his diuine power And of the superstition of the false and faigned goddes chap 9. fol. 20. How there is but one true God and how happy those Realmes are which haue a good Christian to be their King How the Gentiles affirmed that good Princes after their death were changed into gods and the wicked into Deuils which the Authour proueth by sundry examples chap. 10. fol. 23. Of sundry gods which the Ancients worshipped Of the offices of those gods How they were reuenged of such as displeased them And of the twentie elected gods chap. 11. fol. 26. How Tiberius was chosen Gouernour of the Empire and afterward created Emperour onely for being a good Christian And how God depriued Iustinian the younger both of his Empire and senses because he was a perfidious heretique chap. 12. fol. 29 Of other more naturall and peculier gods which the ancient people had and adored chap. 13. fol. 32 What words the Empresse Sophia spake to Tiberius Constantinus then being Gouernour of the Empire reprouing him for lauishly consuming the Treasure of the Empire gotten by her chap. 14. fol. 36 The answere of Tiberius to the Empresse Sophia Augusta declaring that Noble Princes neede not hoord vp treasures And of the hidden treasure which this good Emperour foundeby reuelation in the Palace where he remayned chap. 15. fol. 38 How the Captayne Narsetes ouercame many Battailes onely by reposing his whole confidence in God And what hapned to him by the Empresse Sophia Augusta relating the vnthankfulnesse of Princes towards their seruants chap. 16. fol 41 Of a letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to the King of Scicille remembring the trauels they had endured together in their youth and reprooning him for his small reuerence to the Temples ch 17 fo 46 The Emperours prosecution in his Letter admonishing Princes to bee fearefull of their Gods And of the sentence which the Senate gaue vpon the King for pulling down the church ch 18 f. 49 How the Gentiles honoured those that were deuout in the seruice of their gods chap. 19 fol 52 Of fiue causes why Princes ought to be better christians then their subiects ch 20 fol. 55 What the Philosopher Bias was Of his constancy when hee had lost all his goods And of the ten lawes he gaue deseruing to be had in perpetuall memory chap 21 59 Questions demanded of the Philosopher Bias. fol. 61 The lawes which Bias gaue to the Prienenses 62 How God from the beginning punished men by his iustice and especially those Princes that despised his church how all wicked Christians are Parishioners of hel ch 22 63 Of twelue examples why Princes are sharply punished when they vsurpe boldly vpon churches and violate their temples ch 23 65 Why the children of Aaron were punished eodem The cause why the Azotes were punished eodem The cause why Prince Oza was punished 66. Why King Balthazar was punished 67 Why King Ahab was punished 69 Why King Manasses was punished cod Why Iulius Pompey Xerxes Cateline Germanicus Brennus were punished 70 How Valentine the Emp. because he was an euil Christian in one day lost both the Empire and his life ch 24 72 Of the Emp. Valentinian Gratian his son which raigned in the time of S. Ambrose and because they were good Christians were alwayes fortunate and how God giueth victory to Princes more by the teares of them that pray then thorow the weapons of thē that fight ch 25 76 Of the goodly Oration which the Em Gratian made to his Souldiers before hee gaue the battell ch 26 78 Of the Captaine Theodosius who was father to the great Emp. Theodosius died a good Christian Of the K. Hismarus and the Bishop Siluanus and the lawes which they made and established ch 27 60 What a happy thing it is to haue but one Prince to rule the publike weale for there is no greater enemy to the Common-weale then he which procureth many to commaund therein ch 28 84 That in a publike weale there is no greater destruction then where Princes dayly consent to new orders and make an alteration of ancient customs ch 29 f. 88 When Tirants began to raigne and vpon what occasion commaunding and obeying first began and how the authority which a Prince hath is by the ordināce of God chap. 30 91 Of the golden age in times past and worldly misery at this present ch 31 94 How K. Alexander the Great after hee had ouercome K. Darius in Asia went to conquer the great India and of that which hapned to him with the Garamantes and that purity of life hath more power then force of warre ch 32 96 Of an Oration which one of the Sages of Garamantia made vnto K. Alexander a good lesson for ambitious mē ch 33. 98 A continuation of the sage Garamants Oration and among other notable matters he maketh mention of seuen lawes which they obserued chap. 34 101 That Princes ought to consider for what cause they were made Princes What Thales the Philosopher was of 12 questions demāded of him his answer c. 35. 104 What Plutarch the Philosopher was Of the wise words he spake to the Emperour Traiane how a good Prince is the head of the publique-weale chap. 36. fo 108 As there are two Sences in the Head Smelling and Hearing So likewise a Prince who is the head of the Common-weale ought to heare the complaints of all his subiects and should know them all to recompence their seruices ch 37. fol. 111 Of the great Feast which the Romaines celebrated to the God Ianus the first day of Ianuary And of the bounty and liberality of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius the same day chap. 38 114 Of the answer which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius made to the Senatour Fuluius before all the Senate beeing reproued by him for the familiarity hee vsed to all men contrary to the maiesty and authority of the Romane Emperour wherein hee painteth enuious men ch 39 fol. 118 Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to his friend Pulio declaring the opinion of certaine Philosophers concerning the felicity of man chap. 40. 124 Of the Philosopher Epicurus fol. 129 Of the Philosopher Eschilus 131 Of the Philosopher Pindarus 132 Of the Philosopher Zeno 133 Of the Philosopher Anacharsis 134 Of the Sarmates 135 Of the Philosopher Chilo 137 Of the Philosophers Crates Stylphas Simonides Gorgias Architas Chrysippus Antistenes Sophocles Euripides Palemon Themistocles Aristides and Heraclius 138. 139 That Princes and great Lords ought not to esteeme themselues for being fayre and well proportioned chap. 41 140 Of a letter written by the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to his Nephew worthy to be noted of all young Gentlemen chap. 42 146 How Princes and great Lords in olde time were louers of men that were wise and learned chap. 43 153 How the Emperor Theodosius prouided wise men at the houre of his death for the education of his two noble sonnes Archadius and Honorius chap. 44 158
day of October in the high Capitoll of Rome at the sute of the whole Romane people with the assent of the sacred Senate Marcus Aurelius Antonius was proclaimed Emperour vniuersall of the whole Romane Monarchie This noble Prince was naturally of Rome borne in the mount Celio on the sixt day before the Calends of May which after the Latines account is the 26. day of Aprill His Grandfather was called Annius Verus and was chosen Senatour in the time of the Emperours Titos and Vespasian His great Grandfather was named Annius Verus which was borne in Spaine in the free town of Gububa when the wars were most cruell betweene Caesar and Pompeius at what time many Spaniards fledde to Rome and many Romaines ranne into Spaine By this meanes this Emperour had a great Grandfather a Romane and a great Grandmother a Spaniard His Father was named Annius Verus after his Grandfather and Great Grandfather by reason whereof the ancient Historiographers call him Marcus Antonius Verus And true it is that the Emperour Adrian called him Marcus Verissimus for that hee neuer forged lye nor swarued at any time from the truth These Annti Veri were a kindred in Rome as Iulius Capitolinus reporteth which vaunted themselues to come of Numa Pompelius and Quintus Curtius the famous Romane which to worke the Romane people safety and his owne person euerlasting memory willingly threw himselfe into the Gulfe which afterwards was called Curtius which as then was seene in Rome This Emperours mother was called Domitta Camilla as recounteth Cinna in the bookes that hee wrote of the Romaine pedigrees That stocke of Camilli was in those daies highly honoured in Rome for that they conuayed their discent from that Camillus which was the renowmed and valiant Romane Captaine who deliuered Rome when the Gaules had taken it and besieged the Capitoll The men that sprang of this linage bare the name of Camilli for remembrance of this Camillus And the woman that came of the same stocke kept the name of Camilla in memory of a daughter of the said Camillus This Camilla refused mariage and chose to liue among the vastall virgins and there long space remained enduring a sharpe and hard life And shee was so vertuous a Romane and precise in her life that in the time of Seuerus Emperour of Rome her Tombe was honoured as a Relique whereon was engraued this Epitaph Camillus loe doth here engraued rest That onely was Camillus daughter deere Twice twenty yeares and sixe she hath possest A couert life vntoucht of any feere The King of Trinacry could not her moue To taste the sweet delight of Wedlocks band Nor traine by sute her sacred mind to loue Inclosdâ— in brest so deepe did chastnesse stand But oh great wrong the crawling worms below To gnaw on that vnspotted senselesse corse That rage of youth spent vndefiled so With sober life in spite of Cupids force And this was written in Heroycall verse in the Greeke tongue with a maruellous haughty stile But to our matter yee shall vnderstand that the Romanes kept a certaine Law in the 12. Tables the words whereof were these Wee ordaine and commaund that all the Romanes shall for euer haue speciall priuiledge in euery such place where their ancestors haue done to the Romane people any notable seruice For it is reason that where the Citizen aduentureth his life there the City should doe him some honour after his death By vertue of this law all the family of Camilli euer enioyed the keeping of the high Capitoll for that by his force and policie he chased the French men from the siege Truly it is not vnknowne that this noble Knight and valiant Captaine Camillus did other things as great and greater then this but because it was done within the circuit of Rome it was esteemed aboue all his other acts and prowesse And herein the Romanes swarued not far from reason for that amongst all princely vertues is esteemed to bee the chiefest and worthiest which is employed to the profit of the common-wealth The Romane Chronaclers with tears cease not to lament the ruine of their Country seing that variety of time the multitude of Tyrants the cruelty of ciuill wars were occasion that the ancient state of the Romane gouernement came to vtter destruction and in steade thereof a new and euill trade of life to bee placed And hereof no man ought to maruell for it chanceth throughout all Realmes and Nations by oft changing gouernours that among the people dayly springeth new vices Pulto sayth That for no alteration which befell to the common weale for no calamity that euer Rome suffered that priuiledge was taken away from the linage of Camilli I meane the gouernment of the high Capitoll except it were in the time of Silla the Consull when this family was sore persecuted for none other cause but for that they fauored the Consull Marius This cruell Silla being dead and the pittifull Iulius Caesar preuayling all the banished men from Rome returned home againe to the common-wealth As touching the Auncestors of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius what hath beene their trade of life estate pouerty or riches standing in fauor or displeasure what prosperity or aduersity they haue had or suffered wee finde not in writings though with great diligence they haue beene searched for And the cause hereof was for that the ancient writers of the Romane Histories touched the liues of the Emperors fathers specially when they were made Princes more for the good merites that were in the children then for the great estimation that came from the Fathers Iulius Capitolinus sayth That Annius Verus father of Marcus Aurelius was pretor of the Rhodian Armies and also warden in other Frontiers in the time of Trayan the good Adrian the wise and Anthony the mercifull Which Emperours trusted none with their Armies but discreet valiant men For good Princes chose alwayes such Captaines as can with wisdom guide the Armie and with valiantnes giue the battell Though the Romanes had sundry wars in diuers places yet chiefly they kept great Garrisons alwayes in foure parts of the world That is to say in Bizantium which now is Constantinople to resist the Parthiens in Gades which now is called Galizia to withstand the Portugales in the riuer of Rein to defend themselues from the Germaines and at Colossus which now is called the I le of Rhodes for to subdue the Barbarians In the moneth of Ianuarie when the Senate distributed their offices the Dictator being appointed for sixe monethes and the two Consuls chosen for one yeare incontinently in the third place they chose foure of the most renowmed persons to desend the said foure daungerous Frontiers For the Romanes neyther feared the paines of hell nor trusted for reward in heauen but sought by all occasions possible in their life time to leaue some notable memory of them after their death And the Romaine was counted most valiant
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
mothers which haue children yet we must confesse it is profitable for the weale publike For if a man wold write to one in the warre that his family is not well he would forsake the warres to remedy it If a man write vnto him that it is prosperous hee hath then a desire to enioy it Be not displeased my children though all the Letters I doe send vnto you come not to your hands for all that I doe not cease to visite the temples for your owne health nor yet to offer sacrifices for your honor If we doe please the Gods we haue not cause to feare our enemies I say no more in this case my children but but that I beseech the immortall gods that if your liues may profit the Common wealth then they shorten my dayes and lengthen your yeares but if your liues should be to the damage of the Common wealth then those immortall gods I desire that first I may vnderstand the end of your dayes before that the Wormes should eate my flesh For rather then by your euill life the glory of our predecessors should bee blemished it were much better both your liues were ended The grace of the Gods the good renowne amongst men the good fortune of the Romanes the wisedome of the Greekes the blessing of Scipio and of all other your predecessors be alwayes with you my children CHAP. XXXII Of the education and doctrine of children whiles they are young wherein the Author declareth many notable histories AL mortall mē which will trauel and see good fruits of their trauell ought to doe as the chiefe Artificer did the painted world For the man that maketh God the head of his workes it is vnpossible that he should erre in the same That which we beleeue and reade by writing is that the eternal created the world in short space by his might but preserued it a long time by his wisedome Whereof a man may gather that the time to doe a thing is short but the care and thought to preserue it is long Wee see dayly that a valiant captaine assaulteth his enemies but in the end it is God that giueth the victory but let vs aske the Conquerour what trauell it hath beene vnto him or wherein hee hath perceiued most danger that is to say either to obtain the victory of his enemies or else to preserue themselues amongst the enuious and malitious I sweare and affirme that such a knight will sweare that there is no comparison between the one and the other for by the bloudy sword in an houre the victory is obtained but to keep it with reputation the swet of al the life is required Laertius in the book of the life of Phylosophers declareth and Plato also hereof maketh mention in the bookes of his common wealth that those of Thebes vnderstanding that the Lacedemonians had good lawes for the which they were of the Gods fauoured and of men greatly honoured determined to send by common assent and agreement a wise Philosopher the best esteemed amongst them whose name was Phetonius to whom they commaunded that hee should aske the lawes of the Lacedemonians and that he should be very circumspect and warie to see what their rules and customes were Those of Thebes were thē very noble valiant and honest so that their principall end was to come to honour renowne to erect buildings and to make themselues of immortall memory for being vertuous For in building they were very curious and for vertues they had good Phylosophers The Philosopher Phetonius was more then a yeare in the realme of the Lacedemonians beholding at sundry times all thinges therein for simple men doe not note things but onely to satisfie the eyes but the wise mē beholdeth them for to know and vnderstand their secrets After the Philosopher had well and plainely seene and beheld all the things of the Lacedemouians he determined to returne home to Thebes and beeing arriued all the people came to see him and heare him For the vanity of the common people is of such a qualitie that it followeth new inuentions and despiseth auncient Customes All the people therefore gathered together the good Philosopher Phetonius set vp in the middest of the market place a gibbet hote yrons a sword a whippe and fetters for the feet the which thing done the Thebians were no lesse as they thought slaundered then abashed To the which hee spake these wordes You Thebaines sent mee to the Lacedemonians to the entent that I should learne their Lawes and Customs and indeed I haue been there more then a year behelding all things very diligently For wee Philosophers are bounde not onely to note that which is done but also to know why it is done Know yee Thebians that this is the aunswere of my Ambassage That the Lacedemoniant hang vpon this Gibet theeues with this same sword they beheade Traytors with these hote Irons they torment blasphemers and lyers with these roddes they whp vacabonds and with these Irons doe keepe the rebels and the others are for Players and vnthrifts Finally I say that I do not bring you the Lawes written but I bring you the instruments wherewith they are obserued The Thebanes were abashed to see these things and spake vnto him such words Consider Phetonius we haue not sent thee to the Lacedemonians to bring Instruments to take away life but for the good Lawes to gouerne the Common wealth The Philosopher Phetonius reply ed againe and answered Thebains I let you to vnderstand that if you know what wee Philosophers knew yon should see how farre your mindes were from the truth For the Lacedemonians are not so vertuous thorough the lawes which were made of them that bee dead as for the means they haue sought to preserue them that bee aliue For the matters of iustice consists more in execution then in commanding or ordayning Laws are easily ordayned but with difficulty executed for there are a thousand to make them but to put them in execution there is not one Full little is that which men know that are present in respect of that those know which are past But yet according to my little knowledge I proffer to giue as good lawes to you Thebaines as euer were obserued among the Lacedemonians For there is nothing more easie then to know the good and nothing more common then to follow the euill But what profiteth it if one will ordaine and none vnderstand it If there bee that dooth vnderstand them there is none that executeth them If there bee that executeth them there is none that obserueth them If there bee one that obserueth them there is a thousand that reprooueth them For without comparison more are they that murmur and grudge at the good then those which despise and blame the euill You Thebaines are offended because I haue brought such Instruments but I let you know if you will haue neyther gybet nor Sworde to keepe that which shall bee ordained you shall haue
your Bookes full of lawes and the common wealth full of vices Wherefore I sweare vnto you that there are more Thebaines which follow the delitiousnesse of Denis the tyrant then there are vertuous men that follow the lawes of Lycurgus If you Thebaines doe desire greatly to know with what lawes the Lacedemonians doe preserue their Common-wealth I will tell you them all by word and if you will reade them I will shew you them in writing but it shall bee vpon condition that you shall sweare al openly that once a day you shall employ your eyes to reade them and your persons to obserue them for the Prince hath greater honour to see one onely law to be obserued in deed then to ordaine a thousand by writing You ought not to esteeme much to be vertuous in heart nor to enquire of the vertue by the mouth nor to seeke it by labour and trauell of the feet but that which you ought greatly to esteeme is to know what a vertuous law meaneth and that knowne immediately to execute it and afterwards to keepe it For the chiefe vertue is not to doe one vertuous worke but in a swet and trauell to continue in it These therfore were the words that this Philosopher Phetonius sayde to the Thebaines the which as Plato sayeth esteemed more his words that hee spake then they did the Lawes which he brought Truly in mine opinion those of Thebes are to bee praysed and commended and the Philosopher for his word is worthy to be honoured For the ende of those was to search lawes to liue well and the end of the Philosopher was to seeke good meanes for to keepe them in vertue And therefore he thoght it good to shew them and put before their eyes the gibbet and the sword with the other Instruments and torments for the euill do refraine from vice more for feare of punishment then for any desire they haue of amendment I was willing to bring in this history to the end that all curious and vertuous men may see and know how little the Ancients did esteeme the beginning the meane and the end of vertuous works in respect of the perseuerance and preseruation of them Comming therefore to my matter which my penne doth tosse and seeke I aske now presently what it profiteth Princesses and great Ladies that God doe giue them great estates that they be fortunate in marriages that they bee all reuerenced and honoured that they haue great treasures for their inheritances and aboue all that they see their wines great with Childe and that afterward in ioy they see them deliuered that they see their mothers giuing their children sucke and finally they see themselues happy in that they haue found them good nurses health full and honest Truly all this auayleth little if to their children when they are young they doe do not giue masters to instruct them in vertues and they also if they doe not recommend them to good guides to exercise them in feates of Chiualry The Fathers which by sighes penetrate the heauen by praiers importune the liuing God onelie for to haue children ought first to thinke why they will haue children for that iustly to a man may be denied which to an euill end is procured In mine opinion the Father ought to desire to haue a child for that in his age he may sustaine his life in honour and that after his death hee may cause his fame to liue And if a Father desireth not a sonne for this cause at the least he ought to desire him to the end in his age hee may honour his hoary head and that after his death hee may enherite his goods but we see few children do these thinges to their fathers in their age if the fathers haue not taught them in their youth For the fruit doth neuer grow in the haruest vnlesse the tree did beare blosoms in the spring I see oftentimes many Fathers complaine of their children saying that they are disobedient and proude vnto them and they do not consider that they themselues are the cause of all those euils For too much abundance and liberty of youth is no other but a prophesie and manifest token of disobedience in age I know not why Princes and great Lords do toyle oppresse so much scratch to leaue their children great estates and on the other side wee see that in teaching them they are and shewe themselues too negligent for Princes and great Lordes ought to make account that all that which they leaue of their substance to a wicked heyre is vtterly lost The wise men and those which in their consciences are vpright and of their honours carefull ought to bee very diligent to bring vppe their children and chiefly that they consider whether they bee meete to inherite their estates And if perchance the fathers see that their children bee more giuen to folly then to noblenes and wisdome then should I bee ashamed to see a father that is wise trauell all the dayes of his life to leaue much substance to an euill brought vp childe after his death It is a griefe to declare and a monstrous thing to see the cates which the Fathers take to gather riches and the diligence that children haue to spend them And in this case I say the sonne is fortunate for that hee doth enherite and the Father a foole for that he doth bequeath In my opinion Fathers are bound to instruct their children well for two causes the one for that they are nearest to them and also because they ought to be their heyres For truly with great griefe and sorrow I suppose hee doth take his death which leaueth to a foole or an vnthrift the toyle of all his life Hyzearchus the Greeke Hystorian in the booke of his Antiquities Sabellicus in his generall hystory sayeth that a father and a sonne came to complain to the famous Philosopher and ancient Solon Solinon the Sonne complained of the father and the father of the sonne First the sonne informed the quarrell to the Philosopher saying these words I complaine of my Father because hee being rich hath disinherited mee and made me poore and in my steade hath adopted another heyre the which thing my father ought not nor cannot doe for since he gaue me so frayle flesh it is reason hee giue me his goods to maintaine my seeblenes To these wordes answered the father I complaine of my sonne because hee hath not beene as a gentle sonne but rather as a cruell enemie for in all things since hee was borne hee hath beene disobedient to my will wherefore I thought it good to disinherite him before my death I would I were quit of all my substance so that the gods had quit him of his life for the earth is very cruell that swalloweth not the child aliue which to his father is disobedient In that he sayeth I haue adopted another child for mine heyre I confesse it is true and for so much
the beginning so after the victorie had of their enemies they should shew themselues meeke and pittifull This Dictator Camillus for an other thing hee did was much commended aboue the residue That is to say hee did not onely not consent to robbe the Temples nor dishonour the Gods but hee himselfe with great reuerence tooke the sacred vessels of the Temples and the Gods which were therein especially the Goddesse Iuno and brought them all to Rome For amongst the Auncients there was a Law that the Gods of them which were vanquished should not come by lot to the Captaines being Conquerours therfore hee made in the Mount Auentino a sumptuous Temple wherein hee placed all the Gods together with all the holy Reliques which hee wanne For the greater Triumph the Romans had ouer their enemies so much the better they handled the Gods of the people vanquished Also you ought to know that the Romaines after many victories determined to make a crowne of golde very great rich and to offer it to the God Apollo but sith the common Treasure was poor because there was but little siluer and lesse golde to make that crowne The Romane Matrons defaced theyr Iewels and ouches of golde and siluer to make the Crowne there withall For in Rome there neuer wanted money if it were demanded for the seruice of Gods to repayre Temples or to redeeme Captiues The Senate esteemed the well willing hearts of these women in such sort that they graunted them three things that is say To weare on their heades Garlands of flowers to goe in Chariots to the common places and to goe openly to the feasts of the Gods For the auncient Romanes were so honest that they neuer ware gold on theyr heades neyther went they at any time to the feasts vncouered A man ought not to maruell that the Romanes granted such priuiledges vnto the ancient Matrones of Rome For they vsed neuer to bee obliuious of any benefite receyued but rather gentle with thanks and rewards to recompence the same An other notable thing chanced in Rome which was that the Romanes sent two Tribunes the which were called Caulius and Sergius into the Isle of Delphos with greate presents to offer vnto the God Apollo For as Titus Liuius sayeth Rome yeerely sent a present vnto the God Apollo and Apollo gaue vnto the Romanes counsell And as the Tribunes went out of the way they fell into the hands of pirates and rouers on the sea which tooke them with their treasures and brought them to the Cittie of Liparie But the citizens vnderstanding that those presents were consecrated to the God Apollo did not onely deliuer them all their Treasure againe but also gaue them much more guides therewith to conduct them safely both going and comming from all peril and danger The Romaines beeing aduertised of theyr genltenesse by the messengers which were come safe and aliue did so much reioyce that they ordayned in Rome that the Nobles of Liparie should bee made Senatours of Rome and all the others should be confederates and of aliance vnto them And they caused further that two priests of Liparie should alwayes remaine in the Temple of Iupiter which priuiledge was neuer granted to any other strangers but to them onely For the Romanes had so great zeale and loue to their Gods that in the seruices of the temples they trusted none but those which were natiue ancient of Rome and also were both wise and vertuous When Quintus Fabius and Publius Decius were in the warres against the Samnites and Tuscanes and likewise against the Vmbres manie maruellous and terrible signes were seene in Rome which things did not only feare those that sawe them but also those which heard of them Vpon which occasion the Romaines and the Romane Matrones both night and day offered great sacrifices to the gods For they sayd if we can pacifie the wrath of the Gods in Rome we shall neuer need to feare our enemies in the field The thing was this that as the Romane Matrons went visiting the temples to appease the ire of the Gods many senators wiues came to the temple of chastitie to offer sacrifice For in the time of the puissant power of the Romanes the Women did sacrifice in the temples of the Gods At that time Virginea the daughter of Aureus Virgineus the Consul Plebeian the which was forbidden to doe sacrifice for that shee was none of the Senators wiues but a Plebeian as much to say as a Crafts-woman and no Gentlemans-Daughter borne For the Noblewomen were had in so great veneration and so highly esteemed that all the other seemed in respect of them but hand-maydes and slaues The noble Romane Virginea seeing her to be so repulsed and disdained of the other matrones made of her own house a temple to the Goddesse of Chastitie and with much deuotion and reuerence honoured her The which thing being published abroade throughout Rome manie other women came thither to doe Sacrifice likewise For Fortune is so variable that oftentimes those which of pride haue forbidden vs theyr houses come after by humilitie to doe vs seruice at ours For this cause this Virginea the Foundresse was so greatly praysed that the Romaines in her life made her Patrice that is a Noble Romane and after her death caused her Image and statue to be made and set vp in the high Capitoll and about this Image were ingrauen certain Greeke characters the effect whereof was this PATRICE the great this Image doth present That in her life did giue with minde deuout The Gods her house therefore to them went When liuely breath by death was chased out Of all these Hystories aboue-named Titus Liuius maketh mention in his first Decade the second fifth and ninth book and though he declareth them more at large yet this shall suffice for my purpose I haue sought amongst the Gentiles these fewe Examples to reprooue Christian Princes Onely to the ende they might see how studious and seruent our Fathers were in the seruice of their Idols contrariwise how cold and negligent we are to honour and serue our true and liuing God It is a shame to tell how the ancient Romanes with all their hearts did serue the Gods without any vnderstanding and how those which are Christians for the most part serue the true God not in truth but with hypocrisie and dissimulation For the children of this World will take no paines but for to prouoke the pleasures of the body Many wondred for what occasion God did so much for them and they did nothing for God To this may bee answered that if they had known one true God all the sacrifices they had done to their other Gods they would haue done to him onely and as God is iust so hee rewarded them in their temporall prosperities Not for that they did well but for that they desired to doe well For in our diuine Law God doth not regard what wee
commaund much hauing respite to liue but little mee thinketh it were a great folly and lacke of wisdome Presumptuous and ambitious men which measure their works not with the few dayes they haue to liue but with the arogant and haughty thoughts they haue to command They leade their life in trauell and take their death with sorrow And the remedy hereof is that if the wise man cannot obtaine that which hee would hee should content himselfe with that which hee may I let thee to know Alexander that the perfection of men is not to see much to heare much to knowe much to procure much to come to much to trauell much to possesse much and to bee able to do much but it is to bee in the fauour of the Gods Finally I tell thee that that man is perfect who in his owne opinion deserueth not that hee hath and in the opinion of another deserueth much more then that hee possesseth Wee are of this opinion amongst vs that hee is vnworthy to haue honour who by such infamous meanes searcheth for it And therefore thou Alexander deseruest to be slaue vnto many because thou thinkest to deserue the signory ouer all By the immortall Gods I sweare I cannot imagine the great mischiefe which entred into thy brest so vnrighteously to kill King Darius whose vassall and friend thou wast onely because thou wouldest possesse the Empire of the whole World For truly seruitude in peace is more worth then Signiory in warre And hee that shall speake against that I haue spoken I say he is sicke and hath lost his taste CHAP. XXXIIII The sage Garamante continueth his Oration shewing that perpetuitie of life cannot be bought with any worldly treasure Among other notable matters hee maketh mention of the seuen lawes which they obserued THou wilt not deny me Alexander but that thou werte more healthfull when thou wast King of Macedoâ—â—â— then thou art now being Lord of all the earth for the excessiue trauell bringeth men out of all order Thou wilt not deny me Alexander that the more thou gettest the more thou desirest for the heart which with couetousnesse is set on fire cannot with wood and bowes of riches but with the earth of the graue be satisfied and quenched Thou wilt not deny me Alexander but the aboundance that thou thy selfe hast seemeth vnto thee litle and the little which an other man possesseth seemeth vnto thee much For the Gods to the ambitious and couetous harts gaue this for penance that neyther with inough nor with too much they should content them selues Thou wilt not denie mee Alexander if in deed thy heart bee couetous that first the pleasures of life shall end before thy couetousnesse for where vices haue had power long time in the heart there death onely and none other hath authority to plucke vp the rootes Thou wilt not deny mee Alexander that though thou hast more then all yet thou enioyest least of any for the Prince that possesseth much is alwayes occupied in defending it but the Prince that hath little hath Time and leasure in quiet to enioy it Thou wilt not deny me Alexander though thou callest thy self Lord of all yet thou hast but onely the name thereof and others thy seruants and subiects haue all the profites for the greedy and couetous hearts doe trauel and toyle to get and in wasting that which they haue gotten they pine away And finally Alexander thou wilt not deny me that all that which thou hast in the long conquest gotten is little and that which of thy wisedom and quietnes thou hast lost is much For the Realms which thou hast gotten are innumerable but the cares sighes and thoughts which thou hast heaped vpon thy heart are innumerable I let thee know one thing that you Princes are poorer then the poore Subiects for hee is not rich that hath more then hee deserueth but he that desireth to haue lesse then possesseth And that therefore Princes you haue nothing For though you abound in great Treasurs yet notwithstanding you are poore of good desire Now Alexander let vs come to the poynt and cast account and let vs see vs see to what ende thy Conquest will come Either thou art a man or thou art a god And if thou bee anie of the gods commaunde or cause that wee be immortall and if thou canst doe any such thing then take vs and our goods withall For perpetuity of the life can by no riches be bought O Alexander I let thee vnderstand that therefore wee seeke not to make warre with thee For we see that both from thee and also from vs death will shortly take away the life For hee is a very simple man that thinketh alwayes to remaine in another mans house as in his owne It thou Alexander couldst giue vs as God euerlasting life eache man would trauell to defend his owne house But sith we know we shall dye shortly we care little whether to thee or any other our goods and riches remaine For if it be follie to dwell in an other mans house as his owne it is a greater follie to him that loseth his life in taking thought and lamenting for his goods Presuppose that thou art not god but a man I coniure thee then by the immortall gods and doe require thee that thou liue as a man behaue thy selfe as a man and couet no more then an other man neyther desire more nor lesse then a man for in the ende thou shalt dye as another man and shalt be buryed as another man and thou shalt bee throwne into the graue and then there shal be no more memorie of thee I tolde thee before that it greeued mee to see thee so hardy and couragious so apt and so young and now it grieueth mee to see thee so deceyued with the world and that which I perceyue of thee is that then thou shalt know thy folly when thou shalt not be able to finde any remedy For the proude Young man before hee feeleth the wound hath alreadie the ointment You which are Grecians call vs Barbarous because wee enhabite the mountaines But as touching this I say that we reioice to be barbarous in our speech and Greekes in our doings and not as you which haue the Grecian tong and doe barbarous workes For hee that doth well and speaketh rudely is no barbarous man but he which hath the tongue good and the life euill Sith I haue begun to that end nothing remaine vnspoken I will aduertise thee of our laws and life and maruell not to heare it but desire to obserue and keepe it for infinite are they which extoll vertuous workes but few are they which obserue the same I let thee know Alexander that wee haue short life wee are few people wee haue little lands wee haue little goods wee haue no couetousnes we haue few lawes we haue few houses and we haue few friends and aboue all we haue no enemies for a Wise man
to gather with trauell the grape know thou that heere in my palace thou shalt not want of the wine The Gods will not suffer that now in this moment thou shuldst find my heart shut from thee whose gates I found alwaies for the space of twentie yeares open vnto mee Sith that my Fortunes wrought me to the Empire I haue alwayes had two things things before mine eyes that is to say not to reuenge my selfe of mine enemies neither to bee vnthankfull to my friends For I pray to the Gods daylie rather then hereafter through vnthankfulnes my renowm should be defamed that euen now with forgetfulnes my bodie should be buryed Let a man offer to the Gods what sacrifices he will let him doe as much seruice to men as he can yet if he be vnthankfull to his friend hee ought in all and for all to bee vtterly condemned Because thou shouldest see my friend Pulio how greatly the auncient friend ought to bee esteemed I will declare thee an example of a Philosopher the which to heare thou wilt somewhat reioyce The auncient Histories of the Grecians declare that among the seuen Sages of Greece there was one named Periander who was Prince Gouernour a great while and he had in him such liuelinesse of Spirit on the one side and such couetousnesse of worldly goods on the other side that the Historiographers are in doubte whether was the greater the Philosophy that hee taught reading in the Schooles or the tyranny that hee vsed in robbing the Common-wealth for truly the science which is not grounded of truth bringeth great damages to the person In the second yeare of my Empire I was in the City of Corinth where I saw the Graue which contained the bones of Periander where about was engrauen in Greeke verses and old letter this Epitaph Within the compasse of this narrow graue Wretched Periander enclosed lyes Whose cruel facts could Greece alone not haue So small a soyle his hunger could suffice Here lodgeth oke loe Periander dead His filthy flesh the hungry wormes doe eate And liuing he with Orphelines good was fed His greedy guts did craue such dainty meate The Tyrant Periander stayeth here Whose life was built to hinder all the rest And eke whose death such profit large did bear As brought reliefe to him that had the least Here wicked Periander resteth now His life did cause great peopled realmes decay His death that forst his liuing sprite to how Assurde them life that stoode in brittle stay The cursed Periander heere doth lye Whose life did shed the poore and simple blood And eke that clambe to riches rule so hye By others swette they sought for wasting good Of Corinth loe here Periander rest To seeme for iust that equall Lawes did frame Yet flitting from the square that they possest By vertues doome deserude a Tyrants name The Catiue Periander sleepeth here That finisht hath his 80. years with shame And though his life that thousands bought so deer Be faded thus yet bloometh stil his blame There was more letters on the graue but because it was alone in the fielde the great waters had worne it so that scarsely the letters could bee roade and truely it was very olde in his time it seemed to bee a sumptuous thing but the negligence of reparation lost it quite and it is not to bee maruelleed at for in the end time is of such power that it causeth renowmed men to be forgotten and all the sumptuousbuildings to decay and fall to the earth If thou wilt know my friend Pulio in what time the tyrant this Philosopher was I will thou know that when Catania the renowned City was builded in Cicilia neere the Mount Ethna and when Perdica was the 4. King of Macedonia and that Cardiced was the third King of the Medes and when Candare was fift king of the Libeans and that Assaradoche was ninth King of the Assyrians and when Merodache was twelfth King of the Caldeaus and that Numa Pompilius raigned second King of the Romanes and in the time of those so good Kinges Periander raigned amongst the Assirians And it is meete thou know an other thing also which is this That this Periander was a Tyrant not only in deede but also in renowme so that they spake of no other thing thorow Greece but it tended hereunto Though hee had euill works hee had good words and procured that the affayres of the Common-wealth should bee well redressed For generally There is no man so good but a man may finde somewhat in him to bee reproued neyther any man so euill but hee hath some thing in him to bee commended I doe yet remember of my age being neyther too yong nor too old that I saw the Emperour Traian my Lord suppe once in Agrippine and it so chanced that wordes were moued to speake of good and euill Princes in times past as wel of the Greekes as of the Romans that all those which were present there cōmended greatly the Emperour Octauian and they all blamed the cruell Nero for it is an ancient custom to flatter the princes that are present and to murmur at Princes that are past When the good Emperour Traian was at dinner and when he praied in the Temple it was maruell if any man saw him speake any word and that day since hee saw that they excessinely praysed the Emperour Octauian and that the others charged the Emperour Nero with more then needed the good Traian spake vnto them these words I am glad you commend the Emperour Octauian but I am angry you should in my presence speake euill of the Emperour NERO and of none other for it is great infamy to a Prince being aliue to heare in his presence any Prince euill reported after his death Truely the Emperour Octauian was very good but yee will not deny me but hee might haue beene better and the Emperour Nero was very euill but you will graunt mee hee might haue beene worse I speake this because Nero in his first fiue yeares was the best of all and the other nine following he was the worst of all so that there is both cause to disprayse him and also cause to commend him When a vertuous man will speake of Princes that are dead before Princes which are aliue hee is bound to prayse onely one of their vertues that they had and hath no licence to reueale the vices whereof they were noted for the good deserueth reward because he endeauoureth himselfe to follow vertue and the euill likewise deserueth pardon because through frailety he hath consented to vice All these wordes the Emperour Traian spake I being present they were spoken with such fiercenes that all those which were there present both chaunged their colour and also refrayned their tongues For truly the shamelesse man feeleth not so much a great stripe of correction as the gentle heart doth a sharpe worde of admonition I was willing to shew thee these things my
oportunitie to accomplish her desires wherfore shee answered vnto his Parents that shee did accept their counsell and said to Sinoris that she did chuse him for her husband speaking these words more for to comfort him then with intent to pardon him And as amongst those of Galatia there was a custome that the new maried folkes should eate together in one dishe and drinke in one cup the day that the mariage was celebrated Cāma determined to prepare a cup with poyson and alsso a lute wherewith shee began to play and sing with her prober voyce before the Goddesse Diana in this manner TO thee Dian whose endles raigne doth stretch Aboue the bondes of all the heauenly rout And eke whose ayde with royall hand to retch Chiefe of all Gods is most proclaimed out I sweare and with vnspotted faith protest That though till now I haue reserude my breth For no intent it was but thus distrest With wailfull end to wreke Sinatus death ¶ And if in minde I had not thus decreed Whereto should I my pensiue daies haue spent With longer dole for that forepassed deed Whose oft record newe sorrowes still hath bent But oh sinee him their kindled spite hath slaine With tender loue whom I haue waide so deere Since he by fate is rest from fortunes raine For whose decay I dreadlesse perish here Since him by whom my onely life I led Through wretched hands the gaping earth now haue Ought I by wish to liue in any sted But closde with him together in the graue O bright Dian since senslesse him I see And Makeles I here to remaine alone Since he is graude where greedy wormes now bee And I suruiue surmounted with my fone Since he is prest with lumpes of wretched soyle And I thus chargde with flame of frozen care Thou knowst Dian how hard with restles toyle Of hote abhoring minde my life I spare For how can this vnquiet brest reserue The fainting breth that striues to draw his last Since that euen then my dying heart did starue When my dead Phere in swallowing earth was cast The first blacke day my husband sleptin graue By cruell sworde my life I thought to spend And since a thousand times I thought to haue A stretched cord my sorrowes wrath to end And if till now to waste my pining dayes I haue deferde by slaughter of my hand It was but loe a fitter cause to raise Whereon his sharpe reuenge might iustly stand Now since I may in full suffising wise Redeeme his breath if wayward will would let More deepe offence by not reuenge might rise Then Sinoris erst by guiltles bloud did get Thee therefore mighty Ioue Iiustly craue And eke thy daughter chast in thankfull sort That loe the offering which of my selfe ye haue Ye will vouchsafe into your heauenly fort Since Sinatus with soone enflamed eyes Amongst the Acaian routes me chiefly viewed And eke amidst the prease of Greekes likewise Chose for his phere when sweetly he had sewed Since at my will the froth of wasting wealth With gladsome minde he trayned was to spend Since that his youth which slippeth loe by stealth To waite on me he freely did commend Since he such heapes of lingring harmes did waste Aye to content my wanton youthfull will And that his breath to fade did passe so fast To glut their thirst that thus his blould did spill Though great the duetie be which that I owe Vnto his graued ghost and cindred mould Yet loe me seemes my duety well I shew Performing that my feeble power could For since for me vntwined was his threed Of guiltlesse life that ought to purchase breath Can reasons doome conclude I ought to dreed For his decay to clime the steps of death In wretched earth my father graued lies My deare mother hath runne her race of life The pride of loue no more can daunt mine eyes My wasted goods are shrunke by fortunes strife My honour soone ecclipsed is by fate My young delight is loe for done by chaunce My broken life these passed haps so hate As can my grieued heart no more aduaunce And now remaynes to duetie with my phere No more but refuse loe my irksome life With willing minde followed eke with drere Which I resigne as fitteth for a wife And thou Sinoris which Iunos yoke doest craue To presse my corps to feede thy liking lust The rout of Homers gods thee grant to haue In stead of royall feates a throne of dust In change of costly robes and rich array A simple winding sheete they digne thee giue And eke in stead of honest wedlocks stay They sing thy dirge and not vouchsafe thee liue In place of Himens hye vnfiled bed They lay thee vp in closure of thy graue In stead with precious meates for to be fed They make the Woormes for fitter prey thee haue In stead of song and Musickes tuned sowne They waite on thee with lowd lamenting voyce In change of ioyfull life and high renowne Thy cruell death may spread with wretched noyse For you great gods that stalled be on hie Should not be iust ne yet such titles claime Vnlesse this wretch yee ruthlesse cause to die That liueth now to slaunder of your name And thou Dian that haunted Courts dost shunne Know'st with what great delight this life I leaue And when the race of spending breath is done Will pierce the soyle that did my phere receiue ¶ And if perchance the paled ghosts despise Such fatall fine with grudge of thankelesse minde Yet at the least the shamefast liuing eyes Shall haue a Glasse rare wisely gifts to finde Wherein I will that Lucrece sect shall gaze But none that liue like Helens line inblaze ANd when the prayer was ended that this fayre and vertuous Camma made shee dranke and gaue to drinke to Sinoris of this cuppe of poyson who thought to drinke no other but good wine and water and the case was such that he died at noone daies and she likewise in the euening after And truely her death of all Greece with as great sorrow was lamented as her life of all men was desired Princesses and great Ladyes may most euidently perceiue by the examples heerein contayned how honest and Honourable it is for them to loue and endeauour themselues to be beloued of their husbands and that not onely in their life but also after their death For the wife to serue her husband in his life seemeth ofttimes to proceede of feare but to loue and honour him in his graue proceedeth of loue Princesses and great Ladies ought not to do that which many other women of the cōmon people do that is to say to seeke some drinkes and inuent some shamefull sorceries to be beloued of their husbands for albeit it is a great burden of conscience and lacke of shame in like manner to vse such superstitions yet it should be a thing too vniust and very slaunderous that for to be beloued of their husbands they should
and in this place they talked with him that had businesse and truely it was a great policie for where as the Prince doth not sit the suitor alwaies abridgeth his talke And when the day began to waxe hot he went to the high Capitoll where all the Senate tarryed for him and from thence hee went to the Coliseo where the Ambassadours of the Prouinces were and there remained a great part of the day Afterwards he went to the Chappell of the Vestall Virgins and there he heard euery Nation by it selfe according to the order which was prescribed Hee did eate but one meale in the day and it was very late but he did eate well not of many and diuers sorts of meate but of few and good for the abundance of diuers strange meates breedeth sundry diseases They sawe him once a weeke goe through Rome and if hee went any more it was a wonder at the which time he was alwayes without company both of his owne and also of strangers to the entent all poore men might talke with him of their businesse or complaine of his Officers for it is vnpossible to reforme the Common-wealth if he which ought to remedie it be not informed of the iniuries done in the same He was so gentle in conuersation so pleasant in words so Noble amongst the Great so equall with the least so reasonable in that hee did aske so perfect in that he did worke so patient in iniuries so thankefull of benefites so good to the good and so seuere to the euill that all loued him for being good and all the euill feared him for being iust A man ought not little to esteeme the loue that the people bare to this so good a Prince and Noble Emperour for so much as the Romanes haue been thus that for the felicitie of their estate they offered to their Gods greater Sacrifice then they did in any other Prouinces And Sextus Cheronensis saith that the Romanes offered more Sacrifices to the Gods because they should lengthen the life of the Emperour then they did offer for the profite of the Common-wealth Truely their reason was good for the Prince that leadeth a good life is the heart of the Common-wealth But I doe not maruell that the Emperour was so well willed and beloued of the Romane Empire for he had neuer Porter to his Chamber but the two houres which hee remayned with his wife Faustine All this being past the good Emperour weat into his house into the secretst place hee had according to the counsell of Lucius Seneca the key whereof he alone had in his custodie and neuer trusted any man therewith vntill the houre of his death and then he gaue it to an olde ancient man called Pompeianus saying vnto him these words Thou knowest right well Pompeianus that thou being base I exalted thee to honour thou being poore I gaue thee riches thou being persecuted I drew thee to my Palace I being absent committed my whole honour to thy trust thou being olde I marryed thee with my daughter and doe presently giue thee this Key Behold that in giuing thee it I giue thee my heart and life for I will thou know that death grieueth mee not so much nor the losse of my wife and children as that I cannot carry my Bookes into the graue If the Gods had giuen mee the choyse I had rather choose to be in the graue inuironed with Bookes then to liue accompanied with fooles for if the dead doe read I take them to be aline but if the liuing doe not read I take them to be dead Vnder this key which I giue thee remayneth many Greeke Hebrew Latine and Romame Bookes and aboue all vnder this key remaineth all my paynes swet and trauells all my watchings and laboures where also thou shalt finde Bookes by mee compiled so that though the wormes of the earth doe eate my body yet men shall finde my heart whole amongst these Bookes Once againe I doe require thee and say that thou oughtest not a little to esteeme the key which I giue thee for wise men at the houre of their death alwayes recommend that which they best loue to them which in their liues they haue most loued I doe confesse that in my Studie thou shalt finde many things with mine owne hand written and well ordered and also I confesse that thou shalt finde many things by me left vnperfect In this case I thinke that though thou couldest not write them yet thou shalt worke them well notwithstanding and by these meanes thou shalt get reward of the Gods for working them Consider Pompeian that I haue beene thy Lord I haue beene thy Father-in-law I haue beene thy Father I haue beene thy Aduocate and aboue all that I haue beene thy speciall friend which is most of all for a man ought to esteeme more a faithfull friend then all the Parents of the world Therefore in the faith of that friendshippe I require that thou keepe this in memorie that euen as I haue recommended to others my Wife my Children my Goods and Riches So I doe leaue vnto thee in singuler recommendation my Honour for Princes leaue of themselues no greater memorie then by the good learning that they haue written I haue beene eighteene yeeres Emperour of Rome and it is threescore and three yeeres that I haue remayned in this wofull life during which time I haue ouercome many Battailes I haue slayne many Pyrates I haue exalted many good I haue punished many euill I haue wonne many Realmes and I haue destroyed many Tyrants but what shall I doe wofull man that I am sith all my companions which were witnesses with me of all these worthy feates shall be companions in the graue with the greedy wormes A thousand yeeres hence when those that are now aliue shall then be dead what is hee that shall say I saw Marcus Aurelius triumph ouer the Parthians I saw him make the buildings in Auentino I sawe him well beloued of the people I saw him father of the Orphanes I saw him the scourge of Tyrants Truely if all these things had not beene declared by my Bookes or of my friends the dead would neuer haue risen againe to haue declared them What is it for to see a Prince from the time he is borne vntill the time hee come to dye to see the pouertie he passeth the perills he endureth the euill that hee suffereth the shame that he dissembleth the friendshippe that hee fayneth the teares which hee sheddeth the sighes that hee fetcheth the promises that hee maketh and doth not endure for any other cause the miseries of this life but onely to leaue a memorie of him after his death There is no Prince in the world that desireth not to keepe a good house to keepe a good table to apparell himselfe richly and to pay those that serue him in his house but by this vaine honour they suffer the water to passe through their lippes not drinking thereof As
mountaines of Rypheos he found in those places a Barbarous nation that liued in the sharpe mountains as wild beasts and doe not maruell that I do call them beastly that liue in those mountaines For as the sheepe and Cowes that feede on the fine grasse haue their wooll softe and fine so the men who are brought vp in the sharp and wilde mountains vse themselues after a rude behauiour These Barbarous had therefore a law among them that euery neighbor had in those mountaines two Caues for the sharpnes of the hills permitted not that they shold haue any Houses Therfore in one caue the Husbands the Sonnes and the Seruants were and in the other his Wife his daughters and his handmaids abode they did eate together twice in the weeke they slept together other twice in the weeke and all the residue of the time they were separate the one from the other The great Pompeyus asked them what was the cause why they liued so sith it was so that in all the world there was neuer seene nor read of such extreame law nor so straunge a custome The historie saith in that place that an auncient man aunswered him saying Beholde Pompeius that the gods haue giuen short life vnto vs that bee present in respect of that which hee gaue to our Fathers that are past and since we liue but fortie or fiftie yeares at the vttermost wee desire to enioy those dayes in peace For the life is so short and our trouble so long that we haue smal time to reioyce in peace after we returne from the warres It is true that amongst you Romaines which enioy pleasures and riches life seemeth too shorte but vnto vs that haue toyle with pouertie life seemeth too long For throughout all the yeare wee neuer keepe such solemne Feasts as when one passeth out of his life Consider Pompeius that if men liued many yeares there shold be time to laugh and weepe to bee good and to be euill to be poore and to be rich to be merrie and sad to liue in peace and warre but why wil men seek contention in their life since it is so short In keeping with vs as you doe our owne wiues in liuing wee should die for the nights should passe in hearing their complaints and the dayes in suffering their brawlings but keeping them as we doe we see not their heauie countenance wee heare not the crying of our children wee heare not their grieuous complaintes nor listen vnto their sorrowfull words neyther wee are troubled with their importunate suites and yet the Children are nourished in peace the father followeth the warres so that they are well and we are better This was the aunswer that this old man gaue at the request of the great Pompeius Truely Faustine I say that though wee call the Messagetes Barbarous in this case they know more then the Latines For he that is free from a brawling woman hath escaped no small pestilence I aske thee now Faustine since those barbarous could not agree nor would not haue their wiues with thē in those sharpe mountains how shall we other agree and please you that liue in these pleasures in Rome One thing I will tell thee Faustine and I beseech the Gods that thou maiest vnderstand it which is If the beastly motions of the Flesh did not-force men to will and also to desire women I doubt whether there should be any woman in the world beloued or suffered For though nature giueth them gifts worthie to be beloued yet they through their smal discretion cause themselues to bee hated If the gods had made this loue voluntarie as they made it naturall so that we might haue loued as wee would and left againe at our pleasure that man ought worthily to haue beene punished which for the loue of any woman would put his life in daunger The Gods haue kept this great secret vnto themselues and the misery that they gaue vnto men is very great since that vnto so weake Flesh hee gaue so strong a heart the which doth procure that which doth vs harme and followeth that which we ought to abhorre This is an other secret that all men know when they offend but I see no man that seeketh amendment for I heare all complaine of the flesh and yet I see all like Butchers followe the flesh and when it can do least good then it is most greedie I enuie not the Gods liuing nor the men that be dead saue only for two things which be these First I enuie the Gods because they liue without feare of the malicious Secondarily I enuie the dead for that they liue without neede of Women For Women are so corrupt that the corrupt all and they be such mortall plagues that both flesh and heart by them are brought to ende O Faustine the loue of the flesh is so natural to the flesh that when from you the body flyeth in sport wee then leaue our hearts engaged to you in earnest And thogh reason as reason putteth desire to fleight yet the flesh flesh yeeldeth it selfe as prisoner CHAP. XXVI ¶ The Emperour following his matter admonisheth men of the great daungers which ensue vnto them by excessiue haunting the company of women And reciteth certaine rules for Marryed men which if they obserue may cause them to liue in peace with their Wiues I Remember that in my youth as I was of Flesh I trembled for seare of the flesh with minde neuer to returne againe and I do confesse that ofte times I reuolued in my heart many holie and chaste meditations but yet notwithstanding I gaue my bodie immediately to sundry filthie vices It is a naturall thing that when man hath committed any vice forthwith he repenteth him of his deede and so againe after his new repentance he turneth to his olde vices For during the time that wee liue in this fraile flesh Sensualitie beareth so great a rule that shee will not suffer Reason to enter in at the gate There is no man in Rome if a man doth aske him but wil maruelto declare with his tongue the thoughts that he hath had in his heart in especially to be chaste to be true to be pacient and to bee vertuous and peraduenture ye talke with those that somewhat communicate with them and let a man enquire of his neighbours ' they shall finde that he is a deeyuer ' a lyar and a blasphemer Finally they deceyue men by their faire wordes and offended the Gods by their euill works It profiteth little to Blaze vertues with wordes if the hand be negligent to worke them in deede For a man is not called iust onely desiring to be good in name but for to labour to be vertuous in workes The trayterous Worlde in no one thing beguileth wordlings so much as by feeding them with vaine hope saying That they shall haue time enough to be vertuous So that these blinde men when they are once deeply rooted in vices and whilest they
as hee sayeth that I haue disinherited him and abiected him from my heritage hee beeing begotten of my body hereunto I answere That I haue not disinherited my sonne but I haue disinherited his pleasure to the entent hee shall not enioy my trauell for there can bee nothing more vniust then that the young and vicious sonne should take his pleasure of the swet and droppes of the aged father The sonne replyed to his Father and sayde I confesse I haue offended my Father and also I confesse that I haue liued in pleasures yet if I may speake the truth though I were disobedient and euill my Father ought to beare the blame and if for this cause hee doeth dishenherite mee I thinke hee doth me great iniurie for the father that instructeth not his son in vertue in his youth wrongfully disinheriteth him though he be disobedient in his age The Father againe replyeth and sayeth It is true my sonne that I brought thee vp too wantonly in thy youth but thou knowest well that I haue taught thee sundry times and besides that I did correct thee when thou camest to some discretion And if in thy youth I did not instruct thee in learning it was for that thou in thy tender age diddest want vnderstanding but after that thou hadst age to vnderstand discretion to receyue and strength to exercise it I beganne to punish thee to teache thee and to instruct thee For where no vnderstanding is in the child there in vaine they teach doctrine Since thou art old quoth the sonne and I young since thou art my Father and I thy sonne for that thou hast white hayres on thy beard and I none at all it is but reason that thou be belieued and I condemned For in this world wee see oft times that the small authoritie of the person maketh him to loose his great iustice I graunt thee my Father that when I was a childe thou diddest cause mee to learne to reade but thou wilt not denie that if I did commit any faulte thou wouldst neuer agree I should be punished And hereof it came that thou suffering me to do what I would in my Youth haue bin disobedient to thee euer since in my age And I say vnto thee further that if in this case I haue offended truely mee thinketh thou canst not bee excused for the fathers in the youth of their children ought not onely to teach them to dispute of vertues what vertue is but they ought to inforce thē to be vertuous in deed For it is a good token when Youth before they knowe vices haue been accustomed to practise vertues Both partyes then diligently heard the good Phylosopher Solon Solinon speake these words I giue iudgement that the Father of this childe be not buryed after his death and I commaund that the Sonne because in his youth hee hath not obeyed his Father who is olde should be disinherited whilest the Father liueth from all his substance on such condition that after his death his sonnes should inherite the Heritage and so returne to the heyres of the Sonne and liue of the Father For it were vniust that the innocencie of the Sonne should be condemned for the offence of the Father I do commaund also that all the goods be committed vnto some faithfull person to the end they may giue the Father meat and drinke during his life and to make a graue for the Sonne after his death I haue not without a cause giuen such iudgement the which comprehendeth life and death For the Gods will not that for one pleasure the punishment bee double but that wee chastise and punish the one in the life taking from him his honour and goods and that wee punish others after their death taking from them memorie and buryall Truely the sentence which the Philosopher gaue was very graue and would to GOD wee had him for a iudge of this world presently For I sweare that hee should finde manie Children now a dayes for to disinherite and moe Fathers to punish For I cannot tell which is greater The shame of the children to disobey their Fathers or the negligence of the Fathers in bringing vp their children Sextus Cheronens in the second book of the sayings of the Philosophers declareth that a Citizen of Athens saide vnto Dyogenes the Phylosopher these wordes Tell mee Dyogenes What shall I doe to be in the fauour of the Gods and not in the hatred of men For oft times amongst you Phylosophers I haue hearde say that there is a great difference between that that the gods will and that which men loue Dyogenes answered Thou speakest more then thou oughtest to speake that the Gods will one thing and men another for the Gods are but as a center of mercy and men are but as a denne of malice if thou wilt enioy rest in thy dayes and keepe thy life pure and cleane thou must obserue these three things The first honour thy Gods deuoutely for the man which doeth not serue and honour the Gods in all his enterprises hee shall be vnfortunate The second bee very diligent to bring vp thy children well for the man hath no enemie so troublesome as his owne sonne if hee bee not well brought vp The third thing bee thankefull to thy good benefactors and friends for the Oracle of Apollo sayth that the man who is vnthankefull of all the world shall be abhorred And I tell thee further my friend that of these three things the most profitable though it be more troublesome is for a man to teach and bring vp his children well This therefore was the answere that the Philosopher Diogenes made to the demaund of the Citizen It is great pitty and griefe to see a young childe how the bloud doth stirre him to see how the flesh doth prouoke him to accomplish his desire to see sensuality goe before and he himselfe to come behind to see the malitious World to watch him to see how the Diuell doth tempte him to see how vices binde him and in all that which is spoken to see how the Father is negligent as if hee had no children whereas in deede the olde man by the fewe vertues he hath had in his Youth may easily knowe the infirmityes and vices wherewith his Sonne is incompassed If the expert had neuer beene ignorant if the Fathers had neuer beene children if the vertuous had neuer been vicious if the fine wittes had neuer been deceiued it were no maruell if the Fathers were negligent in teaching their children For the little experience excuseth men of great offences but since thou art my Father and that first thou wert a Sonne since thou art old and hast bin young and besides all this since that pride hath inflamed thee lechery hath burned thee wrath hath wounded thee Negligence hath hindred thee Couetousnes hath blinded thee Glotonie surfetted thee Tell mee cruell Father since so many vices haue reigned in thee why hast thou not an
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
true truly hee of right ought to be commended but aboue all more then all the Prince which keepeth his Common wealth in peace hath great wrong if hee not of all beloued What good can the Common wealth haue wherin there is warre and dissention Let euerie man say what he will without peace no man can enioy his owne no man can eate without feare no man sleepeth in good rest no man goeth safe by the way no mā trusteth his neighbour Finally I say that where there is no peace there wee are threatened dayly with death and euery houre in feare of our life It is good the Prince do scoure the realme of theeues for there is nothing more vniust thē that which the poor with toile and labour get should with vagabonds in idlenes be wasted It is good the Prince doe weed the realme of blasphemers for it is an euident token that those that dare blaspheme the king of heauen will not let to speake euill of the princes of the earth It is good the prince do cleare the common wealth of vagabonds players for play is so euill a mothe that it eateth the new gown and consumeth the drie wood It is good that the Prince doe forbidde his subiects of prodigall banquets superfluous apparrell for where men spend much in things superfluous it chanceth afterwards that they want of their necessaries But I aske now What auayleth it a Prince to banish all vices from his Common-wealth if otherwise he keepeth it in warre The only ende why Princes are Princes is to follow the good and to eschew the euill What shall you say therefore since that in the time of warres Princes cannot reforme vices nor correct the vicious Oh if Princes and Noble men knew what damage they doe to their countreyes the day that they take vppon them warre I thinke and also affirme that they would not onely not begin it nor yet anie priuate person durste scarely remember it And hee that doth counsell the Prince the contrary ought by reason to bee iudged to the Common-wealth an enemie Those which counsel Princes to seeke peace and to keepe peace without all doubt they haue wrong if they be not heard if they be loued and if they be not credited For the counsellour which for a light ocasion counselleth his Prince to beginne warre I say vnto him eyther choler surmounteth or else good Conscience wanteth It chaunceth often times that the prince is vexed and troubled because one certifieth him that a prouince is rebelled or some other prince hath inuaded his countrey and as the matter requireth the Councell is assembled There are some too rashe counsellours which immediately iudge peace to bee broken as lightly as others doe desire that Warres should neuer beginne When a Prince in such a case asketh counsell they ought forthwith not to aunswere him suddenly For things concerning the Warres ought with great wisedome first to be considered and then with as much aduisement to be determined King Dauid neuer tooke any warre in hand though he were very wise but first hee counselled with GOD The good Iudas Machabeus neuer entred into Battell but first hee made his prayer vnto Almightie GOD. The Greekes and Romanes durst neuer make warre against their enemies but first they would do sacrifice to the Gods and consulte also with their Oracles The matters of Iustice the recreations of his person the reward of the good the punishment of the euill and the diuiding of rewards a Prince may communicate with any priuate man but all matters of Warre hee ought first to counsell with GOD For the Prince shall neuer haue perfect victorie ouer his Enemyes vnlesse hee first committe the quarrell thereof vnto GOD. Those which counsell Princes whether it be in matters of warre or in the affaires of peace ought alwaies to remember this Sentence That they giue him such counsells alwayes when hee is alone in his Chamber as they would doe if they saw him at the poynt of death very sicke For at that instant no man dare speake with Flattery nor burden his conscience with bryberie When they entreate of warre they which moue it ought first to consider that if it came not well to passe all the blame will be imputed to their counsell And if that his substaunce bee not presently able to recompence the losse let him assure himselfe that here after his soule shall suffer the paine Men ought so much to loue peace and so much to abhorre warre that I belieue that the same preparation that a Priest hath in his Conscience with GOD before hee presume to receiue the holy Communion euen the same ought a counsellour to haue before that vnto his Prince hee giueth counsell concerning warre Since princes are men it is no maruell though they feele iniuties as men and that they desire to reuenge as men Therefore for this cause they ought to haue wise men of their counsell whereby they should mittigate and asswage theyr griefes and troubles For the Counsellours of Princes ought neuer to counsell thing they beeing angrie wherwith after they may iustly be displeased when they be pacified Following our matter in counting the goods which are lost in loosing peace and the euils which increase in winning warres I say that amongst other things the greatest euill is that in time of Warre they locke vp closely all vertues and set at libertie all vices During the time that Princes and great Lords maintaine warre though they bee Lordes of their Realmes and dominions by right yet for a trueth they are not to indeede For at that time the Lordes desire more to content their Souldiours and subiects then the Souldyers and subiects seeke to content the Lords And this they doe because they through power might vanquish their enemies and further through the loue of their money relieue their necessities Eyther Princes are gouerned by that wherevnto by sensualitie they are moued or else by that wherewith reason is contented If they will follow reason they haue too much of that they possesse but if they desire to follow the sensuall appetite there is nothing that will content them For as it is vnpossible to drie vp all the water in the Sea so it is harde to satisfie the heart of man that is giuen to couetousnes If Princes take vpon them warres saying that their right is taken from them and that therefore they haue a conscience Let them beware that such conscience bee not corrupted For in the worlde there is no Warre iustified but for the beginning thereof the Princes at one time or an other haue their Consciences burdened If Princes take vpon them Warre for none other cause but to augment their state and dignitie I say that this is a vaine hope For they consume and lose for the moste part more in one or two yeares warres then euer they get againe during their life If Princes take vpon them Warre to reuenge an iniurie as well
for this also it is a thing superfluous For manie goe to the warres being wronged onely with one thing and afterwards they returne iniuried with manie If Princes take vpon them Warres for none other cause but to winne honour me thinketh also that that is an vnprofitable conquest For me thinketh that Fortune is not a person so famous that into her hands a man may commit his honour his goods and his life If Princes take vpon them warre to leaue of them in the worlde to come some memorie this no lesse them the other seemeth to me vaine For without doubt if we examine the hystories that be past we shall finde those to be more in number which haue bin defamed then those which for vanquishing of their enemyes haue bin renowmed It Princes take vpon them warres supposing that there are in an other countrey more pleasures and delights then in their owne I say that to thinke this proceedeth of little experience and of lesse conscience For to a Prince there can bee no greater shame nor conscience then to beginne warres in straunge Realmes to maintaine his owne pleasures and vices at home Let no Princes deceyue themselues in thinking that there are in straunge Countries more things then in their owne For in the end there is no Land nor nation in the world where there is not Winter and Summer night and day sicknesse and health riches and pouerty mirth and sadnesse friends and enemies vitious and vertuous aliue and dead Finally I say that in all parts all things agree in one saue onely the dispositions of men which are diuers I would aske Princes and great Lords the which doe and will liue at theyr pleasure what they want in theyr Realmes yea though they bee little If they will hunt they haue mountaines and Parkes if they will fish they haue pondes if they will walke they haue riuers if they will refresh themselues they haue baynes if they will bee merry they haue Musitians if they delight in apparrelling them selues they haue rich clothes if they will giue they haue money if they desire women they haue wiues if they will take their rest they haue their Gardens if Winter annoye them they haue hote Countries if they will eate they want no meats Hee that with peace hath all these things in his owne Dominion why then with warre doe hee seeke them in a strange Country Men oftentimes flye from one Countrey to another not to be more deuoute nor more vertuous but to haue greater liberty and oportunitie to haunt vices And afterwards when they see the endes of their deeds they cannot refrayne their hearts from sighes since they might haue enioyed that at home with peace which in straunge Countries they sought with troubles There are so few thinges wherewith we are contented in the world that if perchaunce a man finde in any one place any one thing wherewith to content him Let him beware that the Diuell doe not deceiue him saying That in such another place he may receate himselfe better For whether soeuer wee goe wee shall finde such penurie and want of true pleasures and comforts and such plenty and copious aboundance of troubles and torments that for to comfort vs in an hundred yeares wee scarcely finde one and to torment vs wee finde at euery foot a thousand CHAP. XIII The Author reciteth the commodities which come of peace declaring how diuers Princes vpon light occasions haue made cruell warres Dimo an ancient king of Ponto sayd vnto a Philosopher that was withhim Tel me Philosopher I haue health I haue honour and I haue riches Is there any thing more to bee desired amongst men or to bee giuen of the Gods in this life The Philosopher aunswered him I see that I neuer saw and I heare that I neuer heard For health riches and honour the Gods seldome times doe thrust in one person his time is so short that dooth possesse them that they haue more reason for to pray that they might bee quieted of them then for to bee proude for that they possesse them And I tell thee further King Dimo It little profiteth that the Gods haue giuen thee all these thinges if thou dooest not content thy selfe therewith the which I thinke they haue not giuen thee nor neuer will giuen thee For the Gods are so iust in diuiding their gifts that to them to whom they giue contentation they take from them their riches and those whom they giue riches they take their contentation Plutarch in the first of his pollitikes putteth this example and hee declareth not the name of this Philosopher O how great a benefit is that which the Gods giue to Princes and great Lords in giuing them their health in giuing them riches and in giuing them honour but if besides those hee giueth them not contentation I say that in giuing them the goods he giueth them trauell and danger for if the trauell of the poore be greater then the trauell of the rich without comparison the discontentation of the rich is greater then the discontentation of the poore Men little regarding their health become sicke little esteeming theyr riches become poore and because they know not what honour is they become dishonoured I meane that the rash Princes vntill such time as they haue bin well beaten in the wars will alwayes little regard peace The day that you Princes proclaime wars against your enemies you set at liberty all vices to your subiects Yet you say your meaning is not they should bee euill I say it is true Yet all this ioyned together ye giue them occasiō that they be not good Let vs know what thing warre is and then wee shall see whether it bee good or euill to follow it In warres they doe nought else but kill men robbe the Temples spoyle the people destroy the Innocents giue liberty to theeues separate friends and rayse strife all the which things cannot bee done without great hurt of iustice and scrupulosity of conscience The seditious man himselfe cannot denie vs that if two Princes take vpon them warres betweene them that both of them seeme for to haue right yet the one of them onely hath reason So that the Prince which shall fight against Iustice or defende the vniust cause shall not escape out of that warre iustified Not issuing out-iustified hee shall remaine condemned and the condemnation shall bee that all the losses murthers burnings hangings and robberies which were done in the one or other common-wealth shal remaine vpon the account of him which took vpon him the vniust warre Although he doth not find another Prince that will demand an account of him heere in this life yet hee shall haue a iust Iudge that will in another place lay it to his charge The Prince which is vertuous presumeth to bee a Christian before he beginne the warre ought for to consider what losse or profite will ensue thereof Wherein if the end be not
nothing but lyes CHAP. XIX Of a letter of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius to Claudius and Claudinus reproouing them being olde men and that they liued youthfully MARKE Emperor borne in Mount Celio desireth to you my neighbours Claude and Claudine health of your persons and amendment of your liues I beeing as I am at the Conquest of Asia and you remayning alwayes in the pleasures of Rome wee vnderstand your newes very late and I thinke our letters arriue there as late Notwithstanding to those which goe thither I giue answeres for you others and of all those which come hither I demaund of your health And doe not demand of others how well and how much I loue you but of your owne proper hearts and if your heart say that I am a fained friend then I take my selfe condemned If perchance your harts doe tell you that I loue you beeing true indeed that I hate you or if I tel you that I hate you being true that I loue you of truth I would plucke such a heart out of my body and giue it to bee eaten of the beasts For there is no greater deceit then that which the man doth to himselfe If a stranger beguile mee I ought to dissemble it if an enemie deceiue mee I ought to reuenge it if my friend misuse mee I ought to complaine of him but if I deceyue my selfe with whom shall I comfort my selfe For there is no patience that can suffer the heart to deceiue himselfe in any thing which hee hath not deepaly considered Peraduenture yee will say I doe not esteeme you and that I haue not written any letter vnto you of long time To this I answere That you doe not attribute the fault to my negligence but to the great distance of countries that there is from hence to Rome and also to the great affaires of Asia For amongst other discommodities the warre hath this also that it depriueth vs of the sweet conuersation of our Country I haue alwayes presumed to bee yours and at this present am at no mans pleasure more then at yours And since you haue alwayes knowne of mee what you desired to know I haue espyed in you others that which of force I must speake For in the end I haue not seene any possesse so much to bee worth so much to know so much nor in all things to bee so mighty but that one day hee should neede his poore friend The diuine Plato sayde and also well That the man which loueth with his heart neyther in absence forgetteth neyther in presence becommeth negligent neyther in prosperity hee is proud nor yet in aduersitie abiect neyther he serueth for profit nor yet hee loueth for gaine and finally he defendeth the case of his friend as his owne Diuers haue beene of the opinions which the Auncients held to affirme for what end friendes were taken and in the end they were fully resolued that for foure causes we ought to chuse friends The first we ought to haue friends to treate and to bee conuersant with all for according to the troubles of this life there is no time so pleasantly consumed as in the conuersation of an assured friend The second is wee ought to haue friends to haue friends to whom we may disclose the secrets of our hearts for it is much comfort to the wofull hart to declare to his friend his doubts if he perceiue that hee doth feele them in deede The third we ought to search chuse friends to the end they helpe vs in our aduersities For little profiteth it my heart that with teares the friends doe heare all that I bewayle vnlesse afterwards in deede hee will take paines to reforme the same The fourth wee ought to seeke and preserue friends to the end they be protectors of our goods and likewise Iudges of our euils for the good friend is no lesse bound to withdraw vs from the vices whereby wee are slaundered then to deliuer vs from our enemies by whom wee may bee slaine The end why I tolde you all this was if that in this letter you chance to light vpon any sharpe word that you take it patiently considering that the loue that I beare you doth moue mee to speake and the faith which I owe vnto you dooth not suffer mee that I should keepe it close For many things ought to be borne among friends though they tell them in earnest which ought not to be suffered of others though they speake it in iest I come therefore to shew the matter and I beseech the immortall Gods that there be no more then that you haue tolde mee and that it bee lesse then I suspect Gaius Furius your Kinsman and my especiall friend as hee went to the Realme of Palestine and Hierusalem came to see mee in Antioch and hath tolde me newes of Italy Rome and among others one aboue all the residue I haue committed to memory at the which I could not refrain laughing and lesse to bee troubled after I had thought of it O how many things doe wee talke in iest the which after wee haue well considered giue occasion to be sorrie The Emperor Adrian my good lord had a Ieaster whose name was Belphus yong comely and stout albeit he was very malicious as such are acustomed to be and whiles the Embassadors of Germanie supped with the Emperour in great ioye the same Belphus began to jeast of euery one that was present according to his accustomed manner with a certaine malicious grace And Adrian perceyuing that some chaunged colour others murmured and others were angrie hee saide vnto this ieaster Friend Belphus if thou loue me and my seruice vse not these spitefull ieasts at our supper which being considered on may turne vs to euill rest in our beddes Gaius Furius hath told me so manie slaunders chaunced in Italie such nouelties done in Rome such alteration of our Senate such contentions and strife betweene our Neighbours such lightnes of you two that I was astonnied to heare it and ashamed to write it And it is nothing to tell after what sort he tolde them vnto me vnles you had seen how earnestly he spake them imagining that as he tolde them without taking any paines so did I receiue them as hee thought without anie griefe though in deede euery worde that hee spake seemed a sharpe piercing arrowe vnto my heart For ofte times some telleth vs things as of small importance the which do pricke our hearts to the quicke By the opinion of all I vnderstand that you are very olde and yet in your own fantasies you seeme very young And further they say that you Apparrell your selues a newe now as though presently you came into the worlde and moreouer they say that you are offended with nothing so much as when they call you olde and that in Theaters where comedies are played and in the Fieldes where the brute beasts doe run you are not the hindmost and that there is
the winds haue caused much raine and the much raine hath caused great moystures the which engendreth in me sundrie diseases Among the which the gowt of my hands is one and the Statica in my legges is another Eschines the Philosopher sayde that the liberty of the soule and the health of the body cannot bee esteemed too much and much lesse also bought for money Tell mee I pray thee what can hee doe or what is hee worth that hath neyther liberty nor health The diuine Plato in his bookes of his common wealth reciteth three things The first that the man which oweth nothing cannot say that hee is poore For the day that I owe money to another another and not my selfe is Lord of mine owne The second the man which is no seruant nor captaine hath not reason to say that any thing makes him vnhappy For Fortune in nothing sheweth her selfe so cruell as to take from vs the liberty of this life The second which Plato sayde is that among all temporall goods there is none more greater nor greater felicity then the treasure of health For the man which is persecuted with sicknes with riches can haue no contentation In the time of our olde Fathers when Rome was well corrected they did not onely ordaine the things of their Common-wealth but also they prouided for that which touched the health of euerie person So that they watched to cure the body and they were circumspect to destroy vices In the time of Gneus Patroclus and Iulius Albus they say that the City of Rome was ordinarily visited with sicknesse Wherefore first they did forbid that in the moneth of Iuly and August there should bee no stewes for Women For the bloud of the young was corrupted in Veneriall acts The third that no man shoulde bring any fruit from Salon or Campania to sell during these two moneths in Rome For the delicate Ladies of Rome for extreame heate and the poore for their pouerty did not eate in sommer but fruites and so the market places were full of fruites and the houses full of Agues The thirde they did defend that no inhabitant should bee so hardy to walke after the Sunne was set For the young men through the lightnesse they vsed in the nights took diseases which vexed them in the dayes The fourth they did prohibit that no man should bee so hardy to sell openly in Rome wine of Candie or Spaine For in the great heate of the summer as the Sunne is very hote so the wine as poyson doth kill young men The fifth that they should purge the priueyes and make cleane the streetes and Houses For of the corruption of the ayre is engendred the plague among the people When Rome was rich when Rome prospered all these things were obserued in the common-wealth But since Catilina the tyraunt did rebell since Scylla and Marius did slaunder it since Caesar and Pompeyus did playe the Tyrants since Octauius Augustus and Marcus Antonius did robbe it since Caligula and Nero did defame it they cared little whether they entred into Rome to sell the wine of Spaine or Candia For they feared more the knife of the enemyes then the heate of the summer Great reason had the Auncients to forbid those things in Rome For to say the trueth they are not healthfull When I was young in Rome my head did not ake with talking in the night nor I did feele my bloud chased with drinking wine Then I was not troubled to ieatte in the heate in the summer nor I was annoyed to go bare-legged in the winter But nowe that I am olde there is no heate but offendeth me nor colde but pearseth mee For men through much euill rule in their youth come to grieuous diseases in their age Oh if mortall men after that they be olde could at any time worke with the Gods that they should become young againe I sweare vnto thee by the faith of a good man that they would behaue themselues so well that the world should not againe deceyue them Since men haue been vicious in their youth I do not maruell thogh they are full of diseases when they are old For how can he loue his health which hateth vertue All that which I haue spoken here before is to the end you may knowe and belieue that I am sicke and that I cannot write vnto thee so long as I would and as thou desirest so that hereof it followeth that I shall bewayle thy paine and thou shalt be grieued with my gowt I vnderstod here how at the feast of the God Ianus through the running of a horse great strife is raised betweene thee and thy neighbor Patricius And the brute was such that they haue confiscated thy goods battered thy house banished thy children and depriued thee from the Senate for tenne yeares And further they banished thee out of Capua for euer and haue put thy fellow in the prison Mamortine so that by this little furie thou hast cause to lamet al the dayes of thy life Al those which come from thence do tell vs that thou art so woefull in thy heart and so chaunged in thy person that thou doest not forget thy heauie chaunces nor receiuest consolation of thy faithfull friends Thinke not that I speake this that thou shouldest be offended for according to the often chaunges which fortune hath shewed in mee it is long since I knew what sorrow meant For truly the man which is sorowful sigheth in the day watcheth in the night delyteth not in companie and with onely care hee resteth The light he hateth the darknes he loueth with his bitter teares hee watereth the Earth with heauy sighs he pierceth the Heauens with infinit sorrowes he remembreth that that is past and foreseeth nothing that which is to come He is displeased with him that doeth comfort him and hee taketh rest to expresse his sorrowes Finally the vnfortunate man is contented with nothing and with himselfe continually hee doeth chafe Beleeue mee Domitius that if I haue wel touched the conditions of the sorrowfull man it is for no other cause but for that my euill fortune hath made me taste them all And hereof it commeth that I can so well discribe them for in the end in things which touch the sorrowes of the spirite and the troubles of the body there is great difference from him that hath read them frō him that hath felt them If thou diddest feele it there as I doe feele it here it is sufficient to giue thee and thy friendes great dolour to thinke that for so small a trifle thou shouldst vndoe thee and al thy parentage and speaking with the truth I am very sorry to see thee cast away but much more it grieueth me to see thee drow ned in so little water When men are noble and keepe their hearts high they ought to take their enemies agreeable to their Estates I meane that when a Noble man shall aduenture to hazard his
faithfull friend about them to helpe them to passe that paine And not without a cause I say that he ought to be a faithfull friend For many in our life do gape after our goods few at our deaths are sory for our offences The wise and sage men before nature compelleth them to die of their owne will ought to die That is to say that before they see themselues in the pangs of death they haue their consciences ready prepared For if we count him a foole which wil passe the sea without a ship truely we will not count him wise which taketh his death without any preparation before What losest a wisest man to haue his will well ordained in what aduenuenture of honour is any man before death to reconcile himselfe to his enemies and to those whom he hath borne hate and malice What loseth he of his credite who in his life time restoreth that which at his death they will command him to render wherein may a man shew himselfe to bee more wise then when willingly hee hath discharged that which afterwards by processe they will take from him O how many Princes and great Lords are there which onely not for spending one day about their testament haue caused their children and heires all the dayes of their life to bee in trauerse in the Law So that they supposing to haue left their children wealthy haue not left them but for Atturneyes and Counsellers of the law The true and vnfained Christian ought euery morning so to dispose his goods and correct life as if he shold dye the same night And at night in like manner he ought to commit himselfe to GOD as if he hoped for no life vntill morning For to say the truth to sustaine life there are infinite trauels but to meete with death there is but one way If they will credite my wordes I would coūsell no man in such estate to liue that for any thing in the worlde he should vndoe himselfe The Riche and the poore the great and the smal the Gentlemen and the Plebeyans all say and sweare that of death they are exceeding fearefull To whome I say and affirm that he alone feareth death in whome we see amendment of life Princes and great Lords ought also to be perfect to ende before they ende to dye before they die and to be mortified before they bee mortified If they doe this with themselues they shall as easily leaue their life as if they channged from one house to another For the most parte of men delight to talke with leysure to drinke with leysure to eate with leysure and to sleepe with leysure but they die in haste Not without cause I say they die in haste since wee see them receiue the sacrament of the Supper of the Lord in haste male their willes by force and with speede to confesse and receyue So that they take it and demaund it so late and so without reason that often times they haue loste their Sences and are readie to giue vp the spirite when they bring it vnto them What auaileth the Ship-master after the ship is sunke what doe weapons after the battell is lost What auaileth pleasures after men are dead By this which I haue spoken I will demaund what it auayleth the sicke being heauie with sleepe and berefte of their sences to call for Confessors vnto whome they confesse their sinnes Euill shall hee bee confessed which hath no vnderstanding to repent himselfe What auaileth it to call the confessor to vnderstand the secrets of his Conscience when the sicke man hath lost his speech Let vs not deceyue our selues saying in our age we will amend hereafter and make restitution at our death For in mine opinion it is not the poynt of wise men nor of good Christiās to desire so much time to offend and they will not espie any to amend Would to GOD that the third parte of the precious time which men occupie in sinne were employed about the meditations of Death and the cares which they haue to accomplish their Fleshly lusts were spent in bewayling their filthie sinnes I am very sorrie with my heart that they so wickedly spend and passe their-life in vices and pleasures as if there were no GOD vnto whom they shold render account for their offences All worldlings willingly doe sinne vpon a vaine hope onely in Age to amend and at death to repent But I would demaund him that in this hope sinned what certainty he hath in age of amendment and what assurance he hath to haue long warning before hee die Since we see by experience there are moe in number which dye young then olde it is no reason wee should commit so many sinnes in one day as that wee should haue cause to lament afterwards all the rest of our life And afterwards to bewayle the sins of our long life we desire no more but one space of an houre Considering the the Omnipotencie of the Diuine mercie it sufficeth yea and I say that the space of an houreis to much to repent vs of our wicked life but I would counsel all since the sinner for to repent taketh but one houre that that be not the last houre For the sighes and repentance which proceed from the bottome of the heart penetrate the high Heauens but those which come of necessity doeth not pierce the bare seeling of the House I allow and commende that those which visit◠the sick do counsell them to examin their consciences to receiue the Communion to pray vnto GOD to forgiue their enemyes and to recommend themselues to the deuoute prayers of the people and to repent them of their sinnes Finally I say that it is very good to doe all this But yet I say it is better to haue done it before For the diligent and careful Pyrate prepareth for the Tempest when the Sea is calme Hee that deepely would consider how little the goods of this life are to be esteemed Let him go to see a rich man when hee dyeth and what he doeth in his bed And he shall finde that the wife demandeth of the poore husband her dowrie the Daughter the third parte the other the fifth the childe the preheminence of age the Sonne in law his Marriage the physition his duetie the Slaue his libertie the Seruaunts their wages the creditours their debtes and the worst of all is that none of those that ought to inherite his goods will giue him one glasse of water Those that shall heare or read this ought to consider that that which they haue seene done at the death of their neighbours the same shall come vnto them when they shall be sicke at the poynt of death For so soone as the Rich shutteth his eyes forthwith there is great strife betweene the children for his goods And this strife is not to vnburthen his soule but which of them shall inherite most of his possessions In this case I will not my pen trauell any
sonne in lawes in maintaining processes in discharging debts in fighing for that is past in bewayling that that is present in dissembling iniuries in hearing woful newes and in other infinite trauels I So that it were much better to haue their eyes shut in the graue thē their hearts and bodies aliue to suffer so much in this miserable life He whom the gods take from this miserable life at the end of fiftie yeeres is quitted from all these miseries of life For after that time hee is not weake but crooked hee goeth not but rowlleth he stumbleth nor but falleth O my Lord Marke knowest thou not that by the same way whereby goeth death death cometh Knowest not thou in like manner that it is 62. yeers that life hath fled from death that there is another time asmuch that death goeth seeking thy life and death going from Illiria where he left a great plague thou departing frō thy pallace ye two haue now met in Hungarie Knowest not thou that where thou leapedst out of thy mothers intrailes to gouerne the land immediately death leaped out of his grauè to seeke thy life Thou hast alwayes presumed not onely to bee honored but also to be honorable if it bee so since thou honouredst the Embassadors of Princes which did send them the more for their profite then for thy seruice why dost thou not honor thy messenger whom the gods send more for thy profite then for their seruices Doest thou not remember well when Vulcan my sonne in law poysoned me more for the couetousnesse of my gods then any desire that hee had of my life thou Lord that diddest come to comfort mee in my chamber and toldst me that the gods were cruell to slay the yong and were pitiful to take the old from this world And thou saidst further these wordes Comfort thee Panutius for if thou wert borne to the now thou drest to liue Since therefore noble Prince that I tell thee that which thou toldst me and counsell thee the same which thou counsellest me I render to thee that which thou hast giuen me Finally of these vines I haue gathered these cluster of grapes CHAP. LII The answer of the Emperour Marcus to Panutius his Secretarie wherein he declareth that he tooke no thought to forsake the world but all his sorow was to leaue behind him an vnhappie child to inherit the Empire PAnutius blessed be the milke which thou hast sucked in Dacia the bread which thou hast eaten in Rome the larning which thou hast learned in Greece and the bringing vppe which thou hast had in my pallace For thou hast serued as a good seruant in life and giuest mee good counsell as a trustie friende at death I command Commodus my son to recompence thy seruice and I beseech the immortall gods that they acquite thy good counsels And not without good cause I charge my son with the one and requrie the gods of the other For the payment of many seruices one man alone may doe but to pay one good counsell it is requisite to haue all the gods The greatest good that a friend can doe to his friend is in great and waightie affaires to giue him good and wholesome counsell And not without cause I say wholesome For commonly it chaunceth that those which thinke with their counsell to remedy vs doe put vs oftentimes in greatest perils All the trauells of life are hard but that of death is the most hard and terrible Al are great but this is the greatest All are perillous but this is most perrillons All in death haue ende except the trauell of death whereof wee know no end that which I say now no men perfectly can know but he which seeth himselfe as I see my selfe now at the point of death Certainly Panutius thou hast spoken vnto mee as a wise man but for that thou knowst not my griefe thou couldst not cure my disease for my sore is not there where thou hast layde the plaister The fistula is not there where thou hast cutte the flesh The opilation is not there where thou hast layd the oyntments There were not the right veines where thou didst let me bloud Thou hast not yet touched the wound which is the cause of all my griefe I meane that thou oughtest to haue entred further with mee to haue knowne my griefe better The sighes which the heart fetcheth I say those which come from the heart let not euerie man think which heareth them that he can immedialy vnderstand them For as men cannot remedie the anguishes of the spirit so the gods likewise would not that they should know the secrets of the heart Without feare or shame many dare say that they know the thought of others wherein they shew themselues to bee more fooles then wise For since there are many things in me wherein I my selfe doubt how can a stranger haue any certaine knowledge therein Thou accusest me Panutius that I feare death greatly the which I deny but to feare it as man I doe confesse For to deny that I feare not death should bee to denie that I am not of flesh We see by experience that the Elephants do feare the Lyon the Beare the Elephant the wolfe the Beare the Lambe the Wolfe the Rat the Cat the Cat the Dog the Dog the man Finally the one and the other do feare for no other thing but for feare that one killeth not the other Then since bruite beasts refuse death the which though they die feare not to fight with the suries nor hope not to rest with the gods so much the more ought we to feare death which die in doubt whether the furies will teare vs in peeces with their torments or the gods will receiue vs in to their houses with ioy Thinkest thou Panutius that I doe not see well my vine is gathered and that it is not hid vnto me that my palace falleth in decay I know well that I haue not but the kernell of the Raison the skin and that I haue not but one sigh of all my life vntill this time There was great difference betweene me and thee now there is no great difference betwixt me and my selfe For about the ensign thou dost place the army In the riuers thou castest thy nets within the parkes thou huntest the buls in the shadow thou takest cold By this I meane that thou talkest so much of death because that thou art sure of thy life O miserable man that I am for in short space of all that is life I haue possessed with mee I shall carrie nothing but onely my winding sheete Alasse how shall I enter into the field not where of fierce beasts I shall bee assaulted but of the hungrie wormes deuoured Alasse I see my selfe in that distresse from whence my fraile flesh cannot escape And if any hope remaine it is in thee O death When I am sicke I would not that hee that is whole should comfort me When
I am sorrowfull I would not that he which is merrie should comfort me When I am bannished I would not that hee which is in prosperitie should comfort mee When I am at the houre of death I would not that hee should comfort me which is not in suspition of life But I would that the poore should comfort me in pouertie the sorrowfull in my sorrowes the banished in my banishment and he which is in as great danger of his life as I am now at the point of death For there is no counsell so healthfull nor true as that of the man which is in sorrow when he counselleth another which is likewise tormented himselfe If thou considerest well this sentence thou shalt finde that I haue spoken a thing profound wherein notwithstanding my tongue is appeased For in my opinion euill shall hee be comforted which is weeping with him that continually laugheth I say this to the ende thou know that I know it and that thou perceiue that I perceiue it And because thou shalt not liue deceiued as to my friend I will disclose the secret and thou shalt see that smal is the sorrow which I haue in respect of the great which I haue cause to haue For if reason had not striued with sensualtie the sighes ended my life and in a pond of teares they had made my graue The things which in mee thou hast seene which abhore meate to banish sleepe to loue care to bee annoyed with company to take rest in sighes and to take pleasures in teares may easily declare vnto thee what torment is in the sea of my heart when such tremblings doe appeare in the earth of my body Let vs now come to the purpose and we shal see why my bodie is without consolation and my heart ouercome with sorrowes for my feeling greatly exceeds my complaining because the body is so delicate that in scratching it it complaineth and the heart is so stout and valiant that though it be hurt yet it dissembleth O Panutius I let thee know that the occasion why I take death so grieuously is because I leaue my sonne Commodus in this life who liueth in this age most perillous for him and no lesse dangerous for the Empire By the flowers are the fruits knowne by the grapes the vines are knowne and by the face men are knowne by the colt the horse is iudged and by the infant youth is knowne This I say by the Prince my sonne for that hee hath bene euill in my life I doe imagine that he will bee worse after my death Since thou as well as I knowst the euill conditions of my sonne why doest thou maruell at the thoughts and sorrowes of the father My son Commodus in yeares is yong and in vnderstanding yonger Hee hath an euill inclination and yet hee will not enforce himselfe against the same hee gouerneth himselfe by his owne sence and in matters of wisedome he knoweth little of that hee should be ignorant hee knoweth too much and that which is worst of all he is of no man esteemed Hee knoweth nothing of things past nor occupieth him about any thing present Finally for that which mine eyes haue seene I say and that which within my heart I haue suspected I iudge that shortly the person of my sonne shall be in hazard and the memory of his father perish O how vnkindely haue the gods vsed themselues toward vs to command vs to leaue our honour in the hands of our children for it should suffice that wee should leaue them our goods and that to our friends we should commit our honor But yet I am sorry for that they consume the goods in vices and lose the honour for to bee vitious The gods being pittifull as they are since they giue vs the authoritie to diuide our goods why do they not giue vs leaue to make our wils of the honor My sonnes name being Commodus in the Romain tongue is as much to say as profite but as he is wee will be content to bee without little profite which he may do to some so that we may bee excused of the great damage which he is likely to doe to all For I suppose hee will be the scourge of men and the wrath of God He entreth now into the pathway of youth alone without a guide And for that he hath to passe by the high and dangerous places I feare lest hee bee lost in the wood of vices For the children of Princes and great Lord◠for so much as they are brought vp in libertie and wantonnesse doe easily fal into vices and voluptuousnesse and are most stubborn to be withdrawne from folly O Panutius giue attentiue eare to that I say vnto thee Seest thou not that Commodus my sonne is at libertie is rich is yong and is alone By the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee that the least of these windes would ouerthrow not onely a young tender Ash but also a mightie strong Oake Riches youth pride and liberty are foure plagues which poyson the Prince replenish the common wealth with filth kill the liuing and defame the dead Let the olde men beleeue me and the young men marke mee well what I say that where the gods haue giuen many gifts it is necessary they haue many vertues to sustaine them The gentle the peaceable the coūterfeit the simple and the fearefull doe not trouble the common wealth but those whom nature hath giuen most gifts For as experience teacheth vs with the fairest women the stewes are furnished the most proper personage are vnshamefast the most stout and valiant are murderers the most subtill are theeues and men of clearest vnderstanding oft times become most fooles I say and say againe I affirme and affirme againe I sweare and sweare againe that if two men which are adorned with naturall gifts doe want requisite vertues such haue a knife in their hands wherewith they do strike and wound themselues a fire on their shoulders wherewith they burne themselues a rope at their neckes to hang themselues a dagger at theyr breast wherewith they kill themselues a thorne in their foote wherwith they pricke themselues and stones whereat they stumble so that stumbling they fall and falling they finde themselues with death whom they hate and without life which so much they loued Note well Panutius note that the man which from his infancy hath alwayes the feare of the gods before his eyes and the shame of men saieth truth to all and liueth in preiudice to none and to such a tree though euill fortune do cleaue the flower of his youth doe wither the leaues of theyr fauours drie they gather the fruites of his trauels they cut the bough of his offices they bow the highest of his branches downewards yet in the end though of the windes hee be beaten hee shall neuer be ouercome O happy are those Fathers vnto whom the Gods haue giuen quicke children wise fayre able light and
valiant but all these giftes are but meanes to make them vicious And in such case if the Fathers would bee gouerned by my counsell I would rather desire that members should want in them then that vices should abound Of the most fairest children which are borne in the Empire my sonne Commodus the Prince is one But I would to the immortall Gods that in face hee resemble the blackest of Ethiope and in manners the greatest Philosopher of Greece For the glory of the Father is not nor ought not to bee in that his child is fayre of complexion and handsome of person but that in his life hee bee very vpright Wee will not call him a pittifull Father but a great enemy who exalteth forth his child for that he is faire and doth not correct him though hee be vicious I durst say that the father which hath a child endued with many goodly gifts and that hee doth employ them all to vices such a child ought not to bee borne in the world and if perchance he were borne hee ought immediately to be buried CHAP. LIII The Emperour Marcus Aurelius concludeth his matter and sheweth that sondry young Princes for being vicious haue vndone themselues and empouerished their Realms O What great pitty is it to see how the father buyeth his child of the gods with sighes how the mother deliuers thē with pain how they both nourish them with trauels how they watch to sustain them how they labour to remedy them afterwards they haue so rebelled and be so vicious that the miserable Fathers oftentimes do die not for age but for the griefes wherewith their children torment them I doe remember that the Prince Commodus my sonne beeing young and I aged as I am with great paines we kept him from vices but I feare that after my death hee will hate vertues I remember many yong Princes which of his age haue inherited th' Empire of Rome who haue bin of so wicked a life that they haue deserued to loose both honour and life I remember Dennys the famous tyraunt of Scycile of whom is saide that as great reward hee gaue to those that inuented vices as our Mother Rome did to those which cōquered realms Such worke could not be but of a tyraunt to take them for most familiar which are most vicious I remember foure young Princes which gouerned the Empyre but not with such valiauntnes as the great Alexander that is to say Alexander Antiochus Syluius and Ptholomeus vnto whom for their vanity and lightnes as they called Alexander the Great Emperour in Greece so likewise do they call these young men tyrants in Asia Very happie was Alexander in life and they vnhappy after his death For all that which with glorious triumphs hee wanne with vile vices they lost So that Alexander deuided betweene them foure the worlde and afterwards it came into the handes of moe then foure hundreth I doe remember that king Antigonus little esteemed that which cost his Lorde Alexander much Hee was so light in the behauiour of his person and so defamed in the affayres of the Common-wealth that for mockerie and contempt in the steed of a crown of golde hee bare a garland in the steed of a scepter hee carryed nettles in his hand and of this sort and manner he sate to iudge among his counsellors vsed to talke with strangers This yong Prince doth offend me much for the lightnes he committed but much more I maruell at the grauitie of the Sages of Greece which suffered him It is but meete hee be partaker of the paine which condescended to the faulte I do remember Caligula the fourth Emperor of Rome who was so young and foolish that I doubt of these two things which was greatest in his time That is to say The disobedience that the people bare to their Lorde or the hate which the Lord bare to his people For that vnhappie creature was so disordered in his manners that if all the Romaines had not watched to take life from him hee would haue watched to take life from them This Caligula wore a brooche of gold in his cap wherein were written these wordes Vtinam omnis populus vnam precise ceruicem haberet vt vno ictu omnes necarem Which is to say would to God all the people had but one necke to the ende I might kill them all at a stroke I remember the Emperour Tiberius th'adoptiue sonne of the good Caesar Augustus which was called Augustus because hee greatly augmented the Empyre But the good Emperor did not so much augment the state of his Common-wealth during his life as Tyberius did diminish it after his death The hate and malice which the Romain people bare to Tiberius in his life was manifestly discouered after the time of his death For the day that Tyberius dyed or better to say when they killed him the Romaine people made great processions and the Senators offered great presents in the temples and the priests gaue great Sacrifices to their Gods and all to the end their gods shold not receiue the soule of this Tyraunt amongst them but that they would sende it to be kept among the Furyes of hell I remember Patrocles 2. K. of Corinth inherited the realm at xxii yeres of his age who was so disordred of his flesh so indiscret in his doings so couetous of goods such a coward of his person that wher his father had possessed the Realm 40. yeres the sonne did not possesse it thirtie moneths I remember Tarquine the prowde who though among eight Knights of Rome was the last and comlyest of gesture valiaunt in Armes Noblest of bloud and in giuing most liberall yet he employed all his gifts and grace◠which the Gods had giuen him euill For hee employed his beautie to ryot and his forces to tyrannie For through the treason villanie which hee committed with the Romaine Lucretia he did not only lose the realme and flying saued his life but also for euer was banished and all his Linage likewise I remember the cruell Emperour Nero who liued inherited and dyed young and not without a cause I say that hee liued and dyed young For in him was graffed the stocke of the noble worthie Caesars and in him was renued the memory of those tyrants To whom thinkest thou Panutius this Tyrant would haue giuen life since he with his owne hand gaue his Mother her death Tell mee I pray thee who thinkest thou hath made that cursed heart who slewe his Mother out of whose wombe he came opened the breasts which gaue him sucke Shedde the bloud wher of he was born Tore the armes in which hee was carryed saw the entrails wherin he was formed The day that the Emperour Nero slewe his mother an Orator said in the Senate Iure interficienda erat Agrippina qua tale portentum peperit in populo Romano Which is to say iustly deserued Agrippina to bee put to death which brought forth
iustice but none do reioyce that they execute it in his house And therfore after the Prince endeth his life the people will take reuenge of those which haue beene ministers thereof It were great infamy to the Empire offence to the gods iniurie to mee vnthankefulnes to thee hauing found the armes of my seruants ready eighteene yeers that thy gates should be shut against them one day Keepe keepe these things my sonne in thy memory and since particularly I doe remember them at my death consider how heartily I loued them in my life CHAP. LVII The good Marcus Aurelius Emperour of Rome endeth his purpose and life And of the last words which he spake to his sonne Commodus and of the table of Counsels which he gaue him WHen the Emperor had ended his particular recommendations vnto his sonne Commodus as the dawning of the day beganne to appeare so his eyes beganne to close his tongue to faulter and his handes to tremble as it doth accustome to those which are at the point of death The Prince perceyuing then little life to remaine commaunded his Secretary Panutius to goe to the coffers of his bookes and to bring one of the coffers before his presence out of the which hee tooke a table of 3. foote of bredth and 2. of length the which was of Eban bordered all about with Vnicorne And it was closed with 2. lids very fine of red wood which they call rasing of a tree where the Phenix as they say breedeth which did grow in Arabia And as there is but one onely Phenix so in the world is there but one onely tree of that sort On the vttermost part of the Table was grauen the god Iupiter and on the other the goddesse Venus and in the other was drawne the god Mars and the goddesse Diana In the vppermost part of the table was carued a Bull and in the nethermost part was drawne a King And they sayde the painter of so famous and renowmed a worke was called Apelles The Emperour taking the Table in his handes casting his eyes vnto his Sonne said these words Thou seest my sonne how from the turmoyles of Fortune I haue escaped and how I into miserable destinies of death do enter where by experience I shall know what shall be after this life I meane not now to blaspheme the Gods but to repent my sinnes But I would willinglie declare why the Gods haue created vs since there is such trouble in life and paine in death Not vnderstanding why the Gods haue vsed so great crueltie with creatures I see it now in that after lxij yeares I haue sayled in the daunger and perill of this life now they commaund mee to land and harbour in the graue of death Now approcheth the houre wherein the band of Matrimonie is loosed the threede of Life vntwined the key doth locke the sleepe is wakened my life doth ende and I goe out of this troublesome paine Remembring mee of that I haue done in my life I desire no more to liue but for that I knowe not whether I am carryed by death I feare and refuse his darts Alas what shall I doe since the Gods tell mee not what I shall do What counsell shall I take of any man since no man will accompanie mee in this iourney Oh what great disceipt Oh what manifest blindnes is this to loue one thing all the dayes of our life and to cary nothing with vs after our death Because I desired to be rich they let me dye poore Because I desired to liue with companie they let me die alone For such shortnes of life I know not what hee is that will haue a house since the narrow graue is our certaine mansion place Belieue mee my sonne that manie things past doe grieue mee sore but with nothing so much I am troubled as to come so late to the knowledge of this life For if I could perfectly belieue this neyther should men haue cause to reproue me neyther yet I now such occasion to lament me Oh how certaine a thing is it that men when they come to the point of death doe promise the Gods that if they prerogue their death they will amend their life but notwithstanding I am sorry that we see them deliuered from death without any manner of amendment of life They haue obtained that which of the Gods they haue desired and haue not performed that which they haue prornised They ought assuredly to thinke that in the sweetest time of their life they shall be constrained to accept death For admit that the punishment of ingrate persons be deferred yet therefore the fault is not pardoned Be thou assured my Sonne that I haue seene ynough hearde selte tasted desired possessed eaten slept spoken and also liued ynough For vices giue as great troubles to those which follow them much as they do great desire to those which neuer proued them I confesse to the immortall Gods that I haue no desire to liue yet I ensure thee I would not die For life is so troublesome that it wearyeth vs and Death is so doubtfull that it feareth vs. If the Gods deferred my death I doubt whether I should reforme my life And if I do not amend my life nor serue the gods better nor profit the commonwealth more and if that euery time I am sick it should grieue mee to dye I say it is much better for mee now to accept death then to wish the lengthening of my life I say the life is so troublesom so fickle so suspicious so vucertaine and so importunate Finally I say it is a life without life that hee is an obstinate foole which so much desireth it Come that that may come for finally notwithstanding that I haue spoken I willingly commit selfe into the hands of the gods since of necessitie I am therunto constrained For it proceedeth not of a little wisedome to receiue that willingly which to doe wee are constrained of necessitie I will not recommend my selfe to the Priests nor cause the Oracles to be visited nor promise any thing to the temples nor offer sacrifices to the gods to the end they should warrant me from death and restore mee to life but I will demaund and require them that if they haue created mee for any good thing I may not lose it for my euill life So wise and sage are the gods in that they say so iust true in that they promise that if they giue vs not that which wee others would it is not for that they will not but because wee deserue it not for wee are so euill and worth so little and we may doe so little that for many good works wee deserue no merite and yet with and euill worke wee be made vnworthy of all Since therefore I haue put my selfe into the hands of the gods let them doe with me what they will for their seruice for in the end the worst that they will do is much better then
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
is also a great trouble and daungerous for a man to practise with new Iudges and to put their matters into their hands who onely were called to the place of a Iudge being thought learned and fitte for it and so brought to rule as a Magistrate For many times these young Iudges and new Physitians although they want not possible knowledge yet they may lacke a great deale of practise experience which is cause that one sort maketh many lose their liues before they doe come to rise in fame the other vndoe many a man in making him spēd all that euer he hath There is yet besides an other apparant daunger to haue to doe with these new and yong experienced iudges for when they come to sit newly in iudgement with their other brethren the Iudges hauing the lawe in their mouth to serue all turnes they doe but onely desire and study to winne fame and reputation amongst men and thereby to bee the better reputed of his brethren And for this cause only when they are assembled together in place of Iustice to giue iudgement of the pleas layde before them they doe not only inlarge themselues in alleadging many and diuers opinions of great learned men and booke cases So that the Hearers of them may rather thinke they haue studyed to shew their eloquence and learning then for to open the decision and iudgement of the cases they haue before them And for finall resolution I say that touching Pleas and Sutes I am of opinion that they should neyther truste the experience of the olde Iudge nor the learning and knowledge of the young But rather I reckon that man wise that seeketh by little and little to grow to an agreement with his aduersarie and that tarieth not many yeares to haue a lingring yea and possibly an vncertaine ende Also I would in some sort exhort the poore Plaintise not to bee ouer-curious to vnderstand the qualities of the iudge as a man would say If he be olde or young if he be learned or priuiledged if he be well studyed or but little if hee be a man of few or manie words if hee be afflicted or passionate tractable or selfe willed For possiblie beeing too inquisitiue to demaund of any of these things it might happen though hee did it vnawares yet hee should finde them afterwards all heaped togethers in the person of the Iudge to his hinderance and dammage in decyding his cause The wise Suter should not onely not seek to be inquisitiue of the iudge or his conditions but also if any man would seeme to tell him of him hee should giue no eare to him at all For if it come to the Iudges eares hee enquireth after his manner of liuing and condition hee will not onely be angry with him in his minde but will be also vnwilling to giue iudgement in his fauour The poore Siuter shall also meete with Terrible Iudges seuere intractable chollericke incommunicable and inexorable and yet for all this he may not looke vpon his nature nor condition but onely to regarde his good conscience For what neede hee care if the Iudge be of seuere and sharpe condition as long as he may be assured that hee is of good conscience It is as needefull for the vpright and good Iudge to haue a good and pure Conscience as it is to haue a skilfull head and iudgement in the Lawes For if he haue the one without the other hee may offend in malice and if hee haue that without the other hee may offend also in ignorance And if the suter come to speake with the Iudge and hee by chaunce finde him a sleepe hee must tarry till hee awake and if then hee will not or he cannot giue eare vnto him hee must bee contented And if he caused his man to say he were not within notwithstanding the suter saw him hee must dissemble it yea if the seruants giue him an ill answere he must take it in good worth For the wary and politike suter must not bee offended at any thing that is done or sayde to him till he see the definitiue sentence giuen with him or against him It is a maruellous trouble also to the suter to chuse his Counsellour for many times hee shall chuse one that shall want both law and conscience And some others shall chuse one that though on the one side hee lacke not Law yet on the other hee shall bee without both soule and conscience And this is apparantly seen that somtime for the gaine of twenty Nobles hee shall as willingly deny the truth and goe against his owne consciedce as at another time he will seeke for to maintaine Iustice It is true there are many other Counsellours also that are both wise and learned and yet notwithstanding they know the Law they can by no meanes frame it to his Clients case wanting deuice and conuayance to ioyne them together And so it happeneth many times that to compare it to his Clyants case hee conuaieth him so vnfitlie as of a plaine case it was before It is now made altogether a folde of infinite doubts I graunt that it is a great furtherance vnto the Clyants to haue a good and wise Counsellor but it is a great deale more for their profite if they can giue a sound and profound iudgement of his case For it is not ynough for the Counseller to bee able to expound the Law but it is behouefull for him to applie it to his purpose and to fit it to Time and Place according to the necessitie of his cause I haue knowne Counsellours my selfe that in their Chayres and Readings in their Halls haue seemed Eagles they haue flowne so high in their doctrine and interpretations but afterwards at the barre where they plead and in the face of their Court where they should best shewe themselues there they haue prooued themselues very capons And the onely cause of this is because they haue gotten by force of long trauell and continuall studie a knowledge to moote and read ordinarily their Book-cases in their chaires by common-practise and putting of them each to other But when they are taken out of common-trade and high beaten way and brought to a little path-way straighted to a Counsellers-room at the barre to pleade his Clyents strange and vnknowne case much contrarie to theyr Booke-cases before recited then stript of their common-knowledge and easie seate in chayre they stand now naked on their feete before the iudgement-seate like sense-lesse creatures voyde of reason and experience But now to supplye these imperfections of our rawe Counsellers and to further also our Clyents cause the better wee will that the Clyent be liberall and bountifull to his Counseller thereby the better to whette his wit and to make him also take paines to studie his ease throughly beeing true That the Counseller giueth Lawe as hee hath rewarde And that the Counseller also be carefull of his clyents cause and to goe through with that hee
apparrelled like Priests Haman was also very familiar with the King Assuerus and although all those of his Realme did him great seruice and that strangers had him in great veneration and did honor him maruellously yet was there a glorious Mardocheus that would neuer do him reuerence nor once put off his cappe to him by reason whereof this Haman that was in so great fauour commaunded a gybbet of fifty yardes high to bee set vppe for Mardocheus whom hee would haue hanged on that gibbet to be reuenged on him for the iniury he had done him But the Diuine wil of God was such and fortune did permit it that on the same Gallowes Hamon thought to haue put Mardocheus to death on the selfe same himselfe was hanged Themistocles and Aristides were 2. famous men among the Greekes and because they were both great Princes and Philosophers and had in great reputation of all those that knew them there was such a secret emulation and ambition betweene them the one to raigne ouer the other that both aspiring each to commaund other there followed great disorders and oppressions of the subiects of their Common-Weale Wherefore Themistocles moued with pitty and compassion of so great a Tirant which for their sakes their Common weale endured one day in the Market place before all his people with a loude voyce hee spake these words Know you O you people of Athens that if you doe not lay handes on my exceeding presumption and on the ouer great ambition of Aristides that our Gods will bee offended the temples will fall down to the hard foundation our treasures will bee consumed our selues destroyed and our common weales brought to vtter ruine and decay Therefore once againe good people I say bridle these our inordinate and vnspeakeable affections betime lest the reines layde in our neckes be runne too farre O golden wordes of a Prince and worthie eternall fame Lucanus also when hee would reproue the pride and presumption of the Romane Princes sayde that Pompey the great could neuer abide to haue any for his companion or equall with him within Rome And Iulius Caesar also wold neuer suffer that there should bee any greater in the Worlde then himselfe And therefore to discourse a little of this abominable and horrible vice of pride we haue not without great reason layde before you these approued examples before wee beginne to reproue it For in al things the examples wee shew you are wont to moue vs more then the reasons we seeme to tell you of For that which I haue seene for that I haue read and for that I haue heard say also of others I am most assured and resolued therof that by the onely cause of this wicked sinne of pride proceedeth the ruine and vtter decay of all our greatest things and affayres of this life for by all other sinnes a man may indeede discend and decline from his degree and state of honour and estimation but by this onely sinne hee cannot chuse but hee must fall downe flat to the ground They finde out the middest and center of the earth the depth of the sea and the highest toppes of Riphey Mountaines the end of the great mount Caucasus and the beginning of the great floud Nile and only the little heart of man touching desire to rule and commaund can neuer finde ende The insatiable couetousnesse is such that it cannot bee contented with the things wee haue but onely with those wee repute of lesse price Likewise Ambition pride to commaund cannot bee contained within boundes but onely by obeying For neuer no vice can haue end if hee that haue it doe not leaue it and banish it from him After Alexander the Great had conquered all Asia and had subdued the great India he was one day reproued of the great Philosopher Anacharses who tolde him these words Sith thou art now O Alexander Lord of the earth why doest thou weary thy selfe so much in thy affayres as no paine seemeth troublesome to thee To whom Alexander answered Thou hast tolde mee many times Anacharses that besides this world there are also three others And if it bee so as thou sayest how great a reproach and infamy it were to me that being three other worlds I should bee Lord but onely of one Therefore I doe dayly sacrifice to the Gods that though they take mee out of the life of this World yet at least they will not deny mee of so glorious a conquest I confesse that the Scriptures excepted I haue no wordes so rise in memorie as these whereby may easily be perceyued that for to quiet and to content a proud and haughty heart the seigniorie of the whole World is not yet sufficient and how ended the pride of this glorious prince euen thus Hee that hoped for to conquere and to bee Lorde of three other Worldes did not rule this one onely aboue three yeares Wee may boldly say this and sweare it and may also plainely proue it to any that desire to see it that he wanteth both wit and knowledge that taketh vppon him to bee proud and presumptuous For the more hee looketh into himselfe and reconsidereth and considereth his state and calling and what he is hee shall finde in him a thousande occasions fitte to humble him but neuer a one onely to make him proude and naughty How great rich mighty noble and worthy soeuer the person be euery time that wee happen to see him and that we haue no acquaintance of him And that we desire to know what hee is wee doe not aske of what Element of what Sea of what Fire of what Planet of what Climat of what Sunne of what Moone nor of what ayre but onely of what Countrey hee is of and where he was born For wee are all of the earth wee liue in the earth and in the end wee haue to turne into the earth as to our naturall thing If the Planets and the beasts could helpe vs with the Instrument and benefite of the tongue they would take from vs the occasions of vaine glory For the starres woulde say that they were created in the firmament the Sunne in the Heauens the birdes in the ayre the Salamander in the fire and the fish in the water but onely the vnhappy man was made of earth and created in the earth So that in that respect wee cannot glory to haue other kinsfolke neerer to vs then are the wormes the flyes and horse-flyes If a man did consider wel what he were hee would assertaine vs that the fire burns him water drowns him the earth wearies him the ayre troubles him the heate grieues him the colde hurtes him and the day is troublesome to him the night sorrowfull hunger and thirst makes him suffer meate and drinke filles him his enemies dayly follow him and his friendes forget him So that the time a man hath to liue in this wretched world cannot be counted a life but rather a long death The first day wee
see infinite presents brought into his house to be greedy of money and to haue a great train of seruants to wayte vpon them All these are things not onely to make theÌ„ murmur and repine at but also when time and place serueth to condemne and accuse them to the Prince And this were but little to murmur at them and accuse them so that they did not defame them and diminish their honour and reputation For they tell it abroad afterwards eyther that they are corrupted with presents or that they doe robbe and steale from the Prince their master And therefore I returne once againe to admonish them and specially the officer of the Court that they shal not neede neyther is it requisire they make any ostentation of their riches if they be wise at least For besides that euery body will murmur against him they will not spare to bring it to the Princes cares quickly so that by misfortune it might happen to him that the King would doe that with his seruant that the hunter doth oft with his beasts hee taketh that many times he cherisheth him and giueth him meate to eate not to bring him vp but to fat and kill him for his owne eating CHAP. XV. That the fauoured of the Court shoulde not trust too much to their fauour and credite they haue nor to the prosperitie of their life A worthy Chapter full of good doctrine WHat reputation Paul the Apostle had amongest the Christians the like had the great Cato the Iudge among the Romanes who in the progression of his life proceeded so honestly and in the gouernement of the publike weale was so iust that hee deserued that this Epitaph should be written vpon his Pallace gate O Cato great whose euerlasting fame Amidst the earth still liues with honour due Was neuer none could thee oppresse with shame For iudgement wrong whereby the guiltlesse rule Was nere none durst presse to thee with suites Or fill thy hands with bribes or flatter thee Whereby thou shouldest not shew the worthy fruits Of iustice zeale as Iudges all should bee Among all the noble and renowmed Romanes hee onely would neuer suffer statue or Image of his to bee set vp in the high Capitoll Whereat diuers maruelling and imagining diuersly what was his meaning hee beeing one day in the Senate sayde to them these words openly I will they shall seeke the good workes I haue done by which I did deserue that my Image should be erected in the Capitoll then to giue theÌ„ cause to goe search and enquire what linage I was of what was my life with intent to pull downe my Image For it happeneth many times that those whom inconstant fortune from a low estate hath raysed vp to high degree and steppe of honour doe become afterwardes by the same occasion rather defamed then praysed for there are many that are reuerenced honoured openly by reason of theyr honour and dignity they haue at this present of whom they make a iesting stocke afterwards when they see them fall Lucan sayeth that Pompeius would say many times when he would speake of these worldly things My friends I can tell you a true thing whereby you may know the little occasion wee haue to trust humane felicities Example you may see in mee which attained to the Romane Empire without any hope I had euer to come vnto it and afterwards also not mistrusting any thing euen suddenlie it was taken from mee and I depriued of it Lucius Seneca beeing banished from Rome wrote a letter to his mother Albuina in which hee did both comfort her and himselfe and wrotte thus O my deare mother Albuina I neuer in all my life beleeued or trusted vnstabel Fortune although there haue bin many peaces and leagues made betwixt her and our house for if at a time the trayteresse consented that for a space I should bee quiet and at rest shee did it not of good will shee had to leaue to pursue me but for to giue me a more cloaked seuerity For when shee seeth wee thinke our selues assured then with al her force and fury shee giueth vs the assault as if shee came to assault the Enemies Campe And I tell thee further yet good mother that all the good shee wrought in mee and the honour shee heaped on mee and all the faculties and aboundance of riches she broght to my house hee tolde mee shee gaue them freely but I alwayes aunswered her I did accept in way of imprest not of gift Her promises therefore shee offered mee the honour she layd vpon mee and the riches she gaue me shee layde them vp in such a corner of my house that either by day or by night she might at her pleasur when shee would take them all from mee without that shee should trouble at all therefore my iudgement or that shee should sorrow my heart a whit And because thou shouldest know how I did esteeme of fortune I tell thee that I euer thought it good neuer to let any thing come within me â—or into my heart but only neere vnto me and so I was contented to esteeme it and to keepe it vnder good safety â—â—â— not that I therefore applyed and gaue all my affection and minde vnto it I was glad to haue fortune my friend but if I lost her I was neuer sorry for her Finally I conclude that when she came to assault mee and to robbe my house she might well conuay all that was to put in the Arke but not that shee could euer carry away the least sigh of my heart They say that K. Philip father of Alexander the Great beeing aduertised of three great victories hapned in sundry places to his Army kneeled down on both his knees and holding vp his hands to the heauens sayd O cruel fortune O merciful gods I beseech you most humbly that after so great a glory and victory as this you haue hitherto giuen mee you will moderate your correction and punishment which after this I looke for that you will graunt mee that you punish me with pity and not with vtter destruction and ruine And yet he added this furder to his words Not without cause I Conjure thee Oh Fortune and doe beseeche you immortall Gods that you wil punish me fauourably but not to vndoe me because I am assured that ouermuch felicitie and prosperitie of this life is no more but a prediction and presage of a great calamitie and an yll insuing happe Truely all the Examples aboue recited are worthie to be noted and to be kept alwayes before the eyes of our mindes sith by them wee come to know that in the prosperitie of this our thrawled life there is litle to hope for and much to be afrayd of It is true wee are very fraile by nature since we are borne fraile we liue fraile and daylie wee fall into a thousand fraylties but yet notwithstanding we are not so frayle but wee may if we will resist vice
60. daughters of the Senators 55. were goten with child among the thicke bushes which thing made a great slaunder in the people and augmented the infamy of Marcus Anthonius Thus as I haue shewed of a small number I could say of many other All men are not men nor all women are not women I speake it because I would it should bee saide let it touch them that it toucheth and let them that come vnderstand me There are som ships which are so light that they will sayle with a little winde And there bee other some milles that will grinde with a little water I say there bee some women so brickle that as a glasse with a philip will breake and will slippe with a little mire Tell mee Faustine haue you suffered your daughter to speake but with her vncles and keepe company but with her cousins I say in this case that the mother is in as much blame as the daughter in perill Doe you not know that the hote fire doth not forbeare the wood bee it wet or drie but in like manner it consumeth the hard stones Doe you not know that the extreame hunger causeth beasts to deuoure with their owne teeth the thing that was bredde in their entrals Doe you not know that the gods made a Law ouer all things except ouer Louers because they may not abide it and doubtles much more then I haue sayde And diuers times mee thinkes I should fall downe because I dare not weepe with mine eyes yet I feele it inwardly in my heart I would faine commune with thee in diuers things Come I pray thee to Briette to the entent that wee may speake together And sith it hath pleased the Gods to take my child from mee that I loued so well I would counsell with thee that art my louing friend But fewe dayes passed there came thither an Ambassadour from the Rhodes to whom I gaue the most part of my horses and from the farthest part of Spaine there were brought me eight of the which I send thee foure I would they were such as might please thee The Gods be thy safeguard and send mee and my wise some comfort Marcus Aurelius right sorrowfull hath written this with his owne hand CHAP. VI. A Letter sent by Marcus Aurelius Emperour to Catullus Censorius of the newes which were at that time in Rome MArcus the new Censor to thee Catullus now aged sendeth salutations There are ten dayes past that in the temple of God Ianus I receyued thy Letter and I take the same God to witnesse that I had rather haue seene thy person Thou desiredst that my letters may belong but the shortnesse of time maketh mee to aunswere thee more briefly then I would Thou willest mee to giue thee knowledge of the newes here Thereto I aunswere that it were better to demaund if there were any thing remayning here in Rome or Italy that is old For now by our euill destinies all that is good and olde is ended and new things which bee euill now beginne The Emperour the Consull the Tribune the Senators the Ediles the Flamines the Pretours and Centurions all things be new saue the vertues which be old Wee passe the time in making new officers in deuising new counsels and in raysing new Subsidies In such wise that there hath beene now more nouelties within these 4. yeares then in times passed in 400. yeares we now assemble together 300. to counsell in the Capitoll and there wee bragge and boast sweare and promise that wee will exalt the vertuous and subdue the vitious fauour the right not winke at the wrong punish the euil and reward the good repaire old and edifie new plucke vices vp by the rootes and to plant vertues to amend the olde and follow the good reproue tyrants and assist the poore and when that wee are gone from thence they that speake best words are often taken with the worst deedes O wicked Rome that now a dayes hath such Senators which in saying we will doe we will doe passe their I for so euery man seeking his owne profit forgetteth the weale publike Oftentimes I am in the Senate to beholde others as they regarde mee and I do maruell much to heare the eloquence of their words the zeale of iustice and the iustification of their persons and after that I come thence I am ashamed to see their secret extortioÌ„s their damnable thoughts and their euill workes And yet there is another thing of more maruell and not to be suffered that such persons as are most defamed and vse most wicked vices with their most damnable intentions make their auowes to doe most extreame iustice It is an infallible rule and of humane malice most vsed that hee that is most hardy for to committe greatest crimes is most cruell to giue sentence against an other for the same offence Wee thinke that wee behold our owne faults as through small nettes which cause things to seeme the lesse but we beholde the faultes of others in the water that causeth them to seeme greater Oh how many haue I seene condemned by the Senate for one small fault done in all their life and yet they themselues commit the same euery houre I haue read in the time of King Alexander the great there was a renowmed Pyrate on the Sea called Dyonides the which robbed and spoiled al the shipping that hee could get and by commaundement of this good King Alex there was an armie sent foorth to take him And when he was taken and presented to K. Alexander the King saiâ—e vnto him Shew me Dyonides why dost thou so spoyle on the Sea that no ship can sayle out of the East into the west for thee The pyrate aunswered and sayde if I spoyle the Sea why doest thou Alexander rob both the Sea and Land also O Alexander because I fight with one shippe in the Sea I am called a thiefe and because thou robbest with two hundreth ships on the Sea and troublest all the world with 200000. men thou art called an Emperour I sweare vnto thee Alexander if Fortune were as fauourable to me and the Gods as extreame against thee they would giue mee thine Empyre and giue thee my little shippe and then peraduenture I should bee a better king then thou art and thou become a worse Thiefe then I am These were high words and well receyued of Alexander and of truth to see if his wordes were correspondent to his promises hee made him of a pyrate a great captaine of an Armie and hee was more vertuous on Land then he was cruell on the Seas I promise thee Catullus Alexander did right well therein and Dyonides was to bee praised greatly for that hee had saide Now-adayes in Italie they that robbe openly are called Lords and they that robbe priuilie are commonly called theeues In the Annales of Liuius I haue read that in the second troublous warre punicke between the Romanes and the Carthagenians there came an Ambassadour Lusitaine sent
a white it is no marell though I shotte at thee with the arrowes of mine eyes at the butte of thy beautie with thy rowling Eyes with thy browes bent well coloured Face incarnate Teeth ruddie lips courled hayre handes set with Rings cloathed with a thousand manner of colours hauing purses full of sweete sauours the Bracelettes and Eare-rings full of pearles and precious-stones Tell me what this meaneth The most that I can thinke of this is sith you shewe vs your bodyes openly yee would wee should know your desires in secret And if it be so as I belieue it is it seemeth to me Lady Macrine thou oughtest to loue him that liketh thee to enform him that seeketh thee to aunswere him that calleth thee to feele him that feeleth thee and to vnderstand him that vnderstandeth thee And sith thou vnderstandest me I do vnderstand thee and vnderstand that thou knowest not I doe well remember as I went by the street solitarily to see two theeues put to death mine eyes glauncing saw thee at a window on whom dependeth all my desires More iustice thou doest to mee then I to the Theeues For I beeing at iustice thou hast iusticed the iustice and none dare payne thee The gallowes is not so cruell to them which neuer knew but doing euill as thou art to mee which neuer thought other but onely to serue thee They suffer but one death and thou makest mee suffer a thousand They in one day and one houre ende their liues and I eache minute doe feele the pangs of death They dyed guyltie but I innocently They died openly and I in secrete What wilt thou that I say more vnto thee They wept for that they dyed and I weepe daily teares of bloud from my heart for that I liue This is the difference their torments spreadeth abroade through all their bodie and I keep mine together in my hart O cruell Macrine I know not what iustice this is that they kill men for robbing and stealing from manie and suffer women to liue which steale mens hearts If they take the liues from them that picke purses why then doe they suffer Ladyes which robbe our entrails By thy Noblenes I pray thee and by the Goddesse Venus I Conjure thee eyther satisfie my desire or restore me to my heart which thou hast robbed from me I would thou shouldst know Lady Macrine the cleare intention of my heart rather then this Letter written with my hand If my happe were so good as thy Loue would permit me to speak with thee I would hope by sight and speech to winne that which I am in suspect by my Letter to loose The reason whereof is because thou shalt reade my rude reasons in this letter and if thou sawest me thou shouldest see the bitter teares which I wold offer to thee in this my vnhappy life Oh that my mouth could publish my cruell paines as my heart feeleth them I sweare vnto thee Lady Macrine that my woefull plaintes would styrre vppe thy small care and as thy beautie hath made thee thyne owne so the true knowledge of thy griefes should make thee mine I desire thou wouldest regarde the beginning and therewith note the ende For of truth the same day that thou imprisonedst my hart at the window in the dungeon of my desires I had no lesse weaknesse to ouercome then thou haddest strength to enforce me and greater was thy power to take me from my selfe then my reason was to put mee from thee Now ladie Macrine I doe not aske other mercie of thee but that we may declare our mindes together But in this case what wilt thou I say vnto thee but that thou hast so much power ouer mee and I so little of my liberty that though I would not my heart must needes bee thine and that beeing thine thou wilt shew thy selfe to be mine And sith it may not be but that my life must bee condemned in thy seruice bee thou as sure of my Faith as I am doubtfull of thy good-will For I shall haue a greater honour to be lost for thy sake then to win any other Treasure I haue no more to say vnto thee now but that thou haue respect to my perdition and to drawe life out of my death and turne my teares to ioye And because I holde my Faith and will neuer despaire in thy hope I send thee x. little rings of gold with x. rings of Alexandria and by the immortall Gods I conjure thee that when thou puttest them on thy fingers thou receyuest my Loue into thy heart Marcus thy Louer wrote this with his owne hand CHAP. XI ¶ Of an other Letter which the Emperour sent to the Ladie Macrine wherein hee expresseth the Fiery-flames which soonest consume the gentle-hearts MArke thy neighbour at Rome to thee Macrine his sweete enemie I call thee Sweete for it is iust I dye for thee and enemy because thou ceassest not to kill me I cannot tell how it is but sith the feast of Ianus hitherto I haue written three letters vnto thee in the answer wherof I would haue been contented to haue receiued but two from thee If I would serue thee thou wilt not bee serued If I speak to thee thou wilt not answer me If I behold thee thou wilt not looke at mee if I call thee thou will not answer me if I visite thee thou wilt not see me if I write vnto thee thou wilt make no answer And the worst of all is if others do shew thee of my griefs thou takest it as a mockerie Oh that I had so much knowledge where to complaine to thee as thou hast power to ease my plaint then my wisdome should be no lesse praised amongst the wise then thy beautie among the fooles I beseech thee hartily not to haue respect to the rudenes of my reasons but regard the faith of my teares which I offer to thee as a witnes of my will I know not what profite may come by my harme nor what gayne of my losse thou mayest hope to haue nor what surety of my perill thou maist attaine nor what pleasure of my paine thou mayest haue I had aunswere by my messenger that without reading my Letters with thine own hands thou didst rent them in peeces it ought to suffice to thinke how manie persons are tormented If it had pleased you Ladie Macrine to haue read these few lines you should haue perceyued how I am inwardly tormented Yee women be very extreame and for the misaduenture of one man a woman will complaine of all men in generall So yee all shew crueltie for one particular cause openly yee pardon all mens liues and secretly ye procure death to all I account it nothing Ladie Macrine that thou hast done but I lament that which thou causest thy Neighbour Valerius to say to me One thing I would thou shouldest remember and not forget That is Sith my libertie is so small and thy power so great that beeing wholly mine am turned
described Cares that are incident to them that hoorde vp riches Deceyuers neuer go vnpunished either in this life or the other A good counsell to reframe froÌ„ couetousnes Couetousnes alwayes accursed A saying of Pisistratus the Tyrant The opinioÌ„ of the Philosopher Lido concerning a couetous man A custome among the Lumbards worthy to be noted and followed Couetousnes in great personages a greater blemish theÌ„ in the poore The safetie of Princes consists in the loue of his subiects A Question lemau ded of great Alaxander his answere An olde prouerbe A worthy â—aying of the Emperour Seuerus The prayse of King Ptolomeus A wise saying of King Ptolomeus A worthy saying of Titus the Emperour A worthy saying of great Alex to king Darius A worthy saying of Phocion the phylosopher Great difference betweene the ancieÌ„t warriours these of our times An ancient custome among the Romanes A Letter of the Emperour to Mercurius What profiteth it a man to couet much since his day â—s are so short Riches neuer letteth man be in quiet Socrates teacheth vs how to esteeme the goods of this world The conclusion of the Emperours letter shewing the nature of couetous men A superscriptio written ouer the gates of the King of Lacedemonia The vices of Rome and Alexandria layd open What it is that couetous men doe long for in this life The tyranny of Mydas described The answere of the Oracle concerning the life of King Mydas Conference betweene Mydas and the Philosopher Silenus The speech of the Philosopher Silenus A worthy thing to bee considered of among Christians A worthy saying of Eschynes the Philosopher Beasts more prouicent in their kinde then man The miserable estate of man in his infancy Nature of men and beasts compared both together The cares troubles that followe man in this life Man of all other creatures subiect to dangers Brute beasts an instrument to punish man Malitious men worse then brure beasts We ought not to regard where our dead corpes are enterred A Letter of the Emperour to a banished man When good orders were obserued in Rome The time when good orders were broken in Rome The reason that Domitius was banished A worthy speech of Seneca to his mother Albina How little wee ought to regard the flatteries of forune Alexaander the great after his so many conquests dyed by poyson How quickly sodaine death ouertaketh many men How carefull men ought to be to liue wel A worthy example of an AtheniaÌ„ King A good custome among the ancient Romanes A rebuke of a frieÌ„d more acceptable then the slattring words of foes The pittifulnes of the Emperour Claudius The speech â—t King Alexander to king Darius Wherefore the worthie Anthoninus was renowm d. A worthy saying of the Emp worthy to be followed How accessarie it is for a wife to be in her owne house A custome vsed by widdowes in ancient times What a coÌ„fort a good husband is to a woman The care that Worldlings haue Sorrowes that women haue in bringing vp their children A saying of Seneca Troubles and cares incident to Widdowes 〈…〉 An ancient Law amoÌ„g the Carthagenians The life vertues of Claudinus described How little this life is to bee respected How little we ought to esteeme of this life MeÌ„ in their kinde more cruell then beasts The prosecutioÌ„ of the Emperours letter to widowes The dutie that euery Christian â—â—eth to God A custome vsed by the Romains in visiting widdowes A custome vsed among the Romane widowes An admonition of the Emperour to widowes to leaue off mourning 〈…〉 What punishment ought to be inflicted vpon a widow of light behauiour The opinion of sundry Philosophers of the description of the world 〈…〉 The deceitfulnes of the world layd open A worthy saying of K. SalomoÌ„ Nothing in this worlde but vanitie The vaine hope of the worldly minded man The speech of the Emp Traian The answer of Plutarch How little we ought to esteeme the flatteries of the world The inconstancie of the world How the world deceiueth sinfull men The vaine opinion of the worldly minded meÌ„ How suddeÌ„ly Death assaulteth vs comfor◠〈…〉 if the Emp Marc Aur. How a true friend is to be knowne The loue of Marcus Aurelius to his friend The considerations that euery man ought to haue A worthy saying of Plato No man in safety to long as hee liueth in this world The Emperour perswedeth meÌ„ to trust in the world What the world is compared vnto How malicious vnconstaÌ„t the world is Fortune Nature two contrary enemyes Doe what thou canst at last the world will deceyue thee Examples of the vncoÌ„stancy of the world Plutarch commendeth the Lacedemonians in obseruing their lawes A saying of Plutarch The laws of Plutarche Wherfore the Romans esteemed Fencers An ancient custome among the Romaines The reason wherefore the RomaÌ„s allowed Iesters Allowance giuen by the Romans to Iuglers The difference betweene Roscio the Iester and Cicero A good and ancient Law amoÌ„g the Lacedemonians Punishment infflicted by Augustus vpon a Iester An other worthy sentence of the Emperour Augustus The vanity of men in maintaining Iesters such idle persons How necessarie it is to bee beneficiall to the poore How hatefull Iesters and loyterers ought to be in a Common-wealth A custome vsed by the Romanes worthy to be vsed of euery Nation The cause wherefore the Emperour wrote this letter The Emperour bewayleth the folly of the Romanes Such company as meÌ„ haunt the same shall they shew in their life To what sorts of people men ought to giue to eate The Emp coÌ„mendeth the isle of Helespont How reuerently the Sages were esteemed in former time The noble minded respect antiquities What vnloked for mischiefes arise at such meetings The reason wherefore the Emperour banished fooles and loyterers The reward a poore Philosopher had for speaking truth Idlenes the mother of all vices The folly of fooles ought to be contemned of the wise The great riches of two Parasites The property of Iuglers A true patterne for good and vertuous children Death the best gift that can be giuen to mortall men How little we ought to esteeme of Death Comforts against the feare of death A Question of Plato demaunded of Socrates A question demanded of Cato his answer A worthie sentence of Seneca A sentence of Plinie A worthie speech of the Emp Theodose None ought to procrastinate or deny their amendment A great discouragemeÌ„t to loâ—e so worthie a personage Extreame sorrows oppressed the good Emp M Aur. Men ought to prouide a cleare conscience to depart this life c. Good counsell against the feare of death Wise men prepare theÌ„selues before death Death terrible to all men Repentance not to be omitted What care is had to inherit transitory goods The worthy secretary Panurius his speech The reason why men studie is to learne to liue well Stedfastnes of minde is commendable The words of a wise man workes strange effects How loath great