as witnesseth Appollidorus lyued lxxâ—â—ii yeres Sosicrates sayeth lxxxx yeres and that he dyed in the lviii Olimpiade and floryshed in Cresus tyme to whome he promised that he wolde cause the ryuer Alm to ruÌ„ne backwardes agaynst y e streme Ther were many more of this name as testifieth Demetrius Duris Dionisius but thys Thales Milesius the sage beinge olde worne in age dyed of heate thirst whiles he beheld a triuÌ„phe Some saye that as he went forth of his house to beholde the starres he fell doune sodaynlye into a pit and was therfore mocked of an olde wyfe that he kept in his house with this saying O Thales howe thinkest thou to coÌ„prehend those thinges that are in heauen whiche canst not se suche thinges as are before thine eyes ¶ Of Solon Salaminus Ca. ix LYke as there is amoÌ„g writers great variaunce as I sayd before about the firste Philosopher euen so is there greate contention whiche were the seuen sages but as theyr variaunce maketh doutfull which were the persons so theyr hole coÌ„sent assureth that there were suche And for because we entend not so muche to shewe the persones and names as theyr good doctrine therfore it shal be sufficient that a wyse and approued Philosopher hathe sayde suche thynges as to theÌ„ are attributed yet as for good causes I haue allowed Socrates for y e first morall Philosopher after Lacrtius mynd â—o do I best alowe Lacrtiê° Iugement in this matter which saieth y t these wer they Thales Solon Periander Cleobulê° Chilon Bias and Pittachus Of whome althoughe Periander were a tyrant yet because y t for hys good doctrine he hath of the learned longe tyme bene allowed therfore shall he enioye that whiche they haue geuen hym Of Thales ye haue hearde alreadye after whoÌ„e Solon is next whiche was the sonne of Existides and was borne in Salamina and therof was called Salaminus He gaue many good lawes and dyd many worthy deades worthy to be remembred Among whiche this is very notable After that the Athemences and Megarences had made greate warre and greate slaughter betwene them to haue had the signory of hys countrye Salamina and were bothe sore weryed wyth warres they made a lawe at Athens that no maÌ„ payne of hys head shulde speake or perswade ought to chalenge the Ylande any more Than Solon beynge troubled and thoughfull for hys countrey fearyng least wyth holding his peace he shuld do smal good to the common weale and agayne if he shulde speake it shuld be for his hurte sodaynly fayned him selfe madde thinkyng therby not onely to speake but also to do suche thinges as were forbydden And disguisinge hym selfe â— he ran abrode amonge he hartles people And there in the maner of a cryer he perswaded the people y t whiche was forbydden styrred vp theyr myndes so much that incontinent they began warre to obtayne the Yland and so at last they got it He perswaded them also to chalenge ChersonesuÌ„ a citie iÌ„ Tracie affirming that it was theyr ryght And by this meanes so wan the peoples loue that they gladly wolde haue made him Ruler but as sayth So sicrates he had a neyghbour called Pisistratus whiche tyranously endeuoured to hurte hym whiche as sone as he knewe he armed him selfe and went into the streate and whan he had called a greate company about him he discouered Pisistratus treason and not onlye that but also that he was readye to amend it that he wolde fyght for his libertye saying Ye men of Athenes I am wyser then some valianter then other soÌ„e I am wiser thaÌ„ those y t marke not Pisistratus and I am valianter than those whiche knowe him and dare not for feare shewe what he is But the Senate that toke Pisistratus parte sayde he was mad and whan he sawe he coulde haue no redresse he layde downe his harneys before them sayde O countrey I haue alwayes holpe the bothe with word deade And then sayled into Cipres and there met with Cresus who demauÌ„ding of him whome he thought happy he layde Thelus of Athens and Byto and suche other whiche all all meÌ„ spake of Another time whaÌ„ Cresus had garnished hym selfe rychelye and was set in his highe trone he asked hym yf euer he had seene a more gorgious sight ye ê™ he both Capons Fesantes and Pecockes for their goodly colours are naturall From Cresus he weÌ„t into Cilicia and there buylded a citie and after his owne name called it Solos He made many good lawes for suche as were warriers yf any had got victorye he shulde haue a greate rewarde for hys labour and suche as were slaine had theyr wife and children founde of the common purse euer after He made a lawe y t no executour shuld dwell with any orphans mother nor that any shulde be executour to whom after y e heyres death his goodes shall belonge And that no â—yng or seale maker shulde kepe y e print of any â—olde seale And that who so euer had put out a mannes eye shall lose bothe his owne for it And y t whosoeuer toke oughte that was not his owne shulde dye for it And that yf any gouerner were founde dronken to dye for it And that no man shulde geue any dowry with his daughter with many mo good lawes Whan he was demaunded why he made no lawe against soche as kylled theyr father or mother He answered because it is a desperat mischife Being demauÌ„ded howe meÌ„ might best kepe them from breakyng the lawe he sayde yf suche as haue no wronge be as sory and and carefull as those that are wronged He wolde saye to riche men Aboundaunce groweth from riches and disdayne out of aboundaunce He wrote many bokes both of verses lawes other matters besides many goodly epistles He florished in the .xlvi. Olimpiade and was prince of Athens the .iii. yeare whiche was from the worldes creation .4605 yeares he lyued .lxxx. yeares â–ª and dyed in Cipres commaunding his sâ—ruauntes to â—ary his bones to Salomina and there beyng made in poulder to sowe them aboute the citie Dioscorides writeth that when he was asked why he wept for his sonnes death sith it profited him nothing He answered euen for this cause I wepe because I can profit him nothing Thus muche of his lawes and answers the rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of in their places ¶ Of Chylo Lacedemoniencis Cap. x. CHylo the sonne of Damagetus was borne in Lacedemonia He wrote many verses helde an opinion that man by reason might comprehend the foreknowlege of thinges to come by the myght and power of his manhode There were in his tyme as sayeth Soâ—icrates and Pamphilia diuers offyces of which one was most noble and the officers called Ephori which were kinges folowes Wherfore his brother being angry because he wolde not take that office sith he him selfe had bene in it before O brother ê™ he I can suffre wrong and so canst not thou This man as Herodotus
to mans nature as y e thing in which we differre from other beastes and also is necessary for the comly gouernance of mannes lyfe shall here be spoken of not reasoned to the tryall but simply and rudely declared yet so that suche as therin delite although not fully satisfied shall not be vtterly deceyued of their pourpose ¶ Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophye Cap. iii. NEcessitie as I iudge that not without cause was the firste fynder out of morall Philosophye Experience whiche is a good teacher was the first master therof taught suche as gaue diligence to marke considre thiÌ„ges to teache and instruct other therin and because Socrates in a maner despisyng the other two kyndes of Philosophy added this as the thyrd taught it more thaÌ„ any of the rest therfore because men must be the begynners of mennes matters I assente with Laertius to call hym the first beginner therof For although euen among the Atheniences the Sages as Thales and Solon both spake and wrot of lyke matter before him yet because he so ernestly embraced it and equally placed it with the other twayne he deserueth well the glory of the firste beginner therof and although he wrote it not in bokes for whiche as him thought he had a lawefull excuse or rather a good cause yet his disciple Plato hath writen suche thinges of his teaching as fewe so fully wrote of before whiche was as it is euydent many yeres before Iesus the sonne of Sirache whose worke we for the puritie of the doctrine therin conteyned reuerence and honour which as he hym selfe calleth it is a boke of morall wisedome thought full of diuinitie as are also many of Platoes workes as witnesseth Saint Augustine And therfore because Socrates was before Iesus Sirache I referre the inuention I shulde saye the beginning therof vnto hym As for Salomons workes are more diuine than morall therfore I rather worship in hym the diuinitie than ascribe the beginnyng of moral Philosophie wishing al men and exhortyng them both to learne and to folowe those so diuine and holy workes vttered by hym in his boke of prouerbes ¶ Of the kyndes of teachyng of morall Philososophye Cap. iiii AL that haue written of morall Philosophye haue for y e most part taught it either by preceptes counsell and lawes orels by prouerbes parables semblables For whiche cause it may well be deuyded into iii. kyndes of whiche the first is by councelles lawes preceptes of which Licurgus Solon Isocrates Cato and other more haue written muche Councellyng and admonishinge men to vertue by preceptes by theyr lawes fraying theÌ„ from vice The seconde kynde of teaching is by Prouerbes Adages whiche kynde of Philosophers most commonly is vsed in whiche they shewe y e contrarieties of thinges ferryng alwaye the best declaring therby both the profites of vertue the inconuenieÌ„ces of vices y t we consideryng bothe maye embrace the good and eschue the euyll The thyrde kynde is by Parables Examples and SeÌ„blables Wherin by esye and familier truthes harder thinges more out of vse are declared that by y e one the other maye be better perceyued borne in mynd whiche waye oure sauiour Christ hym selfe whan he taught y e grosse Iues any diuine thing most commonly vsed Parrables semblables and examples though differing in sumwhat drawe al to one kynde The which kynde Esopus moste of all vsed alludyng and bryngyng vnreasonable thinges to teache and instructe men in graue wayghtye matters ¶ The order of this boke Cap. v. OF these .iii. kyndes of morall Pholosophye last rehearsed consisteth this worke euery kynde by it selfe sundred into a boke that it maye the better be vnderstande of all that shall reade the same the matter of all whiche thre is gathered out of the workes of the most pure auncient Philosophers and specially of these foloyng Mercurius trismegistus Hermes Pythagoras Italicus Thales Milesius Solon Salaminus Chilo Lacedemoniencis Bias Prienneus Periander of Corinth Anacharcis the Scithian Etius Myson Cheneus Cpimenides Cretensis Anaxagoras Eubulinus Phericides the Sirian Socrates of Athens Xenophon of Athens Aristippus of Athens Plato Atheniencis diuinus Isocrates Xenocrates of Calcedonie Archelaus Aristoteles Stagirites Diogenes Plutarche Seneca And for so muche as the good lyfe of a man is cause of his better estimation the liues of all these before named shal be first shewed in a boke by theÌ„selues wherin also parte of theyr wyttye answers are conteyned whiche is set forthe onely for thys pourpose that we Christians ashamed of our selues in beholdyng the lyues of these Heathen persons maye amende and folowe the good doctrine that they haue taught vs. In the seconde booke whiche is called the booke of preceptes and counselles shal be declared what these men thought of god of the soule of y e worlde of death of freÌ„dshyp of counsell of silence of ryches and of pouertie wyth theyr wittie sayinges of and concerning the same matters After whyche theyr good preceptes orderly shall followe In the thyrde boke whiche is the boke of prouerbes or pytthy sayinges shal thinges be shewed worthy of memorie In the ende wherof shal folowe some of theyr principall sentences drawen into meter to the intent they maye be the eselyer learned and better kept in mynde In in forthe boke called the boke of parables or semblables shall appeare y e greate zeale y t the Phylisophers alwayes haue had to teache by all maner meanes that wit might ymagin this so precious and nedeful a science to all kynde of people And yf it shall chaunce that in any of these bookes thorough Ignoraunce or Negligence somewhat shall be misordered or not to fully handled as it shulde be and as the matter requyreth The excuse shal be y t in this treatise no perfection is pretended and onely is set forth as a shewe to make men thereby desirouse to haue the perfection of y e thing whiche it representeth And lyke as a whetstone although it be dull it selfe yet causeth instrumentes to be more keneâ— So by this bluÌ„t treatise suche as are apt ther vnto shal be prouoked to set forth better This beyng in the meane whyle vsed as a preparation to others workes whiche here vpon maye folowe Nowe the order and intent of the boke beyng knowen there is no daunger but that with iudgement the proces maye both be red learned and folowed ¶ The lyues and wittye answers of the Philophers and first of Hermes Cap. vi FOr as muche as of all the philosophers of whome we pourpose to wryte Hermes otherwyse called Mercuriê° Trismegistus is not onely the most excellent but also the most auncient therfore as he is most worthy his lyfe shal be first declared which because it is not wholly set forth nor all agreing in y t whiche is set forth therfore geuyng credit to the most true wryters it shal be set furth as they among them by pyeces haue preserued it Of whome saynt
writeth in the first boke of his histories seyng on a tyme Hipocrates sacrifice and vessels in Olimpo to burne without helpe of fier counselled him either to lyue chaste or yf he were maryed to put away his wyfe sley his children Some saye y t when Esop whiche was in his tyme asked hym what Iupiter dyd he answered he mekeneth the myghty and exalteth the lowelye Beynge demaunded wherin y e learned differed from the ignerant he answered In theyr good hope To hym y t asked what was harde he sayde to kepe close secrete counsayle to kepe a man from ydlenes to suffre wronge He lyued so well that whan he was olde he sayde that he neuer in his lyfe to his knowlege had done any euell saue that on a tyme whan he shoulde haue bene iudge among his frendes wolde do nothyng contrary to the lawe he perswaded one to appele from him to some other iudge that therby he myght bothe kepe the lawe also his frende The Grekes reioysed in him muche because he prophecied of Citherea an ylond of Laconia For when he had well aduised both the nature and situation therof wolde to god ê™ he that eyther thys ylond had neuer ben orels that it had ben drowned as sone as it was sene A worthy prophet lyke sayeng For Demaratus flyeng from Lacedemonye couÌ„sayled Xerxes to kepe a nauy of shippes in that ylond And surely yf he had periwaded him therto he shulde haue got great riches by Gretia And afterwarde Niceas after he had warred at Peloponesê° ouercame y t place And made it a refuge for the men of Athens and afflicted sore the Lacedemoniens He was brefe in communication in so muche that brefe spakyng was of his name called Chilonia He was olde about the .li. Olimpiade In whiche tyme Esopus y e oratour was in his flowers whiche was in the yeare from the worldes creation 4624. he dyed at 〈◊〉 sayth Heimippus whyle he kissed his sonne that was crowned in Olimpia beyng ouercome both 〈◊〉 â—oye also with age The rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of in their places ¶ Of Byas Prienneus Cap. xi BYas Prieneus as sayth Diogenes was borne in Priena Hys fathers name was Teutamiê° Satirê° ã€ˆâ€¦ã€‰ hym the first of the seuen sages And many gesse that he was 〈…〉 Phanodicus wryteth that he redemed many wenches of Messena whiche were captiues brought them vp as his owne daughters and afterwardes geuing them dowries sent theÌ„ home agayne to they re countreye vnto theyr frendes Not long after certayne fishers found a golden trestell on whiche was wryten Sapienti that is to saye this is for a wise man Whiche when the forenamed wenches fathers hearde of they sayde Byas was a wiseman and sent it him but whan he sawe it he sayde Apollo was a wiseman and that he sent it hym We fynde that when his countrey Priena was besiged of Aliattes he fed two mules for the nones insomuche that they were exceding fat and draue them forthe into his enemyes tentes whiche whaÌ„ Aliattes sawe he was amased thynkyng by the fatnes of them that they had great plentye of all thinges And thinkyng to areyse the syege he sent a messenger into the citie to serche the truth And whan Byas perceyued the kynges entent he made many gret heapes of sand to be couered with wheate shewed them to the messenger whiche whan the kynge knewe thinkynge that they had had great plenty of vitayles made peace with them and sent coÌ„maundement to Byas to come vnto him to whiche Byas answered I commaunde the kynge to eate onyâ—ns and to wepe He wrote about .ii. m. verses Being asked what was difficill he sayde to take in good worth aduersitie after prosperitie O natuâ—â—e he sailed among wicked men and whan the ship was sore shaken with greate tempest and those wicked men called vpon god peace ê™ he that he se you not sayling from hence To a wicked man that asked him what was goodnes he gaue no answere And whaÌ„ he asked why he answered him not he sayde because thou enquirest of that whiche pertayneth not to the. He wolde saye y t he had rather be iudge among hys enemies than amonge his frendes for of his enemies he shulde make one his frend but amonge his frendes he shulde make one his foe Beyng asked in what dede a man reioysed most he answered whaÌ„ he gaineth He was a good oratour and when he was very olde as he pleaded a cause for one of his frendes after he had done his oration beyng weary and faynt with speakyng he rested his head in hys neces lappe whiche was his daughters sonne and whan his aduersary began afresh and had fynyshed and the iudges had geuen theyr sentence on hys syde whose part Byas toke assone as the iudgement was ended he was found dead in his nephewes bosom which buried him worthely And the citizens of Priena dedicated a chapell to hym whiche is called Teutonium He wolde saye alwaye the greater part are euell The rest of hys sayenges shal be spoken of in theyr places ¶ Of Periander Cap. xii PEriander as sayeth Heraclides was borne in Corinth his fathers name was Cipcelus he maried a wyfe called Licydes whiche was y e daughter of Procleus a tirant of Epidaur and by her had two soÌ„nes the one called Cypselus and the other Lycophrone of whiche y e yonger was very wyse but thelder was a fole This Periander was well learned And wrote a boke of .ii. M. verses neuertheles he was a Tirant excercised so muche his tyranny that al men did hate him he was about the .xxxviii. Olimpiade in Solons time And he executed his Tiranny xl yeares Some saye there were two Perianders th one a tyrant y e other a Philosopher which might well be neuerthelesse this Tyrant is he whome Laertius reckneth for one of the seuen sages whose opinion I allowe not For lyke as he for his euill doctrine disaloweth Orpheus to be a Philosopher so I for his euyl liuyng disalowe Periander to be any of the leuen sages althoughe he haue written many wise sayinges For as iÌ„ Philosophy nothing is lesse alowed than ignoraunce so in wisedome nothing is more abhorred than Tiranny in which this Periander excelled in so muche that whan he was demaunded why he continued in his tyrany because it is dauÌ„gerous ê™ he for a man to yelde him selfe eyther of his owne accorde or els against his wyll Neuerthelesse he wolde saye as wicked Hanniball sayed of peace that who so wolde rayne in suerty ought to endeuour them to haue theyr subectes obediente with loue and not with force And pet he him selfe sought nothing lesse For one a time he beyng very angry flong his wife being great w t childe downe a payre of staires and trode her vnder his feete and so kylled her And sent away his sonne Lycophorna bycause he mourned for his mother draue him vnto Corcyra And afterward whan he him selfe was
he folowed He ware a double cloke and made him a bagge wherin he wrapped hym whan he slept and put therin hys meat and vsed one place for all purposes bothe to eat to slepe and to talke in Whan he was diseased he wente with a staffe whiche afterward he caryed with him alwayes not onely in the citie but also in all other places He wrote to one to make hym a cell whiche because he taried longe for he toke a barrell or a tunne and made that his house Whan he had any graue matter he wolde call the people to heare him whiche whan they regarded not he wolde sing pleasantly to which whan many resorted he wolde say to heare folyshnes ye runne a pace but to heare any wayghty matter ye scarce put forth your fote He wōdered at Grāmarians whiche could shewe of other folkes lewdnes and neclected theyr owne He reproued Musitians because they toke great care that theyr instrumentes shulde agre theyr owne maners agreed not He rebuked the Mathematikes whiche behelde the sonne y e moone and the starres and neclected the busines that laye before theyr fete He taunted the orators because they studyed to speake that was iust folowed not the same in theyr lyuyng He dispraysed the people whiche whyle they sacrificed and gaue thankes for theyr healthe wolde make great bankets which was agaynst theyr health he wondred that seruauntes coulde stand and se men eat and snatched not awaye theyr meate Beyng mocked because he annoynted his fete with odours and not his head he sayde the sauour goth from the head vp into the ayer but from the fete vp to the nose Being asked what tyme a man shulde dyne he sayde a riche man whan he wyll and a pore man whan he maye when one had geuen him a blowe vpon y e eare he sayde I wyst well I had left somwhat vncouered To yonge laddes y t stode about hym saying we wyll beware folish question he gaue none answer beyng asked why he helde hys peace he sayde Silence is the answer of folish questions Innumerable suche pretie answers taūtes he vsed which who so listeth to here shall fynde in the Apothegmes of Erasmus whiche is no lesse fynely handled in the English than in the latine beside y t it is also more plaine parfect This Diogenes liued 90. yeres died beyng byt of a dogge some wryte other saye that he styfled hym selfe with long holding of his breathe After whose death there was great stryfe amonge his scholers who shulde haue his body to bury neuertheles the stryfe was appeased by the elders and they buryed hym by the gate that leadeth to Isthmus and made hym a fayre tumbe and set a piller with a dogge therupon and set thereto a goodly Epitaphie His good preceptes and prouerbes shall followe in they re places ¶ Of Antisthenes Cap. xxvi ANtisthenes the sonne of Antisthenes was borne at Athens And was disciple to Gorgias the oratour of whome he learned to pleade and from hym he went to Socrates of whome he learned wysdome and morall Philosophie To a yong man that wolde be hys scholer which asked what he neded to hys learnyng he answered a newe boke and a newe wyt Whan it was tolde hym that Plato spake euyll of hym he sayde It is kyngly to be euell spoken of whan a man doth well He wolde say that it were better for a man in hys necessitie to fall amonge rauens than amonge flattereres for rauens wyll eat none but dead folke but flatterers wyll eat men being aliue He wolde saye y t Cities must nedes decaye where good mē were not knowen from the bad Beyng praysed of euell men he sayde I feare me that I haue done some euell He wold saye that it was a great ouersight sithens they purged theyr wheate from darnell and theyr warres of cowardly soldiers that they purged not theyr common weale from enuyous people Beyng asked of a man what was best to learne he sayde to vnlearne the euell that thou hast learned He alwayes toke Plato for proude disdaynous and hygh mynded in somuche that whan he met hym at a tryumphe wheras there were many goodly and coragious neyghyng horses he sayde o Plato thou woldest haue made a goodly horse He wrote many goodly bokes spake many proper and piththy sentences whiche shal be spoken of hereafter He died of a disease whā he was very olde If is sayde that whan he was sicke Diogenes came to visit hym hauyng a blade by his syde whan he sayde who shall rid me frō my disease Diogenes shewing him his sweard sayde this same shal to whiche Antisthenes sayde I spake of my grefe not of my lyfe There were mo of this name but he lyeth buryed at Athens ¶ Of Isocrates Cap. xxvii ISocrates was a Grecian borne cam of a good kinred was in his youth wel brought vp in all kindes of good maners and whan he came to age discretiō he was an hearer of Gorgias the oratour whose disciple he continued vntyll suche time as he was well learned bothe in naturall also in morall Philosophy As some saye he was in y e time of Ahasuerus y e kyng and was of suche fame for his learning namely for morall Philosophy that he semed to many rather a god than a man He liued vertuouslye wyth suche faythfulnes in frendship and continence of his bodye and with suche piththines in his coūsayle as verye fewe hath ben like him since He wrot many goodly bokes in his youthe whiche he folowed in hys age of whiche his good coūsayles to Demonicū testyfye his wit his learning in morall Philosophy besyde other which he wrote of naturall Philosophy He liued long time for as Ualerius Maximus saieth whā he was .xciiii. yeres olde he set forth ā excellent boke ful of y e spirit In all his workes he praysed vertue as hed foūtaine of all maner riches exhorted al mē thervnto To one that axed him yf he wolde be a king he answered that he woulde not And beyng asked wherfore he sayde If I iudge rightfully I can not eschue y e hatred of many mē agayne yf I iudge wrongfully I cā not eschue y e payne of eternall dānaciō wherfore I had rather liue porely assured of y e blisse of heauen thā in doubt therof possessing all worldly riches Being asked how a man might kept him selfe from anger he answered In remembring y t god loketh alwayes vpon him In hys tyme men delyted muche in blacke heare wherfore one of hys neyghbours died his head blacke whan one asked him why his neybour did so he featly tauntyng his neyghbours folyshnes answered because no man shulde axe counsayle nor learne any wysedome of hym What woulde he say nowe trowe we yf he sawe these wyues y t not onely coloure their heare but also paynt theyr faces He vsed oftentymes ī his prayers to desyre god to kepe saue him from the
as fyre is an instrument without whiche fewe workes can be fynyshed so with out Charitie nothyng maye be done well and honestly Lyke as cleare glasse can hyde nothing so there be many that can kepe secret nor dissemble nothyng As some poysons are so contrarye by Nature that the one cureth the other so is it lykewyse of deceytes and vices After wynter the sprynge tyme followeth but after age youthe neuer coÌ„meth agayne As it is a great foolyshnes to leaue the cleare fountaynes and to fetche water in puddles so is it lykewyse to leaue the Euangelyes and to studye the dreames of mennes ymagination Lyke as an Adamant draweth by lytle and lytle the heauy yron vntyll at the last it be ioyned with it so vertue and wyse-ioyne men vnto them As he whiche in a game place runneth swyftest and continueth styll his pace obtayneth the crowne for his labour so all that diligently learne and earnestlye followe wisedome vertue shal be crowned with euerlastyng glorye ¶ Faultes escaped ¶ In the .xv. syde of the Signature A. the .iii. line reade In the fowerth boke ¶ In the .vii. syde of the Signature B. the v lyne reade Excused hym properly ¶ In the fyrste syde of Q. the last lyne reade That thyng in a realme c Finis A table declaryng the contentes of the whole booke ¶ The fyrste booke THe fyrste beginnyng of Philosophye Cap. i. The partes of naturall Philosophye Cap. ii Of the begynnyng of morall Philosophie Cap. iii. The kyndes of teachyng Morall Philosophye Cap. iiii The order of the boke Cap. v The lyfe of Hermes otherwyse called Mercurius Trismegistus Cap. vi Of Pythagoras Cap. vii Of Thales Milesius Cap. viii Of Solon and whiche were the .vii. that are called sages Cap. ix Of Chylon Cap. x The lyfe of Byas Cap. xi Of Periander Cap. xii Of Anachacis Cap. xiii The lyfe of Myson Cap. xiiii Of Epimenides Cap. xv Of Anaxagoras Cap. xvi The lyfe of Phericides Cap. xvii The lyfe answers and Deathe of Socrates Cap. xviii Of Xenophon Cap. xix Of Aristippus Cap. xx The lyfe of Plato Cap. xxi Of Xenocrates Cap. xxii Of Archelaus Cap. xxiii The lyfe of Aristotle Cap. xxiiii Of Diogenes Cap. xxv Of Antâ—sthenes Cap. xxvi Of Isocrates Cap. xxvii Of Plutarche â—ap xxviii The lyfe and death of Seneca Cap. xxix Finis The seconde booke THe profyt and vse of moral philosophye Cap. i Of God of his workes and of his power Cap. ii Of the soule and gouernaunce therof Cap. iii. Of the worlde the lustes and pleasures therof Cap. iiii Of Deathe not to be feared Cap. v. Of frendshyp and frendes Cap. vi Of counsayle and counsaylours Cap. vii Of rychesse and pouertie Cap. viii Of Silence speache and communication howe to be vsed Cap. ix Of Kynges rulers and gouernours how they shulde rule bothe them selues and theyr subiectes Cap. x In the .xi. Chapter are conteyned the preceptes and counsayles of good maners for all pourposes written of the Philosophers Finis ¶ The contentes of the thyrde booke THe vse profit of prouerbes and adages Cap. i. Of Wysedome learnynge and vnderstanding Cap. ii Of Iustice lawes Cities gouernaunce Cap. iii Of power honour vertue and strengthe howe to be vsed Cap. iiii Of Liberalitie pacience vse custome diligence Cap. v. Of knowledge ignoraunce and erroure and of folyshnes Cap. vi Of moneye and couetousnes Cap. vii Of the tounge of fayre speche of flatterye Cap. viii Of truthe of Faythe of erroure and of lyinge Cap. ix Of bryngyng vp and maners of disposicions and good instruction Cap. x. Of Loue lust and lechery Cap. xi Of Sorrowe gladnes feare and boldenesse Cap. xii Of anger wrathe enuye malice and reuengeaunce Cap. xiii Of libertie and bondage Cap. xiiii Of women wyne and dronkenes Cap. xv The reste of the Chapiters of this booke contayne many goodly sentences of dyuers good and profitable matters ¶ Proper Meaters Finis In the last booke are conteyned Parables verye proper to be vseâ— â–ª written by these folowyng Hermes Plato Plutarche Socrates Aristotle Seneca Finis ¶ Imprinted ⧠at London in Flete strete at the signe of the Sunne ouer agaynste the Conduyte by Edwarde Whitchurche the .xx. daye of Ianuarie in the yeare of oure Lorde 1547. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum per Septennium â§
Augustine the worshypfull docter sayeth Atlas the Astrologian the brother of Promotheus the Phisition floryshed and was hyghly accepted the same tyme in whiche Moses was borne whiche Atlas was graundfather by the mother syde to Mercurius the elder whose Nephewe was this Mercurius Trismegistus which in the Egiptian touÌ„ge is called Hermes Howbeit some whiche wryte of hym holde opinioÌ„ that he was Enoch whiche as they saye signifieth the same in Hebrue that Hermes dothe in the Egiptian tong And so make hym in the seuenth degre from Adam reconyng after this sorte Adam begat Sethe the father of Enos the father of Caynan the father of Malalael the father of Matusale the father of Iareth whiche is the father of Enoche Which opinion although it be not to be vtterly reiected yet is not sufficient without profe to be beleued For Enoche whome they take for Hermes was before Noes flud in whiche al the workes whiche were wrytten yf they had at that tyme any vse of letters were drowned but y e workes of this Hermes of whome we entreate are yet appearing in dyuers languages wherfore it shuld seme that this was not he except we shulde say that he graued it in the stone pyllers in which in tyme of the flud Astronomye was preserued whiche myght well be and but that saynt Augustine Pamphilus in his chronicle and saynct Ierom thervpon appoynt y e contrary I coulde wel beleue For Iamblicus diuers other wryte much of Mercurius Pyllers And Mercurius was of suche same among y e Egiptians that they put forth all theyr workes vnder hys name And the Poetes for his singuler learnyng make hym a god call hym the messenger of Iupiter whome they call y e god of heauen gouerner of all And it maye be that the pyllers whiche the sonnes of Seth of whose image he was made were grauen by hym whiche as many wryte are full of learniÌ„g out of which as testifyeth Iamblicus both Pythagoras and Plato w t diuers other more learned Philosophy But those pillers I take rather to be hys .ii. goodlye bookes whych maye very well be called Pyllers for why they beare both diuinitie yf with Lactancius I maye so call it and also Philosophy whiche were peraduenture also grauen in Sethes chyldrens pyllers therout draweÌ„ by some that hath ben since Of whiche .ii. bokes the firste called Pymander is so full of diuinitie as may astonysh the wyttes of suche as therin shal reade which causeth S. Augustine to doute whether he spake suche thinges as he dyd by knowledge of Astronomy or els by reuelatioÌ„ of spirites Howe be it Lactantiê° douteth not to count him amonge the Cibiles and Prophetes The other boke called Asclepius being but smal conteyneth in it the hole suÌ„me of naturall Philosophye oute of whiche I thinke no lesse but that the Philosophers haue learned oute theyr Science Tully Lactanciê° not shewing in what time saye that there were fyue Mercuries that this is the fift whome the Egipcians call Theuth and the greciens Trismegistus that this is he whiche slewe Argus was ruler of the Egipcians and gaue them lawes and instructed theÌ„ in learning deuysed markes shapes of letters after the forme of beastes trees He was called Trismegistus because he was the chefest Philosopher the chefest prest the chefest kynge He prophesied of the regeneration and beleued the resurrectioÌ„ of y e body and the immortalitie of the soule and gaue his subiectes warnynge to eschue sinne thretnyng them with the iugement of god wherin they shuld geue accoÌ„ptes of theyr wycked deades He taught them also to worship god with diuers kindes of ceremonies and taught them in all matters to make theyr prayers vnto god and instructed the Ylandes in the knowledge of god And whan he had lyued into a perfecte olde age he gaue place to nature Hys preceptes prouerbes and parables shal be spoken of in theyr places ¶ Of Pythagoras Cap. vii PYthagoras the Philosopher borne in Samia was a ryche marchaunt mannes soÌ„ne called Demarratê° howbeit he was richer than his father whiche was not able with hys marchandise to get so muche as he despised which was both riche in abstinence from couetise and also in Wysedome whiche is the very riches of which in his youth he was so desirous that he went fyrst to Egypt and after to Babylon to learne Astronomye and the beginnyng of the worldes creation whiche when he had learned he returned iÌ„to Crete Lacedemonia to se Lycurgus and Mynoes lawes In whiche when he was perfecte he went vnto Ceuona where was a people excedingly geuen to luxurie and all kynde of vice among whome he so behaued hym selfe that he refourmed them from theyr euyll maners in small tyme brought them to suche sobrenes that men wolde neuer haue thought it had ben possible For the wyues that were forsaken of theyr husbandes and chyldren cast of by theyr parentes he so instructed that they were receyued agayne He caused the women also to set asyde theyr gorgious attyres reaching them that chastitie was the chefe ornament of honest women This Pythagoras as sayeth Boetius was the inuenter of Musycke among the Grecians whiche he founde out by the soundes of hammers wherof he wrot a boke which Boetius and Apuleyus translated into Latyn Saynt Augustyne in his .viii. booke de ciuitate dei sayth y t Philosophy was so named by hym whiche before was called Sophia For whan it was asked hym what sciencer he was he answered a Philosopher whiche is a desirer of wisedome thinking it a great arrogancie to haue called him selfe wise Tullius sayeth that Pythagoras spake so wysely and so ornatly before Leontius a king that he wondryng at his wyt and Eloquence desyred hym to shewe what science he knewe best to whoÌ„ he answered that he knewe no science but was a Philosopher At whiche for the newnes of the name the kyng astonyshed asked hym what was a Philosopher what difference was betwene Philosophers and other men To whome Pythagoras sayde Mans lyfe semeth to me to be like a coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of people gathered to see a game to whyche men resort for sondrye pourposes some by theyr owne actiuitie to wyn the worshyp of the game other some for lucre sake to by or sell somwhat and othersome myndyng neyther to gainne nor to profit come onely to behold and se what is done And in lyke maner men whiche are come vnto thys lyfe as out of an other lyfe nature occupye them selues with diligence to get prayse or profit or regardyng neyther apply theyr mindes to serche and to knowe the nature of thinges which sorte last named we call Philosophers that is to saye louers of wysedome Thus by thys goodly parable he vttred his mynde in the continuance wherof also he prayseth and proueth his scieÌ„ce to be best sayiÌ„g Lyke as he which coÌ„meth to se the game onely is more liberalle ye and more to be praysed
the oration is good and excellent but surely it is nothing mete for me for why it was more iudiciall than shulde seme mete for a Philosopher and whan Lisias demauÌ„ded of hym sith it was good why it was not mete for hym he sayde Garmentes shoes maye be bothe good and fayre yet vnfit for me but while he was iudged it is sayde that Plato stode vp in his defence could not be suffered And so he was condemned by .lxxx. iudges and cast into prison For whom the prince of Athens was very sory but the centence whiche the iudges had geuen vpon him whiche was y t he shulde drynke poyson coulde not be reuoked The kyng had a ship frayght with sacrafices whiche he offered to his ydols whiche than was abrode and he wolde neuer geue any sentence vpon any mannes death before it came to Athens Wherefore one of Socrates frendes called Inclites counsayled him to geue a certayne summe of moneye to the kepers to let him scape away secretly and so to go to Rome but Socrates sayde he had not so muche ThaÌ„ sayde Inclytes I and thy frendes haue so muche whiche we wylle gladly geue to saue thy lyfe yf thou wilt To whyche Socrates answered I thanke you and my frendes but syth thys citie wherein I muste suffre my death is the natural place of my byrthe I had rather dye here than els where for yf I dye here in my countrye without deseruyng onely because I reproue theyr wickednes and theyr worshipping of vayne ydols and wolde haue them worship the true god yf these men of myne owne nation persecute me for saying and maintaining truthe euen so wyll stranngers wheresoeuer I become for I wil neuer spare to say the truthe and surely strauÌ„gers wolde haue lesse mercye on me than myne owne countreye folkes Beying thus mynded he contynued styll in prison teaching his scholers which resorted to him many thiÌ„ges both of the composition of elementes and also of the soule but wolde wryte nothing for he sayde that wysedome ought to be wrytten in mennes hartes and not in beastes skynnes neuertheles his disciple Plato wrote welny all y t he taught A litle before he shulde be put to death he desired that he might bath hym selfe and saye hys orations whiche he dyd and called his wyfe and chyldren and gaue them good instruction And whan he went towarde the place where he shulde fynish his lyfe his wyfe went after hym cryinge Alas my husbande dyeth gyltles to whome he sayde why woman woldest thou haue me dye otherwyse and sent her awaye So when the cup of poyson was delyuered hym to drynke hys frendes begaÌ„ne to wepe wherefore he blamed them sayinge I sent away the wemen because they shuld not do as you do Than Pollidotus profered hym a precious garment to dye in to whom he sayde hath not myne owne cote serued me to lyue in why than maye it not as well serue me to dye in And than after he had commended his soule to god he dranke the confection as he was in trauayle of death one of disciples sayd O Socrates well of wisdome yet teache vs sumwhat whyle thy speche lasteth to whome he answered I can teache you none otherwise now dying thaÌ„ I taught you in my life time Thus finished he his most godly life being lxx yeres olde His goodly sayinges shal be spoken of in theyr places ¶ Of Xenophon Cap. xix XEnophon the sonne of Grillus was borne an Athens he was shamefaste exceding bewtifull It is sayde that Socrates met hym in a narrowe laue and wold not let him passe tyll he had answered him to dyuers questions and whan he axed hym where men were made good and bad at whiche he stayed and could not tell Socrates sayed cum with me and learne And so he did untill suche tyme as he went to Cyrus whose fauour he obteyned became in great reputation with him and wrote all his actes he had a womaÌ„ also called Philesia which folowed him of whome he had two children He had much trouble in his lyfe and was banished fled from place to place till he came to Corinth where he had an house And whan y e Atheniences entended to succoure the Lacedemonians he sent his two sonnes called Diodorus Grillus to Athens to fyght for the Lacedemonians from whiche battayle Diodorus returned without doing any great feate but Gryllus fyghtyng manfully amonge the horsemen dyed about Mantinia And when Xenophon whiche was doyng sacrifice with his crowne on hys head hearde that his sonne was ded he put of his crowne and when he afterwardes hearde that he dyed fyghtyng valiantly he put it on agayne not so sory for his death as ioyous for his valiantyse He dyed at the citie Corinthum as saieth Demetrius being very olde a man both good and valyant expert in tydyng and huntyng and greatly skilled in marciall affayres as appeareth by his workes He was also religious muche intentyue about sacrifice was a folower of Socrates He wrote .xl. bokes intytled euery one by a sondrye name Tucidides workes which by negligence were lost he brought to light And was him selfe so pleasauÌ„t in his style that he was called the muse of Athens There were more of this name of whom this is the chiefe whose good sayinges preceptes hereafter shal be touched ¶ Of Aristippus Cap. xx ARtistippê° as sayeth Elchines came to Athens to heare Socrates whose excelent wysdome was spoken of euery where But whan Socrates was dead he flattered Dionisius and became a courtier He was a merye wytted fellowe coulde forme him selfe mete to all times and places in so muche that Diogenes called hym the kynges hounde whan he on a tyme had espyed Dyogenes gatherynge herbes and makyng potage he sayd yf thou Diogenes couldest flatter Dionise thou shuldest not nede to make wortes To whome Dyogenes sayde yf thou also couldest be content to eate and gather wortes thou shuldest not nede to flatter Dionise WheÌ„ one made his boast that he had learned much he sayd that learnyng consisted not in the greatnes but in the goodnes To one that made greate bragges of his swymmyng he sayde Art not y u ashamed to boast of this whiche euery Dolphin can do Beyng reproued because he hyred a rethoricien to pleade hys cause he sayde whan I make a banket I hyre a coke to When his seruauÌ„t whiche iourneyed with hym was tyred w t the wayght of the moneye whiche he caryed he sayde that whiche is to heauy cast out and that whiche thou canst carye Byon sayth that as he sayled perceyuynge that he was in a Pyrats shyppe he toke his moneye and counted it than as against his wyll let it fall out of his hande into the sea mourned for it outwardelye but sayde inwardly to hym selfe it is better that thys be lost of me that I be lost for this Dionisiê° commaunded that all his seruauntes shulde daunce in purple robes
he had taken in battayle Antipater desyred hym to dyne with hym whiche he denying sayde I come not to dyne banket nor to take pleasure with the but to redeme my felowes froÌ„ the sorowes whiche they suffre w t the when Antipater heard the wisedome and sawe the constant mynd of the man gently entertaynynge him deliuered his prisoners WhaÌ„ Dionisius in his presence sayde to Plato some bodye shall take from the thy head he sayde y t shall they not except they take awaye myne fyrste He lyued holylye and wrote excedyng many goodly workes dyed beyng .lxxxii. yeres olde His goodlye counselles shal be spoken of in theyr places ¶ Of Archelaus Cap. xxiii ARchelaus y e sonne of Seuthê° as sayeth Appollodorê° was a good Philosopher and verye studyous in Platos workes He was first an hearer of Antilochus a Mathematycke and afterward of Theophrastus He was a verye wyttye felowe and of a prompt spirit and graue in communication muche excercised in wrytynge gaue hys mynde to poetrye He delyted so muche in Homer that euery nyght before he slept he wolde rede somwhat He learned geometry of Hipponicus was thereto so dull yet so well learned in y e crafte that he wolde saye that geometry fell into his mouth as he gaped Hearyng men singynge meaters that he had made ylfauouredly he kicked them on the sydes sayinge ye breake myne and I wyll breake poures Being called to a sicke maÌ„ perceyuyng that he was sicke for thought lacke of ryches he conueyed vnder hys pyllowe a sacke full of money whiche he fyndyng was so ioyouse that he recouered strayt wayes Whan he was byd to solute a ryddle at a banket he sayde that y e chefest poynt of wysedome was to knowe to what pourpose the time was meatest To him that asked him why many scholers of euerye secte became Epicures but none of the Epicures became of other sectes he sayde because y t cockes were made of men but neuer men of cockes or as some saye capons be made of cockes but neuer cockes of capons Beynge reproued because he chalenged not a yong man whome he had ryght to he excused hym pretely saying It is not possible to drawe softe chese with an hoke Beynge asked what maÌ„ was most in trowble thought and care he sayde He that desyreth most to be at quyet and rest beyng asked whether it were better to marye a fayre woman or a fowle he answered yf thou mary a foule one thou shalte haue gryefe with her but yf thou take a fayre one she shall make the cuckolde He called olde age the hauen of all tribulations He sayed it was a great euell not be able to suffre euyll To an enuyoê° maÌ„ which was verye sorowfull he sayde I knowe not wel whether euel haue chaunced to the or good to an other signifying therby that enuyous meÌ„ are as sorowful for others prosperitie as for theyr owne aduersitie As he sayled among theues by chauÌ„ce they met with shippes of true folke which the theues espyinge sayde we maye chauÌ„ce to dye yf we be knowen and so may I ê™ he yf we be not knowen These suche lyke answers he gaue dyed at Athens when he was 80. yere olde beyng ouercome w t to muche wyne And was reputed more among the Atheniences than any other of the Philosophers His piththy prouerbes shal be spoken of here after ¶ Of Aristotle Cap. xxiiii ARistotle the sonne of Nychomache a stagerite was welbeloued of Amintha King of Macedonie bothe for his learning also for his wysedome He was Platos disciple and passed far all the rest of his felowes he had a small voice small legges small ryes he wolde go rychely appareled with rynges and chaynes mynionly rounded and shauen He had a sonne called Nichomache by an whore He was so well learned y t Phylip Kynge of Macedonie sent for hym to teache his sonne AlexaÌ„dre who because he reproued hym to muche caused hym to dye But Appollodorus sayeth that he came to Athens agayne and kept the scholes there dyed whan he was lxiii yere olde He was an excellent good Phisition and wrote therof many goodly workes He vsed to washe hym selfe in a basen of hote oyle and vsed to cary a bladder full of whote oyle at his stomacke He vsed also whan he slept to hold a ball of brasse in his hande with a pan vnder his bed syde that whan it fell it myght walte hym Beynge asked what vauntage a man might get by lying he answered to be vnbeleued whan he telleth truth Many tymes whan he enueyed agaynst y e Atheniences he wolde saye y t they had founde out bothe frutes and lawes but knew howe to vse neyther of them He wolde saye that y e rotes of lyberall sciences were bytter but the frutes verye swete It was tolde hym that one rayled on hym to whiche he answered whan I am awaye let hym beat me to Beyng asked howe muche the learned differed from the ignorant he answered As muche the quicke dyffer from the dead He wolde saye y t learning in prosperitie was a garnishing in aduersitie a refuge To one that boasted that he was a Citizen of a noble citie he sayde bost not of that but se that thou be worthy to be of suche a noble citie Beyng asked what was frendship he sayd one soule dwelling in many bodies Beyng asked what he had got by Philosophy he sayd I can do that vnbydden whiche some can scarce do compelled by the lawe Beyng rayled on to hys face not regardyng and the rayler askyng hym whyther he had touched hym or no he sayde Good lorde I mynded y e not yet Being reproued because he gaue wages to one that was scarce honest he sayde I geue it to the maÌ„ and not to hys maners Thus and suche lyke he spake and wrote many goodly bokes of which we haue thought not the one halfe yet so muche as in our age is thought sufficient for one man to haue knowen and written out of whiche his most pith thy prouerbes for our pourpose shal be be added in place most conuenient ¶ Of diogenes Cap. xxv DIogenes as sayeth Diocles was borne in a towne called Cinope his father beyng called Icecius Mensar who beyng imprisoned for counterfetyng theyr coyne Dyogenes whiche was of counsell with hym fled and came to Athens where he met with Antithenes whome vnwyllyng to receyue him for why he neuer wold teache any he ouercame with hys perseueraunce And when his master on a tyme toke vp a staffe to beate hym he put vnder his heade saying stryke for thy staffe is not able to dryue me away so long as thou canst teache me ought He lyued simply as one that was out of hys countrye and comforted hym selfe muche with beholdyng the lytle mouse whiche neyther desyred chaumbre nor feared the darke nor was desyrous more of one meate than of an other whose nature as nygh as he coulde
daunger of his frendes rather than froÌ„ his enemies and beyng demaunded of one that hearde him why he prayed so he sayde as for myne enemy I can beware of for why I trust him not so can I not of my frende because I trust him Beyng asked what a maÌ„ ought not to do although it were iust and true he answered to prayse hym selfe He liued .cii. yeares and dyed for very age was buryed honorablye The rest of his sayinges shal be spoken of hereafter ¶ Of Plutarche Cap. xxviii PLutarche y e Philosopher was a man of a wondrefull wyt well brought vp in hys youthe well instructed in maners well furnyshed in al kyndes of learnyng which growing vp as wel iÌ„ vertue learniÌ„g as in body yeares was chosen that worthely to be the instructer of y e Emperour Traiane whome he so well instructed that his glorye therby was greatly augmented as it is sayde in Policrato the fifth boke He was faythfull in his sayinges and eloquent in hys wordes and very diligent ware in his maners of a chaste lyfe and good conuersation He gaue hys mynde muche to instruct teache other and wrote manye bokes of whiche one intytled the education of youthe whyche we haue in the English tonge drawne therinto by the excellent famous knyght Sir Thomas Eliote whose good zeale loue bothe to further good learning to profyt his countrey appeareth as well therby as by other many workes which he hath payned him selfe to bryng iÌ„to our laÌ„guage sheweth wel his good affectioÌ„ y t he had to y e coÌ„moÌ„ weale He wrote an other boke called y e institution of Traiane In whiche he setteth out the office of a Prince what he ought to be so excellently as no maÌ„ can ameÌ„de it He wrote al so an other boke entitled Archigrammatum wherin he teacheth rulers officers howe to gouerne them selues w t diuers other thinges among whiche the letter that he wrote to Traiane what tyme he was created Emperour is worthye to be remembred in the ende wherof he sayth thus Thou shalte rule al thinges euen as thou woldest yf thou go not from thy selfe and yf thou dispose all thy workes to vertue all thinges shal prosper w t the And as touching y e gouernauÌ„ce of thy coÌ„mon weale I haue taught the therin already whiche yf y u shalte folowe me thy master Plutarche as an example of good lyuyng but yf y u do otherwyse thaÌ„ shal this my lettre be my wytnes y t I gaue the neyther couÌ„cel neyther any example thervnto WhaÌ„ he was aged he dyed was buried honorably his goodly prouerbes adages parables semblables shal folowe iÌ„ theyr places ¶ Of Seneca Cap. xxix SEneca the Philosopher an excellent well learned maÌ„ was borne in Corduba and therof called Cordubences He was disciple to Stratus the stoycke and was Lucane the Poetes countreyman He floryshed at Rome in the tyme of the Emperour Tyrant Nero whom he taught in his youth iÌ„ learnyng and maners whiche afterwardes was cause of hys deathe In the tyme of this Seneca Peter and Paule came to Rome and preched there And whan many of Nero y e Emperours house gathered togyther to heare Paule Seneca amonge the test was so familier w t him delighted so muche to heare the diuine science and wysdome whiche he sawe in him y t it greued him to be seperate at any tyme froÌ„ his coÌ„munication insomuche than whan he might not talke with him mouth to mouth he vsed communicatioÌ„ by letters oft sent betwene them He read also the wrytynges and doctrines of Paule before the Emperour Nero and got him the loue and fauour of euery bodye Insomuch that y e Senate wondered muche at Paule This Seneca was a man of a verye chaste lyfe so good that sainct Iherom numbreth hym in hys bederowe of Sayntes prouoked therto by his Epistles whiche are entytled Seneca to Paule Paule to Seneca After he lyued in to a meane age he was slayne of Nero the tyraunt two yeares before Peter Paule suffered theyr gloryoê° martyrdome For Nero on a daye beholdyng hym callyng to mynde howe he whan he was his master dyd beat him he conceyued hatred agaynst hym and beyng desyroê° to reuenge hym selfe and to put hym to deathe gaue hym lycence to chose what kynde of deathe he woulde wherfore Seneca seynge that his tyranny coulde not be appeysed and supposyng that to dye in a bayne was y e easyest kynde of deathe desyred to be let bloode in the vaynes of his armes and so dyed which death as some thynke was forshewed in his name Seneca that is to saye se necans whiche signifyeth in Englishe a kyller of him selfe He wrote in his lyfe time many goodly bokes out of whiche shal be pyked some of y e most piththy sentences bothe of preceptes and counsayles and also of Prouerbes Adages Parables and Semblables whyche in theyr places hereafter shall folowe And because the lyues of these before written are sufficient for our pourpose and because we be desyrous to be as shorte as we myght be here wyll we finish the firste boke desyrynge all men that the same shall rede to folowe the good vertues that therin are contayned The ende of the first Boke In this first boke of Phylosophers lyues Wherin theyr answers are partly contayned A man may learne as chauÌ„ce therto him dryues To shape an answer Or yf he be constrayned To wrath or anger or other passions lyke Here shal he see howe lyke lustes wer refrayned Of Hethen men who thought it shame to strike WheÌ„ good occasioÌ„ oftymes theÌ„ therto payned ¶ The seconde boke intytled of preceptes and counsayles ¶ Of the profite of morall Philosophy Cap. i. IT is not vnknowen to any which haue any knowlege at al how profitable necessary nedefull it is for meÌ„ to haue y e knowlege of morall Philosophy In whiche whoso is ignorant is worse than a brute beast and therfore it mought here haue wel ben omytted Yet neuerthelesse to satisfye y t desires of some and to stop the mouthes of other some whiche peraduenture wolde be glad accordyng to the prouerbe to seke a knot in a rishe and agayne to helpe and encourage other whom eyther ignoraunce or neglygence holdeth backe it semeth necessary though not all yet at y e least to shewe some of y e innumerable commodities that there vnto be ioyned Wherin omittyng the discommodities whiche for lacke therof daylye augment growe as malice hatred enuy pryde lacke of loue deceytes robberies theftes murthers bluddy battayles seditions decaye of cities decaye of common weales spoyling of realines and vtter desolation of people and kyngdomes what can be a greater commoditie than for euery man peaceably to possesse his owne whiche peaceable agrement sith it can none other wayes be got nor when it is got be preserued but by loue whych only springeth of agremente in maners and morall vertues what
thyng ought men more to embrace Agayne yf we consyder the diuinitie of our soules whiche god hath created to hys owne lykenes and y e rewardes therto due for the maners whiche it hath vsed in this lyfe what wordly thing shall be able to be compared therwith Agayne yf we consyder howe nedefull it is as the onely helpe that god hath geuen vs to supply that whiche nature hath left vnperfect than shall we knowe what a Iuell it is For where as Nature bringeth forth all other creatures able to helpe them selues clothing them and geuing them fode without takyng any payne or labour therfore onely maÌ„ is borne naked destitute of power to helpe hym selfe ye as sayth Plinie not one borne to his owne vse neyther is any man able to lyue hym selfe alone For yf he had al the wul in the worlde yet yf it were not carded spunne dressed brought into clothe it woulde not defend him from the colde Agayne yf he had al the grayne that spryngeth on the yearth yet yf it wer vngrounde and vnbaked it wolde be vnmete meare whiche sith they be diuers mennes offices one man alone can not doe And sith therfore it is so that no man can lyue alone but must of necessitie bothe helpe and be holpen of other what can be better than good maners that make euery man glad wyllyng to do one for an other that ioyneth vs togyther in loue and frendshyp and helpeth vs in all kynde of necessities Surelye nothyng Wherfore who so willeth to be riche lette him learne maners whiche teache how to get to retayne frendes which are the verye riches Whoso desireth honor let hym study vertuous maners whiche is the only thyng in man worthy to be honored Fynally what soeuer any man woulde attayne let hym learne mortall wisedome without whiche no thing that is good maye be obteyned Whiche that it myght the more esylyer be learned accordyng to our promise in the fyrst booke we purpose in thys folowyng to set forth y e preceptes and counsayles of those Phylosophers whose lyues we shewed in our former booke Iustantly desyryng all men not onely to reade but also to folowe the same And althoughe saynt Paule haue byd you beware that no man deceyue you with Philosophye he ment not morall as many learned clarkes wrytyng vpon the same playnly do testyfye Which councell all meÌ„ to folowe it namely so muche as agreeth with y e commaundementes of god Repugnant to the which ye shall fynde litle in thys boke and because ye maye the better vnderstand what the Philosophers haue thought of god here shal be set to gyther suche sentences as they haue spoken of hym and of his power after of the soule so forth accordyng to our promyse in y e fyrst boke from the readyng wherof sâ—th the commodities are innumerable I wyll kepe you no lenger ¶ Of God of his power and of his workes Cap. ii Hermes THat is God whiche lacketh begynnyng and ending whiche God being made of none hathe by his owne power created all thynges God knoweth seeth bothe the deades and also the thoughtes of al menne from whose knowledge nothyng may be hyd Socrat. God estemeth greatly vertuous people though in this worlde they be lytle set by God the authour of goodnes hath created all good thynges Plato God is carefull for all as well smal as great The moste gloryous and mighty beginner is god whiche in the begynnyng created the worlde God is the principal and chefe good aboue all Nature whome all creatures honour and looke for Aristot. It shulde seeme that god careth not for wycked people No man may escape the iust iudgement of god Hermeâ— God wyl rewarde euery man according to hys woorkes Socrat. No man can be iust without the feare of god The remembraunce of god kepeth men from euell â—ermes If thou wylt know god enforce thy selfe not to knowe wycked people Reioyce and thanke god as well in aduersitie as in prosperitie Pytha â–ª It is a ryght honorable and blessed thing to serue god sanctifye his sayntes The worshippe of god consisteth not in wordes but in deades Worship god with a cleane heart praye vnto hym and he wyll aduaunce you Hermes Whan ye wyl faste purge youre soules from fylth and abstayne from synne For God is better pleased therwith than with abstayning from meates He that is not contented with the small gyftes that god geueth hym is vnworthy to haue any better Though god exalt the in thys worlde be not proude nor dispyse any man therfore nor thynke not thy selfe better than an other but remembre howe that god by creation hath made all men lyke Plato God hath not in thys worlde a more conuenable mete place than in a cleane and pure soule It is better to be a pore man beleuyng in god than to be riche putting doubtes in hym God loueth them that be disobedient to theyr bodely lustes Hermeâ— â–ª Prayer is the chefest thyng that man may present god with all Socraâ—â—â— Yf thou woldest obtayne any thyng of god frame thy workes accordyng to hys wyll Sweare not by god for any lucre although thy cause be lust Xenophâ—â— Praye to god at the begynnyng of thy workes that thou mayst bryng them to a good conclusion Be not to carefull for worldly ryches for GOD hath prouyded for eche man sufficient Pythâ—â— â–ª Enforce thyselfe to knowe god to feare hym Desyre nothyng of god saue what is profitable for be wyll graunt nothyng vniustly asked God hateth the prayers and sacrifices of wycked people Socraâ—â— â–ª A good man is the similitude of God It is the dutye of a wyseman to be carefull in suche thinges as pertayne vnto god Put youre trust in god and he will aduaunce you For as muche as all men although they be great sinners receyue dayly great benefittes of god Therefore are we all bounde to thanke hym for his grace and to aske hym forgeuenes for our sinnes and trespasses â—ocrat The feare of God is the begynnynge of wysedome By the feare of god we attayne healpe of the holye goste whiche shall open to vs the gates of saluation wherinto our soules shall entre with them that haue deserued euerlastyng lyfe â—â—rmes He that feareth god as he oughte shall neuer fall into the paththes that leade meÌ„ vnto yuell â—â—thag The tyme and rychesse are best bestowed that are employed aboute the seruyâ—e of god It is wysedome to loue god for he that loueth god doeth that whiche god loueth which who so doeth shall be sure to be beloued of god â—ristot Science is had by diligence but discrecion and wysedome commeth from god Commyt all thy causes to god withoute any exception Plato He is wyse that disposeth hys tongue to speake of god and he that knoweth hym not is maste foole of all â—ocrat Speke euer of god and he wyll alwayes put good wordes in thy mouthe He that loueth god best dreadeth hym moste
that woulde haue enuye to se hym prosper Desyre to be cleanlye and not gorgyous in thyne apparell Yf thou do good to the euyl it shall happen to the as it doth to theÌ„ that fede other mennes dogges whiche barcke as well at theyr feeder as at an other straunger â—â—thag Do not suche thynges thy selfe as thou wouldest disprayse in an other Enforce thy selfe to refrayne thy euyll lustes and followe the good for the good mortifyeth and destroyeth the euyll â—ocra Speake euer of god and god wyll alwayes put good wordes in thy mouthe Set thyne owne woorkes alwayes before thyne eyes but cast other mennes behynde thy backe Fyxe not thy mynde vpon worldly plesure nor truste to the worlde for it deceyueth all that put theyr trust therin Be content with lytle and couet not an other mannes gooddes Be saber in thy lyuyng and replenysh thyne harte with wysedome Dreade God and kepe thy selfe from vayne glorye Mocke not an other man for his miserye but take hede by hym howe to auoyde the lyke misfortune Let no man perswade the by flattery to do any euyll nor to beleue otherwyse of thy selfe than thou arte in dede â—rmes Receyue paciently the woordes of correction though they seme greuous Feare the vengeaunce of God al that thou mayest and consyder the greatnes of his puyssaunce and myght By ware of spyes and talebearers Socrat. Tell nothyng to hym that wyl not beleue the nor demaunde any thyng whiche thou knowest before wyl not be graunted Feare God aboue all thynges for that is ryghtfull and profytable and so ordre thy selfe that thy thoughtes and wordes be alwayes of hym for the speakyng and thynkyng of god surmounteth so much al other wordes and thoughtes as god hym selfe surmounteth al other creatures and therfore men ought to obeye hym thoughe they should be coÌ„strayned to the contrary Make thy prayers perfect in the syght of god for prayer is lyke a shyp in the sea whiche yf it be good saueth all therin but yf it be naught suffereth them to perysh Plutarâ— Praye not to god to geue the sufficient for that he wyll geue to eche man vnaâ—ed but praye that thou mayest be content and satisfyed with that whiche he geueth the. Beleue hym not which telleth the a lye by an other bodye for he wyl in lyke maner make a lye of the to an other man Yf thou desyre to be beloued of euerye bodye salute eche man gladly be lyberall in gyuyng and thankfull in receyuyng Forget thyne anger lyghtlye and desyre not to be reuenged Yf thou desyre to coâ—tinue long with an other man payne the to instructe hym wel in good maners ¶ The conclusion THese are part of the preceptes and counsayles of the heathen men which taken and vsed as they shulde be are not vnmete for Christen men to followe Of whiche I coulde haue made a greater boke but for so muche as these fewe contayne the effect of all because also y t men wyl be sone weary of tediouse matters be they neuer so good it semed good for fear of bryuyng men from it before they sawe it to be as brefe as mought be wysshyng that these few myght be wel accepted To the whiche I haue set no summaryes because I woulde that they shoulde be read thoroughlye And although they be so easye playne and common that euery chyld can saye the same yet beyng so lytle followed of men whiche shoulde knowe them best I thought it no shame at all to wryte them which mynde not in this booke to teache men to speake but to do y e thynges whiche they can speake alreadye Wherein peraduenture some wylle muse why I haue attributed so many sentences to Socrates whiche they perhaps knowe to haue be wrytten of other men in which doyng I folowed the prouerbe Doubtefull thynges ought to be interpreted to the best And therfore suche thinges as I haue founde wrytten without certaynty of any certayne authour I haue ascrybed vnto hym not onelye because they be thynges meete for hym to speake but because they be wrytten by some of his scholers which learned them of hym Among whome the most excellent setteth forth suche thinges in hys maysters name that the authoritie of the speaker myght cause the matter to be more regarded I meane Plato whose example in this poynt I haue folowed yet not so desyrous to perswade wyth the authoritie of the speaker as wyth goodnes of the thynge whyche he hath spoken The whiche wyth al the rest I would wyssh al men to learne and followe ⸪ ¶ The ende of the seconde boke ¶ The vse of prouerbes and adages Cap. â— LYke as a louer delyted in the goodly bewtie of his loue can neuer be satisfyed in beholdyng her neyther can take any rest vntil he haue by praysyng enflamed other to delyte in the same labouryng to the vttermost to set forth hys beloued Euen so the â—hylosophers rauyshed in the loue of wysdome haue not onely labored to knowe it to the vttermost but haue also deuysed by al maner meanes to prouoke and entice all men to delyte in the same and because they consydered mennes myndes to be variable diuersly delytyng they deuysed to set out wysedome in sondry kyndes of wrytyng that euery man myght fynde wherin to delyte and so to be caught in his owne pleasure Among whiche kyndes of teaching although preceptes and counsayles be the most playne and easye yet lacke they the grace of delyte whiche in theyr Prouerbes they haue supplyed and that so fynely and so wyttely that they bothe delyte and perswade excedynglye myxed with suche piththynes in wordes sentence as maye minister occasion to muse studye a cause to fire them the better in memory and like a playster bothe corrosyue incarnatiue tanting vices and shewing the remedyes beyng therwithall so brefe that wythout trouble they maye be contayned As for an example this lyttle prouerbe Wrathe leadeth shame in a lease What myght there be sayde to cause a maÌ„ more to refayne his wrath For euery man naturally hateth shame whiche sith it is the folower and ende of anger and therto ioyned inseperablye euen as the shadowe foloweth the body what man considering the ende wyl vse hym selfe therto And to make hym ashamed loe here an other He that to his wrath and anger is thrall Ouer his wyt hath no power at all Nowe what maye make a man more ashamed of hym selfe than to be thought a very foole I suppose nothyng Wherfore syth this kynde is so wytty and so pleasant I haue endeuored in this boke to gather togyther part of theyr prouerbes and haue sundred them into chapters that they myght the easylier be had and founde out for al maner pourposes And suche thinges as I thought most proper I haue drawen into meter and ioyned with them diuers other by other men done alreadye to the intent that suche as delyte in Englyshe meter and can retayne it in memory better than prose might find