not onely vnderstande howe to hope for prosperous times but how to deeme of the sorowfull if thou looke vpon thine owne age whiche euery day waxeth more heauie then other as it is described by the Poet and founde in most olde men And truely yf thou cast thyne eyes backwarde and begyn to recount and consyder thine owne yeeres thou wylt also therewithal begin to despayre of that whiche thou hopest There is no cause why thou shouldest hope for alteration of the course of the world The tymes that folowe are not better but I feare me rather the worse And what is the cause I pray thee but onely because men waxe woorse and woorse whiche certayne notable men haue foretolde should be so and the effect plainly declareth but that you men vppon good hope do euermore conceiue some great opinion of your noble and modest youth from whiche opinion I am farre of for my minde can not prognosticate nor foresee any good to ensue at al euery thing is so prone vnto vice and vntowardnesse Hope The times are euyl but better shal ensue Reason Euery age hath complained of the maners that haue been then sayth Seneca And I adde that euery age had cause in deede whereof to complayne shal haue hereafter to the worldes end Hope I hope for a better time Reason There is one way vnto that wherby yf thou attaine to a better state thou wylt then hope for no farther matter Frame vnto thy selfe a merier mind which thou canst not do without vertue when thou hast so done al things shal be merrie fortunate and nothing vnprosperous or sorowful Hope I looke for a better tyme. Reason If it chaunce to come which is doubtfull verily as that approcheth thou drawest away How muche were it better to vse well the tyme present rather then carefully to expect that whiche perchaunce eyther wyll not come at all or thou shalt neuer lyue to see Of the hoped commyng of a Prince The Cxvi Dialogue HOPE I Hope for a Princes comming Reason As many things are feared which were rather to be wished so many are wished whiche were rather to be feared on both sides there is great want of iudgement Hope I hope for the Princes commyng Reason How much more seemely were it to hope for libertie for truely he that hopeth for a Lord or a Maister hopeth for his owne seruitude Hope I hope that the Prince wyll come Reason Thou hopest also for the common mischiefe whiche commeth with him But the tyme hath been when Princes haue hoped for their kingdomes and the people haue hoped for their Prince but now the kingdome is a burden to the Prince and the Prince a plague to the people Hope I and the common wealth doo hope that the Prince wyll come Reason What thou alone dooest hope for thou knowest best thy selfe wherein also thou mayest easily be deceyued but as for the hope of the Common wealth it is but foolyshe For what man vnlesse he were mad woulde hope for or desire that whiche he hath so often times experimented to be hurtful Hope I hope that the Prince wyll come Reason And he wyll bryng with hym sundry stirres and tumultes alterations of Cities hurtfull nouelties famine pestilence warres discorde al these at once or euery one of them seuerally vse commonly to come with Princes now a dayes If thou lyke of these thynges then hope for the Princes commyng but yf none of these be fearefull notwithstandyng the very name of an Empire is ful of reporâ—es and rumours deuoyde of al goodnesse and only founded vpon the shadowe of antiquitie Hope I hope that the Prince wyll come Reason But I woulde haue thee wyse and circumspect that as often as thou hearest of his comming thou imagine that thou hearest the voyce of some thunder that goeth before lyghtnyng nor begynne not to hope but rather to feare yf so be one of them must needes fayle For to feare aduersitie although it be repugnant to vertue yet is it agreeable to nature but to hope for euyll is contrary to nature and vertue Hope I hope that the prince wyll be heere shortly Reason When thou seest hym present imagine that thou beholdest an vnfortunate starre to the Common wealth and concernyng this matter take aduice of thyne owne memorie or demaunde of thy Parentes or of thy Grandfathers or great Grandfathers and thou shalt finde it to be so as I say whiche thyng declare thou also to thy chyldren posteritie least they also lyke fooles hope for the Princes commyng I pray thee tel mee when dyd euer the small Beastes hope for the Lyons comming or the lesser Foules for the Eagles Pardon me if I tel that trueth Man is a most foolyshe creature and alwayes most desirous of his owne harme other haue neede of a bayte to take them withall and man is caught onely with rumour of fame Of hope of Fame after death The Cxvii Dialogue HOPE I Hope for Fame after my death for my desartes Reason Many hope that they deserue fame when they rather deserue infamie and lyke traueylers that wander out of their way when they thynke they goe ryght foorth then goe they backewarde Hope I am famous in my lyfe tyme and I hope to be more famous after my death Reason This is true I confesse in some insomuche as Anneus Seneca in a certaine Epistle profecieth that he shoulde he beloued of posteritie and Statius Papinius sayth that he hath prepared a redie path for the present fame vnto his woorke among posteritie and lykewyse the Poet Ouid foretold of the eternitie of his name to come and that he shoulde be read by the mouth of the people and lyue by fame throughout all ages and truely none of these are deceyued But how many thynkest thou haue there been that haue hoped the lyke but their hope hath fayled them Many perhappes haue thought as much and haue written but haue not found that which they promised to them selues Hope If I be famous whyle I lyue why should I not be more famous after my death Reason For that it is an accustomable and common experience that many that haue been famous and noble in their life time after their death haue become obscure and vnknowen Dooest thou wonder at it The cause is manifest which is a certaine affabilitie neate pleasant speach a fawning countenance a friendly looke gentle greeting benefites bestowed vpon neighbours defending of clientes hospitalitie towardes strangers courtesie towardes al men These and suche lyke do purchase fâ—me to them that are lyuing but so sone as they are dead they continue no longer vnlesse perhaps as long as they remaine that knewe them whiche how short a time it is thou seest for how should thinges continue that are not grounded vpon a sure foundation It is the course of nature that the thinges that are weakely established and slenderly encreased do soone decay And therefore that thy fame may be durable it must proceede
rippes Then the fox filling her bellie with the fishe soddenlie lept away and so to their great wonder indignation escaped them Howe manie other sleightes of Foxes are there what howling of wolues what barking about the staules of cattell what watching of crowes and kites about pigeon houses and broodes of chickens what natural and euerlasting hatred betweene them as some do report The one goeth into the others nest and there breaking the egges destroieth the hope of their broode As for the Cuckowe he hath not onlie one or two enimies but all birdes in a manner insult ouer him as being a fugitiue and alwayes complayning Moreouer what continuall wayte do the Weesels lay for the Aspes to entrap them what assault of theeues is there against the priuie chambers and closets of rich men what great watching warding is there in euerie seuerall kinde howe great and diligent contention who is able to declare the manifold labours and watchings of hunters and haukers their craftes and ginnes to take beastes foules and of fishers their hookes and nettes to take fishes or on the other side the subteltie of the wilde beastes foules and fishe Al which things what are they other than the instrumentes of contention Moreouer what stinges are there in waspes and hornettes and what battailes and conflictes are there betweene these plagues and the poore neate Neither are the dogges or horses or other kindes of foure footed beastes at anie more peace and quietnesse What troubles haue they with flies in the sommer time and howe are they molested with snowe in the winter which some in iest doe terme the white flies what continuall vnquietnes is there among rattes what insult of fleas by night what cōtention of gnattes by day what battailes betweene the storckes the snakes and frogges what warres betweene the Pigmeis and the Cranes What strange and wonderfull conflictes doth the greedie thirst or desire of golde raise vp betweene the people Arimaspi and the Gryphes So that it is not easie to iudge whose wickednesse is the greater but that the one endeuour to steale the other to keepe the one are pricked forth by couetousnesse the other by nature The like desire to keepe and steale I finde likewise in the farthest partes of the world among the Indians whilest certein Emotes of incredible bignesse and wonderfull crueltie do semblably defende their golde against the like couetousnesse of that nation The Basiliske fraieth all other serpentes with his hissing driueth them away with his presence and killeth them with his looke The Dragon encloseth the Elephant within the foldes and windinges of his bodie for they are doubtfull and vncerteine Whereby it commeth to passe that there is naturall enmitie betweene liuing things as thirsting after warme blood in summer which some do write of and the ende of the battell maketh it credible ynough if it bee true that the one doth die drie and without blood and the other hauing sucked the blood of his slaine enimie like as a conquerour in the battell yet being him selfe ouercome with his deintie delicates and burst in sunder with ouer much drinking of blood falleth downe dead in the same place Manie other things likewise there be that doe grieue and offend this kinde of beast as the most sharpe paine after the drinking of an horsleech and the most fearefull seeing or hearing of a sillie mouse It is a straunge case that so great a beast and of so huge strength should so much abhorre the sight of so small an enimie But thus dame Nature hath created nothing without strife and offence The Lion him selfe being a couragious and valiant beast and contemning all weapons for the defence of his yong ones yet dareth not behold the turning nor heare the ratling of running wheeles or emptie cartes and wagons and moreouer whereat a man may the more wonder hee cannot abide the sight of the cockes combe and much lesse his noyce and crowing but aboue all things it is said that he cannot away with the crackling of flaming fire This strife therefore hath this beast proper vnto him selfe besides hunting which is common vnto all wilde beastes Tygres also haue their contention who by wit and subtiltie doe hinder and frustrate the pollicies and purposes of their enimies that come to steale their whelpes and runne away As for the shee woolues they be euer at strife with hunger husbandemen and shepheardes I speake nowe of venomous and wilde beastes But at what quietnesse are the tame flockes of cattell with what force and malice doe the hogges contende among themselues Howe doe the leaders of the heardes lie togeather by the eares What bickerments are there betwene them what flights what pride is there in the conquerour what sorowe in him that is conquered what remembrance of iniuries what returne to reuenge Who marketh not in reading howe the warlike bulles the buck goates that fight with their hornes haue exercised the wittes of the Poetes What shal I say of other things They haue all one cause of disagreement euerie thing dependeth vpon contention When was it seene that a strange horse comming to a newe stable or a strange colte turned into an vnaccustomed pasture could eate his meate in quietnesse Who hath not obserued that during the time that the henne sitteth the heat is great the hartburning exceeding in so litle a familie although this also be common vnto all foules There is no liuing creature so gentle whom the loue of his young doeth not exasperate The roust cockes wounde one another with their spurres and by nature and desire of blood plucke eche other by the combe in their fight with all the force of their bodie so much enuie so much pride reigneth in their hartes such is their desire to conquere such is their shame to yeelde Who seeth not the stubburnesse of the Duckes and Geese howe they thrust eche other with their brestes chide their aduersarie with their gagling beate him with their winges and hange together by their billes And as for the wilde kindes it is lesse maruell in them for it i◠a cōmon and vsuall thing among them that the bigger foules be a destruction and sepulchre to the lesser The wilde beast a wilde beast the foule a foule the fishe a fish and one worme deuoureth another yea the lande foules foure footed water beastes do searche turmoile ransacke the sea riuers lakes and flooddes so that of all things the water seemeth vnto me to be most troublesome both in respect of it owne mouing and the continuall tumultes of the inhabitantes thereof as beeing a thing most fruitfull of newe creatures and strange monsters whereof there is doubt insomuch that in this point the learned do not reiect the opinion of the common people that looke what euer creatures there be vpon the lande or in the aire the like in forme there are within the waters forasmucch as there are innumerable sortes of such whereof the aire and earth haue
the lyke wealth to king Craesus nor to his fellowe citizen Crassus but he was happier then eyther of them although his ryches were lesse neyther dyd he lyue after a greater reuenue but as all good men doo after his owne Neyther truely doo I require of thee that thou lyue after any other proportion for thy selfe and thyne then after thyne owne nor that thou feede and cloth thy familie with princely meate and apparrell Princes chyldren feede dayntily and are brauely apparrelled but they lyue not better nor longer nor pleasanter nor as it is wel knowen more safely nor more honestly nor more vertuously In the steede of all these they haue one thyng wherein they excell they lyue more pompously that is to say foolyshlie Euerie one hath his owne manner of lyuyng and measure but not therefore the better because the greater whereby it commeth to passe that oftentymes a man shall see some merrie in a Cottage and other sadde in the court There is one onely Fountayne of grace but all are not of lyke capacitie that Fountaine I meane vnto whom it is sayde Thou openest thyne hand and fillest euery lyuyng thyng with thy blessing What maketh to purpose the greatnesse or smalnesse of the vesselles when they be all of a lyke fulnesse But poore folke lacke many thynges but howe muche more doo kynges want seeyng that saying of Horace is most true and approoued that Many thynges are wantyng to them that aske many thynges Sorowe It is a greeuous thyng to begette many chyldren Reason What canst thou recite vnto mee vnder heauen that is not paynefull and greeuous pleasure onely excepted then whiche notwithstandyng there is nothyng more paynefull in the ende nothyng that leaueth so many stinges in the minde Hast thou not read in Horace howe This lyfe hath geuen nothyng vnto mortalmen without great traueyle Doest thou not also heare what another Poet hath written aptly touching the same matter For when al the godlie confesse with one consent that all good thinges are geuen vs freely from aboue he sayeth that they are not geuen but solde and the price appoynted which is labour For thus he sayeth The Goddes sell vnto vs al good thinges for labour Sorowe The carefulnesse for so many chyldren is troublesome vnto me Reason Is not this sentence to be numbred among the true sayinges That there can no mans lyfe be founde that is without vexation and trouble And lykewyse this That all the whole course of lyfe is a torment What haue the chyldren deserued whiche yf they be lackyng yet other cares wyll aryse Beleeue mee whiche way so euer thou turnest thy selfe and whatsoeuer trade of fortune thou assay troubles and molestations and difficulties of lyfe wyll be present and therefore what neede vayne lamentations Sorowe I am oppressed with many chyldren Reason If thou say that thou art oppressed as it were with thyne owne felicitie and thou take it in euyll part that the thynges whiche men doo fyrst and especially desyre haue aboundantly hapned vnto thee this is a strange kynde of impacience Sorowe What shall I doo with so many Daughters Who shall geue me so many Dowries for them Reason There is one GOD of the Females and Males he feedeth his sonnes and daughters And as he wyll geue them witte and artes to lyue by so wyll he also endue them with his gyftes and Dowries Wherefore it is so written Trust in hym and be wyll doo it that whiche lyeth in thee to doo shal be the best kynde of Dowrie namely so to bryng vp thy Daughters that they may be well lyked and loued by vpryght iudgement without a Dowrie Faustina had the Romane Empire to her Dowrie and yet howe many women thynkest thou haue there been without Dowries that haue been more chaste fortunate then she It is not the Dowrie that maketh the happie marriage but the vertue Endeuour yf thou canst that thy Daughters money be not desyred but theyr honestie but theyr modestie but theyr integritie but theyr patience humblenesse faythfulnesse and obedience with these precious stones thy Daughters beyng adorned with this golde laded with these handmaydens accompanied let them goe into their husbandes houses that are not ryche men but honest where oftentymes shamefastnesse is safer and the lyfe sweeter then in the Bedchambers and Courtes of Princes Of money lost The .xiii. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue lost Money Reason And with it many cares and continuall daunger Sorowe I haue lost money Reason And also the payne of keepyng it and the feare of loosyng it Thus by loosyng thy money thou hast founde two good thynges and both of them better then that whiche thou hast lost to wit carelesnesse quietnesse Sorowe I haue lost money Reason It is well that it hath not lost thee whiche it hath done many owners thereof For the forme of money is hurtfull the bryghtnesse thereof pestilent and venomous And therefore like a Serpent that hath golden skales delyghting she pleaseth the eyes stryketh the Soule So then yf thou be glad that thou art safely deliuered from her reioyce that that is taken away whereby thou myghtest be infected and recount also with myrth and admiration that thou hast passed vnhurt through dangers But yf thou were infected knowe now that the cause of the mischiefe is rooted out whereby thou mayest returne the more easily vnto health Sorowe I haue lost Golde and Siluer Reason What hath an heauenlie minde to do with earthly drosse They that folowe the more manly Philosophie doo not reckon golde and siluer among goodes but they that professe the more effeminate learnyng doo call them goodes but not of the minde Whiche so euer of these thou followe these thynges eyther were not good eyther were not thyne so that thou hast no cause for to complayne And yf thou wylt needes haue them called goodes whiche thing many excellent men doo deny notwithstanding thou shalt be enforced to terme them Fortunes goodes and not thyne So then neither hast thou lost any thyng of thyne owne neyther shee any thyng that was hers but onely hath otherwyse disposed them Sorowe I haue lost money Reason As thou couldest not haue lost it yf it had been thyne so couldest thou not loose it not beyng thyne but in deede it was not thyne but his whom it hath followed nay rather it was not his but Fortunes as I haue sayde who lendeth it where shee seeth cause for some short tyme of occupying for a great interest And therefore learne nowe at length to knowe thyne owne from other folkes Sorowe I haue lost money Reason If other mens losses also and not thyne owne only do grieue thee are vexed that any thing that is an others shoulde be taken from thee learne to get those thinges that are thine owne for euer whiche are won with more ease and possessed with more honor and assurance If thou wouldest seeke after vertue thou shouldest not lose her but you are become despisers of vertue and seekers
is reckoned amongest the woorkes of synguler perfection accordyng to the saying of the Scripture Whoso offendeth not in woorde be is a perfect man In whiche thyng yee are to to often deceyued And alas therewhyle that saying of the same Apostle is to much verified That no man tan tame the tongue beyng an vnquiet mischiefe Wherefore it thrusteth you foorth headlong dayly vnto lying whom afterwarde your owne sway pricketh forwarde and next after that a false opinion of the thynges draweth you farther For there be some who with theyr very looke or speache doo couer the vitiousnesse of theyr maners whiche thyng we haue hearde of in Alcibiades and haue seene in many There be some also that cloke theyr vertues with a contrary veyle whether it be by the nature of theyr countenance or the proper austeritie of their vsual speache or by some art or studie purposely employed contrary vnto that whiche the multitude commonly desyreth For as there are manye that haue faygned them selues good so haue there lykewyse been some founde who haue counterfeited them selues to be euyll whereby they might eyther auoyde the pestilent ayre of humane fauour or escape the hatefull burden of temporall goodes whiche thyng we reade of S. Ambrose Hereunto are adioyned loue and hatred anger and enuie hope and feare with sundry other secrete affections of the mynd among these many that are altogeather vnknowen vnto vs which are alwayes enimies vnto true iudgement Adde herevnto moreouer that the prayse of the lyuyng by the expresse woorde of God through the inconstancie of this mortal lyfe is hyndred of continuance howe muche more then discommendation Hereafter therefore become slowe to prayse but more slowe to disprayse for synce eache of them as I haue said is an euyll errour yet is the last woorst Sorow I haue erred in commendyng one vnwoorthie Reason By erryng men doo learne and often tymes one errour withstandeth many errours and whyle men are ashamed to haue erred once then doo they take heede that the lyke errour take not holde of them Thou hast praysed vnaduisedly refrayne thy tongue let this commoditie at leastwyse folowe this mischiefe Sorowe I am ashamed and repent me that I haue praysed an vnwoorthie person Reason Shame and repentance and sorowe are certayne ladders and degrees vnto amendement and saluation There are fewe that can attayne into the ryght way but by wandryng through many bie wayes and therefore we haue seene many who in theyr youth were seruantes vnto voluptuousnesse in theyr olde age to become friendes vnto vertue Of vnfaythfull friendes The .xxvij. Dialogue SOROWE I Complayne of friendes Reason What wyll he doo of his foes that complayneth of his friendes Sorowe I trye my friendes to be vnfaythfull Reason Thou speakest of an impossible matter But to thynke that they were thy friendes that were not in deede is not only not impossible but a common matter Sorowe My friendes are vnfaythful Reason All the worlde is ful of suche complayntes and as for friendshyppe and infidelitie they cannot agree Who so begynneth to be vnfaythful leaueth of to be a friende or rather whiche I woulde sooner beleeue was neuer any And forasmuche as all vertues are immortall and all feignyng transitorie fayth is not taken away but feygnyng Sorowe I fynde vntrustie friendes Reason These that are falsly counted thy friendes yf nowe they first begynne to disclose theyr trayterous hartes then mayest thou reioyce to behold the ende of thyne errour but take heede in the meane whyle that the infection of the disease take not holde on thee but whatsoeuer they be preserue thou the fayth of friendshyppe and although not in respect of the vndeserued yet for thyne owne sake that hast deserued be not infected with that plague whiche thou shalt do the more willyngly yf thou doo narrowly examine thy selfe howe muche thou art greeued with theyr vnfaythfulnesse And many tymes the hatred of vice hath been an earnest prouocation vnto vertue Sorowe Vndeseruedly haue I purchased the euyll wyll of my friendes Reason Citizens are odious fellowes odious coosyns odious wyues and husbandes odious brothers and sisters are odious and fynally the chyldren are odious vnto theyr parentes and the parents to theyr chyldren And to be short there is no kinrede nor degree of friendshyp whiche cannot be infected with hatred Only sincere friendshyppe is free from this mischiefe And betweene this and the other this is the difference that all the other although they haue hatred accompanying them doo notwithstandyng continue and reteyne theyr names but yf hatred be ioyned vnto this or yf loue departe from it it can continue no longer vnder the name of friendshippe for a friende can no more be hatefull then loue can be odious Sorowe I suffer false friendes Reason If there be any hope of them suffer them vntyll suche tyme as they become trustie and loue them hartily For many with theyr luke warme loue haue vtterly quenched friendshyppe or by small trustyng haue taught other distrustinesse But if so be thou doo not profite and all hope be layde a water then vse Catoes aduice who in those friendeshyppes whereof a man hath no lykyng wylleth hym by litle and litle to ryppe them and not sodaynely to breake them of least that a double great mischiefe befall thereof in that thou hast lost thy friendes and purchased enimies vnlesse peraduenture some more vrgent cause which wyll suffer no tarriaunce doo not permit thee to followe this discrete counsel whiche yf it happen it is to be counted among the greatest troubles of friendshyp but it must be borne with a valiant mynde as all other chaunces and place muste be geuen vnto necessitie and the tyme oveyed but this chaunce is scarce knowen vnto true friendship Of vnthankeful persons The .xxviij. Dialogue SOROWE I Fynde many vnthankefull whiche is a great vice Reason To disprayse ingratitude were a needelesse matter for all mens speache doo condemne it There neede no trauayle be taken in perswadyng that whereof all men are perswaded and the opinion therof most fyrmely grafted in them Some man placeth the chiefe felicitie and some whole felicitie in vertue only and some in neither but in pleasure the enimie of vertue There be some also whiche holde opinion that chastitie is the most beautifull ornament of this lyfe Other some there be that contemne this in them selues and in others they accounte it ridiculus or truely very harde and extreeme paynful whiche S. Augustine so excellent a man as he prooued afterwarde perceyued in hym selfe where as he sayth that S. Ambrose syngle lyfe seemed paynefull vnto hym whiche vnto some other hath not only seemed a tedious but also a damnable state of lyfe Hereof commeth that example of Plato who when he had long tyme lyued a single and chaste lyfe at the last it is read howe that he sacrificed vnto nature to make an attonement with her whom he thought he had greeuously offended by lyuyng in suche order It is strange that
vertue be not in thy sonne yet loue hym because he is thy sonne yf not for that cause then for that he is a man Lastly yf there be no cause at all why thou shouldest loue hym them pittie hym As seueritie belongeth to a father euen so dooth compassion Sorow I haue a sonne of a moste wicked lyfe Reason An vnlucky burden and so much the heauier that as long as it is to be suffered it cannot be quite cast away suffer and as thou mayst amend it so shalt thou either cure thy sonne or at the least play the part of a father but this thou oughtest to do of duetie and wyshe the other Sorowe My sonne is very vngodly vncurteous and vnreasonable Reason If wantonnesse and pleasure be once growen vnto knauery and myscheefe then is there a venomous beast to be driuen out a doores neyther must we regard where but what is borne and sprung vp for you nouryshe vp birdes bread in the wylde wooddes and ye kyl scorpions brought vp at home in the house Sorow I haue a very wicked sonne Reason It is the part of a wyse man to put a way daungerous thinges before they do any harme at al. Let not the shadow of godlynesse deceyue thee no godlinesse is due vnto an vngodly person A man may sometyme finde where it is a kynde of crueltie to be godly but whyle there remayneth the least sparke of hope alwayes enclyne thy selfe vnto mercy and remember that thou art a father and not a iudge and see thou forget not here that notable saying of Terence For a great fault a litle punishment is sufficient of a father Of a contentious brother The .xlv. Dilalogue SOROW. I Haue a contentious brother Reason And what of hym then hath he not thee an agreeyng brother for brotherly agreement whiche ought of twayne to make but one is deuided in twayne so that you are made not diuers only but quite contraryes a greeuous mischeefe surely but an auncient which both the worlde and the head of the worlde had in the begynnyng For the infamie of the citie of Rome is auncient but that of the world is of more antiquitie to wyt that it was embrued with the blood of brethren Therefore that which thou seest betweene al cooples of brethren yea when there was but one coople only in the world hast no cause to be amased at it now among so many thousandes Sorowe I haue a very contentious brother at home Reason Doest thou marueyle that to be in a greate house whiche hath been in the narowe roome of one mothers wombe where as in time past which was a shadow of a greater misery we reade of brothers that were not onely among them selues contentious but also togeather by the eares Is it any strange thing then that men being armed shoulde do that whiche they that are vnborne are wont to doo Sorowe I fynde no fauour with my brother Reason Thou oughtest rather to haue learned this long before in the schooles than to haue found it true in effect at home thinges that are foreseene are neyther complained of nor woondred at Sorowe I haue an odious and contentious brother Reason As for the most part there is no loue more tender then the loue of brethren so when it beginneth there is no hatred more vehement no enuie more vnquenchable Thus equalitie inciteth and enflameth their mindes when as the shame of geuing place and the desyre of superioritie is by so much the more feruent the more that the remembrance of their infancie togeather or what so euer els may seeme to engender goodwyl when as they be once digressed from the ryght way may procure hatred and disliking betweene them in this respect therefore the hart burnyng of a rebellious nature may be very wel reclaimed namely by curtesie gentlenesse For there is no nature almost so rough and vnciuile whom at length true continuall humilitie in woordes and vnfeigned and gentle dealing in al matters wil not ouercome and molifie If thou finde this to be voyde and without force or that peraduenture thou thy selfe canst not enforce thy minde hereunto whereby he may be honestly and profitably constreyned then before that the matter breake foorth vnto vtter destruction thou must vse the last and extreame remedie the roote of the mischeefe must be plucked vp and comunitie remoued which is the mother of discorde wherein thou must demeane thy selfe so curteously that looke howe muche thou yeeldest of thy right so much thou shalt perceiue to be added vnto thy vertue and fame The sharpe prickes of impious proud desire are by nothing better rebated then by vertuous and curteous liberalitie That gold is good whereby the peace of familie and brotherly loue is purchased It is a very auncient and no lesse true saying That these two pronownes myne and thyne are great cause of warres and disagreement whiche yf they were taken away from out of the life of man out of doubt men should liue muche more quietly Of the losse of a father The .xlvi. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue last my father Reason It is meete that him whom thou complainedst of while he was present with thee thou seeke him when he is absent and yet not finde him There is nothing more iust then in vaine to wysh for the aucthoritie which thou hast contemned Sorowe I haue lost a good father Reason It is wel that he hath left a good sonne behinde hym reioyce for the good olde mans sake vnto whom at length that hath hapned which he alwayes wyshed for who leauing thee in safetie is departed hym selfe out of this worlde Sorowe I haue lost a louing father Reason A good sonne standeth in dread of the chaunces of fortune for none other cause then that any calamitie befallyng vnto hym myght strike his fathers mind with sorowfulnesse but nowe thou shalt lyue more at quiet at thine owne peril only he shal not any more be greeued with rumours of thee thine aduersitie shal not breake him thy sicknesse shal not weaken him thy death shal not kyl him Sorow I haue lost a most louing father Reason Thou must nowe begin to care for other for he that was woont to care for thee is gone That tendernesse that was showed ouer thee repaye thou vnto another it is seldome repayed vnto whom it is due Sorowe Poore wretche I haue lost a louing father Reason If thou knowe the reason and nature of loue tendernesse comfort thy chaunce by remembrance of the time past Thou diddest reuerence thy father and as long as thou couldest thou shewdst thy selfe alwayes duetiful vnto hym thy father is departed but thy duetifulnesse lyueth otherwyse I confesse thou haddest cause to be heauie continually Sorowe My father by dying hath forsaken me Reason Take in good part the common course of nature he is first gone that first came into the world neyther hath he forsaken thee but is gone before thee Sorowe I haue lost my father Reason Thou knowest
from his natiue Countrey he kept a schoole and so exercised his crueltie vppon chyldren when he coulde not vppon men A cruell nature obstinate in wickednesse voyde of vertue and farre from reason Sorowe It greeueth me greatly that I haue lost my tyranical aucthoritie Reason How woulde it trouble thee to haue lost a lawfull possession now that thou art so greeued that thyne vsurped aucthoritie is gone How woulde it vexe thee to haue forgonne thyne owne whiche takest it so heauilie nowe that thou art berefte of that which was not thyne Sorow I can not choose but take it greeuously that I am throwen downe from my tyrannie Reason Way the cause and it wyll trouble thee the lesse The very name of Tyrantes hath made many to fall notwithstandyng it is well knowen by experience that the most part haue deseruedly been and are dayly throwen downe from theyr dygnities In the Politikes of Aristotle thou mayest reade howe that many Tyrantes haue peryshed through the abuses of theyr wyues Whiche beyng vnderstoode eyther actiuely or passiuely is true that is through the iniuries offered eyther by Tyrantes vnto other mens wyues or by the wyues of Tyrantes to others Of the fyrst thou hast for example not onely Tyrannies but also the Troiane and Romane Kyngdomes Of the seconde thou hast Agis a Tyrant among the Lacedemonians who hauing hymselfe made a praye of the men his subiectes set his deere wyfe to spoyle theyr wyues which was not the least cause of hastenyng his destruction But Aristotle who florished in the dayes of Alexander the great and lyued not tyll this Tyrant raigned coulde neuer knowe hym albeit in those bookes not without woonderfull admiration I fynde the names of Hiero and Gelo but consyderyng the course of tymes I cannot conceaue howe he shoulde knowe them Sorowe Neyther haue I oppressed other mens wyues nor my wyfe iniuried any and yet am I dryuen from my tyrannie Reason Some tyme the moste hurtfull thynke them selues innocent But many causes besydes as great there be wherefore Tyrantes are put downe as pryde whiche Historiographers obiecte to Iulius Caesar for that he rose not vp to the Senate when with great obeysaunce they approched vnto hym but that in these dayes is counted no cause Crueltie also is another whiche caused Merentius as it is wrytten in Virgil to be punished and brought Caligula Nero and Domitian to theyr death Enuie lykewyse whiche was the greatest torment sayth Horace that euer the Tyrantes of Sicile founde whiche yf it were so in his dayes I warrent thee at this present it is no lesse Last of all the greatest decay of Tyrantes and most common is couetousnesse And therefore other thynges touche but certayne and this all The other trouble certayne Citizens but this the whole people Pryde and Enuie raigne among Tyrantes them selues crueltie rageth among fewe but couetousnesse among all Crueltie sometyme ceasseth and is diminisheth but couetousnesse encreaseth alwayes and watcheth Therefore they whiche desire to beare rule ouer the people ought aboue all to shunne this vice together with the shame and suspition thereof For nothyng maketh a Tyrant so odions nothyng is more vnseemelie for a Lorde or Gouernour Other vices many tymes hyde them selues vnder the cloake eyther of magnanimitie or of iustice but this one vice putteth not of the basenesse and miserie of the minde And contrarie to the common custome of mans errour as nothyng is in deede more vile and miserable then couetousnesse so nothyng is to be deemed more vile and miserable And therefore they whiche are gyltie hereof are iudged most vnmeete of all men to beare honour and aucthoritie Men disdayne to be vnder the gouernement of hym that is subiecte to couetousnesse and that he hath no ryght ouer the bodye they thynke whiche can not vse well the rule that he hath ouer his owne coyne who thynketh it also lawfull to bereaue men of theyr lyues I say not of theyr money and yet dareth not so muche as touche his owne treasure Therefore the most redie and ryght waye to securitie and quietnesse is not onely not to wyshe to beare dominion as a Tyrant but also not to desyre to rule as a kyng For what is more foolyshe more paynefull or more perilous then for a man to heape the burdens of the whole people vppon his owne and onely backe who is too weake peraduenture to beare his owne But the familiaritie with the mortall enimie and the peruersenesse of opinions doth not permitte to choose that whiche is better The next is to haue in mynde the lesson of Aristotle whiche is that a man shewe hym selfe to be not a Tyrant but a fauourer of the Common wealth He must sayth he seeme to gather the incomes and offerynges the better to dispose and vse them yf neede doo require for the defence of his Countrey in the tyme of warre generally he must behaue hym selfe as the keeper and Chamberlayne of common thynges not of his owne And agayne He must repayre and adorne the Citie as a Steward not spoyle it as a Tyrant And againe He must behaue him selfe not as a Tyrant but as a King carefull of the publique welfare and loue a meane estate not sumptuousnesse By these and suche lyke as Aristotle would and I doo like of the aucthoritie continueth this onely I adde that he be suche a one in deede as Aristotle sayth he shoulde seeme to be For dissimulation be it neuer so cunningly and wittilie vsed can neuer be long hyd from the syght of some among manie whom it toucheth Enter now into the consyderation of thy selfe see whether thou haue offended in any of these poyntes and ceasse both to complaine and maruel For that a Tyrant being subiect to these vices shoulde be cut of it is not but that it should continue it is maruell To conclude both Kinges al Tyrantes and as many as are of power yf they desyre to raigne a long tyme shoulde diligently haue in minde that saying of Cato in Liuie Auarice and riotousnesse haue brought al great Empires to destruction Sorow Now my dominion is gonne I am no better then a priuate man. Reason Thou were an enimie of Citizens thou art now made a fellow citizen learne ciuilicie confesse the benefite of a meane estate Both more honestly and more safely among good Citizens then aboue all Citizens thou mayest lyue Now thy state is more quiet thy lyfe more secure without feare without suspitions without watches without swoord among which euylles I knowe not what sweetenesse of lyfe can be hoped for Sorowe My tyrannie beyng lost I must lyue as an other common and inferiour person Reason Choose whether with lamentations thou wylt exasperate thy fotune or asswade it with patience for verily yf thou wouldest demaunde of thyne owne minde and not of the confuset noyse of the multitude and consider thynges past in silence thou shouldest fynde that thou art released and escaped from many euylles Nowe mayest thou lyue insafetie and
softned mindes of men beginne lykewyse to growe proud and by enioying prosperitie to conceyue forgetfulnesse of their owne condition Neyther is it spoken without cause and vsed nowe among our countrey men as a prouerbe that it is an harde matter to beare prosperitie Neyther was it spoken by Horace vnaduisedly Learne to beare wel good fortune For he iudged it to be an hard matter and not knowen without diligent studie But Seneca very breefely discoursed of that part of fortune which seemed vnto hym to be most difficult and is doubtlesse at the first sight the more rough and hard of the twayne Whiche booke is commonly abrode in mens handes whereunto it is not my meaning to adde or detract any thyng at al both for that the woorke being wrytten by so great a wit disdayneth to come vnder our censure also being busied about mine owne affayres am not purposed to correcte or carpe other mens doinges But forasmuche as Vertue and Trueth are publique thinges there is no reason that the studie of antiquitie shoulde be any hindrance to the industrie of posteritie for whose cause we knowe that it was vndertaken to the ende we should thereby be styrred vp and holpen And therfore I purpose to entreate with thee somewhat concernyng the same matter that that whiche he dyd then for his freende Gallio I may nowe do in lyke sort for my freende Azo whiche I am determined so farre foorth to accomplishe as shal lye in this my busied and werie wyt to do and ouer and besides also to touche the other part whiche eyther of forgetfulnesse or purpose was by hym pretermitted I haue moreouer of set purpose mingled a fewe matters not touchyng the defectes of any fortune but the excellencie of vertues or vices whiche although they be besides the purpose yet are not vnlyke in effect seeme to be suche as are able to make mens mindes glad or sorowfull Wherein how I haue behaued my selfe thou shalt be iudge being mindeful of my businesse and the shortnesse of the tyme who with great admiration sawest the whole woorke begunne and ended in a very fewe dayes I only am iudge of the credite I haue endeuoured not to set downe whatsoeuer seemed best lykyng to my selfe but that myght be most profitable vnto thee and others whosoeuer els haply hath touched the same To be short the ende whiche I alwayes proposed to my selfe in this kynde of studie was not so muche the commendation of the wryter as the commoditie of the reader yf so be there may be any hoped for or receiued by me hauing a speciall respect hereunto that it should not be needeful for thee to tosse and turne ouer thy whole armorie at euery alarme and doubt of the enemie but rather to the entent thou myghtest haue in a redinesse agaynst euer mischeefe and hurtful good eyther fortune a short medicine but freendly confected for a double disease so that thou mayest alwayes haue at hande as they say in al places at al times as it were an effectual remedie conteyned in a litle boxe For as I haue said both Fortunes faces are to be feared but notwithstandyng both must be endured whereof the one hath neede of a bridle the other of comfort in the one the pride of the minde of men is to be repressed in the other their werinesse and greefe to be succoured and relieued Wherefore when I thought vpon this varietie and purposed with my selfe to wryte somewhat concernyng this argument not only thou camest into my minde woorthie of that gyft which both of vs may vse indifferently as sayeth Cicero but alonely moouedst me to wryte it not onely in woordes as beyng priuie of al mine enterprises whatsoeuer but also in deedes being of sufficient â—bilitie to perfourme them both For we knowe how that Fortune hath tormented many vpon the racke many she hath lulled asleepe in delites and many she hath swinged vp downe in her wheele neyther want we examples of such as clymbe nor of some that fal neyther am I ignorant that some haue been throwen downe from the top of high dignitie Howe many Emperours of Rome how many forren Princes being plucked out of their regal thrones eyther by their owne handes or the handes of their enimies haue been depriued both of their lyues Empires at one instant Shal we borowe al our examples of antiquitie since we our selues haue seene of late dayes some kynges taken prisoners and some slaine in battayl and some beheaded at home and which is most extreame of al some hanged by the necke some most shamefully mangled in peeces Thou art one vnto whom Nature hath geuen a princely hart but Fortune hath not geuen a kyngdome nor yet taken it away yet whom in other respectes she hath more diuersly tossed and turmoyled I suppose there is none to be found in our age For being sometyme in excellent good health and enioying very great strength of body it is strange to recount howe not many yeeres since to the great wonder of al that know thee being thrice geuen ouer by the Phisitions thrice thou reposedst thy life safetie in the onely helpe of the heauenly Phisition at the length wast by hym restored to thy former health but in such wise that thou hast vtterly lost thine accustomed strength of body with no lesse wonder of thy excellent dexteritie rare grauitie that thou who before time haddest most stroÌ„g valiant legges feete almost as hard as brasse art nowe growen so weake that thou must be lyfted vp to thy horse backe by thy seruantes or leanyng vpon their shoulders art scarcely able to tread vpon the ground Thy countrey almost at one tyme sawe thee both a lord and a banyshed man but so notwithstandyng that thou seemedst to be nothyng at all blemished by thy banishment There was neuer any almost of our countreymen that stoode in lyke fauour of noble men and princes and neuer any that susteyned lyke iniurie And whereas not long before they striued in shewyng thee tokens of curtesie afterward the same men consented in nothyng so muche as in conspyring and laying their heades together howe to procure thy destruction Of whom some sought meanes to take away thy lyfe who before tyme had honoured thee the space of many yeeres with golde and precious stones and many other large giftes duryng the tyme of thy prosperous and fauourable fortune and whiche is most greeuous of al to spoyle thee of thy freendes and clientes and thy whole familie by afflictyng them with sundry greeuous tormentes and strange kyndes of death But such as were of the more curteous sort inuaded thy great patrimony thy landes thy people thy houses thy townes insomuch as they that sawe thee not long before and perceyued how suddeinely thou wast fallen from great wealth into extreame pouertie wondred as it had been at some strange miracle of fortune Some of thy freendes as I haue said are perished in those
so soone as euer it hath shewed it selfe as a pleasant flowre it vanisheth euen in the sight of them that woonder at it and prayse it it is quickely nipt with the least frost and beaten downe with a smal winde and eyther suddenly pinched of with the nayle of some enimies hande or ouerthrowen with the heele of some sicknesse passing by To be short vaunt and reioyce as muche as thou list behold he commeth apace that wyl couer thee in a thin veile How much the beautie of a liuing man is to be esteemed death declareth and not death only but olde age also and the space of a few yeeres yea one dayes fit of a sudden fetter Last of all to admit that no outward extremitie do happen by continuance it consumeth of it owne accord turneth to nought neyther dyd it bryng so muche delyght when it came as it procureth griefe when it departeth The same yf I be not deceyued dyd the beautiful Romane Prince Domitian prooue sometyme to be true who writing vnto a certayne friende of his Vnderstand sayth he that there is nothyng more acceptable then beautie nor more brittle And although it were durable and a gyft of nature that continued yet do I not see what there is in this glitteryng beautie whiche is no sounde thyng and which resteth only vpon the vppermost part of a man that shoulde be so muche desired whiche couereth many fylthy and horrible thyngs flatteryng the senses and deludyng them with a simple and sleight ouercastyng of the skin And therefore it is better to take pleasure in true and permanent good thyngs then in such as are false and transitorie Ioy. The beautie of my body is most excellent Reason Thou hast a veyle before thyne eyes a snare before thy feete byrdlyme vpon thy wyngs thou canst not easesily eyther discerne the trueth or folow vertue or mount aloft with thy mynde Beauty hath hyndred many from atchiuing honest exploites and turned them to the contrary Ioy. The beautie of my body is woonderfull Reason You say wel to call it woonderful for what is more woonderful then this vanitie From howe many delectable thinges doo fayre young men absteyne what trauayles doo they susteine how muche doo they punyshe them to the ende they may I say not be but appeare the more beautiful that only to set foorth theyr beautie not thynkyng vpon eyther theyr good health or pleasure How much tyme therewhile is there spent in eating and drinking how many honest profitable and lastly necessarie businesses are there neglected And therfore kepe vnto thy self this short and transitorie good vaine ioy that without enuie Thou hast thyne enemie at home and that which worse is a delectable and pleasant one thou hast that which wyl take away thy quietnesse and spende thy tyme and is a perpetual torment thou hast the occasion of payne and trouble a plentiful matter to minister dangers a maynteyner of lustes letcherie an entrance no lesse to purchase hatred then to procure loue Perhaps thou shalt be amorous to women but odious to men or peraduenture suspected For ielousie in wedlocke is by no meanes more kyndled then by bodyly beautie And nothyng is more ardently coueted then beautie nothing moueth the minde more forcibly therfore nothyng is suspecied more vehemently Ioy. The beautie of my body is great Reason The same is wont to enforce foolish young men to that which is not expedient for them while they thynke that euen as they lust so also it is lawfull for them to vse theyr present commoditie not regardyng what is meete and conuenient whiche thyng many tymes hath been the cause of a sharpe and shameful ruyne to many Ioy. The beautie of my body is alowable Reason It shal be so but a very short tyme seeyng that this coomlynesse colour of thy face shal be chaunged These yellow lockes shal fal away the other that remayne shal waxe hoarie the skalie wrinkles shal plowe the lothsome furrowes vpon thy tender cheekes and glysteryng forehead a sorowfull cloude shall couer the cheereful beames and shynyng starres of thyne eyes rotten raggednesse shal consume and fret away the smooth and whyte iuorie of thy teeth not changyng them only in colour but disorderyng them also in place thyne vpright necke nymble shoulders shal waxe croked thy smooth throte shal waxe curled thou shalt thynke that those drie handes and crooked feete were neuer thyne owne What neede many woordes the day wyl come in whiche thou wylt not knowe thy selfe in a lookyng glasse Of al these thynges whiche thou thinkest to be farre from thee to the ende that when they come thou shalt not be astonied at suche monstruous bugges say not but that thou hast ben forewarned And nowe I pronounce vnto thee that yf thou lyue these thynges wyll come vpon thee almost sooner then it can be spoken and if thou do now beleeue me thou shalt then lesse wonder to see howe thou art transfourmed Ioy. In the meane whyle my beautie is noble Reason What can I say more briefly then that saying of Apuleius Mandarensis Stay a litle whyle and there shal be no such thyng Ioy. Hitherto the beautie of my body is excellent Reason I had rather the beautie of thy mind were excellent For the beautie of the mind is a thyng far more precious pleasant and sure then is the beautie of the body consisting lykewyse of semblable lawes cumlinesse of order with apt and due disposition of the partes It is a woorthie matter to wish for that beautie and to imploy a mans trauayle in pursuyng the same which neyther length of tyme shal consume nor sicknesse extinguyshe nor death it selfe ouerthrow But now you haue mortal thynges in admiration Ioy. Truely at the leastwyse nowe my beautie is rare Reason In this as in many other thyngs a mediocritie is to be wyshed But yf thou neyther please thy selfe with this thy beautie neither endeuour to please others but with that which is comely conuenient shalt vse it chastly soberly and modestly thy commendation therby shal not be smally aduaunced Ioy. A beautiful face honesteth the mynd Reason Nay rather it prooueth it and oftentymes draweth it into daunger And why shouldest thou glory of that since it is neyther thyne owne neyther canst thou keepe it long which was neuer glorious vnto any to haue had it but vnto many to haue cast it of I let passe to speake of other Spurina was renowmed not for her natural beauties sake but for her procured deformitie Ioy. I doe indeuour that vertue of the mynde may be ioyned with the beautie of my body Reason If thou bryng that to passe then shal I say that thou art truely and in al respectes fortunate then shal thy beautie appeare more excellent and thy vertue more acceptable And although Seneca doo write that he seemeth vnto hym to be deceyued who sayth And vertue founde in body fayre the greater grace it beares yet
For theyr rysing is slow but theyr fallyng is sodayne This strength also whereof thou vauntest when it shall leaue to encrease wyl not continue but fyrst wyll priuily begin to decay and afterwarde at length wyl openly fal Al mortal thyngs do equally flyt away except the mynd only but the signes and footesteps of theyr departure doo not appeare alike vnlesse a man wyl say that those lyuyng creatures do go lesse or slowest which eyther go in the dark or make no noyse in their creeping and put out the prynt of theyr goyng with the pressing of theyr tayles Ioy. I boast in the strength of my body Reason What wouldest thou then do in thyne owne Thynke how great thyne owne strength is for this is not thyne but the strength of thy harborow or Inne or rather thy pryson It is a vayne thyng for thee beyng thy self weake to glory of thy strong dwellyng or to speake more aptly of a strong aduersarie Ioy. I reioyce in my strength Reason What other shal I say then that saying of the Poet Thou shalt not reioyce long and in steede of myrth complaintes shall come in place Dooest thou remember howe he that was so strong of whom I made mention twyce erewhyle complayneth of his strength in olde age Of swiftnesse of the bodye The syxth Dialogue IOY BVt I am very swyft Reason Tel me whyther thy runnyng â—endeth Many haue ben destroyed through their owne swyftnesse Ioy. My swyftnesse is wonderful Reason Run ye mortal men whither ye lust the swiftnes of heauen outrunneth you and leadeth you vnto olde age and death The one of these wyll take away your runnyng the other your mooueyng Ioy. My swyftnesse is very great Reason It tendeth thyther where it shal haue an ende Ioy. My swiftnes is sâ—eâ— as â—he lyke hath not been heard of Reason It tendeth thither where there shal be great slownesse Ioy. My swiftneâ—â— is infinite Reason Be it as great as it list it shal haue no place where to exercise it selfe for the whole earth is as is were a smal pricke or poynt Ioy. My swyftnesse is inestimable Reason This coÌ„mendation is due vnto wit vnto which the seas and heauen and eternitie the spaces of nature the hydden places and secretes of al thynges lye open As for this body which is circumscribed and compassed about with a prick and smal moment of space whyther wyl the swiftnesse thereof bring it and where wyl it leaue it Admit this space were very wyde great eyther in respect of tyme or of place notwithstandyng whyther soeuer it turneth it maketh hast to the graue This narrowe roomth and place of necessitie is knowne without Astrologicall coniecture or Geometrical demonstration So then ye runne thyther where in deede there is no runnyng at all Ioy. My swyftnesse is incredible Reason Although thou excel al men yet thou art not able herein to match an Hare Ioy. My swiftnesse is marueilous Reason The same accompaniyng many vpon hanging hilles and broken mountaynes sydes hath disapoynted them of the playne grounde and many also that woulde runne or as it were flie by vautyng or otherwyse vppon the walles and battlementes of towres vpon the tacklynges of ships vpon the cragges of hilles without hurtyng them selues shortly after by some litle tripping or slyding of the foote haue in this outrage been found dead in the hygh wayes by fallyng It is a dangeâ— us thyng and agaynst the course of nature that there should be such lightnesse in heauie bodies and the practise thereof wil make a man not to be nimble long For although he escape without hurt yet he shall soone leaue it of through weerynesse for the strength of a man is but short and his swiftnesse shorter Ioy. I am nowe very nymble Reason An Asse also is nymble in his youth a Parde waxeth slow with age In tyme nimblenes wyl waxe styffe The first age hath spurres the last hath bridles whatsoeuer thou art thou shalt not be long if thou desire to be good indeuour to be so Only vertue is not afrayde of old age Of wit. The .vii. Dialogue IOY MY wit is also quick Reason I pray God it be vnto vertue Otherwyse look how much the quicker so much the nearer to destruction Ioy. I haue a redy wit. Reason If it be also appliable vnto good artes it is a precious furniture of the minde If otherwyse it is burdensome perilous and troublesome Ioy. My wit is very sharpe Reason It is not the sharpenesse but the vprightnesse and staiednes of the wit that deserue the true and perpetual commendation The sharpnesse of some wittes is rebated with smal force and wil faile at the first encounter and the most strongest thinges if they be stretched foorth to the vttermost become feeble and so likewise weakenes ouercommeth all strength Ioy. I haue a most sharpe wit. Reason There is nothing more odious vnto wisdom then to much sharpnes Nothing more greeuous vnto a Philopher then a sophist for that cause in old time the auncient fathers feigned that Pallas could not abyde spyders whose curious worke and fine webs are brittle serue to no purpose Therfore let the edge of the wyt be lyke the edge of a weapon that it may not only pearse but also stay from going further Ioy. My wyt is prompt and redy to euery thyng Reason This was sometyme attributed vnto Marcus Cato Censorius that he was as redy and apt to learnyng as to the warres to matters concernyng the fielde as the citie and also to the exercise of husbandrie whiche thyng in part the Gretians doo ascribe to theyr countreyman Epaâ—inundas and the Persians to theyr Cyrus Take herde whereunto this thy redie wit be enclined that it be not craftie and that it be not only not quicke and pliant but rather lyght and inconstant For it is one thyng to be able to stay and another to be able to go whyther soeuer a man lust Ioy. My wyt is excellent Reason It skilleth much in what kynd a man do excel For the signification of that woorde is vncertayne and true it is that a mans wit is of force if he do throughly bende it And therefore geue me rather a good wit then an excellent for the one cannot be conuerted to euill the other is flexible vnto many thinges For Salust writeth that Lucius Catiline was a man of notable courage but of a corrupt naughtie wit and disposition Ioy. My wit is great Reason I requyre a good and a modest wit the greatnes only is suspected For a great wit hath many tymes ben the beginnyng of great euylles And seldome were there any great errours but they sprang from great wittes Of Memorie The .viii. Dialogue IOY MY memorie is very great Reason Thou hast then a large house of loathsomenesse and a gallery ful of smoky images among which many thinges may displease Ioy. My memorie conteyneth many thinges Reason Among many thynges there be but fewe that do delight
a man the more part of them do molest him and oftentimes the remembrance of pleasant thinges is greeuous Ioy. My memorie comprehendeth sundrie thinges Reason If they be good it is wel If they be euil why art thou glad therof Is it not greeuous yenough either to haue suffred or seene euils but that they must continually come into our minde or alwayes lye forth before our eyes Ioy. My memory conteyneth diuers thyngs Reason That is to say diuers both faults offences heinous trespasses and reproches shames repulses sorowes trauailes and dangers although as some say there is pleasure in the remembraunce of this whereof I spake last wherein notwithstanding we must this vnderstande that not so much the remembraunce of the forepassed euyls as the delyght of the present good state procureth the pleasure And therfore no man taketh delight in the remembrance of his labour and danger vnlesse he be at quyet and in securitie no man can gladly thynke on pouertie but he that is rytche on sicknesse but he that is in health on pryson but he that is at lybertie on bandes but he that is free on banyshment but he that is returned home agayne Only the remembraunce of shame is greeuous yea in the midst of honours So that there is nothyng that is holden more deare or is more incurable then is a mans honour and good name Ioy. My memorie is manyfolde and conteyneth much tyme. Reason In manyfold remembrance are manyfolde troubles For some doo nyp the conscience some pricke it some wounde it some confounde it some terrifie it some ouerthrow it wherby it commeth to passe that when men cal them to remembrance red blushyng and wan palenes enterchangeably possesse theyr faces in silence which thing chaunceth sometime to the vilest wickedst persons causing theyr going to be vncertaine theyr speach doubtful with many other such passions moe signifiyng that the mynd is troubled with to wel remembryng Ioy. My memorie is prompt Reason I had rather thy wyl were godly thy desire chast thy counsels honest thy deedes innocent and thy life without rebuke Ioy. I haue a very firme memorie Reason How should you men then forgeat the heauenly precepts which are so few in number How should you forgeat the only God How should you then forgeat yourselues Ioy. My memorie is passyng firme Reason I thinke wel it be so of earthly and vnprofitable things But whyther and to what purpose tendeth this vagabounde and flickeryng memorie Which wanderyng through heauen and earth and forgettyng to returne to it selfe calleth not to remembrance that one thing which is necessarie and healthful in which yf perhaps sometyme it find any smal pleasure most times it findeth plentie of griefe And therefore not without cause when one offered to teach Themistocles the art of memorie which at that tyme was inuented by Simonidis answeared that he had rather learne the art of forgetfulnesse And although he seemed iustly to answere so as one that aboue al credite excelled al other in that gyft of nature and whose memory was ouerwhelmed with innumerable representations of matters wordes notwithstandyng it agreeth almost with al men for so al of you learne the thynges that you ought to forgeat and forgeat the thinges that ye ought to learne exercising your memorie in such matters as were profitable to forgeat therin not contented with the limitatiō of nature ye set forth your madnes in art Ioy. My memory is almightie Reason This title is proper to God only You would haue said perhaps that it is of great power notwithstanding if an excellent memorie be of any force which in deede is better then al othervaine curiositie let it reiect the hurtful embrace the profitable not so diligently pursue the things that delight as the things that profite Ioy. My memory is the best that can be Reason There is nothing better then the best therfore if thou wilt seeme to say true it behoueth thee to shew thy self mindful in the best Remember thy sinne that thou maiest be sorie for it remember death that thou maiest leaue to syn remēber the iudgment of god that thou maiest be afraid remember his mercy that thou do not dispaire Of Eloquence The .ix. Dialogue IOY BVt mine eloquence is notable Reason I graunt it is a great instrument of glory but doubtful with two points It skilleth very much how a man do vse this also Ioy. Myne eloquence is flowing and swift Reason Some not amysse do compare the eloquence of a foole or a lewd person to a mad mans swoord both whom it is meete when they goe abrode to be vnarmed Ioy. Mine eloquence is famous and bryght Reason A thyng is sayd to be bright many wayes the Sunne is bright a fire is bright Ioy. Myne eloquence is very shynyng Reason The sorowful cometes and hurtful swordes and hateful helmets of our enimies doo shyne but that the shyning of eloquence may be glorious it must be tempered with holynesse and wysedome Ioy. The plentie of myne eloquence is very great Reason If it be ioyned with modesty I doo not denie but that it is an excellent thyng and surpassyng the common measure of men otherwyse it were better to be dumbe Ioy. I haue eloquence yenough Reason That there was eloquence yenough and but litle wysedome in that most wicked man thou readest in Salust yet sought he not for any glorie by his eloquence how be it if it be more deeply consydered it was not eloquence but vnprofitable babling For no man can be a true oratour that is to say a maister of eloquence vnlesse he be a good man And if thou beeing a good and a wise man diddest suppose that this streame and readinesse of woordes which for the most part doth most abounde in the fancie and impudent crue was sufficient for the commendation of the Oratorie and the perfect duety of eloquence or that this cunning in speache only was yenough thou wast deceiued The redines of the tongue plentie of wordes the art and skil also to vse them may be indifferent to the wicked and the godly but that which thou seekest apparteineth to the best sort of men not to al of them but to very few so that euill men are banished frō this cōmendation being a thing wherunto the good gifts of that minde as vertue wisdome are required whiche they do want Which if thou do not vnderstand to be so I wyll shewe thee howe And remember these two thinges whereof I speake imprint their diffinitions in thy minde whereof the one is Catoes the other Ciceroes The fyrst sayth thus An Oratour is an honest man skilful in speaking The other Eloquence sayth he is nothyng els but wisedome speaking copiously By these woordes thou seest that to the essence and substaunce of an Oratour and of Eloquence is honestie and wysedome required whiche notwithstanding are not sufficient vnlesse there be cunning copie So
greatest commoditie yea although he haue no neede of them to them they become most seruiceable Yea now Cicero in deede thou sayest wel and truely for so men ought to doo although many do contrary But to returne agayne to the matter yf thou wylt be without the complayntes and disdayne of ghestes absteyne from feastes They that haue ben present at a feast haue had some iust cause perhaps to reprooue somewhat and to be greeued but he that is offended because he was not at the feast he is no ghest but a most impudent Parasite whose tongue is no more to be esteemed then his belly whiche is not only not to be feared but many tymes to be wyshed for as the Satiricall Poet sayth what commedie can there be better or what more pleasaunt Iester then an hungrie stomacke Some such are described by the Comic writers diuersly prouoke laughter what could they do vnlesse they were hearde in presence To conclude this is the summe of al there is none other way to auoid the controulment of feasting then by not feasting to driue away the nips and madnes of flatterers then by laughing at them contemning them thou hast none other meanes to purchase quietnes Ioy. I geue my self to feastyng Reason Thou hast chosen a worthy studie what is most agreeable to this cast and what to that or with what meates hunger is best staked or with what sauces prouoked Behold this noble profitable part of Philosophie what meate shal fyrst what seconde and what thyrd cloy thy loathsome stomacke And what kynde of wine doth sende vp most pleasant fumes to the brayne Ioy. I am delighted in feastes Reason If this be meant as the Latine woorde Conuiuium soundeth and as our forefathers who were the aucthours of this name dyd purport I wyll not onely not reprehende it but commende it For it is a pleasaunt thyng and honest and to be wyshed for freendes to lyue togeather but you cal eating togeather a feast and to a most filthy thing ye geue a most excellent name as though freendes coulde not lyue togeather otherwyse then by eatyng and drynking and not better by thynking and talkyng seeyng that as Cicero sayeth To a learned man to thinke is to lyue and there is nothing more pleasaunt then the woonted and faythfull conference of freendes Couer not therefore so shamefull a thyng with so fayre a name for it wyll appeare through and that which is called a lyuing togeather shal be knowen to be but an eatyng togeather Hearken rather to the Apostle S. Paule Howe with a loude voyce among other thinges he exhorteth vs from euyl bankettinges and drunkennesse and take beede that ye be not caried away to filthinesse by the glory of names Ioy. Feastes doo delyght mee Reason Speake playnely what thou meanest eatings drinkings gorginges gurmandize If thou be delyghted to receyue these thynges thou art but a base debter for a base benefite But if thou haue delight to geue them then art thou a foole and a slaue to a foolysh carefulnesse Ioy. I seeke glory by feastes Reason It is your fashion to seeke for a thyng where it is not to be founde Ioy. I hope to win glory by feastes Reason It is false glory and a very errour We reade how Alexander kyng of Macedonie gaue hymselfe ouer to feasting yea euen vnto blooddy drunkennes And so dyd Lucius lykewyse vnto immoderate charges and the lamentable losse of his Empyre Shew me other such two what prince canst thou name vnto me that is wise or king that is sober and is geuen to such pleasures As for the woorthy Philosophers and Poets it is needlesse to speake of them and much lesse of the godly men and generally of all that haue conceyued any great or religious matter in their minde vnto whom doubtlesse al this whole case is infamous and hateful Ioy. By feastyng I haue wonne glory among the common people the fauour of many men Reason A great price for most vile ware to become a Cooke to please other mens belyes I suppose there be some whom their stomackes doo pinche and pouertie dooeth brydle vnto whom nothyng is more acceptable then to be discharged of that brydle by the care and charge of other and to obteine that by other mens meanes whiche by their owne they are not able Those that yeelde them this supplie so long they extol and magnifie as they doo so But if once they leaue of they themselues also shall surcease to be longer extolled and thus wyll I also surcease and this is the summe of all The condition of ghestes is to be delicate and complayning and very hard to please And concernyng Parasites learne this short rule Whyle thou feedest them abundantly they wyll eate and laugh with thee they wyll clappe their handes they wyl commende thee to be a good man liberall and call thee a notable member of thy common wealth They wyl leaue out no one iote of perfect Grecian adulation whereof the Satyrical poet speakyng tearmeth it a nation most expert in flatterie and a great deuourer of meate with other suche qualities commonly knowen to boyes If thou leaue of sometyme thy liberalitie they wyll diffame thee to be couetous wretched and miserable But yf thou do it through want then they wyl report of thee that truly thou art a poore man but there is no harme in thee sauing that thou art a foole and hast no wit and they wyl shunne thee and thy house as it were a rocke Then shalt thou perceyue that saying of Horace to be true The friendes depart when once the lees waxe drie in the caske where the Poet speaketh of suche kynde of freendes As for true freendes they specially continue in aduersitie and most diligently frequent those houses whiche fortune hath forsaken Suche follies and difficulties it were best to redresse in tyme and to learne to contemne these proude ghestes these dry scoffers with their bablyng and tittletattle and perswade thy selfe thus There is no place for vpright iudgement where al thing is attributed to pleasure and nothing to vertue Finally this transitorie name which is purchased by euyll meanes and this which is commonly called glorie among learned men is counted infamie not glorie Of Apparrel and trimming of the bodye The .xx. Dialogue IOY BVT I am brauely aparelled Reason Thinges that are pure doo loue to be seene naked And it is a common fashion to couer filthie thinges Ioy. I am most exquisitely apparelled Reason Thou mayest be ashamed of thy outwarde trimnesse as oft as thou shalt thinke what is couered therewith For it were a frentike part of pryde to couer dounge with purple Ioy. I am very neately apparrelled Reason Hast thou not heard what that most valient man in Salust saith that neatnesse belongeth to women and labour to men Ioy. My apparell is fayre and fine Reason Then is it a banner of pryde and a nest of lasciuiousnesse Ioy. My clothes are excellent and care Reason
and which the holsomer But nowe thou committest the iudgement of the sounde to a deaffe sense concernyng which perhaps hytherto may seeme vnto some to be a small matter notwithstandyng it hath troubled many excellent men Neyther was it without cause that Plato a man of a diuine wyt supposed that Musicke apperteyned to the state and corrections of manners in a common wealth Of Daunsing The .xxiiii. Dialogue IOY I Delyght in dauncing Reason I woulde haue marueyled the more yf the noise of Vyals and Recorders had not pricked thee foorth also to dauncing and after the auntient maner one vanitie had not folowed another howbeit a greater and much more deformed By singyng there is some sweetenesse conceyued which many tymes is profitable and holy by dauncing neuer any thyng but lasciuiousnesse and a vayne sight hateful to honest eyes and vnmeete for a man. Ioy. I desire much to be at dauncinges Reason The body couereth and discouereth the mynde the castyng of the handes the moouyng of the feete the rouling of the eies declare that there is some such lyke wantonnesse in the mynde whiche is not seene And therfore it behooueth suche as are louers of modestie to take heede that they do not speake any wanton thyng For the hydden affectes of the mynde and secretes of the hart are many tymes descried by small tokens moouyng syttyng lying gesture laughter going speache al these are bewrayers of the mynde Ioy. I receyue great pleasure in dauncing Reason Oh foolyshe pleasure Imagine that thy selfe leadest a daunce or beholdest other daunsing without hearyng any instrument and seest the foolysh women or men more effeminate then women without any noyse to turne about and to daunce forward and backward I pray thee dydst thou euer see any thyng more absurde or doatyng But now the sound of the instrument couereth the vncomely moouyng that is to say one madnesse hydeth an other Ioy. I am delyghted in dauncing Reason There is not in dauncyng so much a present delight as an hope of pleasure to come For it is the forerunner of Venus to leade about selly women that are astonished with the sounde of the instrumentes to court them to claspe them and vnder colour of curtesie to wynne them there the handes are free the eyes free and the speech free there is noyse of the feete the dissonant voyces of the singers the soundyng of the trumpets the meeting togeather the dust and that which is often added to playes and shewes mght it selfe enimie to honestie friend to vices these be the things which driue away feare shame fastnesse these are the prouocations of leacherie these are the laxations of libertie And that ye shall not thinke me to be easily deceiued this is that delight which simply and as it were innocently ye professe by the name of dauncinges vnder the couering of pastime ye clooke wickednesse And although many times this be done among men only or women only they doo then but seuerally exercise themselues learne what they shal do when they meete againe like as schollers do meditate while their maister is absent what they shal say when he returneth Plucke vp by the coote this craftie and wicked shewe take away lasciuiousnesse and thou shalt take away dauncinges Beleeue me no man wyll daunce before the Lord with King Dauid lest peraduenture his wife laugh him to skorne although no man be mocked for dauncing or wantonly demeaning himselfe before his Lady Ioy. Dauncing is delectable Reason Thou art iumpe of mine opinion If it delight it is in respect of some other matter for of it selfe it is an absurd thing and bringeth more weerinesse then pleasure For to turne round what is it other then to procure giddines of the head and to goe about without ende Among the local motions whiche Plato reckeneth to wit these forward backward on the right hand on the left vpward dounward and round about only the seuenth is infinite And therefore the thinges that are perpetual that is to say heauen and the planets doo continualy obserue the same and in earth the madnesse of men increase ably putteth it in practise almost in all their actions and deuises Neyther is there any Orpheus to stay the Isionian wheele but inuisible dauncinges where the volubilitie of the mindes carieth the bodies about with them And therefore when that which is written may be sayd of al then may it most properly be verified of these The wicked walke round about This sport hath been the cause of many shamefull deedes Many times an honest Matron hath by meanes hereof lost her long preserued honestie Oftentimes the vnfortunate young virgin hath hereby learned that vppon her wedding day which she had better neuer had knowen Ioy. I am willing to exercise my selfe in honest dauncing Reason I had rather thou haddest choosen some other kinde of exercise But I perceyue whereabout thou goest and what thou meanest Thou wouldest haue this generall restreinct taken away thou wouldest haue libertie to be geuen and an order therein to be prescribed Forasmuche as therefore thou art so minded and suche is thy maner and custome then whiche if it be naught there is nothing worse and if it be good there is nothing better let this be a rule vnto thee in al these thynges that suche as thou canst not altogether want thou vse them most modestly and seldome That thou behaue not thy selfe softly nor womanlyke in any matter but let thy manly rigour shewe it selfe yea somwhat beyonde it owne boundes and let thy dauncing or what other pastime soeuer thou frequent be a relaxation to the weeried spirites and an exercise to the body and not a pleasure to effeminate the minde I woulde gladly abstayne from examples for the imitation of excellent men is not safe for al to folowe Euery feathered foule is not able to folow the Eagle Of imitatours some imitate the contrary some one thyng and some another Fewe doo fully attaine to the perfection of that whiche they imitate The younger Cato when his minde was ouerpressed with cares of the Common wealth was wont to refreshe hym selfe with wine The lyke did Solon among the Greekes Now some man perhappes desirous to imitate these wyll alwayes doo one thyng onely whiche they dyd he wyll drynke and that whiche they vsed to doo seldome tymes and moderately this man wyll doo continually and immoderatly and that whiche they vsed for a remedie he wyll abuse vnto drunkennesse The lyke may be easily shewed in other thinges also but nowe thou vnderstandest as well as I what that is which I feare with thee Notwithstanding forasmuch as thou hast enforced me to vndertake the defence of a condemned matter I wyl set downe vnto thee the example of a notable personage whiche thou shalt not folowe or not chaunge whiche I wyll recite vnto thee in these woordes whiche Seneca vseth in that booke wherein he searcheth after the tranquillitie of the minde Scipio sayth he mooued that same his
playing Reason If thou wylt be ruled by counsell I wyll tell thee of an honest and woorthy kynde of dice-play whiche in olde time was frequented by learned men in Athens that vpon holydayes when a company of freendes were mette togeather euery man shoulde alleage somwhat concerning learning not some ambiguous Sophisme but some substantiall matter according to the discretion of the alleager apparteining to vertue and honest lyuing Now when they had conferred vpon these matters without enuie or anger they whiche by the iudgement of the best learned seemed to be ouercome were amersed of some smal peece of money Let the same money be conuerted to Philosophical suppers And so it shall minister sufficient prouision for the charge exercise to your studie and a spur to your wittes whiche shal aswell prouoke the conquerours as the conquered With this kinde of dice play wherewith our forefathers were wont to furnishe their Saturnalia furnyshe you your godly holydayes and wherewith they were wont to passe their Athenian nightes passe you also your Romane nyghtes Thus hast thou a game whereat thou mayest wyllingly play and shalt not be ashamed to haue played at it Of prosperous playing at Tables The .xxvii. Dialogue IOY I Haue a desire also to play at tables Reason O wide gaping whirle podle that can not be filled O sorowful and suddaine flitting of the patrimonte O tempest of the minde and cloud to fame and prouocation to wickednesse and way to desperation Those whereof we haue spoken before deserue indifferently to be called games but this is a mere sorowe Ioy. But I haue had prosperous successe at this play Reason There is no good luck at tables al is euyl miserable For both he that leeseth is greeued and he that winneth is inticed drawne into daunger Ioy. I haue played fortunately Reason Preseâ—t prosperitie hath oftentimes been the aboving of future calamitie and this plague hath it owne proper prouocations If al that play at tables should lose no man woulde play but some doo win howbeit those winninges are the forerunners of losse Ioy. I haue played won Reason It is well if thou returne not againe into the feelde otherwise there is no feelde more playne nor fortune in any feelde more inconstant Ioy. I haue played and won Reason Thou shalt play againe lose That which thou winnest a thousand wyl plucke from thee on euery side that which thou losest none wyl restore Adde this moreouer that if there were any iustice that which thou winnest is not thine that which thou losest although it be not another mans yet it ceaseth to be thine Finally there be diuers causes whiche may dehort and plucke backe a good minde from this madnes vnlesse a certaine headdinesse pricked forward with couetousnesse vrged ye thereunto Ioy. I haue won at tables Reason Vnderstande that thou hast receyued an hundred times vzurie of an impious banker thou must therefore restore that whiche thou hast won and ad therevnto somwhat of thyne owne whiche cannot be demaunded againe and is of it selfe consumed and thou hast left of to be fortunate in thy sleepe Ioy. I haue won and thereby am the richer Reason All money is vnstable and by reason of the roundnesse thereof it runneth away but there is nothingmore vnstable then the money that is gotten at tables Table playing geueth nothyng to any man specially that plye it diligently but many tymes they borowe one of another or it wresteth somwhat from them and is the more cruell the more flatteryng that it seemeth For there is no losse more greeuous then is to hym that hath begunne to taste the sweetenesse of gayne Ioy. I haue played and gayned Reason To reioyce for winning at tables is euen as a man shoulde reioyce at sweete poyson For both anone wyll breake out at the beynes Ioy. I take pleasure in my prosperous play Reason Delyghtyng in sinne is woorse then sinne it selfe There be some that sinne prouoked thereto by meanes of an euyll custome who reioyce not after they haue sinned but are sorie and yf it coulde be would rather they had not sinned And some we haue seene who among the scorching flames of lust haue fealt a colde yeinesse of sorowe and repentaunce and yf a man may so tearme it a wyll and a nyll at one instant although they haue been borne away to the worse by force of some custome whom we may not neuerthelesse vtterly condemne but by muche practice they may be brought to better state but as for those that reioyce in wickednesse what hope I pray you shall a man haue of them Ioy. I am delyghted in playing at tables Reason I hope thou wylt not be so styll or long delighted the state of cities is euery day altered doest thou thinke that the fortune at tables is permanent Beleeue mee it wyll turne and conuert thy ioy into teares I doo not meane that they wyll turne as thou hast seene them and as they haue doone to thyne aduantage and vayne ioy but they wyll so turne that it shal be to thy very teares and sorowe Ioy. I take pleasure in playing Reason A detestable and desperate delyght and whiche proceedeth from a fylthie and corrupt minde and thou deseruelt therefore to be chydden and rated For what Gentleman or what man that is not rather a sauage beast wyl be delyghted with the name of a game whiche is full of wickednesse and most filthie impietie Where there is nothyng manly besides the mens faces and their countenaunces distract betweene anger and sorowe and outragiously confused with outcryes more then is sitting for men where there is no cumlynesse in behauiour nor modestie in woordes no loue towardes men no reuerence towardes God but chydyng raylyng deceipt periurie and rauine and in the ende bloodshedde and murder Humane rashnesse can deuise nothyng more cruell agaynst GOD then the blaspheming of his holy name wherewith aboue al the forgeries of mischiefe that game aboundeth â–ª Where if any perhaps holde theyr peace for shamefastnesse yet with their often lookyng vp what they speake with the lyppes of their hart them selues doo knowe What honest man can I say not play at but with his eyes beholde this game and is not greeued and driuen away with the loathsomenesse of so wicked a syght Ioy. Notwithstandyng I am delighted with this game Reason Take heede that the Cretaine curse fall not vppon thy head to be delyghted in euyll custome then whiche nothyng is more lyght to be spoken nothyng more greeuous to happen and nothyng more neare to destruction Ioy. I am delyghted with playing at Tables Reason Dishonest delyght is to be abiected yf not for vertue sake yet for regarde of thyne estimation and care of thy honestie For thou shalt not fynde any thyng among the actions of men wherein theyr manners and vices are more playnely set open Thou hast seene some set downe to play that haue trembled and prayed moste earnestly and called vppon
be no one deceypt in the lyfe of man more gaynefull who wyl ma ruayle yf there be none more plentifull Not that there is more common sale of precious stones then of any other thyng as beyng suche thyngs as the preciousnesse of them maketh them rare but that the trueth is neuer more rare in any merchandize For in no ware is there lesse lybertie of experimentyng or more libertie of lying or more vantage of vntrue dealyng or impudency more free or the custome of vsyng it more common But yf perhaps among all these vertues there be any thyng true shal we accompt this to be it whiche the aucthoritie of Magiciens confirmeth and the opinion of the common people establyshed vppon the same auoweth that the Amethist withstandeth drunkennesse Is it then without cause that this precious stone is meete to make cuppes of for drunkennesse Nowe I iest with thee Iestyng many tymes prouoketh anger ▪ to wyt in ascribyng that to one whiche another hath deserued vnlesse we wyl say that this was the wyt and deuise of pleasure that the drinkers sight might be delited together with his tast and so the senses being tickled on al sides the drunkennesse might be the more curious and merie This vnlesse I be deceiued is the truest and most certayne cause of this matter both in other and also in this which is specially prouided as it were a captayne agaynst drunkennesse ouer which sobrietie onely may triumph in vsing litle wine accordyng to the saying of that excellent counseller that not to be drunke for pleasure but for profite to abandō the infirmities of the stomacke with a litle smal wine I say delayed with water to auoyde the force and rage of strong and myghtie wynes and to quenche and brydle them as it were with a floodde of water to knowe and remember that in hotte and strong wyne and often or to muche drynkyng of it there lurketh muche matter of shame sorowe and repentaunce that whyther soeuer thou turnest thy selfe this is alwayes in mens eyes and that no man of a sounde mynde can dissemble it These be the profitable weapons agaynst that Monster What place is there here nowe left for the Amethist or for any precious stone The Magiciens haue deuysed that lye and there haue been some that haue beleeued that by the vertue of this stone promysyng the in sobrietie they myght boldly quaffe without feare of drunkennesse Falsly and impudently affyrmed by the Magiciens as many thynges moe and foolyshly beleeued of the common people as al thynges els This is therfore the summe of all there is nothyng els that procureth vnto you this and suche lyke follies but pleasure prouoked and incensed with dangers but specially pryde and forgetfulnes of your state and an hurtful feare of mynde which beyng such as there is nothyng more hurtful to the lyfe of man so I marueyle that there is nothing more pleasant I say not in that vertue beyng so great a good seemeth but vyle in your iudgement but your lyfe your health your safetie your ryches and finally your pleasures whiche in your iudgementes are the chiefest felicitie All these thinges geue place vnto pryde only this aboue all other thynges maketh you to couet precious stones which are euermore vnprofitable many times hurtful and neuer necessary By prouocation of pryde it is come to passe that beyng alwayes busy and feareful but delycate the floores of your houses be lyke the Altars of your Churches golden and glytteryng with stones and your purpled and decked sacrifices are layed out to the furniture of your couetousnesse and curiositie of your wantonnesse and the residue of your brauery to pryde al which vyces ioyntly and seuerally raigne ouer you howbeit pryde as I haue sayde claymeth the principalitie Couetousnesse peraduenture which the name it selfe importeth might indifferently content her selfe with a great portion of golde and lasciuiousnes repose her selfe in her banquettes and pleasures pryde only neuer resteth so long as she seeth any thyng aboue her who at the fyrst begynnyng of al thynges sought to make her selfe equall with GOD and the very same enforceth you paynfully to seeke for precious stones and curyously to ioyne or hollowe them to the entent that when ye gooe abroade or sytte in open places in iudgement of Courtes or at Feastes ye may shyne and glyster lyke Starres and continually repyne at the beautie of heauen And to returne to my purpose by the meanes of this guyde with your houses with your apparrel with your meate and drynke and generally with all your thynges whiche were inuented to serue eyther the necessitie or pleasure of mankynde ye haue continually mingled some fayre and shyning danger by encreasyng whereof this mischiefe commeth to lyght that of precious stones ye nowe make not only Pottes but Basons and Dyshes and kettles and Morters and almost al maner of necessaries Therefore reioyce pryde that thou hast gotten the vpper hand thou requiredst pottes of precious Stone and thy ministers haue prepared for thee al maner of vessel of the same stuffe And it is nowe as common a thyng to vse precious stones to these purposes as to plowe lande to sowe corne in and so that is growne among you into a custome whiche was lasciuiousnesse among your Elders Ioy. I delyght to drynke in cuppes of Christal Reason Now I spare precious stones this frosen yse excuseth them whiche hath in it nothyng more then hath glasse for it is assoone broken and cannot be made whole sauyng that it is harder to be gotten and eyther it is brought from far or yf it be found neerehande it is to be dygged out of the vnpassable and frosen rockes and clyftes of the Alpes by hangyng downe by a small rope for this cause it is the dearer and of greater force to prouoke your desyre vnto it And therefore thou readest how the Emperour Nero was stroke with a suddeine report and how among al his other great losses he bewayled most greuously the losse of two christal cuppes which were broken by chaunce or rather as I thinke the trueth of the storie to be otherwyse that being throughly inraged with anger and offended with the age wherein he liued and enuying the posteritie that should come after knocked them togeather and brake them with his owne hands that there should neuer any man drinke out of them more Behold the expiation of hard fortune there was neuer any thing deuised or found out wherein this maister of mischiefe might more sharply exercise his crueltie he wreaked hym selfe vpon his Christal whiche aboue al thynges he loued most dearely Some man wil say that this is an excuse for meaner men In deede to imitate a prince it carryeth some credite but to imitate Nero no good man wylbe wylling Ioy. I take pleasure in vesselles of Christall Reason And percepuest thou not howe frayle and bryttle thy delyght is But this is your maner ye take pleasure in thynges of your owne nature
But you weltring heauily vpon the ground stouping and as it were fastened to the earth dare not looke vpwardes towardes heauen and forgettyng the chiefe woorkeman with marueilous pleasure ye beholde the slender pictures of the Sunne and Moone and determine where the passage is to the highest places but there ye ende the boundes of your vnderstanding Ioy. I am specially delyghted with painted tables and Pictures Reason Thou conceiuest delight in the pencill and colours wherein the price and cunning and varietie and curious dispersing doth please thine eye euen so likewyse the liuely gestures of lyuelesse pictures and the vnmoueable motions of dead images and countenaunces comming out of poastes and liuely portraitures of faces doo bryng thee into woondring insomâ—ch as thou wilt almost thynke they would speake vnto thee and this is the onely danger in this behalfe in that many great wittes haue been ouertaken by these meanes So that whereas the clowne and vnskylfull person wyl with small woondryng passe them ouer the wyser wyll repose hym selfe with sighing and woondring A cunning matter truly howbeit it is not possible from the beginning to vnfold the fyrst originall and encrease of this art and the wonderfulnesse of the woorkes and the industrie of the woorkemen the madnesse of princes and the vnreasonable prices wherewith these haue been bought and brought from beyonde the seas and placed at Rome eyther in the Temples of the Goddes or in the bed chambers of the Emperours or in the common streetes or publique porches and galleries Neyther was this sufficient but that they must also apply their owne right handes which of duety ought to haue been busied about greater affayres vnto the exercise of this art which the most noble Philosophers of all Greece had doone before Whereby it came to passe that among you the art of paintyng was esteemed aboue all handie craftes as a thyng more neere to the woorke of nature And among the Grecians yf ye wyll beleeue Plinie it was accompted among the chiefee of the Liberal Artes. But I let passe these thinges for that they are in a maner contrary to mine entended breuitie and present purpose and may seeme rather to minister infected humours to the sicknesse whose cure I promised to vndertake and by the excellencie of the thinges to excuse the madnesse of the woonderers at them Howbeit I sayde yer whyle that the greatnesse of them that dyd erre made not the errour the lesse but I touched that poynt the rather to this intent that it myght appeare how great the force of that folly was with whiche so many and so great wittes haue conspired vnto whiche also the prince of errour the common multitude and long continuance whiche is the engenderer of customes and acutoritie whiche is a great heape of all mischiefes are ioyned so that the pleasure and admiration thereof is able priuily to remooue and withdrawe the minde from contemplation of higher matters But yf these thynges that are counterfeited and shadowed with vayne colours doo so muche delyght thee cast vp thyne eyes vppon hym that hath adorned mans face with senses his minde with vnderstandyng the heauen with starres the earth with flowres and so shalt thou contemne those woorkemen whom thou woondredst at Of Statues and Images The .xli. Dialogue IOY BUt I take great pleasure in Images Reason These be sundrie artes but the madnesse is one there is but one beginning of them both one ende but diuers matter Ioy. I delyght in statues Reason These come in shew more neere vnto nature then pictures For they doo but appeare only but these are felt to be sounde and substantiall and there theyr bodyes are more durable Whiche is the cause that there remayne to this day in no place any pictures of men of auncient times but statues innumerable Whereby this age in this point as in many thynges els erronious woulde seeme to haue been the fyrst inuenter of pictures or whether that because it alleageth that it hath deuised somwhat whiche commeth neare to the fyrst inuention thereof beyng perfect and excellent in it and in all kindes of engrauing and dare boldly and impudently affirme though falsly that it is not inferiour to any in grauing and caruing all sortes of seales statues seeing in very dtede they be almost al one art or if they be diuers they sprang both from one fountayne to wit the art of drawing doubtlesse are of one antiquitie flourished at one tyme For why Apelles and Pyrgoteles and Lysippus lyued at one tyme whiche may by this meanes be prooued in that the great pride of Alexander of Macedonie chose these three together aboue the rest whereof the one should paint him the other engraue him and the thyrde carue him strayghtly forbiddyng all other vppon whatsoeuer cunnyng or assuraunce of skyll presumyng to meddle with expressyng the kynges face any maner of way and yet was not this madnesse lesse then the residue But euery disease is so muche the more daungerous howe muche more stable and fixed the matter is whereof it proceedeth Ioy. But I am delyghted in Images Reason Thynke not that thou errest alone or that thou hast no fellowes but the common people For in tymes past howe great the dignitie hath been of statues and images and howe feruent the studie and desire of men was reposed in suche pleasures the most diligent enquirie of Augustus and Vaspasian and other Emperours and Kynges of whom it were impertinent and too long to intreate also of other noble personages of the second degree industrious keepyng of them when they had founde them and theyr sundrie dedicatyng and bestowing them may sufficiently declare Hereunto also may be added the great fame of the workemen not rashly spread abroade by the common people or reported vpon dumbe workes but celebrated in the soundyng bookes of learned and approoued writers whiche beyng so great seemeth in no wyse to be able to spryng from a smal roote A great name commeth not of nothing it must be great in deede or seeme to be so whereof great men doo seriously intreate But all these thinges I haue answeared before and tende to this purpose that thou mayest vnderstande with what force so auncient and stout an errour must be resisted Ioy. I conceyue pleasure in sundry statues images Reason There is one of these artes whiche by the handy woorke doth imitate nature men commonly call it framyng and fashionyng This art woorketh with waxe playster of Paris and cleauing claye whiche although among all the other artes that haue affinitie with it it be more freendly and come neerest to vertue or is lesse enimie to modestie and thriftinesse whiche two vertues doo more allowe of imagies and statues of Goddes and men to be made of earth and suche lyke matter then of golde and precious stone Yet what delyght there is to be conceyued in looking vppon faces made of waxe or earth I doo not vnderstand Ioy. I take delyght in
you This is a renerall rule amongst you this is your fantasie this is your disposition this is your studie and the commendation of your iudgement Of Peacockes Chyckens Hennes Bees and Pigions The Lxii. Dialogue IOY I Haue stoare of Peacockes Reason By their tayles I wou'd aduise thee to thinke vppon Argos eyes least the most famous plague that foloweth the neglecting of good rules do hurt thy feete Ioy. I haue many Peacockes Reason I confesse it is a beautiful and comely byrde to beholde but this pleasure of the eyes is requited with great weerysomnesse of the â—aâ—â—â— agaynst the horriblenesse of whose most hellysh noyse it were â—eedeful for men to run away or to stoppe theyr eares with Vâ—â—â—ses waxe I wyl say nothyng of the griefe and complaintes of the neyghbours whiche are more hateful then any thyng els But you whilest imperiously and leauyng nothyng vnassayed ye tender your throate and belly ye thynke neyther vppon your owne nor your neyghbours discommodities forgettyng how that in olde tyme the most valiant and woorthie men had no such care or desyre when as fyshes and wylde beastes and foules were 〈◊〉 â—uedled withal besydes the feathers there is nothyng to be lyâ—â—â— of as Ouid sayth And now truely I can perceiue nothing in this foule that may delyght a man besides the excellencie of the â—â—esh whiche some say wyll neuer putrifie though it be kept long whyle which thou mayst prooue yf thou lyst and S. Augustine sayth he hath proued Thus vnlesse ambition and prodigalitie be present neyther your meate nor your delyght can satisfie you Truely it is reported that Hortentius the Oratour was the fyrst that euer kylled a Peacocke at Rome to be eaten for meate a man of great eloquence in manners delicate and soft as a woman but such a one whose manners very many whose eloquence very fewe do imitate Ioy. I noorysh Poultrie and chickins Reason A trouble to thy house meate for Foxes scrapers of the floore by meanes of whose talentes thou shalt alwayes haue dust and neuer an euen floore Ioy. I haue great store of Hennes Reason To omit their noysomnes the commoditie charges almost al one one egge is dearely bought and casteth much cacklyng Ioy. But I haue plentie of Bees Reason Thy felicitie is not only mortal but flying on the wyng and fugitiue Ioy. I haue many Hyues Reason There is as much busynesse and noyse in euery one of them as in a great Citie or an armie of men Now the swarmes are redy to tâ—â—e away now the kynges wyl fight nowe they neede ringing of a â—â—an or brasen Bason nowe castyng of dust that they may be saueâ— â–ª Many tymes when thou hast doone al that thou canst thou shalt be neuer the neare And thus thynkyng thy selfe to be rych shalt finde thy selfe naked and therefore yf thou compare the carefulnesse of the kepyng with the hony thou wylt say It is bytter Hony. Ioy. I haue plentie of Pigeons Reason By night the Bees be whist in theyr bedchambers fayth Virgyl but Pigeons be neuer at quiet for there is no lyuyng thyng more vnquiet then a Pigeon Ioy. My Pigeon houses are full Reason Then hast thou some that striue and fight some that mone some that foule the house by day some that breake thy sleepe by night behold what a great matter this is of reioycing Of Fyshpondes The .lxiii. Dialogue IOY I Reioyce in my fyshpondes whiche I haue made Reason I doo not thynke that thou hast made them with more felicitie then dyd Solomon And therefore when thou shalt turne thy selfe to beholde al the woorkes which thy handes haue made the traueyles wherein thou hast swe at in vayne in them al thou shalt perceyue vanitie and affliction of mynde that perhaps thou mayest be sorie in that wherein thou hast taken pleasure reputing it both losse of tyme and of expences Ioy. I haue made me fyshpondes Reason It is not sufficient for the belly to haue searched through al landes but the waters also are assayed and there is a prison made for fishes in their owne kyngdome Ioy. I haue stored my fishpondes Reason Thou hast depriued fishes of their libertie and natural habitation and those whom nature made whole thou haft taught to be sicke Ioy. I haue let in the water into my fishpondes Reason Thou seest howe to haue enforced the waters it was noted and ascribed vnto price in Iulius Caesar as great a man as he was what doest thou then thinke of thy selfe Ioy. I haue enclosed fishes with in my Weares Reason Ye keepe flying foules in prysons at your pleasure what marueile is it then if you haue the flowe fishes at your commaundement All thinges are in your power and subiect vnder your feete ye most painful and couetous mortall men except your owne minde only which either ye cannot bridle and gouerne or whiche more true is ye care not to doo it And therefore beyng wylde and vagrant he dryueth you about and enforceth you to al kyndes of vanitie and mischiefe which yf it were obedient vnto you or rather subiect to reason he would then leade you in a more redy path to a better ende and cause you to contempne many thynges whiche ye couet Ioy. I haue fysh shut vp in my pondes Reason Forasmuche as all thynges are subiect vnto you see howe seemely a thyng it is for you to be subiect to pleasure vnto the most vylest thyng of all other the most noblest thyng that is vnder heauen But thus it fareth you wyl rule al to be seruantes your selues to sensualitie And this folly is not newe nor of the common sort but auncient and of the chiefest Fyshpondes and Weares for Oysters dyd Sorgius Orata fyrst appoynt at the shore Barane About the same tyme Licinius Muraena began the Weares for other fishes who both tooke theyr surnames of a fyshe These are woorthy causes of a surname to wyt for that one of them loued the Gysthead the other the Lamprey These be they that haue deserued the tytles to be called Africani or Macedonici and perhaps these men haue taken no lesse paynes in takyng and bestowyng theyr fyshe and in buyldyng theyr Weares then Scipio and Paulus dyd in deliueryng and beautifiyng theyr countrey with theyr conquestes and triumphes And therefore it is very true whiche some say In quantitie al mens cares are almost equall but in qualitie farre vnequal And as euyll examples haue alwayes plentie of folowers after this Licinius there folowed noble men Philip Hortentius and Lucullus also a man otherwise of famous memorie who not being contented with a simple Weare neere vnto Naples he caused an Hill to be cut away whiche stoode hym in as great charges as the buylding of his countrey house or vyllage deuising a place of rest for the fyshes whiche he had taken by the cutting away of a stop whiche was made of hard rocke and lettyng in the Sea as it were a cauline Hauen
valient man. Reason Then hast thou one that perhaps may purchase vnto his countrey libertie to his enimies slaughter to him selfe honour and one day vnto thee teares but feare continually Ioy. My Sonne is valient and of great courage Reason What other thyng dyd Creon bewayle in his sonne that was slayne then his couragious desire of martial prayse What Enander in his sonne Pallas then his newe glory in armes and the sweete honour of his first encounter Whereof dyd feareful Priamus admonish his sonne Hector then that he should not alone expect Achilles What doth the careful mother entreat her sonne other then to shun that warlike champion Finally what dyd Hectors wyfe beyng ignorant of the heauie chaunce that alreadie was hapned say that she feared other then her husbandes well meanyng and the heate of his minde that was not able to stay hym out of the fyrst aray of the Souldiours but woulde rather runne before them all Whiche thyng also she feared at the beginning when as she spake vnto hym as he was going into the warres in this maner Doeth thy valiencie so deuilishy be witche thee that thou takest compassion neyther vpon thy Sonne nor mee his Mother who shall shortly be thy Wydowe Lastly what other dyd Achilles mother say beyng fearefull for her Sonne Now must I seeke for my sonne Achilles by Lande and Sea and I woulde he woulde folowe mee Whilst in wayne she tooke hym being feeble out of the garboyle of the hotte warres and carrying hym into the pallace of the calme olde man hyd hym vp in her virgins secrete closets All these lamentations and feares were by nothyng els procured then Martial force and valient courage Ioy. My sonne is exceeding couragious Reason A great courage without great power is great follie True valiencie and magnanimitie apparteine but to fewe men although they that seeme most mighty strong how weake they be in deede many things besides death do declare but specially death it selfe so that it may be sayde shortly and truely There is nothyng more weake nor more proude then man. Ioy. I haue a couragious sonne Reason Reioyce therefore for thy house shal be full of great attemptes and emptie of rest and quietnesse and thou shalt often wishe that thy sonne were not so couragious To conclude fortitude is a noble vertue and magnanimitie beautifull but both are painefull and troublesome and modestie is safe and quiet Of the Daughters chastitie The Lxxiiii Dialogue IOY I Haue a chaste Daughter Reason A great ioy but a careful For the greater her chastity is the more watching is lust ouer her For there is nothyng more ardently inuaded then that which is defended with chaste watch and womanly shamefastnesse When the corruptor hath won the path he goeth foorth then more slowly and permitted thynges are more coldly desired a thyng that is muche coueted is hardly preserued Ioy. My Daughters beautie is excellent Reason There it is then where a very good thing ministreth matter to the most vilest The beautie of Lucretia was great but nothing in respect of her honestie so that the chastitie of this noble Matrone violently pricked foorth the hot young man to adulterie Thus the wickednesse of the reprobate abuseth the ornamentes of the vertuous Ioy. My Daughters chastitie is knowen Reason Pray that it may continue Thou readest in the Poet A woman is alwayes diuers and changeable Which although Virgil sayd it not were it therefore lesse true How many haue we seene that haue been honest whyle they were young and haue afterward prooued wanton in their age And so striuing with their present vices against their forepassed honestie doo seeme in a maner to repent them of their tyme honestly spent a more foule reproche then whiche there can chaunce in no sexe and age Ioy. I haue a most chaste Daughter Reason If she knewe her selfe and vnderstoode whose gift chastitie is and geuing thankes vnto hym coulde apply all her studie to preserue the same wouâ—d continue vndefiled in safetie thou shalt then haue great cause I confesse to thanke God and reioyce with her more then yf thou haddest married her to a Kyng and yet beleeue me some tyme to feare also For since constancie is rare in al thinges be sure there is none at al in women Of a good sonne in Lawe The Lxxv. Dialogue IOY I Haue a very good Sonne in law Reason Thou oughtest to loue him more deere then thine owne sonne for thine owne sonne commeth to thee by chaunce but thy sonne in lawe by choyce Thanke therfore thy Daughter who owing vnto thee Nephewes hath now brought thee a sonne Ioy. Fortune hath brought vnto me a very good sonne in lawe Reason In this kinde of affinitie there be examples of notable fayth and treason Seldome or neuer hath any Sonne been so faythfull to his father as way Marcus Agrippa to Augustus Caesar as Marcus Aurelius to Antonius Pius vnto whom euen vnto his liues ende whiche was the space of three and twentie yeeres he so behaued hym selfe that not onely he deserued his loue and his Daughter but also the succession in his Empire as his Sonne through his continuall fayth and diligence But Nero was no suche sonne in lawe vnto Claudius although he not by his desartes but by his mothers policie obtayned the Emperours daughter and Empire Ioy. I haue founde a courteous and agreeable Sonne in lawe Reason Beware least eyther the hope of succession or the seekyng after goodes doo infringe this agreement Who wyll not wyshe that he may lyue whose lyfe he seeth to be profitable vnto hym selfe But yf he once begynne to attempt any thyng so that perhappes he suppose thy lyfe to be an hynderaunce or thy death begynne or seeme to be profitable vnto hym then the affections of the mynde are changed and secret hatred wyll soone breake foorth And of what force the discorde is betweene the Father and the Daughters husbande to say nothyng of the auncient Fable of Danaus and Nummianus who was slayne by the wycked treason of Aprimus his Father in lawe and likewyse Stilico who through the desyre to reigne forgat his Father in lawe that was dead and his Sonne in lawe that was lyuing the most memorable example of Caesar and Pompei doth sufficiently declare Of seconde Marriage The Lxxvi Dialogue IOY I Meane to be married agayne Reason If thou knewest throughly what a woman were or what excellent auctours doo write of her thou wouldest not haue married at the first Ioy. I entend to marrie againe Reason If thy first mariage haue not tamed thee then marrie againe if the tame thee not then thou mayst also marrie the third time Ioy. I am about to marrie againe Reason Who so hauyng chyldren by his fyrst marriage bringeth a Stepmother among them he setteth his house afyre with is owne handes If youth pricke thee or letcherous olde age styrre thee to lust then whiche there is nothing more filthie perhaps to speake now more
Father The Lxxxii Dialogue IOY I Haue a good Father Reason Acknowledge then thy good for it is but short Ioy. I haue a very good Father Reason He wyll procure griefe vnto thee or thou vnto hym Ioy. I haue a most tender Father Reason If the order of nature be obserued great heauinesse remayneth vnto thee for inheritaunce but yf the order be peruerted the lyke abydeth hym Ioy. I haue a Father yet Reason Vse him with diligence this is a frayle pleasantnesse and thy Father is an old man. Ioy. I haue an olde man to my Father Reason There is now no place for lingring make haste to gather the last fruite as it were from a ruinous tree Keepe him companie as much as thou canst see him diligently as yf he were immediatly departyng but heare him more willingly and lay vp his last aduertisementes in thy careful minde and when thou goest from him leaue him furnished with necessaries as yf thou were goyng a farre iourney The tyme wyll come thou shalt lacke his counsell and shalt seeke him and not fynde hym at home Ioy. I haue an extreame olde man to my Father Reason Make haste to shewe the last duetifulnesse of vertue towardes hym whyle there is tyme yf thou omit any thyng now thou wylt alwayes be sorie Ioy. I haue a vertuous Father Reason Then hast thou suche an one as desireth to dye before thee and feareth to lyue after thee Ioy. I haue a very good Father Reason Thou shalt not knowe what he was before thou want hym and for whom thou wylt lament when thou hast lost hym Of a most louing Mother The Lxxxiii Dialogue IOY I Haue a most louing Mother Reason But thou art vnto her a continual feare and carefulnesse Ioy. I haue a most louing Mother Reason The Fathers loue is greatest but the Mothers loue is most vehement and both their loues are such and so great that the affection of the childe vnlesse it be very rare can scarce counteruayle it Notwithstanding the contention betweene the Parentes and the Children in shewing loue and duetie one towardes another is commendable and vertuous let them haue the victorie vpon whom the fountaine of heauenly charitie is most abundantly powred But hytherto the Parentes haue the vpper hand neyther is yet the duetifulnesse of the Chyldren or their reuerence towardes their elders and progenitours suche that it may minister iust cause that we shoulde thinke it woulde be otherwyse but if it shoulde chaunce so to happen besides expectation there were no sight in the earth that coulde be deuised more acceptable vnto the heauens Ioy. I haue a verie good Mother Reason Be thou at leastwise a good childe vnto her remember that thou was first a burden and coyle vnto her and afterwarde a most bitter payne and lastly a continuall trouble and ielous carefulnesse Thinke on her wombe that bare thee and her breastes that gaue thee sucke how many sleepes and how many meales or pleasures thou hast broken her of by thy crying What feare and sorowe thou hast procured her by thy chaunces and sometymes also perhaps perilous pleasures Many tymes as the feare of chyldrens death hath enforced the wretched Mothers to ende their lyues so also hath the ioy of their lyfe This last poynt appeared playnely that day wherein they that remayned after the slaughter at Thrasimenus beyng dispersed returned safe to their friendes and when two Mothers who thought no lesse but that their sonnes were slayne in the battayle sawe them notwithstanding come agayne in safetie not being able to susteine the force of so sodayne a ioy they dyed presently So that by this and suche lyke examples it is truely verified that amongst men there is no greater ingratitude then that which is shewed agaynst the Mother Ioy. My Mother is yet lyuing an olde woman Reason As often as thou lookest vpon her and beholdest the earth also thinke from whence thou commest and whyther thou shalt out of how narrowe a place thou camest and into how narrowe an one thou shalt depart to witteout of the wombe of thyne owne Mother into the bowelles of the Earth that is mother of al thinges Among all the thinges therefore which between these twaine do delight and busie the minde drawe backe the raynes of pryde and couetousnesse Of good Brethren and louing and fayre Sisters The Lxxxiiii Dialogue IOY I Haue louyng Brethren Reason A rare matter for parentes for the most part doo alwayes loue but brethren most commonly doo hate and despise one another And therefore the trueth cryeth out by the mouth of the Poet Ouid That seldome is loue sounde among brethren whereas there is noted the wickednesse and vndutifulnesse of brethren children and almost al sortes of men exceptyng parentes Ioy. I haue very good Brethren Reason Truely I woonder at it it is enough that they be good for most tymes they be euyll and the worst of all other and so much worse then open enimies by how much there is lesse heede to be taken of domestical treacherie How great the loue of brethren is that I may not bryng to lyght them that are vnknowen nor offende them that are present the most famous couples the Micenian the Thebane and the Romane brethren doo declare which infamie why it shoulde more redounde vnto one citie then to the whole worlde I see no cause Beholde the first brethren that were in the worlde one was slayne by the hand of the other and yet hast thou not heard a most horrible mischiefe to tell for Phraates king of the Parthians of whom I spake before beside his most detestable parricide in murdering at one time his owne father and natural sonne we reade how he slue moreouer his thirtie brethren not fearyng by so foule a massacre and bloodshed to establish his yl gottten kingdome and vtterly to extinguishe al feare of competitours Ioy. My Brethren are good Reason I suppose you haue not yet deuided your inheritaunce for then your malice wylbreake foorth Golde is tryed by fyre and so is the minde by golde That agreement whiche seemeth to be great is oftentymes ouerthrowen by a litle golde Ioy. I haue louyng Brethren Reason Perhaps thy single lyfe or lacke of children causeth them to loue thee Thy marrying wyl discouer them but hauing of chyldren more better when they shal perceyue them selues depriued of the hope of succession whiche hope hath caused the most impatient to suffer muche Ioy. I haue brethren that loue me most deerely Reason It ought to be so vnlesse malice or feare or couetousnesse or immoderate desire to haue which whyle it coueteth to be satisfied quite forgetting the lawe both of God and man doo hinder it How great so euer the loue be betweene the parentes and the chyldren yet are the maners and conuersation diuers which although the parentes doo perceiue quickly yet do they acknoledge it too late Although fathers loue their chyldren at the fyrst yet it is long are they receyue them
moles heapes of stones rubbish throwen into the rough and deepe sea hard rockes cut in sunder plaine fieldes throwen vp into hilles toppes of hilles made leauel with plaine fieldes to the one earth added from the other earth taken away and that so suddenly that the strangnesse of the wonder was nothyng inferiour to the violence done vnto nature to wit when death was the rewarde of delaying the woorke by which meanes hauing within one yeeres space consumed the great treasure of his predecessour Tiberius and all the riches of the whole Empire he was driuen to extreame pouertie and most shameful rapine Among these thinges I do not recken how that he had determined in his minde to make a cut through Isthmus the hyl of Corinth which although it woulde haue ben a woorke of great charges yet had it been profitable for sea faring men whereby the two seas had been made one and they that had passed from Brundusium to Athens or Chalcis or Byzantium shoulde haue auoyded the great crooke of Achaia Next followeth Nero matche and superiour vnto him in madnesse whose disordinate expences had no measure specially in building wherein he surpassed all prodigal fooles and him selfe also He was not more â—â—â—â—ful in any other thing then in this and therfore I wyll touch on◠〈…〉 numerable follies He buyided an house which reached froâ— the hyl 〈…〉 vnto â—sguiline and stretched also ouer a greâ—â—â—â—â—art of the citie so that not vnwoorthily among the tauntes reproches wherwith the people with most free indignation girded hym home this also was cast against him All Rome shal be one house ye Romanes depart ye to the Vehi yf so be that this house doo not also streatch vnto the Vehi This house he commaunded to be called the golden house not vnfitly declaring the price by the name For the house was seeled and knotted with precious stones and of such height that at the entraunce 〈◊〉 of stoode a Colossus an hundred and twentie foote high Within was a Gallerie and Hal seeled about with pendentes of Golde Iuorie and vpon the top deuises of strange workemanshyp with motions after the maner of heauen by litle and litle of their owne accord turning about day and nyght without intermission Also a Ponde like the Sea adorned round about vppon the shoare with buyldinges after the maner of a Citie Moreouer fieldes and pastures and vineyardes and woods replenished with al kindes of liuing thinges The middest of this house as far as could be coniectured was that place which is coÌ„monly called Colosseum whose ruines do yet at this day astonish the beholders and the more to augment the wonder of the matter all these thinges were in the very middes of Rome So that notwithstanding he seemed to him selfe not only not to haue exceeded but not yet to haue answeared the greatnesse that ought to be in an Emperours house insomuch as when he dedicated the house he made no greater wonder at it but said this much onely Nowe at length I begin to dwell lyke a man. I omit these trifles that he neuer ware one garment twice that he neuer went iourney with lesse then a thousande Charrets that his Mules were shod with shooes of siluer that he fished with a golden Net that his roapes cordes were made of sine Purple silke with many suche other matters exceeding credite and breedyng tediousnesse But who wyl not wonder at these thinges that readeth of them but more wonder if he beheld them the remnantes and tokens whereof remayne to this day The Fishponde that was begun from the bridge Misenus and should haue reached to the â—ake Auernus compassed and couered with wonderful galleries and the dytch that was cast from Auernus to Hâ—stia◠〈◊〉 so long distance of way and through so many sâ—â—lles wâ—â—â—e bringing the sea into it and sayling in it without the accidentes â—â—â—t happen on the sea he might auoyde both the toyle of traueyling by lande and the weerisomnesse of faring by water the length whereof as now the inhabitantes of those quarters doo accompt it is well knowne vnto al men but as Tranguillus reckneth is an hundred threescore mile the breadth was such that two Gallies might meete and one not touch nor hinder another Which woorke if he 〈◊〉 finished he had beggered al Italy and the whole Common wealth but that death onely prouided a remedie for so great mischiefes of the world After him followeth Aurelius Verus who that I may let passe other thinges made suche a supper that yf he woulde haue made the lyke dynner I knowe not whether the Romane wealth would haue ben sufficient Whiche thing when his brother Marcus Aurelius vnderstoode beyng as great a friend to modestie as this was enimie is reported to haue lamented taking compassion vpon the Common wealth and the Empire decaying I leaue others for these are too many and I knowe that there be some of you that wyll thinke these examples to be longer then neede and the remedies shorter then promise But sometime it delighteth a learned man or one that loueth learning and honestie to heare the madnesse of fooles whiche may be a warning for him to followe the contrarie and with al myght and mayne to eschew the lyke All these thynges tende to this ende that thou mayest recompt with thy selfe what it is wherein thou hopest to haue treasure answerable to thy charges For as good husbandrie and modestie require no great treasures so neyther treasures nor whole empires are sufficient for prodigalitie and riotousnesse And this cause hath not onely constrayned men of meane callyng but almost all Princes those I meane that haue followed the vayne of these latter times of necessitie to fall to rapine and extortion whiche hath geuen occasion vnto many of an hastened and miserable death Ioy. Are not so many Cities sufficient to beare one mans charges â–ª Reason Let these aunsweare thee of whom I haue spoken so muche and others innumerable whom the lyke plague hath brought to lyke confusion To conclude this most deepe denne of expences that I may so tearme it lyke as that gapyng pitte of Curtius in olde tyme can not be filled with any ryches but may be restrayned by vertue and specially by modestie Wherein it auayleth to remember that it is others goodes which thou wastest and in this poynt also it is profitable to cal often to minde the saying of the Emperour Hadriane which as it is read he was wont many times to repeate in his speaches vnto the people in the Senat That he would so gouerne the Common wealth as knowing that it was the peoples commoditie and not his owne A fytte saying for so worthy a Prince Ioy. I reigne and reuenge is mine Reason Truely it is not thine for he lieth not that sayd Reuenge is mine And verily if thou be a true King nothing is lesse thine then reuenge and nothing more then mercifulnesse I coulde wyshe that nature had denyed
is the part of madnesse Ioy. I haue innumerable engynes and artyllery Reason It is marueyle but thou hast also pellets of brasse whiche are throwne foorth with terrible noyse of fire thou miserable man was it not yenough to heare the thunder of the immortall God from heauen O crueltie ioyned with pryde From the earth also was sent foorth vnimitable lighning with thunder as Virgil sayth which the madnes of men hath counterfeited to do the like and that which was woont to be throwne out of the cloudes is now throwne abrode with a woodden instrument but of a deuylish deuice which as some suppose was inuented by Archimedes at what tyme Marcellus besieged Syracusae Howbeit he deuised it to the entent to defend the libertie of his Citizens and eyther to auoyde or defende the destruction of his countrey whiche you nowe also vse to the subiection or subuertion of free people This plague of late dayes was but rare insomuch as it was beheld with great woonder but now as your myndes are apt to learne the worst thyngs so is it as common as any other kinde of munition Ioy. I abounde in plentie of artyllery Reason It were better thou aboundedst in the hate of warre and loue of peace forasmuch as other weapons are signes of an vnquiet mynde and these of a degenerate minde and neyther acceptable to such as loue peace but rather hated of couragious warryours Finally vnderstand this much he that first inuented artillery was eyther a dastard or a traytour desirous to hurt and feareful of his enimies and therfore he deuysed as Lucane sayth How to shew his strength from a far and to commit his force to the windes as far as they wyl beare them Whiche may be vnderstoode of al kinds of weapons that are throwne A valyant warryour chooseth rather to encounter his enimie at hande which the artylleryst escheweth Of Treasure layde vp in store The C. Dialogue IOY I Haue layde vp Treasure in store for warres Reason An euyl thyng for worse purposes Howe much more profitable were it for thee and others to lay it vp for the vse of thy friends and countrey and specially for the necessities of them that want that in deede were true treasure but nowe the pryce of the heauenly treasure is conuerted to the purchasyng of Hel. Ioy. I haue treasure for the vse of war. Reason Treasure extenuateth the strength of the mynde and warres doo enfechle men and both are hurtful Ioy. I haue great ayde of treasure for warres Reason Treasure commonly bryngeth to the owner feare of loosyng to the enimie hope of gayne and bolonesse to fight Who wyl not wyllyngly goe into their warres where he may wyn much and loose nothyng Thou readest in Horace of a poore fellowe that fought earnestly and ouercame when he was rich suddeinly fel againe into pouertie And if thou list to consyder of most special and cheife examples thou shalt perceiue that while the Romanes were poore they were the conquerours of all nations and then began to be vanquished when they waxed rich so when riches came victories and manhood departed delightes and wantonnesse also which are companions to riches entred in so that the wryters of those times dyd not without cause complayne of the departyng of the Romane pouertie Pouertie is a very good nurse of vertues and wealth of vyces Thou hopest of victorie by meanes of thy treasure but thou hast more cause to feare thereof riches haue made many dastardly and hartles al proud and loftie but none at al valiant Ioy. I haue gathered togeather a great treasure Reason Thou hast heaped vp care and enuy to thy selfe prouocation to thyne enimies vnquietnesse to theeues Of reuenge The Ci. Dialogue IOY MYne enimie is fallen into my hands I haue power now to be reuenged Reason Nay rather there is happened vnto thee a trial of thy selfe whether thou be slaue to anger or friend to mercy which were vncertaine vnlesse thou mightest be sed to both Many thynke them selues to be that they are not which they do know when they haue tried them selues what they are Ioy. Myne enimie is in my handes I may be reuenged Reason The bounds of power are one thing and of honestie another thou must not respect what thou canst do but what is scenely for thee to doo least yf thou wouldest doo as much as thou canst do it were better thou couldest do nothing at al. Ioy. I may be reueuged and there is nothyng more sweete then reuengement Reason There is nothyng more bytter then anger which I maruaile why one sayd it was sweete but yf thou feele any sweetnesse in it it is a sauage sweetnesse vnmeete for a man and proper to beastes and that not of al kindes but of the most bruitest and fiercest There is nothyng that lesse apparteyneth to a man then crueltie and wyldnesse and contrarywyse nothing that is more sittyng for him then mercy and gentlenesse vnto whiche there is nothyng more repugnaunt then reuengement and whatsoeuer sharpnesse and extremitie one man sheweth against another in hastinesse of mynde But yf the name of reuengement be so sweete vnto thee I wyl tel thee howe thou mayest vse it with much glory the most excellent kynde of reuengement is to spare and be merciful Ioy. I may be reuenged Reason It is much more beuer and gloryous to forget iniuries then to reuenge them there is no forgetfulnesse more honor able then of offences This one thyng the most excellent Oratour ascribed to the most excellent prayse of a most excellent captayne to wit That he vsed to forget nothing but iniuries And there is nothyng forbyddeth but that one mans prayse not being taken from hym may also be ascribed vnto many This one commoditie the goodes of the mynde haue especially aboue al other ryches when they are despersed abrode they do not decrease nor perysh Take thou therfore vppon thee this most noble persuasion of Caesars whiche shall make thee far more renowmed then were Cinaeas and Tarmadas with theyr great memories For the one commeth of nature the other from vertue Ioy. I take pleasure in reuenge Reason The delyght of reuenge is short but of mercy euerlastyng And of two delectable thyngs that is to be preferred that continueth longest Doo thou that this day wherof thou mayest receiue perpetual delight There is no delight greater nor more assured then that which procedeth from the purenesse of a mans conscience and the remembrance of thynges well doone Ioy. It is honest to reuenge Reason But more honest to forgeue Mercy hath commended many but reuengement none there is nothing among men so necessary or so common as forgeuenesse for there is no man but offendeth and no man but he hath neede of mercy whiche being denyed who shal take away so great abundance of faultes offences or renue the brokē league of humane societie Men shal alwaies striue one against another the wrath of God shal alwaies striue against them
vse it to vse it I say not as Maharbal gaue counsayle to Hanibal but as Hanno that was a better man gaue counsayle to his Common wealth For truely Peace is the best vse and fruite of victorie neyther are iust warres taken in hande for any other ende then for peace Ioy. Victorie is on my syde Reason Beware she flee not away for she hath winges Of the death of an Enimie The Ciiii. Dialogue IOY I AM glad of myne Enimies death Reason To hope for any thing by the death of an enimie and to reioyce in any mans death perhaps is permitted to hym that is immortal yf any suche may be founde but to hope for the death of another man whiche may fyrst happen to thy selfe or to reioyce that that is befallen to thyne Enimie whiche needes must happen to thy selfe is a foolyshe hope and a vayne ioy Ioy. I reioyce in myne Enimies death Reason Some other ere it be long wyll reioyce in thine Ioy. I am glad that mine Enimie is dead Reason If ye were mindful of your owne estate one man would neuer reioyce in the death of another When I pray thee was it euer seene that when two went togeather to execution the one conceiued any pleasure in the others death knowing that himselfe must goe to the same pot but doth not rather lament beholding his owne death in his fellowe Ioy. I haue conceyued delyght in mine Enimies death Reason How often thinkest thou haue mens deathes that haue been desired greeued the desirers and they haue in vayne begun to wishe for their liues who before wyshed not in vayne for their deathes when as they begin once to vnderstand that they haue wished to their owne destructioÌ„ But your affections are hastie Whatsoeuer ye wishe to haue ye wish it vehemently as it is written Iulius Caesar sayde of Marcus Brutus Yea rather ye wyshe it too muche and your earnest desyre can suffer no tariaunce And therefore whatsoeuer ye woulde haue ye wyll haue it presently whereof proceede not onely vngodly wyshes but also poysonynges and murthers and whatsoeuer one man can imagine against another beyng the most hurtfull creature towarde his owne kinde â–ª Ye wysh for many thynges whiche yf ye tooke aduise of reason ye would stand in feare of when they are accomplished and the varieue of your wishes is an argument of your euyl choyce neyther doeth your rashnesse returne to that whiche is right vntyll your â—â—olythe affections are checked with haplesse successe Ioy. I am glad of mine enimies death Reason If thine enimie were but of smal fame and reputation to reioyce in his death is shameful and to be sorie superfluous but yf he were noble and famous it is meete and decent to be sorie though not for the man yet for vertues sake whiche euery day hath fewer places to harbour in Sodyd Metellus Macedonicus bewayle the death of the younger Scipio Africane and Caesar the death of Pompeâ— and Alexander the death of Darius Ioy. I recioyce in the death of my Foe Reason How canst thou reioyce in his death whom thou art commaunded to loue not as thine enimie but as thy neighboure being the worke of the same woorkeman Ioy. I am gladde of myne enimies death Reason Perhaps thou hearest not or regardest not the most holsome and knowen counsel of the Wyse man Reioyce not sayth he in the death of thine enimie knowyng that we shall all dye And wyl we notwithstandyng be glad Doubtlesse this counsayle or precept is holsome Of hope of Peace The Cv. Dialogue HOPE I Hope for Peace Reason It is better to keepe peace then to hope for it It is the part of a foole to neglect thynges certayne and to embrace doubtfull hope Hope I hope for peace Reason Thou shouldest haue kept her more narrowly neyther suffered her to depart whom thou now hopest for What yf thine impatience haue brought thee vnto this Hope that thou myghtest choose to be vexed with hoping for that whiche thou myghtest haue vsed by enioying Hope I hope for peace Reason Hope of peace hath destroyed many and calamitie vnlooked for followyng hoped peace hath ouercome and oppressed the vnskilfull sleepy whom it could not haue harmed if it had found expert Hope I hope for peace Reason Why doest thou hope so long for that whiche is in thy hand to attayne vnto It is seldome seene but they do finde peace that are in deede willing effectually to seeke it but those to whom the name of peace is sweete peace it selfe is sowre and therefore they that seeke for peace withstand peace Peace hath foure enimies dwelling among you to wit couetousnesse enuie anger pride these if you sende away into euerlasting exile your peace shal be euerlasting Hope I am in assured hope of peace Reason Betweene hope of peace peace it selfe many thinges do happen a light worde and a smal gesture hath many times disturbed compounded peace yea the very treaties and parlees of peace are often broken of by dent of swoord and hope of peace sharpneth the mindes and aggrauateth warres euen so may a man tearme the treatie of friendship which commeth to none effect the whetstone and sharpning of hatred Hope There is talke of peace there shal be peace Reason There is often talke of peace to no purpose many times dangerously haue the captaines of the Frenchmen and Carthagiens entreated of peace when as Camillus surprised the one and Scipio the other Hope After warre is ended peace shal be confirmed Reason How muche better were it that it were confirmed before the beginning of war how many mischiefes and losse of mens liues might be by seasonable peace preuented But you like wilful and truently children can neuer learne wisedome without whipping In peace ye seeke after warre and in warre ye seeke after peace and neuer begin to know or loue peace but when ye are afflicted with warre then as ye lament that ye haue lost peace so anon when it is restored vnto you with like lightnesse ye contemne it vntyll that hauing lost it once or twice ye are taught not to contemne your owne commodities and to couet your owne harmes finally not to be mad nor foolysh whereof ye may be ashamed before ye haue obtayned it Ye must haue one thing tolde you often and it suffiseth not to haue heard but ye must often see and trye I wyll speake more playnely ye must be beaten often before you can learne any thing Hope Peace wil follow warre Reason It had ben better it had gone before and stopped the course of warre there is no such madnesse as in hope of remedy willingly to receyue a wounde Formentations are helpes and not causes of woundes It is naturall for hym that is sicke to wyshe for health but for one that is whole to wysh for sicknes in hope of health is madnesse Hope We shal haue peace Reason Peace many times procureth hurtful alterations to Cities Countreis which although of
to say as it was a poore people But Nero beyng drowned in lasciuiousnesse and reproches was not able to measure or reckon his goodes But Varius Heliogabalus the most effeminate and fylthy beast that euer lyued and the shame of your Empyre a shameful thyng to speake or heare woulde vouchsafe to haue the loathsome orduâ—â— and burden of his belly to be receyued into none other vessell then of golde a thyng not to be ouerslypped yf it were but to set foorth the irkesome and outragious desire of mortall men When as he well remembred that not only the meales and dayly dyet of suche men as the aboue named are but also the sacrifices of the Gods were woont to be serued and celebrated in earthen vesselles O miserable Citie in continuaunce of tyme by destiny fallen vnto so fylthy handes But rather O golde the extreame desire of couetousnesse O hope that art the last and ende of humane trauayles thou that art the woonder vnto eyes and the amazyng vnto myndes to what vses wast thou conuerted I woulde commend the deede or at leastwyse not reprooue it for that there is no mockerie more meete for so shameful errour of man yf so be it hadde proceeded from a man of sounde iudgement and perfect reason but now who dareth deny but that goodes are excellent and to be wished which men doo in suche sort seeke after with swoorde and wickednesse whyle neglectyng the best they abounde with the worst Sorow I passe foorth a poore life in trauel Reason Cleantes was constrayned by neede to drawe water to water hearbes in a garden withal and Plautus to lift vp sackes corne vpon a hand querne How great a Philosopher was the one and the other a Poet and againe how poore a gardiner was the first and the other a baker Who both after their woorke was doone the residue of the night wherein they should haue taken their rest suche was the courage of theyr mynde the one applyed his tyme vnto the studie of Philosophie the other to the wrytyng of Commedies that he myght sell them for money Lactancius Firmianus a man of great learning and rare eloquence among his compeeres beeyng also schoolemaister vnto the sonne of a great Prince led his lyfe in great pouertie of all thynges yea of common necessaries Horace was borne poore Pacunius lyued poorely Statius was poore both of them solde theyr Comedies and thereby gotte theyr lyuyng To be short Virgill also was sometyme a poore man vntyll contrary to the common custome ryches hapned vnto his wit. There be many such examples in al degrees of men and I omit these because there are very many who for the desire they hadde vnto heauenly ryches haue not only with indifferent myndes but gladly and wyllyngly chosen not only pouertie but also hunger thyrste nakednesse and all kyndes of miseries vppon the earth If that by these as it were humble and earthly examples thou art not mooued the Lorde of heauen hym selfe was here in poore estate that he myght teache by his example that this pouertie is the way whereby men attayne vnto great ryches He I say by whom Kynges doo reigne was borne in pouertie lyued in pouertie dyed naked whom in the meane whyle al the Elementes obeyed and thou sellie wretche doest grieuously beare the state of thy Lorde and maister and art not ashamed of thy foolyshe insolencie Certaynely who so thynkyng on hym shall arme hym selfe with vertue being very riche in pouertie and needyng nothyng wyll not desyre a Kynges riches Sorowe I haue no store of riches Reason As no riches are sufficient for a needie and base mynde so vnto a ryche and franke courage no pouertie commeth amisse as for the first he leaneth vnto that whiche is anothers but he of whom I spake last trusteth vnto his owne to builde vppon another mans grounde is a losse but to builde vppon his owne is a vantage Sorowe I am very poore Reason If thou obey necessities thou canst neuer be poore but if thou be subiect to lustes thou shalt neuer be riche Sorowe Hytherto I haue ben poore yea I am a very begger Reason Mens fortune and state dooth not continue for as from great riches vnto extreame pouertie so from extreame pouertie vnto great ryches there is often exchange I suppose thou hast read in Quintus Curtius the Historian how one called Abdolominus at the commaundement or rather permission of Kyng Alexander from a poore gardyner was aduaunced vnto the kingdome of Sidon and by contemning the kingdome is reputed greater then the kyngdome Truely whiche thou canst not choose but haue read Romulus from a shepheards cottage becomming the founder of so great a citie was the first that tooke vppon hym the Romane Crowne and the sixt Kyng ascended vnto the Kingly dignitie from a very base and as some haue thought from a seruyle degree neither more wealthie was the rising of Alexander sonne to King Priamus nor of Cyrus the most famous of al the Persian Kinges neyther were their beginnings much other then was that of Romulus Gaius Marius who had ben and shoulde haue been often Consull of Rome before he atteyned vnto any of these degrees of honour being an hyrelyng ploughman spent the first yeeres of his lyfe in the fieldes and at length after so many victories and triumphes and betweene those seuen times that he was Conâ—ul besides his hydyng of him selfe in the Fennes and his imprisonment he begged also a litle peece of bread Iulius Caesar that shoulde afterwarde be Lorde of all the worlde and by his Testament dispose it vnto his heyres that shoulde be Lordes of al the worlde after hym was poore when he was a young man Thou hauyng the company and felowship of suche woorthie men canst thou not eyther hope for ryches or contemne them Sorowe I am waxen poorer then I was Reason It is well thou shalt also be more humble light and at libertie then thou wast They that goe on a daungerous iourney loue to goe lyght Thou shalt want thine accustomed ryches and thy Myse and thy Theeues and thy stubberne Seruauntes and all other thynges that folowe wealth feygned friendes folowyng and catchyng Parasites and all the whole housholde flocke of those that wyll laugh with thee to thy face but wyll mocke and byte thee behynde thy backe To be short yf thou compare thy lost ryches with the troubles that thou hast lost also with them thou wylt call it agayne Surely to speake nothyng of securitie humilitie sobrietie quietnesse modestie whiche are the companions of pouertie yf she brought none other commoditie with her then that she deliuereth a man from the troupes of deceiptful flatterers and from the tyrranny of proude seruantes there were cause sufficient not only to suffer her but also to wyshe for her yea to seeke after pouertie But let this suffise thee for thou complaynest more then neede is whereat I woulde woonder in thee vnlesse I had obserued it of long tyme in
that present thou haddest not wherewithall to helpe hym and wast in hope thou shouldest haue shortly after whereof thou wast deceyued then haddest thou not learned sufficiently that hope is the most deceitfull thyng in the worlde You shal finde nothyng that deceiueth you so often and yet is there nothyng that you beleeue so wyllyngly she is so craftie and flatteryng so sweetly and setretly she insinuateth her selfe and is hardly pulled from you Sorowe I am become a suretie Reason I thinke thou haddest forgotten the notable precept of Thales Milesius It is a losse to enter into Suretiship and also that whiche the wise man saide which I suppose not vnprofitable to be recited which being translated into Latine by the poet Ausonius soundeth after this maner Become suretie saith he and thou art neere a shrewd turne I coulde recite a thousand examples to proue that promisers vndertakers sureties are worthy to tast of repeÌ„tance but I wil touch none by name Let euery man certifie hym selfe of the trueth recount with hym selfe what great losse hath hapned vnto many by meanes of suretishyppe Sorowe I haue doone amisse by voluntary byndyng my selfe Reason This trespasse shall not neede the fire of Purgatorie after thy decesse it shal be purged where it was committed For it is of the kynde of offences that carrye theyr Purgatorie with them Sorowe I haue bounde my selfe by my promyse Reason Release thy selfe then by payment and let the hand discharge hym whom his tongue hath wrapped in bandes and it shall doo thee good to haue been bounde for when thou hast once escaped thou wilt alwayes the more abhorre hamperinges Of losse of tyme The .xv. Dialogue SOROWE I Lament the losse of my tyme. Reason This complaint were more iust then that is whiche goeth before for that the losse of money is of smaller account then is the losse of tyme forasmuche as money is not so necessarie vnto well lyuyng and when it is loste it may be recouered but tyme is necessarie and can neuer be recalled but only that money is taken from men agaynst theyr wylles and they suffer theyr tyme to runne awaye wyllyngly And therefore although I confesse that those losses are the greater which the faulte of hym that susteyneth them dooth encrease and make greater notwithstandyng I denye that there is iuste cause of complaynt where he that suffereth any thyng suffereth it wyllyngly Sorowe I loose my tyme vnwyllyngly Reason Who shall constrayne one that is vnwyllyng but only couetousnesse that is mother vnto businesse This vice only sayth Terence dooeth olde age bryng vnto men we are all the sort of vs more neere and couetous then reason requireth Herein he toucheth olde men And truely in this niggyshnesse all are become olde men For couetousnesse hath inuaded all ages all states all sexes and shortneth the tyme and abrydgeth the miserable dayes of wretched mortall men Whyle you be busie about this one thyng ye consume your whole lyfe beyng vnmindful in a manner both of your selues and your pleasures whiche plague yf it infected men agaynst theyr wylles then myght tyme also be taken from a man agaynst his wyll and the complaynt were reasonable for the losse of so pretious a thyng Sorowe It is not couetousnesse that snatcheth away my tyme but necessitie Reason What necessitie I pray thee is this whiche is able to take that from thee whiche is onely thyne owne I speake this for that ryches honour power aucthoritie souereignetie and suche lyke Fortune geueth and taketh away at her pleasure but time shee can not take from any contrarie to theyr lykyng but it slydeth away by lytle and lytle though a man employ it not and by small and small consumeth quite away Neyther doo you attende it vntyl it be gone then your complayntes doo resounde but too late and to no purpose then lament ye the losse of your tyme but you say nothyng of your owne fault Sorowe Onely necessitie constrayned mee to loose my tyme. Reason I demaunde agayne of thee what vrgent necessitie was it vnlesse that whyle thou wast busied about thy Lordes and Maisters afayres thou neglectedst thyne owne as though couetousnesse and vnsatiable desyre of gayne were not the onely matter that enforced thee therevnto Lay asyde thine owne desyres and thou shalt no longer obey thy Lordes and Maisters desyres But this incurable poyson is so dispersed throughout your Veynes and crept into the principall partes of your bodyes that it dulleth your senses and stealeth from you not your tyme onely but also your libertie and lyfe whyle you perceyue no suche matter But yf haply thou hast not bestowed thy tyme in pursuyng of thyne owne couetousnesse or of others but in the honest affayres of thy Common wealth this is no loosyng of tyme but a commendable employing of the most precious thyng vppon the most deerest thyng that is in all the worlde wherein thou hast discharged the duetie of a good man and of a notable Citizen Although I am not ignoraunt that the common sore of men doo call that tyme lost whiche is not bestowed vppon couetousnesse when as in trueth that is the lost tyme whiche is bestowed vppon it and howe knowe we whether thou meane the losse of thy tyme after the common manner of speakyng Whiche yf I thought to be so leauyng of the saluing of so incurable a sore I woulde confesse that it is not thy tyme but thou thy selfe that art vtterly lost and cast away But yf so be as I coulde rather wyshe thou wouldest I say not geue but render thy tyme vnto thy GOD whiche thou canst not doo without true godlynesse knowe then that this were a great and inestimable lucre For by the expense of a lytle tyme thou shouldest gaine immortalitie And what Merchant is he that euer hapned vppon the lyke fortunate exchange Sorowe The cause of my loosyng of my tyme is farre other Reason I vnderstande not what cause thou meanest for yf thou thynkest that thou wast constrayned therevnto by meanes of anger or sorowe or loue or any other passion of the minde thou art deceyued For there is the lyke reason in them and in couetousnesse whereof I spake erewhyle they be all voluntarie and none of them constrayned For that is euident vnto common sense and by Tulliè disputed in manie places and very often repeated Yf none of these be the cause what is it other then slâ—uth and idlenesse And so we come to that whiche Seneca sayeth Most shamefull is that losse whiche commeth through negligence Sorowe Wofull necessitie constrayned me to loose my tyme. Reason Yet I vnderstande not the matter For yf thyne enimie haue thee in holde yf death be at hande these thynges I confesse may hynder good actions but not vertuous and godly thoughtes whiche in that state are most eminent and apparent In whiche cares and cogitations truely the tyme is not lost I knowe not whether lesse in any other thyng whiche cogitations truely may
all whiche only vertue is opposed Sorowe I haue a dishonest wyfe Reason Notable and excellent chastitie hath made certayne matrones to arrogant She feareth nothyng who is gyltie to her selfe of nothing And therfore that discōmoditie bringeth this benefite with it that she wyl begin now hereafter to be lesse saucie and insolent For a giltie conscience abateth the swelling pride of a womans minde and commonly she that knoweth that she hath trode her shoe awrye wil be afterwarde the more seruiceable to her husband Sorowe I haue a wanton wife Reason Thou must not wonder at that if she be faire if she be foule thou needest not care for it Sorow My wife is incontinent Reason When a man bryngeth a fayre wyfe into his house he ought also to remember the saying of the Satiryke Poet Beautie and honestie do seldome dwel to geather but yf she be a foule slut and do so abuse her selfe thou mayest reioyce that thou hast founde so iuste a cause to be diuorsed from her Sorowe My wyfe hath cōmitted adulterie Reason Adulterie many tymes hapneth vpon ouerhastie desire of marriage and often tymes also it is the punyshment of another mans adulterie and the more iust if it be of many Recount with thy selfe whether thou euer diddest that vnto another whereby thou mayest thynke this worthily doone vnto thee It is an vniust and an vnreasonable complaint to be grieued to suffer that which thy selfe hast doone and the morall lawe wylleth to looke for that at another mans handes whiche thou hast doone to another and to do that vnto another whiche thou wouldest haue hym doo vnto thee truely it is so excellent a lawe that the Heathen haue commended it beyng ledde therevnto by the indifferencie and grauitie of the saying But the licentiousnesse of humane wantonnesse beyng the repealer of al holsome lawes dooth vtterly confounde al ryght and wrong And thus then it hapneth that adulterers sometyme do meete togeather who when they haue defiled theyr neyghbours wyues yet can they not abyde theyr owne wiues so much as once to be seene in open streate and yf they perceiue that any man dooth but looke vppon them they wil immediatly be redy to runne mad for iclousie So seuere vnto others so partial vnto him selfe so vndiscrete a considerer of matters is euery particuler man. Sorowe My wife hath broken her wyfely fidelitie towards me Reason See that thou breake not the same not only vnto other married men but also vnto thine owne wyfe For there be some that requyre that of theyr wyues whiche they them selues doo not performe excusyng theyr wantonnes vnder the title of dalliance punishing the same in others most seuerely as a most grieuous offence who in geuyng all libertie to them selues deny al things vnto other Most vnequal judges who beyng them selues vnchaste do geue sentence against incontinencie in others and them selues will doo what they luste without controulment and are caried away after vncertayne and wandering venerie as if they were subiect to no lawe If the poore wife doo but looke a litle awrye she is straight waies accused of whoordome as though their husbandes were theyr maisters and not theyr husbandes and they not theyr wyues and fellowes in the house and familie both of GOD and man but were rather their handmaydens taken prysoners in battayle or bought for money and as though thy wyfe ought thee more seruice or fidelitie then thou her for there ought to be lyke duetie equal loue and mutual fidelitie in marriage I excuse not wyues but I accuse husbands and put them in the greatest part of the blame And many times the husbande is an example and procurer of his wyfe vnto folly and many tymes there hath rysen the begynning of the mischief where ought to haue been the remedie although shamefastnesse be the proper ornament of a woman and wysedome and constancie the peculiar commendacion of a man And therefore all folly and lightnesse of mynde is by so muche the more foule in aman then in a woman by howe muche grauitie is the more requyred in a man. Sorowe I am heauie for my wyues whoredome Reason A common sorowe an auncient iniurie and no lesse frequented For alas I speake it with bitter griefe Mariage is not more commonly vsed then is whoredome and to speake in fewe woordes it is a thyng as one sayeth whiche can neyther be suffered nor prohibited for that honestie forbiddeth the one and letcherie the other Dooest thou looke then to haue thyne only woman wholy to thy selfe whiche thyng coulde neuer happen no not to the most cruel Tyrantes that euer were nor to the moste mightie Princes that euer raigned not in thyne age only but in any heretofore I omit late examples least haply I offende some that are lyuyng at this present it were better to stryke Hercules then a Clowne of the Countrey neyther wyl I touche al auncient examples but spare the good name and estimation of the moste dread and noble men But thou knowest them well and although they say nothyng yet represse thou thy mournyng or els peruse the Citie searche neere hande among thy neyghbours and at eche hande thou shalt find plentie that eyther lament the losse of theyr good name and the abandoned fidelitie of theyr marryage bed or that contrary to theyr opinion are laughed to scorne of the common people These thyngs are ordinarie not only to be heard with eares but also to be seene with eyes whereof thou shalt not mysse in what part soeuer of the world thou trauaylest Howbeit the greater the examples be the greater is the comfort Thynke vppon those Kynges and Lordes of the worlde whom thou hast seene and then call to mynde those of whom thou hast read or hearde of by report Looke vpon the fable of Kyng Arthure and the Hitories of other consyder of Olympias that was wyfe vnto Philip and Cleopatra to Ptolomeê and Clytemnestra to Agamemnon and Helen to Menelaus and Pasiphè to Minos Phaedra to Theseus neyther woulde I haue thee to thynke that the citie of Rome whiche in olde tyme was as it were the Temple of shamefastnesse and honestie is free from this mischiefe Cal to mynde Metella whiche was wyfe to that Sylla who yf he had knowne of his wyfes whoordome whiche was commonly spoken of not only at Rome and ouer al Italie but also at Athens and ouer all Greece veryly I suppose he woulde not haue vsurped the name of happie whiche apparteyned nothyng vnto hym Next vnto her thynke vppon Iulia the wyfe of Agrippa whom on the one syde the woorthynesse of her husbande on the other the Maiestie of her father ought to haue stayed from wickednesse and also her daughter nothing vnlyke the mother eyther in name or lasciuiousnesse and lykemyse Iulia the wyfe of Seuerus who folowed theyr steppes both in lyfe and fortune an vnluckie name I thynke for the preseruation of honestie What shall I say of Domicia the wyfe of Domician
grudgyng and complaintes moreouer cursinges and secret banninges of thine vndeserued lyfe whose seruice who is so ambitious but wyl iudge it rather a gaine then a losse to be without Sorowe My seruauntes are fledde Reason Who euer complayned of the flyght of his enimies Iulius Caesar is accompted proude for that he was sorie to beholde his enimie flye whom he thought to haue intercepted and vnto modest conquerers it suffiseth to see their enimies turne the backe vpon them and also the same Caesar at an other tyme commaunded that his enimies shoulde be spared in the chase when they fledde contentyng hym selfe onely with their flyght Doo thou the lyke And although these thyne enimies haue deserued a more greeuous punishment let it suffise thee that they be fledde and by their flyght measure thou thy victorie and learne that there is taken from thee the necessitie of proceedyng from farther punishyng them Sorowe My seruauntes are fled Reason Can them thankes that they haue done that wyllyngly and of their owne accorde whereunto thou oughtest to haue enforced them the payne of expulsyng cruel beastes is taken from thee and yet thou complaynest that they be runne away who vnlesse they had done so thou must needes haue fled thy selfe They are fledde who either must haue been fled from or been driuen away nowe thou remaynest a freeman nowe thou art out of care and maister of thyne owne house Sorowe My seruauntes are runne away Reason The maister hath aucthoritie to be iudge ouer his runne away seruauntes dissemble nowe thy selfe to be a maister and vse not thine aucthoritie If they had been good they woulde not haue runne away and to loose them since they are euil is no losse but a gayne It is more safe to auoyde venomous beastes then to take them Sorowe My seruantes haue left me alone Reason Thou art verily alone and veryly poore if because thou wouldest not be alone thou hast neede of retinue of seruauntes as though thou haddest no frende no not thy selfe But howe chaunceth it that thy seruauntes are desyrous to be without thee and thou canst not be without them Beware that in this respecte thou be not more miserable then thy seruantes But if perhappes thy minde be not so muche vpon thy seruauntes as vpon their price and value it is not thy fonde desyre but filthy auarice that ought to be chasticed whereof we haue alredye entreated sufficiently whereas we spake of the losse of money Of importunate Neyghbours The .xxxi. Dialogue SOROWE I Haue importunate neyghbours Reason Beware that thou be not more importunate vnto them Sorowe I suffer troublesome neyghbours Reason Opinion beareth a great sway in al matters magine in thy mynde that they are tollerable and they are so Sorow I haue euyl neyghbours Reason Many impute their owne faultes vnto their neighbours Other mens offences are more sharpely surueyed more exactly discussed more seuerely iudged there is no man that is not a frendly and gentle iudge ouer his owne doynges Sorowe I suffer sharpe and bytter neighboures Reason In tast perhaps and not in effect for vnto those that are proud and disdainefull sweete thynges seeme bitter Sorowe I complayne that my neyghboures are harde and proud Reason Euery man beareth muche with hym selfe but nothyng with another hereof spryngeth great errour and continuall cause of offences And many tymes where the faulte is there first begynneth the complaint How knowe we nowe whether thou seeme harde and frowarde and intractable vnto them of whose hardnesse thou complaynest Sorowe I suffer hard neyghbours Reason Thou hast a double remedie pacience and flyght The first I alowe of for that al hardnes may be mollified by the arte of sufferyng Sorowe I cannot suffer so euyl neyghboures Reason If by this meanes thou take no profite who shal holde thee get thee away out of hand for as they are greuous vnto thee so wil they not folow thee cast from thee the burden which thou canst not beare and that enimie whom by fightyng thou canst not susteyne seeke by flying to eschewe what skylleth it by what path thou escape into safetie There is no way to be iudged harde whereby a man may trauayle vnto tranquilitie of minde And yf thou haue often attempted it and art neuer the neare know this that it is thyne owne faulte and perhappes also parte of anothers The greater sorte of common contentions hath on eyther side one accusyng another among whom although the one be more faultie yet is neyther of them without blame For although that man be tearmed a ciuile and sociable creature yet yf the trueth be diligently examined there is none lesse so and this saying of the Satyrike Poet is true That there is greater agreement among serpentes and wylde beastes then among men For Beares wilde Bores Tygers and Lyons yea Vipers and Aspes and Crocodilles and to be short al lyuing creatures are somtyme at rest and quietnesse in theyr owne kyndes man only excepted who is neuer at quiet For one man alwayes oppresseth and vexeth another and by continual strife and contention procureth a restlesse lyfe vnto hym selfe and his neighbour For so it hapneth many tymes that where is moste plentie of neere neighbours there a man may se greatest distaunce of myndes and goodwyll Neighbours are seldome without scouldyng and hatred There is none of you vnlesse I be muche deceyued that spiteth at the kynges of Arabia or India Spite is bleare eyed she can not see farre of Sorowe I am beset with noysome neyghbours Reason If thou wilt be throughly discharged of this mischiefe goe hyde thy selfe vp in the wyldernesse Of Enimies The xxxij Dialogue SOROWE I Haue enimies Reason See that thou be friende vnto iustice a greater defence then whiche there is none True vertue treadeth vnderfoote and despiseth the Threates of fortune Sorowe I haue enmities Reason Then wylt thou be the more circumspect and the better knowne Enmities haue made many famous who shoulde haue remayned obscure if they had wanted enimies Sorowe I am beset round about with enimies Reason They wyll be a barre that pleasures which are the inuincible enimies of the mynde take no vantage of thee Fortune hath not so much geuen thee enimies as keepers one mischiefe is driuen away by another Sorow I am oppressed with enimies on euerie side Reason They lykewyse are oppressed with their owne affections and there is among them a reuenger of thine and that not one only on thy side stand wrath feare hatred vnquietnesse and they haue not yet made an end but take reuenge on the trespasse Thus many tymes reuenge goeth before the offence and perhaps there foloweth none at all they shal be armed they shal labour sweat be hot pant quiuer and peraduenture none of all these shal touch thee For many often times by theyr extreame hatred haue hurt them selues and not others Sorowe I am at contention with myne enimies Reason And they also among them selues and many tymes it is more safe to striue
before loued thee without discretion whereof this foloweth that whereas modestie is banished there soueraignitie must needes raigne Sorow The people hate me Reason This beast is prompt to iniurie and flowe to duetie the commons loue is lyght and theyr hatred heauie Sorowe The people is angrie with me Reason If they loue thee they wyl applaude thee but yf they be angry they wyl seeke thy destructiō wherin are two vnequal thyngs danger and hope Sorowe I am odious vnto the people Reason There is nothyng more forcible then the multitude of fooles whereas publique fury pricketh foorth the rage of euery priuate person and the rage of euery priuate person kindleth the publique franticknesse and one of them enforceth another And there is nothyng more dangerous then to fall into theyr handes whose wyll standeth for iustice headlong outrage for discretion Sorowe The people hate me Reason I woulde they had not loued thee no not knowen thee The loue of euyll persons endeth with hatred Both whiche are vncertayne and only ignorance safe Sorowe I am hated of the people Reason A malitious people ought eyther to be appeased or forsaken Of enuie passiuely The .xxxv. Dialogue SOROWE MAny doo enuie me Reason It is better to be enuied then pitied Sorow I am troubled with the enuie of my ilwillers Reason And who euer was friend vnto vertue that wanted that kinde of exercise Run ouer in thy thought al lands al ages peruse al histories and thou shalt scarce finde a man of any excellencie free from this pestilence I meane not now to enter any discourse the which may leade vs far away from our purpose but if thou remember any thing that euer thou hast read thou canst not be ignorant of many by whose felowshyp thou mayest not only conceiue comfort but also vaunt thy selfe Sorowe I am spyted at Reason Forsake honours and publique functions leaue of the occasion to be spoken of among the people for thy stately pace and proude retinue Sequester thy selfe as muche as thou canst from the eyes of many that are enuious neyther geue occasion vnto them to point at thee with the finger eyther for thy looke woorde or gesture The common people and malice dwell togeather in the streetes and so for the most part dooth all wickednesse Certayne enimies are by no meanes better escaped then by flight seeking corners Sorowe Malice foloweth after me although I flie and hide my selfe Reason Take away the cause of euyl and thou shalt take away al euyll it selfe Be measurable in thy ryches and whatsoeuer thou hast that by the excellent beautie and shewe thereof may enflame the minds of men and set their teeth one edge either cast it of or keepe it out of sight If thou haue any thyng whiche thou wylt not or canst not want vse it modestly that enuie whiche pryde hath prouoked humilitie wyll aswage There are also certayne effectuall remedies whiche doo soone extinguish it but they are woorse then the disease it selfe to wit misery and an infamous lyfe Concernyng one of whiche I haue sayde alredy that miserie only is without enuie And vnto the other appertayneth the saying of Socrates For when on a tyme Alcibiades demaunded by what meanes he might escape enuie Socrates answered Lyue sayde he as dyd Thersites whose lyfe yf thou knowe not thou maist reade it in the Iliades of Homer Truely a scoffyng and perfect Socratical answere for there is no wysedome to forsake vertue to eschew enuie and better it were to be Achilles with enuie then Thersites without it although it be also wel knowne that certayne excellent men to the intent to lyue at quiet haue for a tyme dissembled both theyr vertue wisedome Sorowe Many doo enuie me Reason Thou canst scarce escape enuy but by cowardice or miserie if thou escape it by any of these meanes thou shalt fall into contempt both whiche to be free from were a very harde matter Sorowe I am ouerborne with the hatred of many Reason There is as some say another meanes and way to treade enuie vnderfoote to wyt by excellent glory but this path is but litle tracted so that many that begynne to walke forwarde therein doo slyppe into that whiche they woulde eschewe Of Contempt The .xxxvj. Dialogue SOROWE BVt I am contemned Reason If it be iustly thou hast cause I confesse to be sory notwithstanding thou must suffer it but other wyse thou mayest laugh at it For there is nothyng more ridiculus nor that hapneth more commonly then for a wyse man to be contemned of mad men Sorowe I am contemned Reason Touchyng this one woorde some haue sayde that foure good thynges are signified thereby to contemne the worlde to contemne no man for a man to contemne hym selfe and that he is contemned of other of this last thou hast neede Sorow I am contemned of many Reason If it be of thy elders suffer it yf of thyne equalles beare with it The fyrst doo vse theyr aucthoritie for for the most part lesse thynges are contemned of the greater The other expose them selues to be contemned seeing by none other meanes they can become thy superiours they thynke to wyn it by this meanes As for thyne inferiours let them alone let them rage and regard not theyr contempt whiche shall redowne vnto theyr infamie and thy glory Thersites contemned Achilles of whom we spake before and so dyd Zoilus Homer and Antonius Augustus and Euangelus Virgil and Caluus Cicero And as we haue learned in the Gospel that whiche is greatest of all Herode beyng a most vyle and miserable man of all other contemned Christe our Sauiour But what dyd this contempt eyther hurt the contemned or auayle the contemners Sorow I am contemned and scorned Reason I knowe not what these laughyng games are or what conceyte is in the myndes of common iesters and so muche the more for that the cunnynger haue neede of the lesse cunnyng and the one of them scorneth at another Sorowe I am contemned of others Reason Examine thy selfe whether thou doo or hast contemned other This is the maner of you men to contemne and be contemned and one to prosecute another with mutuall hatred and contempte and yet you woulde be reuerenced of other and your selues reuerence no body you goe about to please GOD whose woorkes doo none of them please you as they ought to please concernyng whiche thyng our countreyman Cicero hath spoken ryght nobly yf any thyng may be spoken nobly in the name of the Goddes It canne not stande with reason sayth he forasmuche as one of vs contemneth and despiseth another that we shoulde requyre of the Goddes that they woulde loue vs and be friendly vnto vs. But muche more excellent is the saying of the Prophete Malachie Haue we not all one father hath not one GOD created vs Why then dooth euery one of you despise his brother Sorow It greeueth me that I am contemned Reason Although no man woulde be despised and many
couetousnes before that they were drenched in the surgies of the sea For desire commeth seldome without headlong hastinesse and that which it wil haue it wil haue it presently al tariance and the companions therof costlinesse it hateth the same is the redie way vnto destruction and the first cause of often shypwracke Sorowe I am discomforted by a great shypwracke Reason Thou hast learned to pray vnto God to make vowes and promise many thynges of whiche although feare was the cause yet since thou art arryued agayne on the lande acknowledge thou that fayth was the cause God is not mocked skot free he hateth the breakers of their faithful promises Sorowe I haue suffered a foule shypwracke Reason None complayne of shypwracke but they that haue escaped it Reioyce therefore that thou art safe and more expert The remembrance of dangers past is commonly delectable as contrariwyse the memory of forepassed prosperitie is greeuous But howe muche wouldst thou haue esteemed in foretymes to haue seene the Triton goddes of the sea and the mountaines of water foming the waues vp to heauen swelling the monsters of the sea swimming Thou hast now some feareful tales to tel in the winter nightes by the fire side to make folke a fearde withall and to holde thyne amazed family in admiration Nowe therefore thou knowest what is a poetical tempest and that feare whiche thou wouldest scarce beleeue is certaynely knowen vnto thee whiche thou hast now wel gained eyther by the feare of death or losse of goodes Sorow I haue been in a dangerous shypwracke Reason There is nothyng learned without trauayle this if thou be wyse shal be a perpetual lesson vnto thee that heareafter thou neuer perswade thy selfe to commit thy lyfe vnto the windes Sorowe I haue suffered a woful shypwracke Reason If this be the first take heede thou fal not into the seconde if it be the second then holde thy peace For proper is the saying of Publius the wryter of scoffes He wickedly accuseth Neptune that committeth shipwracke the seconde tyme. Sorow I haue scarse escaped in a terrible shypwracke Reason I can not see why it shoulde be more terrible to dye in the sea then vpon the lande seeing men must needes dye vpon the one of them or why it were better to feede wormes then to be baite for fyshes but forasmuche as thou hast escaped beware that thou commit not agayne thy lyfe to a broken oare or a rotten boorde Since thou art an earthly creature learne to keepe the earth and rather to affect heauen then the sea Of Burnyng The .lv. Dialogue SOROW. I Haue scarce escaped out of a burning fire Reason Doest thou then drawe it vnto the iniurie of fortune that thou hast escaped Let Alcibiades be moued who could not escape out of the hot burning of his enimies howbeit although thou haue preuented the earthly yet who is able to gainestād the burninges that come from heauen Let the Romane kyng Tullus Hostilius and the Romane Emprour Charus answeare me whereof the one was consumed with fyre from heauen in the pallace at Rome and the other in his tentes neare vnto the ryuer Tigris if we may credite common histories Sorowe Hauing lost al my goodes I haue escaped naked out of the fyre Reason Whom I pray thee would eyther Kias as al men say or Stilbon as Seneca wyl haue it haue spoken suche a woorde who when his countrey was on fyre being demaunded or rather reprooued for that he conueighed none of his goods out of the flame as other of his neighbours did answeared in this manner Al my goodes sayd he I carrie with me Woorthily truely whether it were the one or both of them that spake it although suche kinde of speeches do alwayes sound most excellently out of the mouth of the first aucthour of them but omitting the aucthour the trueth of the saying is commonly perceiued For the true goodes in deede remayne within and cannot be taken from the owner whyle he lyueth neyther when he is dead For they cleaue fast to the soule whyther as neyther the ryght hand of fortune nor of death is able to reache Thou being safe and sounde lamentest that thou hast lost certayne thynges whiche if they had been thine in deede out of doubt they had been safe with thee this day For beleeue me true goods doo not peryshe Golde is not more precious then vertue nor so good as it although it be not consumed but purged by the fyre Sorowe A great fire hath blasted me Reason There was one Caeculus I knowe not who that sought the fame of diuinitie by fyre In Virgil a flame of fire taking hold of Iulus haire gaue the first hope to their doubtful health And for that Seruius head burned light with fire it was no poetical but an historical abodyng of a kingdome It is wel knowen that the founders of the Empire of Rome escaped out of the flame of troy To be short the scriptures declare that Helias dyed by fyre and that the Lorde hym selfe appeared in a flame of fyre so that it is not for nought that bonefires are a token of myrth and reioycing in your cities whiche now is a cause of thy heauinesse Sorowe My house is suddenly consumed with fyre Reason Yea the temple of Diana at Ephesus was in olde tyme set on fyre a goodlier peece of woorke then whiche that age neuer sawe And also the temple of Hierusalem that was dedicated vnto the lorde of heauen was burnt the verie enemies pitiyng it that set it on fire likewise in this our age the laterane castel for beautie the flowre of the world was twice consumed with fire an euident plaine token of Gods wrath in my iudgment no strange matter I confesse but terryble And last of al to say nothing of litle cities fire hath often touched Saguntum and Numantia and Corinth and other innumerable yea and Rome it selfe was brought almost vnto vtter destruction And Carthage once and Troy was twice destroyed with fire Cities haue been burned and we beleeue that the whole worlde shal be one day brought to nought by fire And doest thou then complaine that it dare take hold on thy house that shal consume both heauen and earth Sorowe I had much a doo to escape out of the fyre Reason Thou hast escaped then and art thou sorie for it vnlesse thou haddest escaped thou haddest helde thy peace but now being a lyue and ashes thou lamentest that ashes is extinguished Of great laboure and traueyle The .lvi Dialogue SOROWE I Am weeried with great labour Reason There is no glorie without difficultie Al vertue dwelleth on hygh not easily to be atteyned the passage thereunto is cragged rough and ful of stones Sorowe I am ouerweerie with traueyle Reason Traueyle is the ground of vertue and rest of pleasures there is nothing commendable nothing excellent without traueyle and therefore laboure was the foundation of Hercules prayse By nothing is Vlisses better knowen
then by traueyle howe wyse soeuer he be feigned if his wysedome had been idle it had been vnknowen Laboure aduaunced the Romane captaynes the Scipioes and Camillus laboure the Fabiâ— and Curij laboure Fabricius and the Metelli labour also Pompeius the great laboure Hannibal and labour also aduaunced Iulius Caesar vnto honoure Labour made the Catoes and Marius famous painful warfare ennobled Papyrius Cursor and Possennius niger To omit philosophers Poetes whose whole life what is it other then a famous and pleasant traueile what shal I say of artificers whose glorie what soeuer it is by what traueile they get it thou knowest with what diligence as watching late and rising early they gaine it of which matter we reade how that Demosthenes was woont to complaine which truely may be no smal prouocation vnto them that deale in great matters since that smal thinges do so stirre vp and sharpen the minde And therfore peruse ouer al sortes of men and whereas there is much fame there is also plentie of trauayle and alwayes labour is beloued of the louers of vertue without whiche they cannot atteyne vnto glory whiche they loue and seeke after Sorowe I am continually exercised in labour Reason Great labour auaileth not vnlesse it be continuall for why the glory that is wonne by labour vnlesse it be continuall wyl not seeme great Sorow I am vexed with to continuall labour Reason To muche and to litle are taken in respect of the sufferers vnto a slouthfull person al labour is to muche but none to muche to the industrius Sorowe Many labours greeue me Reason They shoulde not greeue thee yf thou were a man but rather sharpen and quicken thee Wouldest thou know what difference there is betweene laboure and pleasure compare then Sardanapalus with Hercules Sergius Orata with Attilius Regulus Apicius with Caius Marius Sorow Continual labour maketh me leane Reason Labour in that respect hath been a remedie vnto many hath cleared and abated those whom rest had infected deformed for it is euident that laboure cureth the mynde withstandeth the sprynging of vices and plucketh then vp by the rootes To be short among the causes of the excellencie of auncient vertue and prowesse to fore in elder tymes are reckoned by wryters on the one syde labour and on the other pouertie and those troubles of the body are to be wyshed whiche cure the troubles of the mynde Sorowe My labour is payneful Reason Vertue and labour are payneful pleasure and idlenesse easie thinges that are lyke remayne wel together but betweene contraries there is disagreement Sorowe My chaunce is to paynefull Reason Thou takest thy trauayle in toyl a part Knowest thou not that whiles the godly in times past haue rysen out of their beddes at midnight in the cold watchyng and occupiyng them selues in prayer vnto almightie God the whoremongers in the meane whyle haue accomplished their filthy pleasures And likewyse whyle the souldier keepeth watch and warde in the campe for the defence of his countrey and the captayne in his tent for the enlarging of the boundes thereof and the student among his bookes for the beautifiyng of the same the infamous baude taketh his rest in his lodging among the thickest of his gracelesse trulles but whiche of these are in best case there is none that hath in hym any sparke of honestie that wyl make any doubt soone to define Sorowe I am vrged with very paineful labour Reason Be of good cheare if so be the cause only of thy laboure be honest thy labour is honest also by meanes whereof thou shalt be reckoned among famous men All that endeuour to rise vnto glory must passe through a paynefull and narowe path but to dishonour the way is downe hil and easie to be traueiled To be short whosoeuer is borne is borne to labour and trauayle neyther do I except herein the sonnes of kinges Labour and vertue are your artes not idlenesse and pleasure vnto whiche who so apply them selues do degenerate from the nature of men and transfourme themselues into beastes Sorow I am worne with grieuous labour Reason That labour which is grieuous vnto them that yeeld vnto it is easie vnto them that endeuour earnestly against it Only endure it with a valient minde and arise agaynst it and compare the ende with the present paine Labour hath aduaunced manie and industrie manie but neuer anie became glorious through slouthfulnes Of a painful iourney The lvii Dialogue SOROW. I Goe a payneful iourney on my feete Reason Haddest thou rather then goe vpon the feete of another But ye wyl not woorke with the handes nor see with the eyes nor heare with the eares nor taste with the mouth nor smell with the nose of another What speciall matter is this then that only you take a pleasure to goe with the feete of another Sorowe I goe on foote Reason Camest thou on hors backe into the worlde or thynkest thou so to depart Why then shoulde it grieue thee so to continue in the worlde But needes thou must ryde a cock-horse O howe simple was thy beginning and howe poore wylbe thy ende and howe proude are the tymes that are betweene and in so short a course howe great forgetfulnesse of both extremities neyther doo you remember from whence you come nor whyther you shall Sorowe I am constrayned to goe a great iourney on foote Reason To be constrayned I confesse is an harde case but he that is wyllyng cannot be constrayned disdayne and repynyng encrease the weight of necessitie by pacience and agreeablenesse of mynde the sharpenesse of fortunes dart is rebated Wylt thou not be constrayned then doo that wyllyngly whiche thou art compelled to do Wouldest thou haue thy long iourney made shorter then goe with a good wyll Sorowe I woulde wyllyngly ryde but I goe on foote Reason Is it not a great madnesse for one foure-footed beastes sake the vse whereof thou knowest not howe long fortune wyll lende thee to forget the benefite of nature As many haue doone and styll doo who vpon the confidence which they haue in a vile and vnrulie and transitorie horse forget to goe on their owne feete vnto these sortes of men what might one wish better then the riche gout that is to say vnprofitable feete and many horses Sorow I wil go a great iourney on foote Reason Thou shalt goe at thy pleasure none shal carie thee beyonde thy prefixed place none shal stay thee none shal trouble thee none shall shake thee none shall throwe thee downe or iostle thee thou hast but one labour vpon the way thy paine is only to go thou hast no businesse nor trouble with thy bearer Thou shalt not be constrayned to bridle and rayne thy horse to spur and beate him to water and litter him to walke and rub him to feede him to curry him to anoynt his sore backe or to feele his drie hoofes or handle with thy fingers the dangerous nayles or with staues to depart their
very fewe among many are able to say so for of so many thousand thousandes as are borne howe many are there that atteyne to olde age And of them that do howe many lyue out the lawful tyme that they may be called old Sorowe I am very olde Reason It is a myracle to meete with a verie old man specially if a man thinke with hym selfe with how many dangers on steppes he hath passed to that age The great rarenesse of olde folke is a great argument of the manyfolde chaunces of this mortal lyfe Sorowe I am olde Reason Thou hast runne an hard and daungerous race it were marueyle but that by this tyme beyng weerie and desirous to rest thou were glad to see the ende so nigh Sorowe I am soone waxen olde Reason The course of your lyfe is sometyme short sometyme very short neuer long alwayes hard rough and vncertayne the last part whereof is olde age and the ende death what cause hast thou here to complayne alone Art thou waxen old By this time then thou oughtest to haue fulfilled the dueties of life and now rest thy self seing thou art come to the end thereof That traueiler were worse then mad that being weerie and weakened with his long iourney woulde be content to goe backe agayne There is nothyng more acceptable to them that are weerie then their Inne Sorowe I am aged Reason The toyles of thy lyfe haue been pleasant vnto thee belike if thou be sorie thou hast passed them Sorowe I am an olde man. Reason If thou haddest a delyte to lyue loe thou hast lyued what needes thou must do thou hast fulfilled And who is so mad that wylbe sorie for the doing of that whiche he wyshed vnlesse he perceyue that he wyshed a misse or reioyceth not that that is done alredy that might not be left vndone nor be done without great trauayle And therefore on euery side thou hast cause to reioyce whether thou hast obteyned thy wyshed desire or accomplyshed thy necessarie and payneful duetie Sorow I am in yeeres and olde age hath chased away the delites of the body Reason Enioy the pleasures of the minde which are as many and truely more permanent and do neuer depart but when the soule departeth to her they cleaue her they folowe But bodilye pleasures when they come they bring offence and when they depart they leaue behinde them cause of repentance shame and sorowe Reioyce that thou art discharged and free from them and geue thankes to thy deliuerer for bringing thee out of the handes of thine enimies and causing thee do folowe thy duetie which thou haddest deferred and neglected Sorow I am olde and want mine accustomed pleasures Reason Accustome thy selfe then to new for olde age hath it proper pleasures whiche when thou hast tasted thou wylt loath those whiche thou hast lost if thou mightest euen rufe to returne vnto them Sorow I am olde and gray headed Reason The reuerende hoarie heares of a vertuous olde man carie with them not onely more aucthoritie but also honest delite then al the filthy pleasures of young men neyther be thou greeued at the changyng of their colour For whose senses are so corrupted or iudgment blynded that he woulde not rather beholde baskets ful of white Lilies then hutches full of blacke coales And yf he were to be transfourmed had not rather be made a whyte swanne then a blacke crowe Sorowe I am olde and the filthy wrincles haue furrowed my face Reason The forrowed lande bryngeth foorth the ranker corne and the lyfe that hath been wel instructed yeeldeth the ryper and pleasanter fruite in olde age If the wrincles of thy face offende thee frame the countenance of thy minde vnto more comlinesse whiche wyll neuer be deformed with wrincles nor altered with yeeres but rather encrease by continuance and to be short wyl do thee more honour if thou neglect it not Sorowe I am olde and become so wrincled and euyl fauoured that I scarce knowe my selfe Reason I tolde thee at the begynning of this Nowe thou wylt haue lesse desire to looke in a glasse lesse please thine owne perhaps but much lesse the eyes of wanton women whom to haue a desire to delite I cannot easily determine whether it tast of greater vanitie then lasciuiousnesse But they that séeke for trustinesse for constancie for grauitie for wysedome do hope more assuredly to fynde them among these wrincles then where the forehead and cheekes be playne and smoath and soft Sorow I am aged and the sweetest part of my lyfe haue I left behynd me Reason Nay surely the sowrest for those thynges that are most wyshed for are not alwayes best Many haue desired their owne hurte which they would not do were not the saying of the Satirike Poet true There are but fewe that can discerne the true goodes Sorowe I am olde and my pleasant dayes are past Reason The dayes in al tymes are muche one and lyke but mens mindes do varie yea one minde disagreeth from it selfe Hereof it commeth that the madnesse of youth on the one side and the impaciencie of olde age on the other haue in such sort disturbed the iudgement of this lyfe that that is counted good whiche is euyl and that most excellent whiche is woorst of al. As for the dayes they are of them selues al good for asmuch as the kyng and creatour of al worldes is good And although some dayes be hotte and some cold some drye and some moyst some cloudy and some cleare some troublesome and some calme yet yf thou haue a respect vnto the beautie of the whole worlde and the course of nature they be al good But yf they be referred vnto you and your iudgement they are almost al of them euyl sorowful doubtful heauie troublesome careful bitter plaintile lamentable ful of aduersitie Among these thou tellest me a tale of certayne pleasant ones I knowe not what whiche whiles they were present were heauie and not without their complaintes and nothing maketh them now seem pleasant but that they are past and the desire thou hast that they shoulde returne maketh them deare vnto thee and the rather for that perhaps they haue caried away with them some thynges whereby thou settest no small store A foole commonly loueth nothyng but that he hath lost Sorowe I am waren old but O that my young dayes woulde returne agayne Reason O no lesse foolyshe then vayne wyshe as thou meanest but yf thy vnderstandyng were of hygher matters then were it not voyde for it wyl surely come agayne one day and according as it is written Thyne youth shal be renewed as is were the youth of an Eagle Sorowe I am olde and my good tyme is past Reason As euery age is good to the good so is it euyl to the euyll liuers vnto both sure it is but short and very neare to the ende when as the godly shal be rewarded for their vertue and the wycked punished for their sinnes Which is then
far from the vttermost confines of Spaine vnto the cytie of Rome Lastly hast thou not heard howe that the holy fathers were resorted vnto as farre as the innermost and feareful dennes of the wyldernesse by the Romane Emperours I speake nothyng of Solomon but rather demaund what visitations any famous man euer wanted Freendes and acquaintance are delighted with mutuall communication and talke togeather and strangers are recreated only with the sight and beholdyng one another For the presence of noble and renowmed men is a pleasant and delectable thyng the whiche none tasteth but he that enioyeth it this do not thou call payneful but I graunt it to be difficult marie therewithal to be also glorious Sorow I am worne and consumed away with renowme Reason If thou wylt cast away this fame vertue also is forsaken from whose roote it spryngeth But yt thou wylt not do so then is it needfull that thou beare this burthen with a patient mind vnto the which many could neuer aspire with al their study cost and charges al their life long And thou peraduenture hast attayued thervnto Suffer therfore thy selfe to be seene of those that would not desire to see thee vnlesse they did loue thee thy good name Sorowe Many bring me into renowme euery where euen vnto my greefe and loathsomnes Reason What then haddest thou rather to be despised and counted an abiect Sorow Innumerable men do honour me euen vnto my great payne and greefe Reason Acknowledge then the gyft of God he doth honour thee to the ende he might both prouoke thee to honour hym and also that it myght repent thee that at any tyme thou dishonouredst hym For al honour and euery good thyng what soeuer is done of man to man is of God. Sorow Immoderate honour and continual visitation is a very troublesome thyng Reason I graunt this also but loue and reuerence whiche are the rootes of this trouble are very sweete and pleasant yf thou wylt apply the tast of thy minde vnto these they wyl beginne to sauour wel whiche nowe do thus disquiete thee Temper therefore the bitter with the sweete and not in this only but in al thynges whatsoeuer this present lyfe bryngeth wherein thou shalt not easily fynde honye wherewith gal is not myngled and more often the bitter exceedeth the sweete in quantitie Sorowe I am weeried with to muche renowme Reason That truely often tymes hapneth whereof we haue also knowen that woorthy and diuine Vespasian triumphing to haue complayned when as he was greeued with the solemnitie of the glorious shewes blaming hym selfe whiche had so baynely desired a triumph in his olde age whiche was neyther due to hym nor of his auncetours hoped for And although renowme it selfe be not to be wyshed for of it owne nature yet it is to be borne withal and loued the causes whereof are vertue and industry neyther are those to be forsaken at any tyme to the ende thou mayest want this for honest labour is a thyng muche more glorious then sluggysh rest and quietnesse Sorow I am muche offended with those that salute me by the way Reason Thou hast the Philisopher Crispus a partaker also of this greefe Nay rather whom canst thou finde at al besides those that take pleasure and delight in the common blastes and flatteries of the people as the Poet Maro speaketh Yet that noble man hath complayned hereof I beleue for that he sawe how the common and sudden salutation of the peopâ—â— did trouble his mynde beyng alwayes most earnestly geuen to studie for suche a one he is reported to haue been and as he hym selfe saith was therwith welnigh brought to his death But there is nothing whereof thou shouldest now complayne that whiche thou diddest wysh for hath hapned vnto thee that is that thou mightest be knowen vnto the common people otherwyse thou shouldest not lye so open to the meetinges of those that salute thee Thou mightest haue hydden thy selfe thou mightest haue taken thy rest thou mightest haue reioyced and delighted thy selfe in thyne owne bosome as they say the which some do define to be the best kinde of lyfe But you would faine be knowen famous in great cities and therwithal be both idel free quiet which is nothyng els then to wiâ—h that ye might remayne vnmooueable in a ship in the greate tempest waues of the sea Lastly it is the part of a proud arrogant person not to be able to suffer paciently the speech of his freendes that reuerence obey him seeing that the reproches of your enimies are to be suffered paciently Of sorowe conceyued for the euyl maners of men The .lxxxix. Dialogue SOROWE I Am sorie for the euâ—l maners and conditions of men Reason If tâ—â—u be moued with loue towâ—rdes them I prayse thee but yf with anger and indignation I prayse thee not For what apparteyneth it vnto thee what other men manners are so that thou thy selfe be good Doest thou nowe first of all perceyue the conditions of the common people Or els doest thou thinke that thy lyfe hath prouided to lytle businesse for thee vnlâ—sse thou haue a care ouer the lyues of other men and so thou take that in hande whiche neyther art nor nature hath been able at any tyme to bryng to passe wherein thou mayest hope for nothyng but paynes and greefes Yet these haue been the studies cares of certaine philosophers of whom one going foorth into the common assemblyes dyd alwayes weepe and the other on the contrarie part euermore laughed at mens manners and neyther of them without a cause howbeit that whiche the one dyd tasted of compassion and godlynesse and that whiche the other dyd of pryde and insolencie Sorow Who can abyde these vnruly and deceitfull dispositions and qualities of men Reason I had rather that thou shouldest be dishonested by force thou wouldest then abyde them if it were necessary Thou that canst not suffer others to be deformed and out of order yet suffer them to be apparelled as it pleaseth them and be thou apparelled as it liketh thee best and so thou shalt well reuenge thy selfe For honest qualâ—tyes do no lesse offend wanton eyes then vnhonest behauiour the sober and modest beholders Let them therefore ioyne pleasure with their affayres but mingle thou honestie with thy matters The lyght is no where more acceptable then in darkenesse and vertue in no place bryghter then amongst vices Why therefore doest thou complayne seeing other mens filthinesse shal increase thy coomlinesse Sorowe Who can endure paciently these diseases of mans minde and cheefely these that are enuious Reason Leaue the enuious men to them selues thou needest require none other formentor for them for they sufficiently afflict them selues both with theyr owne aduersitie and are consumed away with others prosperitie Men ought not therefore to pittie those that faynt and languyshe of theyr owne free wyll seeyng the diseases of the mynde are not so infectious as those of the bodye for
they goe not vnto those that woulde not wyllyngly haue them but a noble harte is rather inflamed vnto vertue with the mislykyng and hatred of vices Sorowe Who coulde suffer so muche pryde and insolencie Reason Humilitie is so muche the more acceptable by howe muche it is besieged with greater pryde Sorowe Who could suffer so many deceiptes so many craftes of couetousnesse or who coulde beare with so many kyndes of lustes and desyres Reason Eschewe those thynges that doo displease thee woorthyly and take heede that others doo not condemne that same in thee whiche thou myslykest in them Sorowe Who coulde abyde this kyngdome of gluttonie Reason Sobrâ—etie is most beautifull amongst those that are moderate Where all are of equall goodnesse there none excelleth other Sorowe Who coulde abyde patiently so many lyes Reason Yf thou be offended with lyes endeuour thy selfe to speake the trueth Sorowe Who coulde beare with so many tyrannies euerie where Reason Neyther weapons nor ryches can delyuer thee onely vertue is free Sorowe I hate all the worlde Reason It behoueth thee rather to haue pittie on the miserable then to hate them vnlesse as I haue sayde before they are miserable of their owne accorde But leaue vnto the worlde the manners thereof and doo thou studie to reforme thyne owne and cause mens eyes that are fastened vpon others to be turned vppon thee so shalt thou both escape griefe and also when thou canst not amende the worlde at leastwyse thou shalt redresse thy selfe whiche is a thyng that thou canst and oughtest to doo Thus is there then no cause wherefore thou shouldest thynke thy selfe to haue ben borne in vayne Of small greefes of sundrie thynges The XC Dialogue SOROWE I Vtterly hate the troublesome noyse cryes of diuers thinges in Cities Reason Then make muche of the wooddes and quietnesse of the countrey those thinges which cannot be escaped why shouldest thou goe about to auoyde Sorowe I am weery with the strife and contentions of the common people Reason As long as thou doest geue eare to the common sorte of people thou shalt neuer be at rest Sorow I am much troubled with the noyse of the common people Reason Esteeme not the woordes of the commonaltie for almost whatsoeuer it speaketh it is eyther nothyng or els false But yf thou canst not auoyde al their noyse and disordered voyces heare them notwithstandyng though none otherwise then as the bellowyng of Oxen or the bleatyng of Sheepe or the roring of Beares for what are they other then the voyces either of came or wild beastes Sorow I am sore troubled with the terrible outrage of the common people Reason Imagine in thy mind that thou hearest the sound of ouerflowing waters which fal vpon rockes perswade thy selfe that either thou art besyde the Well Gorgia where a most cleere Riuer floweth out of a most horrible denne with woonderfull noyse or where as the gulfes of Reatis whiche the Riuer Nar carieth into Tyber doo fal downe from an hygh hyl or whereas the Riuer Nilus powreth downe violently to those places which are called Catadupa as Cicero sayth or where as Hister as in lyke maner it is reported rusheth into the Sea â—uxinum or to be short where the steepe rockes of Liguria doo accorde to the flowynges of the Mount Aetna when as the South winde waxeth fierce or as the crooked and wrested Charibdis agreeth with the barkyng Silla in Sicill whyrâ—epooles Eustome wyll bryng to passe that thou shalt heare that with a certayne pleasure whiche thou nowe iudgest to be most tedious Sorow I am vexed with the barkyng of Dogges Reason He that hath learned to suffer quietly the brawlyng of the common people can not myslyke the barkyng of Dogges for there are neyther so many other kyndes of Dogges neyther are they so madde and furious Sorowe An vnrulie Horse that is alway neyghing an vnfaythfull Seruaunt that is euermore frowarde are not onely greeuous and troublesome vnto me but also dangerous Reason I haue tolde heretofore what I dyd thynke of both those kyndes of creatures and I am styll of the same opinion I adde hereunto somewhat to the ende therefore thou mayest auoyde the greefe and trouble of thy Horse yf nothyng els can helpe thee then become a foote man and that thy Seruauntes may agree and yeelde vnto thee thou shalt bryng it to passe when thou accountest hym not woorthy to be lamented whom thou art well able to lacke Sorowe I am annoyed with Flyes Reason Take heede least that through the annoyance of Flyes thou be made a Flye in deede and that thou thynkyng a Flye to be created of any other then of GOD thou come into the power and iurisdiction of hym that is called the prince of Flyes the whiche we reade to haue hapned vnto one that was greeued with the lyke distresse the aucthor whereof is S. Augustine who expounding that most famous and notable begynnyng of Iohns Gospel sayth That the Flye the Gnatte the Caterpiller the Shearnbub and the Caterpiller and all suche tyke Vermine were not created without iust and good cause of hym who sawe all thynges whiche he had made that they were verie good And yf so be there were no other cause yet this one woulde suffice to abate the pryde and hautinesse of mens mindes as it were with these weapous For GOD coulde haue sen vnto the Aegyptians Lions Tygers or Serpentes but he sent rather these small and base creatures among them to the intent both his heauenly power and theyr earthly frayletie corruption myght be the more manifestly knowen Sorowe I am disquieted with Fleas Reason Take thy rest in holsome and good cogitations thynke that no euyll can happen to a man besides â—inne For not only these gentle thinges but also those that seeme most hard and greeuous haue profited many What dooest thou know whether if the Fleas should goe their way too much sluggishnesse or euil lustes would succeede set vpon thee Beleue that it is wel with thee in al thinges and it shal be so Sorow I am ouercome with the continuall battell that the Fleas make with me in the nyght Reason Why art thou then proude thou shadowe and dust Why art thou then hautie and loftie thou base clay For being ouercome with Fleas thou contendest agaynst GOD thou vntamed and most foolyshe creature Sorowe I am tormented with Fleas Reason Wylt thou offende men to defende thy selfe from Fleas Thou beyng the most noble creature and far superiour settest vpon that most vile and base beast and being the meate of Fleas thou deuourest men the king of al creatures Sorow I am tormented with Fleas Reason Al earthly thinges were made to obey and serue man some to feede him and some to apparrel hym some to carry him and some to defend hym some other to exercise and teache hym and some also to admonish him of his estate and last of all some to delight him to ease recreate his minde being
warnyng namely that hereby thou mayest make prouision agaynst darkenesse whiche is nowe but transitorie since thou takest it in so yll part least haply thou be constrayned to endure euerlastyng darkenesse Sorowe I am troubled with fyre from heauen with hayle and stormes Reason These and suche lyke make vnto an wholesome feare or yf ye contemne them vnto reuenge Heare this one thyng Fyre Brymstone and the breath of stormes are the portion of their cup. Heare also another saying Fire hayle famine and death al these make to reuenge Sorow I am frighted with tempestes of the sea Reason Doo not herein accuse nature but eyther thyne owne follie or couetousnesse for who constrayneth thee thereunto Sorow I am molested with darke cloudes and contrarie windes Reason Thou wast borne in darkenesse and in darkenesse shalt thou dye and lyuest betweene the wyndes of contrarie tempestes learne to suffer that at length whiche thou alwayes sufferest perforce Sorowe I am shaken with thunder and lyghtnyng Reason Herein there is more then weerisomnesse In the first truely a great feare contemned of none but of some fooles but in the seconde is death And therefore some haue iudged that none complayne of lyghtnyng but suche as want experience And who is so mad I pray thee vnlesse he be to farre gone that standeth not in feare of them both seeing that among the auncient Romanes whiche were a most valiant kynde of people it was prouided by an auncient statute that there should be no assemblies of the people holden to choose officers or otherwyse whyles Iupiter thundred from heauen Howbeit vnlesse this feare tende to the amendment of lyfe it is vnprofitable For what can feare auayle where there is no redresse of the thyng feared Wherefore the matter must be thus applyed that although it thunder and lyghten by natural causes neuerthelesse it must be iudged to be a warnyng from hym who beyng tyed vnto no causes is hym selfe the fountayne and cause of al causes To this ende therefore doth he thunder in heauen that thou shouldest lyue well vpon the earth and driuyng away forgetfulnesse acknowledge the wrath of God and do that at leastwyse for feare which thou oughtest too do for loue Complayne not a lyke of good and euyl thinges it is expedient for you beleeue me that it thunder often and it is left in wrytyng vnto posteritie that it thundreth very often the same yeere wherein the assured aduersarie of God and al godlinesse Domitian the Emperour died not that ye should cry out as he dyd Let him now strike whom he lust but that ye may appease the wrath of God with penitent teares humble prayer Sorow I am greeued with the conuersation mirth of drunkardes Reason That wine maketh glad the hart of man that Bacchus is the geuer of mirth although Dauid Virgil had neuer spoken it very experience maketh it knowen And although that likewise be true whiche not so eloquent but a more holy Poet spake The flowyng of a ryuer cheareth the citie of God yet is there more feruent ioye and ioyful gladnesse as the Philosophers terme it in a fewe caskes of strong wynes then in many streames of running water whiche are conteyned within the ryuers and I confesse that there is nothyng more lamentable then the mirth of drunkardes and nothyng more vayne then typlers and Tauerners whom Cicero very wel calleth the dregges of cyties whiche notwithstandyng a man must suffer or els he must forsake cities or otherwyse flye from the market and place of iudgement or at the leastwyse from the streetes and haunt of Tauernes euen as he woulde doo from so many rockes Sorow I am oppressed with resort and importunate concurse of citizens Reason It is a sauage and vnnaturall wyshe to seeke thy countreyes desolation that thou thy selfe mayest lyue at lybertie For the very same cause as thou knowest in the olde tyme was the sister of Appius Claudius punished shee that was last celebrated among writers for an innocent and truly as this is an vngodly wish and deserueth punishment so to auoyde the weerisomnes of thronges and cities and it occasion so require to depart awhile out of the way is a poynt of modestie and frequented of the wise Sorowe I am greeued with a long suite and slow iudgment Reason To what ende was daying of matters deuised but to ende strife and to remedie the slacknes of iudgment Sorowe I am worne with wofull and troublesome strife Reason Thou hast vsed apte and conuenient tearmes for thy selfe For where strife and contention is there can be nether ioy nor quietnesse Thou if thou wylt liue out of stryfe auoyde the cause of stryfe Couetousnesse engendreth contention and nourisheth it when it is engendred Of an earthquake The .xci. Dialogue SOROWE I Am afrayd of an earthquake Reason This is I confesse a great discommoditie of dame nature and not without cause abandoned of al parentes which although it be more greeuous yet for that it happeneth but seldome the rarenesse thereof may stand in some steede of a remedie Many tymes the sorowful countenance of heauen foretelleth an earthquake at hande but precisely there is no token nor forewarnyng thereof although it be reported that Pherecydes foretolde of one to come by drynkyng a draught of water out of a well Moreouer agaynst the threatnynges of heauen caues vnder the ground perhaps doo yeelde some succour the lyke whereof we reade was Augustus Caesars denne into whiche he fledde for feare of thunder whiche is yet seene at Rome in the way Flaminia and keepeth the aucthours name vnto this day but from an earthquake no flight can serue no lurkyng places can preuayle For poore man that is made of the earth whyther shal he flye out of the earth or what shal become of hym yf the heauen thunder ouer hym and the earth tremble vnder hym vnlesse perhaps some wyl aduise hym to goe to the sea whiche is also partaker of the varietie of heauen earth and also vnquiet by it owne motion Feare Thou tellest me no remedies as thou wast woont to do but amplifiest the daungers Reason I supposed thou wouldest thinke so and doubtlesse so it is in deede There be some thynges that may be dissembled and extenuated in woordes that although by report they haue seemed greeuous yet in effect they may appeere at one tyme tollerable at another contemptible and truely this whereof I now intreate is such a one as by it owne force it refuseth the argumentes of mans eloquence but one comfort as I haue sayde is the seldomenesse thereof Thou hast seene welnygh an whole age without any earthquakes duryng whiche tyme there is no doubt but that there haue dyed innumerable who in al their lyfe tyme though they haue hearde the name of so terrible a matter yet neuer were made afearde with the sight thereof But who is not mooued when he heareth or reedeth eyther those auncient histories or these of latter tyme the memorie
there is no minde be it neuer so swyfte that is able to measure it and also the surpassyng beautie of vertue whiche is so louelie that yf it coulde be seene with the bodily eyes as Plato sayth it woulde rauyshe men woonderfully with the loue thereof Therefore let loue on the one syde and feare on the other styrre thee vp for both of them are very effectuall for neyther he that loueth neyther he that hateth can commonly be dull and sluggyshe and yet notwithstandyng ye ryse in the nyght tyme vnto diuine seruice wherein ye pray that hurtfull sleepe and sluggyshnes oppresse you not there is no place for sleepe nor sluggyshuesse when as death frayeth you on the one syde and vertue on the other For who coulde euer be slouthfull and carelesse in great dangers or great aduauncementes Whensoeuer thou haft respect vnto these courage wyll resort to the minde and sleepe wyll flye from the eyes when ye thynke with your selues howe muche imperfection remayneth within you and howe muche tyme ye haue spent in idlenesse whereof when men haue no consyderation we see howe they spende long ages vnprofitably and heare olde men wonderyng and amazed to say What haue we doone heere these many yeeres We haue eaten drunken and slept and nowe at last we are awaked too late The cheefe cause whereof is this sluggyshnesse whereof thou complaynest whiche in tyme ought to be dryuen away by the prickes of industrie and the brydle of foresyght least that by ouerlong staying thou be caried away with the multitude vnto a dishonourable ende Of Letcherie The Cx. Dialogue SOROWE I AM shaken with the vehemencie of Letcherie Reason Letcherie is begotten by slouthfulnesse and brought foorth by gluttonie what maruell is it then yf the daughter followe her parentes As for gluttonie and letcherie they are common vnto you with beastes and that they make your lyfe more beastly then any other thyng wyse men haue so iudged and therefore although there be many mischiefes more greeuous yet is there none more vyle Sorowe I am carryed away with Letcherie Reason Whyther I pray thee but vnto death both of the bodye and soule and infamous ignominie and too late and perhappes vnprofitable repentance Goe thy wayes nowe and followe her that carrieth thee away vnto suche endes Thynke vppon the miserable and notorious chaunces of innumerable not onely priuate men but also Cities and Kyngdomes whiche partly by syght and partly by heare-say but specially by readyng ought to be very well knowen and then I suppose thou wylt not geue thy hande vnto this vice to followe it Heare what the best learned haue iudged and written concernyng this matter Pleasures sayth Cicero beyng most flatteryng Ladyes doo wreast the greater partes of the mynde from vertue To this ende sayth Seneca they embrace vs that they may strangle vs whiche none otherwyse then Theeues that lay wayte for traueylers vppon the way and leade them aside to murther them ought to be auoyded Wherein it shall muche auayle yf whosoeuer shall feele hym selfe infected with this mischeefe doo imagine that most excellent sayeing of Scipio Africane in Liuie whiche he spake vnto king Masinissa to be spoken vnto hym selfe Vanquishe thy minde quoth he and take heede thou doo not deforme many good giftes with one vice and corrupt the beautie of so many desartes with a greater faulte then the cause of the faulte is The whiche shal be doone the more easily yf a man doo thynke earnestly vppon the vilenesse fylthinesse shortnesse and ende of the thyng and also the long reproche and the short time and howe perhappes the pleasure of one breefe moment shal be punished with the repentaunce of many yeeres and peraduenture with euerlastyng damnation Of Pryde The Cxj. Dialogue SOROWE I AM lyfted vp with pryde Reason Earth and ashes why art thou proude Canst thou that art oppressed with the burden of so many mischiefes be lyfted vp with pride Who yf thou were free from them al and were lyfted vp by the wynges of al vertues yet were al thy good gyftes defiled with this vyce only For there is nothing more hateful vnto God then pryde By this fel he that was created in most excellent estate by which thou beyng a sinner thinkest to aryse If it hapned so vnto hym for this one thing what doest thou thinke wyl befall vnto thee in whom this wickednesse is ioyned with other vices Thou hast heaped a naughtie weight vpon thy burden Sorow I am carried with pryde Reason Why shouldest thou be so I pray thee Doest thou not remember that thou art mortal that thou wearest away euery day that thou art a sinner that thou art subiect to a thousand chaunces and in danger euery day to vncertayne death and finally that thou art in wretched case And hast thou not also heard the most famous saying of Homer The earth nourisheth nothyng more wretched then man I woulde fayne knowe whiche of these doth most cheefely pricke thee foorth vnto pryde whether the imbecilitie of the body or the whole armie of sickenesses or the shortnesse of lyfe or the blyndenesse of the minde whiche continually wauereth betweene most vayne hope and perpetual feare or the forgetfulnesse of that whiche is past or the ignorance of that whiche is to come and present or the treacherie of enimies or the death of freendes or continuing aduersitie or flytting prosperitie By these and none other ladders ye ascend vnto pryde by these ye ryse to ruine All other dangers wherein men do walter haue some excuse although it be vniust but pryde and enuie haue no coloure at al. Sorow I am sorie that I am proud Reason To be sorie for sinne is the first degree to saluation And as it is the nature of pryde to lyft vp so is it of humilitie to be sorie and submit it selfe whiche thou shalt do the more easye so soone as thou turnest thyne eyes earnestly vpon thy selfe whiche being so I am not mynded neyther ought I to heape vp vnto theeaucthorities wrytten in bookes agaynst vices This only shal be sufficient that thou knowe that so soone as euer thou be disposed vnfeignedly al these matters wyl surceasse immediatly and whensoeuer as they say thou shalt blowe the retreate retire to thyne ensignes as touchyng this present mischeefe This one thyng I wyl say moreouer that pryde is a sickenesse of wretches and fooles for doubtlesse they be suche that be proud otherwyse I am sure they woulde neuer be proud neyther is it written without cause in the booke of Wisedome That al that are foolysh vnfortunate are proud about the measure of their soule And truely yf they were wyse for their soules health their meane were to abase their estate knowyng their owne imbecilitie For so thou readest it written in the same booke He that is a king to day shal dye to morow And when a man dyeth he shal haue serpentes and beastes and woormes for his inheritance The begynning of pryde is to
seconde for that it is more tollerable to excuse an errour then to commende it But I reiecte them both because as for to answere when a man is called to obey with reuerence is prayse woorthie euen so without licence of the General to depart from the watch keeping of the body is to be counted hygh treason woorthie to be punished eyther with cruel banishment or with extreame torment Of purpose I repeate some thynges againe and agayne to the ende they may take the deeper roote for all these matters as I suppose are sufficiently discoursed in our communication going immediatly before Sorowe I dye Reason Rather thou payest tribute of thy fleshe and yeeldest thy duetie vnto Nature and anon thou shalt be a free man and therefore doo that willingly which of force thou art constrayned to doo and as one that is a verie good exhorter vnto death sayth Haue a desire to doo that which thou must needes doo There is no counsayle more profitable yea there is none other counsayle at all in tyme of necessitie Whatsoeuer a man doeth wyllyngly is made the more easie and tollerable and yf a wyll be adioyned it surceasseth longer to be a necessitie Sorowe Loe I dye Reason Loe the Lorde tarrieth for thee Make hast vnto hym doo neyther stumble nor stay lay away all dread suspition thou art not more deere to thy selfe then thou art to him and who wyl distrust when he is called by his freende and louer Perhappes hereafter thou wylt merueyle why thou fearest that whiche rather thou oughtest to haue wyshed for Now when thou art at libertie thou shalt knowe many thynges which when thou wast in prison thou couldest learne by no studie Insomuche that vnto them that are desirous to knowe the secretes and misteries of thynges whereunto your eyesyght can not pearce by meanes of the mortall vayle wherewith you are compassed round about for such verily is the naturall desyre of man but woorking most feruently in the studious and learned sort there is nothing as I iudge better then death nor that bryngeth a man more compendiously vnto his wyshed purpose Sorowe I dye Reason Nay rather thou sleepest and beyng wearie of this lyfe as I suppose thou takest now thy rest Sorow I dye Reason Depart into euerlasting rest for now thou beginnest to lyue A good death is the beginning of lyfe Of Death before a mans tyme The Cxx. Dialogue SOROWE BUT what sayest thou vnto it that I dye before my tyme Reason None dyeth before his tyme but all haue not one tyme limitted them alyke but rather as the noble Poet writeth Eche mans day stands prefixt vnto which when he is come then hath he attayned to the ende And because men can neither returne agayne nor stay where they are they must needes passe away Sorow I dye before my time Reason That myght be true yf thou dyddest owe a death agaynst a certayne day but the good and pure detter oweth it euery day and therefore let hym looke euery day for his creditours callyng vpon hym and alwayes haue that in a redinesse which he oweth For he is continually in det as long as he hath a mortal bodye he neede not to borowe nor to take vpon vsurie he hath that at home whiche he must pay Yea whyther so euer he goeth he carrieth with hym and hath that as it were in his hande wherwith to discharge hym selfe whiche when he hath payde he is then no longer indetted to Nature nor to any of the heauenly bodyes as the Poet Virgil sayeth Therefore leaue of this complaynte that can not be required before the day which is due euery day but rather geue thankes for that for the payment of this det thou needest neyther intreating nor yet to haue great riches of thine owne nor pawne nor vsurie which were the last woordes that euer that valiant vnknowen Spartane is reported to haue spoken most woorthie in deede to haue been knowen euen at that time when he was led to execution wherevnto he went without feare and couragiously by the losse of his lyfe to satisfie Lycurgus lawes Sorowe I dye before my tyme. Reason I vnderstand not what it is to dye before your time vnlesse it be ment as the common speech is before it be lyght or before the day breake which is a time most fit for the exercises of the minde soule which now thou art geuing ouer But in any other signification who is he that dyeth before his time when as in deede that is euery mans day wherein he dyeth and none other Sorowe I dye before my tyme. Reason Neyther before thy tyme nor after thy tyme but euen in thy very tyme shalt thou dye vnlesse thou take that for thy tyme which thou thy selfe not Nature nor Fortune hath prescribed But in trueth as thou canst not dye before thy tyme so canst thou not lyue after it Sorowe I dye before my tyme. Reason Who is he vnlesse he were madde that wyll complayne that he is loosed from his fetters and discharged out of prison before his tyme Truely he had more cause to reioyce in mine opinion yf this hapned sooner then his expectation but certaynely it hapneth not nor it can not happen so for euery thyng hath it owne tyme This was the appoynted tyme of thyne ende there dyd he constitute thy boundes who brought thee into the race of this lyfe If thou complayne of this ende thou mayest lykewyse as well complayne of any other Sorowe I dye soone Reason Thou wast soone borne he dyeth not soone that hath lyued tyll he is olde And yf thou haddest not lyued vntyll thou wast olde then remayned there another part of complaint Howbeit yf olde age be the last portion of a mans lyfe he must needes be fyrst olde whosoeuer dyeth But when I speake of olde age I meane it as the common people vsually take it for an heapyng vp of many yeeres together whiche not as other ages hath no ende but death onely Concernyng the beginnyng whereof there is great varietie of opinions but in consideration of the strength of those that growe olde and in respect of their bodyly health and the abilitie of their mindes easie enough to be reconciled To be short this is the conclusion of all that eyther thou surceasse to fynde fault with the hastinesse of death or to mislyke the troubles of a long lyfe whiche come by the deferryng of death But you beyng at contention within your selues are neyther willing to dye nor to waxe olde when as ye must needes doo both of them or at the leastwyse one of them Sorowe I myght haue lyued longer Reason Nay truely thou couldest not for yf thou myghtest verily thou haddest lyued longer but thou wouldest say I woulde fayne or I hoped to haue lyued longer for the mindes of mortall men are so desirous of lyfe and so readie to hope that in eyther I easily agree with thee But if thou wylt say I shoulde or
ought to haue lyued longer for that perhappes thou seest some that haue lyued longer in deede as though of duetie thou myghtest claime longer continuance also I can not yeelde vnto thee For some dye late and many moe soone but none at all that dye neuer betweene these there is no meane appoynted but all men are generally subiect vnto one lawe and all owe obeysaunce to the soueraingtie of death albeit some are taken away by one meanes and some by another and that at diuerse tymes and ages thus of one thyng there are manyfolde meanes and sundrie tymes And therefore let euery one with indifferencie attende his owne kinde of death and dying day and not through the greedinesse or lothsomnesse of lyfe doo as the vnskylfull and ingratefull sort are woont complayne and be disquieted about the lawes of Nature Sorowe I haue lyued but a smal time Reason There was neuer any lyued so long that thought not that he lyued but a small tyme and truely it is but a short tyme in deede that men lyue heere And therefore yf ye be desirous to lyue long seeke after that lyfe wherein ye may lyue for euer which although it be not heere yet is it purchased heere Sorowe I haue lyued but a short tyme. Reason Admit thou haddest lyued longer haddest thou then lyued any more then a short tyme The tearmes of this lyfe are vnequall and vncertaine but this one thyng is common to them all that they be al short Put case a man haue lyued eyghtie yeeres what hath he more I pray thee then he that hath liued but eyght yeeres Examme thy selfe diligently and looke into thine owne estate and let not the madnesse of the common multitude deceiue thee what more I say hath he that hath lyued longer vnlesse perhappes ye account cares and troubles paynes and sorowes weerisomnesse for a vantage Or what more should he haue yf he lyued eyght hundred yeeres There is somewhat more in deede I confesse in hope and expectation but when both tymes are expited beleeue mee thou shalt fynde nothyng whereby thou mightest make account that thou hast lyued more happily Sorowe I dye when as I thought to haue done good Reason What dydst thou thinke to haue done somethyng which thou hast not done So perhappes thou wouldest alwayes haue thought haddest thou liued neuer so long There be some that alwayes thinke to doo well but they neuer begin But yf thou haue begun once to doo well doubt not to goe forward although death preuent thy woorke before it be brought to a wished ende which although peraduenture in the blinde iudgement of men it may seeme to be some preiudice vnto thee neuerthelesse it is to be despised for that in the syght of the vnfallible surueyer of all thynges thou loosest nothyng but thy reward shal be full and whole as well of thy deedes as of thy thoughtes Sorowe In the middes of all my preparation I dye Reason This fault is not in death but in them that dye who then begyn to weaue the most short web of their lyfe when it is a cutting of which vnlesse it were so men should not so often be preuented by death not hauing fyrst accomplished the dueties of lyfe but rather when they had fulfylled and accomplished them woulde then begin to liue than which truely there were no lyfe more sweete Which sweetenesse notwithstanding not so much the shortnesse of lyfe as the slouthfulnesse of them that lyue taketh away from men who therefore count no lyfe long because how long soeuer the tyme be they neuer lyue but are euermore about to lyue And when they be once come to be olde men wauering among newe deuices how to lyue with a swift ende they preuent their slow beginning Sorowe I dye euen whyle I am preparing great matters Reason This hapned vnto many greatmen and almost to all Men are deceyued in many thinges specially in death which there is none but knoweth that it wyll come but they hope of the deferring of it and imagine that to be farre of which God knoweth is hard by them which both the shortnesse of lyfe and swyftnesse of tyme and the power of fortune and the varietie of humane chaunces wherewith they are beset round about needily constrayneth to be so And O most woonderfull blindnesse for that what ye ought to hope of your selues at leastwyse ye learne at length by others But thus the case standeth your mindes hardly can enter into bitter cogitations and therefore while euery one promiseth him selfe very long lyfe and either the age of Nestor or as Cicero sayth the fortune of Metellus and finally whyle euery one supposeth him selfe to be dame Natures whyte sonne whyle they be busie about the beginning the end commeth vpon them and while they are in consultation of many thinges death setteth vpon them at vnwares and cutteth them of in the middes of their endeuours Sorowe I dye in my greene age Reason If there be none other commoditie herein at leastwise there is prouision made hereby that thou shalt not languish in thine old yeeres For although that old age be not greeuous as Lelius sayth in Cicero and we also haue disputed before neuerthelesse it taketh away that greenesse wherein he sayth that Scipio flourished at that time and thou likewise reportest now the like of thy selfe Hereafter perhaps many shal wish for thee but none shal be weery of thee which thing in a long life although it be gouerned by vertue is an hard matter to be found Sorowe I die a young man. Reason Thou knowest what thou hast suffred alredy in thy life time but what thou were like to suffer hereafter thou knowest not and beleeue me whoso in this so variable and rough kingdome of Fortune dyeth first deceiueth his companion Sorow I am hyndered by death so that I can not ende the thynges that I beganne Reason And tustly in deede For ye be euermore a dooyng the thynges that ye ought to haue doone and yet there is nothyng finished this is the cheefest thyng that maketh your death greeuous and miserable vnto you but yf the thynges that thou begannest were suche that without any negligence in thee thou couldest not finishe them it suffiseth thee that thou hadest a good wylt hervnto But if through slouthfulnes thou hast put them of from time to time let it displease thee that thou hast neglected them If this peraduenture be the pretended cause of thy lamentation yet in trueth there is nothyng but a vayne lengthening of lyfe and a deferryng of death wyshed for thereby although it wyll not be long but at length though late thou wylt be ashamed of this vulgare wyshe But O ye mortall men how greedie soeuer ye be of lyfe hearken vnto mee I demaunde of you the exercise of Vertue beyng layde asyde what is this lyfe other then a slack and vnprofitable tariance which how long so euer it is can not be other then very short Wherefore I
shewe themselues willing to learne and not forsake them vnto their olde yeeres and crooked age no not to their death and graue God is the hope vnto man when he is borne and not his father though he were a king It is not good buylding vpon the sand but vpon the rocke for al hope in man is short and transitorie And therefore thy children being deceiued by the hope which they reposed in thee wil put their trust in God only sing with the Prophet Dauid My father my mother haue forsaken me but the Lord hath taken me vp The seedes sparkes of good nature vertue that haue appeared in many children haue been quite extinguished by their parentes to muche cockling lyke as on the contrary side losse of parentes and pouertie haue oftentimes driuen away the childrens deintinesse Feare What wyl become of my ryches Reason They wyl returne from whence they came that is to say vnto fortunes handes and from thence they shal be dispersed from one to another and neuer tarrie long with any For they are of a flitting nature and cannot abyde in one place And that not without a mysterie For some haue thought that mony cannot tarrie in a place because of the roundensse the rollyng forme of the coyne whiche some merily haue sayd to be a token of the slipperinesse thereof whiche partly I cannot deny But I am of opinion that if it were three or foure square it woulde tunne away as fast I meane concernyng the continuall passing of ryches whose nature is alwayes to slyp and flye away to hate coffers that haue but one locke to be delited with sundry and often possessours eyther to the intent to auoyd rust or els by their currantnesse and runnyng about to circumuent very many or lastly to contend with their owners in vnconstancie Seeyng therefore tha thou lyest nowe a dying cast of that care whiche vnto the lyuing is superfluous But rather yf thou dye ryche acknowledge howe that there is seldome any rust founde in fortune and nowe that thou art departyng out of this lyfe flye ryches whiche are not profitable for thee nor necessarie for any But yf thou be poore depart foorth vpon thy iourney lyght without burden whether thy ryches be very great or indifferent or very small or none at al heretofore they belonged very litle vnto thee but hencefoorth they shall apperteine vnto thee nothyng at al but this much onely that thou mayest perceyue that he that was poorer then thou lyued in more quietnesse then thou seeing that these troublesome and paynefull helpes of lyfe or whether thou list rather to terme them tormentes doo make thy death more carefull Feare What shal become of my children Reason Thy name shall lyue in them if they be good and if that be any comfort in death thou shalt not seeme wholy to be dead For in their countenances actions gesture thy freendes wyl thinke and also reioyce that thou art restoared vnto them But if they be euyl thou hast cause willingly to forsake them those whom thou thyselfe couldest not correct nor tame thou shalt deliuer them ouer vnto the worlde and fortune to be corrected and tamed And do not thou nowe dying lament for them that wyl nothyng at al be grieued at thy death and perhaps are sorie that thou diedst not sooner Sorowe But what shal become of my goodes Reason Fearest thou that when thou hast left them they shal fynde no owner They are looked for they are wyshed for they are valewed alreadie neyther oughtest thou to be afeard so muche for the neglecting of them as for the striuing for them But this is one thyng they shal nowe surceasse to be thy goodes any longer but whose they shal be next why doest thou looke vpon thy chyldren It cannot possibly be knowen nor it must not it suffiseth thee to knowe that they were once thine yf euer they were thyne indeede and not rather hers that is the lady and mistresse of goodes that passe away and generally of al wordly thynges whose name is Fortune But hauing been thine so long that is to say beyng but a short tyme in thy disposition it is nowe hygh tyme for thee to depart and to leaue them to others Let them nowe learne to be at others commaundement awhile and to keepe their accustomed chainge vnlesse thou wylt dye so ambitiously as some fooles haue also done the lyke and haue thy monie buried with thee in thy graue whiche may one day redownd to the commoditie of them that dig graues hereafter But rather nowe at length cast from thee al care of the earth and metalles and repose thy cogitations vpon heauen and thine owne estate Feare My goodes flye from me Reason Diddest thou thinke that they woulde tarie when thy lyfe passed away and when thou thyselfe wast continually carried hence Feare What shal become of my goodes when they leaue of to be myne Reason What dyd they before they were thyne Feare Leauing behynde me so great ryches as I doo I depart naked Reason Naked thou camest into the worlde and naked thou must depart agayne whereof thou hast no cause to complayne but rather to geue thankes In the meane tyme thou hast had the vse and occupiyng of an others goodes there is nothyng taken from thee that was thine owne but only the goodes of another required agayne at thy handes when thou mayest occupie them no longer For honest guestes when they are departyng away doe willingly restoare the vessel and stuffe whiche they borowed of their host Feare Alas of al my ryches I carie not thus muche away with me Reason Carie away as much as thou broughtest or yf thou lust as muche as any kyng doth Feare What wyl my young chyldren do Reason If they lyue they wyl growe vp and wax olde and walke their owne wayes and trye their owne fortune and passe through their owne troubles in the meane tyme they shal abide in Gods protection and perhaps when thou wast young thou liuedst lykewyse without a father Of one dying that is careful what his wyfe wil do when he is dead The .cxxviii. Dialogue FEARE WHat wyl my welbeloued wyfe do when I am dead Reason Perhaps she wyl marrie agayne what is that to thee Feare What wyl my deere wife do Reason Beyng discharged from thy yoake eyther she wyl yeelde her necke to another or liue at large or els rest herselfe after her wearinesse seeke only how to passe foorth her lyfe quietly Feare What wyl my most louing wyfe do Reason Doest thou aske what she wyl do when she hath escaped from thee and knowest not what she dyd when she was vnder thy subiection The greater sort of mortal men beyng ignorant what is done at home in their owne houses hearken what is a dooing in heauen and the farthest partes of the world Truely what shall become of thy wyfe after thy departure let her selfe or her next husbande looke to that