hurtfull the other alwayes profitable Ioy. I haue immoderate store of bookes Reason We cal that immoderate which hath neither ende nor measure without which what there is good and agreeable to it selfe in humane affayres do thou consider with thy selfe yea in those thinges which are accompted best vnmeasurablenesse and immoderatnesse is to be eschewed and this saying of the Câ—â—nicke Poet is alwayes to be had before our eyes Beware of to much Ioy. I haue an inestimable many of bookes Reason Hast thou moe then had Ptolomeus Philadelphus king of Egypt moe then the libraries of Alexandria wherin it is wel knowne were 〈◊〉 M. bokes gathered togither which being with great study diligence brought froÌ„ sundry places were hurut togither in one fire which Liuius tearmeth an excellent worke of the maiestie and dilygence of a kynges trauayl whom Seneca reprehendeth for that iudgement saying that it was not a woorke of the maiestie and didigence of a king but of his studious lasciuiousnesse and not so good neyther but of a Kyng vaynely boastyng hym selfe in spectacles and shewes sought of purpose And yet notwithstanding perhaps the ryches of a Kyng may excuse the saying of Liuius and the deede of Ptolomeus and the Kynges entent forseeyng and prouyding a farre of for publique vses whiche in this respect truely was commendable in that he caused the holy scriptures which are not only profitable for the worlde but also necessary with great trauayle and charge by choise men for that purpose to be translated out of the Hebrue into the Greeke tongue But what shal a man say when priuate men do not only match but surpasse Princes in sumptuousnes We reade how that Serenus Sammonicus who was a man of wonderful knowledge and yet had greater defyre of more learnyng but had farre many moe bookes to the number of threescore and two thousand who when he died gaue them al to Gordianus the youger vnto whose father he had been most freindly familiar Truely a great inheritance sufficient for many wits but able to ouerthrow one wit who doubteth what I pray you if this man had done nothing els in al his lyfe time yf he had him self neuer written any thing or taken the toyle to searche or had neuer gone about to take the payne to reade or vnderstand any matter that was comprehended in all those bookes Had he not businesse yenough to know the bookes themselues and theyr titles and the names of the aucthours and the formes and number of the volumes A woorthy occupation whiche of a Philosopher maketh a booke keeper Beleeue me this is not the way to noorysh the wyt by writinges but to ouerwhelme and kyl it with multitude or els peraduenture after the maner of Tantalus to torment the astonyshed mynde with thyrst whiche tasteth nothyng but gapeth after euery thyng Ioy. I haue an innumerable multitude of bookes Reason And also an innumerable multitude of errours some publyshed by the wicked some by the vnlearned And those of the fyrst sort contrary to religion godlynesse and the holy Scriptures the other repugnaunt to nature equitie and good manners the lyberall sciences or Histories and the trueth of thynges doone but al generally striuyng agaynst the trueth and in them all specially the fyrst where greater matters are handled and true thynges are myngled with false the discernyng of them is harde and daungerous And to admit that the integritie of aucthours were perfect absolute what writer is able to remedie ignorance and slouthfulnesse whiche corrupt and confounde al thynges For feare whereof many excellent wyttes haue geuen ouer sundry worthie workes and our most lewde age is deseruedly plagued with this punyshment whiche is careful of the Kytchyn and negligent of learnyng encourageth Cookes and not wryters And therfore whosoeuer can a litle blot paper with ynke and knoweth howe to holde a pen in his fyngers shal be counted a wryter yea although he be voide of all learnyng without wyt and destitute of knowledge I doo not seeke nowe nor complayne of Orthographie whiche is long since peryshed I woulde to GOD they coulde wryte by one meanes or other indifferently that whiche they be wylled then the weakenesse of the wryter woulde appeare and the substaunce of the thynges not lye vnknowne But nowe by meanes of their confused copies registers promising to write one thyng they wryte so another that a man cannot tell hym selfe what he wylled them to wryte If Cicero or Liuius and many other of the famous auncient wryters shoulde come agayne into the worlde but specially Plinius the seconde and reade theyr owne woorkes woulde they vnderstand and not in many places doubt whether these were theyr owne woorkes or some barbarous wryter Among so many ruins of humane inuentions the holy Scripture remayneth both by meanes of the more speciall care of men but chiefly by the expresse woorking of God the aucthour thereof who defendeth his holy woorde his sacred Histories and diuine lawes and geueth continuance vnto his inuentions The most principall of all other artes doo perysh and the greatest part of them are lost Thus of so great a losse there is no remedie because there is no perceyuyng of it which in this case is no strange thyng for the great losses of vertues and manners are neglected Nowe when ye prouyd for smal matters with such diligence ye accompt of the losse of learnyng among trifles and there be some that reckon it among gayne There was one of late not in the fieldes or wooddes but that which thou mayest the more marueyle at in a great and moste floryshyng Citie of Italie not a shephearde or a ploughman but a Noble man and of great credite among the people of the countrey where he dwelt who sware that he woulde geue a great summe of money vpon condition there woulde neuer any learned man come in and dwel in the countrey where he inhabited Oh wycked voyce of a stony hart It is reported also that Licinius was of the same mynd and loathed learnyng which as it is written he tearmed a common poyson and pestilence Howbeit perhaps his rude and clounyshe byrth may excuse his folly But surely yf he had ben aduaunced to the state of an Emperour he woulde not haue abandoned that nature For the saying of Horace is true Fortune changeth not a mans kinde But what shall I say of your noble men who doo not only suffer learnyng to peryshe but pray and wysh that it may so Truely this contempt and hatred of so most excellent a thyng wyll in short tyme drowne you in the deapth of ignorance And moreouer not to wander from the purpose the wryters are restrayned by no lawe and allowed by no examination and chosen by no iudgment there is not so muche libertie geuen to carpenters to Husbandmen to Weauers not almost to any artificers although in others it be but a small danger but in this a great peryl Neuerthelesse euery man runneth to
and vnpleasaunt style insomuche as who so wanteth in them promptnesse of witte yf he lyst to loose his tyme and bestowe the traueyle of his yeeres he shall not want weerinesse This is the fruite and none other of your inuentions to infect or affect but seldome or neuer to refreshe Notwithstandyng all men wryte bookes nowe adayes and there was neuer suche store of wryters and disputers in any age and neuer suche scarcitie of those that are skylful and eloquent It chaunceth therefore that that hapneth vnto these mens bookes whiche Cicero sayth in the same place And therefore sayth he they reade their bookes with their freendes neither wyll any man touch them but such as woulde fayne haue the lyke libertie in writing graunted vnto them This was rare in Ciceroes age but nowe it is common And euery man medleth with them because all woulde haue the same libertie Thus these triflers and pamphlet writers commende exhort cheryshe and pricke foorth one another and arrogate vnto them selues falsly the prayses of other men in lyke cases Hereof commeth this boldnesse in writers and disturbaunce of matters and therefore please not thou thy selfe ouermuche in writing of bookes Ioy. I wryte bookes Reason Perhappes thou mayest doo better in readyng them and conuertyng that whiche thou readest into the rule and gouernment of thy lyfe For the knowledge of learning is then profitable when it is applyed to purpose and declareth it selfe in deedes and not in woordes onely otherwyse that is often founde to be true whiche is written Knowledge puffeth vp To vnderstande perfectly and speedily to remember many thynges and those great also exactly to vtter them comly to write them cunningly to pronounce them sweetely vnlesse all these be referred vnto our lyfe what be they other then the instrumentes of vayne braggerie and vnprofitable labour and foolysh ianglyng Ioy. I write bookes Reason Perhappes it were better for thee to goe to Plough to keepe Sheepe to be a Weauer to play the Mariner Many whom nature hath made Handicraftes men in despite of her haue become Philosophers And contrariwyse fortune hath kept vnder foote some whiche were borne in the feeldes or vnder hedges or vppon the shoppe boordes and staulles of Artificers or the nettyng of Shyppes whiche were apt to haue been Philosophers Whereby it commeth to passe that they that are ignoraunt of the causes doo woonder yf as in the myddes of the Sea or Countrey in the Wooddes and Shoppes there be founde sharpe and quicke wittes when as in the Schooles there be dull and blockyshe For yf nature be wonne she is hardly wonne Ioy. I write earnesty Reason Howe muche more earnestly haue some written in fore tymes whose heate is so extinguished that it were vnknowen whether euer they had written or noe vnlesse other had written so of them No humane woorke endureth alwayes and mortall labour maketh no immortall thyng Ioy. I wryte much Reason Howe muche more haue other written Who can recken the woorkes of Cicero or Varro Who can recite the bookes which Titus Liuius or Plinius hath written There is one Grecian who wrote as it is sayde sixe thousande bookes O feruent spirite if this be true O long and quiet leasure Truely if it be a businesse of great trauell to write well one or two bookes that one man shoulde wryte so many thousande it is not so easie to beleeue as strange to wonder at Howbeit writers of credite doo report it whom it were hard not to beleeue who say that they haue not onely hearde so but also seene them and that more is knowne it to be true for that them selues haue read the bookes whiche yf it be a maruelous matter that one man coulde reade so many is it not more marueyle that one man coulde write them all It were ouerlong to repeate what men amongst you and amongst the Gretians haue written and what they haue written among whom none hath been fully fortunate to the full accomplishment of his studie but that some part of the one and a great part of the other and some are wholy perished and therefore looke what thou canst prognosticate of thyne owne studies Ioy. I wryte that is myne onely delyght Reason If it be to exercise thy witte and in writing vnto others to instruct thy selfe yf to forget the tyme and to the intent that by the remembraunce of that whiche is past thou mayest auoyde the present weerisomenesse I doo excuse thee and yf thou doo it to the intent to cure thy secret and incurable disease of wrytyng then doo I take pitie vppon thee For there be some yf thou knowest not so much which would not write but because they can not leaue of and running as it were headlong downe an hyll and vnwilling to stay are forcibly caried away with that desire Ioy. I haue a great courage to write Reason They say there be infinite kinds of Melancholie Some cast stones some write bookes and to write so vnto one is the beginnyng of madnesse and to another the ende Ioy. I haue and doo write much Reason If it be to profiâ—e posteritie there is nothing better If to gette a name only there is nothing more vayne Ioy. I haue written muche Reason O notable madnesse and may we marueyle then yf paper be deerer then it was wout to be Ioy. I write and thereby I looke for fame Reason As I sayde erewhyle perhaps it were better for thee to digge and goe to plough and thereby to hope for a good Haruest for it is salfer sowing in the ground then in the winde For the studie of fame and earnest trauell in writyng as it hath aduaunced the renowme of many so hath it sent ouer innumerable to be fooles and beggers in their olde age and shewed them bare and babblyng spectacles to the common people For whyle ye be writing fyt tyme for better traueyles escapeth away and beyng rauished and forgetting your selues ye marke not so muche vntyll at last olde age and pouertie awake ye Ioy. Notwithstanding I write for desire of fame Reason A strange desire for paynes to seeke winde Truely A had thought that Saylers only had wished for winde Of Maistershyp The .xlv. Dialogue IOY BVT I haue taken the degree of a Maister Reason I had rather thou haddest gotten learnyng for there is nothyng more shamefull then rude and vnlearned Maistershyppe Ioy. I am woorthyly made a Maister Reason Thou canst not woorthyly be made a Maister vnlesse thou hast been a scholler and necessarie it is that thou haue shewed thy selfe duetifull lowly and willing to learne or els thou hast gone astray out of the way that leadeth to Maistershyp although I am not ignorant how that some haue risen to the highest degree of knowledge without a Maister whiche certaine excellent men of great name haue reported and written of them selues but their traueyle their wit their desire to learne their intent their diligence and continuaunce stoode vnto them in steede of a Maister
so learned a man shoulde be of that opinion but that he was so it is out of all doubt There be some also that count fortitude to be the moste excellent and soueraigne vertue to receyue woundes with bent breast to stayne the fielde with gore blood and finally to goe vnto death with a bolde courage Some there be that ascribe all these thinges vnto extreame madnesse and iudge nothyng better then quiet and dastardly idlenesse There shall some come also that wyll esteeme iustice to be the gouernour of humane affayres the mother of vertues who shall beleeue that religion is the way vnto euerlastyng lyfe and the ladder to climbe vp by vnto heauen There shall other some come lykewyse on the contrary syde that shall count iustice cowardice and religion madnesse and superstition these are they of whom it is written They are able to doo euery thyng who affirme that all thynges appertayne vnto violent men And not only in this kynd of violent men and rauinous persons but also among the multitude of learned men home great aduersaries iustice hath it may easily be perceyued in the bookes of Cicero whiche he wrote of a common wealth There be some that with great and deserued commendations doo extoll the keepyng of fayth and promises There be othersome also that say it is no deceipt to breake fayth but that it proceedeth from more knowledge and a better wit. Whiche although it be the common opinion and saying of the most part of men at this present in Lactantius it is namely ascribed vnto Mercurie saying as he reporteth it That it is no fraude to deceyue but craftinesse this is that woorthy god of wyse dome and eloquence To be shorte there is no vertue so commendable but it shal finde some dispraisers as for thankefulnesse there is no nation so barbarus no manners so sauage which do not commend it and no man euer that dyd not disprayse vnthankefulnesse For admit a man be a theefe a murderer a traytour an vnthankeful person he shal not dare excuse his faulte but denye it whiche although it be so neuerthelesse there are innumerable vnthankeful persons Neyther is there almost any one vice by so many condemned in woorde whiche lykewise is by so many embraced in deede What shal I conclude Truely that it ought to be condemned not onely in woord but chiefely in mynde and iudgement and of euery good maneschewed in hym selfe and borne withal in another as other thynges whereof mankynde hath plentie wherewith the wicked do abounde and the good are molested Suffer therefore chose rather to tollerate an vnthankeful person then thy selfe to be one Sorowe I fynde many vnthankeful Reason Take heede there be no fault in thy selfe For there are many that whyle they wyl seeme to be liberal they become boasters and fault fynders whiche are an hateful kinde of men whose good turnes doo a man more hurt then helpe him And that is nothyng els then to procure hatred by expence which is a mad kynde of merchandize Sorow Hauing deserued wel I suffer many that are vnmindful and vnthankeful Reason Doest thou greeue thereat and wouldest thou change conditioÌ„ with them Do not so I pray thee where so euer the fault lye let vertue be on thy side Sorowe I haue many that are vnthankeful Reason What wouldest thou haue me say to thee that thou shouldest leaue to do wel and hynder thy selfe for another mans faulte Nay rather doo thou contrarie and where as thou hast many prouide that thou mayst haue mo whiche thou shalt haue yf thou doo good vnto many For there are alwayes many vnthankeful but most at this day and I feare me least that shortly it wiâ—be a monster to finde a thankeful person In suche forte dayly all thinges impaire and goe backe warde Suche is the importunacie of those that require them and the forgetfulnesse and pride of those that owe them and yet notwithstandyng men must not therefore leaue of neyther must we scratch out our eyes because the blynd can not see but rather the blindnesse of other ought to make vs loue our eyes the more deerely Sorowe I haue founde many vnthankfull Reason Thinke with thy selfe whether thou hast been so vnto many One vnthankefulnesse punisheth another as also in other thinges for oftentimes one sinne is punishment to another Sorowe I haue done good vnto many vnthankefull persons Reason It is better to doo good vnto many vnwoorthy then to be wanting vnto one woorthy person Goe forward therefore and lay not aside thy good maners in respect of hatred towarde the wicked neyther surceasse to doo good vnto others for that of some it is not accordyngly accepted Perhappes hereafter they shal know thee better but yf they do not it shall suffice thee to knowe God and thy selfe It is no true vertue whiche is not sufficed with the rewarde of it owne conscience Sorowe I haue had euill lucke by doyng good to many Reason Take heede that one mans fault hurte not anothers and which is more greeuous annoy not thee Trie others and perhappes it wyll fal out more fortunatly Moreouer some that haue been a long time vnthankefull at length when shame hath touched their mindes haue become most thankeful and the lost hope of them hath been returned with great vauntage And further that whiche a debtour hath many tymes denied being required one that hath been no debtour hath willyngly offered there was neuer any good deede lost Who so doth wet let hym thinke most of his owne estate Only vertue doth good vnto many but the greatest and chiefest parte of vertue returneth vpon the woorker therof And therefore although al men be euyll and vnthankefull a good man must not ceasse to do well for those thynges whiche he dispearseth among many he heapeth vpon many and is at leastwyse beneficiall to hym selfe for not being an vnthankeful person Sorowe I haue cast away benefites vpon vnthankeful persons Reason A couetous person wyl not sticke to giue somtime frankely but liberalitie is the greater the lesse there is hope of recompence Of euil seruauntes The .xxix. Dialogue SOROWE I Am besieged with euyl seruauntes Reason Nowe sayest thou truely that thou art besieged for before tyme thou seemedst to thy selfe to be furnished and adorned with them but in very deede thou wast besieged not onely with an army of thy familiars but also of thine enimies Sorowe I am oppressed with vnruly seruauntes Reason Thine owne armie fighteth agaynst thee whiche is an vnpleasant matter Sorow I am besieged with proud seruauntes Reason And yet thou art constreyned to feede them that besiege thee whiche is an extreame necessitie Sorowe I am besieged with very euill rauening theeuishe lying and vnchaste seruauntes Reason What needest thou to roule in so many termes of thy seruaunts Cal them seruauntes and then thou hast sayde al. Sorowe I am besieged with seruauntes and what counsel doest thou geue me Reason What counsel shoulde I geue thee or what
writing without choise or discretion and they that destroy all haue assured rewardes And this is not so much the fault of the writers which accordyng to the common custome of men do seeke after gayne as of studentes and those that are put in trust with publique gouerment who neuer had any care of such matter hauing forgotten what Constantinus gaue in charge to Eusebius of Palestine to wit that none should write bookes but such as were of skill and wel seene in the studie of antiquitie and very expert in the Art wherin they wryte Ioy. I haue good store of bookes Reason What yf thy mynde be not capable Dooest thou remember Sabinus in Seneca howe he vaunteth in the skyll of his seruantes What difference is there betweene thee and hym but that thou art the more foole and both of you bragge of that whiche is anothers he of his seruantes which in deede were his owne and thou of the learnyng of thy bookes whiche apparteyneth nothyng vnto thee There be some that wyl seeme to knowe what so euer is wrytten in theyr bookes at home and when there is mention made of any matter of learnyng that booke sayth he is in my studie supposyng that that were as muche to say as it is here also in my breast and so with a proude looke they say no more A ridiculus kynde of people Ioy. I haue abundaunce of bookes Reason Howe much rather had I that thou dyddest abounde in wyt and eloquence and learnyng and specially in innocencie and vertue Howbeit these thynges are not to be solde for money as bookes are and yf they were I knowe not whether they shoulde fynde so many buyers as those bookes doo Those furnysh the walles these the mynd whiche forasmuche as they are not seene with the eyes men regard them not But truely yf store of bookes made men learned or good then they that are the rychest men myght be the best and learnedst men the contrary wherof we see commonly Ioy. I haue bookes whiche are meanes and helpes to learnyng Reason Take heede that they be not rather impedimentes For as great multitudes of souldyers haue been vnto some an hynderaunce of wynnyng so plentie of bookes haue ben a let vnto some of learnyng and of store as it chaunceth commeth scarcitie but yf it be so that a man haue them they are not to be cast away but layde asyde and the best are to be vsed and diligent heede to be taken least perhaps they whiche woulde profyte in tyme may hynder out of season Ioy. I haue many and sundry bookes Reason The diuersitie of wayes many tymes deceyueth the trauayler and he that want assuredly in one path was in doubt when he came to a crosse way and the incertentie of three or foure wayes meetyng togeather is farre more great and so it happeneth often tymes that he that hath read one booke with effect hath opened and turned ouer many without profyte There be many thynges burdensome to them that learne but to the learned few woordes do suffice to much is hurtful vnto both but with strong shoulders it is to be borne vp Ioy. I haue gotten togeather a great many of excellent bookes Reason There is no man that I can nowe cal to remembraunce that was famous for his multitude of bookes besides the Kyng of Egypt of whom I spake before which honourable name he wan not so much by the number of his bookes as by his worthie transtation of certayne of them Doubtlesse a marueylous woorke of so many wittes vnlesse the wyt of one that came afterwarde had been a greater wonder but yf thou seeke glory by bookes thou must take another course for thou must not haue them only but know them neyther are they to be committed to the Library but to memorie and not to be shut vp in the ful studie otherwise no man shal be more glorious then the publique librarie or his owne studie Ioy. I haue many notable bookes Reason Thou hast many tyed in chaines who if they could breake away and speake they woulde bring thee to the iudgment of a priuate prison then wyl they priuily weepe and that for sundry thynges but specially for this one thyng for that one couetous person many tymes hath plentie of those which many that are studious do want Of the fame of writers The .xliiii. Dialogue IOY YEA what say you vnto it that I write bookes my selfe Reason A publique disease contagious and incurable Euery man taketh vpon hym the office of writing which belongeth but to fewe and one that is sicke of this disease infecteth many It is an easie matter to enuie and harde to imitate so that the number of the sicke encreaseth dayly and the strength also of the sycknesse waxeth more myghtie euery day moe doo wryte euery day woorse by reason that it is an easyer matter to folow then to ouertake Very proper and approued and founde true by experience is the saying of the wyse man of the Hebrues There is no ende of wrytyng bookes Ioy. I doo write Reason I woulde wyshe that men coulde keepe them selues within their boundes and that an order amongst all thynges were obserued whiche by the rashnesse of men is confounded They should write that haue skyll and are able and other reade and heare But nowe is it no small pleasure to the minde to vnderstande vnlesse the proud hand make haste also to pen and paper and whosoeuer doth vnderstand or thynke that he vnderstandeth some smal peece of a booke thinketh he hym selfe meete by and by to write bookes I woulde that this one saying of our countrey man Cicero in the very beginning of his Tusculane questions were engrauen in your memories so that it myght be knowen vnto all that are in high degree and place of lyght and knowledge It may be sayth he that a man may meane well but yet is not able eloquently to vtter that whiche be meaneth It foloweth also But for a man to commit his meanyng and thought to writing that is not able well to dispose and set it foorth in comly order neyther by any meanes to delyght the Reader is the part of one rashly abusing both his leasure and learning These woordes of Cicero are most true but this abuse is nowe growen so common that euery man taketh that to be sayde to hymselfe whiche sometyme was to that most holy banished man who wrote suche matter as he had learned out of the verie fountayne of trueth and not out of the dryed puddles sayde and oftentimes repeated this woorde Write Whiche commaundement al contemners of al preceptes doo obey for all doo write And yf as I haue sayd there be so great danger in those that write other mens bookes what shall we thynke of them that write their owne and them that be newe Whereby they bring into the worlde doubtful and damnable artes and opinions or that which is the least mischiefe that they commit they weerie men with theyr rude
as soone as he is borne he weepeth by and by and laugheth not before fourtie dayes are expired that thing especially this wise creature doth proue which is skylful of thynges to come not the end whiche I accompt happie through the gouernance of vertue but rather difficult for that he is entred into trauel and the garboyle of present paynes To conclude whatsoeuer strength is in all other creatures whatsoeuer swiftnesse whatsoeuer oportunitie whatsoeuer commoditie it wholly serueth to the vse of man He bringeth the wilde headed Oxen to the yoke forceth the fierce Horse to be bridled The Beares that are to be feared for their clawes Boares for their tuskes and Hartes for their hornes he hath made them to garnyshe mans Table The Linx the Foxe and an infinite number moe creatures of that sort because they were not to be eaten he hath reserued for the vse of their skins and hide He searcheth the seas with nettes the wooddes with Dogges and the skies with foules and with whom hath man nothing to doo He hath taught such beastes to vnderstand mans voyce to be obedient vnto hym Thus of euery naturall thyng there is some commodity gotten Thou hast not the strength of an Oxe yet thou makest hym to drawe Thou hast not the swyftnesse of an Horse and yet thou makest hym runne Thou canst not flye so well as a Gosehauke and yet thou makest hym flye for thee Thou art not so bygge as an Elephant or a Camell yet thou makest the one of them to beare a Turret and the other a burden Thou hast not the skynne of a Bucke nor the pelt of a Lambe nor the case of a Foxe yet these haue them for thee Is this answeare then of a certayne Romane Captaine improper vnto them that say you are destitute of these thynges to witte That a man would not haue these thinges but had rather gouerne them that haue them And thus muche haue I spoken breefely partly like a Philosopher and partly like a Catholike Touching the greefe of the minde for so the Philosophers doo tearme it the better to expell it and purchase tranquilitie thereunto it auayleth to knowe what Tullie hath disputed of the fyrst in his disputations vppon the thyrde daye in his Tusculans and of the seconde Seneca in his booke whiche he wrote of the tranquilitie of the minde For whilest I make haste vnto other matters and drawe towardes an ende I shall not haue tyme to comprehende all thynges that I woulde For the present it is sufficient that I haue bounde vp the wounde and shewed thee the Phisitions of the minde whose helpe thou mayest vse yf these thynges be not sufficient Nowe as touchyng those three thynges whereof thou complaynedst laste I haue not thought them woorthie the answearyng for as muche as of the roughnesse of Fortune wherein the greater part of this our seconde booke of talke hath been and shal be spent both the very shortnesse thereof ought to mollifie and diminishe the sharpenesse it selfe and nature also doth appoynt an vncertayne ende of lyfe that it may seeme alwayes to be at hande or not verie farre of Of the Toothache The XCiiij Dialogue SOROWE I Am tormented with the Toothach Reason Thou mayst see what trust there is to thy intrayles when as thy bones doo fayle thee Sorowe My teeth beginne to be loose Reason What hope is there in the softe since that thy harde and strong limmes doo quaile Sorowe I am sicke in my teethe Reason Man is a feeble and frayle creature in whom suche thynges as seemed to be most strong are weake Sorow I am troubled with a great payne in my teeth Reason And those thynges whiche are appoynted for the ornament and cheefe strength of the mouth thou seest them to be turned into a cause of greefe that thou mayest perceyue howe long the conioynyng of this mortall frame wyll remayne Sorowe I haue nowe loste a toothe or twayne Reason Now mayest thou then consyder howe muche thou art bounde vnto GOD for so many great good gyftes since to lacke the fewest or the least thereof thou wouldest thynke it a great greefe and a lamentable losse a right woorthy punishment for thine ingratiude A seruant that hath refused his maisters present lyberalitie when the tyme is once past he is sorowful and that whiche he would not perceyue for his gayne it is meete he vnderstand to his losse Sorowe I am quite vnarmed of my teeth Reason Beyng nowe vnarmed thou shalt wrestle with pleasure thou shalt eate lesse thou shalt laugh lesse thou shalt byte more bluntly at an other mans good name The closure of the teeth beyng broken wyl cause thee to brydle thy tongue being redy to speake And if chastitie cause not thy olde wanton affection to restrayne from vnlawful kisses then let shame restrayne it Sorowe Nowe hath olde age broken my teeth Reason She hath vsed her libertie geue now thankes vnto nature who hath suffered thee to vse that her gift tyl thou were olde for that she taketh it away many tymes from them that are young as from one amongst you of late dayes the myghtiest of al kynges who euen in his lustye youthful yeeres lacked almost al his teeth but though he suffred this great infirmitie of youth yet afterward as he reported hym selfe he was comforted with a notable sharpenesse of sight in his olde age and also whereof he maketh no mencion with a wonderful quickenesse of wyt and courage whiche is a profitable example vnto al men that are affected with any discommoditie eyther of nature or age that they lament not al thynges or terme euery slackenesse of gods lyberalitie an iniury but aswage the greefe of benefites lost with them that art saued sharpe thynges with the gentle sower with the sweete Sorowe Olde age hath taken away my teeth Reason If age should not take them away death would Looke into the graues ful of dead bones where thou shalt see teeth sticking in drye rotten skulles whiche at the first do shewe terrible pale gryn fearefully but yf thou plucke them a litle thou shalt finde them loose and easie to fal out and in this case neyther the number nor the strength nor comlinesse of them auayleth any whit at al. We reade that the daughter of Mithridates king of Pontus had double rowes of teeth aboue beneath Prusias sonne to the king of Bithinia in steede of the rowe of his vpper teeth had only one tooth that is to say one bone that was matche with his neither teeth reachyng from the one side of his iawe vnto the other which strange thing was neither vncomly nor vnprofitable But Zenobia the queene of the East amongst al other commendations of her beautie is commended exceedingly for the surpassing comlinesse of her teeth for that when she eyther spake or laughed it seemed that her mouth was ful rather of bright pearles then of white teeth But yf thou searche nowe the graues of these also thou shalt
must endeuour to doo what we may vnto which purpose besides the industrie of a couragious minde to whom nothing is hard nothing inexpugnable it were most conuenient to adioyne the sundrie speeches of wyse men although this kinde be now also very rare and especially continual and diligent reading of the woorkes and monumentes of good auctours so that there want not in vs a willing minde to consent vnto their holsome instructions which I may boldly tearme in earth to be the only liuely fountaine of good and fruitfull aduice Wherfore since we know that meane writers somtime are commended for their bare affection or for that they haue seemed to haue broken the Ice vnto those that haue followed them howe greatly are we beholden vnto the great and famous writers who being conuersant many hundred yeeres before vs here vpon the earth in their diuine wittes and most godly ordinances doo yet lyue dwel and talke with vs And among the perpetuall surges of our mindes like so many bright shining Starres fixed in the firmament of Trueth like so many sweete and pleasant gales of winde like so many industrious and expert saylers do both point vs to the hauen and direct the flittering sayles of our barkes thither and guyde the sterne of our flitting minde vntyll such tyme as our consultations which haue ben tost and driuen to and fro by tempestes doo stay their course and qualifie their motions And this is the true Philosophie not which is lifted vp with deceiptfull winges and vainely casteth about most proudly boasting it selfe in vnprofitable disputations but that by assured and modest degrees leadeth the rediest way vnto safetie To exhort thee vnto this studie perhaps it were freendly done but truely it is not necessarie For Fortune hath made thee greedie to reade much and to knowe many thynges who as they say beareth a great stroke in the worlde exposing thee to be tossed in the troublesome and deepe sea of cares and troubles Howbeit as she hath taken from thee the leasure to reade so hath she not the desire to knowe but that beyng delighted alwayes in the frendshyppe and familiaritie of learned men and vpon the most busiest dayes as often as opportunitie shall serue to steale idle houres thou myghtest haue a wyll to be euery day better instructed and learned in most excellent matters wherein I am a witnesse that thou hast often vsed thy memorie wherein thou art inferiour to none in steede of bookes Wherevnto yf thou were prone enough in thyne youth thou art nowe to be deemed so muche the more proner as the wayfaryng man that settech foorth late may seeme to be fresher and redier to trauayle then he that set foorth in the mornyng forasmuche as this is a common complaint among them that the way waxeth longer and the day decreaseth the whiche thing hapneth vnto vs in this course of our lyfe whilest we trauayle towardes the euenyng and see that we haue yet a long way to walke I neede not therefore to exhorte thee to doo that whiche thou hast alwayes doone most greedily of thine owne accorde It shall suffice me to haue admonished thee that thou bende thy minde in such sort that no care of humane and worldly affayres remoue thee which in the very finishing of great and most excellent workes haue turned many away after their woorthie and commendable traueiles begun Adding this moreouer that seeing it is impossible for thee to reade or here or remember all thinges at once thou repose thy selfe vpon the most profitable and for that breuitie is freend to Memorie the most briefest of them Not that I perswade thee to neglect the more busie and great conclusions and resolutions of wisedome whereby thou mayst defende thy selfe in the ordinarie conflict with Fortune but that thou mightest be lightly furnished in the meane while with these short and precise sentences as it were with certaine light and continual armour against al assaultes and sudden inuasions hapning on any side whatsoeuer For we wage double war with Fortune and in both there is in a manner equal danger wherof there is but one part coÌ„monly knoweÌ„ by that name to wit that which is called Aduersitie The Philosophers although they knew both yet they iudged this to be the harder And therfore the saying of Aristotle in his boke of Ethikes is receiued as true wherein he thus defineth concerning this matter saying That it is an harder matter to endure aduersitie then to abstaine from pleasures Whom Seneca following and writing to Lucillus It is a greater matter sayth he to passe ouer difficult matters then to moderate the prosperous What shall I say May I presume to gaggle among such woorthie men It is an hard matter breedeth no smal suspition of rashnes for a new man to medle wiâ—h olde matters And therfore on the one side I am moued by auctoritie on the other by antiquitie But there commeth vnto my mind the auctoritie of an other great auncient man For it cannot be otherwise but that euery man conceiue an opinion of a thing according as it appeareth vnto him They are the woordes of Marcus Brutus writing vnto Atticus which I suppose to be so true that nothyng can be more true For what can I iudge of any thyng otherwyse then I thynke vnlesse perhappes I be constrayned to iudge by other mennes iudgementes whiche who so dooeth he iudgeth not of hym selfe but reporteth the iudgementes of other I therefore thus with reuerence passing ouer the iudgementes of suche notable men beyng in suche manner affectioned if I woulde say any thyng concernyng myne owne iudgement I knowe wel that some haue diuersly disputed otherwyse of the vertues and that the preheminence is not alwayes geuen to the most difficult neyther that it hapned by chaunce that modestie or whether thou had rather cal it temperance possessed the last place But as touchyng our purpose whereof we entreate I suppose it an harder matter to gouerne prosperitie then aduersitie and I playnely professe that in mine opinion and also in mine experience flatteryng fortune is more to be feared and farre more perilous then threatnyng fortune vnto whiche opinion it is not the fame of writers nor the subtiltie of woords nor the false sillogismes of sophisters but true experience it selfe and the dayly examples of this lyfe and the scarcitie whiche is a great argument of the difficultie whiche enforceth me For why I haue seene many that haue indifferently susteyned losses pouertie exile imprisonment punyshment death and great sickenesses that are more greeuous then death but that could wel beare ryches honoures and power I neuer yet sawe any For oftentymes euen in my sight those that haue stoode inuincible agaynst al violence of aduerse fortune prosperous fortune hath ouerthrowen with smal force and her flatteries haue ouercome that valiencie of mans minde whiche her threatnynges could not subdue It commeth to passe I wot not how that so soone as fortune waxeth more milde the
softned mindes of men beginne lykewyse to growe proud and by enioying prosperitie to conceyue forgetfulnesse of their owne condition Neyther is it spoken without cause and vsed nowe among our countrey men as a prouerbe that it is an harde matter to beare prosperitie Neyther was it spoken by Horace vnaduisedly Learne to beare wel good fortune For he iudged it to be an hard matter and not knowen without diligent studie But Seneca very breefely discoursed of that part of fortune which seemed vnto hym to be most difficult and is doubtlesse at the first sight the more rough and hard of the twayne Whiche booke is commonly abrode in mens handes whereunto it is not my meaning to adde or detract any thyng at al both for that the woorke being wrytten by so great a wit disdayneth to come vnder our censure also being busied about mine owne affayres am not purposed to correcte or carpe other mens doinges But forasmuche as Vertue and Trueth are publique thinges there is no reason that the studie of antiquitie shoulde be any hindrance to the industrie of posteritie for whose cause we knowe that it was vndertaken to the ende we should thereby be styrred vp and holpen And therfore I purpose to entreate with thee somewhat concernyng the same matter that that whiche he dyd then for his freende Gallio I may nowe do in lyke sort for my freende Azo whiche I am determined so farre foorth to accomplishe as shal lye in this my busied and werie wyt to do and ouer and besides also to touche the other part whiche eyther of forgetfulnesse or purpose was by hym pretermitted I haue moreouer of set purpose mingled a fewe matters not touchyng the defectes of any fortune but the excellencie of vertues or vices whiche although they be besides the purpose yet are not vnlyke in effect seeme to be suche as are able to make mens mindes glad or sorowfull Wherein how I haue behaued my selfe thou shalt be iudge being mindeful of my businesse and the shortnesse of the tyme who with great admiration sawest the whole woorke begunne and ended in a very fewe dayes I only am iudge of the credite I haue endeuoured not to set downe whatsoeuer seemed best lykyng to my selfe but that myght be most profitable vnto thee and others whosoeuer els haply hath touched the same To be short the ende whiche I alwayes proposed to my selfe in this kynde of studie was not so muche the commendation of the wryter as the commoditie of the reader yf so be there may be any hoped for or receiued by me hauing a speciall respect hereunto that it should not be needeful for thee to tosse and turne ouer thy whole armorie at euery alarme and doubt of the enemie but rather to the entent thou myghtest haue in a redinesse agaynst euer mischeefe and hurtful good eyther fortune a short medicine but freendly confected for a double disease so that thou mayest alwayes haue at hande as they say in al places at al times as it were an effectual remedie conteyned in a litle boxe For as I haue said both Fortunes faces are to be feared but notwithstandyng both must be endured whereof the one hath neede of a bridle the other of comfort in the one the pride of the minde of men is to be repressed in the other their werinesse and greefe to be succoured and relieued Wherefore when I thought vpon this varietie and purposed with my selfe to wryte somewhat concernyng this argument not only thou camest into my minde woorthie of that gyft which both of vs may vse indifferently as sayeth Cicero but alonely moouedst me to wryte it not onely in woordes as beyng priuie of al mine enterprises whatsoeuer but also in deedes being of sufficient â—bilitie to perfourme them both For we knowe how that Fortune hath tormented many vpon the racke many she hath lulled asleepe in delites and many she hath swinged vp downe in her wheele neyther want we examples of such as clymbe nor of some that fal neyther am I ignorant that some haue been throwen downe from the top of high dignitie Howe many Emperours of Rome how many forren Princes being plucked out of their regal thrones eyther by their owne handes or the handes of their enimies haue been depriued both of their lyues Empires at one instant Shal we borowe al our examples of antiquitie since we our selues haue seene of late dayes some kynges taken prisoners and some slaine in battayl and some beheaded at home and which is most extreame of al some hanged by the necke some most shamefully mangled in peeces Thou art one vnto whom Nature hath geuen a princely hart but Fortune hath not geuen a kyngdome nor yet taken it away yet whom in other respectes she hath more diuersly tossed and turmoyled I suppose there is none to be found in our age For being sometyme in excellent good health and enioying very great strength of body it is strange to recount howe not many yeeres since to the great wonder of al that know thee being thrice geuen ouer by the Phisitions thrice thou reposedst thy life safetie in the onely helpe of the heauenly Phisition at the length wast by hym restored to thy former health but in such wise that thou hast vtterly lost thine accustomed strength of body with no lesse wonder of thy excellent dexteritie rare grauitie that thou who before time haddest most stroÌ„g valiant legges feete almost as hard as brasse art nowe growen so weake that thou must be lyfted vp to thy horse backe by thy seruantes or leanyng vpon their shoulders art scarcely able to tread vpon the ground Thy countrey almost at one tyme sawe thee both a lord and a banyshed man but so notwithstandyng that thou seemedst to be nothyng at all blemished by thy banishment There was neuer any almost of our countreymen that stoode in lyke fauour of noble men and princes and neuer any that susteyned lyke iniurie And whereas not long before they striued in shewyng thee tokens of curtesie afterward the same men consented in nothyng so muche as in conspyring and laying their heades together howe to procure thy destruction Of whom some sought meanes to take away thy lyfe who before tyme had honoured thee the space of many yeeres with golde and precious stones and many other large giftes duryng the tyme of thy prosperous and fauourable fortune and whiche is most greeuous of al to spoyle thee of thy freendes and clientes and thy whole familie by afflictyng them with sundry greeuous tormentes and strange kyndes of death But such as were of the more curteous sort inuaded thy great patrimony thy landes thy people thy houses thy townes insomuch as they that sawe thee not long before and perceyued how suddeinely thou wast fallen from great wealth into extreame pouertie wondred as it had been at some strange miracle of fortune Some of thy freendes as I haue said are perished in those
the chaunce whiche they would haue and others who otherwyse were couragious and vpryght of mynde at this game for a litle money to pray to be angry and in fine to be furious What and howe many thynges haue certayne valyaunt men doone at game for a small summe of money whiche in an other place they would not haue doone for a great treasure There is the kyngdome of al vices but especially of wrath and couetousnesse Thou remembrest howe Ouid in the same booke where in he teacheth the dishonest and superfluous art of loue yet sometyme intermyngleth some profitable matter He admonysheth the women louers that to conceale the vyces of theyr mynd they absteyne from this and such lyke games least beyng seene either swellyng with anger or greedy with couetousnesse they displease theyr louers How muche better were it for this commaundement to be geuen to men that they offende not onely the eyes of men but also of GOD that seeth all and loueth good myndes and curteous manners Ioy. I haue played I haue woon and am glad Reason A fylthy game and hurtful victorie a vayne pleasure Ioy. I haue wonne and am glad Reason All reioycyng in a mans owne euyl is foolyshe And therefore it was some Helhounde that fyrst deuysed this game the vnskylfull whereof are subiect to mockes and losse and the skylful to woonder and astonyshment For what is more marueylous then that whiche is commonly spoken in the olde prouerbe and is vulgarely founde to be true by experience That al the great players and maysters of this game are naked bare and poore Of Iesters The xxviii Dialogue IOY I Take delyght in the pastyme of Iesters Reason The delyght of Musycall Harmonie is more noble which is procured by a certayne lyberall art as for this it is ful of vanitie and impudency Ioy. I take pleasure in Iesters Reason I had rather thou tookest pleasure in poore folke in humble friendes and in carefulnesse Ioy. Iesters doo make me laugh Reason And what dooest thou make them doo Howe many tymes haue Iesters mocked theyr maisters that laughed at them How oftentymes wonderyng at the follie of those that wonder at them haue they feygned some other matter whereby they falsly delyght them truely delight themselues Ioy. I haue learned Iesters Reason Thou hast those that thou mayest laugh at that wyllaugh and gyrde at thee An auntient plague among the ryche which beginnyng among the Hetruscanes grewe so great at Rome and came to such boldnesse that Esope left a woonderful and very great patrimonie vnto his sonne whiche he had gotten thereby and Roscius geathered this distracted and vagraunt practise into an art wrytyng a booke of the Art of iestyng â–ª wherein he was not ashamed to compare it to Oratorie and to matche hym selfe with Tullie and that for this cause for that those sundrie affections and secrete conceyuynges of the mynd whiche Cicero was wont in eloquent speache diuersly to pronounce he could also expresse the very same after another fashion but to lyke effect by apt iestures And truely he was very cunnyng neyther doo I knowe what were so harde or sorowful whiche he coulde not easyly haue mollified I speake not howe by meanes of his wyt he purchased the friendshyp of the most curteous gentle Cicero and was founde woorthie for whom so great an Oratour shoulde pleade and of whom he shoulde leaue a woorke to the remembraunce of posteritie but that he qualified the cruel and proude mynd of Sylla and by hym that despised al men beyng receyued into fauour was rewarded with a ryng of golde who also as often as hym lysted coulde prouoke to myrth and laughter so many graue and seuere fathers and that Senate by whiche the whole worlde was gouerned Who enticed the people of Rome beyng so great and so many to geue to hym aboue a dayly stipende out of the common treasurie of an hundred pence besides his seruautes and assistantes A great rewarde although it were payde in sinal money and I cannot deny but that these thynges were handled by hym with wonderful and rare agilitie of mynde so that if there were a Roscius any where to be found perhaps it is not denyed to thee which was lawfull for Cicero not only to vse his pastime otherwhiles but also his wit and familiaritie For there is great agreement of wittes one with an other although they differ in studie and profession But where we seeke hym many notable artes haue in short processe of tyme peryshed not onely the arte of Iesting whiche is now come to this passe that it is certayne that they which now folow it are of a corrupt sense and false iudgement And truely hereof it foloweth that they to whom euyl thynges seeme good good thynges are vnknowne and that they are vnaccustomed to noble cares that are delyghted with vyle Ioy. Many iesters do frequent me dayly Reason They wyl leaue to frequent thee when thou shalt leaue to be ryche and liberal I shoulde rather say foolyshe and prodigall Ioy. I haue a great troupe of iosters Reason Thou mayest rather say of Flyes which folowe thee whyle thou art annoynted and when thou art drye wyl forsake thee and it is not sufficient that they doo forsake thee but that lyke infamie wyl folow this farewel There be some tongues to whom rest and quietnesse is a punyshment they haue no delyght but to talke of other folke eyther in falsly praysyng them or bitterly slaunderyng them and looke whose wealth they cannot byte they gnaw his fame This is one generall lawe among iesters and Parasites that they be both sorts of them armed with slatteries and folow fortune For the one sort it is sufficient to fyl theyr bellies the other sort hath another hunger vnto whom it is an iniurie to make mention of meate whose greedinesse must be fylled whiche hath no bottome Of the games of VVrestlyng The xxix Dialogue IOY I Am delighted with the games of wrestlyng Reason If to be a looker on thou art a foole yf to wrestle thou art mad Ioy. I vse to exercise wrestlyng Reason By euery one of thy woordes it appeareth vnto what maister thou art a slaue For these aswell as the abouenamed doo belong to the body and as I haue admonished a litle before there be thyngs that may be doone more honestly without force and noyce And there is also a more excellent mouing of the mynde which if thou knewest thou wouldest contemne and hate these bodyly endeuours But you esteeme of your mynde as a degenerate and hateful ghest and of your bodyes as some great and dearely beloued lorde for him you plowe for hym you sowe for hym you mowe Truely in so doing ye do well but in this ye deale vniustly in that ye referre al thynges to the body and not regarding the mynde for this ye spende whole nightes in wakefulnesse for this ye sigh for this ye vowe for this ye learne good artes this ye obey and serue
But you weltring heauily vpon the ground stouping and as it were fastened to the earth dare not looke vpwardes towardes heauen and forgettyng the chiefe woorkeman with marueilous pleasure ye beholde the slender pictures of the Sunne and Moone and determine where the passage is to the highest places but there ye ende the boundes of your vnderstanding Ioy. I am specially delyghted with painted tables and Pictures Reason Thou conceiuest delight in the pencill and colours wherein the price and cunning and varietie and curious dispersing doth please thine eye euen so likewyse the liuely gestures of lyuelesse pictures and the vnmoueable motions of dead images and countenaunces comming out of poastes and liuely portraitures of faces doo bryng thee into woondring insomâ—ch as thou wilt almost thynke they would speake vnto thee and this is the onely danger in this behalfe in that many great wittes haue been ouertaken by these meanes So that whereas the clowne and vnskylfull person wyl with small woondryng passe them ouer the wyser wyll repose hym selfe with sighing and woondring A cunning matter truly howbeit it is not possible from the beginning to vnfold the fyrst originall and encrease of this art and the wonderfulnesse of the woorkes and the industrie of the woorkemen the madnesse of princes and the vnreasonable prices wherewith these haue been bought and brought from beyonde the seas and placed at Rome eyther in the Temples of the Goddes or in the bed chambers of the Emperours or in the common streetes or publique porches and galleries Neyther was this sufficient but that they must also apply their owne right handes which of duety ought to haue been busied about greater affayres vnto the exercise of this art which the most noble Philosophers of all Greece had doone before Whereby it came to passe that among you the art of paintyng was esteemed aboue all handie craftes as a thyng more neere to the woorke of nature And among the Grecians yf ye wyll beleeue Plinie it was accompted among the chiefee of the Liberal Artes. But I let passe these thinges for that they are in a maner contrary to mine entended breuitie and present purpose and may seeme rather to minister infected humours to the sicknesse whose cure I promised to vndertake and by the excellencie of the thinges to excuse the madnesse of the woonderers at them Howbeit I sayde yer whyle that the greatnesse of them that dyd erre made not the errour the lesse but I touched that poynt the rather to this intent that it myght appeare how great the force of that folly was with whiche so many and so great wittes haue conspired vnto whiche also the prince of errour the common multitude and long continuance whiche is the engenderer of customes and acutoritie whiche is a great heape of all mischiefes are ioyned so that the pleasure and admiration thereof is able priuily to remooue and withdrawe the minde from contemplation of higher matters But yf these thynges that are counterfeited and shadowed with vayne colours doo so muche delyght thee cast vp thyne eyes vppon hym that hath adorned mans face with senses his minde with vnderstandyng the heauen with starres the earth with flowres and so shalt thou contemne those woorkemen whom thou woondredst at Of Statues and Images The .xli. Dialogue IOY BUt I take great pleasure in Images Reason These be sundrie artes but the madnesse is one there is but one beginning of them both one ende but diuers matter Ioy. I delyght in statues Reason These come in shew more neere vnto nature then pictures For they doo but appeare only but these are felt to be sounde and substantiall and there theyr bodyes are more durable Whiche is the cause that there remayne to this day in no place any pictures of men of auncient times but statues innumerable Whereby this age in this point as in many thynges els erronious woulde seeme to haue been the fyrst inuenter of pictures or whether that because it alleageth that it hath deuised somwhat whiche commeth neare to the fyrst inuention thereof beyng perfect and excellent in it and in all kindes of engrauing and dare boldly and impudently affirme though falsly that it is not inferiour to any in grauing and caruing all sortes of seales statues seeing in very dtede they be almost al one art or if they be diuers they sprang both from one fountayne to wit the art of drawing doubtlesse are of one antiquitie flourished at one tyme For why Apelles and Pyrgoteles and Lysippus lyued at one tyme whiche may by this meanes be prooued in that the great pride of Alexander of Macedonie chose these three together aboue the rest whereof the one should paint him the other engraue him and the thyrde carue him strayghtly forbiddyng all other vppon whatsoeuer cunnyng or assuraunce of skyll presumyng to meddle with expressyng the kynges face any maner of way and yet was not this madnesse lesse then the residue But euery disease is so muche the more daungerous howe muche more stable and fixed the matter is whereof it proceedeth Ioy. But I am delyghted in Images Reason Thynke not that thou errest alone or that thou hast no fellowes but the common people For in tymes past howe great the dignitie hath been of statues and images and howe feruent the studie and desire of men was reposed in suche pleasures the most diligent enquirie of Augustus and Vaspasian and other Emperours and Kynges of whom it were impertinent and too long to intreate also of other noble personages of the second degree industrious keepyng of them when they had founde them and theyr sundrie dedicatyng and bestowing them may sufficiently declare Hereunto also may be added the great fame of the workemen not rashly spread abroade by the common people or reported vpon dumbe workes but celebrated in the soundyng bookes of learned and approoued writers whiche beyng so great seemeth in no wyse to be able to spryng from a smal roote A great name commeth not of nothing it must be great in deede or seeme to be so whereof great men doo seriously intreate But all these thinges I haue answeared before and tende to this purpose that thou mayest vnderstande with what force so auncient and stout an errour must be resisted Ioy. I conceyue pleasure in sundry statues images Reason There is one of these artes whiche by the handy woorke doth imitate nature men commonly call it framyng and fashionyng This art woorketh with waxe playster of Paris and cleauing claye whiche although among all the other artes that haue affinitie with it it be more freendly and come neerest to vertue or is lesse enimie to modestie and thriftinesse whiche two vertues doo more allowe of imagies and statues of Goddes and men to be made of earth and suche lyke matter then of golde and precious stone Yet what delyght there is to be conceyued in looking vppon faces made of waxe or earth I doo not vnderstand Ioy. I take delyght in
not the blemishes of kynges and although they feare them in presence yet priuily they vse their libertie they hisse in dennes and barke in darkenesse and sende foorth doubtfull voyces to the cloudes they disperse sharpe verses in the streetes they clappe vp papers vppon statues they speake by signes they crye out in silence they threaten with their eyes and strike with their tongues Thus oftentymes great infamie groweth vppon small causes and vile dye tearmes vppon honourable names If this coulde happen to so great a Prince what may priuate men hope for who ought to embrace mediocritie and abandon superfluitle Ioy. I take pleasure in vesselles of Corinth Reason If thy breast were shut vp against errour and thyne eyes agaynst bryghtnesse it myght easily appeare vnto thee howe muche Potters vessels are to be preferred before Corinthian and howe muche more easie to be gotten pleasant to be vsed safe to be kept and fyt to be employed both about diuine and humane vses And truely as touchyng securitie yf this note of the Emperour Augustus be true they whiche were proscribed and condempned should haue lyued in greater safetie yf they had been without Corinthian vesselles And as touchyng diuine seruice that God is as mercyful vnto men when he is worshypped with potters vessels it is not doubtful vnto me nor vnto Seneca But concerning humane vse although it be certayne that Tuberoes earchen vessels by blinde voyces or scrutinie did hurt theyr maister as a great rebuke and slaunder among the people and thereby he had repulse in the Pretorshyp in the iudgement of Valerius Maximus who doth popularly excuse this deede of the people they seemed vnwoorthy of such a publique function How be it I am of opinion in this poynt with Seneca who commendeth very much of them for they are most agreable to the auncient sparyngnesse and the manners of the Romanes by whiche as the pryuate familie of a modest housholder so ought also the honest common wealth of a wel gouerned Citie to be guyded that brydlyng theyr steppes they may keepe the boundes of a wel ordred and peaceable state vpon the earth And therefore yf Helius Tubero in brynging foorth his earthen vessels before the Chappel of Iupiter whereby he consecrated his frugalitie and sobrietie and as Seneca sayeth His pouertie in the Capitol dyd offende the eyes of the wanton people it was not the fault of the good Citizen but of the tyme for then al thynges be gan to declyne from the auncient strayghtnesse to this effeminate delicatenesse whiche fyrst began to wonder at and fall in loue with cuppes and dyshes of golde and of precious stone platters engrauen about the brym with braunches and â—oures Saltes with knottes and vynes round about vessels with tunnyng Iuie and suche lyke deuises whiche Galienus the Emperour sent vnto Claudius that shoulde be Emperour after hym Diuers other kyndes of madnesse also whiche are attributed to magnificencie but last of al nowe in these dayes not only running yuie or vyne braunches or other curious braunches but also the whole woods themselues with theyr in habitantes as all kyndes of trees and wylde beastes and foules mens faces and whatsoeuer the eye hath seene or the eare heard or the mind imagined are of long continuance nowe expressed and engrauen in gold and precious stone of which we haue entreated a litle before To be short pride so much encreaseth that gold waxeth vile Not long since these Corinthian vessels which thou praysest were not regarded and contempt which myght haue ben praysed concerning the true estimation of vyle thyngs is now made discommendable by the false admiration of worthy thyngs Ioy. But I am now in loue with Corinthian vessels Reason Corinth which was burned with your fyrebrands hath brent you agayne with her flanâ—e and hath reuenged the rasing of her walles vpon your myndes And this is no strange thing for oftentymes when ye haue ben the conquerers in forraigne wars ye haue also ben ouercome by forraigne vices Euen after this maner Scipio Asiaticus Manilius Volsio the conquerers of Asia did ouerthrow you with the Asian pleasures with beds of purple garments of gold and exquisite furniture for houshold and which is most vyle with banquets cookes so did Pompeius Magnus ouercome you with pearles and precious stones and Mummius with painted tables Corinthian vessels whyle your captaines triumphed ouer your enimies and your enimies triumphed ouer your affections Ioy. I am enamored with the vse of Corinthian vessels Reason The Corinthian or golden vessels make the meate neuer a whit the better neither the Samian the worse for this desire of yours riseth not from the qualitie of the things but from the sicknesse of your minds or rather is it selfe a sicknes of the mind which to the end thou mayest the better cure and so waxe whole in steede of the care for so many vnprofitable vessels take one most profitable holsome care vpon thee that â—hou maiest know how to possesse thyne owne vessell in honour and holynesse as it is wrytten not in the passion and desire of hauyng Of store of Bookes The .xliii. Dialogue IOY I Haue great store of bookes Reason The occasioÌ„ to speake of them is ministred in conuenient time For as some get bookes for learning sake so do some others for pleasure boastyng There be other some also which do furnish their chambers with this kinde of stuffe which was inuented to furnish the mynd withal and vse them in none other sort then they do theyr Corinthian vessels or theyr painted tables and images suche other lyke wherof we entreated last There be some also which vnder the colour of bookes do satisfie theyr couetousnesse these be the worst sort of men which esteeme not the true prices of bookes as they are in deede but as they may sel them A vyle plague and lately growne and whiche seemeth but newly to haue crept in among the practises of the richer sort wherby there is growne one instrument and art of concupiscence more Ioy. I haue great plentie of bookes Reason A painful but a pleasant burden a delectable distraction of the mind Ioy. I haue a marueilous multitude of bookes Reason Thou hast therewithal also great plentie of traueyl and scarcitie of quietnesse thy wit must be busied this way and that way and thy memorie be troubled with this matter that matter What wouldest thou haue me say Bookes haue brought some men to knowledge some to madnes whilst they draw out of them more then they can disgest As fulnes sometime hurteth the stomack more then huÌ„ger so fareth it with wits and as of meates so lykewyse of bookes the vse ought to be limitted according to the qualitie of him that vseth theÌ„ In al thinges that which is to litle for one is to much for another And therfore a wise man seeketh not plentie but sufficiencie in al thynges For the one of these is many times
away the sobrietie and modestie of thy mynde and thy plentie be bestowed vpon thy freindes and the poore there is nothing pleasaunt or sauorie to one that is alone Ioy. I husband most exquisitely fruitful lande Reason Man ought not to be seruant to the lande but the lande to man by meanes of mans transgression it is come to passe that the earth yeeldeth nothyng to the owner without trauayle yf it be not husbanded it bringeth foorth but a rough croppe Burres Thistles Bryers and Thornes the same to labour with the plough and by strange manuryng to make it soft and pliant mans neede hath enforced Hereof began husbandrie which in tymes past was the most holy and innocent lyfe but now subiect both to the auncient toyle and newe vices synce nothyng hath been left vnsearched by enuie and auarice Townysh vyllanies haue crept into Countrey cottages Truely it is lykely that husbandmen were the last that waxed wycked whereof it commeth that the Poet sayth When Iustice forsooke the earth she left her last footesteps among them But it is to be feared least they that were last euyl be nowe chiefe so that yf haply men shoulde one day generally returne to vertue and the auncient manners of olde tyme these men woulde then also be last But nowe I come to the Art of husbandrie whiche was sometyme had in great pryce and vsed by men of great callyng and wysedome wherein as in many other thyngs Cato surnamed Censorius possesseth an hygh roomth of whom when it was written and that most truely that he was an excellent Senatour an excellent Oratour an excellent Captayne and at length to the fyllyng vp of his commendacion it is added that without comparison or example he was the most excellent Husbandman of his tyme. Who wyl then be ashamed to tyll the grounde with Cato who wyl thynke that there is any thyng vnfytting for hym selfe whiche he thought seemely yenough for his person who besydes the gyftes of his body and mynde and the glory of his woorthy deedes had triumphed for conqueryng of Spaine Who would be ashamed to dryue foorth and cal to his Oxen whom that voyce draue along in the furrow whiche had sometyme hartened so many great armies to battayle and most eloquently defended so many doubtful causes Who woulde disdayne the plough and the harrowe whiche that triumphant and Philosophical hande touched whiche had purchased so many notable victories ouer so many enimies had wrytten so many excellent woorkes of worthie matter apparteynyng both to Philosophie Historie or common vse of lyfe as are those bookes which he wrote concernyng this matter whereof we nowe entreate He was the fyrst amongst you that geathered the preceptes of Husbandrie and brought them into the fourme of an Art and set them downe in wrytyng after whom there folowed many other whereof some haue aduaunced that poore and symple skyl in woorthy and excellent verses whiche nowe callyng to my mynde and not forgetful of mans necessitie truely I doo not nowe discommende of Husbandrie Notwithstandyng neyther the excellencie of wryters neyther the feare of pouertie shal euer constrayne me to iudge it meete to be preferred or matched with the liberal and commendable artes although the first age of the empire had those that were both valiant captaynes and good husbandmen but now by continuance of tyme the case is altered Howbeit it happeneth not now through the frailtie of nature that your wittes are not sufficient to atteyne vnto thynges of so diuers nature And therefore in this age I wyll permit that excellent personages geue theyr myndes sometyme to Husbandrie not to make it a toyle or theyr trade of lyuyng but rather for theyr recreations to put greater cares out of theyr heades as namely sometyme to graffe the tender twygge vppon the buddyng stocke or to correct the ranke leaues with the croked hooke or to lay quycksettes into the Dyke in hope of increase or to bryng the syluer streames by newe dygged furrowes into the thirstie mebowes I am content to geue these men licence after this maner earnestly to busie them selues to dygge and delue but wholly to apply the minde vnto the earth vnlesse necessitie constrayne thereunto I count it vnmeete and vndecent for a learned and valiaunt man who can not lyghtly want some matter of more noble exercise The good mother Nature when she gaue many artes vnto men she made a difference also between their wittes and dispositions that euery one should followe that where vnto he was most euclyned Thou shalt finde some one who beyng of an indifferent witte can so cunnyngly eyther tyll the lande or sayle ouer the seas that in this behalfe no Philosophers wysedome may be compared to his industrie It is a follie and a bootlesse thyng to contende with another man not in thyne owne but in his art wherein although otherwyse thou excell hym and be hygher as they say then hee by the head and shoulders yet thou shalt be founde his vnderlyng and where thou art superiour in the greatest matters thou mayest easily be ouercome in many small Ioy. This Summer my lande hath been verie fruitfull vnto mee Reason Marke the next for present plentie hath many tymes been a token of future scarcitie It is a rare matter to fynde prosperitie without intermission Ioy. I haue husbanded my lande diligently Reason It is well doone yf thou haddest nothyng els to doo Ioy. I haue trymmed my Vineyarde exquisitely Reason Perhaps thereby thou hast promised to thy selfe a plentifull vintage but hast thou also made an agreement with the frost and hayle Ioy. I haue sowed my grounde thicker then I was woont Reason Thou shalt feede the moe Cranes and Wildgeese abroade moe Mise and Rattes at home thou shalt be hoste to foules and woormes a picker foorth of Darnell a maker of thy floore a buylder of barnes and a seruant to thy reapers and thresshers Ioy. I haue sowed my fieldes plentifully Reason Be of good hope thou shalt reape that which thou hast sowed corne and carefulnesse vnlesse perhaps I may say this more truely that the come belongeth to many and the carefulnesse to thee alone and to speake as the trueth is the fielde is thy minde the tillage thyne intent the seede thy care the haruest thy traueyle these shalt thou finde most plentifull Ioy. I haue well husbanded my lande Reason I wyll tell thee a thyng that thou mayest woonder at Those auncient husbandmen those valiant men that tooke great glorie in Husbandrie were of opinion that it shoulde be well followed but not too well an incredible thyng perhaps to be hearde but by proofe of experience founde to be most true for the profite scarce counterueyleth the charge and among the auncient writers there is a comparison not vnfit made betweene a man and a feelde These twayne yf they be sumptuous although they be prifitable the remainder wyl be lytle or nothyng at all and therefore in that respect neyther is to be muche
schoolemaister The Poet Horace speaketh nothyng of his schoolemaister but that he was very liberal of his whipping cheare which I suppose he meant of the stripes whiche he receiued beyng a chylde Cicero would not aduaunce his schoolemaister with great and most woorthie prayse neyther coulde he On the other syde his sonne by what instructers and schoolemaisters he was brought vp namely his owne father and Cratippus prince of Philosophers at that tyme yf we beleeue Cicero it is apparant neuerthelesse howe notable a knaue and famous drunkarde he became it is well knowne who myght haue ben learned and sober had it ben with the only looke and example of his father Plato hymselfe although as I haue sayde before he boast of his schoolemaister Socrates yet is it more for his glory that he excelled Socrates then that he learned vnder him Ioy. I haue a verie learned schoolmaister Reason The schoolemaisters learning may be profitable vnto the scholar but it cannot be glorious yea whereat thou mayest the more maruayle he may diminysh thy fame and exaggerate thy slouthfulnesse but thou hast shut from thy selfe all meanes of boastyng and of excuse thy knowledge shal be ascribed to thy schoolemaister and thyne ignoraunce to thy selfe And therfore thou hast no cause to glory but rather to aspire vnto glory Thou hast suche an one whom thou wouldest be wyllâ—ng to folowe and attayne vnto not whom thou must â—â—â—nke thy selfe to be for that thou art his scholar To be short there is in hym not whiche thou hast but whiche thou couetest and hopest to haue and that not without thy great study and trauayle Ioy. I haue a woorthy man to my dayly schoolemaister Reason Ciceroes sonne of whom we spake erwhile had two notable men to his schoolemaisters whereof the one instructed hym with bookes at hande the other with woordes from a far but howe muche he prâ—â—â—â—d thou hast hearde Do we not knowe that many Princes chyldren haue had many excellent schoolemaisters at one tyme But what auayleth it to haue them that teache yf there be none to learne If the patient be not aptly disposed the force of the Agent woorketh in vaine Veryly yf to looke vpon and to speake with learned men would make the lookers on and the conferrers learned although we see fewe desirous of vertue or learnyng notwithstandyng we shoulde see great concourse and resort vnto them Of a notable Sholar The .lxxxi. Dialogue IOY FOrtune hath brought me a notable scholar whom I loue alâ—ost more dearely then mine owne childe Reason It is a troublesome businesse to fourme thy wyt vnto the vnequal steps of a chyldes capacitie and alwayes to haue thine eyes and mynde bent vppon one chylde and to submit thyne vnderstandyng and voyce vnto his habilitie and sufferance But yf thou haue moe scholars then hast thou a greater heape of traueiles in hand which wil tosse thee tumble thee this way that way as the Satyrial Poet sayeth To obserue so many moouing and wauering hands and eyes of children without ende Ioy. I haue one onely most excellent scholar Reason For one notable scholar thou exposest thy selfe to many secrete iudgmentes Wherein soeuer he offendeth it shal redound vnto thy discredite Behold his learnyng wil men say his eloquence his manners see the scholemaister in the scholar there can be expressed no better resemblance of a man then of his disposition Ioy. I haue gotten a famous scholar Reason Go to then thou hast great hope of glorie his profiting shalhe ascribed vnto his owne wit his default vnto thy negligence for as much as Plutarche the Philosopher writeth vnto his scholar Traiane the Emperour that the publique report vseth to lay the faultes of the scholars vpon theyr scholemaisters whiche as we reade many haue founde to be true among whom was Quintiliane and Seneca and the father of Philosophers Socrates hym selfe Ioy. I haue famous scholars Reason It were better they were modest howbeit there is no true fame and renowme without some sparkle of vertue Ioy. I haue the charge of a great scholar Reason Thou encountrest with a threefourmed Monster at one syde to profite the chylde on the other to please the parentes and thirdly to render an accompt to the common wealth which she wyll require at thy handes in lookyng for hym to be instructed who was altogeather ignorant and vnlearned when he was committed vnto thee Ioy. The charge of a noble chylde is reposed in my credite Reason His age nobilitie are to be suspected The one signifieth that he wyll be vnmyndful the other that he wyl be proude Ioy. The chylde that is put in trust vnto me standeth in awe of me Reason What wylt thou say yf he contemne thee when he is a Springall and wyll scarce knowe thee when he is a man The fayth and constancie of chyldren is well enough knowen Ioy. The Chylde that I haue in trust loueth mee Reason Thou hast printed a marke vpon an vnfinished wall whiche shal be put out as the wal encreaseth faythfull loue requireth a sounde age Ioy. I haue a noble Chylde to teache Reason An vnquiet chaunce an vncertaine euent some wittes there be whom no diligence can amende Sometime the Father leeseth his cost the Schoolemaister his traueyle the Chylde his tyme Teache hym that is apt trouble not hym that is vnapt to learne weerie not both thy selfe and hym in vayne Art hardly ouercommeth nature Ioy. There hath chaunced vnto me a young Scholar and not vnapt to learne Reason Although thou stand vpon a slipperie ground and buylde vppon an vncertayne foundation notwithstandyng looke faythfully to that whiche is put in trust vnto thee If he be of ripe yeeres he may remember it otherwyse his is the forgetfulnesse and thyne is the trust Vertue is a sufficient rewarde to it selfe There is nothing more sweete then a conscience bearyng a man witnesse of his good deedes Let not dispayre of rewarde withdrawe thee from vertue for that euen in this lyfe there is no good deede vnrewarded the most plentifull fruite whereof as the wyse men haue sayde is to doo it and to remember it in silence Ioy. I haue founde a Scholar of great towardnesse Reason And truely of great troublesomnesse and yf he prooue good thine hart hath begotten thee a sonne and thy tongue hath brought hym foorth yf euyll an enimie who so often as he shal remember how he stoode in feare of thee wyll hate thee Ioy. The bryghtnesse of my Scholar is very great whereby I hope to shyne Reason Moderate bryghtnesse delyghteth the eyes but immoderate offendeth them Moreouer none wyll lyghten thee vnlesse thou shyne of thy selfe and although thou be couered the true lyght is within Ioy. I haue a great Scholar Reason No greater I thynke then had Seneca Some Scholemaisters haue been defended and some oppressed by the greatnesse of theyr Scholars and vnto some they haue been an assured Hauen and vnto some a most daungerous Rocke Of a good
the skarres and newe reparations that are done in olde walles Neither is this true in other things onelie but we suffer it also in our owne whilest euerie mans opinion and iudgement is contrarie to him selfe according to the saying of Horace the Poet He plucketh downe and buildeth vp and chaungeth that which was square into rounde By which it may more manifestlie appeare which of vs it is than canne agree with another man or with him selfe Now the manner and fashion of our apparell continueth three whole daies in our cities and likewise the actes and lawes of certeine Municipies or freedomes haue bene such and of so small continuance that they haue perished with their authours Againe what disagreement and contrarietie is there among Captaines about ordering a battell and among Magistrates for making of lawes and among saylers for counsell and taking aduisement And as for this that I spake of last I haue learned to be true manie times to my great daunger whilest the sea and heauen threatning death the darke night and cloudes ouerspreding the lande and starres of the skie the ship leaking and halfe full of water the saylers in the most daunger and middest of death fel most obstinately at contention with contrarie endeuours and opinions Adde herevnto the contention which is without an aduersarie what battails haue Shriueners with parchment with inke with pennes with paper what smithes with hāmers with tonges with the anduile what plowmen with their coulter share and the cloddes furrowes and the oxen themselues what the souldiers I say not with their enimie but with their owne horses and armour when as the horses rebell and waxe obstinate and their armour troubleth them and wayeth them downe what businesse haue they that speake and those that write at the mouth of another whilest earnest intention constraineth the one to speake manie things vnperfect and on the one side ignorance and vnskilfulnes at the other side a flitting and vnconstant wit alwayes thinking on some thing else than it hath in hand hindreth them to conceiue the things that are perfect But what speake I of euerie seuerall thing There is no handicrast that is voyd of all difficulties As for all other as they haue some knowne sweetnesse so haue they also great store of secret bitternes and of all the thinges that doe delite there is none without strife Nowe what conflictes haue infantes with falles what contention haue children with their bookes and learning most sowerly sowing that which they shall reape most sweetlie Moreouer what strife haue yong men with pleasures yea I will speake more trulie what warres haue they with themselues and what contention is there among their affections There is altogether no strife with pleasures but a consent and agreement which is worse than any contention I suppose and speake vpon experiēce that there is no kinde of men nor age that tasteth more strife or that sustaineth more inextricable painfull trouble no kinde of men that seeme more merrie and none in deede more miserable and sorowfull And lastlie in what difficultie and great danger are women in their childe bearing What contention and wreastling haue men continuallie with pouertie and ambition what great carking for more than is needefull for liuing And finallie what euerlasting warre haue old men with old age sicknesses when death draweth nigh and all other things and persons with death also and that which is more grieuous than death it selfe with the continuall feare of death I might dilate this discourse with a thousand argumentes of sundrie matters but if as it was thy pleasure in the first booke thou wilt nowe likewise haue this epistle to stande in the steade of a preface to be part of this booke I well perceiue nowe how much this preface exceedeth the measure of the booke and therefore my curiositie is to bee bridled and stil to bee stayed And therefore to conclude all thinges but specially the whole life of man is a certeine kinde of contention and strife But in the meane while omitting this externall strife wherof we entreated erewhile which I would God it were lesse therefore lesse knowne to all men how great is the internall contention not only against an other but as I haue saide against our owne kinde not against an other particular person but against our selfe and that in this bodily outward couering which is the most vile and base part of our selues and euerie one hath continuall warre with him selfe in the most secret closet of his minde For as touching this our bodie with how contrarie humours it aboundeth and is troubled enquire of those that are called naturall Phylosophers but with how diuerse and contrarie affections the minde striueth against it selfe let euerie one enquire of none other than him selfe and answere him selfe with how variable and vncerteine motion of minde hee is drawne sometime one way some time an other he is neuer whole nor neuer one man but alwayes dissenting deuided in himselfe For to speake nothing of other motions to will to nill to loue to hate to flatter to threaten to mock to deceiue to feigne to iest to weepe to pitie to spare to bee angrie to bee pleased to slide to bee cast downe to bee aduanced to stumble to stande vp to goe forwarde to turne backe to begin to leaue of to doubt to erre to bee deceiued to be ignorant to learne to forget to remember to enuie to contemne to wonder to loath to despise and to haue in admiration and such like than whiche truly there can bee nothing imagined more vncerteine and with which the life of man ebbeth and floweth vncerteinly from the beginning to the ending without intermission For what tempests and madnesse is there in these foure passions to wit to hope or desire and to reioice to feare and to bee sorie whiche trouble the poore and miserable minde by driuing him with sodeine windes and gales in course far from the hauen into the middes of the dangerous rocks Which passions some one way and some another yea diuersly diuerse haue expressed in lesse than in an whole verse And as Saint Augustine writeth the Poet Virgil hath comprised in a most knowne veritie of which passions truly I am not ignorant that more and lesse may bee said on both sides As for me I haue not much studied for shortnesse nor copie but I haue set downe in writing such matter as in order hath offered it selfe to me out of the common course of mans life that I might not werie the Reader either with scarcitie or tediousnesse And let not the name of Fortune grieue thee which is repeated not onely in the superscriptions and tytles but also in the woork For truly thou hast often heard mine opinion concerning fortune But when I foresawe that this Doctrine was most necessarie specially for such as were not furnished with learning I haue vsed in their behalfe the common and knowne woord not being ignorant what other men
from his natiue Countrey he kept a schoole and so exercised his crueltie vppon chyldren when he coulde not vppon men A cruell nature obstinate in wickednesse voyde of vertue and farre from reason Sorowe It greeueth me greatly that I haue lost my tyranical aucthoritie Reason How woulde it trouble thee to haue lost a lawfull possession now that thou art so greeued that thyne vsurped aucthoritie is gone How woulde it vexe thee to haue forgonne thyne owne whiche takest it so heauilie nowe that thou art berefte of that which was not thyne Sorow I can not choose but take it greeuously that I am throwen downe from my tyrannie Reason Way the cause and it wyll trouble thee the lesse The very name of Tyrantes hath made many to fall notwithstandyng it is well knowen by experience that the most part haue deseruedly been and are dayly throwen downe from theyr dygnities In the Politikes of Aristotle thou mayest reade howe that many Tyrantes haue peryshed through the abuses of theyr wyues Whiche beyng vnderstoode eyther actiuely or passiuely is true that is through the iniuries offered eyther by Tyrantes vnto other mens wyues or by the wyues of Tyrantes to others Of the fyrst thou hast for example not onely Tyrannies but also the Troiane and Romane Kyngdomes Of the seconde thou hast Agis a Tyrant among the Lacedemonians who hauing hymselfe made a praye of the men his subiectes set his deere wyfe to spoyle theyr wyues which was not the least cause of hastenyng his destruction But Aristotle who florished in the dayes of Alexander the great and lyued not tyll this Tyrant raigned coulde neuer knowe hym albeit in those bookes not without woonderfull admiration I fynde the names of Hiero and Gelo but consyderyng the course of tymes I cannot conceaue howe he shoulde knowe them Sorowe Neyther haue I oppressed other mens wyues nor my wyfe iniuried any and yet am I dryuen from my tyrannie Reason Some tyme the moste hurtfull thynke them selues innocent But many causes besydes as great there be wherefore Tyrantes are put downe as pryde whiche Historiographers obiecte to Iulius Caesar for that he rose not vp to the Senate when with great obeysaunce they approched vnto hym but that in these dayes is counted no cause Crueltie also is another whiche caused Merentius as it is wrytten in Virgil to be punished and brought Caligula Nero and Domitian to theyr death Enuie lykewyse whiche was the greatest torment sayth Horace that euer the Tyrantes of Sicile founde whiche yf it were so in his dayes I warrent thee at this present it is no lesse Last of all the greatest decay of Tyrantes and most common is couetousnesse And therefore other thynges touche but certayne and this all The other trouble certayne Citizens but this the whole people Pryde and Enuie raigne among Tyrantes them selues crueltie rageth among fewe but couetousnesse among all Crueltie sometyme ceasseth and is diminisheth but couetousnesse encreaseth alwayes and watcheth Therefore they whiche desire to beare rule ouer the people ought aboue all to shunne this vice together with the shame and suspition thereof For nothyng maketh a Tyrant so odions nothyng is more vnseemelie for a Lorde or Gouernour Other vices many tymes hyde them selues vnder the cloake eyther of magnanimitie or of iustice but this one vice putteth not of the basenesse and miserie of the minde And contrarie to the common custome of mans errour as nothyng is in deede more vile and miserable then couetousnesse so nothyng is to be deemed more vile and miserable And therefore they whiche are gyltie hereof are iudged most vnmeete of all men to beare honour and aucthoritie Men disdayne to be vnder the gouernement of hym that is subiecte to couetousnesse and that he hath no ryght ouer the bodye they thynke whiche can not vse well the rule that he hath ouer his owne coyne who thynketh it also lawfull to bereaue men of theyr lyues I say not of theyr money and yet dareth not so muche as touche his owne treasure Therefore the most redie and ryght waye to securitie and quietnesse is not onely not to wyshe to beare dominion as a Tyrant but also not to desyre to rule as a kyng For what is more foolyshe more paynefull or more perilous then for a man to heape the burdens of the whole people vppon his owne and onely backe who is too weake peraduenture to beare his owne But the familiaritie with the mortall enimie and the peruersenesse of opinions doth not permitte to choose that whiche is better The next is to haue in mynde the lesson of Aristotle whiche is that a man shewe hym selfe to be not a Tyrant but a fauourer of the Common wealth He must sayth he seeme to gather the incomes and offerynges the better to dispose and vse them yf neede doo require for the defence of his Countrey in the tyme of warre generally he must behaue hym selfe as the keeper and Chamberlayne of common thynges not of his owne And agayne He must repayre and adorne the Citie as a Steward not spoyle it as a Tyrant And againe He must behaue him selfe not as a Tyrant but as a King carefull of the publique welfare and loue a meane estate not sumptuousnesse By these and suche lyke as Aristotle would and I doo like of the aucthoritie continueth this onely I adde that he be suche a one in deede as Aristotle sayth he shoulde seeme to be For dissimulation be it neuer so cunningly and wittilie vsed can neuer be long hyd from the syght of some among manie whom it toucheth Enter now into the consyderation of thy selfe see whether thou haue offended in any of these poyntes and ceasse both to complaine and maruel For that a Tyrant being subiect to these vices shoulde be cut of it is not but that it should continue it is maruell To conclude both Kinges al Tyrantes and as many as are of power yf they desyre to raigne a long tyme shoulde diligently haue in minde that saying of Cato in Liuie Auarice and riotousnesse haue brought al great Empires to destruction Sorow Now my dominion is gonne I am no better then a priuate man. Reason Thou were an enimie of Citizens thou art now made a fellow citizen learne ciuilicie confesse the benefite of a meane estate Both more honestly and more safely among good Citizens then aboue all Citizens thou mayest lyue Now thy state is more quiet thy lyfe more secure without feare without suspitions without watches without swoord among which euylles I knowe not what sweetenesse of lyfe can be hoped for Sorowe My tyrannie beyng lost I must lyue as an other common and inferiour person Reason Choose whether with lamentations thou wylt exasperate thy fotune or asswade it with patience for verily yf thou wouldest demaunde of thyne owne minde and not of the confuset noyse of the multitude and consider thynges past in silence thou shouldest fynde that thou art released and escaped from many euylles Nowe mayest thou lyue insafetie and
wherein yf there be lesse credite to be geuen to poetical report yet remember that whiche is more assured and fresher in memorie whiche beyng done in thy tyme thou myghtest haue seene it with thyne owne eyes to wyt howe Iohn kyng of Boheme beyng sonne vnto one kyng of the Romanes and father to another who raigned immediatly one after the other had alwaies weake eyes and at the latter ende of his age fell blynde Now since the warre which was betweene the King of France whose part he toke and the King of England are more then 42. yeeres when as being in that most sharpe conflicte in which both the Princes were in person and vnderstanding that the woorse beganne to fall on the side whereof he was he called vnto his captayne with a loud voyce sayeng Direct me quickly towards that part of the armie where the kyng of our enimies standeth and the greatest force of his whole armie Whiche when they sorowfully and fearefully had done settyng spurres to his horse he pricked thyther with al his force whyther as they that had eyes durst not folowe hym that was blynde not scarse with their sight Whereas encounteryng the most valiant front of his enimies fighting not onely valiantly but also terribly he was there flayne they that ouercame hym both wondryng at his valure and commendyng his manhood I tell you of a thyng knowen vnto all men and which except it be wrytten is lyke to peryshe through obliuion And I pray you what dyd it hinder the glory and renowme of this valiant gentelman that he lacked his sight but that whom vertue and nature had made woonderfull blyndnesse shoulde make men to be amased at hym Sorowe I am blynde Reason I wyl beginne to iest vnlesse thou leaue complayning for what els coulde blyndnesse bryng vnto thee yf so be thy strength remayne then that whiche Asclepiades beyng blynde sayth of hym selfe to wyt that thou walke with one boye waytyng on thee more then thou wast woont Of the losse of hearyng The XCvij Dialogue SOROWE I Haue lost my hearyng Reason Beholde thou hast one passage for tediousnesse stopped Many thynges that are tedious are drawen in at the eyes and many at the eares and many lothsome thynges pearce into the minde by both wayes for the auoydyng whereof blindnesse and deafenesse are to be desired a lyke Notwithstanding these haue their discommodities as almost al other mortal thynges neither doo I denie but that there is some painefulnesse in them but more daintie then pacience and not comparable to vertue Where what the proportion is betweene these discommodities it is no easie maâ—ter to gâ—eâ—sse sauing that the fyrst is more dangerous and this other more ridiculus For they that are thicke listed seeme inâ—â— maner to be out of their wittes but they that are blinde are reputed more miserable and therefore we saugh at the deafe and pittie the blinde but a wyse man contemneth both and weigheth not what other thinke but what the thing is in deede Sorowe I haue lost my hearyng Reason Then hast thou escaped flatterers whysperyng and slaunderers gyrdes a farre differyng but a lyke euyll sauyng that it is somewhat more manlye to geue care vnto foule speache then vnto flatterie For in the one so metyme is a mediume in the other is alwayes poyson Wherefore the fyrst cureth often by bytyng but this enfecteth alwayes by tyckelyng and truely woorse is faigned loue then open hatred Sorowe I haue lost my hearyng Reason Now that Arte whiche is reported to haue auayled Vlisses eyther nature or some chaunce hath geuen vnto thee in that thou hast safely passed the singyng of the Sirenes with deafe eares whereby thou oughtest to accompt thy selfe happie For howe many daungers that wayes myght haue passed into thy minde Howe many errours and finally howe many troubles myght haue entred into thy head Sorowe I haue lost my hearyng Reason I beleeue thou shalt not heare the Nyghtingale neyther the harpe nor any other kynde of instrument Nay that more is thou shalt not heare the braying of Asses the gruntyng of Swine the howlyng of Wolfes the barkyng of Dogges the rooryng of Beares the ragyng of Lions the crying of Chyldren the chyding of olde Wyues and last of all that whiche is woorse then all these the immoderate loude laughing of Fooles and their vnmeasurable weepinges and outcries and the sound of their most confused voyces then the which there can not possibly a more vnpleasant noyse be heard Sorow I lacke my hearyng Reason Thou art deliuered from manifolde deceytes Men are deceyued by nothing more often then by woordes and a deafe man is out of al daunger thereof Sorow My eares are waxen dull Reason That part of the bodye is a dangerous part and especially to Princes who thereby beyng puffed vp with the vayne blastes of flatterers doo burst manie tymes therewith to their vtter destruction to the no small laughter of the whole people Sorowe My hearyng is dull Reason If thou be restrayned from talkyng with other then talke with thy selfe being mindfull of the saying of Tully He that can talke with him selfe hath no neede of communication with an other Although a dumbe man also may talke with other to witte by readyng and writyng For he that readeth talketh with his auncetours and he that wryteth speaketh to his posteritie Moreouer he that readeth the bookes of heauenly Philosophie heareth GOD speake vnto hym and he that prayeth speaketh vnto god In both these kindes of communication there is no neede eyther of tongue or eares but onely of eyes and fingers and a deuout minde Herein therefore as in many other thinges els let vs embrace the counsell of our countrey man Cicero to the entent that as the blinde may comfort himselfe with the vse of his eares so may the deafe with the helpe of his eyes Thou therfore yf thou canst not heare men speake reade the bookes which men haue written and wryte thou bookes whiche other men may reade beholde moreouer the heauen the earth and seas and lyue in silence in contemplation of the creator of them all Herevnto this thy deafenesse wyll not hynder thee but perhappes auayle thee much Sorow My hearing fayleth me Reason By what tunes of numbers Diapente or Diapason consisteth or by what other proportions they are handled by the Musitians a deafe man may vnderstande well enough And although he haue not with his eares the tune of mans voyce or the melodie of the Vialles or Organnes but vnderstande well in his minde the reason of them doubtlesse he wyll preferre the delyght of his minde before the pleasure of his eares Imagine that he doo not knowe these musicall proportions and that a deafe man be vnskylfull in Musicke yet yf he knowe the proportions of Vertue and exercise hym selfe in them it is well herein his deafenesse wyll not hurt hym For it is muche better to be good then to be learned and yf a man be aboundantly learned and wyse he is
there is no minde be it neuer so swyfte that is able to measure it and also the surpassyng beautie of vertue whiche is so louelie that yf it coulde be seene with the bodily eyes as Plato sayth it woulde rauyshe men woonderfully with the loue thereof Therefore let loue on the one syde and feare on the other styrre thee vp for both of them are very effectuall for neyther he that loueth neyther he that hateth can commonly be dull and sluggyshe and yet notwithstandyng ye ryse in the nyght tyme vnto diuine seruice wherein ye pray that hurtfull sleepe and sluggyshnes oppresse you not there is no place for sleepe nor sluggyshuesse when as death frayeth you on the one syde and vertue on the other For who coulde euer be slouthfull and carelesse in great dangers or great aduauncementes Whensoeuer thou haft respect vnto these courage wyll resort to the minde and sleepe wyll flye from the eyes when ye thynke with your selues howe muche imperfection remayneth within you and howe muche tyme ye haue spent in idlenesse whereof when men haue no consyderation we see howe they spende long ages vnprofitably and heare olde men wonderyng and amazed to say What haue we doone heere these many yeeres We haue eaten drunken and slept and nowe at last we are awaked too late The cheefe cause whereof is this sluggyshnesse whereof thou complaynest whiche in tyme ought to be dryuen away by the prickes of industrie and the brydle of foresyght least that by ouerlong staying thou be caried away with the multitude vnto a dishonourable ende Of Letcherie The Cx. Dialogue SOROWE I AM shaken with the vehemencie of Letcherie Reason Letcherie is begotten by slouthfulnesse and brought foorth by gluttonie what maruell is it then yf the daughter followe her parentes As for gluttonie and letcherie they are common vnto you with beastes and that they make your lyfe more beastly then any other thyng wyse men haue so iudged and therefore although there be many mischiefes more greeuous yet is there none more vyle Sorowe I am carryed away with Letcherie Reason Whyther I pray thee but vnto death both of the bodye and soule and infamous ignominie and too late and perhappes vnprofitable repentance Goe thy wayes nowe and followe her that carrieth thee away vnto suche endes Thynke vppon the miserable and notorious chaunces of innumerable not onely priuate men but also Cities and Kyngdomes whiche partly by syght and partly by heare-say but specially by readyng ought to be very well knowen and then I suppose thou wylt not geue thy hande vnto this vice to followe it Heare what the best learned haue iudged and written concernyng this matter Pleasures sayth Cicero beyng most flatteryng Ladyes doo wreast the greater partes of the mynde from vertue To this ende sayth Seneca they embrace vs that they may strangle vs whiche none otherwyse then Theeues that lay wayte for traueylers vppon the way and leade them aside to murther them ought to be auoyded Wherein it shall muche auayle yf whosoeuer shall feele hym selfe infected with this mischeefe doo imagine that most excellent sayeing of Scipio Africane in Liuie whiche he spake vnto king Masinissa to be spoken vnto hym selfe Vanquishe thy minde quoth he and take heede thou doo not deforme many good giftes with one vice and corrupt the beautie of so many desartes with a greater faulte then the cause of the faulte is The whiche shal be doone the more easily yf a man doo thynke earnestly vppon the vilenesse fylthinesse shortnesse and ende of the thyng and also the long reproche and the short time and howe perhappes the pleasure of one breefe moment shal be punished with the repentaunce of many yeeres and peraduenture with euerlastyng damnation Of Pryde The Cxj. Dialogue SOROWE I AM lyfted vp with pryde Reason Earth and ashes why art thou proude Canst thou that art oppressed with the burden of so many mischiefes be lyfted vp with pride Who yf thou were free from them al and were lyfted vp by the wynges of al vertues yet were al thy good gyftes defiled with this vyce only For there is nothing more hateful vnto God then pryde By this fel he that was created in most excellent estate by which thou beyng a sinner thinkest to aryse If it hapned so vnto hym for this one thing what doest thou thinke wyl befall vnto thee in whom this wickednesse is ioyned with other vices Thou hast heaped a naughtie weight vpon thy burden Sorow I am carried with pryde Reason Why shouldest thou be so I pray thee Doest thou not remember that thou art mortal that thou wearest away euery day that thou art a sinner that thou art subiect to a thousand chaunces and in danger euery day to vncertayne death and finally that thou art in wretched case And hast thou not also heard the most famous saying of Homer The earth nourisheth nothyng more wretched then man I woulde fayne knowe whiche of these doth most cheefely pricke thee foorth vnto pryde whether the imbecilitie of the body or the whole armie of sickenesses or the shortnesse of lyfe or the blyndenesse of the minde whiche continually wauereth betweene most vayne hope and perpetual feare or the forgetfulnesse of that whiche is past or the ignorance of that whiche is to come and present or the treacherie of enimies or the death of freendes or continuing aduersitie or flytting prosperitie By these and none other ladders ye ascend vnto pryde by these ye ryse to ruine All other dangers wherein men do walter haue some excuse although it be vniust but pryde and enuie haue no coloure at al. Sorow I am sorie that I am proud Reason To be sorie for sinne is the first degree to saluation And as it is the nature of pryde to lyft vp so is it of humilitie to be sorie and submit it selfe whiche thou shalt do the more easye so soone as thou turnest thyne eyes earnestly vpon thy selfe whiche being so I am not mynded neyther ought I to heape vp vnto theeaucthorities wrytten in bookes agaynst vices This only shal be sufficient that thou knowe that so soone as euer thou be disposed vnfeignedly al these matters wyl surceasse immediatly and whensoeuer as they say thou shalt blowe the retreate retire to thyne ensignes as touchyng this present mischeefe This one thyng I wyl say moreouer that pryde is a sickenesse of wretches and fooles for doubtlesse they be suche that be proud otherwyse I am sure they woulde neuer be proud neyther is it written without cause in the booke of Wisedome That al that are foolysh vnfortunate are proud about the measure of their soule And truely yf they were wyse for their soules health their meane were to abase their estate knowyng their owne imbecilitie For so thou readest it written in the same booke He that is a king to day shal dye to morow And when a man dyeth he shal haue serpentes and beastes and woormes for his inheritance The begynning of pryde is to
fal from God for that he forsaketh hym that made hym and forasmuche as pryde is the beginnyng of al sinne Thou knowest al other thynges which being diligently weighed thou shalt perceyue howe foule a monster a proude man is Of Agues The .cxii. Dialogue SOROWE I Burne with Agues Reason This heat wyl ende in processe of tyme or els with colde whiche euer of the twayne it be it is well Sorow I am greeued with agues Reason All this motion agaynst nature is of more vehemencie then continuance and of these twayne it alwayes doth the one eyther it clenseth the body or setteth the soule at libertie Sorowe I am holden with Agues Reason Stay a whyle thou shalt not long be holden for eyther thou shalt soone be discharged thereof or set at libertie and eyther of them is very good Sorowe I am sicke of an Ague Reason Thou shalt be at quiet anon nature striueth with death attend the ende of the battayle for the houre draweth nygh which shal eyther free thee from thy sickensse or discharge thee from al. Sorow I burne with the Ague Reason It is lesse harme for the bodye to burne then the foule whereof thou madest thy last seuen complayntes and howe yf the scortching of the one be medicinable for the other Finally how much more better is it by a short cast of the euyles of this present lyfe to be put in mynde of the euerlastyng punishment to the ende that men may study to auoyde infinite bitternesse who so greeuously susteyne the sharpenesse of a fewe houres and by these troubles learne to flye them from whiche neyther the Phisition nor herbes nor the critical day nor death can delyuer them Sorowe I trye with the Feuer Reason The woormes meate is rosted suffer thy selfe to be burned for other for whom other meates haue been so often tymes burned and take aduisement of the punishment Many euyles haue stoode in steede of remedies a smal greefe in the present tyme hath often geuen men occasion to prouide for greater to come and that whiche was paineful becommeth profitable Happie is that short burnyng whiche is the cause of eternal ioy Sorowe I am molested with the Ague Reason Nowe shalt thou be an vpryght iudge of prosperous health For you men beyng an vnthankeful generation cannot acknowledg the giftes of God vnlesse they be lost or surceasse Sorow I am sore vexed with a greiuous ague Reason Ye cannot long continue togither No man can burne long For either thou wilt shortly forsake thine ague or else thine ague wil leaue thee Of the payne of the guttes and Traunce The .cxiii Dialogue SOROWE I Suffer the payne of the guttes Reason Begyn to hope for there can happen now nothing more greeuous vnto thee For lyke as it is the begynning of sorowe to come to the vttermost degree of pleasure so lykewyse the extremitie of sorowe must needes be the begynning of pleasure This is the lawe of contraries that the one spryngeth from the ende of the other Sorowe I am tormented with the Iliake passion Reason It is I confesse an hard kynde of comfort that a man can suffer nothing more bitter Sorowe I am vexed with the Iliake passion Reason Who so is sorie and feareth is in wretched case but feare which is the one halfe of miserie is taken from thee on euery side for whereof I pray thee neede he to be afeard who hopeth for death whereof aboue al thynges men stande most in dreade Sorowe I am martyred with the payne in the guâ—tes Reason Whyle thou lyuest learne to dye and that which must be done but once assay thou to do often then at length thou shalt do that more safely once whiche thou hast assayed to do so often for that whiche thou doest then shal be no strange thyng to thee The payne in the guttes is muche lyke vnto death sauing that death is shorter and easier so that he that can beare that payne valiantly vnlesse some other feare come betweene and alter the case shal much more valiantly endure death Sorowe I am torne in peeces by the iliacke passion Reason The vehemencie of the payne promiseth an ende for there is no man long a dying Sorow Yea the very payne driueth me into a sounde Reason The long paynes of feauers thou passest ouer with one breathyng Sorowe I feele howe I am fallen into a traunce Reason A man shall scarce perceyue when it is comming for it commeth sodenly and when it is come it presently depriueth the vnderstandyng of all force Sorowe I begynne to faint Reason O happie art thou that shalt passe ouer so assured and hard a thyng without sense Sorowe I fall oft tymes into a traunce Reason Thou returnest often from death to lyfe Sorowe I fal very often into a deadly traunce Reason Thou canst not fal into that twyce For none dyeth more then once and whiche shoulde be the best kynde of death there was somtyme disputation among certayne learned and notable men at whiche was Iulius Caesar in presence for empire and learnyng a most excellent personage who also in his latter tyme as some wryte of hym vsed many tymes to faynt suddeynly which question he in this manner determined concludyng that a suddeine and vnlooked for death was of al the most commodious Whiche opinion although vnto godlynesse and true religion it seeme very harde notwithstandyng euery one that wyse is but specially godly and studious of true religion ought so to lyue that nothyng may befal vnto hym soddenly and vnlooked for and yf any suche thyng happen to the minde that the soddennesse thereof hurt it not but profite also the body Of sundry paynes and greefes of the whole body The .cxiiii. Dialogue SOROWE I Am greeued in al partes of my body Reason If thy minde whiche is the gheast of the body be not greeued nor troubled it is wel whatsoeuer hapneth vnto the poore cottage thereof shal redownde I hope vnto the safetie of it Sorowe I am vexed in al my body whiche is a greeuous payne Reason The Stoikes say that among al humane thynges only vertue is good And although others be of another opinion yet this is the more true and manly as seemeth vnto me and many moe whereof it foloweth that whatsoeuer is contrarie hereunto is a vice whereby it commeth to passe that although the payne of the body be most greeuous yet it is not euyll Sorow Alas poore wretch how I am tormented and thou disputest and al are but philosophical fables Reason Thou shewest thy selfe to be a wretche if it were but in this poynt only for that thou callest the rules of mans lyfe fables Sorow These thynges are plausible in the schooles and famous in bookes but they are not able to enter into the racke or to clymbe vp into the beddes of the sicke they be spoken and wrytten more easily then practised Reason Yes truely they be profitable agaynst payne and sicknesse and death but not vnto al