The prayse of Nothing By E. D. ⧠Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the signe of S. Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1585. ⧠The prayse of Nothing DIuers of singuler reputation to recreate themselues from their grauer studies haue after the nature of their conceytes written diuersly that of such matter which in the opinion of the people seemed not worthy the pen of a meane scholler in which notwithstanding they shewed no small argument of their greate iudgment that erred at no time lesse theÌ„ when it apeared most idle and looslye giuen For as in the quiet times of states well gouerned Souldiers trained with shewes of no danger and exercised in pleasant marches feruentlye couet the hazarde of battle so returned those rare men from their lighter labors more resolute to beare the heauy burden of their ancient studies By imitation of whome maye the meaner sorte being also wearied with other accedents of the worlde vndertake the like as the poore help of cuntrey musicke for a plowemans dumpe with no lesse warrantise then the sheapheard may the vse of his Ofen pipe Princes hauing the Cornet other excellent Instruments For to men that differ in no other circumstance theÌ„ the fauorable aspect of Fortune hath Nature being as good mother to the Ideot as the greatest clarke vsed for one sort of sicknes a like methode of cure as a meane to mound hir children with the true knowledge of themselues by which their societie and mutuall good will is maintained Thys equitie in nature hath moued mée as a lenetiue of the mind though beside my infirmities I haue many things in common with others to enterprise the praise of Nothing which I confesse might haue had more ornament if it had fallen in the handes of the learned by whose labors the weaknesse of the subiect might haue béene holpen Yet for y â— betwéene the déepth of their skil and the shallownés of this matter there is small proportion I thought the same more agreable for my selfe whose iudgement hath néerest conformitie therewith Whilest I endeuored to shun Agrippas vanities and Erasmus follyes as one that might haue béene a paterne of either I cloathed with bare garments this treatise for equity would not that Drones féede with the Muses birds neither that Arachne weaue in the frames of Minerua My purpose hath not béene to publishe any thing contrary to pietie which with many obseruances I haue regarded or in beguiling the time in which I salue my owne sores to wounde the wandering appetite of such as hunt nouelties and ingorge themselues with euery poison that hath either his outwarde forces alaide wyth swéete smelles or sauorie tasts But I who had rather bréede no delight then betraie the sences haue in consideration therof put this Caueat that those fictions which be without order scattered in this pamphlet be for no other cause layde downe then to péece with phantasticke artificers the defects of their inuencion none being so hardy to drawe Venus without hir Uaile or Mars vnarmed The weake helpe of these supposes I submit to the learned censure of the godly who knowe them to be no otherwise parte of any worke then steyning coullers of one nature with the table or linnen hanging I meane not to be iealous of the good report of this treatise as Appelles was of his picture but giue leaue for all sorts to reprehende me for nothing for whose sake I haue made apparance of some enmitie to all thinges neither to impunge any ground of equitie but to take such measure as I haue powred to others of whome I entreate no other fauour then that they thinke it the labor of him who windeth quils for the web of Penelope The quarrel is not yet ended which hath risen amongst the anciente Phylosophers touching the originall of the worlde which some will haue to concerne only the earth hir contents others the mighty frame of the vniuersall euery one setting downe his seuerall reason as being loath to haue séemed ignorante of those great matters when to things in which they had more interest being of one creation with the heauens and the earth they were mere strangers for that light of which Zacharie and the Euangeliste spake had not then shined to them by which they mighte thorough the thicke clowdes of nature behold themselues a knowledge discended from heauen For whilst they traueyled Curiositie being their guid to find out in the numbers of Pythagorus the moets of epicure and seperated formes of Democrates the naturall cause of the worlde they reuealed by chance the true procreation of nothing as men in séeking Mines doe first finde water without which there is no store of Mettle congealed This labor although it were not in dangers equall to those of Herculâ—s yet is it worthy of great praise in bringing to light a discent further then was eyther knowne to Vlpian or the learned Heraulds of that time since which no man hath medled therin they only endeuoring to fynd out the originall of Nilus the causes of his inundations and ebs the vehement motions of the Aire and earth the mouing of the planets their Eclipses and other accedents The prophane antiquitie therefore vnlesse by casuall meanes entreated little hereof as of that which by their rule y â— Nihilex Nihilo fit conteined not matter of profit or commendation for which those Phylosophers hunted as ambicious men for dominion and empire Leauing therefore as men impatient to abide without the vaine praises of the people that difficult and lawdable enterprise to the posteritie of the children of God they gaue themselues to be authors of many parcialities and sectes But these latter sort vpon whose backs this charge was cast after they had beheld the state of all thinges perceiued the cause of their production to consist of a nature more excellent theÌ„ they were of which being without the compasse of their schole causes must of necessytie be ascribed vnto the wonderfull omnipotencie of God who by his diuine wisdome composed the vniuersall substance of nothing which is by so much of greater dignitie by howe much it hath rather pleased the creator to fram therof the worthyest creatures And though it liked Tully to name the reuealing of these misteries to the multitude great impietie yet thinke I it necessary as a meane to attaine to the true knowledge of God and our selues of God who making all thinges for man of nothing is preched to vs by the architecture of this mightie engin of the world of our selues who being made of reasonable soules bodyes pertake both of the natures of Angells and brute beasts to that ende we embase not with abiecte mindes the excellency of the first or raise the second higher then is agreable to our strength For that substance which we communicate with Angels being created of nothing draweth vs by a secreter property to the contemplation of heauenly things then the Adament doth Ironâ— the other being
mans sinne and according to this rule that who striketh with the sword shal be stroke with the scabarde a pronounced rewarde of their husbands error Miserable is that course and contrary to the nature of honesty to ascribe to nothing their disloyal parts but so doe they that vnder their owne teste they may be conuinced of many faultes and their condemnation be greater Some others there be by a marueilous indisposition of honestie who although they be garded with mo felicities then diuers ages before them haue tasted courted w e many fauours of hir Maiesty floate notwithstanding ouer the landmarke of due obedience for no other cause if they were well examinied then for nothing a matter not agreing with their impietie which yearely renueth w t Aphrica some monster nursed in their mutinus conferences where being impatient of any season they woulde drawe the gouernments of Princes to the ordinary rule of themselues capitulating their fauorers with special noats of good wil and cancelling the good names of the rest with infamous titles as though that men and not God had the erecting of kingdoms which whilest they frame in the aire with the rebellious Ciclops they vndermine their naturall dwellings and countrye walles thinking to be made no smale fooles in that they be by those meanes knowne to Italie France and Spaine when kings whose secpters be supported with prudence and iustice neuer reckned the executioners of their furye within the Colledge of good men or thought the reward of such mastiues any other then garbage A portion to good for that course which is made miserable in being suspected to them from whom they looke for al fauor and good wil a matter to be reserued by great estates for honest men least their own people by an ill president be drawne from the dutie of good subiects and recompence their Princes error with disobedience the same hapning by the iust iudgements of god which hetherto neuer failed to minister them who haue made themselues stumbling blocks to their neighboures new matter with which they haue béene fearefully intangled to the terrible example of the whole worlde Let them therfore deale vprightly with al men that iudge the earth and not abuse the amitie of vertuous Princes for ouerthrowing a good cause or alienat themselues or peaceable ordinaunces from their willing subiects to the hazard of their whole interests as though their desires were to sée the order in nature troubled and to be the last whose eyes should behold the ruin of all things It were a romth for some idle bodye so looke into the accedents of euery state which hath béen diuersly afflicted for nothing or to péepe into euery dwelling for examining this cause which fathereth many nouelties and such enterprises as are either bloodily executed or performed against the vse of common sence as though those things were lawfull to wise and valiant men which are not permitted ideots or thought naturall for brute beasts In this lowest degrée of reason Xerxes the greatest prince and least wise of his time by an vnspeakeable folly acquited all other of extreame blockishnes for whatsoeuer any dedicated to that Lady or dame he seruilly loued applied this forgetfull king to a plane trée putting theron his Diadem yéelding humbly therto his scepter complaining with such iestures as be eyther dissembled by wise louers or plainely vsed by simple fooles accursing that day and night in which neither Sun or Moone spread on him the shadowe of his beloued boughes which had in such sort bereaued him of iudgement by gathering in the swéete ayre by their softe mouing that his care of the Persian gouermente lay vnder foote more estéeming the compasse of earth which inclosed the roote of their trunck thē his seuerall gouerments and large dominions which in his conceipte were no otherwise beautified then by giuing nurrishment to the same Of like passions may large volumes be written though worthy of no other pen then a black coale or memorie then was by decrée of all Asia left for the burner of Dianas temple And although nothing is absolutly simple innocent harmlesse in it self yet therfore hath all impiety been set abroch duties abrogated vertue suppressed truth put to silence charitie purst which should be currant amongest men by which peruersiō nothing hath found no lesse fauor then the ritch stone by luster of his foile or as the faire mistresse by the company of browning hir mayde It shall be necessary in respecte thereof to obserue a lyke proportion in disciphering y e incomodities of those things we estéeme profitable to that ende we may more apparantly perceiue the good effects which come of nothing as of the least or no enimie of life by whose societie many euils depart which as murderers of peace either drawe vs from the fauour of God or bring vs into the vncertaine liking of the worlde in which there was neuer any but that he was continually foste and made seasicke or suffered extreame wracke of lyfe or other fortunes And although the opinion which we conceiue of this trashe hath a like dominion in vs as white or blacke in other coullors we neuerthelesse gaze theron w e no other admiration danger then Narcissus beheld his beautifull reflexion or chearishe it then as the frozen serpent in the warme bosome of the ideot by meane wherof we render many times a sorrowfull testimonie of our light choise and dangerous affections The knot of this mistery hath closed the best wits for giuing iudgement in this repugnancie in nature vz y ◠whilst euery one desireth a long and peaceable time he yet hunteth after the vse of those things which frowardly abridge y e good course of life It is therfore no maruel though this supernaturall motiue hath béene condemned of them who estéeming al things by their weight fashion haue for their purpose this croked saying Somewhat hath some sauor not weighing consideratly y ◠as by those instrumēts by which we perceiue any pleasure common to man we pertake also a thousand incomodities which flocke without number to crosse the ioyes of life which so withereth wyth any sorrow as though we had dwelt in continuall calamitie and neuer felte other then the passions of extreame misery Compaire the ioyes and sorrowes which grow of corruptable things there wil be sufficient reason minstred to confirme this argument For beginning with the state of mariage from whence the maides of Greece reckned their age who are they that after the death of their beautifull chaste wiues or contrary wise of their ritch and louing husbands that thinke not their time past vanished the present perished and their life following desolate reckning the remembrance of their olde ioyes the mother of their newe sorrowes and lamentable state Or what naturall parent being depriued of good children doth not more lament their losse then he reioyced of their liues which being carefully feared were by so much the lesse
that end he might therafter rate his price changed not with his fortune his opinion but answered as if he were rather to be estéemed of the byer he coulde do nothing Xantus who became maister to this Esope and knew the treasurers of nothing to be the paimaisters of Phylosophie to make triall with what iudgement his newe seruaunt affirmed himselfe able for nothing and desirous as well to sée a louer as a doer therof had brought to his house by hys comandement and the conduction of Esope one that loued nothing whom Xantus enterteined with great fare and for a Phylosophicall conclusion and want of other melodie to furnishe that feast counterfeited the inuention of Pithagoras musicke on his wiues backe who singing a sorrowfull plaine song therto ministred such cause of mirth to his gueste that he fel from the boorde with extreame laughter by which Xantus knew the great iudgement of his man in finding the owner of this Iewell whom he caused to be solemnly coÌ„ueied out of his house vpon four mens shoulders as that which was not worthy to lodge so honorable a person an act answerable to the high renown of this learned Phylosopher Socrates who by the Oracle of Apollo was named the profoundest man of that time out of whose springs Plato dranke the swéete licor of his Phylosophie who though he might w t warrantise in respect of that praise haue challenged the first place for his vniuersall knowledge yet he esteming the same as a matter contemptible made his choise to knowe nothing only as by which he found the way to vertue more safe and with lesse danger This purpose he chaunged not at that time he went to dye for inueighing against the Athenians adoration of Idols For euen then when Xantippa his wife the same Xantippa who not long before as a good Scholemistresse to learne him the sufferance of aduersitie had powred a vessell of colde water on his head saw hir temperat companion who had long bene the packehorse of hir housholde actions taken from hir by his Idolatrus Citizens pittifully lamented as being perhaps pleasd to be otherwise honestly rid of his Philosophicall rules that he should suffer for nothing But Socrates who at no time was vnlike himselfe gladly confessed to dy willingly for nothing for whose sake he had named him selfe ignoraunt of all things and therfore blamed hir that rashly misliked the cause by which he was made innocent of any crime that might slaunder his life to the world Caius Caesar being of that magnanimitie that the world difficultly conteyned his greatnes to sound the disposition of the Senat preferred diuers sutes to them for himselfe fauorers but they as men iealius of the Romaine state and muffeled with the ouer sight of their fatall destinie graunted not knowing what nothing a matter taken of Caesar in better part then if they had made him perpetuall Dictator as by which being no way their debter he tooke occasion to enter vpon them and their liberties and consequently to cease the large domains of their Empire into his hands wheras if they had in the beginning alaide the heate of his ambition with the ordinarie hope of other sufers he had giuen place to some other who had chastised their gormandise that brought them in hatred of all men The opinion which these great Princes and excellente Phylosophers conceiued of nothing might confirme others of meaner iudgement to be on their side if either y â— good euents which haue risen therof or the authoritie of the wit or valure of those rare men were of force with the people who w e smale labor are made attentiue to behold Iuglers and to creadite their craft as a matter of no more deceite then the teares of light women But in as much as these prophane presidents are not of sufficient weight to draw those who dissembling the loue of nothing snatch with Esops Dogge at the shadow of their bone let vs behold what methode of teaching y t contempt of transitorie things and the loue of their contrary was vsed of our heauenly Doctor who what rule soever he laid downe to be followed of his people he first practised as a good lawmaker in himselfe refusing naturall order being peruerted the managing of temporall things as ill furniture for the policie of y t kingdome He framed his Saints who being more beloued of God then the Lillie or young Rauen the one beautified and the other nurrished without any helpe of the world or nature are to exspect greater succour in their infirmities stronger aide How vnprofitable mouldes the world and nature are to cast the forme of a godly perfection he hath drawne with quicke coullors in the person of the ritch man who is not by y e sacred rule made perfite vnlesse he sell all that he hath and giueth the same to them that haue nothing Great is the excellencie therof whose owners be the obiects of charity which to cloath hir naked children seeketh not those things which be hir owne and no lesse expedient for our righteousnes which is made perfit by possessing the same an act to be regarded for our payment which neyther the robber taketh or is made corruptible by the rust or moth When contrariwise to entertaine them that tast the fat of the earth is without hope of rewarde vnlesse the casters of water into the Sea are to be praised for their charitie Amongst other passages which may be cited for this purpose leauing the ordinances of Moyses which reiected such as were solicited with worldly busines as persons vtterly vnprofitable for warlike discipline the same being a tipe of the life of man named no other then a Pilgrimage or warfare vpon earth Christs louing imbracements of the little children who cared for nothing are not of least importance for their simplicitie being the shadow of our fyrst innocency is to be reentred as the posterne of true godlynes which lieth not open to them that haue the world in admiration and be not resolute followâ—â—s of the childrens ignorance As the good scholler of this most excellent Maister the Apostle desired not to know any thing in Corinth but Christ crucified as if he would haue said setting that most highe misterie aside by which only without any adiunct or seperated cause the heauens lye open to vs the rest are to be refused as impeaching true godlines What is there to be gathered hereof but y â— nothing furthereth our deuotions and therfore to be made of before matters of the worlde as the same Apostle not as I make him speake but as he further proueth by adding that the worldely or fleshly man perceiueth not those things which be of God then which ignorance there is not any thing anexed vnto the miserable and wretched estate of man of worse qualitie the same being the bend sinister which deuideth our parts from the inheritance of Gods children who are not reputed his vnlesse they shake off the loue of the