he woulde neuer sitte in that seate where he mighte doe no more for his fréendes than for his foes Ex Plutarcho in Lacon Chrysippus being demaunded whye he woulde beare no office in the common wealth Answeared bicause that if I rule not well I shall displease God but if I rule as I shoulde doe the people will be offended Brusonius Lib. 3. cap. 5. Socrates was wonte to saye that it was a shame to sée that wher as in handy craftes no manne taketh anye thing in hande wherein he hathe not benetraded yet in administration of the common wealth oftentimes many are made officers whiche wotte but very little what belongeth thereto Ex Eras lib. 3. Apoth Antisthenes willed his Citizens to set Asses to ploughe and when they aunsweared that Asses were not apt to that laboure what matter is that quoth he For you make many Officers in the common wealth which neuer learned the manner thereof and yet when you haue made them they serue the turne wel inough Meaning that it was a thing muche more absurde to make an vnskilfull man a magistrate than to sette an Asse to ploughe Brusonius Lib. 6. cap. 5. Ex Laertio Lib 4. Cap. 1. When the regall Diademe shoulde be sette on Antigonus his head before it was put on he sayde these woordes O noble though vnhappie crowne if a mā knewe howe full of trouble and misery thou arte he would not take thée vp albeit he founde thee lying in the streate Max. Valerius lib. 7. cap. 2. Ex Stobaeo serm 46. Alphonsus the mightie king of Arragon vsed to say that Magistrates oughte as muche to excell priuate personnes in life and conuersation as they d ee in dignitie and vocation Meaning that the life of the subiects shal best be reformed when Princes and others giue others example of theyr godly and vertuous liuing As by this story folowing may appeare Ex Panorm lib. 6. Cato being Censor in Rome was so seuere a punisher of transgressoures and so feared for his good and vertuous liuing that like as children in the schole hearing their master comming runne vnto their bookes so when he wente through the citie euery one ranne vnto his businesse Who when he tooke any euill doer he strayghtewayes imprisoned him and in steade of examination the first thing he tooke hold of was their hands which if they had bene laborious and full of harde knots though his crime were very gréeuous yet his chastisemēt was mitigated and made more easie but if the vnhappie prisoner chanced to haue idle hands that is softe and smoothe he shoulde for a small faulte haue greeuous punishment For the Romanes had this prouerbe he that hath good hands muste néedes haue good conditions Ex Marco Aurelio The sayde Alphonsus also called effites and dignities touchstones to try the natures and dispositions of men which can in nothing be so well perceiued as in promotion and dignitie Ex Panormita de rebus gestis Alphonsi li. 6. Of Misfortune and miserie of man. CRates sayde that what state soeuer man follow he shall be sure to finde bitternesse therin In the field labour at home cares in a strange countrey feare if he haue ought in youth folly in age weaknesse in mariage vnquietnesse in lacking a wife sollitarinesse If a man haue children he shall haue cares if he haue none he is halfe maymed so that one of these two sayth he is to be wished either not to be borne or quickly to dye Xerxes séeing Helespontus swimming with his ships and all the playnes therabout mustring with his mē said that he was a right happie man therwith began bitterly to wepe Which soden alteratiō Artabanus his vncle espying wondred and demanded the cause therof Oh quod Xerxes now I remember howe short transitorie mans life is For sée of so great a multitude as here is within this hundred yeres there shal not be one man aliue Ex Plut. in Rom. Apoth When Philip king of Macedonie had subdued Cheronea a citie of Athens and thereby hadde purchased innumerable wealth he began to be hautie and high minded saying that fortune hadde no power to doo him harme But afterwardes béeing aduertised that his pride woulde haue a fall and howe vayne a thing man was he kepte a boy euery day to come to hys chamber doore and with a loude voyce to cry Remember Philip thou art a man. Also his sonne Alexander as he was at the siege of a certayne citie viewing in what place the walles thereof were moste weakest was wounded in the legge with an arrowe But at the first not séeling the smarte thereof procéeded in the siege vntill in fine his legge waxed so sore that he was compelled to take his horse and leaue the fielde And then he sayde Euery one telleth me that I am immortall and sonne to Iupiter but thys wounde playnely sheweth that I am a myserable mortall manne Ex Plutarch in vita Alexand. When flatterers came about Canutes sometimes king of Englande and began to exalte him with highe wordes calling him a king of all kinges moste mightie who had vnder his subiection bothe the people the lande and the sea Canutus reuoluing this matter in hys minde whether for pride of his heart exalted or whether to trie and refell their flattering wordes commaunded his chaire to be broughte to the sea side at what time it should begin to flowe and therein sitting downe charged and commaunded the floudes rising to goe backe and not to touche him But the water kéeping his ordinarie course growing higher and higher began to wash him welfauouredly Wherfore the king starte backe and sayde Lo ye call me a mightie king and yet I can not commaunde this little water to stay but it is like to droune me Dominus Fox Ex Polli li. 7. Hunting li. 6. A scholer of Zenons comming honie to his father was of him demaunded what profite he had attained by his long studie in Philosophie who answered that he would tell him and saying no more his father was offended and thinking his coste caste away he began to beate him Which thing his sonne paciently suffred Then his father demaūded him agayne to she we some experience of his learning to whom his sonne answered Lo this fruite haue I gotten by my Philosophie thus paciently to endure my fathers displeasure Ex Era. l. 8. A poth When one stroke Socrates with hys héeles and his friends sayde that they wondred howe he could put vp so great an iniurie he aunswered them what and if an asse should kicke you woulde you go to laws with him for it Another tyme when one gaue him a blowe he was nothing offended but sayde it was great pitie that menne coulde not tell when to doo on their helmets Ex Eras Pericles béeing rayled on and brawled with of a brabling marchaunt saide nothing but went his wayes home and when the other folowed him incessantly
came vnto Athens with great plentie of golde where when he had intised many vnto him through his great gifts be sent also 70. talentes vnto Photion Who turning him about vnto the bringers away quoth he you naughtie-packes with this geare and tell Harpalus in my name that it shall be to his great gréefe and paine onlesse he abstaine his handes from corrupting the citie Diomedon Cizecenus promised Artaxerxes the great king of Persia that he woulde corrupte Epaminundas with money and so béeing well furnished therewith he repaired to Thebes where when he hadde corrupted Michitus a yong man he thoughte likewise to haue dealte with Epaminundas But he answeared Diomedon it was néedelesse for thée to bring me this money For if the kings pleasure tende to the weale publike I promisse thée I will doe it francke and fréely if not no worldlye wealthe shall cause me to accorde thereto And as for thée Diomedon bicause not knowing me thou déemedst me like thy selfe I forgiue thée but I charge thée gette thée hence leaste that when thou canste not preuaile with me thou corruptest others Héereat when Diomedon gan to feare that he shuld not escape Epaminundas willed him not to feare For I will quoth he dismisse thée safe not only for thy sake but also for my owne honestie least some suppose that whereas I would not take the mony of thée I should now take it from thée When Aetolis sawe earthen vessels on Q. Tuberius table at his retourning home he sente him plate of siluer but Tuberius neglecting suche pompe sente them vnto him againe The Ambassadors of king Alexander bringing vnto Xenocrites 50. talentes which in those days specially amōgst the Atheniens was coumpted a greate summe of money Xenocrites broughte them to supper into the colledge intertaining them homely and with his ordinarie fare On the morowe they asked him who shuld receiue the mony wherto he answeared why did you not perceiue by yesterdays supper that we lack no money At which woordes when he sawe them sory he tooke of them thirtie poundes to the intent they shoulde not thinke that he despised the kings liberalitie and so dismissed them When Alexander hadde taken king Darius wife captiue albeit shée wer the fairest Quene liuing yet he neuer medled with hir But shutting hir and hir daughters in the Temples he suffered them to liue vnséene of any and woulde say in iest that the Persian damsels were eyesores Xenocrates Plato his scholler was a man of wonderous continencie In somuche that whereas Phryne a passing faire strumpet had laide a wager with certain yongmen that shée would allure him vnto hir pleasure shée coulde by no whorishe trickes prouoke him thereto But when the yongmen required the wager shée answered that hir wager was laide of a man and not of an image Valentinus the Emperor at the houre of his death sayd that one conquest only reioyced him and being asked what that was He answered that nowe I haue subdued my fleshe the wickedst greatest enimie that euer I had S. Ierome telleth of a certaine yongman which by the commaundement of Decius Valerianus was laide in a pleasant garden and there brought vnto him a faire faced harlot who with hir dalying indeuored to prouoke him to sinne but such was his continencie that when shée went aboute to kisse him he bitte of his tong and spit it in hir face As Alexander trauailed by the way and thereby had gotten a great thirst it happened that one presented vnto him a helmet full of water who receiuing the helmet in his hande and beholding his horsemen aboute him he bowed downe his head beheld the drinke and restored the drinke not tasting thereof but sayde vnto his chéefe men if I alone shoulde drinke all these would be a thirst Remembring well the Ouidian verse Est virtus placitis abstinuisse bonis Great vertue t' is from present pray mans fansie to refrayne When Pompei was sicke and therby had no appetite vnto his meat his Phisitian commaunded them to dresse him a thrushe but such either was the time of the yere or else the scarcitie of things that for money none could be had only they tolde him that Lucullus had one in his cage but he would none of him saying and can I not liue onlesse I haue Lucullus his wanton toyes Of accusing and speaking euill of others A Certayne Sophist called Zoilus indyted many rayling commentaries which he presented to Ptolomie king of Egypt hoping to haue had some greate rewarde of the king for his paynes but when the kyng gaue him nothing he was so néedie that he procured some to demaunde the kinges liberalitye whereat the king had greate wonder that Homer so many yeares after his death could féed so many thousand men and Zoilus who professed him selfe better learned than Homer shoulde stande in so great néede And on that occasion caused him to be punyshed for hys labour Memnon a capitayne of Darius fighting agaynst Alexander and hearing one of his souldiers rayling agaynst the king his enimie stroke him with his speare and sayde I kéepe thée to fight agaynst Alexander and not to rayle on him When Antigonus his souldiers reuiled hym not thynking that he was present he opening his tente with hys rodde sayde go further to rayle on vs or else it shall be to your payne But Seneca in his third booke of Ire sayth that he sayde Stande further sirs least the king heare you Also the same king Antigonus hearing his souldiers curse him bicause that in a darke nighte he had broughte them into suche a mierie place that they could hardly go out he came him selfe they not knowing him and holps them euery one out And now quoth he curse Antigonus which broughte you into the mire but pray for him which pulled you out When a certaine drunken gest had railed on the crueltie of Pesistratus king of Athens and his frends willed the king to punishe him therefore he answered that he was no more offended with him therefore than he woulde be if a blindefolde man shoulde vnawares runne against him Pirrhus the king hearing that some wihtoute cause had railed on him he caused the parties accused to be sent for demaunding them whether they had saide of him as the reporte wente they did Wherto one of them answeared yea O king and should haue said muche more had we had more wine to haue prouoked vs thereto Whereat king Pirrhus laughing suffred thē to depart in peace It was tolde Augustus that Aemilius spake euill of him who turning him aboute vnto the accusers as thoughe he were in a great chafe sayd I would you could proue it on him Aemilius shoulde then knowe that I haue a tong too For I would say as muche of him Philip king of Macedome being railed on by one Nicander beganne to bestowe many giftes on him after this Nicander changing his note began now as faste to praise him Wherefore Philip turning
companie of moiners wer come togither in vaine he fained himself to be freÌ„sie and said that his dreame had neuer deceiued him vntil nowe Wherfore to auoide the present feare shame which he was like to sustain he willingly slue him selfe and lefte Nero gaping in vaine for his pray M. Cato the yonger at the request of Q Hortentius his frende gaue him Marcia his wife but after Hortensius was deade he tooke hir home to him selfe againe Wherefore afterwardes Caesar and he falling at debate Caesar by those wordes accused him to be a couetous person If quoth he he had no néede of hir why did he take hir if he had why did he let hir go but that he was disposed to make marchaundise of hir letting hir go in hir youth that he mighte receiue hir agayne when she was riche At the siege of Prenest a citie in Jtalie it hapned that in a great famine a souldier caught a mouse which he chose rather to sell for two hundreth pence than therewith to assuage his hunger But he was worthily punyshed for his couetousnesse For he whiche boughte the mouse liued whereas the couetous seller dyed of famine Vaspatian the Emperour was so vnreasonable couetous that he caused vessels to be set in the way to receyue the vrine of such as passed by and so selling it to the Dyers gotte thereby great tribute Hereof when Titus his sonne reproued him he sayde nothing vntyll that the rente hereof was brought vnto him then putting the money vnto hys nose asked him howe he lyked the smel therof wherto when he answered that he liked it well why quoth Vaspatian it commeth of pisse Also when this Vaspatian had gotten his empire a cowherd of his who had serued him al his youth now desired him to make him frée but could not obteyne his suite wherfore he exclamed this prouerbiall sentence The Foxe may change his cote but neuer will leaue his crafte Herevpon Seneca in his Prouerbs sayth that the couetous man doth nothing well but when he dyeth Wherefore Marcial in his Epigram of Sceuola who after his wealth became more couetous wryteth thus Si dederint superi decies mihi millia centum c. In Englishe thus If millions many Gods vvould giue of goodly glittering golde Should not then Sceuola be estemde and highly be extolde Oh then hovv vvould I liue quoth he vvhereat the Gods dyd smile And gaue him his request but then his ioyes he gan exile Then ragged govvne as pelting patche our Sceuola could vse VVith patche on patche as loutish lobbe he cobled ofte his shoes His table then he did neglecte and course fare pleasde him beste VVith vvorldly cares he vvas so toste that scarse he toke his reste Then must I lyue he often sayde or else the Gods me take And so vvith vvelth gan cares increase and him more carefull make The sayd Vaspatian demanding what the funerall pompe of a certayne noble man stoode in and being told 300. pouÌ„ds he cryed out giue me so muche and cast me into Tiber. Midas king of Phrigia was so desirous of golde that he made his petition vnto the gods the whatsoeuer he touched might be turned into gold wherin obteyning his request all things which were ordeined for him to eate béeing turned into gold he miserably dyed for hunger Iosephus in hys sixte Booke of the warre of the Iewes sheweth that there were some of the Iewes founde who had deuoured golde Wherefore as many of them as came into the handes of the Assirians had their bellies ripped So that in one night there were 20000. opened in hope to finde golde in their bellies and had all so bene destroyed had not Titus set foorth a sharpe edicte to the contrarie At the destruction of Salomons temple at Ierusalem when the Romanes were ascended on the temple the Iewes setting it on fire destroyed many of theÌ„ amongest whom there was one Agorius who with a loude voyce cryed vnto Lucius his fellow souldier and chamber fellow that if be woulde helpe him out he woulde make him inheritour of hys patrimonie Wherefore Lucius in hope of the promysed rewarde ranne vnto him and taking him on his backe with the weight of him was throwen down and with the falling downe of stones was presently destroyed Oclius the sonne of Artaxerses king of Persia was so vnsaciable couetous that whereas the Persian Princes were accustomed as often as they went to giue to euery womaÌ„ a pece of gold bicause he woulde giue none he neuer came there Yea for couetousnesse of a small thing he banished him selfe his countrey Alexander the great hearing Anaxarchus disputing of infinite worlds began bitterly to wéepe and béeing demaunded the cause thereof he answered haue I not good cause to wéep when as there be many worldes and I haue yet scarse conquered one Of Audacitie and boldnesse A Gesilaus béeing warned of his souldiers not to fight agaynst the Thebanes bicause that their power was greater than his answered them that he which will rule and reigne ouer many muste not be afrayde to fighte with many Fabius Max. telling Scipio who made all expedition to wage warre into Africa that nature teacheth all men first to defende his owne realme before he goe to conquere others and that he shoulde first be sure of peace in Italie before he made warre into Afrike Scipio answered that it was a greater token of courage to make warre than to defende it At Hannibals comming to Capua Perolla Calanius his sonne coulde neither by the coÌ„maundement of his father nor at the instance of Hanniball be induced to come to the banquet where Hanniball was but watching his father as he came froÌ„ supper was going into a garden he folowed him said I can tell you father a deuise which shal not only get me pardon of my offence towards you but also bring me vnto great dignitie fauour amongst the Romans for euer WheÌ„ his father demanded what deuise the was he cast of his goune and shewed his sword which was girt to his side saying now I wil coÌ„firme the Roman leage with Hanibals bloud so his father could hardly kéepe him from running Haniball through Cneâ—us Piso accused Manlius Crispus who although he were giltie in the thing wherof he was accused yet for PoÌ„pei his sake who fauored hiÌ„ he was deliuered Wherfore Piso laid al the fault on PoÌ„pei Wherefore PoÌ„pei asked why he did not accuse him theÌ„ Assure me quod Piso that thou wilt not make ciuil war if thou be provoked therto then I will aske counsell whether thou or Piso shuld lose his head When Alexander Phereus who tooke part with the AtheniaÌ„s against the Thebans promised the Athenians that he woulde bring to passe that they should haue asmuche flesh for a farthing as they were wont to pay a pound for Epaminundas hearing it said but we Thebans wil be more liberal than so for we will giue you
for that he had Pius Metellus to his fréende the other bicause he had not destroyed Athens Ex Plutarch in Rom. Apoth When one demaunded of Socrates whether he thought not Archilaus moste happie I can not tell quoth he for I neuer spake with him Bruso lib. 2 cap. 36. Antigonus seeing one of his souldiers who otherwise was a valiant man to haue some secreate disease asked him what the matter was that he looked so pale To whome the souldier confessing the truthe of his anguishe Antigonus bad his Phisitians if it were possible to cure him But being now cured of his disease he began to be more slacke to fighte and not so hardie in his affaires as he was woont to be Whereat the king wondering asked him how it came to passe that his minde was so fodenly altered Why thou thy selfe quoth he arte the cause thereof For as long as I liued in paine and miserie I was nothing afeard to lose so miserable a life But nowe when by your goodnesse I liue in better case I am loth to lose my life Lycost Ex Eras lib. 8. Apoth Of Fortune POlycrates king of Samia was a prince so fortunate that he neuer desired any thing but he had it And coulde no sooner wishe but haue Wherefore fearing the mutabilitie of Fortune who when shée striketh striketh home he tooke a ring of inestimable price and cast it into the sea But fortune was so fauorable vnto him that a fish eat his ring which afterwards was taken and giueÌ„ vnto him in whose belly the Cooke finding the ring restored it vnto him againe But in the ende making warre with Darius he was taken captiue of Crontes the chiefe Captayne hanged on the high mount Michasus there lefte a praye for foules to deuour Dionisius the yonger being asked how it chanced that his father was preferred from the state of a priuat maÌ„ to become a king and he from royall scepter to be throwen downe to so base an estate answered bycause my father lefte me his kingdome but not fortune Cressus consulting the oracle whether he should wage warre against Tomiris the Quéene of whome he was in fine killed was aunswered If thou déemest thy self immortal then néedest thou not my counsell héerein but if thou acknowledge thy self to be a man let this be thy firste lesson that the state of humaine affaires is rounde and that fortune neuer leaueth man in one estate When Aucaeus the sonne of Neptune and Astipalcas planting a vineyard was earnest with his seruants to apply their worke one of them sayd to his felowes what paines my Maister taketh aboute this vine and yet he shall neuer taste the fruit of the grape When Ancaeus heard hereof he said nothing vntill the grapes were ripe and euen nowe pressed them sending for his seruant and caused a cup of the wine to be filled he put it towards his mouthe mocking and taunting hys seruant for this vaine prophecie But as he was thus preaching ouer the cup an other of his seruants came in with spéed and sayde that there was a wilde Bore in the vineyarde Wherfore Ancaeus cast downe the cuppe and running to chase away the wild bore was destroied of him and héerof sprang the prouerbial verse Multa caduÌ„t inter caliceÌ„ suprenâ—aque labra Though to thy mouth thou lift the pot Whether thou shalt drink yet wotest thou not When one Damacles a Parasite of Dionisius began to praise the abundance of welth maiestie dominion wherw t Dionisius was indued sayd the he neuer saw any so fortunat as he was Dionisius asked him whether he wold be content to assay his estate and fortune awhile Yea quoth Damacles with all my heart Wherfore the king commaunded that this Parasite should be layd in his bed The next day he caused a gorgious dinner to be prepared and setting him in his chaire of estate he charged theÌ„ that with all possible honoure and pleasure they should serue him But in the middest of this chéere he caused a glistering sweard to be hanged with a horsse haire and let downe ouer his head Which when Damacles sawe neither could he behold the comelinesse of his seruitures nor yet the delicacie of his meat but only fastening his eyes on the sworde he desired Dionisius to giue him leaue to departe and saide that he would no lenger be blessed Bruso Lib. 3. cap. 13. On a time when the papacie of Rome had bene vacante two yeares and more the Cardinals concluded to electe Petrus Moroneus a godly man and consecrated him by the name of Celestine the fifthe Who bicause he began to refourme the clergie Boniface the eighte then called Benedictus so handled the matter that what by his iuggling speaking through his chamber walles nightly admonished him to giue vp his papacie and other his diuellishe illusions he persuaded him in in some solitarie deserte And ere long was by this Boniface apprehended imprisoned and put to death For whiche impietie of his when Iacobus and Petrus Cardinalles of Columna séemed to be offended this Boniface tooke suche displeasure agaynst them that he caused Preneste Zagorolum and Columna to be made leuell with the grounde Yea for their sakes he was so displeased with the Gibilenes and the inhabitauntes of Columna that on ashewednesday when Porchetus an Archebishoppe came and knéeled downe before hym to receyue his ashes he looking on him and perceyuing that he was one of the Gibilines caste his handfull of ashes in his eyes and sayde Memento homo c. That is remember man that thou arte a Gibiline and to ashes thou shalte goe But in the ende partely from the Cardinalles of Columna and partely from Phillip the Frenche king whome he had greatly molested were sente an arnne of men whiche came to Augonum and there in hys owne fathers house and in the very chaumber where he was borne they spoyled his substaunce and led him captiue to Rome And there within 24. dayes after he dyed for sorrowe Whereas the inhabitants of Paphus were wonte to haue their king chosen of the familie of the Sinarasians and nowe that house was cleane spente Alexander being very desirous to get them a king of that stocke vnderstoode that there was yet a poore maÌ„ called Halimomus which came of that linage wherefore with al spéede he repaired thither to create him king And finding him in hys garden drawing of water with al triuÌ„ph had him thence incontinent made him a king and companion of his owne person Bru. li. 2. cap. 37. It is reported that Marius Septimus the tyrant was made emperor one day reigned the next the third day was slayn of his souldiers Brus li. 2. cap. 37. After the death of Antiochus king of Syria his sonne Seleucus killed Bernice his stepmother with the yong childe his brother Whereof when Ptolome king of Egypt and brother to this Bernice had intelligence he came to Syria with a mayne Hoste to reuenge
him ere long he answered that he dyd more estéeme their lyues than the conquest of a hundred suche cities A notable acte and worthy perpetuall memorie And afterwardes the citie which with fortie thousand men of armes he coulde not subdue by that kindenesse without any effusion of bloud yéelded vnto him Ex Panor li. 1. de rebus geftis Alphonsi Iohannes Scotus a right godly deuine and learned Philosopher comming to Fraunce out of his owne countrey of Scotland by reason of the gret tumults of war was worthily intertained had in great estimation of Carolus Caluus the Frenche king whom he commonly and familiarly vsed to haue about him both at bed at borde Vpon a time the king sitting at meate and séeing belike in this Iohn Scotus somewhat which séemed not very courtly cast forth a mery word asking him what differeÌ„ce there was betwene a Scot and a Sot Whervnto the Scot sitting ouer against the king somewhat lower replyed agayne sodenly rather than aduisedly yet merily saying Mensa tantum that is the table onely importing himselfe to be the Scot and so by crafte calling the king a Sot. Which thing the king tooke in good parte and laughed it out Xerxes séeing Grecian spyes come to viewe his armie dyd them no harme but ledde them about shewing them all his armie and let them go vnhurt Laurentius Palatine of Hungarie said that Sigismunde the Emperoure dyd foolishly who not onely forgaue his enimies their liues but also intreated them as his friends and bestowed much liberalitie vpon them to whom Sigismunde answered thou thinkest it profitable to kill thy enimies bicause they shal make warre agaynst thée no more But I kill my enimie with sparing him and with my liberalitie I make him my friende Ex Aenea Siluio l. 3. commentarij de rebus geâ—â—is Alphon. Of Innocencie or a good conscience WHen Anaxandridas sawe one heauie bicause he should be banished the citie he said be not afraid good felow to leaue the citie but be afraid to forsake iustice equitie Meaning that they wer not miserable which were vnworthily punished but them to be most miserable which of their owne accorde forsake iustice and depart from honestie albeit no punishment ensue therfore Pirrhus leading an armie agaynst the Lacedemonians heard Cyrcilidas a Lacedemonian Senatour manace the armie But Pirrhus saide vnto them Be of good comforte sirs for if Cyrcilidas be a God we haue done nothing wherewith he may be displeased But if he be but a man he shall well perceiue that we are men to whome he thus threatneth and not women Whose meaning was that the innoceÌ„t are always in hope of Gods fauour and assistaunce Who although he be sometimes displeased yet will he always he iust and righteous in visiting the vniust and letting the innocent and guiltlesse escape When Vespasian had a long time ben sicke of an ague and was remoued in his bedde from the place where he lay vnto some other chamber he looked vp into heauen and complayned that his life should without cause be taken from him And sayde that he was sory for no déede that euer he did but for one what that was he tolde not him selfe neither can any contecture what it should be Ex Suetonio WheÌ„ one blamed Anthonius Pius the Emperor saying that he was ouer gentle vnto his enimies suche as had conspired his death asking him what should become of him if they had preuayled agaynst him he answered I doo not so serue God neither is my life suche that I should be giuen into my enimies handes Ex Brus li. 5. cap. 26. Alphonsus King of Arragon béeing demaunded why he went somtimes without his gard answered that he went accompanied with innoceÌ„cie Wherby the wise prince meaned that he was well garded from sustayning any iniurie that had a cleare conscience of his owne and that they wer neuer in safetie who bere about them a corrupt conscience but as the Psalmist sayth they are afrayde of daunger where no daunger is Of Iudges and Iudgement PHilip king of Macedonie sitting in iudgemeÌ„t in a certen cause of one Macheta slumbring and not tending the cause vnaduisedly condemned Macheta But he cried out and said I appeale Appeale quod the king vnto whoÌ„ dost thou appeale Vnto thée O king quod he if thou wilt awake heare me WhervpoÌ„ the king began to awake be more atteÌ„tiue in his cause perceiuing that he had done him wrong he did not reuoke hys former iudgement but payed him selfe the summe wherein Macheta was condemned Bruso li. 3. cap. 10. Alexander Seuerus did beare such stomacke agaynst corrupt iudges that wheÌ„ he chaunced to méete with any of theÌ„ by coÌ„motion of his minde he would cast vp choler béeing so moued with them that he could not speake and was ready with his two fingers to putte out their eyes Bruso li. 3. cap. 10. When Cambises king of Persia vnderstoode that one of his iudges had pronounced false iudgement he coÌ„maunded that his skin should be flayne of set on the chaire where he sat in iudgemeÌ„t and where his sonne after him should sit to giue sentence Brus li 3. cap. 10. Marcus Antonius the wyse Philosopher and mightie Emperour was wont to say that priuate persons had many iudges but Princes and Magistrates haue onely God to be their iudge As by this example folowing may appeare Anno domini 1105. two famous Archebishops of Mentz béeing right vertuous and wel disposed prelates were cruelly and tirannously delt withal intreated by the bishoppe of Rome Their names were Henrie and Christian This Henry hauing intelligence that he was complayned of to the Pope sent a learned man an especiall friend of his named Arnolde to excuse him But this honest man Arnolde in steade of an excuser became an accuser brybing the chiefe Cardinalles with good golde by which meanes he obtayned of the Pope those two Cardinalles to be sente as inquisitours and onely doers in that present case The which comming to Germanie summoned the sayde Henry and deposed him of his Archbishopricke for all that he could doo either by iustice or lawe substituting in his place the sayde Arnolde â–ª vppon hope no doubte of the Ecclesiasticall golde Wherevpon that vertuous and honorable Henry spake vnto those peruerse iudges on this wise If I shoulde appeale vnto the Apostolike see for your vniust processe had agaynst me perhappes the Pope would attempte nothing more herein than you haue neither shoulde I winne any thing by it but onely toyle of body losse of good affliction of minde care of heart and missing of his fauor Wherfore I do appeale vnto the Lord Iesu Christ as to the most highest and iust iudge and cite you before his iudgement there to answere before the high iudge For neither iustly nor godly but by corruption as it pleased you ye haue iudged me Wherto they scoffingly answered go you first
and hys master Seneca Lucane and diuers others aswell learned men as also his tutors and friends he rewarded wyth like curtesie Finallie when he had attempted diuers diuelishe deuises to destroy his mother and yet she was by Gods prouidence preserued in fine pretending great amitie he sent for hir to a banquet where with great ioy he receyued and interteined hir at parting kissed the brests which he more vnnatural than any Tigre had sucked secretly cōmaunding the shipmaster that béeing on the sea he shuld make as though perforce he were driuen against hir ship so bursting the ship to drowne hir which being as wickedly accomplished she neuerthelesse swam out escaped Wherof as ioyfull tidings when one Ligarinus brought him word he cōmanded him to be put to death and with him his owne mother This Nero cōmanded Rome to be set on fire in twelue places so continued it sixe dayes and seuen nightes in burning while that he to sée the example howe Troy burned sitting in his towre Mecaenas song Homers verses But in the ende he was fayne to kil him self for fear cōplayning the he had neither friend nor foe left the would do it for him Also C. Caesar Caligula was so cruell that in dedicating a bridge which he had made conteyning in lengthe thrée myles and sixe hundred passes he calling a number of people vnto him caused them all to be throwen downe and drowned in the sea he wyshed that all the people of Rome had but one necke to the intent he mighte destroy suche a multitude But God sent so shrewde a cowe short hornes For he was cut of by Cheraea Sabinus others which conspired against him After whose death there was soūd in his closet two libels wherin was cōteined the names of those senators and noble men that he meant to put to death ther was also foūd a coffer wherin diuers kinds of poyson were kepte to destroy a multitude of people which poysons afterwards being throwen into the sea destroied a great number of fish When Herode had put to death al his sons at length falling into a gret greuous disease insomuch the worms did eat him aliue dispayring the he should neuer recouer he caused all the noble men of Iewry to be imprisoned thē calling his sister Salome Alexander hir husbande vnto him he said vnto them I know the Iewes wil be right ioyful make great feasts at my death wherfore take these whom I haue in holde and put them to death that once in my life I may cause all Iewry to lament and mourne Whē king Darius made war agaynst the Scithians had taken the sonnes of Orobertus a noble man he desired the king to leaue him one of his thrée sonnes to comfort him in his age Which thing Darius promised to do and more than that to And so cruelly killing them he bad him take them all thrée Cneius Piso made an Edict that if any of his souldiours returned out of the field without his cōpanie he should dye for it aswel as if he had slaine him him self It hapned that one so returning desired his leaue to goe séeke his mate whiche thing Piso would not graunt but commaunded a Captain to sée him executed which when he prepared to accomplish he sawe the man whiche was missing comming towards them wherefore he commaunded the hanchman to stay the sworde and so brought them both vnto Piso but he in a furie commaunded thē all thrée to be put to deathe the one bycause he was alreadie condemned the other bycause he was the cause of his condemnation and the Captain for not executing his precept Of deceyte and guile ROsimund the wife of Alboinis king of Longobardia through the persuasiō of one Helmelchides who promised hir mariage made awaye Albonis hir husbande After whose death the adulterer and she béeing chased from Longobardia fled to Rauenna where she was honourably interteyned of Longinus the king who also béeing taken with hir beautie desired that she would make away Helmelchides and marry him promising hir by this meanes to restore hir to the kingdome of Longobardia Wherevpon as Helmechides on a tyme came out of the bathe she making him beléeue that she had made him a drinke to recouer his strengthe caused hym to drinke poyson whiche thing when he perceyued he compelled hir to drinke the rest and so in one day and wyth one kinde of death the worlde was deliuered of two adulterers Datames was a man of singular craft and very subtyll and circumspecte in all his dealinges so that when it was tolde him that there were some which lay in wayse to kyll him he caused one to doo on hys attire and to goe to the place where the ambushement was who béeyng supposed to haue béene Datames him selfe was beset but Datames with greater power rescued him and subdued his foes After this one Mithridates pretending friendship desired to speake with him in a secrete place where he before had hidde his weapon When the tyme was come that they should méete Datemes caused him and he Datemes to be searched and when no weapon coulde be founde aboute them they came togither to talke and after long debating they departed eche man his way but Mithridates comming to the place where his weapon lay making as thoughe he paused tooke vp his weapon and hid it vnder his clothes thē calling againe after Datemes as though he had somewhat more to say vnto him came to him and flue him Whē Xerxes for his feblenesse began to be contēned of his subiects Artabanus his chief ruler hoping to aspire vnto the kingdome came with his vij sturdy sons vnto the palace where first he secretly made away his lord Xerxes then the soner to attaine his hoped pray he set discorde betwéene the two yong princes persuading Artaxerses that Darius his brother had killed his father Xerxes Wherevppon Artaxerses caused Darius to be kylled in his bedde But as GOD woulde haue it Artabanus not kéeping his owne counsayle opened hys trayterous stomacke to Bacabassus hys companion who disclosing it to Artaxerses the Prince he faygning as though he woulde sée a viewe of his men commaunded them all agaynst the next day to be before him in complete armoure Wherein they accomplished his commaundement he according to promise came to take a view of them and espying Artabanus amongst the rest making as thogh his cote of maile were to short he willed Artabanus to chaunge wyth him And so Artabanus vnarming him Artaxerses thrust him through verefying the Psalm Foueam féecit ac incidit in eam he pretended the destruction of an other and was him selfe destroyed After that Ptolome king of Ceraunia had subdued Antigonus made war with Antiochus Pirrhus and had now gotten the regimēt of al Macedonia into his own hands he assaied also to deceiue his own sister to bereue frō hir hir two sonnes and hir citie
Mandana Astiages his daughter dreamed that she made so muche water that the whole citie was filled and all Asia ouerflowen therewith With whiche dreame Astiages was so terrified that he married his daughter vnto Cambyses a manne of a good witte but of a meane birth But the same yere he him selfe also dreamed that he sawe a vyne grow out of the priuitie of his daughter whose branches ouershadowed al Asia Wherfore he sent for his daughter who was then nere hir trauell setting some to watch the birth that assoone as it was brought foorth it might be slaine Which beeing performed assoone as the childe was borne it was broght vnto the king Who tooke it vnto Harpagus his very friende desiring straitly charging him to carie it home and kil it But when he came home he determined with him self to abstayne his handes from killing the babe wherfore he sent for Methridatis the kings shephearde and charged him in the kings name to take the infant and cast it away on the mountaynes When he had the childe he carried it home and shewed it vnto his wyfe who desired him of all loues not to caste away the childe But if he must néedes cast away one she desired him to caste away hir owne which she brought foorth that present day wherin he accomplished hir request and caste away his owne childe retayning the other in hys stede Who growing in yeares was made king of his playfellowe boyes Wherefore playing Rex amongest them when one Artembaris a riche mannes sonne had disobeyed him he caused him to be apprehended and beate him Whereof his father complayned vnto the king and caused him to be sente for When he came the kyng beholding hym sayde Arte thou the shepheardes sonne which vseth to beate the chéefe mennes sonnes of Media Yea O king quoth he and that not without a cause For the boyes made me king aboue others bicause they thoughte me fitter therefore than the rest were Nowe whereas the reste reuerenced and obeyed me thys one woulde not doo so wherefore according to his desertes I punyshed him At whiche wordes he caused the king to wonder and remembring the time of the childes exposition with the age and comelynesse of the person he feared that it was his nephue Wherefore calling Methridatis vnto him he straitly charged hym to tell the very truthe of the matter who daring doo none other wyse declared the truthe of it Héerevppon the king sente foorthwyth for Harpagus demaunding him what he hadde doone wyth the chylde who declaring all that he hadde doone the king made as though he were nothing offended herewith but shortly after bidding him to a banquet he slue his sonne and caused him vnwares to eate therof asking him after supper how he liked the meat And when he sayde very well he cōmanded his cokes to bring in the head other appurtenances of the childe and sent Cyrus his new-founde nephue vnto his parentes at Persia Who afterwardes by the ayde of Harpagus subdued hys Graundfather verified their Dreames and enioyed the kingdome Herodot li. 1. Laius king of Thebes was tolde by an oracle that it were good for him neuer to haue childe For the childe whom he should conceyue should be an occasion of great murther in their owne house Wherefore as soone as the childe was borne it was drawen out by the héeles and therof was called Oedipus and cast away But a woman chauncing to finde him brought him vp Afterwards it happened that Laius his father and he méeting bicause Laius proudly commaunded him to gyue way he slue him not knowing that it was his father Aboute that time there came to Thebes one Sphinx who kéeping a certaine bridge there put forth a riddle to them that passed by throwing thē into the water that could not reade it But this Oedipus absolued it and had for his reward Iocasta and the kingdome of Thebes ▪ The ridle was thus What Craeture is it that first hath foure féete then two fete and at last thrée féete Which Oedipus interpreted to be a man who at his birth crauleth on all foure afterwardes goeth on his two féete cōming to age leaneth on his staffe and so hath thrée féete Wherfore Sphinx was cast into the riuer and Oedipus vnawares maried Iocasta his own mother Of Felicitie or happinesse CRoesus king of Lidia the richest man that euer was sent for Solon and asked him whether any man were more happie than he Yea quoth Solon that is Telus who had very honest men to his sonnes and he him selfe manly died in defending his countrey Then Craesus asked him agayne whether nexte vnto Telus he were not most fortunate No quoth he Cleober and Brito are more happie both for the singular friendship which is betwéene them and also for the great obedience reuerence which they shewed vnto their mother But Craesus was here with offended and asked whether he had no place amōgst the fortunate No quod Solon we can not yet cal thée blessed but assoone as thou art dead and out of the danger of fortune affection then we shall sée how happie thou shalt be Wherfore Craesus was sorely displesed with him and let him go without doing him any honor But this saying of Solon was shortely after verified And Craesus béeing ouercome and taken captiue of king Cyrus and a fyre made to burne him when he shuld enter into the flame began oftesones to say O Solon Solō ▪ Wherfore Cyrus asked him what he ment by those wordes Then Craesus telling him the sum of the matter Cyrus séeing thereby the varietie of fortune and the alteration of the worlde caused the fire to be quenched and made Craesus one of his chief counsellers Ouid 4. de Ponto Of this felicitie Martiall in a certaine Epigram sayth thus Vitam quae faciunt beatiorem c. In Englishe thus The things vvhich cause mās life methinketh most full of blisse to be Are these vvhē goods frō friends do fal and vve from labour free VVhen fertile field growes fast abroade and minde is voyde of strife And merie Iohn by toasting fire may sitte vvith Ione his vvife VVhen corpse is sound and strōg withal and vvisedome rules the minde And friends in friendships faithfull knot a faythfull heart doth binde VVhen fare is good though not of cost and night vvith pleasure prest Not drousie head but merry minde doth cause a quiet rest To be as heart could vvishe or craue thy state content vvithall Not feare nor vvishe for fatall day But come vvhen come it shall Demetrius was wont to say that he thought nothing more vnfortunate than him who in al his life had no misfortune chauncing him For that suche a one either knoweth not himselfe for lacke of experience or else is contemned and ouer scaped of the Goddes as one good for nothing Sylla who for his felicitie was surnamed Felix among other his happie haps saide that two things chéefely reioyced him The one
regal bloud And wouldest thou thou varlet haue ben author of so horrible an acte Aneas Siluiu lib 3. commentariorum de rebus gestis Alpho. On a tyme when the Abbot of a certaine Monasterie was dead there came vnto the Courte of VVilliam Rufus then king of Englande two Monkes of the same house who before hadde gathered muche money and made their friendes to the king and offred large offred large offers eyther of them to be promoted vnto that dignitie Ther was also the third Monk who of méekenesse and humilitie followed the other two to the intente that on him whome the King shoulde admitte Abbot he shoulde attende and wayte The King called before him the two Monkes seuerally eyther of them out-profered the other but as he caste his eye aside he espyed the thyrde Monke standing by supposing that his comming had also bene for the like cause wherfore calling him vnto him he asked him what he would do whether he woulde giue more than his brethren hadde offred to be Abbot who aunswered the king and sayde that he neyther hadde nor woulde if he myght offer any penny for it nor by any suche vnlawefull meanes come by it When the King had wel pondered his answere he sayde that he was beste worthy to be Abbot and to haue the rule of so holy a charge and so gaue it him without taking any pennie for it Of Laboure and paine taking DEmocritus being demaunded what difference was betwixt the painefull and the idle answered the same difference that is betwéene the wicked and the godly For the labourer hopeth for his rewarde whereas the idle persone respecting his present estate is content to take his ease and to liue a miserable and beggerly life Ex Maxi. ser 32. The wise man in his Prouerbes reproueth the sluggardes in thys wise Go to the Pismire O thou sluggard beholde her wayes and be wise For shée hauing no guide gouernoure nor ruler prepareth hir meat in sommer and gathereth hir foode in haruest How long wilt thou sleepe O thou sluggarde when wilt thou awake out of thy sléepe Yet a litle sléepe a little slumber a little folding of thy handes together Therefore thy pouertie commeth on as a trauailer by the way and thy necessitie as an armed man. The Corinthians hearing that Phillip king of Macedonie was comming to inuade theyr kingdome began euery man to doe his endeuoure to resist his force One in making fitte his armoure an other in gathering of stones togither Be made the wals hygher and the other made the fortresses stronger and to be shorte euery one did somewhat which might tende to the defence and sauegard of the Citie Which thing when Diogines saw bicause he had no other thing to do he began to roll and tumble his tun Whereat when one of his fréends wondered and asked what he meaned thereby He answeared bicause I alone will not be idle when all these are so busily occupied Guido Bitur tit de Disidia When one tolde Socrates that hée woulde very faine goe to Olympia but that he feared least he shoulde not be able to endure the laboure and paynes Socrates answered him I know thou vsest to walk betwene thy meales which walke if thou vse onwardes thy way to Olympus within fiue or sixe dayes thou shalte come there Whereby the wyse man declared that it is rather a slouthful imagination than oughte else whiche maketh men afrayde to attempte any goodnesse For if we should sustayne any labour daunger or coste for some honest matter Lorde howe we excuse our selues detracte the time and cast daungers Whereas commonly in a thing of no value yea sometimes in vnhonest affayres we nothing sticke to sustayne the like or greater paynes As for example exhorte a slouthfull truande to the studie of learning and vertue and he wil straiwaies haue an excuse that for want of wealth he can not sitte vp and take paynes at his booke that he is not able to buy bookes and other necessaries to his studie and yet the selfe same fellowe for all his weaknesse can indure to sit vp whole nightes at cardes dise and tossing the pot and so bothe spende his money léese his credite and gette the Ague Goute or Dropsie or some suche disease When one Matheus Siculus blamed Alphonsus for labouring wyth his owne handes Alphonsus smyled and sayde what hath God and nature giuen Kings their handes to do nothing with The Lacedemonians vsed this prouerbe put to thy hande and then call on fortune and she will helpe thée Whereby they meant that we shoulde so call to God for helpe that we in the meane season be not idle our selues for then our prayer shall nothing helpe vs And as we know the he will prosper our workes that we attempte in his feare so oughte we to persuade oure selues that he detesteth idle and slouthful persons and that his pleasure is that we shoulde take paynes for his blessings not thincking him to be so folish that he wil bestow his blessings on them that eare not for thē Ex Plut. in Lacon Amis king of Egipt amongste other his statutes made an especiall law that the Pretor should once a weeke aske an accoumpte howe euery one in the Citie liued to the intent that if any were founde irle or occupyed in any vnhenest science he should be taken and punished as one greatly offending against the cōmon wealth Aristotle woulde often saye that the roote of learning was sowre and bitter but the frute thereof to be most pleasant and swéete ▪ Meaning thereby that without laboure and diligence a man can attaine nothing ▪ But after laboure and diligēce so applied that there ensueth perpetuall rest and tranquilitie of mind Ex Laert. lib. 5. cap. 5. Of Lawes Statutes and Decrees PAusanias being demaunded why the Spartanians might alter none of their olde lawes bicause said he that lawes ought to rule mē not to be ruled by thé Anacharsis no lesse pleasantly than truely called lawes spider webs bicause they take the silly flées but let the great birds through them Meaning that the pore only are punished for their offences but the riche and mighty by bribing and other shiftes escape vnpunished When one inquired of Demarchus why he was exiled his Countrey being himselfe Prince therof He answeared bicause that oure Spartantan lawes are mightier than oure Princes Meaning that albeit he were Prince of the Citie yet he ought to be ruled guided by the law Herein shewing a Princely modestie in so quietly taking his exile and so nobly authorizing his countrey lawes Who did not repine but spake well of the rigoure of his countrymen Antiochus the thirde wrote vnto his citizens willing them that if he chanced to wryte any thing vnto thē which were cōtrary to the order of their law thei shuld not accept it but accoūt it wrytten w eout his consent or knowledge For Princes sometimes for pleasing of
brought before the Emperoure he iudged it more honest the place to serue to the woorshippe of God howe so euer it were than to the durtie slubbring of cookes and scullians Ex domino Fox King Alfrede alias Alurede Anno 899 king of Englande in his youthe perceyuing him selfe somewhat disposed to the vice of the fleshe and therby letted from diuers vertuous and good purposes did not as many yong Princes and Kings sonnes in the worlde be nowe wonte to doe that is to resolue them selues so all kinde of carnall licence and sensualitie running and folowing without bridle whether so euer theyr licence giuen doth giue them leaue as therefore not without cause the cōmon prouerbe doth reporte of them that kings sonnes learn nothing else well but only to ride Meaning thereby that Princes and Kings sonnes hauing aboute them flatterers which boast them in theyr faultes only theyr horsses giue them no more than to any other but if they fit not fast they will cast them But this yong king seeing in him selfe the inclination of the fleshe minding not to giue him selfe so muche as he might take but rather by resistance to auoid the temptation therof besought God that he would send to him some continuall sicknesse in quenching of that vice whereby he mighte be more profitable to the businesse of the common wealth and more apte to serue God in his calling Then at Gods ordinaunce he had the euill called Bicus till he came to the age of twentie yeres After this sicknesse being cured he fel to another which continued with him from twentie yeares of his age to 45. according to his owne petition and request made vnto God whereby he was more reclaimed and attempred from other more greate inconueniences and lesse disposed from that which he did most abhorre Also he deuided his goods into two equall partes the one appertaining to vses seculare the other to vses spirituall or ecclesiastical Of the which two principall partes the firste he deuided into thrée portions the first to the behoose of his house and familie the secōd vpon his workemenne and builders of his newe woorkes whereof he had right great delighte and cunning the thirde vppon straungers Likewise the other seconde halfe vppon spirituall vses he did thus deuide in foure portions one to the reléeuing of the poore an other to monasteries the third to the schollers of Oxford for maintināce of good letters the fourth he sent to forren churches wythoute the realme Also so sparing he was of time that he deuided the day and the night into three partes if he were not lette by warres and other great businesse the viij houres he spent in study and learning other viij houres he spent in prayer and almes déedes and other viij houres he spent his naturall rest sustinance of his body and the néedes of the realme The which order he kept duely by the burning of waxen tapers kept in his closette by certaine persones for the same purpose Nowe besides these other qualities and gifts of Gods grace in him aboue mētioned remaineth another part of his no little praise cōmendation which is his learning and knowledge of good letters whereof not only he was excellent expert himself but also a worthy maintainer of the same throughout all his dominions He translated into English Orossius pastorale Gregorij the historie of Bede Boetius de consolatione Philosophie also a Booke of his owne making in his owne tong which in the Englishe spéeche is called a handbooke in Gréeke called Inchiridion in Latin a manuell Suffring no man to aspire vnto any dignity in the court onlesse he were learned Do. Fox Next vnto this vertuous and learned prince Alfrede of all others that I could reade Maximi ian moste resembled hym in godly learning and in learned godlinesse Who was so excellente expert in the toungues but specially in the Latine stile that imitating the example of Julius Caesar he did wryte and comprehend in Latin histories his own acts and feates of chiualrie and that in suche sorte that when he had giuen a certaine taste therof to one Pycharmerus a learned man asking his iudgement how his warrelike stile in Latin did like him the said Pycharmerus did affirme and report of him to Iohn Charum the witnesse wryter of this historie that he did neuer sée nor read in any 〈◊〉 story a thing so exactly done as this was of Maximilian Moreouer as he was himselfe right learned so was he a singuler patrone and aduauncer of learning and learned men And for the maintenaunce thereof erected the excellent vniuersitie of Wittenberge Dominus Fox ex Iohanne Carione Of Pleasure KIng Lysimachus by chaunce of warre taken captiue of the Scithians in hys captiuity was so sore oppressed with thirst that he was glad for a draught of drinke to sell his kingdome But afterwardes remembring for howe shorte a pleasure he hadde solde a thing most precious he cried out and wept saying Alasse howe madde was I to sell a noble empire for the satisfying of my affection and gréedie belly The same day that Socrate shoulde drincke his deadly drench when his shakles were taken off his feete he felt himselfe maruellous light and pleasant and sayde behold how wonderously nature hath ordeyned that sorowe and pleasure goe alwayes togither and that there is neuer any perfite pleasure where there hath not bene paine and sorowe before Ex Laertio lib. 2. As Homer like a learned Poete dothe faine that Circes by pleasant enchauntments did turne men into beastes some into Swine some into Asses some into Foxes some into Wolues euen so Plato like a wise Philosopher dothe plainly declare that pleasure by licentious vanitie that swéete and pleasant poyson doth ingender in all those that yéelde them selues vnto hir foure notorious properties The first forgetfulnesse of all good things learned before The seconde dulnesse to receiue either learning or honesty afterwards The third a minde imbracing lightly the worst opinion and barren of discretion to make true difference betwixt good bad betwixt trouth and vanity The fourth a proud disdainfulnesse of other good men in all honest maters Plato and Home haue both one meaning For if a man inglut himself with vanitie or walter in filthinesse like a swine then quickly he shal become a dul asse to vnderstād either learning or honestie yet he shal be as subtil as a foxe in bréeding of mischeefe in bringing misorder with a busie hed a discoursing tōg and a factious heart alwayes glad to cōmend the worser partie euer ready so defend the falser opinion And why for where the will is giuē from goodnesse to vanitie there the minde is caryed from right iudgement to any fonde opinion in religion in Philosophie or any kinde of learning The fourth frute of vain pleasure by Homer and Platoes iudgement is pride of them selues and contempt of all others which is the very badge of all those that serue in Circes
him vnto his fréendes sayde Loe it lieth in vs to be spoken well or euill of Whereas M. Crassus for a light cause woulde chaunge loue into hatred and wold be both defender and accuser of one man and in a short time would dissuade the selfe same lawes whiche lately he persuaded he caused many to be troubled thereby Wherefore Sicimius who accustomed to cast many things in mens téethe being asked why amongst others he only spared Crassus bicause quoth he that Crassus though he be a shrewde cowe yet he hath short hornes Socrates in Plato sayth that we offend God as often as we dispraise a good mā or praise an euill man. Of Adultrie Fornication and VVhoredome WHen Vrias was slaine and Dauid had taken Bersabe his wife the thing sorely displeased God wherfore he sent Nathan the Prophet to warne him to putte hir away But Nathan daring not openly to tell the matter to him being a king and taken in loue vsed this insinuation There were quoth he two men in one Citie the one very riche hauing of his owne two heards of beastes and as many flockes of shéepe the other poore and had but one only Lamb which he broughte vp with his children and it vsed to eate with them And when a straunger came to this riche manne he would not slay any of his own flocke for his guestes supper but tooke this poore mannes Lambe to entertaine him withall This thing when Dauid greatly misliked and sayde that suche a fellowe coulde not be too muche punished which hauing so many of his owne woulde so vniustly take the poore mannes Lambe Nathan pronounced euen that onely he had committed the like facte Vrbinia a virgin vestall being taken in adultrie was whipped aboute the Citie with roddes and afterwardes according to the manner was buryed aliue And of the Adulterers whiche medled with hir the one slew him selfe the other the ouerséers of the Temple caused to be executed openly in the markette place But this is not to be forgotten throughe hir default in offering sacrifice after shée was thus polluted Rome was generally plagued so that wemen with childe togither wyth their birthe dyed in trauell When Tereus had rauished Philomela his wife Prognes sister and cutte of hir tongue bicause shée shoulde not disclose him bothe his wife caused hym to eate his owne sonne Itis and also he was turned into the birde called a Lapwing Brus Lib. 1. cap. 4. Lais a famous strumpet of Corinth for the comlinesse of hir person and elegancie of hir beautie earned muche money so that richmen resorted vnto hir oute of all Grece but shée required great hire so that this Prouerbe rose on hir Non cuiuis homini contingit adire Corrinthum Euery mannes purse can not reache to goe to Corinth Vnto this harlot came Demosthenes secretely desiring to be receiued into hir grace but when shée required ten thousand groates for hir reward Demosthenes as one astonied with the wantonnesse of the womā and the great summe which shée required turned from hir and said I wil neuer buy repentāce so deare Cyanippus of Syracuse for that he did sacrifice to all the gods but Bacchus was by him stricken with suche a drunkennesse that méeting his owne daughter Cyane in the darke he defiled hir But shée to the intent shée might after know who it was with whome shée had to doe tooke a ring off his finger thereby perceiuing that it was hir owne father And afterwardes when the whole Citie was plagued for this so horrible an acte and the Oracle willed the author héereof to be taken and sacrificed whereas none knewe the author nor what was the occasion thereof Cyane with afflicted conscience well remembring it slew hir father and afterwards also slaying hir self cast hir vpon him Of Auarice or Couetousnesse A Certaine man dreaming on a time that he had founde an egge knitte in a corner of his shéete declared it vnto a Southsayer who interpreted that thereby was meante some hidden treasure counselling him to digge in the place where he had this dreame Which being accordingly accomplished he founde in the same place golde couered ouer with siluer of the siluer he sent a little but of the golde he sent nor saide any thing Wherfore the interpreter receiuing it and alluding vnto the egge demaunded if it had no yolke It happened that M. Crassus making expedition to make warre into Parthia by the way espied Diatarus building a newe Citie to whome bicause he was an Olde manne he began to say What meanest thou O King in the twelfthe houre of the day to beginne thy bulding Naye quoth Diatarus what meanest thou being an Emperoure and not verye younge mée thincketh wyth suche expedition to goe vnto Parthia Héereof Tullie in his booke de senectute saythe I can not deuise what Couetousnesse in an olde man shoulde meane For canne there be any thing more foolishe than the lesse waye a man hathe to goe the more to care for vittaile wherewith to passe the way Semiramis the Assirian Quéene caused in hir life time a Sepulcher to bée made and therein engraued that what King so euer shoulde want mony might open the graue stone and take inoughe Which inscription Darius king of Persia reading opened it but money there he founde none onlye there was a scrolle wherein it was wrytten Onlesse thou were a naughtie manne and vnreasonable Couetous of money thou wouldest neuer haue opened the sepulchres of the dead to haue sought it Oraetes a Persian imagining howe to destroye Polychrates a Persian Lorde with whome he was at strife remembring him to be very gréedie of money sent a Legate to persuade him to take his parte againste Cambises promising him for his rewarde great aboundance of golde and that he shoulde not thincke this promisse vaine or of none effecte he willed him to sende some fréende of hys to sée the Treasure whereof he shoulde be partaker Héerevppon Polychrates sente Maeander his scribe vnto whome Oraetes shewed eighte chestes filled with stones and couered ouer wyth golde With the which golden baite Polychrates moued came vnto Oraetes and so was taken and crucified to death Cesellius Bassus borne in Carthage came vnto Nero and tolde him that in a fielde of his he hadde founde a wonderous déepe caue and therin great store of hidden treasure whiche he supposed to be of Didoes hiding Nero straighte-wayes giuing credite vnto thys talewith all expedition sent a many to fetche this treasure The orators in the meane season greatly commended Nero saying that he was a Prince moste fortunate and moste intirely beloued of the Gods in whose time treasure so long hidden should nowe be reuealed wherefore he in hope of this new found treasure frākly spent and consumed his substance at home But in fine when they wer come vnto the field where this treasure should be Cesellius brought them frō this place to that place to séeke the caue and so when a great