Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	great_a	soul_n	2,575	5	4.9117	4	true

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19072	Politique discourses upon trueth and lying An instruction to princes to keepe their faith and promise: containing the summe of Christian and morall philosophie, and the duetie of a good man in sundrie politique discourses vpon the trueth and lying. First composed by Sir Martyn Cognet ... Newly translated out of French into English, by Sir Edward Hoby, Knight.; Instruction aux princes pour garder la foy promise. English	Coignet, Matthieu, sieur de La Thuillerie, 1514-1586.; Hoby, Edward, Sir, 1560-1617.	1586 (1586)	STC 5486; ESTC S108450	244,085	262

that dieteth himselfe prolongeth his life And Socrates was wont to say that there is no differeÌ„ce between a cholericke man a beast As also Xenophon declareth in his Pedia coÌ„mending k. Cyrus for his sobriety for that he exercised vntill he sweat And in the 2. booke of the deeds sayings of Socrates he aduised a maÌ„ neuer to contract amity with any that is too much addicted to their belly to drinking eating sleeping drowsines couetousnes Who will haue pittie on the charmer that is stinged with the serpent As Eccl. writeth lesse pittie then ought ther to be had of him which suffreth himselfe to be throwen down hedlong through pleasure which is said to reseÌ„ble the theeues of Aegypt called Philistes which euer made much of the people embrased such as they had a mind to strangle And Isocrates called her a traytor deceiuer hangmaÌ„ cruel beast and tyrant God by his prophet Amos greatly threatned those that loue to liue delicately as also did our sauiour by the example of the wicked rich man And S. August vpon the 41. Psalme alledgeth the old saying that the incontinent maÌ„ calleth vpon death As also the prouerbe carieth of a short pleasure coÌ„meth a long displeasure And there lyeth poyson euer hiddeÌ„ the hooke is couered with a baite And we must behold theÌ„ behind not before as Aristotle couÌ„selleth vs. For plesures seeme very beautiful before as do the Sirenes sundry other monsters but behind they traine a long vgly serpents taile Whordome is also forbidden by god the immoderate vse of the act of venery ought to be shunned as altering drying marring the body weakning all the ioynts meÌ„bers making the face blobbed yellow shortning life diminishing memory vnderstanding and the very heart as Hosea sayth S. Paul in the first to the Thessalonians writeth that the will of God is our sanctification and that we should abstaine from fornication that euerie one should knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence In the first to the Corinthians he exhorteth vs to flye it because he that committeth fornication sinneth against his owne bodie that is to say he doth iniurie it profaning and defileth the pouertie and holinesse thereof he sayth further that of the members of Christ we make them the members of an harlot and profane the temple of the holy Ghost and that being bought with great price we are not our owne but Gods and therefore should glorifie him in our bodie and spirite Publicke honestie lyeth there violate and as Cupid was made blinde so do they which are bewitched with this foolish loue stayne and abandone their owne honour wealth libertie and health For this cause Salomon compared the whoremonger to an oxe that goeth to the slaughter and to a foole to the stockes for correction and to a byrde that hasteneth to the snare not knowing that he is in daunger We reade what happened to Dina the Beniamites and Dauid And histories are full of examples of mischiefes which haue ensued thereon And he which committeth that sinne wrappeth and setteth an other as far in and sinneth not alone By Gods lawe adulterie was punished by death Gen. 20. Leu. 22. and according to the ciuill lawe Instit de pub iud Sicut lib. Iulia. de adult lib. in ius C. But to cast off so daungerous a vipor we must craue at Gods hand that he wil bestowe of vs a pure and chast hart that we may liue soberly auoide idlenesse all foule and filthy coÌ„munication be it by mouthe writing or picture Ezechiel attributeth the sinne of Sodom to fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenes Dauid prayed to God to turne his eyes from vanitie Psalm 119. and Iob said I made a couenant with my eyes why then should I thinke on a mayde And in Gen. 6. the children were blamed that kept not their eyes but looked on fayre women as also did Sichem Gen. 34. and Putifer his wife Gen. 39. and Ammon 2. Sam. 13. Notwithstanding as Isocrates sayde that a lesse labour and greefe is made not to be left through a greater so doe those pleasures which proceede from vertuous and honourable actions as from temperance continencie and other vertues cleane mortifie with their ioye and greatnesse such as come only from the body which engender nothing but gowtes sciaticas cholicques palsies greefes of the stomacke tremblinges leprosies panges vomits inflammations and other daungerous accidents And when we feele heauinesse and wearisomnesse in our members head akes or stitches in our side which for the most part proceed froÌ„ crudities lacke of digestion we must not perswad our selues to doe as before and as they say to cach heare from a beast but rest quietly and obserue good dyet and long before to foresee the storme that is at hande And when we goe to visite such as are sicke and vnderstand the cause of their diseases we ought to looke into our selues according to Plato his councell and see whether we commit not the like excesse to the ende we may take heede by an other bodies harme and to stande vppon our gardes and consider howe precious a thing health is And let vs thankefully receiue at Gods hande such instructions as by chastising of vs he sendeth by reason of our intemperancie to the end we may learne to preuent such as may happen vnto vs. And as king Antigonus sayd that sicknesse had warned him not to waxe proude so ought wee to learne to humble our selues and to liue better for that God sendeth that as a meanes as well to vs as other to awake vs and keepe vs within the boundes of our dewetie For vices are as the very proper inheritance of man which wee must seeke to correct taking awaye from goods a vehement couetousnesse and vnbridled greedinesse and from euils feare and sorrowe which come but from conceite the very cause of vnquietnesse and perturbation which putteth me in minde often times of the saying of an auncient father that as the body in health easely endureth both colde and heate and maketh his profit of all kinde of meates so doth the Christian which hath his soule well compounded moderate anger ioye and all other affections which offende both body and soule Hippocrates aboue all thinges recommendeth to a Phisitian that he should well aduise himselfe if in plagues and ordinary diseases he founde nothinge which was diuine that is to saye whether the hande of God were not the proper causes of the sickenesse of the partie diseased For truely he often times sendeth sickenesse for remedies and meanes to withdrawe those whome he loueth from eternall ruyne And to punish such excesse he armeth grashoppers noysome flies wormes frostes windes plagues warre dewes and vapors of the earth As before we declared those thinges which they call euils are as great helpes to

the good to do well and to profit in the exercise of vertue Pouertie to moderate their desires basenes to humble themselues sickenesse to liue patiently and more soberly and al kinds of griefes to make vs runne vnto God and reconcile our selues vnto him and to succour our neighbour in like distresse when God shall haue drawne vs out For I esteeme none good but such as followe trewe riches which are godlinesse and vertue and contrariwise the wicked are fastned to trewe euils that is vice and impietie That was the reason why in the councell of Latran it was enioyned that the sicke man should cal for his spirituall Phisitian Diognes was angrye with such as sacrificed to health and in the meane time liued in all pleasures and idlenesse and sayd that as in a house where much prouision and victuall is are many rats and cats so the body that is replenished with meates drawe sundry diseases vnto it And he called frugalitie the mother of health for which without great neede a man neede not vse laxatiue medicines because they are offensiue to the stomacke and often times breede more superfluities and excrements then they drawe out of the body Plato also in the 8. of his commonwealth councelleth vs not to prouoke sickenesse with phisicke except the disease be most dangerous and vehement It is written of the Emperour Aurelian and sundry other that they neuer called for phisitians or vsed phisicke as at this day most part of the Almanes Zuzers vse but they healed themselues throught good and spare dyet and some of them with a quart of strong wine and spyce And as Herodotus wrote the Babilonians neuer vsed phisicke but all sicke persons were brought into the market place to whom al such as had beene cured of the like disease taught their remedies And there was founde in the temple of Esculapius enregistred all such receites as had beene experimented for to serue in like case For otherwise phisicke consisted in the knowledge of sundry herbes and they were almost all instructed in anatomies and simples as Galen writeth And we see euen very many beastes and birdes to finde out herbes and remedies fit for themselues which they haue taught vnto men with the vse of letting of bloud and glisters Yet they haue alway thought that they are often deceiued when there is nothing but experience without iudgement and contemplation to apply remedies in time and place with other consideration of the age strength or debilitie of person condition maner of liuing the season of the yeare the cause beginning encrease growing and declyning of the disease Asclepiades set all phisicke at nought and counselled only sobrietie to rubbe ouer the whole bodie euery morning and to exercise And some haue compared such as take phisicke to those which driue out the burgesse out of the citie to place strangers there M. Cato feared least the Grecians would sende phisitions to Rome and therefore made some to be banished and driuen thence and expresly forbad his sonne in any wise to vse or deale with theÌ„ as appeareth in a letter he wrote vnto him They in like sort of the same professioÌ„ which since haue crept into Rome were meere strangers the Romaines themselues hauing beene aboue 600. yeares togither without Phisitians since they haue euen abhorred theÌ„ saying their irresolutioÌ„ hazardous aduise which was the very cause that they termed theÌ„ hangmen theeues and so the most part of the citizens endeuored only to be skilful in simples vsing no other drogues then what proceeded froÌ„ nature of their own growing Indeede they had certaine deputies which sent them panniers ful of simples out of the isles which appertained vnto theÌ„ as sundry haue written And were it not that I feare being too tedious I could alledge a great nuÌ„ber of Kings Princes which haue bin very curious in knowing seeking out the property of herbes plants some haue writteÌ„ therof to the great profit of their posterity an immortall glory is remained vnto theÌ„ GaleÌ„ himself writeth that sundry emperours haue gratly studied to attaine vnto the knowledg of simples to adorne that art amidst their busines in sundry places entertained arborysts and in their triumphes caused rare plants to be caried The teÌ„ple of Esculapius was in old time builded without the citie teaching vs therby how we ought to esloyne our selues froÌ„ Phisitians phisick which kind of people Plato could neuer like of except they were surgions meruelous wel experienced thinking it to be a great signe of inteÌ„perancy wher he fouÌ„d any of the other sort And in his dialogue Philosophus he esteemeth phisick to consist only in opinions vncertaine coniectures Nicocles called Phisitians happy men because the Sunne made manifest what good successe soeuer happened in their cures and the earth buried what fault soeuer they coÌ„mitted And some say they are very angry men when they see their neighbours in health not to need them The said Plato and Cato were likewise wont to say that men in doing nothing learned to do ill And Eccl. couÌ„selleth vs to exercise because Idlenes breedeth much euill slothfulnes pouerty which teÌ„teth vs to do ill as Isocrates wrote And Xenophon exhorted Hierom to spend his time in honest exercises to make both his body and mind better disposed And the Athenians ordined a great punishment for idlenes For this cause Scipio was wont to say that he was neuer lesse in rest then wheÌ„ he rested himself vnderstaÌ„ding therby that when he was not busied in publick affaires his owne perticular his study sufficiently held him occupied that in solitarines he coÌ„sulted with himself The wise meÌ„ of the Indies called Gymnosophistes so greatly detested idlenes that they caused euery maÌ„ to render a perticular account of what he had learned or did euery day We read in S. Ambrose in the 82. Epistle of his 10. booke in S. Ierom in sundry treaties and other ecclesiasticall aucthors that monasteries were first ordained for academies scholes of trauaile and exercise as well of the body as of the mind of learning vertue abstinence fasting patience all good exaÌ„ple And the word of the Emperour Seuerus was Trauaillons And the Emperours Adrian Antonius Cyrus Sertorius and sundry other captains haue still kept their men of armes and souldiers yea their very horses in continuall exercise trauaile sobrietie And we reade in the Commentaries of Caesar that his souldiers had no other prouision then corne and a little vineger to mingle with their water and that some would neuer suffer any to bring theÌ„ wine imagining that that made men more nyce effeminate and lesse able to endure paine and trauaile and sheweth as also did Titus Liuius how they sought to cut off all occasions and meanes of delicatenesse and howe the souldiers were all the day long kept to trauaile in workes

Saint Paul ioyneth shamefastnesse and grauitie of which hee desireth Titus to bee the patrone And Ecclesiasti cus willeth them to giue no eare vnto the enchauntrise for feare-of beeing surprised And as wee haue before mentioned offices and riches which are lefte vnto children are sometime the verie cause of their destruction except the knowledge and feare of God bee imprinted within them For this cause Ecclesiastes writeth Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not And Ieremiah in his Lamentations sayeth It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth because young men become vnruely except they be helde short God also sayd of Abraham I know that hee wil command his sonnes and his housholde after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do rightuousnes and iudgement And in Deuteromie I will cause them heare my wordes that they may learne to feare mee all the dayes that they shal liue vpon the earth and that they may teache their children And euery Christian is commaunded to followe al things that are honest towards al men and to auoide all apparances of euil referring all to the glorie of God and betimes to accustome himselfe thereunto to the end that more easily he may broke the stormes of this life and without any trouble wade out of all businesse And to this ende is euery man to beseeche at Gods handes that hee will lighten him through his word and bend his hart therein to obey him From this good education proceedeth great happines obedience to God their King and superiors choyse of vertuous men without money rewardes or offices and euery man perfourmeth his duetie the better in that vocation to which he is called and followeth other lessons and reformations noted at large before CHAP. XLIX Of certaine points which might be added to this discourse THis matter which we haue vndertaken to discourse of is so frutefull and ample that I were able to heap sundrie Chapters one vppon another containing summarily what the office of Kings Prelates Clergie Captaines soldiars merchants and artificers maisters seruants fathers children Iudges counsellers practisers at the law is therein to discouer the abuse and periurie which is vsed in this time There were also verie great meanes to dilate at large of the inconuenience which sophistrie bringeth the which the lawiers terme cauilling when from trueth through some alteration the disputation is brought to that which is most euidently false In old time it was terribly detested for it corrupted all artes and disciplines and bread sundrie heresies and false opinions I were able likewise to set downe howe many cosin themselues which in mariage respect more the wealth and beautie then modestie good education of a mayde and are not so much husbandes vnto their wiues as slaues vnto their wealth for which they abandon that commaundement and authoritie which God and all lawes haue aforded vnto them ouer their wiues ouer whome they ought to rule not as the lorde ouer his seruant but as our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ doeth ouer his Church and the soule ouer the bodie through a mutuall loue and reciprocrate affection wherewith he is tyed vnto it And Salomon calleth the contract of marriage the contract of God as more excellent than any other Lycurgus Solon and the twelue lawes ordained that maydens should be marryed without dower for the causes before specified And some haue written of the Aegiptians that if any receiued money with his wife he remained as a slaue vnto her And in Plautus he which was cast in the teeth that he had nothing with his wife aunswered that if euerie one would do like him there would be better agreement and amitie among the citizens and their wiues woulde honour them much more and be lesse chargeable vnto them Strabo commended the lawes of the Massiliens which forbad him which was richest to giue with his daughter aboue one hundred crownes and ten for her apparel and iewels And it were verie requisite that the good lawes in France made to this ende mought be better obserued And likewise as a matter depending hereunto there were ministred verie great occasion of reprehending and detesting such as they terme tyers of pointes which oppose themselues against that holie contract and ordinance of God and his commaundement and are the cause of diuorces enmities whoredomes and other euils combating with the Maiestie of God and damning themselues through a secret alliance which they make with Sathan It were not also much out of the way to shewe what a pernitious lye they incurre which from the byrth of their daughter bring her vp so delicate that shee is lesse fit to performe the part of a good houswife and is alwayes more sickely seruing rather as a picture or dead image then fit to holde that place which shee ought And to declare withall the great iniurie which weomen offer vnto their children in denying that milke vnto them with which they were nourished within their wombe with great paine and greefe drying vp that holy fountaine of their breastes giuen of God to that ende bannishing their children into the handes of a strange nource often times a whore drunke pockie and euill conditioned of which the saide children sauour all their life long as wee see by experience too much Lampidius writeth that Titus was subiect to sundrie diseases by reason of his Nurce And Dion that Caligula was the more cruell by the nature of his Nurce and that shee rubbed the end of her teat with bloud And that Tiberius sundrie other were giuen to wine hauing bin weaned with sops steped in wine The which we see in lambs nourished by goats in seeds fruits which hold of the earth I leaue al other reasons recited by Aulus Gellius And for as much as an Embassadour sent from a Prince is as his eye his eare his tongue bindeth him by what he promiseth it had not bin impertinent to haue discoursed how in choise to be made of him his honestie age experience integritie learning dexteritie grauitie ought to be considered because by his carryage of himself traine strangers do ofteÌ„ time iudge of the whole nation as if he had bin chosen out of the moste excellent And it were verie conuenient to send with him some nuÌ„ber of yong geÌ„tlemeÌ„ wel brought vp to make them capable of the like charges to learn the passages fashions alliances maners of the countrie to fyle pollish their own brayne with strangers I coulde also describe the inconueniences which arise by Masques which disguise both the bodie minde causeth great impudencie the verie cause of so manylyes vncomly speaches of the execution of so great wickednes S. Ciprian entreating of the apparell of virgins alleageth to this purpose the exaÌ„ple of Iudges who wheÌ„ he saw Thamar iudged her a

and engendreth within vs an amendment of life readie obedience and loue towardes God and our neighbour giueth vnto vs the hope of eternal life and of obtaining what we ask at Gods hands rendreth our conscience peaceable maketh vs to perseuere in the good giueth vnto vs a boldnes to addresse our selues to the throne of grace bringeth with it selfe a constancie and pacience in all aduersities and comforteth vs cleane remouing away all feare anguish vexation of minde For this cause God is called by S. Paul in the beginning of his second Epistle to the Corinthians The God of mercie and consolation And in the sixth to the Ephesians he doth exhort vs to take vpon vs the shielde of faith wherewith we may quench all the fierie dartes of the wicked CHAP. 3. Properties of the truth and how much it is requisite in a Prince and Clergie SAint Paul recommendeth this trueth vnto vs as an especiall and principall part of the armour required to be worne by a Christian Knight and as a bulwarke against all assaults And most excelent is that saying in the 8. chapter of the prophesie of Zecharie where hee exhorteth Euerie man to speake the trueth vnto his neighbour and as the bodie bereft of the soule is nought else then stinking carrion so man depriued of this trueth is no better then a verie infection and filthie carkasse For this cause Plato in his commonwealth ordained for a lawe that aboue all thinges the truth might be preserued And Xenophon bringing in a good Prince vnder the person of K. Cyrus requireth especialy that he be founde true This was also the first lesson which Aristotle taught Alexander the great And Isayah setteth downe a King to reigne in Iustice and a Prince to rule in Iudgement being as an hiding place from the winde and as a refuge for the tempest And a byshop of Cologne declared to Fredoric the Emperour that the bare worde of a Prince ought to be of as great weight as other mens othes and that the trueth ought to bee his chiefest ornament The aunsweare which Charles the fift Emperour made vnto such as would haue perswaded him by no meanes to sende backe Luther being come vnto him vnder his safe conduit is greatly praised saying that though the performance of promises were cleane banished the face of the earth yet it should be kept by an Emperour Our Sauiour also in manie places of the Euangelistes commaundeth vs in any wise to keepe truth and nameth himselfe the sonne of Iustice and the essentiall truth On the other side the Diuell is called a lyer and the father thereof to the end that euerie one abyding in God who is the soueraigne good and hauing him for a father Lorde Sauiour and Protectour might be founde true and that we should not serue so wicked a murtherer and cruell deceauer as Sathan and that we shoulde abhor lying with which he onely serueth his turne to extinguish the light of the truth the onely life of the soule And Iob sayth that the wicked abhor the light they knowe not the wayes therof nor continue in the pathes thereof The Catholique Church is likewise called of S. Paul The pillar and grounde of trueth And Lactantius calleth it the fountaine of trueth house of faith and temple of God into which who so doth not enter is cleane shut vp from anie hope of eternall life For out of her is there no saluation to be found but euen as it fared with them that were without the Arke of Noah in the time of the flood And our religion hath beene founded vppon faith which dependeth of this truth which alone hath much more vertue than Cicero would attribute to Philosophie as in casting out of spirits remouing vaine solitarinesse deliuering vs from lusts and chasing away all feare For she teacheth vs the true seruice of God how to worshippe his mightinesse admire at his wisedome loue his bountie trust vnto his promises and rule our life according vnto his holie will She cleareth and giueth light vnto the course of reason thorough the knowledge of thinges and guideth our will vnto the true good and taketh away the clowdes of our vnderstanding as it is saide the North winde doth in the ayre And wee daylie see that the afflicted and wretched innocent taketh his greatest comfort in that the trueth is of his side And this truth causeth that parte of our vnderstanding wherein reason lyeth to rule and our will affections and like partes willingly obey thereto and suffer themselues to be gouerned therby And we may the rather be termed men in neare approching to God our patron For all the doctrine of the lawe tendeth to ioyne man through holinesse of life vnto his God as Moyses in Deutronomy sayth to make him leane vnto him For neither the worlde nor anie other creature can make man happie but he alone which made him man And thorough this truth are we deliuered from false opinions and ignorance and in al actions she is the light to guide vs froÌ„ stumbling and bringeth foorth all vertues And since that the end of Grammer is to speake aptly and agreeably and the end of speech societie of Rhethoricke to carrie all mens mindes to one opinion And of Logicke to finde out a truth amidst manie falshoodes all other artes doe likewise tende to this trueth And let vs make our senses to serue our vnderstanding and that vnderstanding of ours to serue him by whom it is and doth vnderstand And since this truth is a light her propertie is to chase away the darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance of our vnderstandings and to reioyce and comfort vs as the sunne rising doth to Pilgrims except they be such as our Sauiour spoke of who loue darkenesse more then the light which maketh vs to perceaue what hath beene hidden from vs. And men are more afraide to do amisse by day then by night and we are better able to guide our selues and can yeelde a better testimonie of what we haue seene as our Sauiour sayde in S. Iohn we speake that we knowe and testifie that we haue seene CHAP. 4. Extremities in the truth and how men may speake of themselues and of that which they vnderstande and that men ought not to publish anie writing but of their owne inuention and to some purpose nor to attribute to themselues the honour of a thing well done SInce that this trueth is approued to be a vertue she ought to hold a mediocritie to be set betweene two vitious extremities of either too little or too much as it is saide of the rest of the vertues which make them selues more apparaunt in gayning vnto themselues by those actions which consist in the middest of two contrarie vices as doeth the true tune among discords The excesse and ouerplus shal proceede of arrogancie pride vaunting disdain insolencie

the lawe consisteth in the loue towardes God and our neighbour And wee reade in manie places of Cicero and others that the better a man is the lesse he tendeth al his actions to his owne profit and the more he doth studie to serue God and his commonwealth Plato himselfe wrote to Architas that man was borne for his parents friends and countrey in sort that the least part of him remaineth to himselfe and for this cause man is named a ciuill and communicatiue creature And as S. Paule wrote Iesus Christ was borne for vs to the ende that they which liue should not liue anie more vnto themselues but to him which dyed for them And exhorteth vs no more to purchase after our owne profitte but that which may concerne our neighbour and that we be made rich in good workes which he calleth a treasure and foundation to come In which doing we shall followe the pathes of truth and shalbe counted most happie especially if wee retire our affections from vncleannesse from whence Nilus an auncient byshop sayde a smooke proceeded which blacked the soule with sowte There be then two sorts of Christians the one in name and profession only the other in effect The first care not but for their bodie honours riches and pleasure without ought regarding the feare of God The other with all their affection dedicate themselues to God at whose hand they take all in good parte and despise the worlde louing God and his woorde and commaundementes and of these Isayah writeth that they which shall see them shall knowe they are the blessed seede of the Lord and in another place he calleth a naughtie conscience a narrowe bed in which a man cannot well stretch out his bodie nor lie at ease for he which hath a wounded conscience can neuer finde out anye condition place or state that is not too little for him and which may anye wayes content him This is the cause why Dauid requireth at Gods hande to set at large his imprisoned heart that is to say that he will do him the grace to cause him to haue a sound and neate conscience I will not here forget that as God is honoured by the good life of the faithfull according as the holy scripture witnesseth so is he blasphemed and dishonoured thorough wickednesse And there is no doubt but the behauiour of Christians haue caused the Turkes and Infidels euen to detest the true religion Lopes a Spaniard and Beuzo a Millannese and other that haue written of the historie of America and the West Indies haue beene constrayned to confesse that the crueltie couetousnesse blasphemies and wickednesse of the Spaniardes hath altogether alienated the poore Indians from the religion which the said Spaniards gaue out they held for true who did not long enioye those goods which by detestable meanes they had there gathered And all men write that they were lesse worthe then the Idolatrous Indians The cruell handling of those Indians and that which the Turke did to them of Asia Africa and part of Europe who liued as we doe the Turke notwithstanding being the farther are set before our eyes as an example to the end that we should change our selues and seeing the behauiour of Christians and their obstinacie to vice wee shoulde looke but euen for such cursednesse and miseries as we reade they haue beene enwrapped and fallen into And wee may well say that we touch euen neare the end of the worlde alreadie quaking and doting thorough old age and full of the wrincles of lying which notwithstanding can not obscure the sonne of trueth nor take away the light of them which feare God which see and loue the way which we ought to follow to attaine to life eternal And that we neede not further wander wee must exercise our selues in reading of good bookes in prayer fasting and workes of godlinesse And as Xenophon writing of the dewtie and office of an esquire warneth him aboue all thinges to beseeche at Gods hande to make his thought speech and deedes such as shall be agreeable vnto him and contentment to all his friendes and honourable and profitable to his commonwealth without molesting of anie man by farre greater reason the Christians ought to praye vnto God without intermission that he will teach them his will and dresse their pathes to loue and feare his name When a man speaketh of good woorkes it is thereby meant such as are furthest from all superstition and hypocrisie and proceede from a fayth woorking thorough charitie and a pure heart witnessing the great bountie and excellencie thereof and profiting our neighbours referring all to the glorie goodnesse and grace of God which bringeth foorth in vs good fruites and giueth vnto vs both to will and to performe as saint Paul sayth and crowneth in vs his owne workes CHAP. 8. How much true men haue beene esteemed and that all magistrates ought to be so and of the riches of princes IN Exodus Iethro counselled Moses to appoint rulers ouer the people men of courage fearing God men dealing truely hating couetousnesse and in Egypt the chiefe magistrate euer carried a picture of truth hanging at his necke The which Amian writeth also of the Druydes shewing that a Iudge ought to carie it in his heart his Iudgements and all other his actions And the tablet hanging with two chaines vpon the heart of the high priest whereof mention is made in Exod. 28. and Numbers 3. was called VRIM which signifieth light For the kings in all their actions of importance demaunded counsell of God by his high priest or prophets Pythagoras and Demosthenes esteemed to be trewe and to doe good to another the two most excellent thinges that were giuen from heauen to mankinde And the same Pythagoras being demaunded wherein men were likest vnto God aunswered in trueth And it was a sufficient reason for any thing he said to say He saide it And the great Thebane captaine Epaminondas was most especially praysed because he loued the truth and neuer made lie And Pyndarus praysed him as he did before one Pyttacus a Tarentine for that knowing much he spake little And albeit Pyrrhus was an enimie to the Romaines yet neuerthelesse did he giue this prayse vnto Fabritius that a man might assoone turne him from the truth and honestie as the sunne out of his course And the chiefest prayse which hystoriographers giue to Byshops in time past is that they neuer lyed and in the Psalmes and Apocalyps the saintes were euer honored with this title that a lye was neuer founde in their mouth And Zacharie praysing Ierusalem calleth it the citie of trueth And in the holy scripture this woorde of thinke say or promise is interpreted in God to doe because all which he thinketh sayth or promiseth is surely executed and put in effect Pomponius a friende of Ciceroes was extolled for

in his actions then couragious It were very expedient that were practised which happened in our time in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred fiftie and one betweene Gonstaue King of Sweden and the Moscouite where all those that were occasioners of the warre they had so lightly vndertaken were executed and put to death And not without cause did Pausanias call all the Captaines in the warre both Peloponesians and Greekes murtherers and destroyers of their countrey It is to be desired that the nobilitie of France would accustome themselues to modestie rule order constancie and to mortifie this their great heate to armes and warre vnnecessarie And as the Phisition preuenteth sickenesse thorough small preparatiues and apostumes so beginning with their lesser inclinations choler and passions they may the easilyer attaine to the ende of the more strong and consider that which is written in the life of Saint Augustine that hee would neuer pray for such as of their owne voluntarie motion had beene at a strange warre and greatly reproued as saint Cyprian did Donatus and others that killing of a priuate man was in perticuler punished but he who had slaine manie in warre was greatly praysed In Titus Liuius Scipio sheweth to King Masinissa that a man ought not so muche to doubt his enemies armed as those pleasures which render a man effeminate and vnconstant It was wisely sayde of an auntient man that the foundations of all counsels and actions ought to leane to pietie iustice and honestie without vsing of anie headinesse I woulde willingly giue that counsell to French men which Archidamus gaue vnto the Aeoliens meaning to ayde the Argians in their warre within a letter contayning onely these woordes Quietnesse is good And sayde vnto suche as praysed him for the victorye hee had obtayned agaynst the Argiens it had beene more worthe to haue ouercome them by wisedome then by force Xenophon writing of the actes of the Greekes sheweth that all wise men abstayne the moste they are able from warre albeit they haue thereunto iust occasion And that sayinge of sundrye Emperours was verye famous that warre ought not to bee taken in hande without great neede And the Emperour Augustus was woont to say that a warre which were good must be commaunded by the Goddes and iustified by Philosophers and wise olde men For the time seruing for lawes for armes is diuerse as Caesar sayd to Metelius And we haue had too good experience howe much God the weale publicke order and iustice hath beene offended herewith And warre hath beene called a gulfe of expence and a cruell tyrant ransacking the people and peace ordred with good pollicie as a good king moderating charge and excesse And as Horace feygneth that the place into which Eolus shut his windes being open the sea is troubled in euerie part so by the opening of warre partialitie insolencie and all vices manifest themselues And warres are nought else then a horrible punishment of a whole people a ruine of a whole countrey state and discipline And wisely did Spartian write howe Traian was neuer vanquished because he neuer vndertooke warre without iust cause The very which Titus Liuius declareth of the Romaines in the ende of the first Decade Otho the Emperour chose rather to die than to rayse a ciuill warre For which men likewise prayse Zeno the Emperour and Cicero in his Philippiques calleth him which is desirous thereof a detestable citizen I am also of opinion that the conuersation with the Muses and studie of good letters would render the nobilitie more aduised and constant as we haue well marked else where And am not of the Swissers minde which thinketh too much studie marreth the braine nor of the Almaynes who in the time of Galienus the Emperour after that the citie of Athenes was taken kept them from setting a fire a great heape of bookes they had there made saying let vs leaue them to the Greekes to the ende that applying themselues to them they may be lesse proper for the warre For the reading of good bookes as Alexander the great and diuerse other of the most valiant captaines sayde maketh the nobilitie more hardie and wise and contayneth them within the boundes of their dutie And what good nature soeuer a captaine be of he falleth into an infinite number of faults for want of reading of good books And that being true which diuerse haue written of Xenocrates that he did so pearce the heart of his auditors that of dissolute persons they became temperate and modest what ought wee to iudge of the instructions taken out of the holy letters And as some haue counselled before they sleepe they are to demaund of themselues a reason and account of that which they shall haue gayned of modestie grauitie constancie and facilitie of complexions It is written of Socrates that when he was drye he would neuer drinke but first he wold cast out the first bucket ful of water that he drew out of the well to the ende sayde he that he might accustome his sensuall appetite to attende the fit time and oportunitie of reason Theophrastus sayd that the soule payd well for her hyer to the bodie considering what shee there suffred But Plutarke writeth that the body hath good cause to coÌ„plaine of the noyses which so greuous and troublesome a guest maketh him which notwithstanding is within the body as in a sepulcher or den which she ought to guide being before lightned by the truth and ruling her selfe according to it both in respect of her owne safetie and of her hostes I would also counsell them to shunne all dissolutenes be it in bitter or vilanous wordes vncomely garmentes and vnshamefast countenance For it is all one in what part soeuer of the bodie a man shew his vnshamefastnes vanitie pride and lightnesse And the Lacedemonians were highly commended because they banished a Milesian out of their citie for going too sumptuously appareled We ought also rather to desire to be vertuous then to seeme to vse wisedome and descretion in all assayes auoyding debates and selfewill without witnessing whether it be true or false not hurtfull following the precept of Epictetus in yeelding vnto the greater sort perswading the inferiours with sweetenesse and modestie consenting to the equall to the end to auoyde quarelles Aboue all thinges wee ought to enforce our selues to tame our couetous desires and concupiscences especially where libertie to take and enioye them is offred vnto vs and to accustome our selues to patience meekenesse in keeping vnder the desire of reuenge knowing as the great Monarch Alexander was woont to saye that it is a signe of a more heroycall heart and prayse worthye for a man that hath receaued an iniurie to pardon his enemie then to kill him or reuenge himselfe vpon him And that reuenge proceeded of a basenesse of minde and vertue consisted in matters hardly reached vnto And it

vnto him Saint Ambrose happening into a rich mans house and vnderstanding that he had euery thing as he would wish it neuer hauing occasion of disquiet or anger presently departed fearing least hee shoulde bee partaker of some misfortune anon after was the house swalowed vp with an earthquake Saint Ierome alledgeth an auncient prouerbe that a riche man is either wicked of himself or heire to a wicked man And he wrote vnto Saluia that euen as pouertie is not meritorious if it be not borne with patience no more are riches hurtful if they be not abused The which S. Chrisostom in his homelie of the poore man and the rich more amply entreateth of CHAP. XIIII Of the care which men haue had that youth might be instructed in the trueth PArents haue beene commanded to bring vp and instruct their children but especially to teach them how to knowe and feare God in Exodus Chap. 12. 13. Deut. 4.6 7. in Saint Paul to the Ephes 6. in sundry Psalms In Persia Lacedemonia and sundrie other prouinces the most vertuous graue and learned men had the charge of the education instruction of youth and endeuoured most especially to make them true and hate lying following Platoes counsell in sundrie of his treatises And in Alcibiades he writeth that there was giuen vnto the Princes of Persia their children a tutor which had care aboue all things to make them loue the trueth for of the foure vertues which concerne manners to wit Prudence Iustice Fortitude Temperance the trueth especiall draweth neere vnto Iustice which rendreth vnto euerie one what appertaineth vnto him and kepeth equality being the spring and foundation of all vertue and preseruer of the societie of man Which was the cause that in time past they had so great care to teach their children togither with their mothers milke a habite and custome to be true and hate lying dissembling and hypocrisie and that they imploy that time which is giuen vnto them to all matters of vertue and reforme them making them more aduised and capable to serue God the common wealth and their parents Diuers Emperours haue been greatly praised for erecting of common scholes the better to instruct youth to discerne truth from lying And those Princes which gaue stipends to scholemasters were accounted to haue don more good to the common wealth then they which ordained wages for Physitions because the former bettered the wit the other onely the bodie which is the lesser parte and of lesse account For this cause Alexander the Emperour Commenes and diuers other are recommended to famous memorie for prouiding for all things necessarie to scholemasters readers and poore scholers Great account was made of the speache of Leo the Emperour who wished that scholemasters might receiue the paye of men of armes Guichardin writeth that sundrie Popes gaue consent to the Venetians to gather money of the Clergie the better to encourage and find scholers in learning And there were in the olde time certain persons chosen out of the quarters wardes of good townes which they called Sophronistes who had a continuall charge and care to controll moderate and rule the manners of youth which being well instructed all things prosper more fortunately and euery one doth his duetie without neede of any more lawes For as Diogenes said and since Cicero Learning is the temperance of youth the comfort of old age standing for wealth in pouertie and seruing for an ornament to riches as more at large is discoursed of hereafter CHAP. XV. How requisite it is to speake little and not to blase a secrete with aduise vppon newes inuented and of that which is to be spoken ECclesiasticus doeth counsell vs to vse but fewe words because manie multiply vanitie and a man of good vnderstanding speaking litle shalbe much honored Pithagoras willed all those he receiued into his schoole to tarrie fiue yeares before they spoke And it is euer seene that children which are long before they speake in the end do euer speak best as amoÌ„g manie it is written of Maximilian the first that they which cannot hold their peace doe neuer willingly giue eare to ought And by a good occasion one made answere to a prater It is great maruel that a man hauing feet can endure thy babling And those that haue beene long time past haue saide that men taught vs to speake but the Gods to hold our peace as also it is written in the Prouerbs that God hath the gouernement of the tongue and that a wise men doth euer hold his peace he that can countermaund his mouth keepeth his own soule Ioyned with all that by a light worde oftentimes great paine is endured whereas scilence doth not onely no-whit alter but is not at al subiect to accounte nor amendes For this cause one being asked why Lycurgus made so fewe lawes aunswered that such as vsed fewe words had no neede of many lawes and woulde accustome their youth to deedes and not to writing And the great K Francis made aunswere to one that asked pardon for one speaking euil of him if hee will learne to speake litle I wil learne to pardon much And Cicero in his booke of the Oratour writeth that Cato and Piso esteemed breefenes a great praise of eloquence so as thereby they make themselues to bee fully conceiued Among such as speake much I comprehende following the opinion of them of olde time such as speake either what is hurtfull or serueth to no ende or as Saint Paul calleth them thinges pleasing for the time which doe no whit edifie Plutarque setteth vs down certaine Geese and Plinie certaine Cranes which when they passe ouer Cicilie vppon the mount Taurus fill their becke full of flintes for feare of making any noyse least they shoulde serue for a praye to the Eagles that are there The like experience wee haue had of Quailes after haruest in France Aristotle sending Calistenes a kinsman and friend of his to Alexander counselled him to speake but little which he not obseruing it fared with him but badlye Simonides was wont to saye that hee repented himselfe oftentimes in speaking but neuer in holdinge his peace The which Valerius attributeth to Xenocrates folowing the rule which is in our lawe that those thinges hurte which are expressed but not such as are not And Apollonius saied that many words breede often times offence but that holding ones peace was the more sure Greatly was the breefenes of the Lacedemonians praysed in their letters as amongest other thinges of a Prince which put in his aunswere but this worde No and that which wee touched aboue of Archidamus to the Aeoliens disswading them from warre saying that quietnesse is good And K. Philip the faire aunswering a letter of Adolphe the Emperor gotten by the Englishmen in al his pacquet had but these two wordes too much

other greater authours then they are condemned of lying as we haue marked in the Spaniardes before which haue written the history of the new world and of the west Indies who couer and make lesse their owne excesse and incredible vilanies the greatest part of them beeing reuenged and punished thorough the iust iudgement of God The Englishmen haue somewhat runne awry in handling the affaires on this side the sea Paulus Iouius was wont to say that to doe fauour to such great personages as gaue him pensions he set thinges downe in such sort as they that liued in that time were well inough able to discouer them mary the posterity should hold them for true And in truth sundrye historiographers of all times thorough ignoraunce hatred couetousnes or ambition take a colour to warrant their lying and disguising vpon a beleefe they haue that few shall bee able to discerne their coseninges And for because thorough this error of discourse they name sundry wise and prudent which in deed haue beene most wicked and blame french men that haue bene vertuous of a good conscience and haue ended their liues honestlye and laudablye condemning them of fole hardines and vice men ought therin to carry a good sound and right iudgement Considering that such authours doe not alwaies measure the maners and actions of men according to the vnmooueable rule of the worde of God and morall philosophy nor distinguish the vitious by the intention or conscience but onely by the issue dexteritie and industrye or rather subtiltye of such as know how to applie each thing to the end which they pretend neuer regarding whether it be honest laudable and iuste or no. They do not in respect of the french men referre any of their actes at all to vertue if they be not led thereto by that which they account prudence but rather to rashnes as they doe in regarde of their owne nation imputing their owne actes of cowardnesse basenes of minde disceat dissembling treason crueltie disloyaltie infidelity and ambition to wisedome and prudence Neuerthelesse here we may well consider for what cause they haue made the like comparison of french men that Antigonus did of Pirrhus to a gamester whome the dise fauoured well but knew not how to serue him selfe of those chaunces that happened vnto him for that loke what he got by the effect he loste thorough hope coueting in such sort what he had not that he cleane forgot to assure himselfe of what he had gained because they are more ready to get then wise to keepe and that by feates of armes they make braue conquestes but they preserue them but a while not knowing that a countrye conquered by such as obserue not discipline is both vnprofitable and hurtfull Therefore they coniecture that valour and dexteritie in armes is a greate matter but that nobility not brought vp in learning nor in reading of histories hath not this wisedome to moderate it selfe and to prouide by suche meanes as they ought to take to bee able in peace to conserue what they haue conquered and suffer themselues to bee led by the coloured wordes of their enemies who after that the firste fire and french boyling is extinguished they know wel inough how to vse their occasion and serue their owne turnes with the ignoraunce of such as esteeme nought but armes without running ouer the courses held by their auncestors in keeping their conquestes and vsing of their victories as we haue but too manye examples which is the cause that Caesar writeth in his Commentaries that french men are more hardie and couragious then fine in warre which they make great account of ioynct that they giue them selues more to the hope which they take of conquering then they doe to anye feare of losing Euery man confesseth that men differ from beastes in reason if this good nature be not manured with the reading of histories good letters what other thing is it theÌ„ a pretious stone hid in a donghil We ought to account the saying of K. Theodoric true that what was begon with good aduise prudence preserued with care is of long lasting strong And if victories be not made sure with temperance prudence they dim through some vnloked for accident the glorye which was before gotten and in short time loseth the whole fruit through insolency carelesnes delicacies arrogancy violentnes of taking vp of lodging yet to be well entreated in capacity of a gouernor couetousnes confusioÌ„ to make no distinction betwene persons in giuing taking away or changing and somtime a coÌ„mandement amisse conceaued an ordinance ill executed rashnes vanity of speach carrieth the victorye awaye cleane vnto such as before seemed already vanquished And a marueilous prudence is required to foresee an innumerable number of other accidentes in matters of warre and sometime to apply counsell to necessitye beeing no lesse the dutye of a valiaunt Captaine to shew him selfe wyse in his actions then couragious to the end hee approoue deliberation lesse difficile and daungerous and cleane reiecte all rashe counselles attendinge likewyse the oportunities of times and ripenesse of occasions not for all that presupposing for certayne those perilles that are vncertaine beeing more afrayde then he ought calling hope no lesse to his counsell then feare Cirus likewise in the ende of the seuenth booke of the Pedion of Xenophon thought it a matter more laudable to keepe then to get because often tymes in conquestes is nothinge but hardinesse but a bodie can not conserue what hee hath taken without temperaunce continence care and diligence besides valour And as it is a greater greefe to become poore then neuer to haue beene riche so is it to lose more bitter then neuer to haue gotten I doe not thinke that garrisons serue to so great an ende as if the conquerours shew them selues meeke and louers of good thinges and that no thing can succeede well to suche as abandon vertue and honestie Aristotle dedicatinge his Rhetorique to Alexander writeth vnto him that as the bodye is entertayned thorough a good disposition so is the witte by discipline and erudition which were the causes that not onelye hee had euer an addresse to doe well but also to conserue what he had gotten It is likewise requisite that we put the sayde reading in vse and practise thereby to becomme more vertuous wise and aduised and that we conferre thinges passed with the present and such as might ensue and to apply examples to the rule of veritye iustice and equitye And albeit that Sainct Augustine attributed much to histories yet doth he adde that hee can not see how all that which is written by the witte of man can bee in euerie point true consideringe that all men are lyers and that it commeth to passe often tymes that they which follow the reason of man in anye historie builde vppon the brutes of the vulgar sorte and are abused by the

touched doth euer forecast cruell thinges It is written of Nero and certaine other that they were of an opinion that the earth did open before them and sawe the shadowes of such as they had caused to die readie to torment them Guichardin writeth of Alphonsus K. of Naples that neither night nor day he could rest in his spirite thinking the very heauens elements had conspired against him that in sleeping the ghosts of such as he had put to death seemed to appeare vnto him in the day thought his subiects to rise to do vengeance vpon him which was the cause that he did not abide the coÌ„ming of the Frenchmen Plutarke sayth that the soules of Tyrantes are composed of arrogancy and crueltie and Demosthenes is of opinion that they be enemies to libertie lawes And Artemidorus describeth the visions and fearefull dreadfull dreames which haue affrighted the wicked The which ought to moue all Princes to feare God to subiect theÌ„selues vnto the laws of nature euen as they desire the obedience of their owne subiects procuring their good vnitie and quiet reuenging their iniuries charging theÌ„ with as little as they may bestowing their gouernments vpon vertuous persons giuing good wages without selling of offyces as the Emperours Alexander Seuerus Pertinax sundry of our kings diuers other haue greatly recommended vnto vs. And Claudius the Emperour was wont greatly to thanke such as hee had prouided for offices for that they being men worthie and capable of them would accept them It were also a very great prayse if men would not so easily dispence with the holy ordinaunces and especially those that touch age and forbid two of one parentage to be of one chamber and bed as also it is reported in the Commentaries of Caesar that it was a matter straightly forbidden at Authun Such ordinances likewise as haue beene renewed through pollicie the garmentes banquetes and iustice would breede great quietnesse were they well obserued And if according to the disposition of the lawe for euery matter contayned in the Kinges letters which should not be founde trewe there were a good fine set according to the condition of those which so greatly abuse the fauors of the Prince And were it not that I feared to offend such as reape profit and commoditie by the seale I would desire that those restitutions remedies which the law doth giue might be accorded by the ordinary iudges without letters For as the Emperours and lawyers haue said what neede one trouble a Prine or be too importunate vpon him for that which the law of it selfe permitteth And al policie tendeth to a publicke profite as we haue heretofore noted It were likewise an ordinaunce verie laudable that all offyces were bestowed by an election made of three persons to the most capable of which the kinge should giue the estate that is voyde without anye money For the sale of offyces is an occasion of sundrie mischiefes as Aristotle declareth in his Politicques There are likewise a greate number which following the first ordynaunces are verye desyrous to see those sayde offyces and estates to bee once agayne reduced to their auncient number and what euer were superfluous to bee suppressed as neare as possible mought be for that the ouer greate number of Iudges and gouernours as Plato sayeth is an occasion of great disorder The Kinge in like sorte shoulde ease himselfe of manie importunities and great if he would cause a role to be made of such benefices offyces and charges as are vacant and within one moneth or a little after they be voyde to prouide good seruauntes and woorthie members to occupie the same And hee should deserue great prayse if he would cause his places vpon the frontiers to be well furnished and fortifyed and the high wayes to be amended and repayred as the sayd Emperour Traian did other Lords and commonwelthes And should greatly coÌ„fort his subiectes if he would cause all superfluous ordinances to be reiected and which are no more in vse and leaue a little volume of such as are necessarie And for as muche as the offices of Mareschal chiefe and gouernour require a farre more great wisedome and experience the faults which they should commit being of so great importance they ought not to be bestowed vpon young men that are not experienced of whose vertue there is no further proofe then fauour but vpon well tryed Captaines and men of yeares As also hee ought to take the like order in the principall offyces of iudgement and among the generals of reuenewes of the iustice of Monyes procurers generall and Commissioners of warre And aboue all thinges Princes ought to measure their actions by the standard of their lawes to be gracious maintayners of godlinesse iustice and faith pitifull to the oppressed modest in prosperitie patient and constant in aduersitie courteous vnto the good and terrible vnto the wicked to flatterers tale caryers and coyners of newe inuentions cleane abolishing all occasion that might tende to moue sedition trouble and dissention matters leading men to vproares armes and partialities cleane dismembring the dew obedience we owe vnto our soueraigne Aristotle comprehendeth all the publicke vices vnder this worde inequalitie which seuereth the heartes of the people therefore it is requisite a geometricall equalitie be kept to meate with such miscontentmentes for if the entreatie which is made between diuers persons be temperate and well proportioned then peace ensueth thereon if it be dissolute and out of proportion warres commotions and dissentions arise thereupon And albeit there be no agreement betweene light and darkenesse nor betweene Christ and Belial as S. Paule writeth in 2. to the Corinthians and that euerie good man ought to desire a vnitie in religion yet doe I greatly commende their wisedome who seeing the vrgent necessitie that France hath of a long and quiet peace to the which the King hath nowe guided it as a shippe in mayne sea often times sore brused with stormes and tempestes are not of opinion it should be againe put to the mercie and iniurie of the waues and the rage of bloystering windes of partialities and diuisions which so long time haue tossed too and fro this state nor that the edictes should bee broken hauing so many times beene sworne vnto and published after hauing taken the aduise of the whole bodie of the Kinges priuie counsell and of the principall soueraygne courtes of the whole Realme as a man may saye besides an infinite number of reasons founded vpon that which the Emperours Constantine Licinius Nerua Gratian and sundrie other Emperours haue doone in respect of the necessitie of the time thereby to be the better able to establish peace and quietnesse so better preserue their owne estate I leaue the Turke which doth not at all enforce the consciences of the Christians yea and some religious persons in the holy mount aunciently called Athos

rebuked vice Sundry Emperours haue done the like We haue sundry examples in the scriptures of Baasha for killing the Prophet Iehu because he tolde him the truth Likewise of Achab Asa Ioas and Ozias 1. King 22.2 Paral. 18.16.24 26. of Sedichias of Ioachim and of the princes of Iuda Ierem. 23.32 38. But as the wise man saith in the Prouerbes in the end he shall be conned more thanke which rebuketh then he that deceaueth by flattery Notwithstanding euery man according as his vocation the times the persons and places will permit him ought to declare the truth to such as he seeth neede with an intention to profit instruct theÌ„ without any choler disdain immodesty or other passioÌ„ mingling with the bitternes of reprehension the sweetnes of some praises A man ought likewise to consider that the egernes and sharpnes of biting wordes especially spoken to one that is in aduersity profiteth nothing being a kinde of incontinencie of a tong mingled with malignitye and a will to iniury carrying a very declaration of enmitye which is the cause that they which vse it hurt them selues As did Antiphon about Dyonisius the tyraunt where a dispute beeing helde betweene them what brasse was best he aunswered that whereof the Athenians made the statuas of Armodius and Aristogiton for this soure aunswer caused him to be put to death And as Plutarque sayde in the life of Phocion euen as the honye which is sweete of his owne nature engendreth greefe and payne beeing applyed to partes infected so doe true admonitions the more prouoke such as are in misery if they bee not well sweetned and mingled with pitye and consolation Clytus an auncient Captaine of Alexanders maye serue for an example who was slayne for vsinge too arrogant an admonition In lyke sort one ought not at the boarde to vse such reprehensions as make men knitte the browes forgetting the occasion and place of pleasure and there is required a dexteritie as it is written of Socrates who beeinge desired at a feaste to speake and discourse of his arte it is not now time sayde he to discourse of what I knowe and in that for which the tyme now serueth I am no whit skilfull in And when Damaratus was arryued in Macedonia during the time that king Philip was fallen out with his Wyfe and Sonne the kinge hauinge saluted and embraced him demaunded of him if the Greekes agreed well one with an other Demaratus who was verye familiar with him aunsweared it becommeth you very well O kinge to enquire of the concorde of the Athenians and Peloponesians in the meane time suffer your owne house to be so full of discord and diuision A captiue which the sayde Philip caused to be solde to him that woulde giue moste bad him in his eare to let downe the fore part of his robe because hee shewed what was not comelye to bee discouered the whiche was the cause of his deliuerie An other beeing taken for a spie sayde vnto him that he came to espie his follye in that without necessity he put both his realme and life in hasard Some haue compared reprehensions to the remedies of the splene which ought to be souer and sharpe so truth told in fit oportunitie is profitable and is of such force as Eschines saide that shee surpassed all the cogitations of man And Menander wrote that shee commeth into light although shee be not sought for and defendeth her selfe easely against all the deceates craftinesse and wilines of men And in the disputation that was held before Darius truth was found the greatest and most strong for euer S. Augustin in the citie of God lib. 2. c. 19 calleth her an eternall victorye and in the question 108 ex vtr he sayth that It is better to be ouercome of the truth then to be willing to surmount her in vaine To which purpose may very well serue the summarie description of the table which Apelles painted after he was eschaped out of a false accusation and an extreame daunger He had pictured a Iudge with the eares of an Asse hauing on the one side two Ladies Ignoraunce and Suspition before him stood false accusation with a countenaunce full of rage and furie holding in the left hande a burning torche and with the right pulled a young man by the heare lifting vp his eyes and handes to heauen neare vnto whome was a man painted looking pale earthly and a squint which was enuie two damsels followed false Accusation named Treason and Deceat behind whome stoode a Ladye all wailing and mourning which was Repentaunce which fastened her eye sight vppon a verye fayre Lady intituled Truth declaring by this picture to all Princes and Iudges that they ought not too lightly to beleeue As Alexander closing one of his eares to an accuser sayde he kept the other for him which was accused And it was commaunded Moyses straightlye to forbid the children of Israell lying false accusation and malitious detraction and cause them to keepe iustice equalitie and truth I will not heare omit the aduertisement giuen by wise Plato commended so much by Plutarque that when one founde anye committing anye fault he ought to discende into him selfe and say priuatelye vnto him selfe Am not I such a one To the ende wee may auoyde the like errours When in like sort we woulde iustifie our selues for anye reprehension we mought praye him that did it to reserue that freedome of speach againste he committed a fault him selfe And it was not sayde amisse of them of olde time that the beginning to liue well and repulse ignoraunce was to be reprehended mocked and blamed Sainct Basyl for this cause named reprehension the healing of the soule and in the Prouerbes 25. it is called an ornament of fine gold And in the 29. it is written a man that hardeneth his neck when he is rebuked shall suddainly be destroyed can not be cured And Dauid Psal 41. sayd that it was like the precious baulme We read euen of the Emperours Philip Theodosius and Valentinian that they did great penitence after they were admonished as also did Dauid and other kinges being reprehended by the Prophetes And Sainct Augustine in his booke of recantations acknowledged how he had erred But as Plato sayd that Speusippus corrected other by the example of his owne life so men ought to esteeme those reprehensions that are made without a word speaking thorough a single life irreprehensible and vertuous CHAP. 24. That anger hindereth the truth of the euilles which it bringes with it and of the meanes to resist it PHisitions esteeme the sicknesse very daungerous when the face is disfigured The which we maye saye of choler which altereth the countenaunce speach and all the sences of man It hath beene termed a fury darkning iudgement And as in the darke a man is not able to discerne his kinsman or friende from his enemye so amidst the

receaued an iniurye ought to keepe and obserue as aboue I haue touched and it is onelye longe sufferinge that in the ende byteth And to pardon is a signe of a heroicall and noble heart and as Homer wryteth the more excellent a man is the lesse is his anger burninge and euerye gentle hart is easelye contented Sainct Paule wryteth to the Collossians As the elect of God holye and beloued put on tender mercy kindenesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long suffering forbearing one an other and forgiuing one an other if anye man haue a quarrell to an other euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe yee And aboue al these thinges put on loue which is the bonde of perfection And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which yee are called in one body and be yee amiable They ought to be accounted wise who knowing how apt of their owne inclination they be to choler vse notwithstandinge such remedies as they thinke fit to retyre themselues either in bearing patiently forgetting pardoninge moderating of them selues without beeinge too much mooued or breaking that which is easie to be dashed in peeces of a seruaunt as did Calias and Cotis or in burning their enemies letters before they see them as Pompei did those of Sertorius and Caesar those of Pompei The holye scripture doth often times exhort vs to forbeare one an other And whereas Saint Paule writeth that we shoulde portion a like to one an others charges hee vnderstandeth infirmities Dion after hee had restored his countrie againe to libertye was counselled to put to death one of the greatest enemies that he had now fallen into his handes but he sayd that he had long agoe learned to surmount wrath enuy and all euill will whereof the proofe consisted in behauing ones selfe temperatelye and courteouslye towardes his enemies and that he rather chose to surmount in bountye and courtesie then in power reuenge proceeding from a base minde We ought then to shun all suspicion of contempt and audacity rather casting the fault vppon the ignoraunce mistaking or lacke of those which haue offended vs to the ende we may escape that vengeaunce which is so often forbidden of the Lorde and which proceedeth from the same spring as doth the iniury and offence Notwithstanding that anger is not to be blamed which is vsed sometimes to make men amende when they haue done a fault For as Aristotle writeth in the fourth of his Morales euen as disordinate anger is a fault so is sometime the want of moderate choler or rather hatred of vice And it seemeth that they which are not angrye when it is required at their handes to feare offendours are very euill aduised and expose them selues to manye iniuries For this cause Plato called anger the sinew of the soule for that it serued to encrease valour being moderate and temperate And Aristotle writeth that it is an armour to vertue but such a one as rather mooueth vs then is ought mooued it selfe Lactantius in his booke intituled of the wrath of God c. 17. writeth that it is necessary that those thinges which are nought should displease such as are vertuous persons and that hee which is displeased at euill should be mooued when he seeth it wrought so wee doe decline to vengeaunce not because men haue offended vs but to the end discipline may be kept maners corrected and licentiousnes repressed This kinde of choler is lawfull which as it is necessarye to man for the amendment of lewdnesse so is it found in God of whome man taketh example for as much as we ought to chastise our subiectes so ought God to represse the vices of each one And to bring this to passe it is necessarye that he be angry and that it is naturall and good to be mooued and stirred to wrath Therefore anger ought to be defined a motion of the spirite lifted vp for the repression of sinne For the definition which Cicero maketh of the desire of reuenge is not much different from this but that anger which we call choler or fury ought not to fall within man being a thing vicious vnprofitable Notwithstanding I am of opinion that the diuines will not be of Lactantius his mind in that he attributeth any passion to God for he worketh nothing either with greef or paine The old prouerb holdeth that an Ant will be angry and yet we are not able to discerne when she is moued much lesse in God whose workes are vnsearcheable and passe the capacitye of our vnderstanding Albeit the holy scripture doth often apply it selfe to our fashion of speach who trouble our selues with passions in taking pitie or in punishing or in seeing some disorder And S Paule writeth that of our own nature we are the children of wrath from whence we are deliuered by Christ Iesus our mediatour Dauid sayde Psa 103. that God hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs after our iniquities And Psal 86. he calleth him a pitifull God and mercifull slow to anger and great in kindnes and truth And Psal 145. That the Lord is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his workes The which is likewise repeated in Exodus 34 Numbers 14. Nehemiah 9. Ieremiah 15 Ioel 2. Ionas 4 Nahum 1. A man ought diligently to take heede how he committeth those sinnes which prouoke the wrath of God especially to be no idolatour Deu. 9. 32. nor to tempt God Exod. 17. Psal 78. nor to murmure against his prouidence Nom. 12. 14. nor to be rebellious Deu. 9. nor to shead the bloud of the innocent Math. 25. nor to molest the widowes and fatherlesse Exod. 22. The holy scripture speaketh of the old and new man and of the circumcision of the heart So meant the Philosophers when they sayde we were made of two partes and that he which made the worse subiect vnto the better was counted continent and contrariwise he which made the brutish and vnreasonable part of his mind to preceed and commaunde the more noble was accounted incontinent and worse then it For this cause is it required that thorough the bit of reason we put backe and tame that felonious courage of ours to submit it vnto the moste milde yoke of the holye lawes of God which so much recommendeth vnto vs peace patience and mercy Valerius and others haue written that iniuries are surmounted thorough courtesie and bountye not by the reuenge of a new hatred And Cicero in his Oration for Murena and Demosthenes particularly in that he made before Alexander the great to hinder the siege of Athenes do amply shew that it is an act nearest approching vnto diuinitye to vanquishe ones owne courage represse his wrath moderate victory amplifie the dignity of ones enemy commande ouer ones selfe and not too much to trust in anger a mortall enemy to counsell For as our sauiour Christ sayde the violent that is to say

breake the couenaunt of our fathers And it was wisely set downe by an auncient father that vppon whatsoeuer wee possesse we ought to engraue this title It is the gift of God And S. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Loue enuieth not and if ye bite and deuour on an other take heede least yee be consumed one of an other Notwithstanding whosoeuer he be that is already possessed and replenished with this mischeuous vice of enuie he violateth the dispensation of God is himselfe mightily afflicted at the prosperity good of his neighbour whereas he ought to haue reioysed thereat as though hee had beene partaker thereof and euen as if hee were greeuouslie payned in the eyes he is alwayes offended not able to abide any clearenesse or light but gnaweth consumeth himselfe as the rust doth yron This moued Socrates to terme this vice the filth slime impostume of the soule and a perpetuall torment to him in whom it abideth a venum poyson or quicke siluer which consumeth the marow of the bones taking away all pleasure of the light of rest of meate And the wise man in his prouerbs writeth that enuie is the rotting of the bones and in Iob that it slaieth the idiote and in Ecclesiasticus that it shortneth the life and there is nothing worse then the enuious man And in the Pro. that he shalbe filled with pouerty through enuie man is made incoÌ„patible And Plutarke writeth that it filleth the body with a wicked pernitious disposition and charmeth it selfe bewitching darkning the body the soule the vnderstanding For this cause Isocrates wrote to Enagoras that enuie was good for nothing but in that it tormeÌ„ted theÌ„ which were possessed therwith which euil the enuious do no whit at al feele but contrariwise make it an argument of their vertue As Themistocles in his youth said that as then he had neuer done any thing worthy of memory in that there was no man whom he mought perceiue did any ways enuie him And Thucidides was of opinion that a wise man was euer content to be enuied This passion doth often engender enmitie mislike which is flatly forbidden of God except it be against sinne This was the very cause why the Philosophers did giue vs councell to praise our enemies when they did wel and not to be angry when any prosperitie befell them to the ende we mought thereby be the further off from enuiyng the good fortune of our friends And can there be any exercise in this worlde able to carie a more profitable habite to our soules then that which cleane taketh away this peruerse emulation of ielousie and this inclination to enuie a sister germaine to curiositie reioysing in the harme of an other And yet this is still tormented with an others good Both which passions proceede from a wicked roote and from a more sauage and cruell kinde of passion to wit malice And not without cause did Seneca stande in doubt whether enuie were a more detestable or deformed vice And Bion on a time seeing an enuious man sadde demanded of him whether any euill had betide him or good to an other Neither was enuie amisse described by a Poet imagined to be in a darke caue pale leane looking a squint abounding with gall her teeth blacke neuer reioysing but at an others harme still vnquiet and carefull and continually tormenting her selfe And the same Poetes haue written that the enuious were still tormented by Megera one of the Eumenides and furies Megarein likewise in Greeke is as much to saye as to enuie We ought then to consider that a great part of these thinges which we commonly enuie is attayned vnto by diligence prudence care vertuous actions to the end we should exercise sharpen our desire to honor seeke by al means to attaine to the like good without enuie Some report howe Agis K. of Lacedemon when it was tolde him that he was greatly enuyed by his competitors made aunswere They are doubly plagued for both their owne lewdnes doth greatly torment them and besides are greeued at that good which they see in me mine For enuie both maketh the body to be very ill disposed chaungeth the colour of the countenance therefore was it termed the wiche feuer hepticke of the spirite And as Aristotle Pliny wrote that in the mountaine of Care and in Mesopotamia there is a kind of scorpions and small serpents which neuer offende or harme strangers but yet do deadly sting the natural inhabitants of the place so enuie neuer doth exercise it selfe but vpon such as it most frequenteth and is most priuate with And most wisely was it saide of the auncient fathers that the enuious man is fedde with the most daintie meat for he doth continually gnawe on his owne heart and shorten his life and often times is the cause of great sedition and ruyne Hannibal often times complained that he was neuer vanquished by the people of Rome but by the enuie of the Senate of Carthage as also did that great Captaine Bellisare beeing thereby brought to extreme beggerye I doe not exempt hence their fault who when they haue attayned to any science or perticular knowledge that might be profitable and seruiceable to the common wealth will neuer impart the same to any but choose rather to die and let such a gift receiued from God bee buried with them defrauding their successours and posteritie thereof who shall in the end receiue dewe chastisement therefore the only cause of the losse of so many and excellent inuentions CHAP. XXXX How pride ambition vaine boasting and presumption are lying and how all passions leade cleane contrary to what they pretende and who may be termed men of humilitie and of the meanes which contayneth vs therein DIuers haue set down two impediments as chiefe hinderers of the truth to wit despaire presumption And the wise Bion saide that pride kept men froÌ„ learning profit And Ecclesiasticus termeth it the beginning of sinne And Philo in his booke of the contemplatiue life sheweth that the spring of pride is lying as the truth is of humblenesse And Aristotle wrote in his morales that the proud boasting man doth faine things to be which indeed are not or maketh theÌ„ appeare greater then they are wheras the desebler contrariwise doth deny that which is or doth diminish it but the true maÌ„ telleth things as they are indeede holding a middle place between the presuÌ„ptuous the deseÌ„bler as we haue before touched S. Augustine shewed how pride was the beginning of al mischeif vpoÌ„ S. Mat. entreting of the words of our sauiour he maketh pride the mother of enuie saieth that if one be able to suppresse it the daughter shalbe in like sort And in the 56. Epistle which he worte to Dioscorides he sayth As Demosthenes the Greeke orator being demaunded what was the

as the Psalmist and S. Peter exhorteth vs. They haue alwayes in like sort beene highly esteemed of which haue stayde the violence of their desires and moderated the vnbrideled fiercenesse of their ambition by prudence and will with regarde of honestie As we reade of Lucullus Dioclesian Curius Cincinnatus Scipio and sundrie other The very same moued Traian to write to Plutarke that he did more admire the contempt which the saide Cincinnatus Scipio and M. Porcus made of great estate and wealth then he did at their victories The saide Dioclesian aunswered him which egged him forward agayne to reenter into the Empire that hauing once escaped the plague hee woulde no more drinke poyson and was contented to become a gardener Concerning such as are proude in heart Salomon sayth that they stirre vp strife For as Saint Paule sayth VVe haue nothing which we haue not receiued from God nor wee must not glorie in our wisedome in our strength nor in our riches as Ieremie exhorteth vs. The miserable ende of such as haue vaunted in their strength is fully set downe before our eyes in Exodus of Pharao of Absolon of Roboam of Iesabel and of Beneadad 1. Rings 14.19 and 20. of the K. of Assiria and of Babilon of Nabugadonozor Daniel 3. and 4. and in sundry other places as well scripture as histories Plato or rather better Ecclesiasticus and S. Augustine haue taught vs that experience sufficiently sheweth vnto such as take heede therof that all passions concupiscences and greefes of the soule are for the most part accompanied with inconueniences which in shewe a man endeuoureth to shunne by them yet they lead to the contrarie as the vice of ambition is followed with dishonour dissolutenesse pleasure bringeth griefe and repentance delicatenesse daintinesse breedeth trauaile stubbornesse contentions with losse vnshamefastnes and while they seeke to shunne blame fall into further infamie peril enmitie and for fear of refusing one that is importunate sustaine great losses and suites Hee likewise which vnconsiderately maketh a promise is oft coÌ„strained to break it to possesse goods which one hath not deserueth giueth occasion as Demosthenes saith to commit many follies to become vnfortunate As also Hippocrates said that it is most perilous wheÌ„ a good disposition aryueth at his last point because whatsoeuer is in the last perfection and excellencie is subiect to change by reason of the feeblenes imbecillitie of the bodie And our life is a pilgrimage vnstable and vnconstant and we containe within our selues the matter of all diseases And not without cause did Thales the Milesian call vice the most harmefull matter of the world because where that is it loseth all and destroyeth what euer was before buylded God reprocheth in Isaiah that they haue kindled a fire and are compassed about with sparkes and haue walked in the light of their feete and in the sparkes that they haue kindled And it is written in the booke of wisedome that wherewith a man sinneth with the same shall he be punished And S. Augustine teacheth vs that euerie disordinate appetite carrieth his owne paine as wee see sundry examples of such which while thorough murther vsurie falshood thefte or other vilanie they seeke to enrich themselues do contrariwise lose what wealth soeuer they before had besides the paine and punishment which they endure This is that which Salomon sayeth that what the wicked feareth shall befall vnto them And that there is a waye which seemeth righteous to a man but the issues thereof are the wayes of death And it was a common saying of olde that the proude fatt themselues with vaine hope which by litle choketh them as water doeth to him which hath the dropsie or naughtie fat to mans bodie or the grease of an horse when it is melted I will not speake of pastors which haue only the bare name neuer executing ought which apertaineth to their charge employing those blames which the holy scripture giueth them and yet no man would haue a seruant ignorant of the charge which is required of him It were not impertinent to discourse here of the hypocrisie and lyinges which is found in all estates and officers which acquite not themselues faithfully were it not for feare of being too tedious Wee may say as that great Captaine Marcellus did vnto his souldiors also Xerxes to his I see manie bodies countenances garmentes of Romanes but no Romane And howe farre are we estranged from our principall and important profession of Christianitie Rightly may they cast vs in the teeth as God by his Prophet Malachie did vnto the Iewes If then I be a father where is my honor if I bee a Master where is my feare considering that in vaine doth man boast of faith without good woorkes from which it is no lesse seperate then heate is from the Sunne and the shadowe from the bodie as wee haue aboue declared For wee ought not to terme such men as S. Chrisostom most excellently saide which haue hands a head feete and some reason but such as remaine in the trueth and feare of God and haue a liuely faith working by charitie As Salomon sheweth in the ende of Ecclesiastes saying Feare God and keepe his commaundements for this is the whole duetie of man Euen the greatest part of the Philosophers haue maintained that mans felicitie consisted not in this life but in another and that his scope is to referre this life to the knowledge and seruice of God to enioy all blisse eternally in an other But nowe in this olde age of the worlde of all good things there resteth nought but the name and a vaine shadowe Nowe that wee may bee deliuered from a vice so pernitious as pride is wee must fall into due consideration of our owne vanitie our faultes and imperfections and remember that wee are but filth wormes dust and putrifaction as the Psalmist saith as Aug. vppon Iohn sayth verie diuels and Satans except God of his mercie shewe pitie vppon vs. The Birth-day is in Greeke called Genethliae the beginning of trauels and death Thanatas thence vp to God And Menander saide that life and miserie were two twinnes which encrease are nourished and liue togither Aristotle also vppon the question which was propounded vnto him what man was aunswered that he was the example of imbecillitie pray of time sport of fortune and enuie the image of vnconstancie seate of phlegme choler and rumes And Solon called Cities the retreates of miseries teares and sorrows The which is more plainly set foorth vnto vs both in holie and prophane histories Some haue compared man to a bubble made of a droppe of raine and to the dreame of a shadowe It is sayde of the Pecocke when hee spreadeth abroade his goodly plumes if hee looke downe vppon his feete hee shutteth them in again for shame and remaineth abast so wee

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