Secondarily it is necessary that the Nurse which nourisheth the child be not onely good in behauiour of her life but also it is necessary that she be whole as touching the bodily health For it is a rule vnfallible that of the milke which we do sucke in our infancie dependeth all the corporal health of our life A childe giuen to the Nurse to nourish is as a Tree remoued from one place to another And if it be so as in deed it is it behoueth in all points that if the Earth wherein it shall be newe put were no better that at the least it be not worse For this should bee a great crueltie that the Mother beeing whole strong and well disposed should giue her Childe to a leane woman to nurse which is feeble sore and diseased Princesses and great Ladyes doe chose leane women weake and sicke for to nourish their Infants And in that they doe faile it is not for that they would erre But it is because that such feeble and weake Nurses by a vaine desire they haue to be Nurses in a Gentlemans house on the one part they say they will little money and on the other part they doe make great suites What thing it is when a Princesse or a Noble-woman is deliuered of a Childe to see the deuises of other women among themselues who shall be the Nurse and how those which neuer nourished their owne children doe preserue the milke to nourish the children of others To procure this thing for women me thinketh it proceedeth of aboundance of follie and to condescend to their requests mee thinketh it is for want of wisedome They looke not alwayes to the manners and abilitie of the Nurse how apt shee is to nurse their childe but how diligent shee is to haue to nourish They eare not greatly whether they be good or no For if the first be not good they wil take the second and if the second pleaseth them not they will haue the third and so vpwards vntil they haue found a good Nurse But I let you to know you Princesses and great Ladyes that it is more daunger for the Children to chaunge diuers milkes then vnto the olde men to eate diuers meates Wee see daily by experience that without comparison there dyeth more children of Noble-women thē children of women of the meaner estate And wee will not say that it is for that they do flatter their children more nor for that the wiues of labourers doe eate fine meates but that it chaunceth oft times that the children of a poore woman doth neither eate nor drinke but of one kinde of meat or milke in two yeares and the child of a Ladie shal change and alter three Nurses in two moneths If Princesses and great Ladyes were circumspect in choosing their nurses and that they did looke whether they were whole without diseases and honest in their manners and would not regarde so much the importunitie of their suites the Mothers should excuse themselues from many sorrowes and the children likewise should bee deliuered from many diseases One of the most renowmed Princes in times past was Titus the Sonne of Vespasian and Brother of Domitian Lampriains saieth that this good Emperour Titus the most part of his life was subiect to grieuous diseases infirmities of his person and the cause was for that when hee was young he was giue to a sicke Nurse to be nourished So that this good Emperour sucking her Dugge but a while was constrayned to passe all his life after in paine Thirdly Princesses and great Ladyes ought to know and vnderstand the complexion of their children to the ende that according to the same they might seeke pitifull Nurses that is to say if the childe were Cholerick Flegmatcke Sanguine or Melancholie For looke what humor the childe is of of the same qualitie the milke of the Nurse should be If vnto an old corrupted man they minister medicins conformable to his diseases for to cure him why then should not the Mother seeke a wholesome Nurse to the tender Babe agreable to his complexion to nourish him And if thou sayest it is iust that the flesh olde and corrupted bee sustained I tell thee likewise that it is much more necessary that the Children should bee curiously and well nourished to multiplie the world For in the ende wee doe not say it is time that the Young leaue the bread for the Aged but contrarie it is time that the olde leaue the bread for the young Aristotle in the booke De secretis secretorum and Iunius Rusticus in the tenth booke De gestis Persarum say that the vnfortunate king Darius who was ouercom by Alexander the great had a Daughter of a maruellous beauty And they say that the Nurse which gaue suck to this daughter all the time that shee did nourish it did neyther eate nor drinke any thing but poyson and at the ende of three yeares when the Childe was weyned and plucked from the dugge she did eate nothing but Colubers and other venomous wormes I haue hearde say many times that the Emperors had a custome to nourish their Heyres and Children with poisons when they were young to the intent that they should not be hurt by poyson afterwarde when they were old And this error cometh of those which presume much and know little And therefore I say that I haue heard say without saying I haue read it For some declare hystories more for that they haue hearde say of others then for that they haue read themselues The truth in this case is that as wee vselat this present to weare chaines of golde about our neckes or iewells on our fingers so did the gentils in times past a Ring on their fingers or some iewell in theyr bosome replenished with poyson And because the Paynims did neither feare hell nor hoped for heauen they had that custome for if at any times in Battell they should finde themselues in distresse they had rather ende their liues with poyson then to receyue any iniurie of theyr enemyes Then if it were true that those Princes had bin nourished with that Poyson they would not haue carryed it about them to haue ended their liues Further I say that the Princes of Persia did vse when they had any child borne to giue him milke to sucke agreable to the Complexion hee had Since this daughter of Darius was of melancholy humor they determined to bring her vp with venom and poyson because all those which are pure melancholie do liue with sorrow and die with pleasure Ignatius the Venetian in the life of the fiue Emperours Palleolus which were valiant Emperours in Constantinople sayeth that the second of that name called Palleolus the hardie was after the xl yeares of his age so troubled with infirmities and diseases that alwayes of the twelue moneths of the yeare he was in his bed sick nine moneths and being so sicke as he was the affayres and businesse of the
to come with me from Capua to Rome the selfesame thou hadst to goe with another from Rome to Capua It is an euill thing for vicious â—eâ— to reprooue the vices of others wherein themselues are faulty The cause why I condemn thee to dye is onely for the remembrance of the old Law the which commandeth that no nurse or woman giuing sucke should on paine of death be begotten with childe truly the Law is very iust For honest women do not suffer that in giuing her child sucke at her breast she shold hide another in her entrails These words passed between Gneus Fuluius the Consul and the Ladie Sabina of Capua Howbeit as Plutarche saith in that place the Consull had pitie vpon her and shewed her fauour banishing her vpon condition neuer to returne to Rome againe Cinna Catullus in the fourth booke of the xxij Consulls saith that Caius Fabricius was one of the most notable Consulles that euer was in Rome and was sore afflicted with diseases in his life onely because hee was nourished foure moneths with the milke of a Nurse being great with Childe and for feare of this they locked the nurse with the Childe in the Temple of the Vestall virgines where for the space of iij. yeares they were kept They demaunded the Consul why he did not nourish his children in his house He answered that children being nourished in the house it might bee an occasion that the Nurse should begotteÌ„ with child and so she should destroy the children with her corrupt milke and further giue me occasion to do iustice vpon her person wherefore keeping them so shut vp wee are occasion to preserue their life and also our children from perill Dyodorus Siculus in his librairy and Sextus Cheronensis saith in the life of Marc. Aurelius that in the Isles of Baleares there was a custom that the nurses of young children whether they were their owne or others should be seuered from their Husbands for the space of two yeares And the woman which at that time though it were by her husband were with child though they did not chasten her as an adulteresse yet euery man spake euill of her as of an offender During the time of these two yeares to the ende that the Husband should take no other wife they commanded that hee should take a concubine or that hee should buye a Slaue whose companie hee might vse as his wife for amongst these barbarous hee was honoured most that had two Wiues the one with child and the other not By these Examples aboue recited Princesses and great Ladyes may see what watch care they ought to take in choosing their Nurses that they be honest since of them dependeth not onely the health of their children but also the good fame of their houses The seueÌ„th condition is that Princesses and great ladies ought to see their nurses haue good conditions so that they be not troublesome proud harlots liars malicious nor flatterers for the viper hath not so much poyson as the woman which is euil coÌ„ditioned It little auaileth a man to take wine from a woman to entreate her to eate little and to withdrawe her from her husband if of her owne nature she be hatefull and euill mannered for it is not so great daÌ„ger vnto the child that the nurse be a drunkard or a glutton as it is if she be harmfull malitious If perchaunce the Nurse that nourisheth the child be euil conditioned truly she is euill troubled the house wherin she dwelleth euil coÌ„bred For such one doth importune the Lorde troubleth the Lady putteth in hazard the childe aboue all is not contented with her selfe Finally Fathers for giuing too much libertie to their nurses oft times are the causes of manie practises which they doe wherewith in the ende they are grieued with the death of their childreÌ„ which foloweth Amongst all these which I haue read I say that of the ancient Roman Princes of so good a Father as Drusius Germanicus was neuer came so wicked a son as Caligula was being the iiij Emp of Rome for the Hystoriographers were not satisfied to enrich the praise the excellencies of his Father neyther ceased they to blame and reprehend the infamies of his Sonne And they say that his naughtines proceedeth not of the mother which bare him but of the nurse which gaue him sucke For often times it chaunceth that the tree is green and good when it is planted and afterwardes it becometh drie and withered onely for being carryed into another place Dyon the Greeke in the second book of Caesars saieth that a cursed woman of Campania called Pressilla nourished and gaue suck vnto this wicked child Shee had against all nature of women her breasts as hayrie as the beardes of men and besides that in running a Horse handling her staffe shooting in the Crosse-bowe fewe young men in Rome were to bee compared vnto her It chaunced on a time that as shee was giuing sucke to Caligula for that shee was angrie shee tore in pieces a young child and with the bloud therof annoynted her breasts and so she made Caligula the young Childe to sucke together both bloud and milke The saide Dyon in his booke of the life of the Emperour Caligula saieth that the women of Campania whereof the saide Pressilla was had this custom that wheÌ„ they would giue their Teat to the childe first they did annointe the nipple with the bloud of a hedge-hog to the ende their children might be more fierce and cruell And so was this Caligula for hee was not contented to kill a man onely but also hee sucked the bloud that remained on his Sworde and licked it off with his tongue The excellent Poet Homer meaning to speake plainely of the crueltyes of Pyrrus saide in his Odisse of him such wordes Pyrrus was borne in Greece nourished in Archadie and brought vp with Tygers milke which is a cruell beast as if more plainely he had saide Pyrrus for being borne in Greece was Sage for that hee was brought vp in Archadie he was strong and couragious for to haue sucked Tygars milke he was very proud and cruell Hereof may be gathered that the great Grecian Pyrrus for wanting of good milke was ouercome with euill conditions The selfe same Hystorian Dyon saith in the life of Tiberius that hee was a great Drunkard And the cause hereof was that the Nurse did not onely drinke wine but also she weyned the childe with soppes dipped in Wine And without doubt the cursed Woman had done lesse euill if in the stead of milke she had giuen the child poyson without teaching it to drinke wine wherefore afterwardes he lost his renowne For truely the Romane Empire had lost little if Tiberius had dyed being a childe and it had wonne much if he had neuer knowne what drinking of Wine had meant I haue declared all that which before is mentioned to the intent that Princesses and great Ladyes might
great estimation For Princes did not vse to be serued at their Tables nor in their chambers with any vnlesse they were of his owne Kinred or auncient Seruants And concerning the other childe which was his companion the Emperour returned againe to his father saying That when hereafter hee should bee more shamefaste hee would receyue him into his seruice And certainely the Emperour had great reason for good graue Princes ought not to be serued with light shamelesse children I would now demaund Fathers which loue their children very well and would they should bee worthy what it auayleth their children to be faire of countenance wel disposed of body liuely of spirit white of skinne to haue yellow hayres to bee eloquent in speech profound in science if with all these graces that nature giueth them they bee too bolde in that they doe and shameles in that they say The Author hereof is Patritius Senensis in the first booke De Rege et regno One of the most fortunate princes was the great Theodosius the which amongst all other vertues had one most singular the which was that hee was neuer serued in his pallace with any young man that was vnshamefast or seditious nor with any olde man which was dishonest for he sayde oft times that Princes shall neuer bee well beloued if they haue about them lyers or slaunderers This good Emperour spake as a man of experience and very sage for if the Councellers and familiars of Princes bee euill taught and vnpatient they offend many and if they bee lyers they deceyue al and if they be dishonest they slaunder the people And these offences bee not so great vnto them that commit them as they bee vnto the Prince which suffereth them The Emperour Theodose had in his palace two Knights the one called Ruffinus and the other Stelliconus by whose prudence and wisedome the Common wealth was ruled and gouerned And as Ignatius Baptista sayeth they two were the Tutours and Gouernours of the children of Theodose whose names were Archadius and Honorius for as Seneca saith When good Princes doe die they ought to bee more carefull to procure Masters and Tutours which shall teach their children then to procure realmes or kingdomes for to enrich them The two Masters Stelliconus and Ruffinus had in the palace of Theodose each of them a sonne the which were maruellous well taught and very shamefast and for the contrary the two Princes Honorius and Arcadius were euill mannered and not very honest And therefore the good Emperour Theodose tooke these children oft times and set them at his Table and contrary hee would not once behold his owne Let no man maruel though a Prince of such a grauity did a thing of so small importance for to say the truth the shamefast children and well taught are but robbers of the hearts of other men Fourthly the Tutors and Masters of Princes ought to take good heed that when the young princes their Schollers waxe great that they giue not themselues ouer to the wicked vice of the flesh so that the sensuality and euill inclination of the wanton child ought to bee remoued by the wisedome of the chaste Master For this cursed flesh is of such condition that if once by wantonnes the wicket be opened death shall sooner approch then the gate shall be shut againe The trees which budde and cast leaues before the time our hope is neuer to eate of their fruit in season I meane that when children haunt the vice of the flesh whiles they be yong there is small hope of goodnesse to bee looked for in them when they be olde And the elder we see them waxe the more wee may be assured of their vices And where wee see that vice encreaseth there wee may affirme that vertue diminisheth Plato in his second booke of laws ordayneth and commaundeth that young men should not marry before they were 25. yeares of age and the young maydens at 20. becaust at that age their fathers abide lesse dangers in begetting them giuing of them life and the children also which are borne haue more strength against the assaults of death Therefore if it bee true as it is true indeed I aske now if to bee married and get children which is the end of marriage the Philosophers doe not suffer vntill such time as they bee men then I say that Masters ought not to suffer their schollers to haunt the vices of the flesh when they bee children In this case the good fathers ought not alone to commit this matter to their Tutors but also thereunto to haue an eye themselus For oft times they will say they haue been at their deuotions in the Temples when in deed they haue offered veneriall sacrifice to the Curtezan The vice of the flesh is of such condition that a man cannot giue himselfe vnto it without grudge of Conscience without hurt of his renowne without losse of his goods without shortning of his life and also without offence to the Common-wealth for oft times men enclined to such vice doe rebell trouble and slaunder the people Seneca satisfied me greatly in the which he writeth in the second booke De Clementia to Nero where hee sayeth these words If I knew the Gods would pardon me and also that men would not hate mee yet I ensure thee for the vilenes therof I would not sinne in the flesh And truly Seneca had reason for Aristotle sayeth That all Beastes after the act of Venerie are sorry but the Cocke alone O Gouernours and Masters of great Princes and Lords by the immortal Gods I sweare which created vs I coniure you and for that you owe to the Nobility I desire you that you will bridle with a sharpe snafle your charge and giue them not the reine to follow vices for if these young children liue they will haue time ynough to search to follow to attaine and also to cast off those yokes for through our frailety this wicked vice of the flesh in euery place in all ages in euery estate and at all times bee it by reason or not is neuer out of season What shall I say to you in this case if the children passe the furiousnes of their youth without the bridle then they bee voyde of the loue of God they follow the trumpet of sensuality after the sound whereof they runne headlong into the yoake and loose that that profiteth to win that which hurteth For in the carnall vices he that hath the least of that which sensuality desireth hath much more therof then reason willeth Considering that the Masters are negligent the children bolde their vnderstandings blinded and seeing that their appetites do accomplish beastly motions I aske now what remayneth to the childe and what contentation hath hee of such filth and naughtinesse Truly since the fleshly and vicious man is ouercome with his appetite of those that escape best I see none other fruit but that their bodies
a perpetuall memorie What contempt of world what forgetfulnesse of himselfe what stroke of fortune what whippe for the flesh what little regard of life O what bridle for the vertuous O what confusion for those that loue life O how great example haue they left vs not to feare death Sithens those here haue willingly despised their owne liues it is not to be thought that they dyed to take the goods of others neither yet to thinke that our life should neuer haue end nor our couetousnesse in like manner O glorious people and ten thousand fold happy that the proper sensuality being forsaken haue ouercom the naturall appetite to desire to liue not beleeuing in that they saw and that hauing faith in that they neuer saw they striued with the fatall Destenies By the way they assaulted fortune they changed life for death they offered the body to death and aboue all haue wonne honour with the Gods not for that they shoulde hasten death but because they should take away that which is superfluous of life Archagent a Surgeon of Rome and Anthonius Musus a Physition of the Emperour Augustus and Esculapius father of the Phisicke should get little money in that Countrie Hee that then should haue sent to the barbarous to haue done as the Romanes at that time did that is to say to take sirrops in the mornings pils at night to drinke milke in the morning to annoint themselues with gromeâ—seed to bee let bloud to day and purged to morrow to eate of one thing and to abstaine from many a man ought to thinke that hee which willingly seeketh death will not giue money to lengthen life CHAP. XXII The Emperour concludeth his letter and shewed what perils those olde men liue in which dissolutely like young children passe their dayes and giueth vnto them wholesome counsell for the remedy thereof BVt returning to thee Claude and to thee Claudine me thinketh that these barbarous men beeing fifty yeares of age and you others hauing aboue threescore and tenne it should be iust that sithence you were elder in yeares you were equall in vertue and though as they you wil not accept death patiently yet at the least you ought to amend your euill liues willingly I doe remember that it is many yeares sithens that Fabritius the young sonne of Fabritius the olde had ordayned to haue deceiued mee of the which if you had not told me great inconueniences had happned and sithens that you did me so great a benefite I would now requite you the same with another the like For amongst friends there is no equal benefite then to deceiue the deceyuer I let you know if you do not know it that you are poore aged folks your eyes are sunke into your heads the nostrels are shut the haires are white the hearing is lost the tongue faultereth the teeth fall the face is wrinkled the feete swolne and the stomacke cold Finally I say that if the graue could speake as vnto his Subiects by iustice he might commaund you to inhabite his house It is great pitty of the yong men and of their youthfull ignorance for then vnto such their eies are not opened to know the mishaps of this miserable life when cruell death doth end their dayes and adiorneth them to the graue Plato in his booke of the Common wealth sayde that in vaine wee giue good counsels to fond and light young men for youth is without experience of that it knoweth suspitious of that it heareth incredible of that is tolde him despising the counsell of an other and very poore of his own For so much as this is true that I tell you Claude and Claudine that without comparison the ignorance which the young haue of the good is not so much but the obstination which the olde hath in the euill is more For the mortall Gods many times doe dissemble with a thousand offences commited by ignorance but they neuer forgiue the offence perpetrated by malice O Claude and Claudine I doe not maruell that you doe forget the gods as you doe which created you and your Fathers which begot you and your parents which haue loued you and your friends which haue honoured you but that which I most maruell at is that you forget your selues For you neuer consider what you ought to bee vntill such time as you bee there where you would not bee and that without power to returne backe againe Awake awake since you are drowned in your dreames open your eyes since you sleepe so much accustome your selues to trauels sithence you are vagabonds learne that which behoueth you since now you are olde I meane that in time conuenient you agree with death before he make execution of life Fifty two yeeres haue I knowne the things of the world and yet I neuer saw a Woman so aged thorough yeares nor old man with members so feeble that for want of strength could not if they list doe good nor yet for the same occasion should leaue to bee euill if they list to be euill It is a maruellous thing to see and worthy to note that all the corporall members of Man waxeth old but the inward hart and the outward tongue For the heart is alwayes giuen to inuent euills and the tongue is alwayes able to tell Lyes Mine opinion is that the pleasaunt Summer beeing past you should prepare your selues for the vntemperate winter which is at hand And if you haue but fewe dayes to continue you should make hast to take vp your lodging I meane that sith you haue passed the dayes of your life with trauell you should prepare your selues against the night of death to be in the hauen of rest Let mockeryes passe as mockeries and accept trueth as truth that is to say that it were a very iust thing and also for your honour necessarie that all shose which in times past haue seen you young and foolish should now in your age see you graue and sage For there is nothing that so much forgetteth the lightnesse and follyes of youth as doth grauity and constancie in Age. When the Knight runneth his carriere they blame him not for that the Horses mane is not finely combed but at the end of his race he shold see his horse amended and looked vnto What greater confusion can be to any person or greater slaunder to our mother Rome then to see that which now a dayes therein we see That is to say that the old which can scarcely creepe through the streetes to beholde the playes and games as young men which search for nought else but onely pompe and vanitie It grieueth mee to speake it but I am much more ashamed to see that the olde Romaines do daylie cause the white haires to be plucked out of their heads because they would not seeme old to make their beard small to seem yong wearing their hosen very close their shyrts open before the gowne of the Senatour embrodered the Romane signe richly enamelled the
ΑΡΧΟÎΤΟΡΟΛΟΓΙΟΠOR THE DIALL OF PRINCES CONTAINING THE GOLDEN AND FAMOVS BOOKE OF MARCVS AVRELIVS Sometime Emperour of Rome DECLARING What Excellency consisteth in a Prince that is a good Christian And what euils attend on him that is a cruell Tirant WRITTEN By the Reuerend Father in God DON ANTONIO of Gueuara Lord Bishop of Guadix Preacher and Chronicler to the late mighty Emperour CHARLES the fift First translated out of French by THOMAS NORTH Sonne to Sir EDWARD NORTH Lord NORTH of Kirthling And lately reperused and corrected from many grosse imperfections With addition of a Fourth Booke stiled by the Name of The fauoured Courtier LONDON Imprinted by Bernard Alsop dwelling by Saint Annes Church neere Aldersgate 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR HENRY MOVNTAGVE Knight Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Pleas Holden before his most Royall Maiestie c THe Emperour Traiane Right Honourable writing a Letter to the Senate of Rome concerning the weightie and carefull condition of Princes among many other matters vsed these wordes of himselfe I doe freely confesse vnto you that since I tasted the cares and trauels attending on this Imperiall dignitie I haue repented a thousand times that euer I did vndertake it because if it bee accounted Honour to enioy an Empire there consisteth farre greater paine and labour to order and gouerne it as it ought to be But beside what enuie doth hee expose himselfe to multitude of mislikes that hath the charge of gouerning others If hee be iust hee is branded with cruelry if mercifull hee is contemned if beautifull tearmed lauish and prodigall if hee hoorde vp money then basely couetous if inclined to peace then hee is a coward If full of courage proudly anbitious if discreetly graue surly and scornefull if affably courteous silly and simple if affecting solitude a dissembling hypocrite if addicted to mirth and pleasure then wantonly dissolute In the end of all te worthy Emperour thus concluded Although willingly I accepted this high office at the first yet sorrow hath since made mee shrinke vnder so brdensom a charge For the Sea and dignitie are thinges pleasing to looke â—n but very perillous to meddle withall I haue alledged his example worthie Lord because present vnto your gracious acceptance his ancient and famous Booke called The Diall of Princes wherein is at lige and amply set downe what care and respect awayteth on the liues of Prinâ—â—s and great persons for if they canot runne into the smallest errour but redoundeth to the hurt of many nor neglect their duty without other mens userie Then sayde the Philosopher well A Prince should not appropriate the Common-wealth to himselfe but shape himselfe wholy to the Common wealth And so much the rather because he standing accountable to no man in this Life ought to remember a farre stricter account before him that maketh no respect of Princes saue onely in this that they shall finde the Iudge the more seuere against them by how much they haue abused their place of eminencie as also their power and princely authority In the learned Discourses following set downe by that good Emperour Marcus Aurelius the honourable Argument of all this worke are three especiall duties and actions obserued necessarily required in an absolute and perfect Prince as namely In Ruling Iudging and Defending To rule by iust lawes and good Example To Iudge by Wisedome Prouidence and Iustice And Defend by valour care and vigilancy And this is that which the Spirit of God so often intimateth by the Prophet Ieremie â—ap 22. verse 3. To execute Iudgement and righteousnesse To deliuer the oppressed from the handes â—â— the oppressour Not to vexe the Stanger fatherlesse or Widdow Neyther to doe violence or shedde the innocent bloud Into infinite other famous presidents for Princes I could enter and set them downe expressely but that I know they are so frequent to your Honour both in reading and memorie that it were as lost labour as to hold a burning Taper in the bright Sunne at Noone-day and therefore these few shall suffice Nor doe I dedicate this vnto your graue and learned iudgement as a new labour of mine owne or as a worke neuer seene before because it hath already past diuers impressions albeit not in so exact a maner nor with the like paines as hath now bin bestowed vpon it from many absurde and grosse imperfections and yet not so cleanely purged as I could wish it were nor as it shall bee if euer it come to the Presse againe Wherefore I humbly entreate your Honour to accept it as it is and as an oblation of my loue vnfainedly to you which gladly would shew it selfe by any possible meanes as time hereafter may better enable me Til when I remain ready at your Honours seruice to the very vtmost of my best abilitie Your Honors in all duty A. M. A GENER ALL PROLOGVE VPON THE BOOKE ENTITVLED THE DYALL OF PRINCES WITH THE FAmous Booke of MARCVS AVRELIVS Compyled by the Reuerend Father in GOD the Lord ANTONY of GVEVARA Byshop of Guadix Confessor and Chronicler to Charles the fifth Emperour of Rome vnto whom and to all other Princes and Noble-personages this worke was directed APolonius Thianeus disputing with the schollers of Hiareas said that among all the affections of nature nothing is more naturall then the desire that all haue to preserue life Omitting the dispute of these great Phylosophers herein wee our selues hereof haue daily proofe that to liue men do trauell to liue byrds do flie fishes do swimme and to liue beasts do hide themselues for feare of death Finally I say there is no liuing creature so brutish that hath not a naturall desire to liue If many of the auncient Paynims so little regarde life that of their owne free willes they offered themselues death they did it not for that they despised life but because they thought that for their little regarding life wee would more highly esteem their fame For wee see men of hauty courages seeke rather to winne a long-during-Fame then to saue a short lasting-life How loth men are to die is easily seen by the great paines they take to liue For it is a naturall thing to all mortall men to leaue their liues with sorrowe and take their deaths with feare Admit that all doe taste this corporall death and that generally both good and euill doe die yet is there great difference between the death of the one and the death of the other If the good desire to liue it is onely for the greater desire they haue to do more good but if the euill desire to liue it is for that they would abuse the world longer For the children of vanity call no time good but onely that wherein they liue according to their owne desires I let you vnderstand that are at this present and you also that shall come heereafter that I direct my writings vnto those which embrace vertue and not vnto such as are borne away with vice GOD
follow the straunge follie of another then to furnish and supplie their owne proper necessitie Therefore returning againe to my purpose most excellent Prince by this example you may coniecture what I would say that is that if this writing were accepted vnto Princes I am assured it would be refused of no man And if any man would slanderously talke of it hee durst not remeÌ„bring that your Maiesty hath receyued it For those things which Princes take to their custody wee are bound to defend and it is not lawfull for vs to diminish their credite Suppose that this my worke were not so profound as it might be of this matter nor with such eloquence set out as many other bookes are yet I dare bee bolde to say that the Prince shall take more profit by reading of this worke then Nero did by his loue Pompeia For in the end by reading and studying good bookes men turn and become sage and wise and by keeping ill company they are counted fooles and vitious My meaning is not nor I am not so importunate and vnreasonable to perswade Princes that they should so fauour my doctrine that it should be in like estimation now in these parts â—a the amber was there in Rome But that onely which I require and demaund is that the time which Nero spent in singing and telling the hayres of his loue Pompeia should now bee employed to redresse the wrongs faults of the common wealth For the noble and worthy Prince ought to employ the least part of the day in the recreation of his person After hee hath giuen audience to his Counsellours to the Ambassadours to the great Lords and Prelates to the rich and poore to his own countrey men strangers and after that he be com into his Priuy Chamber then my desire is that hee would reade this Treatise or som other better then this for in Princes chambers oftentimes those of the Priuie Chamber and other their familiars lose great time in reciting vaine and trifling matters and of small profit the which might better bee spent in reading some good good booke In all worldly affayres that wee do and in all our bookes which we compile it is a great matter to bee fortunate For to a man that fortune doth not fauour diligence without doubt can little auaile Admit that fortune were against mee in that this my worke should bee acceptable vnto your Maiesty without comparison it should be a great griefe and dishonour vnto mee to tel you what should be good to reade for your pastime if on the other part you would not profite by my counsell and aduise For my mind was not onely to make this booke to the end Princes should reade it for a pastime but to that end in recreating themselues sometimes they might thereby also take profit Aulus Gelius in the 12. Chapter of his third booke entituled De nocte attica sayde that amongst all the Schollers which the diuine Plato had one was named Demostenes a man among the Greekes most highly esteemed of the Romanes greatly desired Because hee was in his liuing seuere and in his tongue and doctrine a very Satyre If Demosthenes had come in the time of Phalaris the tyrant when Grecia was peopled with tirants and that hee had not beene in Platoes time when it was replenished with Philosophers truely Demosthenes had been as cleare a lanterne in Asia as Cicero the great was in Europe Great good hap hath a notable man to bee born in one age more then in another I meane that if a valiant Knight come in the time of a couragious and stout Prince such a one truly shall bee esteemed and set in great authority But if hee come in the time of an other effeminate and couetous Prince bee shall not bee regarded at all For hee will rather esteeme one that wel augment his treasure at home then him that can vanquish his enemies abroad So likewise it chanceth to wise and vertuous men which if they come in the time of vertuous and learned princes are esteemed and honoured but if they come in time of vaine and vicious Princes they make small account of them For it is an auncient custom among vanities children not to honour him which to the Common wealth is most profitable but him which to the Prince is most acceptable The end why this is spoken Most puissant Prince is because the two renowmed Philosophers were in Greece both at one time and because the diuine Philosopher Plato was so much esteemed and made of they did not greatly esteeme the Philosopher Demosthenes For the eminent high renowne of one alone diminisheth the fame and estimation among the people of many Although Demosthenes was such a one indeed as wee haue sayde that is to witte eloquent of tongue ready of memory sharpe and quicke of witte in liuing seuere sure and profitable in giuing of counsell in renowne excellent in yeares very auncient and in Philosophy a man right well learned yet hee refused not to goe to the Schooles of Plato to heare morall Philosophie He that shall reade this thing or heare it ought not to maruel but to follow it and to profit likewise in the same that is to vnderstand that one Philosopher learned of another and one wise man suffred himself to be taught of another For knowledge is of such a quality that the more a man knoweth dayly there encreaseth in him a desire to know more All things of this life after they haue beene tasted and possessed cloyeth a man wearieth and troubleth him true science onely excepted which neuer doth cloy weary nor trouble them And if it happen wee weary any it is but the eyes which are wearied with looking and reading and not the spirite with seeling and tasting Many Lords and my familiar friends doe aske mee how it is possible I should liue with so much study And I also demaund of them how it is possible they should liue in such continuall idlenes For considering the prouocation and assaults of the flesh the daungers of the world the temptations of the deuil the treasons of enemies importunity of friends what hart can suffer so great and continuall trauell but onely in reading and comforting himselfe in bookes Truely a man ought to haue more compassion of a simple ignorant man then of a poore man For thereis no greater pouerty vnto a man then for to lacke wisedom whereby he should know how to gouerne himselfe Therefore following our matter the case was such one day Demosthenes going to the schoole of Plato saw in the market place of Athens a great assembly of people which were hearing a Philosopher newly come vnto that place and hee spake not this without a cause that there was a great company of people assembled For that naturally the common people are desirous to heare new and strange things Demosthenes asked what Philosopher hee was after whom so many people went and when it was
to peruert the senses and iudgements of all and all not able to represse the lightnesse and vanity of one Things that are new and not accustomed neyther Princes ought to allow nor yet the people to vse For a newe thing ought no lesse to bee examined and considered before it be brought into the cōmon wealth then the great doubts which arise in mens mindes Ruffinus in the Prologue of his secōd Booke of his Apologie reprooueth greatly the Egyptians because they were too full of deuises and blamed much the Grecians because they were too curious in speaking fine wordes and aboue all other hee greatly prayseth the Romanes for that they were very hard of beleefe and that they scarcely alwayes credited the sayings of the Greekes and because they were discreete in admitting the inuentions of the Egyptians The Author hath reason to prayse the one and disprayse the other For it proceedeth of a light iudgement to credit all the thinges that a man heareth and to doe all that he seeth Returning therefore now to our matter Marcus Varro sayde that there were fiue things in the Worlde very hard to bring in whereof none after they were commonly accepted were euer lost or forgotten for euen as things vainely begunne are easily left of so thinges with great feare accepted are with much care and diligence to bee kept and obserued The first thing that chiefly throghout all the World was accepted was all men for to liue together that is for to say that they should make places Towns Villages Citties and Common wealthes For according to the saying of Plato the first best inuentors of the common-wealth were the Antes which according to to the experience wee see do liue together trauell together do go together also for the winter they make prouision together and furthermore none of these Antes doe giue themselues to any priuate thing but all theirs is brought into their common wealth It is a maruellous thing to behold the common wealth of the ants how nearely they trim their hils to behold how they sweepe away the graine when it is wette and how they drye it when they feele any moysture to behold how they come from their work and how the one doth not hurt the other and to behold also how they do reioyce the one in the others trauell and that which is to our greatest confusion is that if it comes so to passe 50000. Ants wil liue in a litle hillocke together and two men onely cannot liue in peace and concord in a common wealth Would to God the wisedome of men were so great to keep themselus as the prudence of the ants is to liue When the world came to a certaine age and mens wits waxed more fine then tirants sprang vp which oppressed the poore theeues that robbed the rich rebels that robbed the quiet murderers that slew the patient the idle that eate the swet of other mens browes all the which things considered by them which were vertuous they agreed to assemble and liue together that thereby they might preserue the good and withstand the wicked Macrobius affirmeth this in the second booke of Scipions dreame saying That couetousnes ond auarice was the greatest cause why men inuented the commonwealth Plinie in the seuenth booke 56. Chapter sayth the first that made small assemblies were the Athenians and the first that built great Cities were the Egyptians The second thing that was accepted throughout al the world were the letters which wee read whereby wee take profite in writing According whereunto Marcus Varro sayth the Egyptians prayse themselues and say that they did inuent them and the Assyrians affirme the contrary and sweare that they were shewed first of all amongst them Plinie in the 7. booke sayth that in the first age there was in the alphabet no more then 16. letters that great Palamedes at the siege of Troy ladded other 4. and Aristotle saith that immediatly after the beginning there were found 18. letters And that afterwards Palamedes did add but 2. and so there were 20. and that the Philosopher Epicarmus did adde other 2. which were 22. it is no great matter whether the Egyptians or the Assyrians first foūd the letters But I say and affirme that it was a thing necessary for a common wealth and also for the encrease of mans knowledge For if wee had wanted letters and writings wee could haue had no knowledge of the time past nor yet our posterity could haue bin aduertised what was done in our daies Plutarch in the second booke entituled De viris illustribus and Pliny in the seuenth booke and 56. Chapter doe greatly praise Pirotas because hee first found the fire in a flint stone They greatly commended Protheus because he inuented barneyes and they highly extolled Panthasuea because she inuented the hatchet They praysed Citheus because hee inuented the bowe and the arrowes they greatly praysed Phenisius because hee inuented the Crossebow and the sling They highly praised the Lacedemonians because they inuented the Helmet the Speare and the Sworde and moreouer they commende those of Thessalie because they inuented the combat on hors-back and they commend those of Affrike because they inuented the fight by Sea But I doe praise and continually will magnifie not those which found the Art of fighting and inuented weapons to procure warres for to kill his neighbour but those which found Letters for to learne Science and to make peace betweene two Princes What difference there is to wet the Penne with inke and to paint the Speare with bloud to be enuironed with bookes or to be laden with weapons To studie how euery man ought to liue or else to goe priuily and robbe in the Warres and to kill his Neighbour There is none of so vaine a iudgement but will praise more the Speculation of the Sciences then the practise of the warres Because that in the ende he that learneth sciences learneth nought else but how he and others ought to liue And he that learneth warlike feats learneth none other thing then how to slay his Neighbour and to destroy others The third thing that equally of all was accepted were lawes For admit that all men now liued together in common if they would not be subiect one to another there would contention arise amongst them for that according to the saying of Plato That there is no greater token of the destruction of a Common-weale then when many rulers are chosen therein Plinie in his seuenth booke 56. chap sayth that a Queene called Ceres was the first that taught them to sowe in the fields to grinde in Milles to paste and bake in Ouens and also shee was the first that taught the people to liue according to the Law And by the meanes of these things our Fore-fathers called her a Goddesse Since the time we neuer haue seene heard nor read of any realme or other nation as well strange as barbarous whatsoeuer they were but haue had Lawes
yea and surmount and surpasse many but yet I doe aduise thē not to employ their force but to follow one For often times it chanceth that many which suppose themselues in their life to excell all when they are dead are scarcelie found equall vnto any Though man hath done much and blazed what he can yet in the end he is but one one mind one power one birth one life and one death Then sithence hee is but one let no man presume to know more then one Of all these good Princes which I haue named in the rowle of iustice the last was Marcus Aurelius to the intent that he should weaue his webbe For suppose we reade of many Princes that haue compiled notable things the which are to bee reade and knowne but all that Marcus Aurelius sayde or did is worthy for to be knowne and necessary to bee followed I doe not meane this Prince in his Heathen law but in his vertuous deedes Let vs not stay at his beleefe but let vs embrace the good that hee did For compare many Christians with some of the Heathen and looke how farre we leaue them behind in faith so farre they excell vs in good and vertuous works All the olde Princes in times past had some Philosophers to their familiars as Alexander Aristotle King Darius Herodorus Augustus Pisto Pompeius Plauto Titus Plinie Adrian Secundus Traion Plutarchus Anthonius Apolonius Theodotius Claudinus Seuerus Fabatus Finally I say that Phylosophers then had such aucthoritie in Princes pallaces that children acknowledged them for Fathers and Fathers reuerenced them as masters These Wise and Sage men were aliue in the company of Princes but the good and vertuous Marcus Aurelius whose doctrine is before your Maiesty is not aliue but dead Yet therefore that is no cause why his Doctrine should not bee admitted For it may bee peraduenture that this shall profite vs more which hee wrote with his handes then that which others spake with their tōgus Plutarch sayeth in the time of Alexander the great Aristotle was aliue and Homer was dead But let vs see how hee loued the one and reuerenced the other for of truth he slept alwayes with Homers booke in his hands and waking he read the same with his eyes and alwayes kept the doctrine thereof in his memory and layde when he rested the booke vnder his head The which priuiledge Aristotle had not who at all times could not be heard and much lesse at all seasons be beleeued so that Alexander had Homer for his friend and Aristotle for a master Other of these Philosophers were but simple men but our Marcus Aurelius was both a wise Philosopher and a very valiant Prince and therfore reason would hee should be credited before others For as a prince hee will declare the troubles and as a Philosopher hee will redresse them Take you therefore Puisaunt Prince this wise Philosopher and Noble Emperour for a Teacher in your youth for a Father in your gouernment for a Captaine generall in your Warres for a guide in your iourneyes for a friend in your affayres for an example in your vertues for a Master in your sciences for a pure white in your desires and for equall match in your deedes I will declare vnto you the Life of an other beeing a Heathen and not the life of an other beeing a Christian For looke how much glory this Heathen Prince had in this world beeing good and vertuous so much paines your Maiesty shall haue in the other if you shall bee wicked and vicious Beholde behold most Noble and illustrious Prince the Life of this Emperour and you shal plainly see and perceyue how cleare hee was in his iudgement how vpright hee was in his iustice how circumspect in the course of his life how louing to his friends how patient in his troubles and aduersities how hee dissembled with his enemies how seuere against Tirants how quiet among the quiet how great a friēd vnto the Sage and louer of the simple how aduenturous in his warres and amiable in peace and chiefly and aboue all things how high in wordes and prosound in sentences Many and sundry times I haue beene in doubt with my selfe whether the heauenly and eternall Maiesty which giueth vnto you Princes the Temporall Maiesty for to rule aboue all other in power and authoritie did exempt you that are earthly Princes more from humane fraylety then hee did vs that be but Subiects and at the last I know hee did not For I see euen as you are children of the World so you doe liue according to the World I see euen as you trauell in the Worlde so you can know nothing but things of the world I see because you liue in the Flesh that you are subiect to the miseries of the flesh I see though for a time you doe prolong your life yet at the last you are brought vnto your graue I see your trauel is great and that within your Gates there dwelleth no rest I see you are colde in the winter and hote in the Summer I see that hunger feeleth you and thirst troubleth you I see your friendes forsake you and your enemies assault you I say that you are sadde and do lacke ioy I see that you are sicke and bee not well serued I see you haue much and yet that which you lacke is more What will you see more seeing that Princes dye O noble Princes and great Lords since you must dye and become wormes meate why doe you not in your life time search for good counsell If the Princes and noble men commit an errour no man dare chastice them wherefore they stand in greater need of aduise and counsell For the traueller who is out of his way the more he goeth forward the more hee erreth If the people doe amisse they ought to be punished but if the Prince erre he should be admonished And as the Prince will the people should at his hands haue punishment so it is reason that he at their hands should receyue counsell For as the wealth of the one dependeth on the wealth of the other so truly if the Prince bee vitious the people cannot be vertuous If your Maiesty will punish your people with words commaund them to print this present worke in their hearts And if your people would serue your Highnesse with their aduise let them likewise beseech you to reade ouer this booke For therin the Subiects shall finde how they may amend and you Lords shall see all that you ought to doe whether this present Worke be profitable or no I will not that my pen shall declare but they which do reade it shall iudge For wee Authours take pains to make and translate and others for vs to giue iudgement and sentence From my tender yeares vntill this present time I haue liued in the World occupying my selfe in reading and studying humane and diuine Bookes and although I confesse my debility to bee such that I haue not read so
vs By these things we haue spoken of before the Readers may perceyue what is due vnto the Hystoriographers who in my opinion haue left as great memorie of them for that they wrote with their pennes as the Princes haue done for that they did with their swords I confesse I deserue nor to be named amongst the Sages neyther for that I haue written and Translated nor yet for that I haue composed Therefore the Sacred and diuine letters set aside there is nothing in the world so curiously written but needeth correction and as I say of the one so will I say of the other and that is as I with my will doe renounce the glory which the good for my learning would giue mee so in like manner euill men shall not want that against my will seeke to defame it Wee other writers smally esteeme that labour and paines wee haue to write although indeede wee are not ignorant of a thousaund enuious tongues that will backbite it Many now adayes are so euil taught or to say better so enuious that when the Author laboreth in his study they play in the streetes when he awaketh they sleepe when he fasteth they eate when hee sitteth turning the leaues of the booke they goe hunting after vices abroade yet for all that they will presume to iudge depraue and condemne an other mans doctrine as if they had the authoritie that Plato had in Greece or the eloquence that Cicero had in Rome When I finde a man in the Latine tongue well seene his vulgar tongue well pâ—lished in hystories well grounded in Greeke-letters very expert and desirous to spend his time with good bookes this so Heroicall and noble a personage I would desire him to put my doctrine vnder his feete For it is no shame for a vertuous and wise man to be corrected of an other wise man Yet I would gladly know what patieÌ„ce can suffer or heart can dissemble when two or three bee assembled together at meate and after at the table or otherwise one of them taketh a booke at aduenture in his handes against that which another will say it is too long and another will say it speaketh not to the purpose another it is very obscure another the words are not well couched another will say all that is spoken is fayned One will say hee speaketh nothing of profite another hee is too curious and the other hee is too malicious So that in speaking thus the doctrine remaineth suspitious and the Authour scapeth not scot-free Suppose them to be therefore such that speake it as I haue spoken of that at the Table do finde such faults sure they deserue pardon for they speake not according to the Bookes which they haue read but according to the cups of wine which they haue drunke For that Hee that taketh not in iest which is spoken at the Table knoweth not what iesting meaneth It is an olde custom to murmure at vertuous deedes and into this rule entreth not onely those that make them but also those which writethem afterwards Which thing seemeth to be true for that Socrates was reproued of Plato Plato of Aristotle Aristotle of Auerois Sicilius of Vulpitius Lelius of Varro Marinus of Ptolomeus Ennius of Horace Seneca of Aulus Gelius Crastonestes of Strabo Thessale of Gellian Hermagoras of Cicero Cicero of Salust Origines of Saint Hierome Hierome of Rufinus Rufinus of Donatus Donatus of Prosper and Prosper of Lupus Then sith that in these men and in their workes hath beene such need of correction which were men of great knowledge and Lanternes of the World It is no maruell at all that I haue such fortune since I know so little as I doe Hee may worthily bee counted vaine and light which at the first sight as for onely once reading will rashly iudge that which a wise man with much diligence study hath written The Authors and Writers are oft times reproued not of them which can translate and compile workes but of those which cannot reade and yet lesse vnderstand them to the entent simple folkes should count them wise and take their parts in condemning this worke and esteeme him for a great wise man I take God to witnesse who can iudge whether my intention were good or ill to compile this worke and also I lay this my doctrine at the feet of wise and vertuous men to the end they may be protectors and defendours of the same For I trust in God though som would come to blame as diuers do the simple words which I spake yet others would not fayle to relate the good intention that I meant And to declare further I say that diuers have written of the time of the sayde Marcus Aurelius as Herodian wrote little Eutropius lesse Lampridius not so much and Iulius Capitolinus somewhat more Likewise yee ought to know that the Masters which taught Marcus Aurelius sciences were Iunius Rusticus Cinna Catullus Sextus Cheronensis which was nephew to the great Plutarke These three were those that principally as witnesses of sight wrote the most part of his life and doctrine Many may maruel to heare tell of the doctrine of Marcus Aurelius saying it hath beene kept hidde and secret a great while and that of mine owne head I haue inuented it And that there neuer was any Marcus Aurelius in the world I know not what to say now vnto them for it is euident to all those which haue read any thing that Marcus Aurelius was husband to Faustine father to Comodus brother to Anntus Verus and sonne in Law to Antoninus Pius the seuenth of Rome Emperour Those which say I only haue made this doctrine truly I thanke them for so saying but not for their so meaning For truly the Romanes would haue set my Image in Rome for perpetuall renowne if so graue sentences should haue proceeded froÌ„ my head Wee see that in our time which was neuer seene before and heare that we neuer heard before VVe practise not in a new world and yet wee maruell that there is at this present a newe booke Not for that I was curious to discouer Marcus Aurelius or studious to translate him For truely it is worthy he bee noted of wise persons and not accused of enuious tongues For it chaunceth oftentimes in Hunting that the most simplest man killeth the Deare The last thing which the Romaines conquered in Spayne was Cantabria which was a citie in Nauarre ouer against La-grogne and scituated in a high Countrey where there is now a vaine of Vines And the Emperour Augustus which destroyed it made tenne bookes De Bello Cantabrico wherein are many thinges worthie of noting and no lesse pleasaunt in reading which happened vnto him in the same conquest As Marcus Aurelius was brought mee from Florence so was this other booke Of the warres of Cantabria brought mee from Colleyne If perhaps I tooke paines to Translate this booke as few haue done which haue seene it they would
speake the like of it that they did of Marcus Aurclius Because men are so long in speaking and so briefe in studying that without any let or shame they will auowe no Booke to be in the world this day but that they haue eyther reade or seene it I haue as much profited in this writing which is humane as other Doctours haue done in matters which are diuine It is not translated word for word but sentence for sentence For wee other Enterpreters are not bound to giue wordes by measure but it sufficeth vs to giue Sentences by weight I beganne to studie this worke in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred and eyghteene and vntill the yeare a thousand fiue hundred twentie and soure I could neyther vnderstand nor know wherein I was occupyed and albeit I kept it as secrete as I could for the space of sixe yeares yet it was knowne abroad whervpon the Emperour his Majestie being with the Feauer diseased sent to mee for it to passe the time away And I according to his commaundement shewed him Marcus Aurelius that then was vncorrected and humbly beseeching him sayde That for recompence of all my trauâ—lâ— I desired no other rewarde but that no man in his Chamber might copie the Booke And in the meane time proceeded to accomplish the worke because I did not meane in such manner to publish it for otherwise I saide his Majestie should be euill serued and I also of my purpose preuented but my sinnes caused that the Booke was coppyed and conueyed from one to another and by the hands of Pages sunday times written so that there increased daily in it errours and faultes And since there was but one originall copie they brought it vnto me to correct which if it could haue spoken would haue complained it selfe more of them that did write it then of those that did steale it And thus when I had finished the worke thought to haue published it I perceyued that Marcus Aurelius was now imprinted at Seuill And in this case I take the Readers to be judges between mee and the imprinters because they may see whether it may stand with Law and justice that a Booke which was to his Imperiall Maiestie dedicated the author thereof being but an jnfant and the booke so vnperfite and vncorrected without my consent or knowledge should bee published Notwithstanding they ceased not but printed it againe in Portugall and also in the Kingdome of Nauarre And if the first impression was faulty truely the second and the third were no lesse So that which was written for the wealth and good of all men generally each man did applye to the profite of himselfe particularly There chaunced another thing of this booke called The golden booke of Marcus Aurelius which I am ashamed to speake but greater shame they should haue that so dishonestly haue done That is some made themselus to be authors of the whole worke Others say that parte of it was made and compyled of their owne heads the which appeareth in a booke in priut wherein the authour did like a man voyd of all honesty in another booke one vsed likewise the wordes which Marcus Aurelius spake to Faustine when shee asked him the key of his Studie After these Theeues came to my knowledge iudge you whether it were ynough to prooue my patience For I had rather they had robbed me of my goods then taken away my renowme By this all men may see that Marcus Aurelius was not then corrected nor in any place perfect whereby they might perceyue that it was not my minde to Translate Marcus Aurelius but to make a Dyall for Princes whereby all Christian people may be gouerned and ruled And as the doctrine is shewed for the vse of manie so I would profite my selfe with that which the wise men had spoken and written And in this sort proceedeth the worke wherein I put one or two chapters of mine and after I put some Epistles of Marcus Aurelius and other doctrine of some Auncient men Let not the Reader bee deceyued to thinke hat the one and the other is of the Authour For although the phrase of the Language be mine yet I confesse the greatest part that I knew was of another mans althogh the Historiographers and Doctours with whom I was holpen were manie yet the doctrine which I wrote was but one I will not denye but I haue left out some things which were superfluous in whose steade I haue placed things more sweete and profitable So that it needeth good wittes to make which seemeth in one language to be grosse in another to giue it the apparance of gold I haue deuided into three books this present Dyall of Princes The first treateth that the Prince ought to bee a good Christian The second how hee ought for to gouerne his wife and children The third teacheth how he should gouerne his person and his Common wealth I had begunne another booke wherein was contained how a Prince should behaue himselfe in his Court and Pallace but the importunity of my friendes caused me to withdraw my penne to the end I might bring this worke to light The end of the Argument A COMPENDIOVS TABLE OF ALL THE SEVERALL ARGVMENTS contayned in these distinct Bookes of MARCVS AVRELIVS * ⎠* The first Booke OF the Birth and Linage of the vise Philosopher and Emperor Marcus Aurelius Also of three seuerall Chapters in the beginning of this book concerning a discourse of his life for by his Epistles and doctrine the whole course of the present worke is approued Chap. 1. Fol. 1. Of a Letter sent by Marcus Aurelius to his friend Pulio wherein hee declareth the order of his whole life And among other things hee maketh mention of a thing which happened to a Romane Censor with his Host of Compagnia chap. 2. fol. 5. The Letter concluded by Marcus Aurelius declaring at large what Science hee had learned and all the Masters he had Beside he reciteth fiue notable things in obseruance whereof the Romanes were curious chap. 3. fol. 8. Of the excellency of Christian Religion which manyfesteth the true God and disproueth the vanitie of the Ancients in hauing so many gods And that in the old times when enemies were reconciled in their houses they caused also that their gods should imbrace each other in their Temples chap 4. fol. 13. How the Philosopher Bruxelius was greatly esteemed among the Ancients for his life And of the words which hee spake to the Romanes at the houre of his death chap. 5. fol. 15. chap. 6. fol. 16. How the Gentiles thought that one God could not defend them from their enemies And how the Romanes sent throughout all the Empire to borrow gods when they fought against the Gothes chap. 7. fol. 17 Of a Letter sent from the Senate of Rome to all the Subiects of the Empire chap. 8. fol. 18. Of the true and liuing God And of the maruailes wrought in the old Law to manifest
paine answere thy demand For the doings of youth in a yong man were neuer so vpright honest but it were more honest to amend them then to declare them Annius Verus my father shewing vnto me his fatherly loue not accomplishing yet fully 13. years drew me frō the vices of Rome and sent mee to Rhodes to learn science howbeit better accompanied with books then loden with money where I vsed such diligence and fortune so fauored me that at the age of 26. years I read openly natural and moral Philosophy and also Rhetoricke and there was nothing gaue mee such occasion to study and reade books as the want of money For pouerty causeth good mens children to be vertuous so that they attaine to that by vertue which others com vnto by riches Truely friend Pulio I found great want of the pleasures of Rome especially at my first comming into the Isle but after I had read Philosophy x. yeares at Rhodes I tooke my selfe as one born in the countrey And I think my conuersation among them caused it seeme no lesse For it is a rule that neuer faileth That vertue maketh a stranger grow naturall in a strange country and vice maketh the naturall a stranger in his owne countrey Thou knowest well how my Father Annius Verus was 15. years a Captain in the Frontiers against the barbarous by the commandement of Adrian my Lord and Master and Antoninus Pius my Father in Law both of them Princes of famous memory which recommended mee there to their olde friends who with fatherly counsell exhorted me to forgette the vices of Rome and to accustome my selfe to the vertues of Rhodes And truely it was but needfull for mee For the naturall loue of the country oft times bringeth damage to him that is borne therein leading his desire still to returne home Thou shalt vnderstand that the Rhodians are men of much courtesie and requiting benenolences which chanceth in few Isles because that naturally they are persons deceitfull subtill vnthankefull and full of suspition I speake this because my Fathers friends alwaies succored me with counsel mony which 2 things were so necessary that I could not tell which of them I had most need of For the stranger maketh his profite with money to withstand disdainefull pouerty profiteth himself with counsel to forget the sweet loue of his country I desired then to reade Philosophie in Rhodes so long as my Father continued there Captaine But that could not bee for Adrian my Lord sent for me to return to Rome which pleased me not a litle albeit as I haue said they vsed me as if I had beene borne in that Iland for in the end Although the eyes bee fedde with delight to see strange things yet therefore the heart is not satisfied And this is all that touched the Rhodians I will now tell thee also how before my going thither I was borne and brought vp in mount Celio in Rome with my father from mine infancie In the common wealth of Rome there was a law vsed and by custome well obserued that no Citizen which enioyed any liberty of Rome after their sonnes had accomplished tenne yeares should bee so bold or hardy to suffer them to walke the streetes like vacabonds For it was a custome in Rome that the children of the Senators should sucke till two yeares of age till foure they should liue at their own willes till sixe they should reade till eight they should write til ten they should study Grammer and ten years accomplished they should then take some craft or occupation or giue themselues to study or goe to the warres so that throughout Rome no man was idle In one of the lawes of the twelue Tables were written these words Wee ordaine and commaund that euery Citizen that dwelleth within the circuite of Rome or Liberties of the same from ten yeares vpwards to keepe his son well ordered And if perchance the child being idle or that no man teaching him any craft or science should thereby peraduenture fall to vice or commit some wicked offence that then the Father no lesse then the Sonne should bee punished For there is nothing so much breedeth vice amongst the people as when the Fathers are too negligent and the children bee too bold And furthermore another Law sayde Wee ordaine and commaund that after tenne yeares bee past for the first offence that the child shall commit in Rome that the Father shall bee bound to send him forth some where else or to bee bound surety for the good demeanour of his Sonne For it is not reason that the fond loue of the Father to the Sonne should bee an occasion why the multitude should bee slaunred Because all the wealth of the Empire consisteth in keeping and maintaining quiet men and in banishing and expelling seditious persons I will tell thee one thing my Pulio and I am sure thou wilt maruell at it and it is this When Rome triumphed and by good wisdome gouerned all the world the inhabitants in the same surmounted the number of two hundred thousand persons which was a maruellous matter Amongst whom as a man may iudge there was a hundred thousand children But they which had the charge of them kept them in such awe and doctrine that they banished from Rome one of the sonnes of Cato Vticensis for breaking an earthen pot in a Maydens hands which went to fetch water In like manner they banished the sonne of good Cinna only for entring into a garden to gather fruit And none of these two were as yet fifteene yeeres old For at that time they chastised them more for the offences done in iest then they do now for those which are don in good earnest Our Cicero sayth in his booke De Legibus That the Romanes neuer tooke in any thing more pains then to restrain the children as well olde as the young from idlenes And so long endured the feare of their Law and honour of their common wealth as they suffered not their children like vagabonds idlely to wander the streetes For that country may aboue all other bee counted happy where each one enioyeth his owne labour and no man liueth by the sweate of another I let thee know my Pulio that when I was a child although I am not yet very old none durst bee so hardy to goe commonly through Rome without a token about him of the craft and occupation hee exercised and wherby hee liued And if any man had beene taken contrary the children did not onely crie out of him in the streets as of a foole but also the Censour afterwards condemned him to trauell with the captiues in common workes For in Rome they esteemed it not lesse shame to the child which was idle then they did in Greece to the Philosopher which was ignorant And to the end thou mayest see this I write vnto thee to be no new thing thou oughtest to know that the Emperour caused
nor to come to so high an estate For those which by vertues deserue great Dignities are but fewe and sewer are those which attaine vnto them though they deserue them But if this matter be iudged according to sensualitie I tell you truely Dame Augusta that I thought not onely to deserue it but also I thought to come vnto it And hereof maruell not for it is an infallible rule Where least desert is often-times there is most presumption You say you esteemed mee for a wise man and that by wisedome I could ouer-come any difficult or disordinate appetite To this I answere that you knewe my wisedome either in mine owne busines or else in other mens affaires If in other mens affaires where it did cost mee nought I was alwayes a louer of iustice For there is no man in the world so euill that doth not desire if it bee without his owne cost to be counted liberall But if you iudge mee Dame Augusta on mine owne businesse giue not too light credit For I will that you know there is no man so iust nor of so cleare a iudgement that doth not shewe himselfe fraile in matters which touch his owne interest You say that men which haue their thoughts high and their Fortunes base liue alwayes a pensiue life Truely it is as you say But in mine opinion as the members of the bodyes are but instruments of the minde so is it necessary for men to haue quicke and sharpe wittes if they will not be negligent For if Alexander Pyrrhus Iulius Caesar Scipio and Hanniball had not beene high minded they had neuer bene as they were so Famous Noble and stoute Princes I let you vnderstand most Noble Princesse that men are not to be esteemed as lost for hauing theyr thoughtes high nor yet for hauing their hearts couragious neither for being hardie and stout but they are vndone because they beginne things through folly pursue them without wisedome and atchieue them without discretion For Noblemen enterprising great things ought not to employ theyr force as their noble heart willeth but as wisedome and reason teacheth You say you maruell why I waste the Treasures without care which Iustinian and you gathered together with great paine Now to this I answere you ought not to maruell if all the Treasours you heaped together of so long time were spent and consumed in one day For there is an ancient Malediction on riches hidden and Treasours buryed which Epimenides casteth out saying these words All the Treasours hoorded vp by the Couetous shall bee wasted by the Prodigall You say Through that I wast in fewe dayes you shall haue neither to giue to waste nor yet to eate at the yeares ende To this I answere most gracious Princesse that if you had beene as ready to relieue the Poore as you and Iustinian were diligent to robbe the rich then you should iustly haue complained and I worthily might well haue had iust cause to repent Till now wee haue not seene but that of the Rich you haue made Poore and notwithstanding this yet you haue not gotten enough to builde an Hospitall for the Poore You say that Princes to resist theyr enemyes had neede of great Treasures To this I answer if Princes be proud greedy and of strange Realmes ambicious it is most certaine that they had need of great substances and Treasours to accomplish and maintaine theyr disordinate appetties For the enae of a tyran nous Princâ—â—s that he careth not whether by hooke or by crooke hee make himselfe rich in his life But if the Prince be or will be a man reposed quiet vertuou patient peaceable and 〈◊〉 couetous of the goods of an other man what need hath he of great treasurs For to speake truly in Princes houses there is more offence in that which aduaunceth then in that which wanteth I will not waste many wordes in answering sith I am much more liberal of deeds then of wordes But to conclude that there is no Prince which in vertuous deedes wasteth so much but if hee will hee may spend much more For in the ende Princes become not poore for spending their goods and Treasours vpon necessaries but for making waste vpon things superfluous And take this word for all that for this hee shall not be the poorer but rather the richer For most certainely it is a generall rule in Christian Religion that God will giue more to his Seruants in one houre then they will waste in 20. yeares Iustinian beeing Emperour 11 yeares who being a Foole and very obstinate in the heresie of the Pelagians dyed to the great offence of the Romaine people whose death was as much desired as his life abhorred For the Tyrannous Prince that maketh many weeping eyes in his life shall cause many reioycing bearts at his death Iustinian being dead Tiberius was elected Emperour who gouerned the Empire through so great wisedome and Iustice that no man was able to reproue him if the Hystories in his time did not deceyue vs. For it seldome happeneth to a Prince to be as he was vpright in Iustice pure in life and cleane in Conscience For fewe are those Princes which of some vices are not noted Paulus Diaconus in his 18. booke of the Romaine Gests declareth a thing both strange and maruellous which besel vnto this Emperour at that time and very worthie to recite at this present And it was that in the Cittie of Constantinople the Romaine Emperours had a Pallace very sumptuous and beseming the authoritie of the Imperiall maiestie which was begun in the time of Constantine the Great and afterwardes as the succession of good and euil Emperors was so were the Buyldings decayed or repayred For it is the deede of a vertuous Prince to abolish vices of the Common-wealth and to make great and sumptuous buildings in his countrey This Emperour Tiberius had spent much of his substance and Treasour for the redeeming of poore captiues to build Hospitals to erect Monasteries to marry and prouide for the Orphares to sucour poore people and widdowes In this and such like hee was so prodigall that it came almost to passe that hee had nothing to eate in his Pallace And truely this was a blessed necessity For Catholike Princes ought to think that wel imployed which in the Seruice of Christ is bestowed And hereof this Emperour was not ashamed but he thought it a great honour and that which onely grieued him was to see the Empresse reioyce so much at his misery For the High and Noble hearts which feele themselnes wounded do not so much esteeme their owne payne as they do to see their enemyes reioyce at theyr griefe God neuer forsooke them that for his sake became poore as appeareth by this It chanced one day that euen as the Emperor Tiberius walked in the middest of his Pallace he saw at his feete a Marble-stone which was in forme of the Crosse of the Redeemer of the world And because it had
resisted if it be not by wise men and graue counsells The sixt was What thing that is wherein men are praised to be negligent and that is in choosing of Friendes Hee answered In one thing onely men haue licence to be negligent Slowly ought thy Friends to bee chosen and they neuer after for any thing ought to be forsaken The seuenth was What is that which the afflicted man doth most desire Byas answered It is the chaunce of Fortune and the thing which the prosperous man doth most abhorre is to thinke that Fortune is somutable For the vnfortunate man hopeth for euery chaunge of Fortune to be made better and the wealthy man feareth through euery change to be depriued of his bouse These were the Questions which the Philosophers demaunded of Byas in the Playes of the Mount Olympus in the 60. Olympiade The Phylosopher Byas liued about 95. yeares and as he drewe neere his death the Prienenses shewing themselues to be maruellous sorrowfull for the losse of such a famous man desired him earnestly to ordayne some lawes whereby they might know how to choose Captaines or some Prince which after him might guide and gouerne the Realme The Phylosopher Byas vnderstanding their honest and iust requests he with his best counsell and aduisement gaue them certaine wholsome Lawes in fewe wordes which followe And of these Lawes the diuine Plato maketh mention in his Booke De Legibus and likewise Aristotle in the booke of Oecenomices The Lawes which BIAS gvue to the Prienenses WEe ordayne and command that no man bee chosen to bee Prince among the people vnlesse hee bee at least forty yeares of age For gouernours ought to be of such age that neyther youth nor small experience should cause them to erre in their affayres nor weakenesse thorow ouermuch age should hinder them from taking paines Wee ordayne and commaund that none bee chosen amongst the Prienenses Gouernour if hee bee not well learned in the Greeke Letters For there is no greater plague in the publike weale then for him to lacke wisedome which gouerneth the same Wee ordayne and commaund that there bee none amongst the Prienenses chosen Gouernour vnlesse hee hath beene brought vp in the warres ten yeares at the least for hee alone doth know how precious a thing peace is which by experience hath felt the extreame miseries of warre Wee ordayne and commaund that if any haue beene noted to bee cruell that hee bee not chosen for Gouernour of the people for that man which is cruell is likely to be a Tyrant Wee ordaine and commaund that if the Gouernor of the Prienenses bee so hardy or dare presume to breake the auncient lawes of the people that in such case hee be depriued from the office of the Gouernour and likewise exiled from the people For there is nothing that destroyeth sooner a publike-Weale then to ordaine new and fond lawes to breake the good auncient Customes Wee ordaine and commaund that the Gouernour of the Prienenses doe worship and honour the Gods and that hee bee a louer of the sacred Temples For otherwise hee that honoureth not God will neuer minister equall iustice vnto men Wee ordaine and command that the Prince of Prienenses bee contented with the warres which his Auncesters left him and that he doe not forget newe matters to inuade any other strange Countries and if perchance he would that no man in this case bee bound neyther with money nor in person to follow or serue him For the God Apollo told mee that that man which wil take another mans goods from him by force shall loose his owne Iustice Wee ordaine and command that the Gouernour of the Prienenses go to pray and worship the Gods twice in the weeke and likewise to visite them in the Temples and if hee doe the contrary he shall not onely bee depriued of the gouernement but also after his death he shall not bee buried For the Prince that honoreth not God in time of his life deserueth not his bones should bee honoured with sepnlture after his death CHAP XXII How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despise his Church and how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of Hell WHen the Eternall Creatour who measureth all the things by his Omnipotency and weigheth them by his effectuall wisedome created all things aswell celestiall as terrestriall visible as inuisible corporate as incorporate not onely promised to the good which serued him but also threatned the euil with plagues which offended him For the iustice and mercy of GOD goe alwayes together to the intent the one should encourage the good and the other threaten the euill This thing seemeth to bee true for that wee haue but one GOD which hath created but one World wherein hee made but one Garden in the which Garden there was but one Fountaine and neere to that Fountaine he appointed onely one man one woman and one Serpent neere vnto which was also one tree only forbidden which is a thing maruellous to speake and no lesse fearefull to see how God did put into the terrestriall Paradise the same day that the creation of the World was finished both a sword and a gybet The gybet was the tree forbidden whereof they did eate Wherefore our Fathers were condemned And the sword was the penishment wherwith wee all as miserable children at this day are beheaded for truely they did eate the bitternesse of theyr fault and we doe feele the griefe of their paine I meane to shew how our God by his power doth rayse vp that which is beaten downe how with his wisedome he guideth those which are blind how by his will hee dissembleth with the euill doers neyther wil I tell how hee through his clemency pardoneth the offences and through his light lightneth the darkenesse nor how through his righteousnesse hee amendeth that which is broken and through his liberality payeth more then wee deserue But I will here declare at large how our omnipotent God through his iustice chastiseth those which walke not in his pathes O Lord God how sure may thy faithfull seruants be for their small seruices to receyue great rewards and contrary the euill ought alwayes to liue in as great feare lest for their hainous offences thou shouldest giue them cruell punishments for though God of his bounty will not leaue any seruice vnrewarded nor of his iustice will omit any euill vnpunished yet for all that wee ought to know that aboue all and more then all hee will rigorously chastice those which maliciously despise the Catholike faith For Christ thinketh himselfe as much iniured of those which persecute his Church as of those that layd handes on his person to put him to death We reade that in times past God shewed sundry grieuous and cruell punishments to diuers high Lords and Princes besides other famous renowned men But rigour had neuer such power in his hand as it had against those which honored
that infamed Idoll and violated the sacred Temples For to God this is the most haynous offence to forsake the holy Catholike faith in his life and to despaire in his mercy at the houre of his death Would to God wee had so much grace to acknowledge our offences as God hath reason to punish our sins For if it were so then wee would amend in time to come and God would graunt vs a general pardon for all that is past I see one thing wherin as I thinke I am not deceiued which is this that the fraylties and miseryes which we cōmit wee thinke them naturall and in the satisfaction and amendment of the same wee say they are strange so that we admit the fault and condemne the paine which thereby we doe deserue The secret iudgements of God doe suffer it and our offences do deserue it I doe not denie but that the euill may holde and possesse this life at their pleasure but I sweare vnto them when they shall least thinke of it they shall lose theyr life to their great displeasure for the pleasures of this life are so vnconstant that wee scarce beginne to taste them when they fade out of our sight It is a rule infallible which both of the good and euill hath bin proued that all naturallie desire rather to abound then to want all that which greatly is desired with great diligence is searched and through great trauell is obtained and that thing which by trauell is attained with loue is possessed that which by loue is possessed with much sorrow is lost bewailed lamented For in the end wee cannot deny but that the watry eies do manifestly shew the sorrowfull harts To the fine wits and stout harts this is a continuall torment and endles paine and a worme that alway gnaweth to call to minde that he must lose the ioyfull life which he so entirely loued tast the fearfull death which so greatly he abhorred Therfore to proue this matter which I haue spoken of before it is but reason that Princes knowe if they doe not know that men as the diuine Prouidence exalteth them to high Estates they not deseruing them So likewise his rigorous iustice will bring thē to nought if they bee vnthankfull for his benefits For the ingratitude or benefits receiued maketh that man not worthy to receyue any moe The more a man throgh benefits is bound the more grieuous punishment if he be vnthankfull hee deserueth All wise men should finde if they apply their mindes therevnto that in chastising God calleth those offences first to his minde which are furthest from the thoughts of men For before the Tribunall of God our secret faults are alwayes casting out bloud to the end hee should execute on our person open iustice And further I say that in this case I do not see that the Prince is exempted more though hee liue in great felicitie then the poore labourer who liueth in extreame miserie And also we see it eft-soones by experience that the sudden Lightning Tempests and terrible Thunder forsaketh the small and lowe Cottages and battereth forthwith the great and sumptuous buyldings Gods will and determination is that foras-much as hee hath exalted them aboue all others so much the more they should acknowledge him for Lord aboue all others For GOD did neuer create high Estates because they should worke wickednes but he placed them in that degree to the end they should thereby haue more occasion to doe him seruice Euery Prince that is not a good Christian a seruent louer of the Catholike faith nor wil haue any respect to the Diuine seruice let him be assured that in this world hee shall lose his renowme and in the other he shall hazard his soule For that all euill Christians are the Parishioners of Hell CHAP XXIII The Anthour proueth by twelue examples that Princes are sharpely punished when they vsurpe boldly vpon the Churches and violate their temples Why the children of Aaron were punished IT is now time that wee leaue to perswade with wordes and reasons and to beginne to proue that which we haue sayd by some excellent histories and notable examples For in the end the hearts of men are stirred more through some little examples then with a great multitude of words In the first booke of Leuiticus the 10. Chapter is declared how in the time of Moses the sonne in law of Iethro the Priest that was of Media who was chiefe Prince of all the lynage of Seph with whom the brother of Mary the Leper had charge of the high Priesthood For among all the lawes where God at any time put his hands vnto hee prouided alwayes that some had the gouernement of ciuill affayres and others the administration of the diuine misteries This high Priest then had towe children whose names were Nadab and Abihu which two were yong and beautifull stout and sage and during their infancie serued their Father helped him to doe sacrifice For in the old law they suffered that Priests should not onely haue wiues children but also that their children should succeed them in their Temples and inherite their benefices There came a great mischance for the two children being apparrelled in white their bodies bound with stolles their hands naked in one hād holding a Torch and in the other the Sencer being negligent to light the new fire and contrary to that the law had ordayned and taking coales which were prohibited a maruellous thing was seene in the sight of the people which was that sodenly these two childrē fel flat on the earth dead and all their sacrifice burned Truly the sentence was maruellous but it was iust in ough For they well deserued to loose their liues sithence they durst sacrifice the coales of an other This thing seemed to be true for these young children saued theyr soules and made satisfaction of the fault with their liues but other wicked men God permitteth to liue a short time because they shall loose their soules for euer The cause why the Azotes were punished THe Realme of Palestine being destitute of a King at that time an honorable olde man gouerned the realme which was Father to two Knights named Albino and Phinides for at that time the children of Israel were not gouerned by Kings that did molest them by iniuries but by sage men which did maintaine them by iustice It chaunced that the Azotes made warre against the Palestines and were a kind of the Arabians stout and warlike the which fought so couragiously that the Palestines and Hebrewes were constrained to bring their Arke into the middest of the Battell which was a Relicke as a man should haue put the holie Sacrament to deuide a great multitude of people But Fortune shewed her countenaunce vnto them so frowningly that they were not onely ouer-come but also were spoyled of the Arke which was their chiefe relicke And besides that there were 4000. Palestines slaine The
the Realme of Thracia which then was subiect to the Romanes And the Emperour Valente without any couenant receiued them into his land wherein hee committed great folly and vsed little wisedome for it is a generall rule where rebels vagabonds strangers come to inhabite there the Realme and dominions is destroyed The Gothes remained certain yeares among them without any dissention or quarrelling against the Romaines but afterwards through the couetousnes of Maximus chiefe Captain of the Romaines who denyed the Gothes of their prouision which so long time remained Friendes arose betweene them so cruell warres that it was the occasion of the losse and vtter vndoing both of Rome and of all Italie For truly there is no enmity doth somuch hurt as that of Friends when they fall out at discord The Warres now being kindled the Gothes were scattred through the Kingdome of Thrace and they left no Forte but they battered downe they came to no Townes Villages nor Cities but they sacked and spoyled They tooke no Women but they forced and rauished they entred into no house but they robbed Finally the Gothes in short time shewed the poison that they had against the Romans let no man maruell that the Gothes committed so many cruel and hainous facts sith we that are Christians doe commit dayly greater offences For among rebels it is a common errour that that which they rob in the warres they say they are not bound to restore in peace The Emperor Valente was then in the citie of Antioch and sith he had assembled there a great armie and had great aide out of Italy he determined himselfe in person to goe into the campe of the Romans and to giue the onset against the Gothes wherein hee shewed himselfe more bold then wise for a Prince in battael caÌ„ do no more then one man nor fight more then one man and if he die he is the occasion of the death and destruction of them all When both the hosts of the Romaines and the Gothes ioyned there was betweene them a cruell and mortall fight so that in the first brunt the Gothes shewed themselues so valiant that they put to flight the Romans horsemen leauing their footemen alone in great ieopardie the which in short space after were discomfited and slaine not one left aliue For the barbarous sware that that day the Gothes should all die or else vtterly they would destroy the name of the Romanes And in this first charge the Emperour Valente was mortally wounded who perceyuing he had his deathes wound and that the battell was lost hee determined to flye and saue himselfe but when fortune beginneth to persecute any man shee leaueth him not vntill shee see him dead or beaten downe without recouery Therefore as this wicked Emperour thinking to saue himselfe came into a sheepecote the enemies seeing him in the end set fire on the shepecote and burnt him aliue So in one day hee loft his person his life his honour and his Empire For it is meete that Princes and great Lords should lift vp their eyes to consider well the Historie of Valente that they stray not from the Catholike Faith that they dishonour not Gods Ministers and maintaine heresyes For as this accursed Emperour Valente for his wicked doings was condignely punished by the hands of Almighty God So let them be assured the selfe same God will not pardon their offences For it is a rule infallible That that Prince which is not a good Christian shal fall into the hands of his cruell enemies CHAP. XXV Of the Emperor Valentinian and Gracian his Sonne which raigned in the time of Saint Ambrose which because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and that God giueth victory vnto Princes more through the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of those that fight IAlentinian and Valent were brethren and the eldest of them was Valentinian who succeeded in the Empire after the death of his Father to bee Pretor of the Armies For amongst the Romaines there was a Law in vre that if the Father dyed in the fauour of the people of right the sonne without any other demand was heyre This Valentinian was a lusty yong man of a sanguine complexion and of his body well shaped and aboue all hee was a good Christian and of all the people generally welbeloued For nothing adorneth the noble man more then to bee counted ciuill and courteous of behauiour At that time when the Emperour Iulian persecuted most the Christians Valentinian was Pretour of the Armies and when Iulian was aduertised that Valentinian was a Christian hee sent vnto him and bad him doe sacrifice to the Idols of the Romane Emperor or else to forsake the office of his Pretorship Iulian would gladly haue killed Valentinian but he durst not for it was a Law inuiolable amongst the Romanes that no Citizen should be put to death without the decree of the Senate Valentinian receyuing the message of this Emperour Iulian aduertised of his will which was to renounce his faith or to leaue his office hee did not onely resigne his office but therewithall forgaue the Emperour all the money hee ought him for arrerages of his sernice And because hee would liue with a more quiet conscience he went from Rome into a Cloyster where hee banished himselfe for two yeares and a halfe for this hee was highly esteemed and commended For it is a good signe That man is a good Christian which of his owne free will renounceth worldly goods Shortly after it happened that Iulian the Emperour went to conquere the Realme of Persia where in a battell hee was very sore wounded and fell downe dead in the present place For to the mishaps of Fortune the Emperour with all his estate and pleasures is as much subiect as is the poorest man that lieth in the streetes When the newes came to Rome that Iulian was dead by the consent of all Valentinian was created Emperour so that hee being banished for Christs sake was called againe and crowned Prince of the Romane Empire Let no man care to loose all that hee possesseth let no man weigh to see himselfe despised for Christes sake For in the end men cannot in a thousand yeeres so much abase vs as God in one houre can exalt vs. In the same yeare which was from the foundation of Rome â—119 in a City called Atrobata it rained very fine wooll so that all the City became rich In the same yeare in the City of Constantinople it hayled such great stones that they killed many men left no heards in the fields aliue At that same time there came an Earthquake throughout Italy and so likewise in Sicille that many houses fell and slew sundry persons and aboue all the sea rose in such sort that it drowned many Cities nigh thereunto Paulus Diaconus in the 11. booke De Legibus Romanorum sayeth that the Emperour Valentinian was of a subtill wit of
his mone to God of his griefe and God hearing his complaints said vnto him Samuel Be not sad nor lament not for their demaunding a King as they doe they doe not mislike thy person but they disprayse my prouidence and maruell not though they forsake thy children for they are somewhat too young sith they haue forsaken mee their God and worship false Idols Sith they demaund a King I haue determined to giue them one but first tell to them the conditions of the King which are these The King whom I will giue you shall take your Children with your Charriots and beasts and shall send them loaden with burdens And yet therewith not contented hee shall make your children poastes by the way Tribunes and Centurions in his Battells and shal make them labourers and gardeners in his gardens he shal make them sow his seeds paste his bread and furbish his harnes and Armor You shall haue besides both delicate and tender daughters the which you shall little enioy For the King that I will giue you shall commaund them to keepe and attend those that are wounded in the wars hee shall make them Cookes in his Pallace and Caters of his expences The King that I will giue you if hee handle your Sonnes and Daughters euil much worse hee will handle your goods For on the beasts and fertile Fieldes that you haue his Heard shall feede he shal gather the best grapes of your vines he shall choose of your Oliue trees the best olyues and oyles And if any fruit afterwards remaine in your fieldes hee will they shall bee gathered not by you but of his workemen And afterwards the King that I wil giue you shal oppresse you much more For of euery pecke of corne you shal giue him one of ten sheepe you must needes giue him one so that of all things which you shal gather against your wils you shal giue the tenth Of your Slaues the King shall be serued sooner then you and he shall take all your Oxen that labour and trauaile in your owne Possessions and shall bring them to plough in his owne ground and tenements So that you shall pay tribute the King shall take his owne profit for the wealth and commoditie of his Pallace And all this which I haue rehearsed before the King shall haue whom I will giue you The Historie which here I haue declared is not Ouid nor yet the Eglogges of Virgil nor yet the fayning of Homer but it is the sentence and the very word of God O mortall ignoraunce that wee demaund and know not why nor wherefore to whom nor where neither whē wee demaund which causeth men to runne into sundry errours For fewe men are so wise that they offend not in choosing and that they can aske with reason The Hebrewes asked as they thinke the better and GOD giueth them the worse they aske one to gouern them and God giueth them a Tyrant to destroy them they aske one that should maintaine them in Iustice and hee threatneth them with tyrannie they require one that shuld giue them and hee giueth them one which robbeth them They require one to deliuer them from bondage hee ordaineth one to keepe them as slaues And finally the Hebrewes trusting to be deliured of their Iudges which ruled not according to their appetits God shal giue thē a king that shal take away their goods from them by force Oh how many times ought wee to pray vnto GOD to giue vs Princes in our Common-wealth and Prelates in our Churches which doe knowe how to gouerne vs and minister vnto vs not according to the weight of our soule but according to the measure of his mercie Plato saith in the first booke of lawes that one of the most Excellent lawes which the Siciones had in theyr Prouince was to keepe their Cities that they should not chaunge nor alter any thing therein Truely those Barbarous were sage in theyr doing and Plato was very discreete to commende them therein For nothing destroyeth a Common-wealth sooner then to suffer chaunges ofttimes therein All these things seemed to bee true in the Hebrues the which in their gouernment were very rash and vndiscrete For first they gouerned themselues by Patriarckes as Abraham was After they were gouerned by Prophets as Moses By Captaines as Iosuab by Iudges as Gedeon by Kings as Dauid and after they gouerned themselues by Byshops as Abdias was and in the ende the Hebrewes not contented with all these GOD suffered that they should fal into the hāds of Antichus Ptholomeus Herodes all Tirants This punishment fell according to the iust iudgement of God vpon them for theyr offences for it was euen meete that they that would not enioy the pleasant libertie of Iudea should taste the cruell seruitude of Babylon The condition which chaunced in the gouernment to the vnconstant Hebrewes the same happened vnto the proud Romains The which in the beginning of their Empire were gouerned by Kings afterwards by x. men Then by the Consuls so by the Dictators by the Censors and afterwards by the Tribunes and Senators and in the ende they came to be gouerned by Emperours and tyrannous Princes The Romaines inuented all these alterations in their gouernmēts for none other cause but to see whether they could be deliuered from the commaundement of another For the Romains in this case were so proud harted that they had rather dye in libertie then liue in captiuitie God had so ordained it and their wofull case did so promise it when they were aboue all other Kings and Realmes of the Earth that then the slaue should be obedient to his yrons and the subiect should acknowledge the homage to his Master And though that subiects doe moue warres though Kings also do winne Realms and Emperors conquer Empires yet wil they or nill they both great and small should acknowledge themselues for seruants For during the time of our fleshly life we can neuer withdraw our selue from the yoke of seruitude And say not you Princes for that you are puissant Princes that you are exempted from seruitude of men For without doubt it is a thing more vntollerable to haue theyr hearts burdened with thoughts then their necks loden with yrons If a slaue be good they take from him some yrons but to you that are Princes the greater you are the greater cares you haue For the prince that for his Common-wealth taketh care hath not one momēt of an houre quiet A slaue hopeth to be deliuered in his life but you cannot looke to be deliuered till after your death They lay yrons on the slaue by weight but thoughts burden you without measure For the wofull hart is more burdened with one houre of care then the body is pressed with twēty pound of yron A slaue or prisoner if hee be alone many times fyleth off his yrons but you Princes when you are alone are more grieuously tormented with thoughts For solitary
whom he neyther lifted speare nor sword because all yeelded to his cōmandment With these and such other like things they would haue feared them for that words oft times maketh men more afraide especially when they are spoken of braue stoute men then doe the swords of cowards Lucius Bosco saith in his third booke of the antiquityes of the Grecians of whom the originall of this hystorie is drawne that after the Embassadours of Alexander had spoken to the Garamantes they were nothing at all troubled for the message neither did they fly away from Alexander nor they prepared any warre neyther tooke they in hand any weapon nor yet they did resist him Yea and the chiefest of all was that no man of the Countrey euer departed out of his house Finally they neyther answered the Ambassadors of Alexander to theyr right message nor yet spake one word vnto them concerning their coming And truly the Garamantes had reason therein and did in that right wisely For it is but meere follie for a man to perswade those men with words who enterprise any thing of will It is a maruellous matter to heare reported the hystories of these Garamantes that is to say that all theyr houses were of equall height all men were apparelled alike the one had no more authority then another in feeding they were no glouttons in drinking wine they were temperate concerning pleas and debates they were ignorant they would suffer no idle man to liue among them they had no weapons because they had no enemyes and generally they spake few words but that which they spake was alwayes true King Alexander being somwhat informed of those Garamantes and their life determined to send for them and called them before his presence and instantly desired them if they had any wise men among them to bring them vnto him and by writing or by word of mouth to speake somewhat vnto him For Alexander was such a friend to sage men that all the realms which he ouercame immediately he gaue to his men excepting the Sages which he kept for his owne person Quintus Curtius by king Alexander sayth that a Prince doth wel spende his treasors to conquer many Realms only to haue the conuersation of one wise man And truely he had reason for to princes it is more profit in their life to bee accompanied with Sages then after their deaths to leaue great treasours to their heires Certaine of those Garamantes thē being come before the presence of Alex the great one among them as they thoght the most ancientst himselfe alone the residue keeping silence in the name of them all spake these words CHAP. XXXIII Of an Oration which one of the Sages of Garamantia made vnto King Alexander a goodly lesson for all ambitious men IT is a custome king Alexander amongst vs Garamantes to speake seldome one to another scarsely neuer speake to strangers especially if they be busie and vnquiet men For the tongue of an euil man is no other but a plaine demonstration of his enuious heart When they tolde vs of thy comming into this countrey immediately wee determined not to goe out to receyue thee nor to prepare our selues to resist thee neyther to lifte vp our eyes to beholde thee nor to open our mouthes to salute thee neyther to moue our hands to trouble thee nor yee to make warre to offend thee For greater is the hate that we beare to riches and honours which thou louest then the loue is that thou hast to destroy men and subdue Countreyes which we abhorre It hath pleased thee we shuld see thee not desiring to see thee and wee haue obeied thee not willing to obey thee and that we should salute thee not desirous to salute thee wherewith wee are contented vppon condition that thou be patient to heare vs. For that which we will say vnto thee shall tend more vnto amendmēt of thy life then to disswade thee frō conquering our countrey For it is reason that Princes which shal come hereafter doe know why wee liuing so little esteeme that which is our owne and why thou dying takest such paines to possesse that which is another mans O Alexander I aske thee one thing and I doubt whether thou canst aunswer me thereunto or no For those hearts which are proud are also most commonly blinded Tell me whether thou goest from whence thou commest what thou meanest what thou thinkest what thou desirest what thou seekest what thou demandest what thou searchest and what thou procurest and further to what Realms Prouinces thy disordinate appetite extendeth Without a cause do I not demand thee this question what is that thou demandest and what it is that thou seekest For I think thou thy selfe knowest not what thou wouldest For proud and ambicious hearts know not what will satisfie them Sith thou art ambitious honor deceiueth thee sith thou art prodigall couetousnes beguyleth thee sith thou art yong ignorance abuseth thee and sith thou art proude all the world laugheth thee to scorne in such sort that thou followest men and not reason thou followest thine owne opinion and not the counsell of an other thou embracest flatterers and repulsest vertuous men For Princes and Noble men had rather bee commended with lyes thē to be reproued with truth I cannot tell to what ende you Princes liue so deceyued and abused to haue keepe in your pallaces more flattrers iuglers and fooles then wise and sage men For in a princes pallace if there bee any which extolleth theyr doings there are ten thousand which abhorre their tyrannies I perceiue by these deeds Alexander that the gods will sooner end thy life then then wilt end thy wars The man that is brought vp in debates discentions and strife all his felicitie consisteth in burning destroying and bloud shedding I see thee defended with weapōs I see thee accōpanied with tirants I see thee rob the tēples I se thee without profit wast the treasors I see thee murder the Innocent and trouble the patient I see thee euill willed of all and beloued of none which is the greatest euill of all euils Therefore how were it possible for thee to endure such and so great trauels vnlesse thou art a foole or else because God hath appointed it to chastice thee The Gods suffer oftentimes that men being quiet should haue some weighty affayres and that is not for that they should be honoured at this present but to the end they should be punished for that which is past Tell mee I pray thee peraduenture it is no great folly to empouerish many to make thy selfe alone rich It is not peraduenture folly that one should commaund by tyranny and that all the rest lose the possession of their Seigniory It is not folly perchance to loue to the damnation of our soules many memories in the world of our body It is not folly perchance that the Gods approue thy disordinate appetite alone and condemne the will and opinion of all the
of in my time of my predecessors which were vtterly vndon by too much pride and presumption but I neuer read nor hearde of any which were destroyed for being courteous and louing to his subiects I will declare by some examples which I haue read in bookes to the end that the Lords may see what they win by theyr good conuersation and what they loose by being too hautie The Realme of the Sidonians was greater then that of the Chaldeans in weapons and inferiour in antiquitie vnto that of the Assyrians In this Realme there was Debastia which was called a King of Kings that endured two hundred and xxv yeeres because all these Kings were of a commendable conuersation And another of Debastia endured no longer then forty yeares And our ancients tooke pleasure of peace wherof we are 〈◊〉 and were ignorant of the 〈…〉 which wee now vse so much Alwayes they desired to haue Kings which should bee good for the Common-wealth in peace rather then valiant and couragious in the warre as Homere in his Ilyades saith The auncient Egiptians called theyr Kings Epiphanes and had a custom that Epiphanes should enter into the temples barefoote And because it chanced the Epiphane on a time to come into their Church hoased hee was immediately for his disobediēce depriued and expulsed the Realme and in his stead an other created Homere declareth here that this king was prowde and euill conditioned wherfore the Egyptians depriued him and banished him the Realme taking oceasion that hee did not enter into the temple barefoot For truely when Lordes are euill-willed and not beloued for a little trifle and occasion the people will arise and rebell against them The said Homer saide also that the Parthes called theyr Kings Assacides and that the sixt of that name was depriued and expulsed the Realme for that of presumption hee bad himselfe to the marriage of a knight and being bidden and desired would not goe to the marriage of a poore Plebeyan Cicero in his Tusculanes sayth That in olde time the people perswaded theyr Princes to communicate with the poore and that they should abstaine flye from the rich For among the poore they should learne to bee mercifull and with the rich they shall learne nothing but onely to bee prowd Yee knowe right well Fathers conscript how this our countrey was first called Great Greece afterwards it was called Latium and then Italie And when it was called Latium they called their kings Marrani and truely although theyr borders were but narrow yet at the least theyr stoutnesse was great The Annales of those times say that after the thirde Syluius succeeded a Marrine who was proude ambicious and euill conditioned in such sorte that for feare of the people alwaies he slept locked vp and therefore they both depriued him and banished him the Realme For the auncients sayd That the king should locke his dores at no houre of the night against his Subiects neyther he should refuse in the day to giue them audience Tarquine which was the last of the seuen Kings of Rome which was very vnthankfull towards his Father in law he was an infamie to his bloud a traitour to his countrey and cruell of his person who also enforced the Noble Lucretia and yet notwithstanding this they doe not call him vnthankfull infamous cruell traitour nor adulterer but Tarquine the proude onely for that he was euill conditioned By the faith of a good man I sweare vnto you Fathers conscript that if the miserable Tarquin had bin beloued in Rome hee had neuer bin depriued of the Realme for committing adulterie with Lucretia For in the end if euery light offence which in youth is committed should bee punished within short space there should be no Common-wealth All these euils both before and after Tarquine were committed by the ancients in the Romaine Empire which were such as these of this young and light prince and were nothing in comparison vnto thee For truly considering the youth of the one and the experience of the other the greatest offence of the young is but a counterfeit to the least that the olde committeth Iulius Caesar last Dictatour and first Emperour of Rome beeing a thing commendable both to Senatours to salute the Emperour on theyr knees and to the Emperour to rise against them and resalute eache one according to this order because of presumption and that he would not obserue this ceremonie with xxiii woundes they dispatched him of his life Tiberius was an Emperour whome they blame for drunkennes Caligula was an Emperor also whome they accuse of Incest with his Sisters Nero was an Emperour who for that hee slew his Mother and his maister Seneca hath for euer bin named cruell Sergius Galba was a deuouring and a gluttonous Emperor for that he caused for one onely Banket seuen thousand Bynds to be killed Domitian was an Emperour who was greatly noted of all euils For all euils which in manie were scattered in him alone were found All these miserable Princes in the ende were betrayed hanged and beheaded And I sweare vnto ye Fathers conscript that they died not for theyr vices but because they were proud and euill conditioned For finally the Prince for one vice onely cannot much endamage the people but for being too haultie and presumptuous and of euill conditions they may destroy a Commonwealth Let Princes and great Lords be assured that if they giue many occasions of euill example afterwardes one onely-suffiseth to stirre theyr subiects to destroy them For if the Lord shew not his hatred it is for that hee will not but if the subiect do not reuenge it is for that he cannot Beleue me fathers conscript sacred Senate that euen as the Physition with a little triacle purgeth many euil humors of the body so the sage Princes with very litle beneuolence draw out of theyr Subiects much rancour and inward filthinesse of heart diuerting their euill wills into true and faithfull loue And because the members should be agreable with the head in mine opinion it behoueth the people to obey the commaundements of theyr Prince and to doe honour and to reuerence his person and the good Prince to bee iust and equall to all in generall and gentle in conuersation with euery one O happy commonwealth wherein the Prince findeth obedience in the people and the people in like manner loue in the Prince For the loue of the Lord springeth obedience in the subiect and of the obodience of the Subiects springeth loue in the Lord. The Emperour in Rome is as the Spyder in the midst of her Cobweb the which beeing touched with the needles point by one of the threedes of the same bee it neuer so little immediately the spyder feeleth it I meane that all the worke which the Emperor doth in Rome are immediately published throughout all the countrey For in fine since princes are the myrrour of all they can not well cloake theyr vices
speake these things is to perswade princes prelates and great Lords that the great diligence they haue to seeke Surgeans and the summe of mony they waste to maintaine and content them they should spend part of that to seeke wise men to counsell their persons for if men knew what it were to keepe a wise man to commaund in their house they would giue for one onely wise man all their goods yee ought for to haue pitty and compassion vpon those princes and great Lords which lose so many dayes in the moneth and so many houres in the day in speaking of warres buildings weapons meats beasts of huntings and medicines oftentimes of other mens doings and of other vain things not necessary for mans life And this communication they vse with those that are neither vertuous nor wise the which can neyther wisely talke nor yet answere directly vnto that which is asked Oftentimes it chanceth that a prince at randon moueth a matter which they neuer saw written before nor with their eares they neuer heard the like neyther in all their life time they had knowledge thereof and yet they wil seeme to giue iudgement of it or better to say obstinately to contend as if all the dayes of their life they had studied it which thing proceedeth of great shame and euill bringing vp For the priuie Councell may speake before their princes but be they neuer so priuie with licence or without licence it is not lawfull for them to contend Helius Spartianus in the life of Alexander Seuerus sayeth that the Emperour Seuerus was demaunded onceby an Ambassadour of Greece What thing was most painefull to him in Rome whereunto the Emperour answered There is nothing grieueth mee more then when I am merry that my seruants should raise any strife or debate I am not displeased that matters should be debated but this grieueth mee when one will obstinatly striue that hath no ground of that hee speaketh hee cannot otherwise but be called obstinate Theodosius the Emperour was once demanded What a Prince ought to doe to be good wherunto he answered The vertuous Prince when he goeth abroade ought to haue graue and wise men in his company to discourse withall when he is at his meat to haue wise men at his board disputing and when he withdraweth him selfe a part to be reading with wise men and finally at all vacant times he ought to bee found with sage men counselling for the Knight which entreth into battell without weapōs is as hardy as the prince which will gouerne the common wealth without the counsell of wise men Lampridius in the booke of the Roman gests sayth that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius neyther at his meat at his going to bedde at his vprising in his trauell openly nor secretly suffered at any time that fooles should sing or communicate with him but onely wise and vertuous men whom alwayes he most entirely loued Of truth hee had reason for there is nothing be it in iest or in earnest but it is better liked of a wise man thē of a foole If a Prince bee sad cannot a wise man peraduentur by the saying of the holy Scripture counsell him better then a foole by foolish words If a Prince be prosperous shall it not bee better to keepe him in the same property to associate himselfe with a wise man rather then to put his trust in a foole and malitious person If a Prince be destitute of money cannot perchance a wise man finde him better meanes to get it then a foole which doth nothing but aske If a Prince will passe the time away shall not hee bee more comforted with a wise man that reckoneth vnto him the sauoury histories done in times past then hearkning a foole speake foolishly and declaring things dishonestly with the sayings of the malitious of the time present That that I speake of Surgians the selfe same I speake of fooles For I doe not say that they keepe them for their pastime though truely wee might better say to lose their time then to passe their time for that may iustly bee called time lost which is spent without the seruice of God and profit of their neighbours That which I most maruell at is not so much for the great authoritie that fooles haue in the Pallaces of Princes and great Lords as for the little succour and credite which wise men haue among them For it is a great iniurie that fooles should enter into the pallace of princes euen vnto their beds side and that one wise man may not nor dare not enter into the hall So that to the one there is no dore shut and to the other there is no gate open Wee which are at this present of right doe commend those that were before vs for no other cause but that in times past though the Sages were few in number and the world was replenished with barbarous people yet the Sages of those barbarous people were greatly esteemed and had in reuerence And this custome endured long time in Greece that when a Philosopher passed by a Greeke hee rose and spake vnto him and hee might not sit for the contrary all those which shall liue hereafter will reprooue vs which are at this present Forasmuch as wee haue so great a multitude of Sages and do not liue amongst barbarous but amongst Christians and it is a griefe to see and shame to write how little wise men are esteemed for at this day through our offences not those which haue most science but those which haue most riches in the common wealth do commaund I know not whether the diuine wisedome hath depriued them or that the worldly malice hath lost the taste of them For now a dayes there is no sage that liueth al alone to be wise but it is necessary for him to trauell how to gaine his liuing for necessity enforceth him to violate the rules of true Philosophy O world world I know not how to escape thy hands nor how the simple man and ideot defendeth himselfe out of thy snares when the Sage and wise men yea with al their wisedom can scarsely set their foot sure on the ground For all that Wise men of this World know is little enough to defend them from the malitious Reading that which I read of time past and seeing that which I see of time present I am in doubt which was greater the care that vertuous Princes had in seeking out Sages to counsell them or the great couetousnesse that others haue at this present to discouer mines and treasures Speaking therefore in this matter as I thinke I desire that those which haue the charge of gouernment◠whether hee bee Prince Prelate or priuate person I passe not that they once may haue about them sage men that bee wise in deede and that they would loue them aboue all the treasure they had heaped For in the end of good counsell there commeth profite and much treasure is a token of great
it was onely the wise men which I had about me that thus long haue maintained mee in this great authority It is a goodly thing for a Prince to haue stout captains for the warres but without comparison it is better to keepe and haue wise men in his palace for in the end the victory of the battel confisteth in the force of many but the gouernment of the commonwelth oftentimes is put vnder the aduise of one alone These so dolefull and pittifull words my Lord and Master Theodosius spake vnto me Now tell mee Epimundus what I shall doe at this present to fulfill his commendement For at his heart hee had nothing that troubled him so much as to thinke whether his children would vndoe or encrease the Common wealth Thou Epimundus thou art a Grecian thou art a Philosopher thou hast vnderstanding thou art an old seruant thou art my faithfull friend therefore for all these things thou art bound to giue mee good and healthfull counsell For many times I haue heard Theodosius my master say That he is not accounted sage which hath turned the leaues of many bookes but hee which knoweth and can giue good and healthfull counsell Epimundus the philosopher answered to these words Thou knowest well Lord Estilconus that the ancients and great Philosophers ought to be briefe in words and very perfect in their works for otherwise to speake much and worke little seemeth rather to bee done like a tyrant then like a Greeke Philosopher The Emperour Theodosius was thy Lord and my friend I say friend because it is the liberty of a Greeke Philosopher to acknowledge no homage nor seruice to a superiour for hee in his heart can haue no true licence that to rebuke the vitious keepeth his mouth shut In one thing I content my selfe in Theodosius aboue all other Princes which were in the Romane Empire and that is that he knew and talked wisely of al his affairs and also was diligēt to execute the same for all the fault of princes is that they are apt bold to talk of vertues in executing them they are very slacke and fearfull For such Princes cannot continue in the vertue which they doe commend not yet resist the vice which they doe disprayse I graunt that Theodosius was an executor of iustice mercifull stout sober valiant true louing thankfull and vertuous and finally in all thinges and at all times he was fortunate for Fortune oftentimes bringeth that to princes which they will and desire yea many times better then they look for Presupose it be true as it is most true that the time was alwayes prosperous to the Emperour Theodosius yet I doubt whether this prosperity will continue in the succession of his children For worldly prosperity is so mutable that with one onely man in a moment shee maketh a thousand shrewde turnes and so much the more it is hard to continue stedfast in the second houre Of slow and dull horses come oftentimes couragious and fierce colts and euen so of vertuousfathers come children euill brought vp For the wicked children inherite the worst of the Father which is riches and are dishenherited of the best which are vertues That which I perceyne in this matter as wel of the father which is dead as of the children which are aliue is that Theodose was vertuous in deede and the children are capable to follow both good and euill and therfore it is requisite that you now go about it for the Prince which is yong is in great perill when in his youth he beginneth not to follow the steps of vertue To speake particularly of Archadius Honorious I let thee know Estilconus that it is a thing superfluous to talk of it for I should lose my time because the things of princes are very delicate and though wee haue licence to prayse their vertues yet wee are bound to dissemble their faults As a sage father Theodose I desire thee to giue his children good doctrine and alwayes to accompany thē But I as a friend do counsell thee that thou keepe them from euill for in the end all is euill to accompany with the euill and forsake the good but the worst euill pursueth vs rather by the presence of the euill then by the absence of the good It may wel be that one being alone without the company of the good may yet notwithstāding be good but for one that is accompanied with euil men to be good of this I greatly doubt for the same day that a man accompanieth himselfe with the vicious the selfe same day he is bound to be subiect to vice O Estilconus since thou so much desirest to accomplish the commādemēt of thy Lord and master Theodose if thou canst not cause that Archadius Honorius which are yong princes do accompany with the good yet at the least withdraw them from the company of the euill for in the courts of princes vitious men are none other but solicitors in this world to tempt others to be vicious how many and what solicitors haue we seen thou and I in Rome the which forgetting the affaires of their Lords did solicite for themselues vices and pleasures I will not tell what seruants of princes haue bin in times past but what they were and what they are euery man may easily see I will tell thee onely not of those which ought to be coūsellors to princes but also of those which ought not to liue in their courts For the counsellors and officers of princes ought to be so iust that sheares cannot find what to cut away intheir liues nor that there needeth any needle or thred to amend their fame If thou Estilconus hast heard what I haue sayd marke now what I wil say and keepe it in memory for it may profit thee one day In the Courts of Princes proude men ought to haue no familiarity nor entertainement For it is vnseemely that those which are not gentle in words should commaund and those that haue not their hearts ready to obey should bee familiar with the Prince In the Courts of Princes there ought not to bee of Counsell and much lesse familiar enuious men for if enuy raigne amongst Princes and Counsellours there shall alwayes bee dissentions in the common-wealth In the Courts of Princes hasty men ought not to haue familiarity for oftentimes it chanceth that the impatience of Counsellours causeth the people to be euill content with their Princes In the Courts of Princes there ought not to be familiar nor of counsell greedy nor couetous men for the Princes giue great occasion to the people to bee hated because their seruants haue alwayes their hands open to receyue bribes In the Courtes of Princes there ought not to be familiar fleshly men for the vice of the flesh hath in it so little profite that he that is wholy ouercome therewith is or ought to be to the Prince alway suspected In the Pallace of a King there ought not
to bee drunkards or gluttons for whereas the familiars ought principally to serue their Princes with good counsel in mine opinion a man being full surcharged with excesse is more like to bleach and breake wind after his surfet then able to giue any profitable counsell in the Common wealth In the Pallace of Princes ought not to be resiant nor familiar blasphemers for the man which is a servant and openly dare blaspheme his Creator will not spare in secret to speake euill of the Lord. In the palace of Princes ought not to be of counsell nor familiar the negligent and delicate persons for there is nothing next vnto the diuine prouidence that helpeth Princes more to be puissant and mighty then when their seruants are faithfull and diligent In the pallace of Princes defamed men ought not to haue familiarity for the Prince cannot excuse himselfe to bee thought culpable when they doe rebuke him if in his house he maintaine seruants which openly are defamed In the pallace of princes they ought not to suffer Ideots and fooles for the realmes are not lost for that the Princes are young vncircumspect and vitious but for that their Counsellours are simple and malitious Woe woe be to the land where the Lord is vitious the subiect seditious the seruant couetous and the Counsellour simple and malitious for then the common wealth perisheth when ignorance and malice raigneth in the prince and gouernour of the same Those words passed betweene the noble Knight Estilconus and the wise Philosopher Epimundus vpon the bringing vp of those two princes Archadius and Honorius And because that princes and prelates might see which now haue the charge to gouerne people how much the Auncients did desire to haue sage men about them notwithstanding that I haue spoken I will shew you heere some notable and ancient examples CHAP. XLV How Cresus King of Lydea was a great friend and louer of Sages Of a letter the same Cresus wrote to the Philosopher Anacharsis And of an other letter of the Philosophers answere to the King IN the yeare of the Creation of the World 4355. and in the third age Sardanapulus being king of the Assyrians Ozias King of the Hebrewes and Elchias being high Bishop of the holy temple at that time when Rea the mother of Romulus liued in the second yeare of the first Olimpiade the great and renowmed Realme of Lydes had beginning as Plinie in the fift booke of the Naturall History sayth Lidia is in Asia minor and first was called Meonia afterwards was called Lidia and now is called Morea This Realme of Lydes had many worthy Cities that is to say Ephese Colose Aclasomena and Phorea The first King of Lydes was Ardisius a man of great courage and a Grecian borne and raigned 36. yeares The second was Aliaces who raigned 14 yeares The third was Meleus and he raigned 12. yeares The fourth was Candale and raigned 4. yeares The fift was Ginginus and raigned 5. yeares The sixt was Cerdus and raigned 6. yeares The 7. was Sadiates and raigned 15. yeares The eight was Allates and he raigned 49. yeares and the ninth was Cresus and raigned 15. yeares and of this King Cresus Zenophon declareth that hee was more valiant in feates of warre then comely of personage for though he was lame of one foote blemished of one eye lacking one eare and of body not much bigger then a dwarfe yet for all this hee was a iust man very constant stoute mercifull couragious and aboue all hee was a great enemie to the ignorant and a speciall friend to the Sage Of this king Cresus Seneca speaketh in his booke of Clemency and sayeth that the Sages were so entirely beloued of him that the Greekes which had the fountaine of eloquence did not call him a louer but entituled him the loue of Sages for neuer no man did so much to attaine to the loue of his Lady as hee did to draw to him and to his Country sage men This king Cresus therefore beeing Lord of many barbarous nations the which loued better to drinke the bloud of the innocent then to learne the science of the wise like an excellent prince determined for the comfort of his person and remedy of his Common wealth to search out the greatest Sages that were in Greece At that time flourished the famous and renowmed Philosopher Anacharsis who thogh he was born and brought vp amongst the Seythians yet hee was alwayes resident notwithstanding in Athens For the Vniuersity of Athens did not despise those that were Barbarians but those that were vitious The King Cresus sent an Ambassadour in great authority with riches to the Philosopher Anacharsis to perswade and desire him and with those gifts and presents to present him to the end it might please him to come and see his person and to set an order in his Common wealth Cresus not contented to send him gifts which the Ambassadour carried but for to let him vnderstand why he did so wrote him a letter with his owne hand as hereafter followeth The letter of King Cresus to Anacharfis the Phylosopher CResus King of Lydes wisheth Anacharsis great Phylosopher which remainest in Athens health to thy person and increase of vertue Thou shalt know how well I loue thee in that I neuer saw thee nor knew thee to write vnto thee a letter For the things which with the eyes haue neuer bin seen seldomtimes with the heart are truely beloued Thou doest esteeme little as truth is these my small gifts and presents which I send thee yet I pray thee greatly esteeme the will and heart wherewith I do visite thee For noble hearts receiue more thankefully that which a man desireth to giue them then that which they do giue them in deede I desire to correct this my Realme and to see amendement in the common-wealth I desire good order for my person and to take order touching the gouernement of my palace I desire to communicate with Sages somethings of my life and none of these things can bee done without thy presence for there was neuer any good thing made but by the meane of wisedome I am lame I am crooked I am bald I am a counterfeit I am blacke and also I am broken finally amongst all other men I am a monster But all these imperfections are nothing to those that remaine that is to say I am so vnfortunate that I haue not a Phylosopher with me For in the world there is no greater shame then not to haue a wise man about him to be conuersant with all I count my self to be dead though to the simple fooles I seeme to bee a liue And the cause of death is because I haue not with me some wise person For truely he is onely aliue amongst the liuing who is accompanyed with the Sages I desire thee greatly to come and by the immortall gods I coniure thee that thou make no excuse and if thou wilt not
thee I shall not follow my selfe and beeing thine I shall cease to bee mine Thou art come to haue the name of the Great Alexander for conquering the world and I haue attained to come to renowme of a good Phylosopher in flying the world And if thou dost imagine that thou hast gotten and wonne I thinke I haue not erred nor lost And since thou wilt be no lesse in authoritie then a King doe not thinke that I will lose the estimation of a Phylosopher For in the world there is no greater losse vnto a man then when hee looseth his proper libertie When he had spoken these words Alexander saide vnto them that were about him with a lowde voyce By the immortall Gods I sweare and as god Mars rule my hands in Battell if I were not Alexander the Great I would bee Diogenes the Phylosopher And hee saide further In mine opinion there is no other Felicitie vpon the earth then to bee King Alexander who commaundeth all or to bee Diogenes to commaund Great Alexander who commaundeth all As king Alexander was more familiar with some Philosophers then with others so hee esteemed some bookes more then others And they say he read oftentimes in the Iliades of Homer which is a booke where the story of the destruction of Troy is and that when he slept he layd vnder his head vpon a bolster his sword and also his booke When the great King Alexander was borne his father Philip king of Macedonia did two notable things The first was that hee sent many and very rich gifts into the I le of Delphos where the Oracle of Apollo was to the ende to present them with him and to pray him that it would please him for to preserue his sonne The other thing that hee did was that immediately hee wrote a letter to the great Philosopher Aristotle wherin he sayd these words The letter of King Philip to Aristotle the Phylosopher PHilip King of Macedonia wishes health and peace to the philosopher Aristotle which readeth in the Vniuersitie of Greece I let the vnderstand that Olympias my wife is brought to bedde of a goodly man childe whereof both she and I and all Macedonia do reioyce For kings and Realms ought to haue great ioy when that there is borne a sonne sueccssour of the natural prince of the prouince I render thankes vnto the immortall gods and haue sent many great gifts to the Temples and it was not so much for that I haue a son as for that they haue giuenhim vnto me in the time of so great and excellent Philosopher I hope that thou wilt bring him vp teach him in such sort that by heritage hee shall be Lord of my patrimony of Macedonia and by desert he shall be Lord of Asia to that they should call him my sonne and thee his father Vale foelix iterumque vale Ptolomeus father in law who was the eight king of the Aegyptians did greatly loue the Sages as well of Caldea as of Greece and this thing was esteemed for a great vertue in king Ptolome For there was as much enuy betweene the phylosophers of Greece and the Sages of Egypt as betweene the Captaines of Rome and the Captaines of Carthage This Ptolome was very wise and did desire greatly to bee accompanied with Phylosophers and after this hee learned the letters of the Latines Caldes and Hebrues for the which cause though the kings named Ptolomei were eleuen in number and all warrelike men yet they put this for the Chiefe and Captaine of all not for battels which hee wanne but for the sentences which he learned This king Ptolomeus had for his familiar a Philosopher called Estilpho Magarense who was so entirely beloued of this Prince that laying aside gentlenesse and benefits which hee shewed him hee did not onely eate with the king at his table but oftentimes the king made him drink of his owne cup. And as the sauours which Princes shew to their seruants are but as a watch to proue the malitious it chanced that when this king gaue the philosopher to drinke that which remayned in his cuppe an Egyptian knight moued with enuy sayde vnto King Ptolome I thinke Lord how thou art neuer satisfied with drinking to leaue that which remaineth in the cuppe for the Philosopher to drinke after thee To whom the king answered Thou sayst well that the Phylosopher Estilpho is neuer filled with that which I doe giue him For that which remaineth in my cup doth not profite him so much to drinke as the Phylosophy which remaineth in him should profite thee if thou wouldst take it The king Antigonus was one of the most renowmed seruants that king Alexander the great euer had who after his death enherired a great part of his Empire for how much happy the king Alexander was in his life so much hee was vnhappy at the time of his death because he had no children which might enherite his goods and that hee had such seruants as spoyled him of his renowme This king Antigonus was an vnthrist and excessiue in all vices But for all hee loued greatly the phylosophers which thing remained vnto him from king Alexander whose pallace was a schoole of al the good phylosophers of the world Of this ensample they may see what great profite ensueth of bringing vp of them that bee yong for there is none that euer was so wicked or inclined vnto euill but that in long continuance may profite somwehat in his youth This king Antigonus loued two philosophers greatly the which florished in that time that is to say Amenedius and Abio of which two Abio was wel learned and very poore For in that time no phylosopher durst openly reade philosophy as if hee were worth any thing in temporall goods As Laertius sayth and as Pulio declares it better in the book of the rulers and noble men of the Greekes The Schooles of the Vuiuersitie were so correct that the philosopher which knew most had least goods so that they did not glorifie of any thing eise but to haue pouertie and to know much of philosophy The case was such that the phylosopher Abio was sicke and with that sickenes he was so vexed that they might almost see the bones of his weake bodie The king Antigonus sent to visite him by his owne sonne by whom hee sent him much money to helpe him withall For hee liued in extreame pouertie as it behoued the professors of phylosophy Abio was sore sicke being aged and crooked and though he had made himselfe so leane with sicknesse yet notwithstanding he burned alwayes vpon the weeke of good life I meane that he had no lesse courage to despise those gifts then the king Antigonus had nobles to send them This Phylosopher not contented to haue despised those gifts in such sort sayd vnto the sonne of Antigonus who brought them Tell king Antigonus that I giue him great thankes for the good entertainement hee gaue me alwayes
in my life and for the gifts he sends mee now at my death For one friend can doe more to another then to offer him his person to depart with his proper goods Tell the king thy father that I maruell what hee should meane that I now beeing foure score yeares of age and haue walked all my life time naked in this world should now be laden with vestures and money since I must passe so great a gulfe in the Sea to go out of this world The Egyptians haue a custome to lighten the burden of their Camels when they passe the Desartes of Arabia which is much better then to ouercharge them I meane that he onely passeth without trauell the dangers of the life which banisheth frō him that thought of temporall goods of this world Thirdly thou shalt say to the King thy Father that from hence forth when any man will dye he doe not succour nor helpe him with Money Golde nor Riches but with good and ripe counsell For Golde will make him leaue his life with sorrow and good Counsell will moue him to take his death with patience The fifth king of the Macedonians was called Archelaus who they say to be the grandfather of king Philip father of the great Alexander This king boasteth himselfe to descend from Menelaus King of the Grecians and principall Captaine which was at the destruction of Troy This king Archelaus was a great friend to the Sages and amongst others there was a Poet with him called Euripides who at that time had no lesse glory in his kinde of Poetrie then Archelaus in his king dome being king of Macedonia For now a dayes we esteeme more the Sages for the bookes which they wrote then we do exalt kings for the Realms which they ruled or the battels which they ouercame The familiaritie which Euripides had with the king Archelaus was so great that in the Realme of Macedonie nothing was done but first it was examined by the hands of this Philosopher And as the simple and ignorant would not naturally be subiect to the Sage it chanced that one night Euripides was talking a long time with the King declaring vnto him the ancient Histories and when the poore Poet would depart to goe home to his house his enemies espyed him and let the hungrie dogges flie vpon him the which did not onely teare him in peeces but also eate him euery morsell So that the intrayles of the dogges were the wofull graue of the most miserable Poet. The King Archelaus being certified of this wofull case immediately as soone as they told him was so chafed that almost he was bereft of his senses And hereat maruell not at all For gentle hearts doe alter greatly when they are aduertised of any suddaine mishappe As the loue which the King had to Euripides in his life was much so likewise the sorow which he felt at his death was very great for he shed many teares from his eyes he cut the hairs off his head he rounded his beard hee changed his apparrell which he ware and aboue all he made as solemne a funerall to Euripides as if they had buried Vlisses And not contented with al these things he was neuer merry vntill such time he had done cruell execution of the malefactors for truely the iniury or death which is done vnto him whom wee loue is no other but as a bath and token of our owne good wills After iustice was executed of those homicides and that some of the bones all gnawne of the dogs were buried a Grecian Knight said vnto King Archelaus I let the know excellent king that all Macedonta is offended with thee because that for so small a losse thou hast shewed so great sorrow To whom king Archelaus aunswered Among Sages it is a thing sufficiently often tryed that noble hearts ought not to shew themselues sad for mishaps and sodaine chances for the king being sadde his Realme cannot and though it might it ought not shew it selfe merry I haue heard my father say once that Princes should neuer shed teares vnlesse it were for one of these causes 1 The first the Prince should bewaile the losse danger of his common wealth for the good Prince ought to pardon the iniuries done to his person but to reuenge the least act done to the Common-wealth he ought to hazard himselfe 2 The second the good Prince ought to lament if any man haue touched his honour in any wise for the prince which weepeth not drops of bloud for the things touching his honour deserueth to be buried quicke in his graue 3 The third the good Prince ought to bewayle those which can little and suffer much For the Prince which bewayleth not the calamities of the poore in vaine and without profit liueth on the earth 4 The fourth the good Prince ought to bewayle the glory and prosperity wherein the tyrants are For that Prince which with tyranny of the euill is not displeased with the hearts of the good is vnworthy to bee beloued 5 The fift the good Prince ought to bewayle the death of Wise men For to a Prince there can come no greater losse then when a wise man dyeth in his Common wealth These were the words which the King Archelaus answered the Grecian Knight who reproued him because he had wept for the death of Euirpides the Philosopher The ancient Historiographers can say no more of the estimation which the Philosophers and wise men had as well the Greekes as the Latines but I will tell you one thing worthy of noting It is well knowne through all the world that Scipio the Ethnicke was one of the worthiest that euer was in Rome for by his name and by his occasion Rome got such a memory as shall endure And this was not only for that he conquered Affricke but for the great worthinesse of his person Men ought not to esteeme a little these two giftes in one man that is to say to be happy and aduenturous For many of the Auncients in times past wanne glory by their swords and after lost it by their euill liues The Romane Historiographers say that the first that wrote in Heroicall meeter in the Latine tongue was Ennius the Poet the workes of whom was so esteemed of Scipio the Ethnick that when this aduenturous and so luckie Romane dyed he commaunded in his will and testament that they should hang the image of this Ennius the Poet ouer his graue By that the great Scipio did at his death wee may well coniecture how great a friend he was of Sages in his life since he had rather for his honour see the Statue of Ennius on his graue then the banner wherwith he wonne and conquered Affricke In the time of Pirrus which was King of the Epirotes and great enemy of the Romanes flourished a Philosopher named Cinas borne in Thessaly who as they say was the Disciple of Demosthenes The Historiographers at that time did so much
esteeme this Cinas that they sayde he was the Master and measure of mans eloquence for he was very pleasant in words and profound sentences This Cinas serued for three offices in the Palace of king Pirrus 1 First he made pastime at his Table in that hee did declare for he had a good grace in things of laughter 2 Secondarily he wrote the valiant deedes of his history for in his stile hee had great cloquence and to write the truth he was a witnesse of sight 3 Totrdly he went for Ambassadouring at affayres of great importance for he was naturally subtill and witty and in dispatching businesse hee was very fortunate He vsed so many meanes in his businesse and had so great perswasion in his words that hee neuer tooke vpon him to speake of things of warre but eyther he set a long truce or else hee made a perpetuall peace The King Pirrus saide to this Cinas O Cinas for 3. things I thanke to the immortall Gods 1 The first for that they created mee a King and not a seruant for the greatest good that mortall men haue is to haue liberty to commaund many and not bee bound to obey any 2 The second I thanke the immortal gods for that they naturally made mee stout of heart for the man which with euery trifle is abashed it were better for him to leaue his life 3 The third I giue the immortall gods thanks for that in the gouernement of my commonwealth and for the great affaires and busines of my realme as well in wars as in other things they gaue me such a man as thou art in my company For by thy gentle speech I haue conquered and abtained many Cities which by my cruell sword I could neuer winne nor attaine These were the words which Pyrrus sayd vnto his friend Cinas the Poet. Let euery Prince know now how great louers of wise men those were in times past and as vpon a sodaine I haue recited these few examples so with small study I haue heaped infinite Histories The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE DYALL OF PRINCES WHEREIN THE AVTHOR TREATETH HOW NOBLE Princes and great Lordes should behaue themselues towardes their Wiues And how they ought to nourish and bring vp their Chyldren CHAP. I ¶ Of what excellencie Marriage is and whereas common people marrie of free will Princes and Noble-men ought to marry of necessitie AMong al the friendships companies of this life there is none so naturall as that betweene the husband the wife liuing in one house For all other companyes are caused by free will onely but this proceedeth both by wil and necessitie There is at this day no Lyon so fierce no Serpent so venemous no Viper so infectiue no Aspicke so mortall neyther any beast so terrible but at the least both male and female do once in the yeare meete and conioyne and although that in brute beasts there lacketh reason yet notwithstanding they haue a natural instinction to assemble themselues for the conseruation of their kinde In this case men deserue no lesse reproch then Beasts merite praise For after that the Females by generation are bigge they neuer agree that the Males should accompanie with them According to the diuersity of Nations so among thēselues they differ the one from the other in Lawes Languages Ceremonies customs but in the ende all agree in one thing for that they enforce themselues to celebrate marriage As the Scripture teacheth vs Since the world was created there hath nothing bene more ancient then the Sacrament of Marriage For that day that Man was formed the selfe same day he celebrated mariage with a Woman in the terrestriall Paradise The ancient Hystoriographers aswell Greekes as Latines wrote many great things in the praise of Mariage but they could not say nor write so much as continuall experience doth shew vs. Therfore leauing the superfluous and taking the most necessary wee say that fiue commodities follow the Sage man who hath taken the yoke of Matrimonie The first is the memorie which remaineth to the children as successors and heyres of their Fathers For as the Phylosopher Pythagoras sayeth When a father passeth out of this present life and leaueth behinde him a Childe being his Heyre they cannot say vnto him that hee dyeth but that he waxeth young in his Childe since the child doth inherite the Flesh the Goods and the memorie of the Father Among the ancients it was a common prouerbe that the taste of all tastes is Bread the sauour of all sauours is Salt and the greatest loue of all Loues is from the Fathers to their children And though perchaunce we see the Father shew some rigor to their children we ought not therefore to say that they hate them and despise them for the tender loue of the Father to the Sonne is such that hee cannot endure him to doe any thing amisse or worthy of rebuke Not only men of reason and brute beasts but also the Hedge and Garden-trees to their possibilitie procure to continue their kinde and it is plainly seene in that before the fruits and hearbs were formed to be eaten the seeds and kirnels were made to be kept Men naturally desire honor in their life and memorie after theyr death Therefore I say that they come to honour by High and Noble and Heroycall facts but the Memorie is left by the good and Legittimate children For the children which are borne in adultrie are begotten in sinne and with great care are nourished The second benefit of Marriage is that they auoyd adulterie and it is no small matter to auoyde this vice For the Adulterers are not onely taken in the Christian religion for offenders but euen amongst the Gentiles also they are counted infamous The sage Solon in the lawes that he gaue vnto the Athenians commaunded vpon streight precepts that they should Marrie to auoyde adulterie vpon paine that the childe borne in adultrie should be made the common slaue of the Cittie The Romanes as men foreseeing all things ordained in the tables of theyr Lawes that the children which were born in adultery should not be heyres of the Goods of theyr Fathers When the Oratour Eschynes was banished out of Athens as he came by the Rhodes he tooke no such pains in any one thing as he did in perswading the Rhodians to marry and not to liue in adulterie For among those barbarous Matrimonie was not common but onely among them which were Officers of the Commonwealth Cicero in a familiar Epistle saith that the great Romaine Marcus Porcio being gouernor in the Common-wealth neuer agreed that an Vnckle of his should bee maister of the Romain chiualry vnlesse he were marryed which office was promised him by the Senate His name was Rufus a stout and valiant man of warre this notwithstanding Marcus Porcio saide that that praise which Rufus deserued for being valiant and hardie he lost againe for liuing
in adulterie And that he would neuer graunt his voyce nor bee in place where they committed any charge in the warres to a man that had not a lawfull wife I say therefore that if the Gentiles and Infidels esteemed Marriage so much and despised the deedes of the adulterers so greatly much more true Christians should be in this case warie and circumspect For the gentiles feared nothing but onely infamy but all true Christians ought to feare both infamie and also paine Since that of necessitie mans seede must increase and that wee see men suffer themselues to bee ouercome with the flesh it were much better that they should maintaine a good Houshold and liue vprightly with a wife then to waste theyr goods and burden theyr conscience with a Concubine For it is oftentimes seene that that which a Gentleman consumeth abrode vpon an Harlot with shame would keepe his Wife and Children at home with honestie The third commoditie of Marryage is the laudable and louing companie the which is or ought to bee betweene them that are Matryed The anciēt Philophers defining what Man was saide That hee was a creature the which by nature was sociable communicable reasonable wherof it followeth that the man beeing solitarie and close in his conditions cannot bee in his stomacke but enuious We that are men loue the good inclination and doe also commend the same in beasts for all that the sedicious man and the resty horse eate wee thinke it euill spent A sad man a sole man a man shut in and solitary what profite can hee doe to the people For if euery man should be locked vp in his house the Common-wealth should forthwith perish My intention is to speake against the Vacabonds which without taking vpon them any craft or facultie passe the age of fortie of fiftie yeares and would not nor will not marrie yet because they would be vicious all the daies of their life It is a great shame and conscience to many men that neuer determine with themselues to take vpon them any estate neyther to bee Marryed chaste secular or Ecclesiasticall but as the corke vpon the water they swimme whether their Sensualitie leadeth them One of the most laudable and holy companyes which is in this life is the companie of the Man and the Woman in especiallie if the woman bee vertuous For the noble and vertuous wife withdraweth all the sorowes from the heart of her Husband and accomplisheth his desires whereby he liueth at rest When the wife is vertuous and the husband wise wee ought to belieue that betweene them two is the true loue For the one not being suspect with the other and hauing childrē in the midst it is vnpossible but that they should liue in concord For all that I haue read seene I would say that if the mā the wife doe liue quietly together a man may not only cal them good maried folks but also holy persons for to speake the truth the yoke of matrimony is so great that it cannot be accomplished without much merite The contrarie ought and may be said of those which are euill marryed whom we will not call a companie of Saintes but rather a companie of diuells For the wise that hath an euill husband may say shee hath a diuell in her house and the Husband that hath an euill Wife let him make account that hee hath a Hell it selfe in his house For the euill wiues are worse then infernall Furies Because in hell there are none tormented but the euill onely but the euill woman tormenteth both the good and the euill Concluding therefore this matter I say also and affirme that betwixt the Husband and the wife which are wel married is the true and very loue and they onely and no others may be called perfit and perpetuall friends The other Parents and Friendes if they do loue and praise vs in our presence they hate and despise vs in our absence If they giue vs faire words they beare vs euill hearts Finallie they loue vs in our prosperitie and forsake vs in our aduersitie but it is not so amongst the Noble and vertuous married persons For they loue both within and without the house in prosperity and in aduersitie in pouertie and in riches in absence and in presence seeing themselues merrie and perceyuing themselues sad and if they doe it not truely they ought to doe it For when the Husband is troubled in his foote the wife ought to be grieued at her heart The fourth commoditie of Marriage is that the men and women marryed haue more authoritie and grauitie then the others The lawes which were made in olde time in the fauour Marriage were manie and diuers For Capharoneus in the lawes that hee gaue to the Egyptians cōmanded and ordained vpon grieuous paines that the man that was not maryed should not haue any office of gouernment in the Common-wealth And he saide further that hee that hath not learned to gouern his house can euil gouerne a common-wealth According to the Lawes that hee gaue to the Athenians hee perswaded all those of the Common-wealth to marry themselues voluntarily but to the heads and Captaines which gouerne the affaires of warre hee commaunded to marrie of necessitie saying That to men which are lecherous God seldome giueth victoryes Lycurgus the renowmed gouernor and giuer of the lawes to the Lacedemonians commaunded that all Captaines of the armyes and the Priestes of the temples should bee marryed saying That the sacrifices of Marryed men were more acceptable to the Gods then those of any other As Plinie saith in an Epistle that hee sent to Falconius his friend rebuking him for that hee was not marryed where he declareth that the Romaines in olde time had a law that the Dictatour and the Pretor the Censour and the Questour and all the Knights should of necessity be marryed For the man that hath not a wife and children Legitimate in his house cannot haue nor hold great authoritie in the Common-wealth Plutarche in the booke that he made of the praise of Marriage saith that the Priests of the Romaines did not agree to them that were vnmarryed to come and sit downe in the temples so that the young-Maydens prayed without at the Church dore and the young men prayed on theyr knees in the Temple onely the marryed men were permitted to sit or stand Plynie in an Epistle that hee wrote to Fabarus his father in law saith that the Emperor Augustus had a custom that he neuer suffered any yong man in his presence to sitte nor permitted any man Marryed to tell his tale on foote Plutarch in the booke that hee made in the praise of women saieth that since the Realme of Corinth was peopled more with Batchelours then with Marryed men they ordayned amongst them that the man or woman that had not bene marryed and also that had not kept Children and House if they liued after a certaine age after theyr
dyed Truely this case was no lesse to be lamented then the other for so much as Gaius lost his Sister the Husband lost his Wife and his Childe and the wife and the childe lost their liues and for that that Rome lost so Noble and excellent a Romane and aboue all for that it chaunced in such a time of so great ioy and pleasure For there can come no vnluckier newes then in the time of much myrth to heare tell of any great mischance Of this matter mention is made in Blandus in the book of the declinatioÌ„ of the Empire The second warre of Affrike which was betweene Rome and Carthage was in the 540. yeares after the Foundation of Rome wherein were Captaines Paulus Emilius and Publius Varro the which two Consulls fought the great and famous bloudy Battell of Cannas in the Prouince of Apulia I say famous because Rome neuer lost such Nobilitie and Romaine youth as shee lost in that day Of these two Consulles Paulus Emilius in the Battell was slayne and Publius Varro was ouercome and the most couragious Hanniball remained conquerour of the Field wherein dyed xxx Senatours and 300. officers of the Senate and aboue xl thousand footmen and three thousand horsemen Finally the end of all the Roman people had been that day if Hannibal had had the witte to haue followed so noble a victory as he had the courage to giue so cruell a Battell A litle before that Publius Varro departed to goe to the warres hee was married to a faire and young Romaine called Sophia and within seuen moneths shee was quicke and as newes was brought her that Paulus Aemilius was dead and her husband ouercome she died suddenly the creature remaining aliue in her bodie This case aboue all was very pittifull in that that after he himselfe was vanquished and and that he had seene his companion the Consull Emilius slaine with so great a number of the Romane people Fortune would that with his own eyes he should behold the entrailes of his wife cut to take out the Childe and likeewise to see the Earth opened to burie his wife Titus Liuius saith that Publius Varro remained so sorrowfull in his heart to see himselfe ouercome of his enemyes and to see his wife so suddenly and so vnluckely stricken with death that all the time that his life endured he neyther combed his beard slept in bed nor dined at the Table and hereat we ought not to maruel for a man in his hart may be so wounded in one houre that hee shall neuer reioyce all the dayes of his life If wee put no doubts in Titus Liuius the Romaines had long and tedious warres against the Samnites which endured for the space of lxiii yeares contiually vntill such time as the Consull Ancus Rutilius who was a vertuous man did set a good appointment of peace between the Samnites and the Romanes For the noble stout harts ought alwaies by vertue to bring their enemies to peace These warres therfore being so cruell and obstinate Titus Venurius and Spurius Posthuminus which were Romaine Captains were ouercome by Pontius the valiant Captaine of the Samnites who after the victorie did a thing neuer seene nor heard of before That is to say that all the Romaine prisoners whom hee tooke hee put about theyr necks a yoke wherein was written In spight of Rome the Romaines shall be subtects to the yoke of the Samnites Wherewith indeed the Romains were greatly iniuried wherefore they sought stoutto be reueÌ„ged of the Samnites for the harts that are haughty proud caÌ„not suffer that others haue theyr mindes lofty and high The Romaines therefore created to bee Captaine of the Warre one named Lucius Papirius who had Commission to goe against the Samnites This Lucius was more Fortunate in his doings then comely of his person for he was deformed of his face notwithstanding hee did so good seruice in the warre and Fortune fauoured him so well that he did not onely ouercome and vanquish but also destroyed them and though the iniurie which the Samnites did to the Romaines was great yet truely the iniurie which the Romaines did to the Samnites was much greater For Fortune is so variable that those which yesterday we saw in most prosperitie too day wee see in greatest aduersitie This Lucius Papirius therfore did not only vanquish the Samnites kept them prisoners and made yokes for theyr neckes but also he bound them with cords together in such sort that they made them plough the ground drawing two and two a plough And yet not herewith conteÌ„ted but with gads they pricked and tormented them If the Samnites had had pitie of the Romaines beeing ouercome the Romaines likewise would haue taken compassion of them when they were Conquerours And therefore the prosperous haue as much neede of good counsell as the miserable haue neede of remedie For the man which is not merciful in his prosperitie hee ought not to maruel though he finde no friendes in his necessitie This Lucius Papirius had a Daughter maried to a Senator of Rome who was called Torquatus and she was called Ypolita And about that time that she should haue bene deliuered shee went forth to receiue her Father the which she ought not to haue don for the throng of the people in receiuing him being great and she herselfe being great with child by a most heauie chaunce as she would haue passed in at a narrow gate shee was so prest in the throng that she chaunged her life for death and her Father turned his mâ—th and ioy into sorrow and sadnes For he tooke the death of his daughter very heauilie and so much the more because it was so suddenly I say hee tooke it heauily since he was so stoute a man and so Sage withall that all Rome thought much that any such sudden chaunce should haue dismayed so worthie a man that of his wisedome he could take no benefite but heereat let no man maruell For ther are many that haue harts to shed the bloud of their enemies and yet caÌ„not withholde the teares of their eyes Annius Seuerus in the third booke De infelieitate Fortuna saith that the day that this wofull mishap chaunced to Lucius Papirius hee lift vp his eyes to the Heauens and weeping saide Oh Fortune deceiuer of all mortall men thou madest mee to conquere in warre to the intent to ouercome me in peace My mind was to declare vnto you all these ancients hystories to the end that al may know how tender women with childe are and how diligent their Husbands ought to bee to preserue them since there is nothing so tender to be kept nor any glasse so easie to be broken For there is much glasse that thogh it fall to the ground yet it doeth not breake but a woman with Childe onely for treading her foote awry we see with daunger to be deliuered CHAP. XI That Women great with childe and especially Princesses great
ladyes ought to be gently vsed of theyr Husbands IF wee vnderstand the Chapter before wee shall finde that women with childe haue bin in great dāgers some through leaping some by dauncing others by eaung others by banquetting others throgh gadding others by straight lacing and all this proceedeth throgh their own follies that seeke to bee destroyers of theyr owne bodyes Truly herein Princesses and great Ladyes are worthie of much rebuke when throgh their own follies they are not safely deliuered of their creatures And I would gladly they toke example not only of reasonable men but also of brute beasts for there is no beast so brute in the wilde mountains but escheweth that which to his life and death will be hurtfull The Beares the Lyonnesse and the Wolfes neuer issue out of their caues and dennes so long as they be bigge and this they doe to auoyde the dangers of the Hunters because at that time they would not be coursed Then seeing these things are done by the brute beastes whose younglings are alwayes hurtfull vnto men to the intent theyr rauening greedie Whealpes might safely bee brought foorth to deuoure our innocent Cattell How much more then ought the Woman to be carefull for her fruite which is the increase of christian congregation If Women brought not forth and Children were not borne though there be earth yet there should bee none to people it For GOD created all things to serue the creature and created the creatures to serue their Creator Let VVomen that are with childe take example by the Chesse-nuts and Wal-nuts how and in what sort they defend their fruite after that of theyr blossoms they are depriued for the chessenuttree defendeth his fruit with a rough and hard huske the wall-nut keepeth her fruite with a thicke shale in like maner so that the water cannot wet them nor the winde shake them Now since that the Trees which haue but a vegetatiue life and the Beasts but a Sensitiue life take such heede to themselues when they feele them ready to bring forth their fruite much more women with child ought to take heede to themselues since they haue reason and vnderstanding lest through theyr negligence the creature should perish Let euery man iudge how little he loseth when he loseth nuttes and chessenuts and for the contrarie let euery men iudge what the Church looseth when the women with child do not bring forth their fruit into the light of baptisme For our mother the holy Church bewaileth not for that the vines are frozen but for the soules that are lost To the ende that the man may see fruitfull blessing which hee desireth that the woman with child may see her selfe well deliuered the Husband ought to beware that hee enforceth her not much to labour and the woman likewise ought to be circumspect that shee take not too much idlenes For in women with child this is a generall rule that too much trauell causeth them before theyr time to deliuer and too much idlenesse putteth them in daunger The man is cruell that will haue his Wife trauell and take as much paines when shee is big as he would at another time when she is not with childe for the man which is clothed can not runne so swifte as hee that is naked Aristotle in the sixt booke de Animalibus saith When the Lyonnesse is bigge with whelp the Lyon doth not only hunt for her himselfe but also both night day he wandreth cōtinually to watch her I meane that Princesses and great Ladyes when they be with Childe should bee of theyr Husbands both tended and serued For the man cannot do the woman so great a pleasure before her lying down as she doth to him when she bringeth forth a sonne Considering the daunger that the woman abideth in her deliueraunce and beholding the paines that the Husband taketh in her seruice without comparison that is greater which she suffereth then that which hee endureth For when the woman deliuereth she doth more then her power and the Husband though hee serueth her well doeth lesse then his duetie The gentle and louing Husband ought not one moment to forsake his wife specially when hee seeth shee is great For in the law of a good Husband it is written that hee should set his eyes to beholde her his handes to serue her he shold spend his goods to cherish her and should giue his heart to content her Let not men thinke it paines to serue their wiues when they are with childe for their labour consisteth in their strength but the trauell of their wiues is in their entrails And that which is most pitiful is that when the sorrowfull women will discharge their burden on the earth they often times bring thēselues vnto the graue The meane women of the Plebians ought no lesse to be reproued for that when they are with child they would be exempted from all businesse of the house the which neyther they themselues ought to desire nor yet their husbands to suffer for idlenesse is not onely an occasion not to deserue heauen but also it is a cause whereby women oft times haue ill successe in their trauaile for considering both the daintie Lady with childe that hath her pleasure and doth little and on the other side the poore mans wife which moderately laboureth you shall see that the great Ladyes for all their pleasures abideth more danger then the other doth with all her labour The husband ought to keepe his wife from taking too much paynes for so ought he to doe and the wife likewise ought to flee too much pleasure for it behoueth her For the meane trauell is no other but occasion of a safe deliuerie The women with childe also ought to take heede to themselues and in especially noble great ladies that they be not too greedy hasty in eating For the woman being with child ought to be sober and the woman which is a great eater with great pains shal liue chaste Women with child oft times doe disorder themselues in eating licorous meats and vnder the colour of feeding themselues their infant they take too excessiuely which is not onely vnholsome for the Childe but also dishonour for their mothers For truely by the excesse of the Mother being with child commeth many diseases to the infant whē it liueth The Husbands also ought neyther to displease nor grieue their Wiues especially when they see them great with childe for of truth oftentimes she deliuereth with more daunger by reason of the offences that men doe vnto them then by the aboundance of meates which they doe eate Though the Woman when shee is with Childe in some things doth offend her Husband yet hee like a wise man ought to forbeare her hauing respect to the childe wherewith she is great and not to the iniuries that she hath committed For in the end the Mother cannot bee so great an offender but the child is much more innocent For
the proofe of this it needeth not books to read but onely our eyes to see how the brute Beasts for the most part when their females are bigge do not touch them nor yet the Females suffer them to be touched I meane that the Noble and high Estates ought to absent thēselues from their wiues carnally being great with childe and hee that in this case shall shewe himselfe most temperate shall of all men be deemed most vertuous I doe not speake this to the ende it should binde a man or that it were an offence then to vse the companie of his wife but vnto men that are vertuous I giue it as a counsell For some things ought to bee done of necessitie and others ought to be eschued for honestie Dyodorus Siculus saieth that in the Realme of Mauritania there were so few men and so many women that euery man had fiue wiues where there was a law among them that no man should marrie vnder three wiues furthermore they had a wonderfull and foolish custome that when any Husband died one of those women shuld cast herselfe quicke into the graue and be buried with him And if that within a moneth she did it not or that she dyed not by iustice shee was openly put to death saying that it is more honestie to bee in companie with her Husband in the graue then it is to be alone in her house In the Isles of Baleares the contrary is seene for there increase so many men and so few women that for one woman there was seuen men and so they had a custome especially amongst the poore that one woman should bee marryed with fiue men For the rich men sent to seeke for women in other strange Realmes wherfore then Merchants came heauie loaden with women as now they doe with marchandize to sell Vpon which occasion there was a custome in those Isles that for as much as there were so few women when any woman with childe drew neere the seuen monethes they were seperated from their husbands and shutte and locked vp in the Temples where they gaue them such things as were necessary for them of the common treasure For the ancients had their Gods in such veneration that they would not permit any person to eate that which he brought but of that which vnto the Gods of the Temple was offered At that time the Barbarous kept theit wiues locked in the Church because the Gods hauing them in their Temples should bee more mercifull vnto them in their deliuerie and also to cause them to auoyde the dangers at that time and besides that because they tooke it for a great villany that the women during that time should remaine with their husbands The famous and renowmed Philosopher Pulio in the fift Booke De moribus antiquorum said That in the Realme of Pannonia which now is Hungarie the women that were great with childe were so highly esteemed that when any went out of her house all those which mette with her were bound to returne backe with her and in such sort as wee at this present doe reuerence the holy Communion so did these Barbarous then the women with childe The women of Carthage being with childe when Carthage was Carthage had as great priuileges as now our Sanctuaries haue for the safegard of misdoers for in times past all such offenders as could enter into the house where a woman lay in child-bed should haue beene free from correction of Iustice As Fronto saith in his Booke of the Veneration of the Gods the Gallois Transalpins did not only honor reuerence the women with childe but also with much care and diligence watched her deliuery for it little auaileth the Shippe to haue passed safe the dangerous Seas if at the Shore she be cast away The case was in this sort that al the ancient Gentiles honored some gods in their Temples and kept other in their houses the which were called Lares and Penates and when any woman began to labour each neighbour brought his familiar god vnto her to present her with all because they thought that the more gods there were of so much more power they were to keepe her from perills Speaking like a Christian Truely those gods were of small value since they could not helpe the woman safely to be deliuered that was in trauaile CHAP. XII What the Philosopher Pisto was and of the Rules hee gaue concerning women with childe IN the time of Octauian the Emperour was a Philosopher called Pisto which was of the sect of Pithagoras and when Rome flourished he was very familiar with the Emperour Octauian and well beloued of all the people which ought not to be a little esteemed for he which of the Prince is most fauored commonly of the people is much hated This Emperour Octauian was a Prince very desirous of all vertuous things so that when he dined with his Captaines he spake of Warre when he supped with the Sages hee reasoned of the Sciences and he that vttered any dishonest or idle word in his presence hee alwaies afterward tooke him as his enemie This Pisto was very graue in waightie affaires very pleasant in slents and jests and oft times he was demanded many questions of the Emperour whereof the answeres of some according to the demands and questions here followeth The Emperour sayd to Pisto Of all these that liueth whom takest thou to be most Foole To whom the Philosopher answered In my opinion I take him to be most foole of whose word there commeth no profite for truely he is not so very a foole that flingeth stones into the winde as he that vttereth vaine words Tell me Pisto Whom ought wee of right to desire to speake whom of right to command to be silent He answered It is good when speech doth profite and good to keepe silence when speech is hurtfull for the one desiring to maintaine the good and the other to defend the euill warres begin throughout all the world Tell mee Pisto from what thing ought the fathers most to keepe their children He sayd In my opinion parents ought in nothing to watch so much as to keepe them from being vicious for the father ought rather to haue his sonne dye well then to liue euill Tell me Pisto What shall man do if hee be brought to this extremitie That if he speake truth hee condemneth himselfe and if hee make a lye he saueth himselfe The vertuous man said he ought rather to choose to be ouercome by truth then to ouercome by lyes for it is vnpossible that a man which is a lyer should continue long in prosperity Tell me Pisto What shall men do to obtaine rest He answered As I thinke the man cannot haue rest vnlesse he forsake worldly affayres for the men that are occupied with weightie affaires cannot be without great cares or alwaies accompanied of great troubles Tell me Pisto wherein a man sheweth himselfe to be most wise He answered
for to reward that which thou hast done to me I doe some seruice vnto thee which shall be to giue vnto thee some good counsell for strangers vse to pay for the feast with money and vaine men with telling lyes babblers by counting vaine tales children by flatteries but vertuous men ought to pay by giuing good Counsels This house hath cost thee much paine great griefes and much money and if it cost thee so much it is but reason that thou enioy the same take therefore these my three counsels and it may be thou wilt find thy selfe better contented with those then with money of strangers for many haue wherewithall to build a house but they haue not vnderstanding to gouerne the same The first counsell is Though that thou loue thy friend very well or thy wife as well yet that thou neuer discouer all the secrets of thy heart neither to thy friend nor to thy wife but that thou alwaies reserue some particular vnto thy selfe for Plato saith to whome a man committeth his secrets to him also hee giueth his libertie The second counsel is That neither in priuate businesse nor in publike affaires thou occupy thy selfe so much but at the least thou dost reserue three houres in the day for thine owne rest The third counsell is That thou haue in thy house some secret place wherof thou alone shalt haue the key and therein thou shalt haue Bookes where thou maist study of thy affaires and also talke with thy friends Finally this place shall be a secretary of thy counsels and a rest for thy trauels These were the words that Lucius Seneca spake to his friend Emilius Varro which words were such as he himselfe was that is to say of a sage and excellent personage and though the Banquet was rich yet the payment of Lucius Seneca was much more worth for the minde feeleth more taste in the good and ripe counsell then the body doeth in sauory and delicate meates I haue told you this example of Lucius Seneca for to tell another that happened to the Emperour Marcus Aurclius with his wife Faustine And to the end that the order of the matter bee not turned without breaking our Historie first we will declare here the order which this Emperour obserued in his life for the Common-wealth shall neuer be well gouerned but where the Prince gouerneth well his life Princes of necessitie ought to bee well ordered in this life because they may profite the affayres of the Empire with the particulars of their house and because they should vse the particulars of their house to the recreation of their Person and all these things ought to bee deuided according to time for a good Prince ought to lacke no time to doe that thing well which he hath to doe nor ought hee to haue any time vacant to employ himselfe to vice The worldly call that time good the which is or was prosperous vnto them they call that time euill which is or hath beene contrary and vnfortunate vnto them The Creator will neuer that this sentence bee approued by my penne but I call that time good which is imployed in vertues and that time euill that is lost in vices for the times are alwayes as one but men do turne from vice to vertue from vertue to vice The good Emperour Marcus Aurelius did deuide the time by time so that though hee had time for himselfe he had time likewise to dispatch his owne and others affayres for the man that is willing in a small time dispatcheth much businesse and the man which is negligent in along time doth little This was the order that the Emperour Marcus Aurelius tooke in spending his time He slept seuen houres in the night and one houre rested himselfe in the day In dining and supping hee consumed onely two houres and it was not for that hee tooke great pleasure to belong in eating but because the Philosophers which disputed before his Presence were occasion to prolong the time for in seuenteene yeeres they neuer sawe him at meate but one or other read vnto him some Booke or else the Philosophers reasoned before him Philosophy As he had many Realmes and Prouinces so he appointed one houre for the affayres of Asia for Affricke one houre and Europe another houre and for the conuersation of his wife children and familie he appointed other two houres of time hee had another houre for extraordinary affayres as to heare the complaints of the grieued the quarrels of the poore the complaints of the widdowes and the robberies done to the orphanes for the mercifull Prince giueth no lesse care vnto the poore which for want can doe little then to the rich which for abundance can do much Hee occupied all the residue of the day and night to read Bookes write works to make meeter and in studying of other Antiquities to practise with the Sage to dispute with the Philosophers and finally he tooke no taste of any thing so much as hee did to talke of Science Vnlesse the cruell warres did let him or such like affayres troubled him ordinarily in Winter he went to bed at nine of the clocke and awaked at foure and because he would not be idle he had alway a Booke vnder his beds head and the residue of the day hee bestowed in reading The Romanes had an ancient custome to beare fire before them that is to say a Torch light in the day and a Lampe burning in the night in their Chambers so that waking they burned Waxe and sleeping they burned Oyle And the cause why the Romanes ordeyned that the Oyle should be made of Oliue and the Waxe made of Bees which was vsed to bee borne before the Princes was to the end they should remember that they ought to bee as gentle and louing as the Oyle of Oliue is sweete and as profitable to the Common-wealth as the Bees are Hee did rise at sixe of the clocke and made himselfe ready openly and with a gentle countenance hee asked them that were about him wherein they had spent all the night and declared vnto them then what hee had dreamed what he had thought and what hee had read When hee was readie he washed his face with odoriferous waters and loued very well sweete sauours for hee had so quicke a sent that hee was much offended when hee passed through any stinking place In the morning he vsed to eate two morsels of a Lectuary made of Sticades and dranke three spoonefulls of Maluesey or else two droppes of Aqua vita because he had a cold stomacke for that hee gaue himselfe so much to studie in times past We see it by experience that the great Students are persecuted more with sicknesse then any others for in the sweetnesse of the Science they know not how their life consumeth If it were in the Summer season hee went in the morning to recreate himselfe to the Riuer of Tiberi and walked there a foote for two houres
womē to nourish dogs giuing them Milke from theyr owne breasts They replyed in the Senate and saide Tell vs Marcus Porcia What wouldest thou wee should doe which liue now to resemble our Fathers which are dead Marcus Portio aunswered them The woman that presumeth to be a Romain Matrone ought to be found weauing in her house and out of that to bee found in the Temple praying to God and the Noble and stoute Romaine ought to be found in his House reading Bookes and out of his house fighting in the plaine Field for the honor of his countrey And surely these were wordes worthie of such a man Annius Minutius was a Noble Romaine and captaine of great Pompeius who was a great friend to Iulius Caesar after the battell of Farsalie For hee was an Auncient and one that could giue good counsell wherfore hee neuer scaped but that hee was chosen in Rome for Senatour Consull or Censor euery yeare For Iulius Caesar was so mercifull to them that hee pardoned those which had been his most enemies in the warres were of him in peace best beloued This Annius Minutius then beeing chosen Censour within Rome which was an Office hauing charge of Iustice by chaunce as hee went to visite the wife of another Friend of his the which lay in Child-bed because she had great aboundance of milke hee found that a little prettie Bitche did sucke her Vpon the which occasion they say hee saide these wordes to the Senate Fathers conscript a present mischiefe is now at hand according to the token I haue seen this day that is to say I haue seene a Romaine woman denie her owne Children her milke and gaue suck to a filthy bitche And truly this Annius had reason to esteeme this case as a wonder For the truest and sweetest loues are not but betweene the Fathers and Children and where the mother embraceth the brute beast and forsaketh her natural child which she hath brought forth it cannot bee otherwise but there either wisdome wanteth or follie aboundeth for the Foole loueth that hee ought to despise and despiseth that which he ought to loue Yet though the mothers will not giue their children sucke they ought to do it for the danger which may come to the health of their persons ' for as the women which bring forth Children doe liue more healthfull then those which beare none so these which doe nourish them haue more health then those which doe not nourish them For although the bringing vp of children be troublesome to women yet it is profitable for their health I am ashamed to tell it but it is more shame for Ladyes to do it to see what plaisters they put to theyr Breasts to drie vp their milke and hereof commeth the iust iudgements of God that in that place ofte times where they seeke to stoppe their milke in the selfe same place they themselues pocure theyr sudden death I aske now if women do not enioy their children being young what pleasure hope they to haue of them when they be olde What a great comfort is it for the Parents to see the young Babe when hee will laugh how hee twinckleth his little eyes when he will weepe how he will hang the pretie lippe when he would speake how he will make signes with his litle fingers when hee would goe how hee casteth forward his feete and aboue all when he beginneth to babble how he doubleth his words What thing is more pleasant to the Father then to see them and to the mother to agree to it when the children doe sucke they plucke forth the Breasts with the one hand and with the other they plucke their cradle and further they beat their feete together and with their wanton eyes they cast on theyr Parents a thousand louing lookes what is it to see them when they are vexed and angrie how they will not be taken of the Fathers how they strike their Mother they cast away things of gold and immediately they are appeased with a little apple or rushe What a thing is it to see the innocents how they answere when a man asketh them what follies they speake when they speak to them how they play with the dogges and runne after the Catts How they dresse them in wallowing in the dust how they make litle houses of Earth in the streetes how they weepe after the birdes when they flie away All the which things are not to the Eyes of the Fathers and Mothers but as nightingales to sing and as Bread and meate to eate The Mothers peraduenture will say that they will not bring vp their children because when they are young they are troublesome but that after they shold be nourished and brought vppe they would be glad To this I answer them that the mothers shal not deny me but that some of these things must needes meete in their children that when they be olde they shal be eyther proud enuious couetous or negligent that they shal be Lecherous or else Theeues that they shal be Blasphemers or else gluttons that they shal be rebells or fooles and disobedient vnto their Fathers I belieue that at this day there are manie Mothers in the world which did hope to be honoured and serued with the Children which they hadde brought vp and afterwards perceyuing their manners would willingly forgoe the pleasures which they hoped for so that they might also be deliuered from the troubles which for their euill demeanours are like to ensue For that time which the Parents hoped to passe with their Children in pleasures they consume seeing their vnthriftie life in sorrowfull sobbes and sighes I counsell admonish and humbly require Princesses and great Ladyes to nourish and enioy their Children when they are young and tender for after that they are great a man shall bring them newes euery day of diuers sorts and māners they vse for asmuch as the one shall say that her sonne is in prison and another shall say that hee is sore wounded another that he is hid others that hee hath played his cloke others that hee is slaundered with a common harlot another that he stealeth his goods from him another that his enemies doe seeke him another thet hee accompanieth with vnthrifts And finally they are so slurdie vnhappie and so farre from that which is good that oftentimes the fathers would reioyce to see them die rather then to see them liue so euill a life Mee thinketh that the knot of loue between the mother and the childe is so great that not onely she ought not to suffer them to be nourished out of the house one whole yeare but also she ought not to suffer them to be out of her presence one onely day For in seeing him shee seeth that which is borne of her entrailes she seeth that which shee hath with so great paines deliuered she seeth him who ought to inherite all her goods shee seeth him in whome the memorie of their Auncestors remaineth and
be aduertised that since in not nourishing their children they shew themselues cruel yet at the least in prouiding for thē good Nurses they shold shew themselues pittifull for the children oft times follow more the condition of the milke which they sucke then the condition of their mothers which brought them forth or of their fathers which begot them Therefore they ought to vse much circumspection herein for in them consisteth the fame of the wiues the honour of the husband and the wealth of their children CHAP. XXII Of the Disputations before Alexander the great concerning the time of the sucking of Babes OVintus Curtins saith that after the great Alexander which which was the last King of the Macedonians and first Emperour of the Greekes had ouercome King Darius and that he saw himselfe onely Lord of all Asia he went to rest in Babylon for among men of warre there was a custome that after they had beene long in the warres euery one should retire to his owne house King Philip which was father of King Alexander alwayes counselled his sonne that he should leade with him to the warres valiant Captaines to conquere the World and that out of his Realmes and Dominions hee should take and chuse the wisest men and best experimented to gouerne the Empire Hee had reason in such wise to counsell his sonne for by the counsell of Sages that is kept and maintained which by the strength of valiant men is gotten and wonne Alexander the great therefore being in Babylon after hee had conquered all the Countrey since all the Citie was vicious and his Armie so long without warres some of his owne men began to robbe one another others to play their own some to force women and others to make banquets and feasts when some wee drunk others raysed quarrels strifes and discentions so that a man could not tell whether was greater the rust in their Armours or the corruptions in their customes For the propertie of mans malice is that when the gate is open to idlenesse infinite vices enter into the house Alexander the great seeing the dissolution which was in his Armie and the losse which might ensue heereof vnto his great Empire commanded straightly that they should make a shew and iust thorow Babylon to the end that the men of warre should exercise their forces thereby And as Aristotle saith in the book of the Questions of Babylon the Turney was so much vsed amongst them that sometimes they carryed away more dead and wounded men then of a bloudie battaile of the enemie Speaking according to the lawe of the Gentiles which looked not glory for their vertues nor feared hell to dye at the Turney the commandement of Alexander was very iust for that doing as he did to the Armie he defaced the vice which did waste it and for himselfe he got perpetuall memory and also it was cause of much suertie in the Common-weale This good Prince not contented to exercise his army so but ordayned that daily in his presence the Philosophers should dispute and the question wherein they should dispute Alexander himselfe would propound whereof followed that the great Alexander was made certaine of that wherein hee doubted and so by his wisedome all men exercised their crafts and wits For in this time of idlenesse the bookes were no lesse marred with dust because they were not opened then the weapons were with rust which were not occupyed There is a booke of Aristotle intituled The Questions of Babilon where he sayd that Alexander propounded the Philosophers disputed the Principalles of Persia replyed and Aristotle determined and so continued in disputations as long as Alexander did eate for at the Table of Alexan der one day the Captaines reasoned of matters of warre and another day the Philosophers disputed of their Philosophie Blundus saieth in the booke intituled Italia Illustrata that among the Princes of Persia there was a custome that none could sit downe at the Table vnlesse hee were a King that had ouercome another King in battaile and none could speake at their table but a Philosopher And truely the custome was very notable and worthy to be noted for there is no greater folly then for any man to desire that a Prince should reward him vnlesse hee know that by his works hee had deserued the same King Alexander did eate but one meale in the day and therefore the first question that he propounded vnto them was That the man which did not eate but once in the day at what houre it was best to eate for the health of his person and whether it should be in the morning noone dayes or night This question was debated among the Philosophers whereof euery one to defend his opinion alleadged many foundations For no lesse care haue the Sages in their mindes to issue out of them disputations victorious then the valiant Captaines haue in aduenturing their persons to vanquish their enemies It was determined as Aristotle maketh mention in his Probleames that the man which eateth but once in the day should eate a little before night for it auayleth greatly to the health of the body that when the digestion beginneth in the stomacke a man taketh his first sleepe The second question that Alexander propounded was What age the childe should haue when hee should be weyned from the dugge And the occasion of this question was for that he had begotten a young daughter of a Queene of the Amazous the which at that time did sucke and for to know whether it were time or not to weyne her there was great dispurations for the childe was now great to sucke and weake to weyne I haue declared this History for no other purpose but to shew how in Babylon this question was disputed before King Alexander that is to say how many yeeres the childe ought to haue before it were weyned from the teate for at that time they are so ignorant that they cannot demand that that is good nor complaine of that that is naught In that case a man ought to know as the times are variable and the regions and prouince diuers so likewise haue they sundry wayes of bringing vp and nourishing their children for there is as much difference betweene the Countreys of one from the Countries of others in dying and burying the dead bodies as there hath beene varieties in the world by way of nourishing bringing vp of children CHAP. XXIII Of sundry kindes of Sorceries Charmes and Witchcrafts which they in olde time vsed in giuing their children sucke the which Christians ought to eschew IT is not much from our purpose if I declare here some old examples of those which are past Strabo in his booke De situ Orbis saith that after the Assirians which were the first that raigned in the world the Siconians had signorie which long time after were called Arcades which were great and famous wrastlers and Schoolemasters at the Fence from whom came the
first and best Masters of Fence the which the Romanes kept alwaies for their Playes for as Trogus Pompeius sayth the Romanes found it by experience that there were no better men in waightie affayres then those of Spaine nor no people apter to playes and pastimes then those of Arcadia As those Siconians were ancient so they were maruellously addicted to follies and superstitious in their vsages and customes for among other they honoured for their God the Moone and during the time that shee was seene they gaue their children sucke imagining that the Moone shined vpon the brests of the mother it would doe much good vnto the childe The Authous hereof is Sinna Catullus in the booke De edicandis pueris and as the same Historian sayth the Aegyptians were great enemies to the Siconians so that all that which the one did allow the others did repoue as it appeareth for as much as the Siconians loued Oliues and Akorns they were cloathed with linnen and worshipped the Moone for their God The Aegyptians for the contrary had no Oliues neyther nourished they any Okes they did weare no linnen they worshipped the Sunne for their God and aboue all as the Siconians did giue their children sucke whiles the Moone did shine so the Aegyptians gaue their children sucke whiles the Sunne did shine Among other follies of the Caldeans this was one that they honoured the Fier for their God so that hee that was not marryed could not light Fier in his house because they sayd the custodie of Gods should be committed to none but to married and ancient men They had in Mariages such order that the day when any children did marry the Priests came into his house to light new Fire the which neuer ought to bee put out vntill the houre of his death and if perchance during the life of the husband and of the wife they should finde the fire dead and put out the marriage betweene them was dead and vndone yea though they had beene fortie yeeres together before in such sort and of this occasion came the prouerbe which of many is read and of few vnderstood that is to say Pronoke me not so much that I throwe water into the fire The Caldeans vsed such wordes when they would diuorce and separate the marriage for if the woman were ill contented with her husband in casting a little water on the fire immedately she might marry with an others and if the husband in like manner did put out the fire hee might with another woman contract marriage I haue not beene marryed as yet but I suppose there are many Christians which wish to haue at this present the libertie of the Caldes for I am well assured there are many men which would cast water on the fire to escape from their wiues also I sweare that there would be a number of women which would not onely put out their fire but also the ashes imbers and coales to make themselues free and to bee dispatched of their husbands and in especially from those which are iealous Therefore returning to our matter The Caldeans made before the fire all notable things in their lawe as before their God for they did eate before the fire they slept before the fire they did contract before the fire and the mothers did neuer giue the children sucke but before the fire for the milke as they imagined did profite the childe when it sucked before the fire which was their God The Author of this that is spoken is Cinna Catuilus The Mauritanians which at this present are called the realms of 〈◊〉 were in times past warlike men of whom the Romans had great victories and the more valiant the men were in the warres so much the more superstitious their wiues were in soceries charmes and enchantments 〈◊〉 the husband that is long abâ—â—nt from his wife ought not to maruell though in her bee founde some 〈◊〉 Cicero in the booke De Natura Deorum and much more at large Boccâ—s sayeth That as many men and women as were in that Realme 〈◊〉 many gods there were among the people for euery one had one particular God to himselfe so that the god of the one was not the god of the other And this was to bee vnderstood in the weeke dayes for in the holy and festiuall dayes they had no other gods the which altogether they did honour The manner that they had in choosing gods when a woman was with child was this Shee went to the Sacrificer of the Idoll and tolde him that shee was great with childe and besought him to giue her a God for her child And the sacrificer gaue her a little idoll of stone gold siluer or of wood the which the mother hanged at the necke of the child And as often as the childe did sucke the dugge so oft the mother putteth the Idoll on his face for otherwise shee had not giuen him a droppe of milke to sucke vnlesse first shee had consecrated to the god the milke of her brest That which I haue spoken is little in respect of that I will speake which is that if perchance the child dyed before the time or that any young man by some perilous mishap dyed before hee was somewhat ages the Fathers and kinsmen of the dead did assemble and came to the Idoll of him and eyther stoned it â—â—ng it drew it burnt it or else they cast it into the deepe well saying that sith the gods did kill man without reason that they might lawfully kill them by iustice The same Bocchas in the second booke De Natura Deorum sayth that the Allobroges had a custome that those which were Priests of the gods should from the wombe of their mothers bee chosen vnto that dignitie And as soone as the childe was born before he tasted the milke of the brest they earned it into a Priestes house for they had a custome that the man which had tasted the thinges of the world merited not to serue the Gods in the Temples One of the lawes that they sayde Priests had was that not onely they could not by violence shedde any bloud nor yet see it neyther touch it so that immediately as the Priest should by chance touch mansbloud euen so soone he lost his Priesthood This law afterwards was so narrowly looked vnto that the Priests of the Allobroges did not onely not shedde drinke nor touch mans bloud when they were now men but also when they were little infants those that should bee Priests they gaue them no milke of the brest at all And this was their reason That to sucke milke was no other but to drinke white bloud for white milke is but sodden bloud and redde bloud is but raw milke Pulio in the booke de educandis pueris sayeth That the Auncients had a certaine kinde of reedes that breaking it in sunder there issued white milke wherewith they accustomed to nourish their children but let it bee as it is that this law
prohibite children their milke which hereafter should bee made Priestes of the temples mee thinketh it a tricke rather of superstitious sorcerers then of religious Priests For there is neyther diuine nor humane Law that will forbid or prohibite any such thing without the which mans life cannot endure These were the maners and customes that the Ancients had in the nourture of their children And indeede I maruell not at that they did for the Gentiles esteemed this cursed Idol as a great God as wee Christians doe the true and liuing God I was willing to declare all these antiquities to the end that Princesses and great Ladies shoulde haue pleasure in reading them and knowing them but not to that end they should imitate and follow them in any kind of thing For according to the faith of our Christian Religion as sure as wee be of the offences that those did vnto God through following those superstitions so sure wee are of the good seruices which wee doe vnto God in forsaking them How long time the mothers ought to giue their children sucke and what age they ought to weine them not for that which I haue read nor for that which I haue demaunded in this case I am able to answere but forasmuch as Aristotle sayeth in the booke aboue named that the child at the most ought to sucke but two yeares at the least one yeare and a halfe for if hee sucke lesse he is in danger to be sicke and if hee sucke more he shall be alwayes tender I will not omit that which Sextus Cheronensis sayeth in the fourth booke of his common-wealth And hereof Bocohas also maketh mention in the third booke De natura Deorum that when Alexander the Great passed into India amongst other renowmed Philosophers there was one with him called Arethus who as by chance he was in Nissa an ancient City of India there came a mā of the Countrey to shew him such antiquities as were there Arethus the Philosopher beheld them as a sage and wise man for the simple man onely beholdeth the doings and how they seeme but the sage man enquireth and demandeth of the causes and from whence they came Among other things he shewed this good Philosopher a great house being in the end of the City therin were many women whereof euery one of them had a chamber and in euery chamber there was two beds and adioyning to the one herbs were sowen in maner of nettles and adioining to the other there was kind of twigges as of Rosemary and in the midst of the house there were many graues of small children The Phylosopher Arethus asked why that house was so great and the Indian answered This house is to nourish the Children which are Orphanes when they bee of their Parents and friendes abandoned For it is a custome in this City that immediately when the Father of one chelde dyeth the City then taketh him for her sonne And from that time forward he is called the child of the City which nourisheth him and not the childe of the Father which begot him Arethus the Philosopher secondarily asked him why there were so many women in that house without any man among them whereunto the Indian answered In this Country there is a custome that the women are seuered from their husbands all the time they giue their children sucke For the will of our God is that the woman be not in company with her husband after shee is with child and this not onely vntil such time as shee is deliuered but also vntill such time as the childe be wayned from the brest The Philosopher Arethus thirdly demaunded him why euery one had her chamber seuerally The Indian answered Thou knowest that now naturally raigneth so much malice in the woman that shee alwayes enuyeth the felicity of another And if they were altogether they would haue amongst them such quarrels debates that they would corrupt the milke which they should giue to the child Fourthly the Philosopher Arethus asked why in euery chamber there was a great bed and a little pallet since there was but one woman and one child whereunto the Indian answered In this India they doe not consent that the Nurses should sleepe together in one bed with the young childe whom they nourish for when the women are heauy a sleepe not taking heede to the childe they many times ouerlay the poore infant and so smother it aliue Fiftly the Philosopher asked why ioining to the beds there was nettles which are without fauour in eating and dangerous in touching The Indian answered I let thee know that in this India against al nature the childrē weepe not whiles they are young and therefore they haue growing by the beddes nettles to make them weepe for our Philosophors tell vs that if dayly the childe doth weepe two houres it profiteth him not onely for the health of his body but also for to prolong his life Furthermore the Philosopher for the sixt asked why there were so many twigges like Rosemary by the bed side whereunto the Indian aunswered Know thou that in India there is an olde plague that wee cannot defende our selues from these witches the which by their sorceries and with the onely lookes of their eies destroy many children and they say that all the children which shall bee perfumed with those hearbes can take no hurte through the lookes of those witches CHAP. XXIIII Of a letter which Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Dedalus in the ende whereof he enuaieth against those women which cure children by sorceries charmes and enchantments PRincesses and great Ladyes ought to take heed that their nurses be not Witches and that they doe not suffer the babes whiles they are yet young to take any charmes or sorceries for the medicine putteth the life of the creature in perill and those sorceries doe not onelie harme to the body of the child but also to the soule of her selfe which vseth it To prayse more them that are past and to confound more the present I will that those which shall reade this doe reade a letter of Marcus Aurelius which he sent to a friend of his in the end whereof it appeareth how great enemies the Auncients were to Witches Charmers to all kind of Sorcerers for truely I know not which was greater eyther the temperance that they had in nourishing their children being Gentiles or the foolish hardinesse which wee haue being Christians Here followeth therefore the Letter in the ende of the which hee speaketh against Witches and euill women The letter of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius MArcus Aurelius the Romane Emperour fellow with his brother Annius Verus in the same Empire wisheth to thee Dedalus his speciall friend health to thy person and good fortune against all euill Since the day that thou diddest take shipping at the Hauen of Ostia I read no letter of thine neyther haue I seen as yet any man of thy house yea and moreouer they could not tell
thee so much to keepe thy children from witches For otherwise the cursed Women will doe them more harme then the good milke shal profite them I haue beene moued and prouoked to write thus much vnto thee for the great loue which I do beare thee and also calling to minde that which thou when we were in the sacred Senate oft times toldest me which was that thou diddest desire a sonne And since now thou hast thy petition I would not thou shouldst prouoke the Gods wrath by sorceries For in the faith of a good man I doe sweare vnto thee that when the Fathers are in fauour with the Gods there needeth no sorceries vnto the Children I had manie other things to write vnto thee Some of the which I will cōmunicate with thy seruant Fronton rather then to send them by letters And maruel not at this for letters are so perillous that if a man be wise hee wil write no more in a close letter thē he would declare openly in Rome Pardon me my friend Dedalus though indeede I write not vnto thee as thy appetite would nor yet as my will desireth For thou hast need to know many things and I haue not leaue by letter to put thee in trust therewith I cannot tell what I should write vnto thee of me but that alwayes the Goute doth take me and the worst of all is that the more I growe in yeares the more my health diminisheth For it is an old course of mans frailtie that where wee thinke to goe most surest there haue we most lets The Popinjay which thou didst send me as soone as I receyued it my wife did seaze it and truely it is a maruellous pleasure to heare what thinges it doth speak but in the end the women are of such power that when they wil they impose silence to the liuing and cause that in the graues the dead men speake According to that I doe loue thee and according to that I owe thee and as I haue vsed that which I doe sende thee is very little I say it because that presently I do send thee but two horses of Barbarie twelue swords of Alexandrie and to Fronton thy seruant for a new yeares gift for his good newes I haue giuen him an Office which is worth to him 20. thousand Sexterces of Rent in Cecyl Faustine did bid mee I should send thy wife Perusa a cofer full of odoriferous odours of Palestine and another cofer full of her owne Apparrel the which as I thinke thou wilt not a little esteeme For naturally Women are of theyr owne Goods niggardes but in wasting spending of others very prodigall The Almighty gods bee with thee and preserue thee from euill fortune The which I humbly beseech to graunt that vnto thee and mee and vnto my wife Faustine and to thy wife Pertusa that we all meete merily together in Rome for the heart neuer receyueth such ioy as when hee seeth himselfe with his desired friend Marcus of Mount Celio writeth to thee with his own hand CHAP. XXV How excellent a thing it is for a Gentleman to haue an eloquent tongue ONe of the chiefest things that the Creatour gaue to man was to know and be able to speake for otherwise the soule reserued the brute beasts are of more value then dumbe men Aristotle in his Aesconomices without comparison prayseth more the Pythagoricall sort then the Stoicall saying that the one is more conforme to reason then the other is Pythagoras commaunded that al men which were dumbe and without speech should immediately and without contradiction be banished and expulsed from the people The cause why this Phylosopher had commanded such things was for so much as he saide that the tongue is moued by the motions of the soule and that he which had no tong had no soule And hee which hath no soule is but a brute beast and he that is a beast deserueth to serue in the fieldes among brute beasts It is a good thing not to bee dumbe as bruite beasts are and it is a greater thing to speake as the reasonable men doe but it is much more worthy to speake wel as the eloquent Philosophers doe For otherwise if hee which speaketh doth not weigh the sentences more then the wordes oft times the Popingayes shall content thē more which are in the cage then the men which doe reade in Schooles Iosephus in the booke De Bello Iudaico sayeth That King Herod not onely with his person and goods but also with all his friends and parents followed and gaue ayde to Marcus Anthonius and to his louer Cleopatra howbeit in the end Octauian had the victory For the man which for the loue of a woman doth enterprise conquests it is impossible that eyther he lose not his life or else that hee liue not in infamy Herod seeing that Marcus Antonius was dead determined to go towards the Emperour Octauian at whose feet he layd his crowne and made a notable Oration wherein hee spake so pleasant words and so high sentences that the Emperour Octauian did not onely pardon him for that hee was so cruell an enemie but also hee confirmed him again vnto his realm and tooke him for his deare and speciall friend For among the good men and noble hearts many euill workes are amended by a few good works If Blundus in the booke intituled Roma triumphante do not deceiue me Pirrus that great King of the Epirotes was stoute and hardy valiant in armes liberall in benefices patient in aduersities and aboue al renowned to be very sweet in words and sage in his answeres They sayde that this Pirrus was so eloquent that the man with whome once hee had spoken remained so much his that from that time forward in his absence hee tooke his part and declared his life and state in presence The aboue named Blundus sayed and Titus Liuius declareth the same That as the Romaines were of all things prouided seeing that King Pyrrus was so eloquent they prouided in the Senate that no Romane Ambassadour should speake vnto him but by a third person for otherwise he would haue perswaded them through his sweet words that they should haue returned againe to Rome as his procurers and soliciters Albeit Marcus Tullius Cicero was Senatour in the Senate Consull in the Empire rich amongst the rich and hardy amongst men of warre yet truely none of these qualities caused him eternall memorie but onely his excellent eloquence This Tullius was so esteemed in Rome for the eloquence of his tongue onely that oft times they heard him talke in the Senate three houres together without any man speaking one word And let not this bee little esteemed nor lightly passed ouer for worldly malice is of such condition that some man may easily speake foure houres then another man shal haue patience to heare him one minute Antonius Sobellicus declareth that in the time of Amilcares the Affrican a Philosopher named Afronio flourished in
the time past Wherin thou being a woman shewest thy selfe more then a woman because the nature of women is to cast their eyes onely in that that is present and to forget that is past They tell me that thou doest occupy thy selfe now in writing of our Country And truely in this case I cannot say but that you haue matter enough to write on For the warres and trauels of our times haue beene such and so great that I had rather reade them in bookes then to see them with my eyes And if it bee so as I suppose it is I beseech thee heartily and by the immortall Gods I coniure thee that in writing the affayres of thy Countrey thou doest vse thy penne discreetely I meane that thou doe not in this case blemish thy writing by putting therein any flattery or lesing For oft times Historiographers in blasing more then truth the giftes of their Countrey cause worthily to be suspected their writing Thou knowest very well how that in the battell past the Rhodians were ouercome and that ours remained victorious Mee thinketh thou shouldst not in this case greatly magnifie extoll or exalt ours because in the end they fought to reuenge their iuiury neyther thou oughtest to blame the Rhodians for they did not fight but in the ayde of Rome I speake this my sister because for to defend their owne women shew themselues Lyons and for to defend the things of another man men shew themselus chickens For in the end hee onely may bee counted strong the which defendeth not his owne house but which dyeth defending his and another mans I will not deny the naturall loue of my Country nor I will not deny but that I loue them that write and speake well thereof but mee thinketh it is not reason that they should disprayse the goodnesse and truth of other Countries nor that they should so highly commend the euill and vilenesse of their owne For there is not in the world this day so barren a realme but may bee commended for something therein nor there is so perfect a nation but in somthings may be reproued Thou canst not deny me but that amōgst thy brethren I am the eldest and thou canst not deny but that amongst all thy Disciples I am the youngest and since that for being thy Disciple I ought to obey thee thou likewise for that I am thy eldest brother oughtest to beleeue me By the faith of a people I doe counsell thee my sister that thou do trauell much to be profound in thy words vpright in thy life and honest of thy person and besides all this true in thy writing For I let thee vnderstand that if the body of the man without the soule is little regarded I sweare vnto thee that the mouth of a man without truth is much lesse esteemed CHAP. XXX The Authour followeth his purpose perswading Princesses and other Ladies to endeauour themselues to be wise as the women were in olde time THis therefore was the letter which Pythagoras sent to his sister Theoclea whereby is shewed the great humility of him and the hie eloquence of her Hierchus the Greeke and Plutarch also in the booke of the gouernement of Princes say that Pythagaras had not onely a sister which was called Theoclea of whom he learned so much Philosophy but also he had a daughter the wisedome and knowledge of whom surmounted her Aunt and was equall to her Father I thinke it no lesse incredible which is spoken of the daughter then that which is spoken of the Aunt which is that those of Athens did reioyce more to heare her speake in her house then for to heare Pythagoras reade in the Schoole And it ought to bee beleeued for the saying of the graue Authours on the one part and by that wee daily see on the other part For in the end it is more pleasure to heare a man tell mery tales hauing grace and comelynes in his words then to heare a graue man speake the truth with a rude and rough tongue I haue found in many writings what they haue spoken of Pythagoras and his Daughter but none telleth her name saue only in an Epistle that Phalaris the Tyrant wrote I found this worde written where hee saith Polychrata that was the Daughter of the Phylosopher Pythagoras was young and exceeding wise more faire then rich and was so much honoured for the puritie of her life and so highly esteemed for her pleasaunt Tongue that the word which shee spake spinning at her Distaffe was more esteemed then the Phylosophie that her Father read in the schoole And he saide more It is so great a pittie to see and heare that women at this present are so dishonest and in their tongues so malicious that I haue greater pleasure in the good renowme of one that is dead then in the infamie of all them which are aliue For a good woman is more worth with her distaffe spinning then a hundred euill Queenes with their royall Scepters reigning By the words which Phalaris said in his letter it seemed that this Daughter of Pythagoras was called Polichrate Pythagoras therefore made manie Commentaryes as well of his owne countrey as of strangers In the end he dyed in Mesopotamia where at the houre of his death hee spake vnto his Daughter Polichrate and saide these wordes I see my Daughter that the houre wherein I must ende my life approcheth The Gods gaue it mee and now they will take it from mee Nature gaue me byrth and now shee giueth me death the Earth gaue me the bodie and now it returneth to ashes The woefull Fatall destenyes gaue mee a little goods mingled with many trauells So that Daughter of al things which I enioyed here in this world I carrie none with mee For hauing all as I had it by the way of borrowing now at my death eache man taketh his owne I die ioyfully not for that I leaue thee rich but for that I leaue thee learned And in token of my tender heart I bequeathe vnto thee all my Bookes wherein thou shalt finde the treasure of all my trauells And I tell thee that that I giue thee is the riches gotten with mine owne sweate and not obtained to the preiudice of another For the loue I beare vnto thee Daughter I pray thee and by the immortall Gods I conjure thee that thou bee such and so good that although I die yet at the least thou mayst keepe my memorie For thou knowest well what Homer sayth speaking of Achilles and Pyrrhus That the good life of the Childe that is aliue keepeth the renowne of the Father which is dead These were the wordes which the Phylosopher spake to his daughter lying in his death bed And thogh perhaps hee spake not these wordes yet at the least this was the effect and meaning As the great Poet Mantuan sayth King Euander was father of the grant Pallas and he was a great friend of king Eneas he vaunted himselfe to
this coate The poore Poet answered him I let thee know my friend that I cannot tell which is greater thy euill lucke or my greate felicitie The Romane Calphurnius replyed Tell me Cornificius How canst thou call thy selfe happy since thou hast not a loafe of bread to eate nor a gowne to put on thy backe and why sayest thou that I am vnhappy since thou and thy family may be fed with that alone which at my table remayneth To this the poet answered I will that thou know my friend and neighbour that my felicitie is not for that I haue little but for that I desire lesse then I haue And thy euill lucke is not for that thou bast much but for that thou desirest more and doest little esteem that that thou hast And if thou be rich it is for that thou neuer spakest truth and if I he poore it is because I neuer tolde lye For the house that is stuffed with riches is commonly voyd of the truth And I tell thee further that I call my selfe happie because I haue a sister which is the best esteemed in all Italie and thou hast a Wife the most dishonest in all Rome And sith it is so betweene thee and mee I referre it to no mans iudgement but to thine which is better eyther to be poore as I am with honour or else to bee rich as thou art and liue with infamte These wordes passed betweene the Romane Calphurnius and the Poet Cornificius I desire to declare the excellencie of those few auncient women as well Greekes as Latines and Romanes to the intent that Princesses and great Ladyes may knowe that the auncient women were more esteemed for their sciences then for their beauties Therefore the Princesses and great Ladies ought to thinke that if they be womē the other were also in like māner and if they bee fraile the others were also weake If they be marryed the others also had Husbands if they haue theyr willes the others had also what they wanted If they be tender the others were not strong Finally they ought not to excuse themselues saying that women are vnmeete for to learne For a woman hath more abilitie to learne Sciences in the scholes then the Parate hath to speake words in the cage In my opinion Princesses and great Ladyes ought not to esteeme themselues more then another for that they haue fairer hayres then others or for that they are better Apparrelled then another or that they haue more riches then another But they ought therfore to esteeme themselues not for that they can doe more then others To say the trueth the faire and yeallow hayres the rich and braue Apparel the great treasurs the sumptuous Pallaces and strong Buildings these and other like pleasures are not guydes and leaders vnto vertues but rather Spyes and Scowtewatches to vices Oh what an excellent thing were it that the noble Ladyes would esteeme themselues not for that they can doe but for that they knowe For it is more commendations to know how to teach two Philosophers then to haue authority to commaund a hundred knightes It is a shame to write it but it is more pittie to see it that is to say to reade that wee read of the wisedome and worthinesse of the auncient Matrons past and to see as we do see the frailenes of these yong ladies present For they coueted to haue Disciples both learned and experimented and those of this present desire nothing but to haue seruants not only ignorant but deceitfull and wicked And I doe not maruell seeing that which I see that at this present in Court she is of little value least esteemed amōg Ladies which hath fairest Seruants is least entertained of Gentlemen What shall I say more in this matter but that they in times past striued who shold write better and compile the best books and these at this present doe not striue but who shall haue the richest and most sumptuous Apparrell For the Ladyes thinke it a jolyer matter to weare a Gowne of a new fashion then the ancients did to read a lesson of Phylosophie The ancient Ladyes striued which of them was wisest but these of our dayes contend who shal be fairest For at this day the Ladyes would choose rather to haue the face adorned with beautie then the heart endued with wisedome The Auncient Ladyes contended which should bee best able to teach others but these Ladyes now a dayes contend how they may most finely apparrell themselues For in these dayes they giue more honour to a Woman richly Apparrelled then they giue to another with honesty beautified Finally with this word I doe conclude and let him marke that shall reade it that in the olde time women were such that their vertues caused all men to keepe silence and now their vices bee such that they compell all men to speake I will not by this worde any man should be so bold in general to speake euill of all the Ladyes for in this case I sweare that there are not at this day so many good vertuous women in the world but that I haue more enuie at the life they lead in secrete then at all the sciences which the auncient women read in publike Wherefore my pen doth not shew it selfe extreame but to those which onely in sumptuous Apparrell and vaine words doe consume their whole life and to those which in reading a good Booke would not spend one onely houre To proue my intention of that I haue spoken the aboue written sufficeth But to the ende Princesses and great Ladyes may see at the least how much beter it shal be for them to know little then to haue and possesse much and to be able to do more I wil remēber them of that which a Romain woman wrote to her children wherby they shal perceiue how eloquent a woman she was in her sayings and how true a mother in her coūsel For in the end of her letter she perswadeth her children to the trauels of the warre not for any other cause but to auoyde the pleasures of Rome CHAP. XXXI Of the worthinesse of the Lady Cornelia and of a notable Epistle shee wrote to her two sonnes which serued in the warres Tiberius and Caius disswading them from the pleasures of Rome and exhorting them to endure the trauels of warre ANNius Rusticus in the booke of the Antiquities of the Romanes sayeth that in Rome there were fiue principall Iynages that is to say Fabritii Torquatii Brutii Fabit and Cornelii though there were in Rome other new lynages whereof there were many excellent personages yet alwayes these which came of the fiue lynages were kept placed and preferred to the first Offices of the common wealth For Rome honoured those that were present in such sort that it was without the preiudice of those that are gone Amongst those v. linages the Romaines alwayes counted the Cornelii most fortunate that which were so hardy and couragious in fight
and so modest in life that of their family there was neuer found any cowardly man in the field nor any defamed woman in the twone They say of this linage of the Cornenelii among many other there were 4. singular and notable women among the which the chiefe was the mother of Graccht whose name was Cornelia and liued with more honor for the sciences shee read in Rome then for the conquests that her children had in Affrike Before her children were brought into the Empire they talked of none other thing but of their strength and hardinesse throughout the world and therefore a Romain one day asked this woman Cornelia wherof she tooke most vain glory to see her selfe mistresse of so many Disciples or mother of so valiant children The Lady Cornelia answered I doe esteeme the science more which I haue learned then the children which I haue brought forth For in the end the children keepe in honour the life but the Disciples continue the renowme after death And she sayd further I am assured that the Disciples daily wil waxe better and better and it may be that my children will waxe worse and worse The desires of young men are so variable that they dayly haue new inuentions With one accord all the writers doe greatly commend this woman Cornelia in especiall for being wise and honest and furthermore because she read Phylosophy in Rome openly And therefore after her death they set vp in Rome a statue ouer the gate Salaria whereupon there was grauen this Epigram This heape of earth Cornelle doth enclose Of wretched Gracches that loe the mother was Twise happy in the schollers that shee chose Vnhappy thrise in the of spring that shee has AMong the Latines Cicero was the Prince of al the Romane Rethorike and the chiefest with his pen enditing Epistles yet they say that he did not onely see the writings of this Cornelia but read them and did not onely reade them but also with the sentences thereof profited himselfe And hereof a man ought not to maruell for there is no man in the world so wise of himselfe but may further his doings with the aduise of an other Cicero so highly exalted these writings that he sayde in his Rethorike these or such other like words If the name of a woman had not not blemished Cornelia truly she deserued to be head of al Philosophers For I neuer saw so graue sentences proceede from so fraile flesh Since Cicero spake these words of Cornelia it cannot be but that the writings of such a woman in her time were verie liuelesse and of great reputation yet notwithstanding there is no memory of her but that an author for his purpose declareth an Epistle of this maner Sextus Cheronensis in his booke of the prayse of women reciteth the letter which shee sent to her children Shee remaining in Rome and they being at the wars in Affricke The Letter of Cornelia to her two sons Tiberius and Caius otherwise called Gracchi Cornelia the Romane that by the fathers side am of the Cornelii on the mother side of the Fabii to you my two sonnes Gracchii which are in the warres of Affricke such health to you I doe wish as a mother to her children ought to desire You haue vnderstoode right well my children how my father dyed I being but three yeares of age and that this 22. yeares I haue remained widdow and that this 20. yeares I haue read Rethorike in Rome It is 7. yeeres since I saw you and 12. yeares since your brethren my children dyed in the great plague You know 8. yeeres are past since I left my study and came to see you in Cicilia because you should not forsake the wars to come to see me in Rome for to mee could come no greater pain then to see you absent from the seruice of the Common wealth I desire my children to shew you how I haue passed my life in labour and trauell to the entent you should not desire to spende yours in rest and idlenes For to me that am in Rome there can want no troubles be yee assured that vnto you which are in the wars shall want no perils For in warres renowne is neuer solde but by weight or changed with losse of life The young Fabius sonne of my aunt the aged Fabia at the third Calends of March brought mee a letter the which you sent and truly it was more briefe then I would haue wished it for betweene so deere children and so louing a mother it is not suffered that the absence of your persons should be so farre and the letters which you write so briefe By those that goe from hence thither I alwaies doe send you commendations and of those that come from thence hither I doe enquire of newes Some say they haue seene you others tell mee they haue spoken with you so that with this my heart is somwhat quieted for between them that loue greatly it may bee endured that the fight be seldom so that the health be certaine I am sole I am a widdow I am aged and now all my kindred are dead I haue endured many trauels in Rome and the greatest of all is my children of your absence for the paine is greater to be voyd of assured friends then assault is dangerous of cruell enemies Since you are young and not very rich since you are hardie and brought vp in the trauels of Affricke I do not doubt but that you do desire to come to Rome to see know that now you are men which you haue seen when you were children for men doe not loue their Country so much for that it is good as they doeloue it for that it is naturall Beleeue me children there is no man liuing that hath seene or heard speake of Rome in times past but hath great griefe sorrow and pitty to see it at this present for as their hearts are pittifull and their eyes tender so they cannot behold that without great sorrow which in times past they haue seene in great glory O my children you shall know that Rome is greatly changed from that it was wont to be To reade that wee doe reade of it in times past and to see that which wee see of it now present wee must needs esteeme that which the Ancients haue written as a iest or else beleeue it but as a dreame There is no other thing now at Rome but to see iustice corrupted the common-weale oppressed lies blown abroad the truth kept vnder the Satyres silent the flatterers open mouthed the inflamed persons to bee Lords and the patient to be seruants and aboue all and worse then all to see the euill liue in rest and contented and the good troubled and displeased Forsake forsake my Children that City where the good haue occasion to weepe and the euill haue liberty to laugh I cannot tell what to say in this matter as I would say truly the Common weale is at this day such and
vndefamed Diadumius the Hystoriographer in the life of Seuerus the xxj Emperour declareth that Apuleius Rufinus who had beene Consull twice and at that time was also Tribune of the people a man who was very aged and likewise of great authoritie throughout Rome came one day to the Emperour Seuerus and saide vnto him in this sort Most inuict Prince alwayes Augustus knowe that I had two children the which I committed to a Maister to bring vp and by chaunce the oldest increasing in yeares and diminishing in vertues fell in loue with a Romaine Ladie the which loue came too late to my knowledge For to such vnfortunate men as I am the disease is alwayes past remedie before the daunger thereof commeth to our knowledge The greatest griefe that herein I feele is that his Maister knewe and concealed the euill and was not onely not a meanes to remedie it but also was the chiefe worker of Adultery betweene them to be committed And my Sonne made him an obligation wherein he bound himselfe if he brought him that Romaine Ladie hee would giue him after my death the house and Heritages which I haue in the gate Salaria and yet heerewith not contented but he and my Sonne together robbed me of much money For loue is costly to him that maintaineth it and alwayes the loues of the Children are chargeable to the Fathers Iudge you now therefore Noble Prince this so haynous and slaunderous cause For it is too much presumption of the subiect to reuenge any iniurie knowing that the Lorde himselfe will reuenge all wrongs When the Emperour Seuerus had vnderstood this so heynous a case as one that was both in name and deede seuere commaunded good inquisition of the matter to be had and that before his presence they should cause to appeare the Father the Sonne and the Maister to the ende eache one should alledge for his own right For in Rome none could bee condemned for any offence vnlesse the plaintife had first declared the fault before his presence and that the accused should haue no time to make his excuse The truth and certaintie vpon due examination then knowne and the Offenders confessing the offences the Emperor Seuerus gaue iudgmēt thus I commaund that this Maister be cast aliue among the beastes of the parke Palatine For it is but meete that Beastes deuoure him which teacheth others to liue like beasts Also I do command that the Sonne be vtterly disinherited of all the goods of his Father and banished the Countrey into the Isles of Baleares and Maiorques For the Childe which from his youth is vicious ought iustly to be banished the Countrey and be disinherited of his Fathers goods This therefore of the Maister and the Sonne was done by the complainte of Apuleius Rufynus O how vnconstant fortune is and how oft not thinking of it the thred of life doth breake I say it because if this Master had not beene couetous the Father had not been depriued of his sonne the childe had not beene banished the mother had not beene defamed the common weale had not beene slaundered the master of wilde beasts had not been deuoured neyther the Emperour had been so cruell against them nor yet theyr names in Histories to their infamies had alwayes continued I doe not speake this without a cause to declare by writing that which the euill doe in the World for wisemen ought more to feare the infamy of the little pen then the slander of the babling tongue For in the end the wicked tongue cannot defame but the liuing but the little penne doth defame them that are that were and that shall be To conclude this my minde is that the Master should endeuour himselfe that his Scholler should bee vertuous and that hee doe not despayre though immediately for his paines hee bee not rewarded For though hee bee not of the creature let him bee assured that hee shall be of the Creator For God is so mercifull that hee often times taking pitty of the swette of those that bee good chasteneth the vnthankefull and taketh vpon him to require their seruices CHAP. XXXVIII Of the determination of the Emperour when he committed his childe to the Tutors which hee had prouided for his education CInna the Historian in the first booke of the times of Comodus declareth that Marcus Aurelius the Emperour chose foureteene Masters learned and wise men to teach his son Comodus of the which he refused fiue not for that they were not wise but for that they were not honest And so hee kept these nine onely which were both learned in the Sciences and also expert in bringing vp the children of the Senators though indeed they were very vnluckie in the bringing vp of the Prince Comodus for this cursed Prince had nine Masters which instructed him but hee had aboue nine thousand vices wich vndid him The Emperour Marcus Aurelius made fiue books of declamations and in the third booke the 6. Chapter vnder the title Adsapientes Pedagogos hee brought in these nine Masters and perswaded them greatly that they should bee diligent and attentiue to teach his sonne Comodus And in this matter hee spake vnto them many and graue sentences the words whereof do follow The matter is manifest in Rome and no lesse published thorow out all Italy what paines I tooke to search out so many Sages to instruct my sonne Comodus the which all being examined I kept onely the wisest and the best and though in very deed I haue done much yet I haue not done so much as I am bound For Princes in doubtfull matters ought not onely to demaund counsell of all the good that be aliue but also to take paine to talke with those which are dead That is to reade the deedes of the good in their writings You were foureteene masters chosen whereof I haue put out fiue so that presently you are but nine if indeede you bee Wise men you shall not bee offended with that I haue done for the griefe of euill things proceedeth of wisdome but the admiration of good things commeth of small experience I doe not deny but the wise men doe feele in them passions as men but in the end there is no arte nor science that doth excuse vs from the miseries of men But that whereat I maruell is how it is possible that a wise man should maruell at any thing in this world For if the wise man should be astonied at euery thing of the world it appeareth that there is little constancy or vertue in him at all Returning therefore to our particular talke I haue taken you to bee masters of my sonne and you see of many I chose a few to the end that with few my sonne should be taught For as it is the Fathers duty to search out good masters so it is the masters duty to be diligent about his Scholler The Nurse of my sonne Comodus gaue him sucke two yeares with her teates at the gate
that is to say Whether to reward the good or to punish the euill were for a Prince more naturall Hee aunswered As naturall as both the right and left arme is in a man so necessarie is reward and punishment in a Prince But as wee helpe our selus more with the right arm then with the left so the Prince ought more to endeauour himselfe to reward then to punish For punishment ought to bee by the handes of a stranger but reward ought to bee with his owne proper hands When wee perswade Princes to bee iust and that they doe iustice it is not to bee vnderstood that they should be head murderers banish rebels and seditious persons hang theeues and burie felons aliue For such or other like things rather appertaine to bloudy Hangmen then to pittifull Kings All the profit of iustice is in that the Prince be honest of person carefull for his householde zealous of the Common-wealth and not large of his Conscience For Princes ought not to bee commended for murdering many cruelly but for reforming the common wealth louingly Plutarch in the comfortable Oration that hee wrote to Appoloni speaking of the Lawes which Promotheus gaue to the Egyptians amongst the residue he recited these three that follow Wee ordaine and commaund that Princes lay not hands on others for any crimes or offences done vnto himselfe For Princes ought not to vse their hāds to reuenge their owne iniuries but rather by iustice to defend other that bee iniuried Wee ordaine and commaund that all times when they shall bee in their Common wealth and not in wars they shall not weare weapons defensiue and much lesse offensiue For good Princes neyther ought to bee hastie to the ende they may kill nor yet to haue vices whereby they may be killed We ordaine and commaund that the Prince doe not onely not kill with his handes but also that doe not see them doe iustice with his eyes For how much noble and worthy a thing it is before the presence of a Prince that al should receyue honor so slaunderous a thing it is that any in his presence should lose their liues CHAP. II. The way that Princes ought to vse in choosing their Iudges and Officers in their Countries SParthianus in the liues that he wrote of thirty tyrants sayde that Ciriacus the Tirant had a memoriall made of certaine of the Senatours whom he would haue killed and when the thing was discouered they slew him They found in the hands of another tyrant named Regilius after hee was dead a memoriall of those which with his own hands he had depriued of their liues wherfore they afterward depriued him of his buriall O how many Iudges are there in this world that doe as much aduance themselues of those whom they haue caused to be whipt to bee slaine to be beheaded to be hanged quartered and slaine as others doe which haue redeemed many captiues or haue married Orphanes Those Iudges which according to the order of Lawes customes and iurisdictions to punish the euill I do wel allow but to reioice and aduance themselues of them whom they haue condemned I vtterly abhor for the vertuous and Christian Iudge ought rather to shed teares in the Churches then by affection to shed bloud of men in the seate of iudgement And for the confirmation of that which I haue sayde I affirme that the good iudge and gouernor of the common-wealth ought not to beare in minde the murthers and slaughters done by others but to record the iniuryes which they haue done themselues For in other mens offences we ought to be silent and for our owne iniquities wee ought to be penitent Iudges execute some punishments which men disallow and God doeth aproue an other time God condemneth them though the world do allow them Therefore the surest thing for Iudges is not to reioyce of their brethren whom they haue corrected but what they themselues for theyr owne offences haue deserued In iudging others by false witnes the Iudges many times against theyr wills doe erre but in their owne matters they can neuer erre vnlesse they will since the offences which wee commit are alwayes certaine Therefore it grieueth mee much that there be some so euill which being accused before GOD would excuse themselues before men yet their owne breethren with false witnesses they dare condemne Great care ought Princes to haue to examin them whom they wil make Iudges and gouernors For the iudge which daylie maketh not an account with his Conscience in secrete shall commit euery houre a thousand euills in the Common-wealth Oh poore and miserable common-wealth where the gouernours and iudges thereof doe not cast their eyes but vnto them whome they ought to chastise where they doe not thinke in their hearts but how they may enrich their Coffers where they doe not occupie their handes but to take bribes and doe not passe the time but in feastings and Bankettes And I sayd not without a cause bankets For there are too many iudges which employ their studyes more to get them Friendes to maintaine their state proudly then for to reade good bookes and to iudge mens causes vprightly The iudge which neuer readeth the iudge which neuer studyeth the iudge which neuer openeth booke the iudge which is neuer in his house the iudge which day and night robbeth How is it possible that hee should execute one true iustice There can bee no greater feare in a man nor slaunder more great in the commonwealth then when the iudge who ought to iudge and chastise the offences of others is alwayes ouerwhelmed with vices The iudge which presumeth to bee good and wil be good and which desireth to be good a man should finde him no where vnlesse hee be studying in his house or else sitting in the place of Iustice c. Let not Noble Princes trust vppon this when they prouide Iudges and Gouernours saying That if they finde any euill they wil soone cut him off For such are so euill that if they want no meanes to get to those Offices they shal want no cautils nor corrupt Friends to suborne them therin When Noble Princes and great lords shall find any iudge euill I counsell them to auoyde him immediately or that they shew themselues not contēted with his doings For such a one shall forthwith enforce himselfe to do iustice with intention that those of the commonwealth might desire him to be their iudge Although my pen doth reproue these iudges which are extreame and cruell yet my intention is not to cōmend the others which are negligent and carelesse the which neyther by knowledge can iudge nor with stoutnesse punish The Iudges which iudge and gouerne they ought not to bee with all so familiar that all dare take vpon them to aske him for in this case if some commend his gentle conuersation others will blame his partiall Iustice I counsell admonish and require Princes that they content themselus not onely to be
the diligence which the Iudges vsed towards the Senat to the end they might giue them offices the selfe same ought the Senate to haue to seeke vertuous men to commit such charge into their hands For the office of iustice ought to be giuen not to him which procureth it but to him that best deserueth it In the yeare of the foundation of Rome 642. yeares the Romane people had many warres throughout all the world That is to say Caius Celius against those of Thrace Gneus Gardon his brother against the Sardes Iunius Scilla against the Cimbres Minutius Rufus against the Daces Seruilius Scipio against the Macedonians and Marius Consull against Iugurtha King of the Numedians and amongst all these the warre of the Numidians was the most renowmed and also perillous For if Rome had many Armies against Iugurtha to conquer him Iugurtha had in Rome good friends which did fauour him King Boco at that time was king of the Mauritans who was Iugurthas friend in the end hee was afterwards the occasion that Iugurtha was ouerthrowne and that Marius tooke him These two Kings Marius the Consull brought to Rome and triumphed of them leading them before his triumphant chariot their neckes loaden with yrons their eyes full of teares The which vnlucky fortune al the Romaines which behelde lamented and tooke great pitie of the strangers whō they heard The night after the triumph was ended it was decreede in the Senate that Iugurtha should bee beheaded leauing king Boco aliue depriued of his Country And the occasion thereof was this The Romaines had a custom of long time to put no man to execution before that first with great diligēce they had looked the ancient bookes to see if any of their predecessors had done any notable seruice to Rome whereby the poore prisoner might deserue his pardon It was found written in a booke which was in the high Capitoll that the Grandfather of King Boco was very sage and a speciall friend to the Romane people and that once hee came to Rome and made diuers orations to the Senate and amongst other notable sentences there was found in that book that he had spoken these words Woe be to that realme where all are such that neyther the good amongst the euill nor the euil amongst the good are known Woe vpon that realme which is the entertainer of all fooles and a destroyer of all Sages Woe is that Realme where the good are fearefull and the euill too bold Wo on that realme where the patient are despised and the seditious commended Wo on that Realm which destroyeth those which watch for the good and crowneth those that watch to doe euill Woe to that realme where the poore are suffered to bee proud and the rich tirants Wo to that realme where all know the euil and no man doth follow the good woe to that realme where so many euill vices are openly committed which in another countrie dare not secrrtly bee mentioned Wo to that realm where all procure that they desire where all attaine to that they procure where all thinke that this is euill where al speake that they thinke and finally where all may doe that which they will In such and so vnfortunate a realm where the people are too wicked let euery man beware hee bee not inhabitant For in short time they shall see vpon him eyther the yre of the Gods the fury of the men the depoputation of the good or the desolation of the Tirants Diuers other notable thinges were contained in those Orations the which are not at this present touching my letter But forasmuch as we thought it was a very iust thing that they should pardon the folly of the Nephew for the deserts of the wise grandfather Thou shalt reade this my letter openly to the Pretours and Iudges which are resident there and the case shall bee that when thou shalt reade it thou shalt admonish them that if they will not amend secretly wee will punish them openly I wrote vnto thee the last day that as touching thy banishment I would be thy friend and be thou assured that for to enioy thy old friendshipp and to performe my word I will not let to danger my person I write vnto Panutius my Secretary to succour thee with two thousand Sesterses wherewith thou mayest releeue thy pouerty and from hence I send thee my letter wherewith thou mayest comfort thy sorrowfull hear I say no more to thee in this case but that thorough the Gods thou mayest haue contentation of all that thou enioyest health of thy person and comfort of thy friends the bodily euils the cruell enemies the perillous destenies bee farre from me Marke In the behalfe of thy Wife Rufa I haue saluted my wise Faustine shee and I both haue receyued with ioy thy salutations and with thankes wee sent them you againe I desire to see thy person here in Italy and wish my feuer quartens there with thee in Scicilie CHAP. XII An exhortation of the Author to Princes and Noble men to embrace peace and to eschew the occasions of warre OCtauian Augustus second Emperour of Rome is commended of all for that hee was so good of his person and so wel beloued of all the Romane Empire Suetonius Tranquillus sayth that when any man dyed in Rome in his time they gaue great thanks to the Gods for that they tooke their life from them before their Prince knew what death meant And not contented onelie with this but in their Testaments they commaunded their heires and children that yearely they should offer great sacrifices of their proper goods in all the Temples of Rome to the end the Gods shold prolong the dayes of their Prince That time indeed might bee called the golden age and the blessed land where the Prince loued so well his subiects and the subiects so much obeyed their prince for seldome times it hapneth that one will be content with the seruices of all neyther that all will bee satisfied with the gouernement of one The Romans for none other cause wished for the good Prince more then for themselues life out because he kept the commonwealth in peace The vertue of this Prince deserued much prayse and the good will of the people merited no lesse commendation he for deseruing it to them they for giuing it to him for to say the truth there are few in number that so heartily loue others that for theyr sakes will hate themselues There is no man so humble but in things of honour wil be content to goe before saue only in death where he can be content to come behinde And this seemeth to bee very cleare in that that now dyeth the father now the mother now the husband now the wife now the sonne now his neighbour in the end euery man is content with the death of an other so that he with his owne life may escape himselfe A Prince which is gentle patient stout sober honest and
doth not enrich or empouerish his Common-wealth yet wee cannot deny but that it doth much for the reputation of his person For the vanity and curiosity of garments dooth shew great lightnes of mind According to the variety of ages so ought the diuersity of apparrell to bee which seemeth to be very cleare in that the young maides are attired in one sort the married women of an other sort the widdowes of an other And likewise I would say that the apparrell of children ought to be of one sort those of young men of an other and those of olde men of an other which ought to be more honester then all For men of hoary heades ought not to be adorned with precious garments but with vertuous workes To goe cleanely to bee well apparrelled and to bee well accompanied wee doe not forbidde the olde especially those which are noble and valiant men but to goe fine to go with great traines and to go very curious wee doe not allow Let the old men pardon mee for it is not the office but of yong fooles for the one sheweth honesty and the other lightnesse It is a confusion to tell it but it is greater shame to do it that is to say that many olde men of our time take no smal felicity to put caules on their heads euery man to weare iewels on their necks to lay their caps with agglets of gold to seeke out diuers inuētions of mettall to loade their fingers with rich rings to go perfumed with odoriferous sauors to weare new fashioned apparrell and finally I say that thogh their face be ful of wrinckles they cannot suffer one wrinckle to be in their gowne All the ancient histories accuse Quint. Hortensius the Romane for that euery time when he made himselfe ready hee had a glasse before him and as much space and time had hee to streighten the pleytes of his gowne as a Woman hadde to trimme the haires of her head This Quintus Hortensius being Consull going by chance one day through Rome in a narrow streete met with the other Consull where thorough the streightnes of the passage the pleights of his Gowne were vndone vppon which occasion hee complained vnto the Senate of the other Consull that he had deserued to loose his life The Author of all this is Macrobius in the third book of the Saturnales I can not tell if I be deceyued but we may say that all the curiositie that olde men haue to goe fine well apparrelled and cleane is for no other thing but to shake off Age and to pretende right to youth What a griefe is it to see diuers auncient men the which as ripe Figges do fall and on the other side it is a wonder to see how in theyr age they make themselues young In this case I say would to God wee might see them hate vices and not to complaine of their yeares which they haue I pray and exhort all Princes and great Lordes whome our soueraigne Lord hath permitted to come to age that they doe not despise to bee aged For speaking the truth the man which hath enuie to seeme olde doth delight to liue in the lightnes of youth Also men of honor ought to be very circumspect for so much as after they are become aged they bee not suspected of their friends but that both vnto their friends and foes they be counted faithfull For a Lye in a young mans mouth is esteemed but a lye but in the mouth of an auncient or aged old man it is counted as a haynous blasphemie Noble Princes and great Lordes after they are become aged of one sort they ought to vse themselues to giue and of the other to speake For good Princes ought to sell theyr wordes by weight and giue rewardes without measure The Auncient do oftentimes complaine saying That the young will not bee conuersant with them and truely if there be any faulte therein it is of themselues And the reason is that if sometimes they doe assemble together to passe away the time if the old man set a talking he neuer maketh an ende So that a discrete man had rather goe a dozen miles on foot then to heare an olde man talke three houres If with such efficacie we perswade olde men that they be honest in theyr apparrell for a truth we will not giue them licence to bee dissolute in theyr words since there is a great difference to note some man in his Apparrell or to accuse him to bee malitious or a babler For to weare rich and costly Apparell iniurieth fewe but iniurious words hurt manie Macrobius in his first booke of the dreames of Scipio declareth of a Phylosopher named Crito who liued an hundred and fiue yeares and till fiftie yeares hee was farre out of course But after hee came to be aged he was so well measured in his eating and drinking and so warie in his speeche that they neuer saw him do any thing worthy reprehension nor heard him speake word but was worthie of noting On this condition wee would giue licence to manie that till fiftie yeares they should bee young So that from thenceforth they would be clothed as old men speake as old men and they should esteeme themselues to be olde But I am sorrie that all the Spring time doth passe in flower and afterwardes they fall into the graue as rotten before they finde any time to pull them out The olde doe complaine that the young doe not take their aduise and their excuse herein is that in their words they are too long For if a man doe demaund an olde man his opinion in a case immediately hee will beginne to say that in the life of such and such Kings and Lords of good memory this was done this was prouided so that when a young man asketh them counsel how hee shall be haue himselfe with the liuing the olde man beginneth to declare vnto him the life of those which be dead The reason why the olde men desire to speake so long is that since for their age they cannot see nor go nor eate nor sleepe they would that all the time their members were occupied to doe their duties all that time their tongue should bee occupied to declare of their times past All this being spoken what more is to say I know not but that wee should content our selues that the olde men should haue their flesh as much punished as they haue their tong with talke martyred Though it bee very vile for a young man to speake and slaunder to a young man not to say the truth yet this vice is much more to be abhorred in old Princes and other noble and worshipfull men which ought not onely to thinke it their duty to speake truth but also to punish the enemies thereof For otherwise the noble and valiant Knights should not lose a litle of their authority if a man saw on their heads but white haires and in their mouthes found
no sporte nor lightnes inuented in Rome but first it is registred in your house And finally they say that you giue your selues so vnto pleasures as though you neuer thought to receyue displeasures O Claude and Claudine by the God Iupiter I sweare vnto you that I am ashamed of your vnshamefastnes and am greatly abashed of your manners and aboue all I am exceedingly grieued for your offence For at that time that you ought to lift your hands you are returned againe into the filth of the world Manie things men commit which though they seeme graue yet by moderation of the person that cōmitteth them they are made light but speaking according to the truth I finde one reason whereby I might excuse your lightes but to the contrarie I see tenne whereby I may condemne your follies Solon the Phylosopher in his Lawes said to the Athenians that if the young offended hee should be gently admonished and grieuously punished because he was strong and if the olde erre hee should bee lightly punished and sharply admonished sith hee was weake and feeble To this Lycurgus in his lawes to the Lacedemonians sayd contrarie That if the young did offend hee should be lightly punished and grieuously admonished since through ignorance he did erre and the olde man which did euill should bee lightly admonished and sharply punished since thorough malice hee did offend These two phylosophers beeing as they haue bin of such authority in the worlde that is past and considering that their lawes and sentences were of such weight it should bee much rashnes in not admitting the one of them Now not receiuing the one nor rereprouing the other Mee thinketh that there is no great excuse to the young for their ignorance and great condemnation to the aged for their experience Once againe I returne to say that you pardon me my friends and you ought not greatly to weigh it thogh I am somewhat sharpe in condemnation since you others are so dissolute in your liues for of your blacke life my penne doth take inke I remember wel that I haue heard of thee Claude that thou hast beene lusty and couragious in thy youth so that thy strength of all was enuyed and the beauty of Claudine of all men was desired I will not write vnto you in this letter my friends and neighbours nether reduce to memory how thou Claude hast employed thy forces in the seruice of the comonwealth and thou Claudine hast won much honor of thy beauty for sundry times it chāced that men of many goodly giftes are noted of grieuous offences Those which striued with thee are all dead those whom thou desirest are deade those which serued thee Claudine are dead those which before thee Claudine sighed are dead those which for thee dyed are now dead and since all those are deade with theyr lightnesse doe not you others thinke to die and your follies also I doe demand now of thy youth one thing and of thy beauty another thing what do you receiue of these pastims of these good entertainements of these aboundances of these great contentations of the pleasures of the world of the vanitie that is past and what hope you of all these to carry into the narrow graue O simple simple and ignoraunt persons how our life consumeth and wee perceiue not how wee liue therein For it is no felicitie to enioy a short or long life but to know to employ the same eyther well or euill O children of the earth and Disciples of vanitie now you know that Time flyeth without mouing his wings the life goeth without lifting vp his feete the World dispatcheth vs not telling vs the cause men doe beguile vs not mouing their lippes our flesh consumeth to vs vnawares the heart dyeth hauing no remedie and finally our glorie decaieth as it it had neuer beene and death oppresseth vs without knocking at the dore Though a man be neuer so simple or so very a foole yet hee cannot deny but it is impossible for to make a fire in the bottome of the sea to make a way in the ayre of the thinne bloud to make rough sinewes and of the soft veines to make hard bones I meane that it is vnpossible that the greene flower of youth be not one day withered by age CHAP. XX. The Emperour followeth his Letter and perswadeth Claudius and Claudinus being now olde to giue no more credite to the World nor to any of his deceitfull flatteryes THat which I haue spoken now tendeth more to aduertise the young then to teach the olde For you others haue now passed the prime time of childhood the summer of youth and the haruest of adolescency and are in the winter of age where it seemeth an vncomely thing that those your hoary haires should bee accompanied with such vaine follies Sithens young men know not that they haue to end their youth it is no maruell that they follow the world but the olde men which see themselues fall into this guile why will they runne after vices againe O world for that thou art the world so smal is our force so great our debilitie that thou willing it and we not resisting it thou dost swallow vs vp in the most perillous gulfe and in the thornes most sharpe thou dost pricke vs by the priuiest wayes thou leadest vs by the most stony waies thou carriest vs. I meane that thou bringest vs to the highest fauours to the end that afterwards with a push of thy pike thou mightest ouerthrow vs. O world wherein all is worldly two and fifty yeeares haue passed since in thee I was first borne during which time thou neuer toldest mee one truth but I haue taken thee with ten thousand lyes I neuer demanded the thing but thou diddest promise it me and yet it is nothing at all that euer thou diddest perform I neuer put my trust in thee but euer thou beguiledst me I neuer came to thee but thou diddest vndoo me finally neuer saw I ought in thee wherby thou deseruest loue but alwayes hatred This presupposed I know not what is in thee O world or what we worldlings want for if thou hatest vs we cannot hate thee if thou doest vs iniury we can dissemble it if thou spurne vs with thy feet wee wil suffer it if thou beatest vs with a staffe wee wil hold our peace also though thou persecutest vs we will not complain though thou take ours wee will not demand it of thee though thou dost beguile vs we will not call ourselues beguiled and the worst of all is that thou doest chase vs from thy house yet we will not depart from thence I know not what this meaneth I know not from whence this commeth I know not who ought to prayse this same that wee couet to follow the world which wil none of vs and hate the gods which loue vs oft times I make account of my yeares past somtimes also I turne and tosse my booke to see what
thousand to helpe to marry her and the other thousand to helpe for to releeue your pouerty My wife Faustine is sicke and I send you another 1000. Sesterces to giue to the Vestall virgins to pray to the Gods for her My wife sendeth to thee Claudine a Cofer by the immortall Gods I sweare vnto thee I cannot tell what is in it I beseech the Gods sithence you are aged to giue you a good death and to me and Faustine they suffer vs to leade a good life Marcus of mount Celio with his own hand writeth this CHAP. XXIII Princes ought to take heede that they be not noted of auarice for that the couetous man is both of God and man hated THe great Alexander King of Macedony and Darius the vnfortunate King of Persians were not onely contrary in wars and conquests which they made but also in the conditions and inclinations which they had For Alexander naturally loued to giue and spend and Darius to the contrarie to heape locke and keepe When the fame of Alexander was spredde abroade throughout all the word to bee a Prince of honour and not couetous his owne loued him intirely strangers desired to serue him faithfully The miserable King Darius as he was noted of great auarice and of small liberality so his did disobey him and strangers hated him whereof may be gathered that Princes and great Lords by giuing do make them selues rich and in keeping they make themselues poore Plutarch in his Apothegmes declareth that after King Darius was dead and Alexander had triumphed ouer all the Orientall parts a man of Thebes being in the market place of Athens setting forth the fortune of Alexander for the sundry Countryes which hee had conquered and describing the euill fortune of Darius for the great number of men which hee had lost a Philosopher with a loude voyce sayd O man of Thebes thou art greatly deceyued to think that one prince loseth many seigniories and that the other Prince winneth many Realmes For Alexander the Great wann nought but stones and couerings of Cities for with his liberality hee had already gotten the good wils of the Citizens and on the contrary the vnfortunate Darius did not lose but stones and the couertures of Cities for with his couetousnesse and auarice hee had now lost all the hearts of those of Asia And further this Philosopher sayde vnto him that Princes which will enlarge their estates and amplifie their realmes in their conquests ought first to winne the hearts and to bee noble and liberall and afterwards to send their armies to conquer the Forts and wals for otherwise little auayleth it to winne the stones if the hearts do rebell Whereby a man may gather that that which Alexander wanne he wanne by liberality and stoutenesse and that which King Darius lost he lost for being miserable and couetous And let vs not maruell hereat for that Princes and great Lordes which are ouercome with auarice I doubt whether euer they shall see themselus Conquerours of many realmes The vice of auarice is so detestable so euil so odious and so perillous that if a man should employ himselfe for to write all the discommodities thereunto belonging my penne shoulde do nought else then to presume to drye vp all the water in the sea For the stomacke where auarice entreth causeth a man to serue vices worship Idols If a vertuous man would prepare himselfe to thinke on the great trauel and little rest that this cursed vice beareth with him I thinke that none would be vicious therein Though the couetous man had no other trauell but alwayes to goe to bed with daunger and to rise vp with care Mee thinketh that it is a trouble sufficient for such a one when he goeth to bed thinketh that hee should bee killed in his bedde or that sleeping his coffers should be rifled and from that time he riseth hee is alwayes tormented with feare to lose that which he hath wonne and carefull to augment that little too much The diuine Plato in the first booke of his Common-wealth sayde these words The men be made rich because they neuer learned to bee rich for he which continually and truly will become rich first ought to abhorre couetousnesse before he begin to occupie himselfe to locke vppe goods For the man which setteth no bond to his desire shall alwayes haue little though hee see himselfe Lord of the world The sentence of the Stoyckes doth satisfie my mind much whereof Aristotle in his politikes maketh mention where he sayth That vnto great affayres are alwayes required great riches and there is no extreame pouertie but where there hath beene great aboundance c. Thereof ensueth that vnto Princes and great Lordes which haue much they want much because vnto men which haue had little they can want but little If wee admonish worldlings not to be vicious they will alwayes haue excuses to excuse themselues declaring why they haue been vicious the vice of Auarice excepted to whome and with whom they haue no excuse For if one vaine reason be ready to excuse there are two thousand to condemne them Let vs put example in all the principall vices and wee shall see how this onely of Auarice remaineth condemned and not excused If we reason why a noble Prince or great Lord is hautie and proude He will aunswere that hee hath great occasion For the naturall disposition of men is rather to desire to commaund with trauell then to serue with quyetnes and rest If we reproue any man that is furious and giuen to anger hee will aunswere vs that we maruell not since we maruell not of the proude For that the enemy hath no more authority to trouble any man then the other to take reuenge of him If we blame him for that he is fleshly and vicious he will answer vs that hee cannot abstaine from that sinne For if any man can eschew the actes he fighteth continually with vncleane thoughts If wee say that anie man is negligent hee will answere vs that he deserueth not to be blamed For the vilenes of our nature is such that if we do trauell it immediately it is wearie and if we rest it immediately it reioyceth If wee rebuke any man that is a glutton hee will answere vs that without eating and drinking wee cannot liue in the world for the Diuine Word hath not forbidden man to eate with the mouth but the vncleane thoughts which come from the heart As of these few vices we haue declared so may wee excuse all the residue but to the vice of couetousnesse none can giue a reasonable excuse For with money put into the coffer the soule cannot profite nor the bodie reioyce Boetius in his booke of consolation said That Money is good not when wee haue it in possession but when wee want it And in very deede the sentence of Boetius is very profound For when man spendeth money he attaineth to that he
on the earth with the goods and the miserable father goeth weeping to hell with his sinnes CHAP. XXV Of a letter which the Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote to his friend Cincinnatus who beeing a Romane Knight became a marchant of Capua wherein hee toucheth those Gentlemē which take vpon them the trade of Marchanaize against their vocation It is diuided into three Chapters MArke the Emperour with his brother Annius Verus felow in the Empire wisheth to thee Cincinnatus of Capua health to thy person and grace against thy euill fortune From the feast of our mother Berecinthe I haue seene neyther seruāt of thy house nor read letter of thy hand which maketh me suspect greatly that thy health is in danger or that thou mistrustest our friendshipp for earnest friendship requireth dayly communication or visitation I pray thee be not so carelesse from henceforth and doe not forget vs in such wise I meane that thou wilt come and see vs or at the least that thou wilt write vnto vs often for the letters of faithfull friends though vtterly they doe not take from vs the desire of the presence yet at the least they make vs hope for a meeting I know that thou mayest answere mee that in the Common wealth of Capua thou art so busied that it is impossible thou shouldest write vnto mee hereto I answere thee That in no affayres thou canst be so occupied that it bee a lawfull let not to communicate or write vnto thy friend For we may well call the time which wee liue to bee well employed which is spent in the seruice of God and in the conuersation of our friends All the residue that we waste in talking trauelling sleeping eating resting wee ought not to write it in the booke of life but in the Register of death For albeit that in such sēblable works the body is refreshed yet therewith the heart cannot be comforted I sweare vnto thee therefore my friend that it is impossible that man take any contentation of any worldly thing where the heart is not at rest for our comfort is not in the sinewes or in the bones of the body but in the liuely power of the soule It is long sithence that you and I haue knowne together it is long time likewise that I loued thee and thou me and sith wee are so true olde friends it is but reason that with good works wee doe renue our friendship For falsly they vsurpe the name of friendshippe which are not conuersant one with the other no more then if they were strangers The man which speaketh not to me which writeth not to mee which seeth me not which visiteth me not which giueth me not and to whome I giue not I would not hee were my enemy but it little auaileth mee that hee cal mee friend for particular friendship consisteth not in abundance but that friends do open their harts and talke with their persons Peraduenture thou wilt say that the great distance which is from Rome to that Country hath been occasion to diminish our friendshippe for the noble hearts are on fire with the presence of that they loue and haue great pain with the absence of that they desire I answere that the farther the delicious wines are sent from the place where they grow the greater strength they haue I meane that herein true friends are knowne when their persons are surthest seuered for then are their wills most conioyned Tell mee I pray thee Cincinnatus sithence alwayes thou hast found mee a diligent friend in thy seruice why doest thou mistrust my faithfull good will The greene leaues outwardly doe shew that the tree inwardly is not drie I meane that the good workes outwardly doe declare the feruentnes of the heart inwardly If thou Cincinnatus presumest to bee a true friend of thy friend I will thou know this rule of friendship which is where perfect loue is not there wanteth alway faithfull seruice and for the contrary he that perfectly loueth assuredly shall be serued I haue beene am and will be thine therfore thou shalt doe me great iniurie if thou art not mine CHAP. XXVI The Emperour proceedeth in his Letter declareth what vertues men ought to vse and the vices which they ought to eschew IN times past I beeing yong and thou olde I did succour thee with money and thou me with good counsell but now the world is otherwise changed in that thy white hayres doe iudge thee to be old and thy works doe cause thee to be yong Therefore necessity compelleth mee that we change our stile which is that I succour thee with counsell though thou giue me no money therefore for I count thy couetousnesse to bee such that for all the good counsell and Counsellours of Rome thou wilt not vouchsafe to giue one quatrine of Capua Now for the good that I wish thee and for that which I owe to the Law of friendshippe I will presently giue thee a counsell whereby thou maiest know what a good man ought to doe to bee beloued of God and feared and loued of men If thou wilt quietly leade thy life in this miserable World retaine this well in memory which I write vnto thee First the good deeds thou hast receyued of any those shalt thou remember and the wrongs thou hast sustained them shalt thou forget Secondarily esteeme much thy owne little and weigh not the much of an other Thirdly the company of the good alwaies couet and the conuersation of the euill dayly flye Fourthly to the great shew thy selfe graue and to the small more conuersant Fiftly to those which are present do alwaies good works and of those that be absent alwaies speake good words Sixtly weigh little the losse of fortune and esteeme much things of honour The seuenth to winne one thing neuer aduenture thou manie nor for many things doubtful do not aduenture any one thing certaine Finally and lastly I pray thee and aduertise thee that thou haue no enemie and that thou keepe but one friend He which among the good will bee counted for good none of these things hee ought to want I know well that thou wilt haue great pleasure to see these my counsels well written but I ensure thee I shal haue greater pleasure to see them in thy decdes well obserued For by writing to giue good counsell it is easie but by workes to follow the same is maruellous hard My faithfull friendship to thee plighted and thy great ability considered caused mee alwayes for thee in Rome to procure honourable offices and by my sute thou hast beene Edite and Tribune and master of the horses wherein thou behauedst thy selfe with such wisedome that all the Senate therefore yeelded mee most hearty thanks I procuring them for thee and thou for thy selfe winning such perpetuall renowme One thing of thee I vnderstand which with good will I would not haue knowne and much lesse that any such thing by thee should haue bin committed that is to say
were as men that fought tourned and many times in that fight they were slaine And the cause to inuent this play was to the end young men not expert in warre should see the Swords drawne sharpe speares shooting of Crosse-bowes to giue blowes with their Sword shead bloud to giue cruell woundes and to sley men For in this sorte they lost feare and in going to the warres they recouered courage The man which hath once passed a Fourd in the water though it be in the night dare passe it againe But hee which hath neuer passed it ouer although it be in the day dare not once aduenture it I mean that the Romanes were very Sage to shewe vnto theyr children the dangers before they did put them therein For this is the difference betweene the fearfull hart and the couragious stomacke in that the one flyeth from a distaffe and the other is not afraid of a sword The second Office which was esteemed in Rome was that of the Iugglers Ieasters Comediants and of such others which inuented playes and pastimes and the Romaines deuised these sports to reioyce the people in especially men of warre whom they feasted at their going foorth and much more at their cōming home For the Romains thinking that they should be with such glorie receyued went with determination either to winne the victorie or to dye in battell The ancients and true Romains had such care for the Common-wealth of their people that they consented that Ieasters should ieast Iugglers should iuggle and the Players of Enterludes shold play But this was not through abundance of vanitie nor for want of grauitie but to take from the Plebeians occasion of idlenes and to keepe them occupyed in other particular Playes they would that al the pleasures shold bee taken together Not without cause I say that the pleasures were taken in common that is to say that no Romaine could play any Playes particularly make any Bankets represent Comedyes nor make any Feasts besides those which they made to reioyce the whole people so that in Rome they trauelled seuerally and reioyced together I would to GOD that such and so excellent a Romaine custome were obserued in our Christian Common-wealth But now I am very sorrie that indifferently Rich and poore great and small doe play Comedyes runne the Bulles make iousts ordeyne bankets weare deuises feast the Ladyes spend in bankets and inuent Feastes The which things altogether doe redound to the damage of the Commonwealth to the waste of the goods and to the corruption of the māners For the particular pastimes doe increase new vices to breede in men These Players did serue in Rome to make pastime at the great Feastes of their Gods For since Romaines were great worshippers of their Gods and so carefull of their Tēples they sought to feast them all the wayes they could inuent Truly this was done by the diuine sufferance for their Gods being laughing-stocks as indeed they were the liuing GOD would they should be serued honoured and feasted by Ieastures and mocks Blondus in the third booke De Roma triumphante mentioneth that which I haue spoken and sayth That the Romanes were no lesse curious to giue lawes to the Iuglers and iesters which went mocking vp and downe Rome then to the captaines which were fighting in the warre For though they did permit Iesters players and suglers to exercise their offices yet they did commaund them that their liues might be vpright and iust Amongst others such were the Lawes which the Romaines ordayned for these Iesters Iuglers Players and Tumblers The first Law was which they commanded that they should all bee knowne and examined to see if they were honest men wise and sage for the more their offices were vaine so much the more they prouided that they were giuen to wise men The second Law commanded to examine them to see if they were able and comely to exercise their offices and indeed in this case as well as in the other they had reason as very a foole as hee which for harkening to a foole not pleasant as the foole himselfe The third law was that they did not permit any Romane Iugler for to exercise such feates vnlesse hee had some other craft so that if they occupyed the Holy dayes to play and shew pastime in the streetes the other dayes they should work at home at their houses The fourth Law was that no Iugler nor Vice should be so hardy in his ostentation to speake any malices indeed it was a Law very necessary For oftentimes they are few which doe reioyce at their mockeries and many which doe complaine of theyr malices The fift Law was that no Iugler nor Iester should bee so bold to make any pastimes in any particular Houses but in open places for otherwise those which spake them became hardy and those which heard them were vicious The Romanes not contented to haue made these Lawes ordayned that the Iuglers for no pastimes shewed or any other thing spoken should bee so bold as to receiue any money And to auoid their complaints and to satisfie their paines they allowed euery one of them a thousand sexterces yearely out of the common treasure Wee ought greatly to praise the prouidence of the Romanes which haue prescribed a kinde of life for the Iesters to liue euen as they did to other men of Rome and to the Captaines of warre And in this place no lesse then in an other graue thing they shewed their wisedome For a Gouernour of a Common-wealth trauelleth more to correct fools then to gouerne the sage CHAP. XLIIII How some Iesters were punished by the Auncients and of the Iesters and Loyterers of our time IVlius Capitolinus in the booke of the manners of the ancients sayth that in times past the Iesters and Iuglers were greatly esteemed And wee will not deny but that they had reason since with them they honoured the gods they tooke their pleasures they reioyced their feasts they were very quicke men not importunate nor couetous The Iester hath no grace vnlesse immediately a man putteth his hand to the purse We find some fragments of an Oration which Cicero made in the Senat greatly reprouing the Senators and all the people because they so willingly gaue eare to this Iester who stirred vp sedition among the Commons his name was Roscio who was so greatly esteemed in Rome that the Romaines did more willingly heare that which hee sayde in his Iests then that which Cicero spake in good earnest This Iester Roscio and Cicero striued which of them both were of greater wit Roscio for presenting a thing with diuers iests or Cicero pronouncing waighty matters in earnest When I read in Iulius Capitolinus that which I haue spoken I will not cease to confesse my innocency for that I could not then keepe my selfe from laughing to see that Roscio being Prince of folly did presume to dispute with Cicero which was Father of eloquence
and iudgeth of his sound It is but reason hee should be so much the more circumspect before hee choose his Friend to examine his life and condition since all the other things wee haue spoken of may bee put in diuers houses and corners but our Friend we lodge and keepe deerely in our proper be wells Those that write of the Emperour Augustus say that he was very strange and scrupulous in accepting Friends but after hee had once receyued them into his friendship hee was very constant and circumspect to keepe them For hee neuer had any friend but first he had some proofe and tryall of him neyther would hee euer after forsake him for any displeasure done to him Therefore it shold alwayes be so that true friends should beare one to an other such loue and affection that the one beeing in prosperitie should not haue occasion to complaine of himselfe in that hee did not relieue his friends necessitie being in aduersitie nor the other being poore and needy should grudge or lament for that his friend being rich and wealthie would not succour him with all that hee might haue done for him For to say the trueth where perfect friendship is there ought no excuse to be made to doe what possible is the one for the other The friendship of young men commeth commonly or for the most part at the least by beeing companions in vice and follie and such of right ought rather to be called vacabonds then once to deserue the name of true friends For that cannot bee called true friendship that is continued to the preiudice or derogation of vertue Seneca writing againe to Lucillus saith these words I would not haue thee thinke nor once mistrust O my Lucillus that in all the Romaine Empire I haue any greater Friende then thuo but with all assure thy selfe that our Friendship is not so straight between vs that I would take vpon mee at any time to doe for thee otherwise then honesty should lead mee For though that loue I beare thee hath made thee Lord of my libertie yet reason also hath left mee vertue free The Authour proceedeth on Applying that wee haue spoken to that wee will now declare I say I will not acknowledge my selfe your seruant for so should I bee compelled to feare you more then loue you much lesse will I vaunt my selfe to bee your Kins-man for so I should importune and displease you and I will not brag that heretofore wee haue beene of familiar acquaintaunce for that I would not make any demonstration I made so little account of you and lesse then I am bound to doe neyther will I boaste my selfe that I am at this present your familiar and welbeloued For indeed I should then shew my selfe to bee too bolde and arrogant but that that I will confesse shall be that I loue you as a Friend and you mee as a Kins-man albeeit this friendship hath succeeded diuersly till now For you being Noble as you are haue bountifully shewed your friendship to mee in large and ample gifts but I poore and of base estate haue onely made you sure of mine in wordes Plutarch in his politikes sayd That it were far better to fell to our friends our workes and good deedes whether they were in prosperitie aduersitie or necessitie then to feede them with vaine Flattering wordes for nothing Yet it is not so generall a rule but that sometimes it happeneth that the loftie and high words on the one side are so profitable and the workes so few and feeble on the other side that one shal be better pleased and delighted with hearing the sweete and curteous wordes of the one then he shall be to be serued with the colde seruice and workes of the other of small profite and value Plutarche also in his booke De animalibus telleth vs that Denis the Tyrant beeing one day at the Table reasoning of diuers and sundrie matters with Chrysippus the Phylosopher it chaunced that as hee was at dinner one brought him a present of certaine Sugar-cakes wherefore Chrysippus ceasing his former discourse fell to perswade Denis to fall to his cakes To whome Denis aunswered on with your matter Chrysippus and leaue not off so For my heart is better contented with thy sweete and sugred wordes then my Tongue is pleased with the delicate taste of these mountain-cakes For as thou knowest these cakes are heauie of digestion and doe greatly annoy the stomack but good workes doe meruellously reioyce and comfort the heart For this cause Alexander the great had the poet Homer in greater veneration beeing dead then all the other that were aliue in his time not for that Homer euer did him seruice or that hee knew him but onely because of his learned Bookes hee wrote and compiled and for the graue sentences he found therein And therefore he bare about him in the day time the booke of the famous deedes of Troy called the Illyades hanged at his neck within his bosome and in the night hee layde it vnder his bolster at his beds-head where hee slept In recompence therefore Syr of the many good turnes I haue receyued at your hands I was also willing to compyle and dedicate this my little Treatise to you the which I present you with all my desires my studyes my watches my sweatte and my troubles holding my selfe fully satisfyed for all the paines I haue taken so that this my simple trauell be gratefull vnto you to whom I offer it and to the publike weale profitable Being well assured if it please you to trust me and credite my wryting you shall manifestly know how freely I spake to you and like a friend and not deceyue you as a flatterer For if the beloued and Fauourites of Princes chaunce to bee cast out of fauour it is because euery man flattereth him and seeketh to please him and no man goeth about to tell him trueth nor that that is for his honour and fittest for him Salust in his booke of the warres of Iugurtha sayth that the high heroycall facts and deedes were of no lesse glorie to the Hystoriographers that wrote them then they were to the captaine that did them For it happeneth many times that the Captaine dying in the battell hee hath wonne liueth afterwardes notwithstanding by the Fame of his noble attempt And this proceedeth not only of the valiant deeds of Arms he was seene doe but also for that wee read of him in worthy Authors which haue written thereof Wee may well say therefore touching this matter that as well may wee take him for a true friend that giueth good counsell as hee which doeth vs great pleasure and seruice For according to the opinion of the good Emperor Marcus Aurelius who who saide to his Secretarie Panutius that a man with one pay may make full satisfaction and recompence of many pleasures and good turns shewed but to requite a good counsell diuers thankes and infinite seruices are requisite If we
were against al reason being the greatest to be the least and most inferior of all For truly none ought to be praysed for good for that he is of power force possessions wealth much worth in fauour of dignitie neyther for any nobilitie that is in him if these naturall gifts bee not accompanied with vertue and good works The ancient Historiographers do highly commend the greatnesse of Alexander the knowledge of Ptholomie the iustice of Numa Pompilius the clemency of Iulius Caesar the patience of Augustus the truth of Traian the pitty of Anteninus the temperancie of Constantius the continency of Scipio and the humanity of Theodosius so that we may say these so great and noble Princes haue wonne more honour by their vertues then they haue atchieued by triumphant victories albeit a man bee neuer so dishonest vicious and lasciuious and that he bee rooted in all idlenes let vs say and auouch it for a truth that it is impossible if he may returne to looke backe on himselfe and that hee may call to mind what manner of man hee hath beene what he is at this present and to what end he may com but that the remembrance of his forepassed faults and deedes should be more grieuous and irkesome to him then the greate delight his body should take of the present pleasures for neyther the wormes in the vines nor the Locusts in the corne nor the moths in the garments nor the little wormes in the wood are so hurtfull and dammageable as sinnes are of power to make a man sorrowfull For to say truly the pleasure wee receiue when we commit them is not so great as is the displeasure wee feee after wee remember them The which I considering my Lord it causeth me to looke ouer my olde memorials to examine my memorie to strengthen my iudgement and to seeke a new kinde of study to no other end but to finde out sweete words diuers doctrines and strange histories by meanes whereof I might withdraw you from vaine and worldly delights to cause you to walke in the right path and to affect thinges vertuous and honest though I haue alwayes knowne them as acceptable to you as they haue beene familiar for Princes seruants the more they are busied with affayres the lesse they know themselues And therefore great paine suffereth hee and with ouer venemous poison is he infected that with others and for other occupieth all his time for his own soules health cannot spare a moment of time O what comforte and quiet were it vnto my heart if it were assured it had taken the right way in the doctrine which I write to you and that I had not erred in the counsels I giue you so that in reading my booke you might acquire profite thereby and I of my trauell therein reape my full contentation And to the end my Lord wee may better expresse the matter search the wound and stop the veines that wee may leaue no part vncured or dregges of infection If hitherto I haue vsed plainnesse I will now speake more plainely vnto you and yet as one friend vseth to another And therefore may it please you to accept these small written preposes in this booke among all the residue proceeding from the handes of one that rather desireth the health of your soule then the gaine and satisfaction of your affects and desires All you that bee Princes familiars and beloued Courtiers obserue and retain with you these few precepts and counsels MY Lord neuer tell to any al that you thinke Shew not all that you haue neyther take all that you desire Tell not al that you know Much lesse neuer doe all that you may For the right path way to bring the fauoured Courtier into his Princes disgrace is to be addicted to his sensuall appetites and vaine humors and not to bee guided with reason discretion 2 Beware also you trust not nor commit to the hazard of fortunes ticklenes such things as touch and concerne your person honour goods and consciences For the wise Courtier that liueth in his Princes grace will not rashly put himselfe in daunger in hope to saue himselfe harmelesse at all times when he listeth 3 Although euery man offer his seruice to you and seeme to bee at your commaundement when you shall neede him yet I tell you sir I would not wish you had eyther neede of them or of me For many of those fine and curious Courtiers which are the first that offer themselues to draw on your side and to stand by if neede bee are commonly at the very pinch the first and readiest to throw stones at our faces 4 In other mens matters busie not your selfe too much and in your owne striue not with time but take leysure For liuing after this rule you shall long keepe your selfe in the good and quiet estate you are in and otherwise some inconuenience might lightly fall vpon you that should make you remember what you were wont to be 5 The imminent perill and daunger those are in which are mounted to the toppe of some high thing or to the cliffe of some high and rockie mountaine where they haue no other way to descend but to fall is much like to that of the familiars of Princes And therefore my Lord I woulde wish you would procure you such faithfull friends about you that they hauing regard and care of your person should alwayes holde you by the gowne for falling And not such as after they had let you fall would then lend you their hands to helpe you vp againe 6 Albeit the things of the soule should bee preferted before all others of this worldly life yet neuerthelesse I will bee content so that you haue as great care consideration of your conscience as you haue of your honour All which I was willing to tell you sir to the end you may better vnderstand that those that are in estimation with the Prince though they may benefite by time in taking their time yet time doth neuer benefite by them at all You must euer doe good to your vttermost power and neuer doe displeasure to any though it lye in your power and that you haue iust cause For the teares of the poore that are iniuried and the lamentable cries and plaintes of the oppressed may possibly one daye ascend to the presence of the Tribunall Seate where God shall sit in his Maiesty demaunding iustice and vengeance against you and also come to the cares of the Noble Prince to cause you to bee hated of him for euer 8 Touching the fauor you will shew to anie eyther in Offices or other benefites you will bestowe on any man take heed you alwayes rather preferre honest and true Christians then your owne neere Kins-men or friendes For a man may lawfully make his Friende partaker of his goods but not of his Conscience 9 In your counsells you geue in any wise bee not too much affectioned in them neyther scorne with
those that contrary your opinion Be not proud and seuere vnto those you doe commaund neyther doe any thing without good aduisement and consideration For albeit in Princes Courts euery man doth admire and beholde the excellencie and worthines of the person yet are those alwayes that are most in fauour of the Prince more noted regarded and sooner accused then others 10 If you will not erre in the counselles you shall giue nor fayle in those things you shall enterprise Embrace those that tell you the truth and reiect and hate those whom you know to be Flatterers and dissemblers For you should rather desire to bee admonished of the thing present then to be counselled after the dammage receyued Although wee suppose assuredly that all these things aboue-written are not likely to happen nor yet come euen so to passe as I haue spoken yet if it may please you Syr to remember they are not therefore impossible For spitefull Fortune permitteth oftentimes that the Sayles which in stormie weather the Lightnings and boystrous Tempests could not breake and teare in piecâ—â— are afterwardes vpon a sudden euen in the sweete of the mornings sleepe each man taking his rest leauing the Seas before in quiet calme all to shiuered and torne a sunder He that meaneth to giue another a blowe also the more he draweth backe his arme with greater force hee striketh And euen so neyther more nor lesse sayeth Fortune with those on whom for a time shee smyleth For the longer a man remayneth in her loue and fauor the more cruell and bitter she sheweth herselfe to him in the ende And therefore I would aduise euery wise and Sage person that when Fortune seemeth best of all to fauour him and to doe most for him that then hee should stand most in feare of her and least of all to trust her deceits Therefore Syr nake no small account of this my Booke little though it bee For you know that doubtlesse as experience teacheth vs of greater price and value is a little sparke of a Dyamond then a greater ballast It forceth little that the Booke bee of small or great volume sith the excellencie thereof consisteth not in the number of leaues more or lesse but only in the good and graue sentences that are amply written therein For euery Authour that writeth to make his booke of great price and shew ought to be briefe in his words and sweete and pleasaunt in his matter hee treateth of the better to satisfie the minde of the Reader and also not to growe tedious to the hearer And Syr I speake not without cause that you should not a little esteeme this smal treatise of mine since you are most assured that with time all your things shall haue ende your Friendes shall leaue you your goods shall bee diuided your selfe shall dye your fauour and credit shall diminish and those that succeede you shall forget you you not knowing to whome your Goods and Patrimonie shall come and aboue all you shall not knowe what conditions your heyres and children shall be of But for this I wryte in your royall Historic and Chronicle of your laudable vertues and perfections and for that also I serue you as I doe with this my present worke the memorie of you shall remaine eternized to your Successors for euer Chilo the Phylosopher beeing demanded whether there were anything in the world that Fortune had not power to bring to nought aunswered in this sort Two things only there are which neither Time can consume nor Fortune destroy And that is the renowne of man written in bookes and the veritie that is hidden For though truth for a time lye interred yet it resurgeth againe and receiueth life appearing manifestly to all And euen so in like case the vertues we find written of a man doe cause vs at this present to haue him in as great veneration as those had in his time that best knewe him Reade therefore Syr at times I beseech you these writings of mine albeit I feare me you can scant borrow a moment of Time with leysure once to looke vpon it beeing as I knowe you are alwayes occupyed in affayres of great importance wherin me thinketh you should not so surcharge your selfe but that you might for your commodity and recreation of your spirits reserue some priuate houres to your selfe For sage and wise men should so burden themselues with care of others toyle that they shold not spend one houre of the day at the least at their pleasure to looke on their estate and condition As recounteth Suetonius Tranquillus of Iulius Caesar who notwithstanding his quotidian warres he had neuer let slip one day but that he reade or wrote some thing So that being in his Pauillion in the Campe in the one hand hee held his lance to assault his enemie and in the other the penne he wrote withall with which he wrote his worthy CoÌ„mentaries The resonable man therfore calling to mind the straight account that he must render of himselfe and of the time he hath lost shall alwayes be more carefull that hee lose not his time then he shall be to keepe his treasure For the well imployed time is a meane and helpe to his sal saluation and the euill gotten good a cause of his eternall damnation Moreouer yet what toyle and trauell is it to the body of the man and how much more perill to the liuing soule when hee consumeth his whole dayes and life in worldly broyles and yet seely man hee cannot absent himselfe from that vile drudgery til death doth summon him to yeelde vp his account of his life and doings And now to conclude my Prologue I say this booke is diuided into two parts that is to say in the first tenne Chapters is declared how the new-come Courtier shall behaue himselfe in the Princes Court to winne fauour and credit with the Prince and the surplus of the work treateth when hee hath atchieued to his Princes fauour and acquired the credite of a worthy Courtier how he shall then continue the same to his further aduancement And I doubt not but that the Lords and Gentlemen of Court will take pleasure to reade it and namely such as are Princes familiars and beloued of Court shall most of all reape profite thereby putting the good lessons and aduertisements they finde heretofore written in execution For to the young Courtiers it sheweth them what they haue to do and putteth in remembrance also the olde fauoured Courtyer liuing in his princes grace of that he hath to be circumspect of And finally I conclude Syr that of all the Treasures riches gifts fauours prosperities pleasures seruices greatnesse and power that you haue and possesse in this mortall and transitorie life and by the Faith of a true Christian I sweare vnto you also that you shal carrie no more with you then that onely Time which you haue well and vertuously employed during this your Pilgrimage THE ARGVMENT OF THE BOOKE
bēt to bloudy wars went to see speake with Diogines the Phylosopher offring him great presents discoursing with him of diuers matters So that wee may iustly say This good Prince of himselfe tooke paines to seeke out wise men to accompanie him electing by others choyce and aduise all such as hee made his Captaines to serue him in the warres It is manifest to all that Dyonisius the Syracusan was the greatest Tyrant in the worlde and yet notwithstanding his Tiranny it is a wonder to see what sage and wise men he had continually in his Courte with him And that which makes vs yet more to wonder of him is that hee had them not about him to serue him or to profite one jote by their doctrines and counsell but onely for his honour and their profite which enforceth mee to say concurring with this example that sith Tyrants did glorie to haue about them Sages wise and worthie men Much more should those reioice that their works deeds are noble freeharted And this they ought to do not onely to bee honoured with them openly but also to be holpen with their doctrine and counsells secretly And if to some this should seeme a hard thing to follow we will say that worthy men not being of abilitie and power to maintayne such Wise-men ought yet at least to vse to reade at times good and vertuous books For by reading of vertuous Bookes they may reape infinite profite As for example By reading as I say these Good Authours the desire is satisfied their iudgement is quickned ydlenesse is put away the heart is disburdened the Time is well employed and they lead their liues vertuously not being bound to render account of so manie faults as in that time they might haue committed And to conclude it is so good an exercise as it giueth good example to the Neighbour profite to himselfe and health to the soule We see by experience after a man taketh vppon him once the Studie of holie Scriptures and that hee frameth himselfe to bee a Diuine hee will neuer willingly thenceforth deale in any other studyes and all because he will not forgoe the great comfort and pleasure he receyueth to reade those holy sayings And that causeth that we see so manie learned wise men for the more part subiect to diuers diseases and full of Melancholike humours For so sweete is the delight they take in theyr Bookes that they forget and leaue all other bodily pleasure And therefore Plutarche writeth that certaine phylosophers being one day met at the lodging of Plato to see him demanding what exercise he had at that time Plato answered thē thus Truely my brethren I let you know that euen now my onely exercise was to see what the great Poete Homer said And this he tolde them because that they took him euen then reading of some of Homers bookes and to say truely his aunswere was such as they should all looke for of him For to reade a good booke in effect is nothing else but to heare a wise man speake And if this our iudgement and aduise seeme good vnto you we would yet say more that you should profite more to reade one of these bookes then you should to heare speake or to haue conference with the Author him selfe that made it For it is without doubt that all Writers haue more care and respect in that their penne doth write then they haue in that their tongue doth vtter And to the end you should not thinke we cannot proue that true that we haue spoken I giue you to vnderstand that euerie Author that will write to publish his doing in print to lay it to the shew and iudgement of the world and that desireth thereby to acquire honour fame and to eternize the memory of him turneth many bookes conferreth with other wise and lerned men addicteth himselfe wholy to his book endeauoureth to vnderstand well oft refuseth sleepe meat and drinke quicneth his spirites doing that he putteth in writing exactly with long aduise and consideration which he doth not when hee doth but onely speake and vtter them though oft in deede by reason of his great knowledge in speech vnawares there falleth out of his mouth many godly and wise sentences And therefore God hath giuen him a goodly gift that can reade and him much more that hath a desire to study knowing how to chuse the good bookes from the euill For to say the truth there is not in this world any state or exercise more honourable and profitable then the study of good books And we are much bound to those that read more to those that study and much more to those that write any thing but most doubtlesse to those that make compile goodly books and those of great and high doctrine for there are many vaine and fond bookes that rather deserue to be throwne into the fire then once to be read or looked on for they do not only shew vs the way to mocke them but also the ready meane to offend vs to see them occupie their braines and best wittes they haue to write foolish and vaine things of no good subiect or erudition And that which is worst of all yet they are occasion that diuers others spend as much time in reading their iests and mockeries as they would otherwise haue imploied in doctrine of great profit and edifying the which to excuse and defend their error say they did not write them for men to take profite thereby but only to delight and please the Readers to passe the time away merily whom we may rightly answer thus That the reading of ill and vaine bookes cannot bee called a pastime but aptly a very losse of time And therefore Aulus Gelius in the fifteenth of his booke writeth that after the Romanes vnderstood the Orators and Poets of Rome did giue themselues to write vain voluptuous and dishonest bookes causing Enterludes and Poeticall Comedies to be played they did not only banish them from Rome but also out all the parts of Italy for it beseemed not the Romane grauity neyther was it decent for the Weale publike to suffer such naughty bookes among them and much lesse for to beare with vicious and lasciuious gouernours And if the Romane Panims left vs this for example how much more ought wee that are Christians to continue and follow it since that they had no other Bookes for to reade saue onely Histories and we now a dayes haue both Histories and holy Scriptures to read which were graūted vs by the church to the end that by the one we might take some honest pleasure and recreation and with the other procure the health of oursoules Oh how farre is the Common-wealth nowe-adayes digressed from that wee wryte and counsell since we see plainely that men occupie themselues at this present in reading a nūber of Books the which only to name I am ashamed And therfore said Aulus Gelius in his 14. book That there
was a certain philosopher wrote a book of hie and eloquent stile but the subiect very harde and diffuse to vnderstand which Socrates other philosophers hearing of cōmanded immediatly the Booke to be burned and the Author to be banished by which exāple we may well perceiue that in that so perfit and reformed Vniuersitie they would not onely suffer any Lasciuious or vicious booke but also they would not beare with those that were too hawtie and vainglorious in their stiles and whose matter was not profitable and beneficiall to the Publike-weale That man therfore that walloweth in idlenes lap that vouchsafes not to spēd one houre of the day to read a graue sentence of some good Booke wee may rather deseruedly cal him a brutish beast then a reasonable creature For euery wise man ought to glory more of the knowledge he hath then of the aboundance of goods he possesseth And it cannot be denyed but that those which reade vertuous Bookes are euer had in better fauor and estimation then others For they learne to speake they passe their time without trouble they know many pleasant things which they after tel to others they haue audacitie to reproue others euery man delighteth to heare them in what place or companie soeuer they come they are alwaies reuerenced honored aboue others euery man desireth their knowledge and acquaintance and are glad to aske them counsell And that that is yet of greater credit to them is that they are not few in number that trusteth them with their bodie goods And moreouer I say that the wise and learned man which professeth studie shall know very well how to counsel his friend and to comfort himselfe at all times when neede doeth serue which the foolish ignorant person can not doe For he cannot only tell how to comfort the afflicted in aduersitie but also hee cannot helpe himselfe in his own proper affaires nor take coūsell of himselfe what is best to doe But returning againe to our purpose we say because we would not be reproued of that we rebuke others of wee haue beene very circumspect and aduised and taking great care and paines in our study that all our books and workes wee haue published and compyled should be so exactly done that the Readers might not find any ill doctrine nor also any thing worthy reproofe For the vnhonest bookes made by lasciuious persōs do giue deseruedly euident token to the Readers to suspect the Authours and troubleth the iudgements of those that giue attentiue care vnto them And therefore I counsell and admonish him that will enterprise and take vppon him to bee a wryter and a setter forth of Bookes that hee bee wise in his matter hee sheweth and compendious in the wordes hee writeth and not to bee like to diuers Wryters whose workes are of such a phrase and style as we shall reade many times to the middest of the booke ere wee finde one good and notable sentence so that a man may say that al the fruit those reape for their paine watches and trauell is none other but onely a meere toye and mockery they being derided of euery man that seeth their workes That Authour that vndertaketh to write and afterwardes prostrateth to common iudgement the thing hee wryteth may bee assured that hee setteth his wittes to great trauell and studie and hazardeth his honour to present perill For the iudgement of men being variable and diuers as they are indeede manie times they doe meddle and enter into iudgement of those things whereof they are not only not capable to vnderstand but also lesse skilfull to reade them Now in that booke wee haue set out of The Dyall of Princes and in that other wee haue translated of the Life of the Romaine Emperours and in this wee haue now set forth Of the fauoured Courtiers the Readers may bee assured they shall find in them goodly and graue sentences whereby thy may greatly profit and they shall not read any wordes superfluous to comber or weary them at all For we did not once licence our pen to dare to write any word that was not first weyed in true ballāce measured by iust measure And GOD can testifie with vs that without doubt wee haue had more paine to be briefe in the wordes of our books we haue hitherto made then we haue had to gather out the inuention and graue sentences thereof For to speake good words and to haue good matter and wise purposes is the property of one that naturally is modest and graue in his actions but to write briefely he must haue a deepe vnderstanding When at the Fonte of the Printers Forme we first baptized the Booke of Marcus Aurelius wee intituled it The Dyall of Princes and this therefore that we haue now made and added to it we call it more for briefnes The fauoured Courtyer which portendeth the whet-stone and instruction of a Courtyer For if they will vouchsafe to reade and take the fruitfull counselles they finde written heerein they may assure themselues they shall awaken out of the vanityes they haue long slept in and shall also open their eies to see the better that thing wherin they liue so long deceyued And albeit indeed this present work sheweth to you but a fewe contriued lines yet GOD himselfe doeth knowe the paines we haue taken herein hath bin exceeding great and this for two causes the one for that the matter is very straunge and diuerse from others the other to thinke that assuredly it should be hated of those that want the taste of good discipline And therefore wee haue taken great care it should come out of our hands well reformed and corrected to the ende that Courtyers might finde out many Sentences in it profitable for them and not one word to trouble them Those Noble-men or Gentlemen that will from henceforth haue their children brought vp in the Courtes of Princes shall finde in this Booke all things they shall neede to prouide them of And those also which haue beene long Courtyers shall finde all that they ought to doe in Court And such also as are best fauoured of Noble Princes and carrie greatest reputation of honour with them shall find likewise excellent good counsels by meane whereof they may alwayes maintain and continue themselues in the chiefest greatnesse of their credite and fauour so that it may well be called a Mithridaticall Electuary recuring and healing all malignant opilations Of all the Bookes I haue hitherto compiled I haue Dedicated some of them vnto the Imperiall Maiestie and others to those of best fauor and credite with him where the Readers may see that I rather glorie to bee a Satyr then a Flatterer for that in all my sentences they cannot finde one cloked word to enlarge and embetter my credite and estate But to the contrary they may reade an infinite number of others where I doe exhort them to gouern their person discreetly and honorably and to amend their
wee now at this present doe also aduise them to take heede that they doe not accept and take all that is offered and presented although they may lawfully doe it For if hee be not wise in commaunding and moderate in taking a day might come that hee should see himselfe in such extremity that he should be inforced to call his Friends not to counsell him but rather to helpe and succour him It is true that it is a naturall thing for a Courtyer that hath twenty crowns in his purse to desire suddenly to multiplie it to an 100. from a 100. to 200. from 200. to a 1000. from a thousand to 2000. and from 2000 to an hundred thousand So that this poore wretched creature is so blinded in couetousnes that hee knoweth not nor feeleth not that as this Auarice continually increaseth and augmenteth in him so his life daily diminisheth and decreaseth besides that that euery man mocks and scorns him that thinketh The true contentation consisteth in commanding of Money and in the facultie of possessing much riches For to say truly it is not so but rather disordinate riches troubleth and grieueth the true contentation of men and awaketh in them daily a more appetite of Couetousnes We haue seen many Courtiers rich and beloued but none indeede that euer was contented or wearyed with commaunding but rather his life should faile him then Couetousnes Oh how many haue I seene in the Court whose legges nor feete haue bin able to carry them nor their bodie strong enough to stand alone nor their hands able to write nor their sight hath serued them to see to reade nor their teeth for to speake nor their iawes to eate nor their eares to heare nor their memory to trauell in any suite or matter yet haue not their tongue fayled them to require presents and giftes of the Prince neyther deepe and fine wit to practise in Court for his most auaile and vantage So incurable is the disease and plague of auarice that hee that is sicke of that infirmity can not bee healed neyther with pouerty nor yet bee remedied with riches Since this contagious maladie and apparant daunger is now so commonly knowne and that it is crepte into Courtiers and such as are in high fauour and great authoritie by reason of this vile sinne of auarice I would counsell him rather to apply himselfe to bee well thought of and esteemed then to endeauour to haue enough Also Queene Semiramis was wife to king Belius and mother of king Ninus and although by nature shee was made a woman yet had shee a heart neuer otherwise but valiant and Noble For after shee was widdow shee made her selfe Lord by force of armes of the great India and conquered all Asia and in her life time caused a goodly tombe to bee made where she would lye after her death and about the which she caused to bee grauen in golden Letters these words Who longs to swell with masse of shining golde And craue to catch such wealth as fewe possesse This stately Tombe let him in hast vnfolde Where endlesse heapes of hatefull coyne do rest Many dayes and kinges raignes past before any durst open this Sepulchre vntill the comming of the great Cyrus who commaunded it to be opened And being reported to him by those that had the charge to seeke the treasure that they had sought to the bottomlesse pit and Worldes end but treasure they could find none nor any other thing saue a stone wher in were grauen these words Ah haplesse Knight whose high distracted mind By follies play abused was so much That secret tombes the carcasse could none binde But thou wouldst reaue them vp for to be rich Plutarch and also Herodotus which haue both written this history of Semiramis doe shew and affirme that Queen Semiramis got great honour by this iest and King Cyrus great shame and dishonour If Courtiers that are rich thinke and beleeue that for that they haue money inough and at their will that therefore they should be farre from all troubles and miseries they are deceyned For if the poore soule toyle and hale his body to get him onely that he needeth much more dooth the rich man torment and burne his heart till hee be resolued which way to spende that superfluitie he hath Iesu what a thing is it to see a rich man how bee tormenteth himselfe night and day imagining and deuising with himselfe whether hee shall with the mony that is left buy leases milles or houser anuities vines or cloth lands tenemēts or pastures or some thing in see or whether he shal enrich his sonne with the thirds or fifts and after all these vaine thoughts Gods will is for to strike him with death suddenly not onely before he hath determined how hee should lay out or spend this money but also before he hath made his will I haue many times tolde it to my friends yea and preached it to them in the Pulpit and written it also in my bookes that it is farre greater trouble to spend the goods of this world well and as they ought to be spent then it is to get them For they are gotten with swette and spent with cares Hee that hath no more then hee needeth it is hee that knoweth well how to parte from them and to spend them but he that hath aboundance and more then needfull doth neuer resolue what hee should doe Whereof followeth many times that those which in his life time were enemies to him shall happen to bee heyres after his death of all the goods and money he hath It is a most sure and certaine custome among mortall men that commonly those that are rich while they are aliue spend more money vainely in thinges they would not and that they haue no pleasure in and wherein they would lest lay it out and after their death they leaue the most part of their inheritance to those whom they loued least for it hapneth many times that the sonne which hee loueth worst enheriteth his goods that sonne which hee loued best and made most of remaineth poore Therfore continuing still our matter I say that I know not the cause why the fauoured of the Court desire to bee so rich couetous and insatiable sith they alone haue to gette the goods where afterwardes to spende them they haue need of the counsell and aduise of many Let not those also that are in fauour with the Prince make too great a shew openly of their riches but if they haue aboundance let them keepe it secret For if their lurking enemies know not what they haue the worst they can doe they can but murmur but if they see it once they will neuer leaue till they haue accused him To see a Courtier builde sumptuous houses to furnish them with wonderfull and rich hangings to vse excesse and prodigality in their meates to haue their cupbordes maruellously decked with cups and pots of golde and siluer to
and to morrow conueyghed into the priuie from the Eaters by their page or seruant Surely mans Stomacke is nothing else but a gutte or Tripe forced with meate bread and wine a Pauement fild with wine Lees and a vessell of stincking-oyle a receypt of corrrupt ayre a sincke of a Kitchin and a secret place whereinto we cast all our goods and facultie as into the riuer And therefore Esay sayde that all these noble citties of Sodome and Gomorrha by this onely curse did incurre into such execrable sinnes for which afterwards they were destroyed And this was euen through excesse of feeding eating and drinking and too much ydlenesse and it is no maruell For it is an infallible thing that where ydlenesse and gluttony raigneth there must needes come some yll ende vnto that man The Greekes the Romaines the Egiptians and the Scythes although they were derected of many other sins and vices yet were they alwayes sober and temperat in eating and drinking Iustine that wrote of Trogus Pompeyus reciteth that among the Scythes which were the rudest and most barbarous that came into Asia vsed to reproue those that let goe winde and to chastise and punish those that vomited saying that breaking winde vomiting came only of too much eating and drinking Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayde that there was a philosopher in Athens called Hyppomachus that was so great an enemy to gluttonie that he vsed in his Colledge such and so great an abstinence that his Disciples by that were knowne amongst all the other Phylosophers And not for no other thing but to see them buye their cates and prouision to liue withall for they neuer bought meates to fat them and keepe them lusty but onely to susteine nature and that but little The Romanes made diuers lawes in the olde time to expell out of theyr Cities drunkards and Gluttons wherof we will recite some vnto you to the end that those that shall reade our present writings shall both knowe and see what great care our Forefathers tooke to abolish this horrible vice of Gluttony First there was a Law in Rome called Fabian Law so called because Fabian the Consull made it in which it was prohibited that no man should bee so hardy in the greatest Feast hee made to spend aboue a hundred Sexterces which might bee in value a hundred peeces of 6. pence Salets and all other kinds of fruite not comprised within the same And immediately after that came out another law called Messinia which the Consul Messinius made By which they were also inhibited in all feastes to drinke no strange wines which only were permitted to be giuen to those that were diseased After which followed also another law Licinia made by the Consul Licinius forbidding in all feasts all kinds of Sawces because they incite appetite and are cause of great expence An other law Emilia of Emilius the Consul also commanding the Romans should be serued in their banquets but onely with fiue sortes of diuersities of meates because in them there should be sufficient for honest reâ—ection and no superfluitie to fil the belly And then was there the Lawe Ancia made by Ancius the Consull charging all the Romanes for to endeuor to learne all kinde of sciences except cookery For according to their saying In that House where was a Cooke those of that house became poore quickely their bodyes diseased their mindes vitious and al-together giuen to gluttonie After this law there came forth another called Iulia of Iulius Caesar comcommaunding al Romains that none should be so hardy to shut their gates when they were at dinner and it was to this ende that the Censours of the Cittie might haue easie accesse into their houses at mealtime to see if their Ordinary were correspondent to their habilitie And there was also another Lawe made afterwards called Aristimia of Aristmius the Consull by which it was enacted that it should bee lawfull for euery man to inuire his friends to dinner to him at noon as they liked prouided that they supped not together that night And this was established thus to cut off the great charges they were at with their suppers For the Romanes exceeded in superfluity of dainty and fine meats and moreouer they sat too long guzling eating at their suppers Of all these Lawes heretofore recited were authours Aulus Gelius and Macrobius And for this was Caius Gracchus well reputed of by the Romanes who notwithstanding hee had bin Consull in diuers Prouinces and that many times and he was a man of great grauitie and authoritie in Rome his wife was his onely cooke and trauelling his hostesse of his house where he lay dressed his meate Marcus Mantius in times past made a booke of diuers wayes how to dresse meat an other of the tasts sawces and diuers maners of seruing of them in at the bankets a third book how to couer the table set the stools in order order the cupbord and also how seruants should wayte and giue theyr attendance at the Table which three books were no sooner imprinted and published but presently and publikely they were burned by the Senate of Rome and if his author had not quickly voyded Rome fled into Asia he had accompanyed his bookes in the fire The auncient writers neuer ceased to reproue enough Lentulus Caesar Scylla Scaeuola and Aemilius For a banket they made in a garden of Rome where they eate no other meates but Blacke-byrdes Torteyses Mallardes Nettles pigs-brains hares in sauce But if the Romane Writers wrote in these dayes I doe not beleeue they would reproue so simple a banquet made by so noble and famous persons as they were For now a dayes they doe so farre exceede in variety of dishes at noble mens boords that neyther they haue appetite to eate nor yet they can tell the name of the dishes But now returning to our purpose I say the intent why wee haue layde before you these forepassed examples was onely to this end to admonish the fauoured of Princes to looke into themselues that they auoid this filthy sinne of Gluttony Beeing a foule blot in a Courtier to be counted a greedy gut and carmarant at his meate and being one whose manners and behauior euery man marketh for sure it is more fitting for them to bee moderate and sober in eating and drinking then others and good reason why For as they are more Noble then others so haue they many that sue vnto them and they haue also the waightiest matters of gouernement passing vnder their charge by reason wherof if they surcharge themselus with excesse they are then very vnapt to dispatch any matters for much eating causeth sleepe and much drinking depriueth theÌ„ of their iudgement and sences both Is it not to be wondered at yea and to bee reproued also to see a Magistrate or Counsellour sit in his chaire to heare poor mens causes and suites and the suiter opening his cause vnto him he sitteth nodding with
child-bearing Whether doest thou desire to goe put thy selfe then in a barrell and cast it into the Riuer so shalt thou become pure and white Wee haue eaten the fresh fish and now thou wouldest bring hither the stinking salt fish O Boemia Boemia in this case I see no trust in youth nor hope in age For vnder this thy hored age there is hid the pangues of frayle youth Thou complainest that thou hast nothing it is an old quarrel of the auncient amorous Ladyes in Rome that taking all thinges they say they haue left them nothing The cause thereofis where you do lacke credite there you would haue it accomplished with money Beleeue me louing friend the foolish estate of vnlawfull gaming both giueth an vnsure estate and also an euill fame to the person I know not how thou art so wastfull for if I pulled off my rings with the one hand thou pickedst my purse with the other greater wars haddest thou then with my Coffers then I haue now with my enemies I neuer had iewell but thou demaundedst it of mee and thou neuer askedst mee thing that I denyed thee I finde and bewaile now in my age the high parts of my youth Of trauell pouerty thou complainest I am hee that hath great neede of the medicine for this opilation and playsters for the sonne and colde water for such a burning feuer Doest thou not well remember how I did banish my necessity into the land of forgetfulnesse and placed thy good wil for the request of my seruice in the winter I went naked and in the sommer loaded with clothes In the mire I went on foot and rode in the fayre way When I was sad I laught when I was glad I wept Being afraid I drew out my strength and out of strength cowardnes The night with sighes and dayes in wayling I consumed When thou haddest neede of any thing I robbed my father for it Tell mee Boemia with whom diddest thou sulfill thine open follyes but with the misorders that I did in secret Thinke you what I thinke of the amorous Ladies in Rome that yee be mothes in olde garments a pastime for light persons a treasure of fooles and the sepulchres of vices This that seemeth to mee is that in thy youth euery man gaue to thee for that thou shouldest giue to euery one now thou giuest thy selfe to euery man because euery one should giue them to thee Thou tellest mee that thou hast two sonnes and lackest helpe for them Giue thanks to the gods for the mercy they shewed thee To xv Children of Fabritius my neighbour they gaue but one Father and to thine onely two sonnes they haue giuen fifteene Fathers Wherefore diuide them to their Fathers and euery one shall bee well prouided for Lucia thy daughter indeed and mine by suspect remember that I haue done more in marrying of her then thou diddest in bringing her forth For in the getting of her thou calledst many but to marry her I did it alone Verie little I write thee in respect of that I would write Butrio Cornely hath spoken much to mee on thy behalfe and hee shall say as much to thee on my part It is long agoe sithence I knew thy impatience I know well thou wilt sende mee another more malitious I pray thee since I write to thee in secrete discouer mee not openly and when thou readest this remember what occasion thou hast giuen me to write thus Although wee bee fallen out yet I will send thee money I send thee a gowne and the Gods bee with thee Boemia and send mee from this war with peace Marke Pretour in Daeia to Boemia his Louer and ancient friend in Rome CHAP. IX The aunswere of Boemia to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wherein is expressed the great malice and litle patience of an euill woman BOemia thy auncient Louer to thee Mark of Mount Celio her naturall enemie desireth vengeance of thy person and euill fortune during thy life I haue receyued thy letter and thereby perceyue thy spitefull intents and thy cruell malices Such naughty persons as thou art haue this priuiledge that sith one doth suffer your villanies in secret you will hurt them openly but thou shalt not doe so with mee Marke Althogh I am not treasuresse of thy good yet at the least I am of thy naughtinesse All that I cannot reuenge with my person I will not spare to doe it with my tongue And though we women for weakenesse sake are easily ouercome in person yet know thou that our hearts are inuincible Thou sayest escaping from a battell thou receyuedst my Letter wherof thou wast sore agast It is a common thing to them that be slothful to speak of loue for fooles to treate of bookes and for Cowards to blaze of Armes I say it because the aunswere of a Letter was not needfull to rehearse to a woman whether it was before the battell or after I thinke well thou hast escaped it for thou wert not the first that fought nor the last that fled I neuer saw thee goe to the iwarre in thy youth that euer I was fearefull of thy life for knowing thy cowardlinesse I neuer tooke care for thy absence I alwayes iudged thy person safe Then tell mee Marke what doest thou now in thy age I thinke thou carriest thy lance not to serue thy turne in thy warre but to leane on when the gout taketh thee The head-peece I iudge thou hast not to defend thee from the strokes of swords but to drinke withall in tauernes I neuer saw thee strike any man with thy sword but I haue seene thee kill a thousand women with thy tong O malitious Marke if thou wert as valiant as thou art spitefull thou shouldest be no lesse feared among the barbarous nations then thou art abhorred with good reason amongst the Romanes Tell me what thou list but thou canst not deny but both thou hast beene and art a slacke louer a cowardly knight an vnknown friend auaricious infamed an enemy to all men and friend to none Moreouer wee knew thee a light young man condemne thee now for an olde doting foole Thou sayest that taking my letter into thy hands forthwith thy heart receyued the hearbe of malice I beleeue thee well vnsworne for any thing touching malice dooth straight finde harbour in thy brest the beasts corrupted do take poysō which the sound and of good complexion refufeth Of one thing I am sure thou shalt not dye of poyson For seldom times one poyson hurteth another but it driueth out the other O malicious Marke if all they in Rome knew thee as well as the vnhappy Boemia doth they should see how much the wordes that thou speakest differ from the intention of thy hart And as by the bookes thou makest thou meritest the name of a Philosopher euen so for the ilnesse thou inuentest thou doest deserue the name of a Tirant Thou sayest thou neuer sawest constancy in a Womans loue nor end in
art esteemed beautifull bee likewise honoured for taking of good councell In this sort though my losse be much and thy patience little yet shall they account me wise in giuing counsell and the most happie to follow it One thing I will say vnto thee and pardon mee therein Women bee much defamed in that they will take no counsell and such as doe assure their renowme so much on the iudgement of others as they condemne well doing before I thinke good if it so like thee and would if thou wilt that thou shouldest doe in all 〈…〉 I haue counselled thee I will say no more Lady Lyuia but that I do present vnto thee all my vnfortunate troubles my sighes as a desperate man my seruice as thy seruant my troubled griefes my wordes of Phylosophie and my teares as a Louer I send thee heere a gyrstle of Gold on condition that thou alwayes sixe thine Eyes on that and thy heart on mee I pray the Gods giue mee to thee and thee to mee Marke the open Phylosopher wrote this in great 〈◊〉 FINIS The heatheÌ„ may teach Christians how to liue 〈…〉 A worthy sentence of Plato A prettie sentence The trees of the earth sheweth the malice of man A good lesson for all persons to follow A comparison necessiry to be respected A Sentence of Paulus Dyaconus The end of warre both fickle vnconstant A speech of Xenophon How daÌ„gerous a thing it is to meddle with Princes affaires The paines that the Authour tooke in this booke The inordinate loue betweene Nero and Pompeia The folly of the Emperour Nero described A commendation of Demosthenes the Philosopher How happy a thing it is to liue vnder a vertuous prince 〈…〉 Diuers Historiographers at controuersie what things were most authentike New things and vnaccustomed ought not to be vsed The prouidence of the Ants. A description of the Alphabet A worthy sentence of Plato 〈…〉 Spayne coÌ„mended for learned meÌ„ expert in the warres The property of this â—ooke of the Dyall of Princes A notable sentence Iulius Caesar A worthy sentence of What was the occasioÌ„ the ancients aduentured their liues How difficult hard a matter it is to attaine to true honour The cruelty of Tyrants heee described layd open A mans owne conscience a iudge betweene truth and lyes A poesie which Cato the Censor had engrauen in his Ring How much Homer was helde in account The commendation of the 〈…〉 of Marcus Aurelius The definition of time according to Archimenedes The saying â—o Plato The opinioÌ„ of Aulus Gellius coÌ„cerning time The reason why this is called the Iron-age For what cause Marcus Aurelius was chosen Emperour The diuersity of mens opinions One ought not rashly to coÌ„demne another mans wryting The time when the Author began to translate the booke of Marcus Aurelius The booke of Marcus Aurelius at the first imprinted without the knowledge of the Authour Marcus Aurelius a Romane born A 〈…〉 to â—l Rome The Epitaph on the graue of Camilla A worthy law among the RomaÌ„s Chaunges of rulers breed florâ— of vices Concerning the Father of Marcus Aurelius The Romanes foure Garrisons Distribution of offices Honourable Armies of the Romans Gbâ—â—uation among the Roman Antiquaries The answere of Phalaris to a Romane Philosopher The triumphes of Marcus Aurelius The Climateriall yeares of mans life The imperfections of young men deserue no publication A most wise and worthy obseruation The heart of a man is seldome satisfied A notable custome in Rome The happines of any Kingdome Cicero in lib de Legibus Idlenes is the badge of all lewdnes The golden and copper dayes of Rome A famous Visitation vsed by the ancient Romanes A towne in the middest of Campania The folly of a Romane Censour The wisedome of a poore Host of Nolo The harme ensuing by euill education of children A Countrey of the lesser Asia neere Phrygia Conference betwixt Marcus and his Master Fiue especial respects among the Romanes Where the Gods are displeased all goodnes decayeth A most diuine and Christian Confession Diuersity of Nations The occasion of the warres betweene the Alleines â—â— Armenians Cicero de natura Deorum â— Notable sentences of Bruxellus The speech of Bruxellus at his death Paul Oros De Mach. Mund. lib. 6 An ancient custome among the Romanes A rule deseruing obseruation Considerations resolued on bâ— the Romans for their owne good The wilfull ignorance and peruersity of the Gentiles Of the great concorde agreement of Noahs Arke The saying of Aristotle Weake is the arine of man to resist against God The mighty Army of Senacherib ouerthrowne The succes of Ioshua ouer Kings and Kingdomes The God of Troy could not resist the Grecian The dignity of the church militant The enmity of nations one against another Variety of opinions concerning the true God Arist in Metaph lib. 12. Mar. Var. in lib mist Theol. Cic. in lib. de nat Deorum Emperours made Gods or Deuils by decree of the Senate Fiue things fitting an Emperour Romaine 〈…〉 goddesse A worthie saying No goodnesse but proceedeth from God All power is in the hand of of God Wherefore Princes should obey God How much men are bound to the Almightie God Hercules de repub Cicero de natura Deorum Pub. Vict. De nuptiis Antiq. Naturall peculiar Gods Plin. ad Rutil Cic de na tu Deorum Couetousnes the root of all euill The iust iudgement of God Good counsell for women Difference betweene a good Prince a Tyrant The speech of Sophia vnto Tiberius Tiberius answere The frailtie of man The saying of Epimenides 〈…〉 The memorable deedes of Tiberius Treasure found by Tiberius A good Lesson Paul Diacon Lib 18. de gestis Roman The false opinion of the Gentils 〈…〉 The outrages of the Gothes A worthy saying approned by Narsetes Buccelinus did many outrages in Italy The inconstancy of Fortune King Synduals Epitaph Ennie a foe to all vertue Narsetes reply The seuere sentence of the Empresse Strange sights seene in the ayre The ingratitude of the Emperour against Narsetes A good obseruation 〈…〉 Marcus Aurelius speech to Gorbon Afflictions incident to all men The miseries of Marcus Aurelius All is worth nothing without the helpe of God The fickle estate or the worlde Difference betweene the good the euill The dâ—â—ty of a good Prince The difference betweene a good prince and a Tyrant Hee that violateth the Temple feareth not God An ancient 〈…〉 The vow of Marcus Camillus The duetie of euery good Captaine The reward of well doing The 〈…〉 into the hands of Pylates The great zeale of the Romains The difference of women in Rome Titus Liuius lib 2. 5. and 9. Difference betweene the true God and the false Princes ought to excell their Subiects What pleasure it is to serue the liuing God What is required in a good Prince Like Prince like people How circumspect Princes ought to be God onely is iust What vertue 〈…〉 to bee in a good prince God the
by themselues the Maidens by them the Vestall Virgins by themselues and all the straunge Embassadors went with the captiues in procession there was a custome in Rome that the same day the Emperor shold weare the Imperiall robe all the captiues which could touch him with their hands were deliuered and al the transgressors pardoned exiles and outlawries were called againe For the Roman Princes were neuer present in any feast but they shewed some noble example of mercie or gentlenes toward the peeple At this time Marcus Aurelius was Emperor of Rome and married with the beautifull Lady Faustina who in the feast of Ianus leauing in procession the company of the Senators came into the procession of the Captiues the which easily touched his robe whereby they obtayned liberty the which they so greatly desired I say desired for truly the Captiue is contented with a small thing And because there is no good thing by any good man done but immediately by the wicked it is repined at this deede was so contrary to the euill as ioyfull to the good for there is nothing bee it neuer so good not so well done but forthwith it shall bee contraried of them that be euill Of this thing I haue seene by experience in this miserable life sundry examples that euen as among the good one onely is noted to be chiefe so likewise among the euill one is noted principall aboue the rest And the worst I finde herein is that the vertuous doe not so much glory of their vertue as the euill and malitious hath shame and dishonour of their vice for vertue naturally maketh a man to bee temperate and quiet but vice maketh him to bee dissolute and retchlesse This is spoken because in the Senate of Rome there was a Senatour called Fuluius whose beard hayres were very white but in malice hee was most cankered blacke so that for his yeares hee was honoured in Rome of many and for his malice he was hated of all The Senator Fuluius made friends in the time of Adrian to succeede in the Empire and for this cause he had alwayes Marcus Aurelius for his competitor and wheresoeuer hee came he alwayes spake euill of him as of his mortall enemy For the enuious heart can neuer giue a man one good word This Senators heart was so puffed with enuy that hee seeing Marcus Aurelius to obtaine the Empire being so young and that hee being so olde could not attaine thereunto there was no good that euer Marcus Aurelius did in the Common-wealth openly but it was grudged at by Fuluius who sought alwayes to deface the same secretly It is the nature of those which haue their hearts infected with malice to spitte out their poison with wordes of spite Oft times I haue mused which of these two are greater the duety the good haue to speake against the euil or else the audacity the euill haue to speake against the good For in the World there is no brute beast so hardy as the euill man is that hath lost his fame Oh would to God the good to his desire had as much power to doe good works as the euill hath strength to his affection to exercise wicked deedes for the vertuous man findeth not one hand to helpe him in vertue to worke yet after hee hath wrought it hee shall haue a thousand euill tongues against his honest doings to speake I would all these which reade this my writing would call to memory this word which is that among euill men the chiefest euill is that after they haue forgotten themselus to be men and exiled both truth and reason thē with all their might they goe against truth and vertue with their words against good deeds with their tongs for though it bee euill to bee an euill man yet it is worse not to suffer an other to bee good which aboue all things is to bee abhorred and not to bee suffered I let you know and assure you Princes and Noble men that you in working vertuous deeds shall not want slaunderous tongues and though you bee stout yet you must bee patient to breake theyr malice For the Noble heart feeleth more the enuie of another then hee doth the labour of his owne body Princes should not be dismayed neither ought they to maruell though they bee tolde of the murmuring at their good works For in the end they are men they liue with men cannot escape the miseries of men For there was neuer Prince in the World yet so high but hee hath beene subiect to malitious tongues Truly a man ought to take great pitty of Princes whether they bee good or euill for if they bee euill the good hate them and if they bee good the euill immediately murmureth against them The Emperour Octauian was very vertuous yet greatly persecuted with enuious tongues who on a time demaunded since he did good vnto al men why he suffered a few to murmur against him hee answered you see my friends hee that hath made Rome free from enemies hath also set at liberty the tongues of malitious men for it is not reason that the hard stones should be at liberty and the tender stones tyed Truly this Emperour Octauian by his words declared himselfe to bee a Wise man and of a noble heart and lightly to waigh both the murmurings of the people and also the vanities of their words which thing truly a wise and vertuous man ought to doe For it is a generall rule that vices continually seeke defendors and vertues alwayes getteth enemies In the Booke of Lawes the diuine Plato sayth well that the euill were alwayes double euill because they were weapons defensiue to defend their malitious purpose and also carry weapons offensiue to blemish the good works of others Vertuous men ought with much study to follow the good and with more diligence to flye from the euill For a good man may commaund all other vertuous men with a backe of his finger but to keepe himselfe onely from one euill man hee had neede both hands feet and friends Themistocles the Thebane sayde that hee felt no greater torment in the World then this that his proper honour should depend vpon the imagination of an other for it is a cruell thing that the life and honor of one that is good should be measured by the tongue of an other that is euill for as in the Forge the coales cannot bee kindled without sparkes nor as corruption can not bee in the sinckes without ordure so hee that hath his heart free from malice his tongue is occupied alwayes in sweete and pleasant communication And contrariwise out of his mouth whose stomack is infected with malice proceedeth alwayes words bitter and ful of poyson for if out of a rotten furnace the fire burneth it is impossible that the smoake should be cleare It is but a small time that in prophane loue he that is enamored is able to refraine his loue and much lesse time is the
wrathfull man able to hide his wrath for the heauy sighes are tokens of the sorrowfull heart and the words are those that disclose the malicious man Pulio sayeth in the first booke of Caesars that the Emperor Marcus Aurelius was very vertuous in all his works sage in knowledge iust in iudgment mercifull in punishment but aboue all things he was wise in dissembling and herein he was very discreet for there was neuer patient man but prospered well in all his affayres Wee see that through patience and wisedome many euill things become reasonable frō reasonable are broght to good from good to excellent The contrary hapneth to them that are moued more then they need for the man which is not patient looketh not yet for any good successe in his affayres thogh they are iust The Emperour Marcus oft times was wont to say that Iulius Caesar wan the Empire by the sword Augustus was Emperor by inheritance Caligula came to it because his father conquered Germany Nero gouerned it with tyranny Titus was Emperor for that he subdued Iury the good Traian came to the Empire by his clemency and vertue but I sayeth he obtained the Empire through patience onely for it is a greater patience to suffer the iniuries of the malitious then to dispute with the Sage in the Vniuersity And this Emperour sayde further in the gouernment of the Empire I haue profited more through patience then by science for science only profiteth for the quietnesse of the person but patience profiteth the person and the Commonwealth Iulius Capitolinus saith that the Emperor Antoninus Pius was a prince very pacient and in such sort that often times being in the Senate hee saw both those which loued him and also those that were against him with the people when they did rebell yet his patience was so great that neither his friends for the vnthankefulnesse of themselues remayned sad neyther his enemies for any displeasure by him done did at any time complain Meaning therefore in this Chapter to ioine the end with the beginning I say that as the Emperour Marcus Aurelius put himselfe among the captiues and that this deed in Rome of all men was commended The Senatour Fuluius could not refraine from speaking for that he had not the wit to endure it wherfore as it were scoffing he spake these words to the Emperour Lord I maruell why thou yeeldest thy selfe to all which thing for the reputation of the Empire cannot bee suffered for that it is not decent for thy Maiesty The Emperour Marcus Aurelius seeing hearing that in the presence of them all the Senator Fuluius spake vnto him these words he tooke it patiently with pleasant countenance sayde The Questions which the Senator Fuluius propoundeth let it bee for to morrow because my answere may bee the riper and his choller the quieter Therefore the next day following the Emperour Marcus came into the High Capitoll as Pulio declareth in the life of Marcus Aurelius and spake these words CHAP. XXXIX Of the answer the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate being reproued of him for his familiaritie hee vsed to all contrary to the maiestie and authoritie of the Romane Emperour wherein he painteth enuious men FAthers Conscript and sacred Senate I would not yesterday answere to that which the Senator Fuluius spake vnto mee because it was somewhat late and for that wee were long in sacrifices I thought that neyther time nor place was conuenient to answere thereunto For it is a signe of a little wisdome and of great folly for a man to answere sodenly to euery question The liberty that vndiscreet men haue to demaund the selfe same priuiledge hath the Wise for to answere for though the demaund proceed of ignorance yet the answere ought to proceede of Wisedome Truly wise men were well at ease if to euery demaund they should answere the simple and malitious who for the most part demaund more to vexe other men then for to profite themselus more for to proue then to know wherefore Wise men ought to dissemble at such demaundes for the Sages ought to haue their eares open to heare and their tongue tyed because they should not speake I let you know ancient Fathers and sacred Senate that that little which I know I learned in the Isle of Rhodes in Naples in Capua and in Tharente And all Tutors tolde mee that the intention and end of men to study was onely to know to gouern themselues amongst the malicious For science profiteth nothing else but to know how to keepe his life well ordered and his tongue well measured Therfore I protest to God that which I will say before your sacred presence I will not speake it of any malice or ill will but onely to answere vnto that which toucheth the authority of my person for the things which touch the honour ought first by word to be answered and afterwards by sword to be reuenged Therefore now beginning my matter and addressing my words to thee Fuluius and to that which thou spakest vnto me asking why I shew my selfe so to all men I answere thee It is because al men should giue them selues to me Thou knowest well Fuluius that I haue beene a Consul as thou art and thou hast not beene an Emperour as I am Therefore beleeue mee in this case that the Prince being despised cannot bee beloued of his people The gods will not nor the lawes doe permit neyther the Commonwealth willingly should suffer that all Princes should bee Lords of many and that they should not communicate but with a few For Princes which haue beene gentle in their liues the Ancients haue made them gods after their deathes The Fisher to fish for many fishes in the riuer goeth not with one Boate alone nor the Mariner to fish in the deepe sea goeth not with one net onely I meane that the profound wills which are deeply in the hearts ought to bee won some by gifts other by promises other by pleasant words and other by gentle entertainement For Princes should trauell more to winne the hearts of their Subiects then to conquere the realmes of strangers The greedy and couetous harts care not though the prince shutteth vp his heart so that he open his cofers but Noble and valiant men little esteeme that which they locke vp in their cofers so that their hearts bee open to theyr friends For Loue can neuer but with loue againe be requited Sith Princes are Lords ouer many of necessitie they ought to bee serued with manie and beeing serued with manie they are bound to satisfie manie and this is as generally as particularly they cannot dispence with their Seruants For the Prince is no lesse bound to pay the seruice of his Seruant then the maister is to pay the wages of the hyred labourer Therefore if this thing be true as it is how shall poore Princes do which keepe many Realmes and
many was lamented for it was a long time that Rome had neuer heard of so honest and vertuous a Romane wherefore at the petition of all the Romane people and by the commaundement of all the sacred Senate they set on her Tombe these verses The worthy Macrine resteth here in graue Whom wise Torquatus lodg'd in Iunos bed Who reckoned not a happy life to haue So that for aye her honest name was spred BEhold therefore Faustine In my opinion the law was not made to remedie the death of this Noble Romane since she was already dead but to the end that you Princesses should take example of her life and that through all Rome there should bee a memory of her death It is reason since the law was ordayned for those women which are honest that it should be obserued in none but vpon those that are vertuous let the women with childe marke the words of the lawe which commaund them to aske things honest Wherefore I let thee know Faustine that in the seuenth Table of our lawes are written these words We will that where there is corruption of manners the man shall not be bound to obserue their liberties CHAP. XVIII That Princesses and Noble Women ought not to bee ashamed to giue their children sucke with their owne brests ALl Noble men that are of hauty courage watch continually to bring that to effect which they couet and to keepe that which they haue for by slrength one commeth to honour and by wisedome Honour and life are both preserued By these words I meane That she that hath born nine months through trauaile the creature in her wombe with so much paine and that afterwards is deliuered with so great peril and by the grace of God from so many dangers escaped me thinks it is not well that in this point which for the nourishment of the babe is most expedient the Mothers should shew them so negligent for that wanteth no folly that by extreame labour is procured and with much lightnesse afterwards despised The things that women naturally desire are infinite among the which these are foure chiefely The first thing that women desire is to be very fayre for they had rather bee poore and fayre then to be rich and foule The second thing which they desire ◠is to see themselues marryed for vntil such time as the woman doe see her selfe marryed from the bottome of her heart she alwayes sigheth The third thing that women desire is to see themselues great with childe and herein they haue reason for vntill such time as the woman hath had a childe it seemeth that shee taketh him more for a Louer then for a Husband The fourth thing that they desire is to see themselues deliuered and in this case more then all the rest they haue reason for it is great pittie to see in the prime time a young tree loaden with blossomes and afterward the fruit to bee destroyed through the abundance of Caterpillers Then since God sussereth that they are borne fayre that they see themselues marryed that they bee with childe and that they are deliuered why be they so vnkinde as to send them out of their houses to bee nourished in other rude Cottages In my opinion the woman that is vertuous ought as soone as she is deliuered to lift vp her eyes and with her heart to giue God thankes for her fruit for the woman that from her deliuery is escaped ought to acount her selfe as one newly borne The woman likewise seeing her selfe deliuered of her creature ought to giue it sucke with her owne brests for it is a monstrous thing that she that hath brought forth the creature out of her owne proper wombe should giue it to bee nourished of a strange dugge In speaking more plainely it is all one to mee whether she be a Noble woman or a woman of meane condition I say and affirme that GOD hath deliuered her of all her trauaile shee her selfe ought with her owne pappes to nourish and giue sucke to their babes for nature did not onely make women able to beare men but also besides that prouided milke in their brests to nourish their children We haue neither read vntill this present nor seene that any beasts wilde or tame after they had young would commit them to any other to be nourished This which I haue spoken is not so worthy of noting as that which I will speake and it is That many beasts new borne before they open their eyes to know their fathers haue now already taken nourishment in the teates of their mothers and more then that to see some of those little beasts haue tenne little whelpes the which without the ayde of any others nourished them all with the substance of their owne teates and the woman that hath but one childe disdayneth to giue it sucke All that shall reade this writing shall find it true and if they will they may see as I haue seene it by experience that after the she Ape hath had her yonglings she alwaies hath them in her armes so long as they sucke so that ofentimes there is such strife betweene the male the female which of them shall haue the younglings in their armes that the beholders are enforced to part them with bats Let vs leaue the Beasts that are in the Fields and talke of the Birds that are in the nests the which doe lay egges to haue young yet haue they no milke to bring them vp What thing is so strange to see as a small Bird that hath vnder her wings fiue or sixe little naked Birds the which when he hath hatched she hath neither milk to nourish thē nor corne to giue them they haue neyther wings to flye fethers to couer them nor any other thing to defend them yet in all this weakenesse and pouertie their mother forsaketh them not nor committeth them to any other but bringeth them vp all her selfe That which nature prouided for the Swannes is no lesse maruellous in especially when they nourish their young Signets in the water for as much as during the time that they cannot swimme the mothers alwaies in the day are with their yong Signets in theis nests and in the night the fathers carry them vnder their proper wings to refresh them vnto the water It is therefore to be thought since these Swannes so louingly beare their younglings vnder their wings that they would carry them in their armes if they were men and also giue them sucke with their owne brests if they were women Aristotle sayeth in his fift booke De animalibus that the Lyons the Beares the Wolues the Eagles and Griffins and generally all Beasts neuer are were nor shall be seene so fierce nor so cruell as when they haue younglings and this thing seemeth to bee true for at that time we see that many beasts might escape the hunters yet to saue their younglings they turne backe and put their proper liues in
danger Plato saith in his booke of Lawes that the children are neuer so wel beloued of their mothers as when they are nourished with their proper brests that their fathers danceth them on their knees The which thing is true for the first loue in all things is the truest loue I was willing to shew the bringing vp of bruit beasts to shew the women with childe how pittifull parents they are in nourishing their younglings with their owne brests and how cruell Mothers Women are in committing their children to strangers It is a maruellous thing to heare the mothers say that they loue their children and on the contrary side to see how they hate them In this case I cannot tell whether they loue more eyther the childe or the money for I see that they couet greatly to hourd vp riches into their Chests and likewise they desire as much to cast out their children out of their houses There are diuers reasons whereby the mothers ought to bee moued to nourish their children which they bare in ther wombs with their owne proper brests The first reason is that the mother ought to haue respect how the yong babe was borne alone how little hee was how poore delicate naked tender and without vnderstanding and since that the mother brought it forth so weake and feeble it is neither meet nor conuenient that in time of such necessitie shee should forsake it and commit it into the hands of a strange Nurse Let women pardon me whether they bee Ladyes brought vp in pleasures or other of meaner estate accustomed with trauels I force not but I say that those which forsake their children in such extremities are not pittifull mothers but cruell enemies If it bee crueltie not to cloath him that is naked who is more naked then the childe new borne if it bee crueltie not to comfort the sad who is more sad desolate and sorrowfull then the childe which is borne weeping If it be vngentlenes not to succour the poore needy who is more needy or more poore then the innocent childe newly borne that knoweth not as yet neyther to goe nor to speake If it bee crueltie to doe euill to the innocent that cannot speake who is more innocent then the infant that cannot complaine of that which is done vnto him The mother that casteth out of her house the children borne of her owne body how can we beleeue that she will receiue in any other of strangers when the infant is now great when hee is strong when he can speake when he can goe when hee can profite himselfe and get his meate the mother maketh much of him and leadeth him about with her but is little thanke vnto her for then the mother hath more neede of the childe to bee serued then the childe hath of the mother to be cherished If the children were born of the nailes of the fingers of the feete or of the hands it were a small matter though their mothers sent them forth to nourish but I cannot tell what heart can endure to suffer this since the child is borne of their proper intrailes that they do cōmit it to be broght vp into the hands of a stranger Is there peraduenture at this day in the world any Lady that hath so great cōfidence in any of her friends parents or neighbours that she durst trust any of them with the key of her coffer wherin her lewels money and riches lyeth truely I thinke none O vnkind mothers my pen had almost called you cruell stepmothers since you lay vp in your heart the cursed mucke of the ground and send out of your houses that which sprang of your bloud And if women should say vnto mee that they are weake feeble and tender and that now they haue found a good Nurse to this I answere that the Nurse hath smal loue to the child which she nourisheth when she seeth the vngentlenesse of the mother that bare it for truly she alone doth nourish the childe with loue that heeretofore hath borne it with paine The second reason is that it is a thing very iust that women should nourish their children to the ende they may bee like vnto their conditions for otherwise they are no children but are enemies for the childe that doeth not reuerence his mother that bare him cannot enioy a prosperous life Since the intention of the parents in bringing vp their children is for none other purpose but to bee serued of them when they are olde they shall vnderstand that for this purpose there is nothing more necessary then the milke of the proper mother for where the childe sucketh the milke of a stranger it is vnlikely that it should haue the conditions of the mother If a Kid sucke a Sheepe they shall perceiue it shall haue the wooll more faire the nature more gentle then if he had sucked the Goat which hath the wooll more hard and of nature is more wilde wherein the Prouerbe is verified Not from whence thou commest but whereof thou feedest It auayleth a man much to haue a good inclination but it helpeth him much more from his infancy to bee well taught for in the end we profite more with the customes wherewith we liue then we doe by nature from whence we came The third reason is that women ought to nourish their owne children because they should bee whole mothers and not vnperfect for the woman is counted but halfe a mother that beareth it and likewise halfe a mother that nourisheth it but she is the whole mother that both beareth it and nourisheth it After the duetie considered vnto the Father that hath created vs and vnto the Sonne that hath redeemed vs mee thinketh next we owe the greatest dutie vnto the Mother that hath borne vs in her bodie and much more it is that wee should beare vnto her if she had nourished vs with her owne brests for when the good child shall behold his mother hee ought more to loue her because shee nourished him with her milke then because shee hath borne him in her body CHAP. XIX The Authour still perswadeth women to giue their owne children sucke IN the yeere of the foundation of Rome fiue hundred two after the obstinate and cruell warre betweene Rome and Carthage where the renowmed Captaines were Hanibal for the Carthaginians and Scipio for the Romanes Soone after that warre followed the warre of Macedonia against King Philip. The which when it was ended that of Syria began against Antiochus King of Syria for in sixe hundred and thirty yeeres the Romanes had alwaies continuall warres in Asia in Affrick or in Europe The noble Romanes sent the Consull Cornelius Scipio brother to the great Scipio the Affrican for Captaine of that warre And after many battailes Fortune shewed her force in a Citie called Sepila the which is in Asia the great where King Antiochus was ouercome and all his Realme discomfited for trees that haue their roots plucked vp must