of the friends of the said knight became instant suppliants to the king that he wold not permit the knight to be charged for the paiment of his debts To whoÌ„ the king answered Seeing this knight hath not consumed himselfe nor runne into debt for my seruice nor for the good and benefite of his country nor for his owne friends and kinseflkes but hath spent and wasted all his wealth for the pleasure of his owne bodie it is good reason that he suffer the punishment of his prodigality in his body Being one day reproued for his too too much clemency and because he many times pardoned those which had bene most hainous offenders his answer was That he did desire to stand readie prepared whensoeuer it should please God to call him to yeeld an accompt of those sheepe which were coÌ„mitted to his charge and that when they should be demaunded of him he might render them vp safe and sound He had also an vsual saying That by executing of Iustice he got the loue of good men and by his clemencie he purchased the liking euen of the wicked To some which at another time playned of his ouer great clemency and humanitie he said That they should consider and looke vpon the gouernment of Lions and of Beares and that then they should soone see that Clemencie was a qualitie proper to man but crueltie was proper to brute beasts He was wont likewise to say That he who knew not how to rule himself tomaister his own affections was neither fit nor worthie to command ouer others He said that flatterers were like to wolues for as the wolues by tickling scratching the Asses do come to eate and deuoure them so flatterers by their assentations leasings do aime at nothing more then to worke mischiefe vnto Princes The Ambassadours of a certaine Prouince repairing vnto him to craue his aduice to which of these two famous Chieftaines Frauncis Sforce Nicholas Picinni they shold gratifie with their friendship and amitie he answered That it behoued them both to receiue and entertaine each of them in shew of friends and yet to take good heed to either of them as to ehemies Whereas there was growne a secret hatred or dislike betweene the said king Alphonsus Cosmus de Medicis a man of principall regard and authoritie in Florence the said Cosmus notwithstanding fent vnto the king for a notable and singular present the historie of Titus Liuius with a Commentarie because he well knew that the King would take great pleasure in it The kings Phisitions being acquainted herewithall told him that he should do well not to reade