he folowed He ware a double cloke and made him a bagge wherin he wrapped hym whan he slept and put therin hys meat and vsed one place for all purposes bothe to eat to slepe and to talke in Whan he was diseased he wente with a staffe whiche afterward he caryed with him alwayes not onely in the citie but also in all other places He wrote to one to make hym a cell whiche because he taried longe for he toke a barrell or a tunne and made that his house Whan he had any graue matter he wolde call the people to heare him whiche whan they regarded not he wolde sing pleasantly to which whan many resorted he wolde say to heare folyshnes ye runne a pace but to heare any wayghty matter ye scarce put forth your fote He wōdered at Grāmarians whiche could shewe of other folkes lewdnes and neclected theyr owne He reproued Musitians because they toke great care that theyr instrumentes shulde agre theyr owne maners agreed not He rebuked the Mathematikes whiche behelde the sonne y e moone and the starres and neclected the busines that laye before theyr fete He taunted the orators because they studyed to speake that was iust folowed not the same in theyr lyuyng He dispraysed the people whiche whyle they sacrificed and gaue thankes for theyr healthe wolde make great bankets which was agaynst theyr health he wondred that seruauntes coulde stand and se men eat and snatched not awaye theyr meate Beyng mocked because he annoynted his fete with odours and not his head he sayde the sauour goth from the head vp into the ayer but from the fete vp to the nose Being asked what tyme a man shulde dyne he sayde a riche man whan he wyll and a pore man whan he maye when one had geuen him a blowe vpon y e eare he sayde I wyst well I had left somwhat vncouered To yonge laddes y t stode about hym saying we wyll beware folish question he gaue none answer beyng asked why he helde hys peace he sayde Silence is the answer of folish questions Innumerable suche pretie answers taūtes he vsed which who so listeth to here shall fynde in the Apothegmes of Erasmus whiche is no lesse fynely handled in the English than in the latine beside y t it is also more plaine parfect This Diogenes liued 90. yeres died beyng byt of a dogge some wryte other saye that he styfled hym selfe with long holding of his breathe After whose death there was great stryfe amonge his scholers who shulde haue his body to bury neuertheles the stryfe was appeased by the elders and they buryed hym by the gate that leadeth to Isthmus and made hym a fayre tumbe and set a piller with a dogge therupon and set thereto a goodly Epitaphie His good preceptes and prouerbes shall followe in they re places ¶ Of Antisthenes Cap. xxvi ANtisthenes the sonne of Antisthenes was borne at Athens And was disciple to Gorgias the oratour of whome he learned to pleade and from hym he went to Socrates of whome he learned wysdome and morall Philosophie To a yong man that wolde be hys scholer which asked what he neded to hys learnyng he answered a newe boke and a newe wyt Whan it was tolde hym that Plato spake euyll of hym he sayde It is kyngly to be euell spoken of whan a man doth well He wolde say that it were better for a man in hys necessitie to fall amonge rauens than amonge flattereres for rauens wyll eat none but dead folke but flatterers wyll eat men being aliue He wolde saye y t Cities must nedes decaye where good mē were not knowen from the bad Beyng praysed of euell men he sayde I feare me that I haue done some euell He wold saye that it was a great ouersight sithens they purged theyr wheate from darnell and theyr warres of cowardly soldiers that they purged not theyr common weale from enuyous people Beyng asked of a man what was best to learne he sayde to vnlearne the euell that thou hast learned He alwayes toke Plato for proude disdaynous and hygh mynded in somuche that whan he met hym at a tryumphe wheras there were many goodly and coragious neyghyng horses he sayde o Plato thou woldest haue made a goodly horse He wrote many goodly bokes spake many proper and piththy sentences whiche shal be spoken of hereafter He died of a disease whā he was very olde If is sayde that whan he was sicke Diogenes came to visit hym hauyng a blade by his syde whan he sayde who shall rid me frō my disease Diogenes shewing him his sweard sayde this same shal to whiche Antisthenes sayde I spake of my grefe not of my lyfe There were mo of this name but he lyeth buryed at Athens ¶ Of Isocrates Cap. xxvii ISocrates was a Grecian borne cam of a good kinred was in his youth wel brought vp in all kindes of good maners and whan he came to age discretiō he was an hearer of Gorgias the oratour whose disciple he continued vntyll suche time as he was well learned bothe in naturall also in morall Philosophy As some saye he was in y e time of Ahasuerus y e kyng and was of suche fame for his learning namely for morall Philosophy that he semed to many rather a god than a man He liued vertuouslye wyth suche faythfulnes in frendship and continence of his bodye and with suche piththines in his coūsayle as verye fewe hath ben like him since He wrot many goodly bokes in his youthe whiche he folowed in hys age of whiche his good coūsayles to Demonicū testyfye his wit his learning in morall Philosophy besyde other which he wrote of naturall Philosophy He liued long time for as Ualerius Maximus saieth whā he was .xciiii. yeres olde he set forth ā excellent boke ful of y e spirit In all his workes he praysed vertue as hed foūtaine of all maner riches exhorted al mē thervnto To one that axed him yf he wolde be a king he answered that he woulde not And beyng asked wherfore he sayde If I iudge rightfully I can not eschue y e hatred of many mē agayne yf I iudge wrongfully I cā not eschue y e payne of eternall dānaciō wherfore I had rather liue porely assured of y e blisse of heauen thā in doubt therof possessing all worldly riches Being asked how a man might kept him selfe from anger he answered In remembring y t god loketh alwayes vpon him In hys tyme men delyted muche in blacke heare wherfore one of hys neyghbours died his head blacke whan one asked him why his neybour did so he featly tauntyng his neyghbours folyshnes answered because no man shulde axe counsayle nor learne any wysedome of hym What woulde he say nowe trowe we yf he sawe these wyues y t not onely coloure their heare but also paynt theyr faces He vsed oftentymes ī his prayers to desyre god to kepe saue him from the
as fyre is an instrument without whiche fewe workes can be fynyshed so with out Charitie nothyng maye be done well and honestly Lyke as cleare glasse can hyde nothing so there be many that can kepe secret nor dissemble nothyng As some poysons are so contrarye by Nature that the one cureth the other so is it lykewyse of deceytes and vices After wynter the sprynge tyme followeth but after age youthe neuer coÌ„meth agayne As it is a great foolyshnes to leaue the cleare fountaynes and to fetche water in puddles so is it lykewyse to leaue the Euangelyes and to studye the dreames of mennes ymagination Lyke as an Adamant draweth by lytle and lytle the heauy yron vntyll at the last it be ioyned with it so vertue and wyse-ioyne men vnto them As he whiche in a game place runneth swyftest and continueth styll his pace obtayneth the crowne for his labour so all that diligently learne and earnestlye followe wisedome vertue shal be crowned with euerlastyng glorye ¶ Faultes escaped ¶ In the .xv. syde of the Signature A. the .iii. line reade In the fowerth boke ¶ In the .vii. syde of the Signature B. the v lyne reade Excused hym properly ¶ In the fyrste syde of Q. the last lyne reade That thyng in a realme c Finis A table declaryng the contentes of the whole booke ¶ The fyrste booke THe fyrste beginnyng of Philosophye Cap. i. The partes of naturall Philosophye Cap. ii Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophie Cap. iii. The kyndes of teachyng Morall Philosophye Cap. iiii The order of the boke Cap. v The lyfe of Hermes otherwyse called Mercurius Trismegistus Cap. vi Of Pythagoras Cap. vii Of Thales Milesius Cap. viii Of Solon and whiche were the .vii. that are called sages Cap. ix Of Chylon Cap. x The lyfe of Byas Cap. xi Of Periander Cap. xii Of Anachacis Cap. xiii The lyfe of Myson Cap. xiiii Of Epimenides Cap. xv Of Anaxagoras Cap. xvi The lyfe of Phericides Cap. xvii The lyfe answers and Deathe of Socrates Cap. xviii Of Xenophon Cap. xix Of Aristippus Cap. xx The lyfe of Plato Cap. xxi Of Xenocrates Cap. xxii Of Archelaus Cap. xxiii The lyfe of Aristotle Cap. xxiiii Of Diogenes Cap. xxv Of Antâ—sthenes Cap. xxvi Of Isocrates Cap. xxvii Of Plutarche â—ap xxviii The lyfe and death of Seneca Cap. xxix Finis The seconde booke THe profyt and vse of moral philosophye Cap. i Of God of his workes and of his power Cap. ii Of the soule and gouernaunce therof Cap. iii. Of the worlde the lustes and pleasures therof Cap. iiii Of Deathe not to be feared Cap. v. Of frendshyp and frendes Cap. vi Of counsayle and counsaylours Cap. vii Of rychesse and pouertie Cap. viii Of Silence speache and communication howe to be vsed Cap. ix Of Kynges rulers and gouernours how they shulde rule bothe them selues and theyr subiectes Cap. x In the .xi. Chapter are conteyned the preceptes and counsayles of good maners for all pourposes written of the Philosophers Finis ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke THe vse profit of prouerbes and adages Cap. i. Of Wysedome learnynge and vnderstanding Cap. ii Of Iustice lawes Cities gouernaunce Cap. iii Of power honour vertue and strengthe howe to be vsed Cap. iiii Of Liberalitie pacience vse custome diligence Cap. v. Of knowledge ignoraunce and erroure and of folyshnes Cap. vi Of moneye and couetousnes Cap. vii Of the tounge of fayre speche of flatterye Cap. viii Of truthe of Faythe of erroure and of lyinge Cap. ix Of bryngyng vp and maners of disposicions and good instruction Cap. x. Of Loue lust and lechery Cap. xi Of Sorrowe gladnes feare and boldenesse Cap. xii Of anger wrathe enuye malice and reuengeaunce Cap. xiii Of libertie and bondage Cap. xiiii Of women wyne and dronkenes Cap. xv The reste of the Chapiters of this booke contayne many goodly sentences of dyuers good and profitable matters ¶ Proper Meaters Finis In the last booke are conteyned Parables verye proper to be vseâ— â–ª written by these folowyng Hermes Plato Plutarche Socrates Aristotle Seneca Finis ¶ Imprinted ⧠at London in Flete strete at the signe of the Sunne ouer agaynste the Conduyte by Edwarde Whitchurche the .xx. daye of Ianuarie in the yeare of oure Lorde 1547. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum per Septennium â§
to mans nature as y e thing in which we differre from other beastes and also is necessary for the comly gouernance of mannes lyfe shall here be spoken of not reasoned to the tryall but simply and rudely declared yet so that suche as therin delite although not fully satisfied shall not be vtterly deceyued of their pourpose ¶ Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophye Cap. iii. NEcessitie as I iudge that not without cause was the firste fynder out of morall Philosophye Experience whiche is a good teacher was the first master therof taught suche as gaue diligence to marke considre thiÌ„ges to teache and instruct other therin and because Socrates in a maner despisyng the other two kyndes of Philosophy added this as the thyrd taught it more thaÌ„ any of the rest therfore because men must be the begynners of mennes matters I assente with Laertius to call hym the first beginner therof For although euen among the Atheniences the Sages as Thales and Solon both spake and wrot of lyke matter before him yet because he so ernestly embraced it and equally placed it with the other twayne he deserueth well the glory of the firste beginner therof and although he wrote it not in bokes for whiche as him thought he had a lawefull excuse or rather a good cause yet his disciple Plato hath writen suche thinges of his teaching as fewe so fully wrote of before whiche was as it is euydent many yeres before Iesus the sonne of Sirache whose worke we for the puritie of the doctrine therin conteyned reuerence and honour which as he hym selfe calleth it is a boke of morall wisedome thought full of diuinitie as are also many of Platoes workes as witnesseth Saint Augustine And therfore because Socrates was before Iesus Sirache I referre the inuention I shulde saye the beginning therof vnto hym As for Salomons workes are more diuine than morall therfore I rather worship in hym the diuinitie than ascribe the beginnyng of moral Philosophie wishing al men and exhortyng them both to learne and to folowe those so diuine and holy workes vttered by hym in his boke of prouerbes ¶ Of the kyndes of teachyng of morall Philososophye Cap. iiii AL that haue written of morall Philosophye haue for y e most part taught it either by preceptes counsell and lawes orels by prouerbes parables semblables For whiche cause it may well be deuyded into iii. kyndes of whiche the first is by councelles lawes preceptes of which Licurgus Solon Isocrates Cato and other more haue written muche Councellyng and admonishinge men to vertue by preceptes by theyr lawes fraying theÌ„ from vice The seconde kynde of teaching is by Prouerbes Adages whiche kynde of Philosophers most commonly is vsed in whiche they shewe y e contrarieties of thinges ferryng alwaye the best declaring therby both the profites of vertue the inconuenieÌ„ces of vices y t we consideryng bothe maye embrace the good and eschue the euyll The thyrde kynde is by Parables Examples and SeÌ„blables Wherin by esye and familier truthes harder thinges more out of vse are declared that by y e one the other maye be better perceyued borne in mynd whiche waye oure sauiour Christ hym selfe whan he taught y e grosse Iues any diuine thing most commonly vsed Parrables semblables and examples though differing in sumwhat drawe al to one kynde The which kynde Esopus moste of all vsed alludyng and bryngyng vnreasonable thinges to teache and instructe men in graue wayghtye matters ¶ The order of this boke Cap. v. OF these .iii. kyndes of morall Pholosophye last rehearsed consisteth this worke euery kynde by it selfe sundred into a boke that it maye the better be vnderstande of all that shall reade the same the matter of all whiche thre is gathered out of the workes of the most pure auncient Philosophers and specially of these foloyng Mercurius trismegistus Hermes Pythagoras Italicus Thales Milesius Solon Salaminus Chilo Lacedemoniencis Bias Prienneus Periander of Corinth Anacharcis the Scithian Etius Myson Cheneus Cpimenides Cretensis Anaxagoras Eubulinus Phericides the Sirian Socrates of Athens Xenophon of Athens Aristippus of Athens Plato Atheniencis diuinus Isocrates Xenocrates of Calcedonie Archelaus Aristoteles Stagirites Diogenes Plutarche Seneca And for so muche as the good lyfe of a man is cause of his better estimation the liues of all these before named shal be first shewed in a boke by theÌ„selues wherin also parte of theyr wyttye answers are conteyned whiche is set forthe onely for thys pourpose that we Christians ashamed of our selues in beholdyng the lyues of these Heathen persons maye amende and folowe the good doctrine that they haue taught vs. In the seconde booke whiche is called the booke of preceptes and counselles shal be declared what these men thought of god of the soule of y e worlde of death of freÌ„dshyp of counsell of silence of ryches and of pouertie wyth theyr wittie sayinges of and concerning the same matters After whyche theyr good preceptes orderly shall followe In the thyrde boke whiche is the boke of prouerbes or pytthy sayinges shal thinges be shewed worthy of memorie In the ende wherof shal folowe some of theyr principall sentences drawen into meter to the intent they maye be the eselyer learned and better kept in mynde In in forthe boke called the boke of parables or semblables shall appeare y e greate zeale y t the Phylisophers alwayes haue had to teache by all maner meanes that wit might ymagin this so precious and nedeful a science to all kynde of people And yf it shall chaunce that in any of these bookes thorough Ignoraunce or Negligence somewhat shall be misordered or not to fully handled as it shulde be and as the matter requyreth The excuse shal be y t in this treatise no perfection is pretended and onely is set forth as a shewe to make men thereby desirouse to haue the perfection of y e thing whiche it representeth And lyke as a whetstone although it be dull it selfe yet causeth instrumentes to be more keneâ— So by this bluÌ„t treatise suche as are apt ther vnto shal be prouoked to set forth better This beyng in the meane whyle vsed as a preparation to others workes whiche here vpon maye folowe Nowe the order and intent of the boke beyng knowen there is no daunger but that with iudgement the proces maye both be red learned and folowed ¶ The lyues and wittye answers of the Philophers and first of Hermes Cap. vi FOr as muche as of all the philosophers of whome we pourpose to wryte Hermes otherwyse called Mercuriê° Trismegistus is not onely the most excellent but also the most auncient therfore as he is most worthy his lyfe shal be first declared which because it is not wholly set forth nor all agreing in y t whiche is set forth therfore geuyng credit to the most true wryters it shal be set furth as they among them by pyeces haue preserued it Of whome saynt
as witnesseth Appollidorus lyued lxxâ—â—ii yeres Sosicrates sayeth lxxxx yeres and that he dyed in the lviii Olimpiade and floryshed in Cresus tyme to whome he promised that he wolde cause the ryuer Alm to ruÌ„ne backwardes agaynst y e streme Ther were many more of this name as testifieth Demetrius Duris Dionisius but thys Thales Milesius the sage beinge olde worne in age dyed of heate thirst whiles he beheld a triuÌ„phe Some saye that as he went forth of his house to beholde the starres he fell doune sodaynlye into a pit and was therfore mocked of an olde wyfe that he kept in his house with this saying O Thales howe thinkest thou to coÌ„prehend those thinges that are in heauen whiche canst not se suche thinges as are before thine eyes ¶ Of Solon Salaminus Ca. ix LYke as there is amoÌ„g writers great variaunce as I sayd before about the firste Philosopher euen so is there greate contention whiche were the seuen sages but as theyr variaunce maketh doutfull which were the persons so theyr hole coÌ„sent assureth that there were suche And for because we entend not so muche to shewe the persones and names as theyr good doctrine therfore it shal be sufficient that a wyse and approued Philosopher hathe sayde suche thynges as to theÌ„ are attributed yet as for good causes I haue allowed Socrates for y e first morall Philosopher after Lacrtius mynd â—o do I best alowe Lacrtiê° Iugement in this matter which saieth y t these wer they Thales Solon Periander Cleobulê° Chilon Bias and Pittachus Of whome althoughe Periander were a tyrant yet because y t for hys good doctrine he hath of the learned longe tyme bene allowed therfore shall he enioye that whiche they haue geuen hym Of Thales ye haue hearde alreadye after whoÌ„e Solon is next whiche was the sonne of Existides and was borne in Salamina and therof was called Salaminus He gaue many good lawes and dyd many worthy deades worthy to be remembred Among whiche this is very notable After that the Athemences and Megarences had made greate warre and greate slaughter betwene them to haue had the signory of hys countrye Salamina and were bothe sore weryed wyth warres they made a lawe at Athens that no maÌ„ payne of hys head shulde speake or perswade ought to chalenge the Ylande any more Than Solon beynge troubled and thoughfull for hys countrey fearyng least wyth holding his peace he shuld do smal good to the common weale and agayne if he shulde speake it shuld be for his hurte sodaynly fayned him selfe madde thinkyng therby not onely to speake but also to do suche thinges as were forbydden And disguisinge hym selfe â— he ran abrode amonge he hartles people And there in the maner of a cryer he perswaded the people y t whiche was forbydden styrred vp theyr myndes so much that incontinent they began warre to obtayne the Yland and so at last they got it He perswaded them also to chalenge ChersonesuÌ„ a citie iÌ„ Tracie affirming that it was theyr ryght And by this meanes so wan the peoples loue that they gladly wolde haue made him Ruler but as sayth So sicrates he had a neyghbour called Pisistratus whiche tyranously endeuoured to hurte hym whiche as sone as he knewe he armed him selfe and went into the streate and whan he had called a greate company about him he discouered Pisistratus treason and not onlye that but also that he was readye to amend it that he wolde fyght for his libertye saying Ye men of Athenes I am wyser then some valianter then other soÌ„e I am wiser thaÌ„ those y t marke not Pisistratus and I am valianter than those whiche knowe him and dare not for feare shewe what he is But the Senate that toke Pisistratus parte sayde he was mad and whan he sawe he coulde haue no redresse he layde downe his harneys before them sayde O countrey I haue alwayes holpe the bothe with word deade And then sayled into Cipres and there met with Cresus who demauÌ„ding of him whome he thought happy he layde Thelus of Athens and Byto and suche other whiche all all meÌ„ spake of Another time whaÌ„ Cresus had garnished hym selfe rychelye and was set in his highe trone he asked hym yf euer he had seene a more gorgious sight ye ê™ he both Capons Fesantes and Pecockes for their goodly colours are naturall From Cresus he weÌ„t into Cilicia and there buylded a citie and after his owne name called it Solos He made many good lawes for suche as were warriers yf any had got victorye he shulde haue a greate rewarde for hys labour and suche as were slaine had theyr wife and children founde of the common purse euer after He made a lawe y t no executour shuld dwell with any orphans mother nor that any shulde be executour to whom after y e heyres death his goodes shall belonge And that no â—yng or seale maker shulde kepe y e print of any â—olde seale And that who so euer had put out a mannes eye shall lose bothe his owne for it And y t whosoeuer toke oughte that was not his owne shulde dye for it And that yf any gouerner were founde dronken to dye for it And that no man shulde geue any dowry with his daughter with many mo good lawes Whan he was demaunded why he made no lawe against soche as kylled theyr father or mother He answered because it is a desperat mischife Being demauÌ„ded howe meÌ„ might best kepe them from breakyng the lawe he sayde yf suche as haue no wronge be as sory and and carefull as those that are wronged He wolde saye to riche men Aboundaunce groweth from riches and disdayne out of aboundaunce He wrote many bokes both of verses lawes other matters besides many goodly epistles He florished in the .xlvi. Olimpiade and was prince of Athens the .iii. yeare whiche was from the worldes creation .4605 yeares he lyued .lxxx. yeares â–ª and dyed in Cipres commaunding his sâ—ruauntes to â—ary his bones to Salomina and there beyng made in poulder to sowe them aboute the citie Dioscorides writeth that when he was asked why he wept for his sonnes death sith it profited him nothing He answered euen for this cause I wepe because I can profit him nothing Thus muche of his lawes and answers the rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of in their places ¶ Of Chylo Lacedemoniencis Cap. x. CHylo the sonne of Damagetus was borne in Lacedemonia He wrote many verses helde an opinion that man by reason might comprehend the foreknowlege of thinges to come by the myght and power of his manhode There were in his tyme as sayeth Soâ—icrates and Pamphilia diuers offyces of which one was most noble and the officers called Ephori which were kinges folowes Wherfore his brother being angry because he wolde not take that office sith he him selfe had bene in it before O brother ê™ he I can suffre wrong and so canst not thou This man as Herodotus
writeth in the first boke of his histories seyng on a tyme Hipocrates sacrifice and vessels in Olimpo to burne without helpe of fier counselled him either to lyue chaste or yf he were maryed to put away his wyfe sley his children Some saye y t when Esop whiche was in his tyme asked hym what Iupiter dyd he answered he mekeneth the myghty and exalteth the lowelye Beynge demaunded wherin y e learned differed from the ignerant he answered In theyr good hope To hym y t asked what was harde he sayde to kepe close secrete counsayle to kepe a man from ydlenes to suffre wronge He lyued so well that whan he was olde he sayde that he neuer in his lyfe to his knowlege had done any euell saue that on a tyme whan he shoulde haue bene iudge among his frendes wolde do nothyng contrary to the lawe he perswaded one to appele from him to some other iudge that therby he myght bothe kepe the lawe also his frende The Grekes reioysed in him muche because he prophecied of Citherea an ylond of Laconia For when he had well aduised both the nature and situation therof wolde to god ê™ he that eyther thys ylond had neuer ben orels that it had ben drowned as sone as it was sene A worthy prophet lyke sayeng For Demaratus flyeng from Lacedemonye couÌ„sayled Xerxes to kepe a nauy of shippes in that ylond And surely yf he had periwaded him therto he shulde haue got great riches by Gretia And afterwarde Niceas after he had warred at Peloponesê° ouercame y t place And made it a refuge for the men of Athens and afflicted sore the Lacedemoniens He was brefe in communication in so muche that brefe spakyng was of his name called Chilonia He was olde about the .li. Olimpiade In whiche tyme Esopus y e oratour was in his flowers whiche was in the yeare from the worldes creation 4624. he dyed at 〈◊〉 sayth Heimippus whyle he kissed his sonne that was crowned in Olimpia beyng ouercome both 〈◊〉 â—oye also with age The rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of in their places ¶ Of Byas Prienneus Cap. xi BYas Prieneus as sayth Diogenes was borne in Priena Hys fathers name was Teutamiê° Satirê° ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ hym the first of the seuen sages And many gesse that he was 〈…〉 Phanodicus wryteth that he redemed many wenches of Messena whiche were captiues brought them vp as his owne daughters and afterwardes geuing them dowries sent theÌ„ home agayne to they re countreye vnto theyr frendes Not long after certayne fishers found a golden trestell on whiche was wryten Sapienti that is to saye this is for a wise man Whiche when the forenamed wenches fathers hearde of they sayde Byas was a wiseman and sent it him but whan he sawe it he sayde Apollo was a wiseman and that he sent it hym We fynde that when his countrey Priena was besiged of Aliattes he fed two mules for the nones insomuche that they were exceding fat and draue them forthe into his enemyes tentes whiche whaÌ„ Aliattes sawe he was amased thynkyng by the fatnes of them that they had great plentye of all thinges And thinkyng to areyse the syege he sent a messenger into the citie to serche the truth And whan Byas perceyued the kynges entent he made many gret heapes of sand to be couered with wheate shewed them to the messenger whiche whan the kynge knewe thinkynge that they had had great plenty of vitayles made peace with them and sent coÌ„maundement to Byas to come vnto him to whiche Byas answered I commaunde the kynge to eate onyâ—ns and to wepe He wrote about .ii. m. verses Being asked what was difficill he sayde to take in good worth aduersitie after prosperitie O natuâ—â—e he sailed among wicked men and whan the ship was sore shaken with greate tempest and those wicked men called vpon god peace ê™ he that he se you not sayling from hence To a wicked man that asked him what was goodnes he gaue no answere And whaÌ„ he asked why he answered him not he sayde because thou enquirest of that whiche pertayneth not to the. He wolde saye y t he had rather be iudge among hys enemies than amonge his frendes for of his enemies he shulde make one his frend but amonge his frendes he shulde make one his foe Beyng asked in what dede a man reioysed most he answered whaÌ„ he gaineth He was a good oratour and when he was very olde as he pleaded a cause for one of his frendes after he had done his oration beyng weary and faynt with speakyng he rested his head in hys neces lappe whiche was his daughters sonne and whan his aduersary began afresh and had fynyshed and the iudges had geuen theyr sentence on hys syde whose part Byas toke assone as the iudgement was ended he was found dead in his nephewes bosom which buried him worthely And the citizens of Priena dedicated a chapell to hym whiche is called Teutonium He wolde saye alwaye the greater part are euell The rest of hys sayenges shal be spoken of in theyr places ¶ Of Periander Cap. xii PEriander as sayeth Heraclides was borne in Corinth his fathers name was Cipcelus he maried a wyfe called Licydes whiche was y e daughter of Procleus a tirant of Epidaur and by her had two soÌ„nes the one called Cypselus and the other Lycophrone of whiche y e yonger was very wyse but thelder was a fole This Periander was well learned And wrote a boke of .ii. M. verses neuertheles he was a Tirant excercised so muche his tyranny that al men did hate him he was about the .xxxviii. Olimpiade in Solons time And he executed his Tiranny xl yeares Some saye there were two Perianders th one a tyrant y e other a Philosopher which might well be neuerthelesse this Tyrant is he whome Laertius reckneth for one of the seuen sages whose opinion I allowe not For lyke as he for his euill doctrine disaloweth Orpheus to be a Philosopher so I for his euyl liuyng disalowe Periander to be any of the leuen sages althoughe he haue written many wise sayinges For as iÌ„ Philosophy nothing is lesse alowed than ignoraunce so in wisedome nothing is more abhorred than Tiranny in which this Periander excelled in so muche that whan he was demaunded why he continued in his tyrany because it is dauÌ„gerous ê™ he for a man to yelde him selfe eyther of his owne accorde or els against his wyll Neuerthelesse he wolde saye as wicked Hanniball sayed of peace that who so wolde rayne in suerty ought to endeuour them to haue theyr subectes obediente with loue and not with force And pet he him selfe sought nothing lesse For one a time he beyng very angry flong his wife being great w t childe downe a payre of staires and trode her vnder his feete and so kylled her And sent away his sonne Lycophorna bycause he mourned for his mother draue him vnto Corcyra And afterward whan he him selfe was