generally so manie wonderfull works vnder the cope of heauen I cannot maruell enough at the excellencie of Man for whom all these things were created are maintained and preserued in their being and moouing by one and the same diuine prouidence alwaies like vnto it selfe AMANA There is nothing more certaine than this that all things whatsoeuer either the eie can behold or the eare heare were created for the benefit profit and vse of man and that he was made excellent aboue all things to rule ouer them yea the very Angels are sent to minister for their sakes which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation ARAM. Oh vnspeakable and heauenlie goodnesse which hast created man little lower than thy selfe and crowned him with glorie and worship But tell vs I pray thee ACHITOB more particularly what this great and principall worke of nature Man is to what end his being was giuen him and how he hath shewed foorth the fruits thereof For it â—â—st needes be that there is something in him greatly to be woondered at seeing all things were created to serue and obey him ACHITOB. Truely yee haue reason companions to begin our happie assembly with that knowledge which we ought to haue of our selues as being the storehouse of all wisdome and beginning of saluation wherof we may haue an assured testimonie from that father of Philosophie Socrates who beholding the first precept written at Delphos in that temple of Apollo which was so renowmed throughout Graecia namely Know thy selfe was foorthwith driuen into a very deepe cogitation and being rapt with contemplation of spirit he began from that time forward to doubt and to inquire of himselfe Wherupon contemning that way which all the Philosophers of his time who busied themselues about nothing but onely in finding out the causes of naturall things and in disputing curiously of them he gaue himselfe wholie to the knowledge of himselfe I meane of his soule which he maintained to be in deed man and by disputuation to intreat of the soueraigne good thereof and of vertue By which meanes the gate of wisedome was opened vnto him wherein he profited in such sort that according to the oracle at Delphos he was called of all men the wise the iust the prince of Philosophers and father of Philosophie And surely out of his sayings which being more diuine than humane were written by his disciples all other Philosophers haue drawne their knowledge Heraclitus another excellent man minding to giue out in speech that he had done some notable act woorthy of himselfe said I haue sought my selfe Which beginning truely is verie necassarie for man as being a guide to leade him to the true knowledge of God which is a heauenly gifte of God and peculiar to his And this is learnedly taught vs by the same Socrates where he saith that the dutie of a wise man is to seeke out the reasons of things that in the ende he may finde that diuine reason wherby they were made and hauing found it may worship and serue it that afterward he may enioy it and reape profite thereby Moreouer he addeth that the perfect knowledge of ones selfe which consisteth in the soule is in such sort ioined with the knowledge of God that the one without the other cannot be sincere and perfect And for the same reason Plato his disciple who for the excellencie of his writings was surnamed the Diuins saith that the perfect dutie of man is first to know his owne nature then to contemplate the diuine nature and last of all to bestow his labour in those things which may be most beneficiall to all men Ignorance of a mans selfe saith Lactantius and the want of knowledge wherefore and to what end he is borne is the cause of error of euill of leauing the right way to follow the crooked of wandring out of the plaine way to walke in the ragged and vneeuen way or vpon a dangerous and slipperie mountaine and lastly of forsaking the light to walke in darknes Now if we account it a shamefull thing to be ignorant of those things which belong to the life of man surely the not knowing of our selues is much more dishonest Let vs then consider what man is according to that meane knowledge which by the grace of God we are endued withal not staying in those curious definitions which the Philosophers haue made Man is a creature made of God after his owne image iust holy good and right by nature and compounded of soule and body I say of soule which was inspired of God with spirite and life and of a perfect naturall bodie framed of the earth by the same power of God In this sort man had his beeing of the eternal workmaster of the whole world of whom he was created by his incomprehensible goodnes to be made partaker of his immortalitie and permanent felicitie for this onely ende to set foorth the glorie of his Creator and to speake and do those things that are agreeable vnto him through the acknowledgement of his benefits From which ende man being fallen of his own free wil through ingratitude and disobedience was bereaued of all those ornaments which he had receiued before of God and in steede of righteousnes and holines all iniquitie filthines and vncleannes entred into him wherby he was made the slaue of sinne and of death from whence all those miseries had their beginning wherewith the life of man is ouerwhelmed His soule also was wrapped with infinite hurtfull passions and perturbations which worke in it a continuall disquietnes and his body became subiect to innumerable trauailes and violent vntowardnes Of which corruption the ancient Philosophers had great and assured knowledge but the first and true cause therof which was sinne and the voluntarie fall of man with his restoring vnto grace by the vnspeakeable goodnes and mercie of his Creator from whence he was fallen were alwaies hidden from them as we shall see anon as also from an infinite number of men who liuing holily according to the world neuer had the perfect knowledge of God in his eternall sonne As for any good thing whatsoeuer they vttered or found out it came through earnestnes of studie by discoursing and considering in the reasonable part of their soule of those things which offred themselues to their minde But forasmuch as they were not wholy ouerwhelmed in euery part of reason and yet had no knowledge of the heauenly word Iesus Christ they vttered many things contrarie one to another and in the midst of their great and woonderfull skill according to that saying of the Scripture who hideth his secrets from the prudent and reueleth them to babes they had a continuall troubled spirit wandring here and there aswell in the seeking out of themselues and of the causes of naturall things as of those things which are aboue nature And truely the reason of man naturally ingraffed in his hart which so farre foorth
too carefull to keep themselues But to come to the conclusiō of our discourse we say with Aristotle that concupiscences and desires change the bodie and make the soule outragious that so many as are infected with such a pernicious and damnable vice as intemperance is are no mē but monsters in nature leading a life altogether like to that of brute beasts which being destitute of all reason know nothing better or more honest than pleasure hauing no knowledge of the iustice of God neither reuerencing the beautie of vertue bestow al the courage craft force that nature hath giuen them to satisfie and to accomplish their desires So that if death brought with it an end of all sence and feeling and an vtter abolishing of the soule as well to men as to beasts intemperate folks should seeme to gaine much by enioying their desires and lusts during their life time and to haue good cause to waxe old and euen to melt in their foule filthie pleasures But seeing we know for truely he that doubteth hereof is very ignorant most miserable that sence and feeling remaine after death and that the soule dieth not with the body but that punishment yea euerlasting payne is prepared for the wicked let vs be careful to do the will of our father which is in heauen whilest we haue time that in the triumphing day of his eternal sonne we may not heare to our confusion that sentence of his mouth Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie At which time the iust shall shine as the sunne in the kingdome of God and the wicked shall be cast headlong into euerlasting fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie Chap. 19. ARAM. SOcrates vsed to dispute earnestly and grauely of the manner of liuing as of a thing of great importance For he said that continencie in meate and drinke was as it were the foundation and beginning of skill And truely the minde is much more prompt to comprehend all good reason when the operations of the braine are not hindered by vapours which the superfluitie of meates send vp thither I am of opinion therefore that we handle this vertue of sobriety which dependeth of temperance and is contained vnder the first part thereof namely vnder continencie ACHITOB. To liue well and frugally saith Plato is to liue temperately and as Epictetus saith there is great difference betweene liuing well and liuing sumptuously For the one commeth of temperance frugalitie discipline honestie and moderation of the soule contented with her owne riches and the other of intemperance lust and contempt of all order and mediocritie In the end the one is followed with shame and the other with true and lasting praise ASER. We can not well vse our spirite saith Cicero when we are stuffed with meate Neither must we gratifie the belly and intrailes only but also the honest ioy of the mind For that which is contained in the other parts perisheth but the soule separated from the body abideth for euer Let vs then harken to AMANA of whome we may vnderstand howe necessary sobrietie is for a happie life AMANA If we set before our eies the long and happy life of the Ancients so long as they obserued sobrietie and frugalitie out of doubt we will attribute one principall cause of our so short life and so full of infirmities to the riot superfluitie and curiositie of diet which at this day are seene amongst vs. The life of our first Fathers was it not maintained a long time with fruits milke honie and water Who euer came neere their long and happie daies since those times What preparation of exquisite victuals did those six hundred thousand Israelites thinke to find that came out of Egypt to go into a new land walking fortie yeeres through the wildernes drinking nothing but water and many times wanting that After those first ages the Grecians and Romanes loued sobrietie more than all other nations And as the Hebrewes vsed to eate but once a daye which was at dinner so the Grecians onely supped For this cause we read that Plato being demanded whether he had seene any new or strang thing in Sicilia answered that he had found a monster of nature which did eate twice a day This he spake of Dionysius the tyrant who first brought vp that custome in his countrey In the time of Iulius Caesar the Germaines a strong and warlike people liued onely of milke cheese and flesh not knowing what wheate and wine were nor yet what it was to labour the ground or to sowe Yea how many millions of men are there at this day in the West regions and Ilands who know not what all this superfluitie and daintines of fare meaneth and yet liue long and healthie in all frugalitie the greatest part of them vpon herbs and rootes whereof they make cakes in steede of wheate and others of raw flesh Whereby it is easie to iudge that sobrietie is the preseruation and maintenance of health and of naturall strength and vigor and so consequently of the life of man But when we looke higher and with the eies of our mind marke the excellent glorie and immortall praise deserued by so many Camilli Scipiones Fabriti◠Metelli Catones and by a thousand other famous families which executed so many woorthy acts by their owne vertue and yet in the meane while kept such a simple and sober diet that the most of them were contented with bread herbs and water endured and tolerated cheerefully all iniuries of weather went but homely araied and altogither contemned gold and siluer out of question we will iudge those men very blind and farre from the white of such glorie and honour who imbrace nothing but dissolutenes superfluitie lust dronkennes pride and all such like imperfections that beare sway amongst vs who behold Vice mounted so high that men must in a manner blush as much to speake of Vertue or to be vertuous in a thousand companies as in that happy time of the Ancients they were ashamed of vice or to be vitious And truly I thinke that these men being past shame care but little for the glorie that hath beene in many ages seeing they liue for the body onely after a brutish impietie without all regard of the foule or of the second life What say I for the body Nay rather they are the destroiers thereof seeing it cannot be denied but that sobrietie is a great benefit and helpe to preserue health and bodily strength and to expell diseases and is to be vsed as a good foundation to attaine to a happy old age The experience heereof is well knowne to euery one although there were no other proofe but this that we see the simple sort of people that labor and trauell to liue with bread and water grow old in health whereas our Princes and great Lords being delicately brought vp in idlenes die yoong men tormented with infinite diseases especially when they
miserable passions which depriue vs of true rest tranquillitie necessarie for a happie life let vs be carefull to learne how to discerne true happines from mishap that we may reioyce in that which is good and as readily giue thanks to the author thereof as naturally through a false opinion which we haue of euill we sustaine humaine miseries and crosses vnpatiently First then let vs heare the sundry and notable opinions of many ancient men touching good and ill hap If thou knowest all that ought to be knowen in all things said Pythagoras thou art happy Let them be accounted very happy said Homer to whom fortune hath equally wayed the good with the euill The greatest miserie of all said Bias is not to be able to beare miserie That man is happie said Dionysius the elder that hath learned from his youth to be vnhappy For he will beare the yoke better whereunto he hath been subiect and accustomed of long tyme. Demetrius surnamed the Besieger said That he iudged none more vnhappy than he that neuer tasted of aduersitie as if he would haue sayd that it was a sure argument that fortune iudged him to be so base abiect that he deserued not that she should busie hir selfe about him That man saith Cicero is very happy who thinketh that no humane matters how grieuous soeuer they may be are intollerable or ought to discourage him iudging also nothing so excellent wherby he should be mooued to reioyce in such sort that his hart be puffed and lift vp thereby Yea he is very happy who fitly and conueniently behaueth himself in all things necessary for him Nothing is euil saith Plutarke that is necessarie By which word Necessarie both he and Cicero vnderstand whatsoeuer commeth to a wise man by fatall destinie bicause he beareth it patiently as that which cannot be auoyded thereby increasing his vertue so much the more and so no euill can come to a good man Solon drawing neerer to the truth of sincere happinesse sayd that it consisted in a good life and death and that to iudge them happy that are aliue considering the danger of so many alterations wherein they are were all one as if a man should before hand appoint the reward of the victorie for one that is yet fighting not beyng sure that he should ouercome Socrates speaking rather with a diuine than a humane spirite sayd that when we shall be deliuered from this body wherein our soule is inclosed as an Oyster in his shell we may than be happy but not sooner and that felicitie cannot be obtained in this life but that we must hope to enioy it perfectly in the other life as well for our vertues as by the grace and mercy of God Not the rich said Plato but the wise and prudent auoyd miserie They that thinke sayth Aristotle that externall goods are the cause of happines deceiue themselues no lesse than if they supposed that cunning playing on the harpe came from the instrument and not from Arte but we must seeke for it in the good and quiet estate of the soule For as we say not that a body is perfect bicause it is richly arayed but rather bicause it is well framed and healthfull so a soule well instructed is the cause that both hir selfe and the bodie wherein she is inclosed are happy which cannot be verified of a man bicause he is rich in gold and siluer When I consider all the aboue named wise opinions of these Ethnikes and Pagans I cannot sufficiently maruell at the ignorance and blockishnes of many in our age touching Good and Ill hap bicause they labor to make these words priuate and to tie them to the successe of their affections in worldly matters which if they fall out according to their desire and liking behold presently they are rauished with extreme ioy boasting of thēselues that they are most happy But contrarywise if they misse of their intents by and by they dispaire and thinke themselues the vnhappiest men in the world Do we not also see that most men iudge them happy that possesse riches pleasure delight glory and honour and those men miserable that want especially if after they had aboundance they loose it by some mishap the cause wherof they commonly attribute either to good or ill lucke which they say ruleth all humaine affaires We read that Apollonius Thianaeus hauing trauelled ouer al Asia Afrike and Europe sayd that of two things whereat he maruelled most in all the world the first was that he alwayes sawe the proud man commaund the humble the quarellous the quiet the tyrant the iust the cruel the pitifull the coward the hardie the ignorant the skilfull and the greatest thieues hang the innocent But in the meane while who may doubt whether of these were the happiest that the good were not rather than the wicked if happines according to the ancients to the truth be perfected in good things then it is certain that whosoeuer enioieth al good things shall be perfectly happy Now nothing can be called good but that which is profitable and contrary to euill so that whatsoeuer may as so one be euill as good ought not to be called good Moreouer it must be the possession of some firme stedfast and permanent Good that maketh a man happy For nothing ought to wax old to perish or decay of those things wherin a happy life consisteth seeing he that feareth to loose them cannot be sayd to liue quietly Therefore neither beautie nor strength and disposition of body neither riches glory honour or pleasure can be truely called Goods seeing oftentymes they are the cause of so many euils waxe old and vanish away many times as soone as a man hath receiued them and lastly worke in vs an vnsatiable desire of them How many men are there to whom all these things haue been the occasion of euill And how can we call that good which being possessed and that in abundance cannot yet keep the owner thereof from being vnhappy and miserable Wherfore we may say that happines cannot be perfected by the possession of humane and mortall things neither vnhappines through the want of them but that the true felicitie which we ought to desire in this world consisteth in the goods of the soule nourished in the hope of that vnspeakable euerlasting happines which is promised and assured vnto it in the second life And so we say that none are vnhappy but they who by reason of their peruersnesse feele in their conscience a doubting of the expectation of eternall promises as also they that giue ouer themselues to vice whose nature is to corrupt destroy and infect with the venom that is alwayes about it all things whereof it taketh hold As for the common miseries of mans life they cannot in any sort make him vnhappy whose naturall disposition maners beyng framed and decked with vertue are able to giue to impart to euery
them next we will behold some examples of these famous personages that we may be induced thereby to contemne such pernitious goods Men ought to make great account of riches said Socrates if they were ioined with true ioy but they are wholy separated from it For if rich men fall to vsing of them they spoile themselues with ouergreat pleasure if they would keepe them care gnaweth and consumeth them within and if they desire to get them they become wicked and vnhappie It cannot be saith Plato that a man should be truly good and very rich both togither but he may well be happie and good at one time And it is a verie miserable saying to affirme that a rich man is happy yea it belongeth to children and fooles to say so making them vnhappy that beleeue and approoue it Slouth and slug gishnes grow of riches and they that are addicted to heape them vp more and more the greater account they make of them the lesse they esteeme vertue So that if riches and rich men are greatly set by in a Common-wealth vertue and good men will be much lesse regarded and yet great matters are brought to passe and Common-wealths preserued by vertue and not by riches Riches saith Isocrates serue not so much for the practise of honestie as of wickednes seeing they draw the libertie of men to loosenesse and idlenesse and stirre vp yong men to voluptuousnes Men said Thales are by nature borne to vertue but riches draw them backe vnto them hauing a thousand sortes of sorceries to allure them to vices and through a false opinion of good to turne them from those things that are truly good They suffer not him that hath them to be able to know any thing but draw him to external goods They are passing arrogant most feareful If they vse themselues they are riotous if they abstaine miserable They neuer content their Owners nor leaue them void of sorow and care but as they that are sicke of the dropsie the more they drinke become the thirstier so the more that men abound in wealth the more they desire to haue Riches of themselues breed flatterers who helpe to vndoe rich men They are the cause of infinite murders and hired slaughters they make couetous persons to contemne the goods of the soule thinking to become happy without them They prouoke them also to delicacies and to gluttony whereby their bodies are subiect to diseases and infirmities Briefly riches greatly hurt both bodie and soule They stirre vp domesticall sedition and that among brethren They make children worse in behauiour towards their fathers and cause fathers to deale more hardly with their children Through them it commeth that friends suspect each other for a true friend is credited no more by reason of a flatterer Besides rich mē are angry with good men saying that they are arrogant bicause they will not flatter them and in like maner they hate such as flatter them thinking that they keepe about them onely to robbe them and to diminish their wealth These are the cuils which may be said to be commonly in riches But these also accompany them being execrable diseases namely presumptiō pride arrogancie vile and abiect cares which are altogether earthly naughtie desires wicked pleasures and an insatiable coueting Besides if they were not pernitious of thēselues so many mischiefs would not take their beginning from them For men commit a thousand murders for gaine They robbe churches fidelitie is lost and broken friendship is violated men betray their country maidens are loosely giuen brieflie no euils are left vnexecuted through the desire of riches They that giue them selues said Bion to gather riches are verie ridiculous seeing fortune giueth them couetousnes keepeth them and liberalitie casteth them away Men must haue rich soules saith Alexides as for siluer it is nothing but a shew and vaile of life It is a naughtie thing saith Euripides but common to all rich men to liue wickedly The cause thereof as I take it is this bicause they haue nothing but riches in their mind which being blind seele vp likewise the eies of their vnderstanding I pray God neuer to send me a wealthy life which hath alwaies sorow and care for hir Companions nor riches to gnaw my hart Speake not to me of Pluto that is to say of riches for I make no great reckoning of that God who is alwaies possessed of the most wicked vpon the earth O riches you are easie to beare but infinite cares miseries and griefs keepe you companie He saith Democritus that woondereth at such as haue great riches and are esteemed of the ignorant multitude to be happie will surely through a desire of hauing commit and vndertake wicked things and those oftentimes against the lawes As drunkennes saith Aristotle begetteth rage and madnes so ignorance ioined with power breedeth insolencie and furie And to those whose minds are not well disposed neither riches nor strength nor beautie can be iudged good but the greater increase ariseth of them the more harme they procure to him that possesseth them Moreouer do we not see that the most part of rich men either vse not their riches bicause they are couetous or abuse them bicause they are giuen ouer to their pleasures and so they are all the seruants either of pleasures or of trafficke and gaine as long as they liue But he that would be as Plato saith truly rich ought to labor not so much to augment his wealth as to diminish his desire of hauing bicause he that appointeth no bounds to his desires is alwaies poore and needie For this cause the libertie of a wise mans soule who knoweth the nature of externall goods belonging to this life is neuer troubled with the care of them being assured as Plutark saith that as it is not apparell which giueth heate to a man but only staieth and keepeth in naturall heate that proceedeth from the man himselfe by hindring it from dispersing in the aire so no man liueth more happily or contentedly bicause he is compassed about with much wealth if tranquillitie ioy and rest proceed not from within his soule Heape vp saith the same Philosopher store of gold gather siluer togither build faire galleries fill a whole house full of slaues and a whole towne with thy debtors yet if thou doest not maister the passions of thy soule if thou quenchest not thy vnsatiable desire nor deliuerest thy soule of all feare and carking care thou doest asmuch to procure thy quietnes as if thou gauest wine to one that had an ague Life of it selfe saith Plato is not ioyfull vnles care be chased away which causeth vs to waxe gray-headed whilest we desire but meane store of riches For the superfluous desire of hauing alwaies gnaweth our hart Whereupon it commeth to passe that oftentimes amongst men we see pouertie to be better than riches death than life And truly there is great madnes in the greedy coueting of
of a man feeleth moueth by the sinewes so the body of the common-wealth receiueth strength power by riches to gather men of war togither in defence of hir libertie For this cause Aristotle in his plat-forme of a happy common-welth requireth abundance of wealth and money to help publike affairs at home warlike matters abroad And in another place he saith that a happy life consisteth in the perfect vse of vertue assisted with bodily external goods as with instruments that serue to execute honest actions wel vertuously It is certain that gold siluer in respect of the soule are neither good nor ill but by good vsage they are made profitable for this life the abuse of them is hurtful both to the body soule And in deed riches of their own nature are not to be condemned Abraham Lot Iacob Iob were rich holy men Iosephus writeth that neuer any king either of the Hebrews or of any other nation left so great riches to his successor as Dauid did to Salomon For he left him to build the temple withal 10000. talents of gold 100000. of siluer beside infinite store of stuffe of wonderful cost and value which he had caused to be prepared made readie The sumptuousnesse of that Temple as it is described by this Historiographer is wonderfull He saith that it was made and finished in seuen yeeres by 80000. Masons 3200. Ouerseers 30000. Hebrewes that hewed wood in the forest and 70000. others that brought stones and such like matter for the worke If the riches of the Romane Empire had not been great I meane both the publique and priuate wealth it is certaine that it had not so long time maintained it selfe in such a glorious and flourishing estate as the like was neuer before causing the farthest and most vnknowen nations to stand in feare of hir weapons Hereof wee haue good proofe by that which we read of Augustus Caesar who ordinarily defrayed the charges of 44. Legions which amounted yeerely to twelue millions of gold But the Romane empire was then come to the top of hir greatnesse hauing for hir bounds the riuer of Euphrates on the East side the Oceā sea on the West on the South side the fruitfull region of Africa and on the North side the riuers of Rhine and Danubius At this day 50. kingdoms estates are diuided out of that monarchy Therfore if the citizens of the common-wealth possesse riches if they imploy thē vpon good workes and that liberally for the tuition defence and setting foorth of their countrey they behaue themselues like good citizens borne to do good and to profit the Common-wealth The fift thing necessary in euery good Common-wealth and citie are occupations and consequently crafts-men An arte is a habite of working according to right reason as Aristotle saith Or else an arte is the knowledge of some certain thing gotten by vse instruction or reason tending to necessary vses for mans life Some artes consist in Speculation and others in practise We call Speculation Theoricall that is to say Speculatiue and Action practicall that is to say Actiue This word Artificer is deriued of the worde Arte. Nowe bicause that nature is most perfect next to God the neerer that arte approcheth to nature the better and perfecter it is as appeereth in images and pictures so that arte is nothing else but an imitation of nature Those Artes that are commonly called Mechanicall or handy-craftes whereby they differ from liberall Artes of which we haue alreadie discoursed are of diuers sortes For the better vnderstanding of them wee will presuppose that man hath need of three temporall things for the maintenaunce of this life namely of Alimentes Houses and Clothing He standeth in neede of Alimentes to restore the consumption of radicall moysture wasted away by naturall heate as the weeke consumeth the oyle in the Lampe I saye to restore it agayne by moyst nourishment as by breade wine flesh and other aliments without which a man could not liue These nutrimentes are prouided and prepared by men of Occupations as by Butchers Fishmongers Bakers Cookes Vintners and other handycrafts-men which serue and looke to the prouision of victuals Next mē haue need of houses that euery one may haue his priuate place of refuge to keep his body familie goods vnder couert these are edifices and frames erected by the arte of building made by Masons Carpenters Geometricians Sawyers Ioiners other handycrafts that are occupied in caruing Likewise a city in respect both of ornament of defence standeth in need of wals towers bulwarks rampires andother things of defence as also of temples and other common places all which cannot be made without the artes of building and of Masonry The third thing which men stand in need of are garments to clothe themselues withall to preserue natural heat and to keep out external cold these are prouided by Mercers Drapers Tailors Hosiers such like Besides the abouenamed things we stand in need of armour of horses to defend our libertie and for our greater commoditie and so consequently Armorers Glazers Sadlers Spur-makers Smithes and such like are necessarie Likewise for the preseruation and recouerie of our health we must honor the Physition Chirurgion Apothecarie Drug-seller and such like The dutie and office of all artificers is to auoyd idlenes slooth and negligence and especially to vse no deceit in their artes but to referre the end of their labours more to common profite than to their priuate gaine And for the auoiding of Ingrossers it is very expedient that the crafts-men should be diuided into diuers parts of the city and not placed all on a rowe in one quarter therof as they do in the townes of Afrike and in many cities of Europe For besides the discommodities in great townes when euery quarter hath not in it such artificers as are commonly necessary it is to be feared that there wil be amongst thē Ingrossers to fore-stall the merchandise and wares or else iealousie and quarels are to be feared if one sell better cheape than another euen before his eyes that refused to take that money It is true that such artificers as are least required as men that liue by the hammer may be ranged in one quarter that thereby they may be separated from men of learning and quietnes The sixt and last thing necessary in a Common-wealth remaineth to be considered of namely Aliments and consequently labourers We haue already spoken of Aliments but as for that which concerneth husbandry especially there is no other arte that doth more awaken the minde of man that rauisheth his sences more that affoordeth greater pleasure or is more necessarie and profitable for the life of man than husbandry Moreouer nothing sauoureth of greater antiquitie nothing doth better discouer the greatnes of the works of God
mislike publike charges and by and by they blame the priuate life labouring that they may be imploied They forsake one countrie to go and dwell in another and suddenly they desire to returne againe into their former waies They that haue neither wiues nor children seeke and wish for them and when they haue them they desire oftentimes nothing more than to be rid of them and soone after ye shall see them married againe Haue they heaped vp great store of wealth and increased their reuenues by halfe so much more they desire notwithstanding to make it altogither as much The soldier seeketh to be a captain from a captaine to be maister of the campe from maister of the campe to be lieutenant to the king then he would gladly make himselfe king The seelie Priest would be a Curate from a Curate Bishop from a Bishoppe Cardinall from a Cardinall Pope and then would commaund Kings and soueraigne Princes Kings are not contented to raigne ouer their owne subiects but bende themselues alwaies to enlarge their limits to make themselues if they can the onely Monarchs Briefly all men whose harts are set vpon worldly goods when they are come to this estate of life they would attaine to that and being come thereunto some other neae desire carieth them farther so that this mischiefe of continuall vncertaine and vnsatiable lustes and desires doth more and more kindle in them vntill in the ende death cut off the thred of their inconstant and neuer contented life This commeth to passe bicause the alteration of an Estate and condition of life plucketh not out of the mind that which presseth and troubleth it namely the ignorance of things and imperfection of reason But they who through the studie of wisedome are furnished with skill and vnderstanding and know that all humane and earthlie things are vncertaine deceitfull slipperie and so many allurements vnto men to drawe them into a downe-fall and destruction they I say doe laie a farre better and more certaine foundation of their chiefe Good contentation and felicitie For they are so farre off from being caried away as worldlings are with the desire of greatnes riches and pleasure that they rather desire lesse than they haue contemne them and so vse them as though they had them not And deliuering their soules by the grace of God from all those perturbations which besiege them in the prison of their bodies they lift vp their wishes and desires yea they refer al the endsof their intents actions to this only marke to be vnited and ioined to the last end of their soueraigne Good which is the full whole fruition of the essence of God that their holy affections might be at once fulfilled and satisfied by enioying that diuine light through a most happie immortal life when they shal be vncloathed of this body of death of all concupiscences passions reioice in such a felicitie as neither eie hath seene nor eare heard nor euer entred into the hart of man Moreouer we ought to know if we haue neuer so litle iudgmēt reason that in al worldly things how great goodly soeuer they seeme to our carnall eies sences there is such a mixture of bitternes dislike ioined with the fruition of them that if we could diuide the euil from that which of the ignorant sort is called good weigh them one against another there is no doubt but the bad part would easily weigh down what goodnes soeuer could be found amongst them But how shal we call that good which is so mingled with euill which oftentimes hurteth more than it profiteth and which being possessed abundantly cannot yet keepe the possessor thereof from being wretched and miserable What contentation can a man find therein seeing that such a Good commonly slippeth away as soone as it is receiued and alwaies worketh an vnsatiable desire thereof What felicitie shall we expect and looke for in the fruition of that thing which waxeth old and perisheth and which men are alwaies afraid to loose Now I pray you who can doubt iustly but that the qualitie and nature of riches of glorie of honour and pleasure is such Whereupon we must conclude that man can finde no goodnes contentation or happines in any thing that is earthly and mortall Besides who knoweth not sufficiently the poore estate of mans life which in the fairest of his race commeth to nothing in the twinkling of an eie so that all his bodily shewe and brightnes turneth suddenly into putrefaction Who doth not try more than he would how full his life is of sharpe griefes and pricking miseries and how it is assaulted with continuall troubles With how many percing cares doth it abound and what griping griefes doe pursue it Briefly as a wise Grecian said hauing but the bare name of life it is in effect and truth a continuall paine And truly that thing hath no beeing in deede which changeth without ceasing as the nature of man doth which neuer continueth in the same estate no not the least moment that is I would gladly aske of thee who readest this or doest meane to reade it what day or what hower thou hast passed or now passest ouer since thou hadst any iudgement or knowledge wherein thy body hath not felt some griefe or thy hart some passion As there is no sea without tempest warre without danger or iourney without trauell so there is no life without griefe nor calling without enuie or care neither did I euer see or know that man who hath had no cause to be grieued or to complaine Doth not experience daily teach vs that no man liuing can make choise of any estate void of all trouble or flie one inconuenience but that he is in danger to fall into another Is it not also most certaine that a sudden ioy or prosperitie is but a fore-warning or signe of some griefe heauie calamitie at hand But what Shall we for all this think man so miserable that sailing all his life time in stormes and tempests he cannot possibly attaine to any safe hauen against the rage of them Shall we in such sort depriue him during the time of his being in this world of all Good contentation and happines as if there were no meanes to auoid or at leastwise to mollifie the mishaps and miseries of mankind that he faint not vnder the heauy burden of them Wherefore then do wise men by so many learned writings inuite vs diligently to seeke after and with a burning zeale to embrace holy vertue saying that by hir alone a man may liue happily and contentedly in euery calling and may enioy therein the soueraigne Good through the tranquillitie and rest of his soule purged of perturbations by Philosophy Was it in vaine and fruitles that an infinite number of famous personages whom Histories the mother of antiquitie set before our eies imploied so great trauell passed infinite watchings for sooke and contemned riches pleasures honors and worldly
might refer all to the glorie of the diuine maiestie and to the profit and vtilitie as well of themselues as of their country And yet in the meane while these noble toward youths were not depriued of other exercises meete for them which as the diuine Plato saith are very profitable for this age and helpe much to quicken the spirits of yoong men and to make their bodies which are weake by nature more strong and apt to sustaine trauell as namely to ride horses to run at the ring to fight at barriers to applie themselues to all kind of weapons and to followe the chace of beasts All which exercises this wise and ancient Knight did intermingle with their earnest studies by way of recreation himselfe standing them in steade of a maister For in such exercises he was as fully furnished as is to be wished in a man of valure and actiuitie insomuch that he was more expert than many of our time who make no other profession Now this schoole hauing been continued for the space of sixe or seauen yeeres to the great profit of this nobilitie of Aniou the fower fathers on a day tooke their iournie to visite this good old man and to see their children And after the vsuall welcome which is betweene kinsfolks and friends they discoursed togither of the corruption which then was in all estates of France wherevpon they foresawe as they said some great storme at hand if euerie one did not put to his helping hand for the correction and reformation of them but chiefly the secular power authorised of God for this purpose They alledged for witnes of their saying many examples of ancient estates common-wealths and kingdoms which were fallen from the height of glorie and excellencie into a generall subuersion and ouerthrow by reason of vices raigning in them vnpunished And thus continuing their speech from one thing to another they fell in talke of the corrupt maners that might particularly be noted in all and those maintained by authoritie and with commendation insomuch that both great and smal endeuored to disguise vice with the name of vertue In fine they were of opinion to heare their children discourse heervpon that they might know and iudge whether they had profited so wel in the institution of good maners the rule of good life by folowing of vertue and by the knowledge of histories the patterne of the time past for the better ordering of the time present as their maister who was present at the discourses of these ancient gentlemen did assure them by intermingling the praises of his schollers in the midst of their graue talke and vaunting that they were well armed to resist the corruption of this age For truly vertue purchased and gotten by practise is of no lesse power against all contagion of wickednes than preseruatiues well compounded are of force in a plague time to preserue in good helth the inhabitants of a countrie and as heeretofore that famous physicion Hippocrates preserued his citie of Coos from a mortalitie that was generall throughout all Grecia by counselling his countrymen to kindle many fires in all publike places to the end thereby to purifie the aire euen so whosoeuer hath his soule possessed and his hart well armed with the brightnes and power of vertue he shal escape the dangers of corruption and eschew all contagion of euill maners But returning to the intent and desire of our good old men bicause they had small skil in the Latine tong they determined to haue their children discourse in their owne naturall toong of all matters that might serue for the instruction and reformation of euerie estate and calling in such order and method as themselues with their foresaid maister should thinke best For this purpose they had two howers in the morning granted vnto them wherein they should be heard and as much after dinner which was to each of them one hower in a day to speake in You may ghesse gentle readers whether this liuely youth did not bestow the rest of the day yea oftentimes the whole night vpon the well studying of that which they purposed to handle and with what cheerfulnes of hart and willingnes of mind they presented themselues before the honorable presence of their fathers who were so greatly delighted in hearing them that for the most part in stead of fower howers a day before mentioned they bestowed sixe or eight For after they had heard the two first discourse one morning they had not the patience to refer the rest of that matter vnto the afternoone when the other twain of their children should be heard but commonly commanded them presently to enter the lists and to proceed as being iealous ouer their glorie in regard of their companions In this commendable maner of passing their time they continued certaine daies But the sudden and sorrowfull newes of the last frantike returne of France into ciuill war brake vp their happie assemblie to the end that these noble youths betaking themselues to the seruice due to their prince and to the welfare and safetie of their countrie might make triall of their first feates of armes wherein they wanted neither readines nor valure of hart which being naturally in them was also increased by the knowledge of philosophie The studie whereof resembling as Plato saith to a separation of the soule from the bodie standeth wise men in stead of an exercise to die without feare when dutie requireth it and causeth them to esteeme of death as of the cause of the true and perfect good of the soule For which reason Socrates Xenophon Architas Thucidides Thales Epaminondas and a million of other famous men learned philosophers and historiographers hauing charge of armies neuer doubted or feared in any sort to offer themselues cheerfully vnto all perils and dangers when the question and contention was for publike benefit and safetie and in a iust war without which a wise man neuer ought to fight Yea I dare boldly say that the greatest and most famous exploits of warfare were atchieued for the most part by them and their like Which serued well for a spurre to our yoong Angeuins to cause them to vndertake this iournie with ioy and cheerfulnes of spirit being resolued to follow with all their might the examples of such great and notable personages as histories the treasurie of time did call to their remembrance When they were in the campe each of them according to his particular affection ranged himselfe vnder sundry cornets of great Lords and good captaines But as we said in the beginning after news of the peace proclaimed which was so greatly looked for and desired of all good men they labored foorthwith to meete togither knowing that their ioint-returne would be acceptable to their friends especially to that good olde-man by whome they were brought vp Moreouer they deliberated with themselues as soone as they were arriued at the old mans house to giue their fathers to vnderstand thereof to the end
diuine nature Of the diseases and passions of the bodie and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof Chap. 3. ARAM. ONe of the ancient philosophers vsed to say that no liuing creature was worse to man than man himselfe bicause albeit he hath dominion ouer all things yet he cannot rule himselfe nor his desires Experience causeth vs but too much to knowe the truth of this saying For who can doubt in any sort heerof seeing blessed S. Paule himselfe confesseth that he did not the good thing which he would but the euill which he would not and that in his flesh there dwelt no goodnes So vndoubtedly we haue both bodie and soule compassed about with so many pernitious passions that it is very hard yea altogither vnpossible that what good thing soeuer is in vs should not faint and sinke vnder their heauie waight without a speciall and diuine grace ACHITOB. Truly this is no vaine speculation nor vnprofitable to man as also for a man to know that he is as it were tied in this world to all vncertaine things which he being mortall by nature cannot any way shun and auoid without the helpe of God He which is in health expecteth sicknes he that is sicke health Doth any one desire in his mind any thing Before he enioyeth it his desire is often changed into another In a word no man abideth still in one and the same estate And therfore Plato calleth man a mutable creature as if he meant to say that he is easily altered and changed ASER. The change which this diuine philosopher meant if I be not deceiued hath relation principally to the conditions of the soule which being filled with infinite perturbations fastened in the midst of it with the naile of pleasure and griefe is carried away with inconstancie and vncertaintie into a streame of troublesome passions which if they be not cut off and maistred by reason draw a man into vtter destruction But giue vs to vnderstand AMANA more at large of these passions of the soule and of the way to remedie them and if you thinke good you may speake somewhat of those of the bodie AMANA Amongst the innumerable euils which the desire of pleasure and feare of griefe ingrauen in the most secret parts of our soule by our first corruption bring to man this is the greatest and most pernitious that they make sensible things more euident and plaine vnto him than things intelligible and constraine the vnderstanding to iudge more by passion than by reason For vsing through the sence oâ— pleasure or trauell to attend to the erronious vncertaine and mutable nature of the bodie as to that which is subsisting and subiect to sight he remaineth blind and looseth all knowledge of that which truly is and subsisteth namely of the light of the soule which is diuine and immortall Moreouer applying himselfe wholie to the sensuall and vnreasonable will which is that part of the soule that proceedeth of the corruption thereof he laboureth with all his might to quench and choke that weake instinct of the soule which aspireth vnto the true Good from whence she perceiueth hir selfe to haue fallen And this he doth with such force and power that if God strengthen not the soule and reason the diuine guide accompanie hir not without doubt she yeeldeth to such mightie enimies and then as we haue said staying himselfe wholy in things subiect to sight he appeereth too carefull and curious in seeking to decke that which belongeth to the bodie but as for the soule wherof all humane felicitie dependeth bicause she is inuisible and not seene of him it is the lest of his cares to furnish hir with that which she seeketh and desireth and which is necessarie for hir Wherupon in the end it commeth to passe that the lest ouerthwarts and discommodities of his flesh seeme very greeuous and burthensome to a man but as for the incurable diseases which ouerwhelme his soule he doth not so much as feele them Now to the end we may vnderstand more particularly that which is heer propounded vnto vs we will handle in order and as briefly as we may this matter being very large the diseases and passions of the bodie and soule with the remedie which we are to desire and seeke after And first we will speake a word of the diseases of the bodie next of the naturall and necessarie passions thereof albeit we will intreat of the passions of the soule as of our chiefe matter subiect Concerning the maladies and euill dispositions of the bodie one Hippocrates one Galen nay infinite others skilfull in physicke are not able to describe them exactly much lesse prescribe certaine and sure remedies But seeing it is not my purpose or profession to stay long heere neither yet necessarily belonging to the cause of our assemblie I will content my selfe to speake these few words by the way that we ought to take euerie bodily infirmitie as a fatherly chastisement of our sins and as a necessarie meane to awaken vs to warne vs of our dutie and to keep vs in awe Besides one principall cause of all bodilie diseases proceedeth ordinarily from vices which are the proper inheritance of man and with which we defile our selues continually Therefore if we heale our soules we may cure our selues of the most of them and as for others which come by defect of nature or by some other hidden cause we haue the counsell and helpe of physicions whom willingly and diligently we seeke after There are besides these certaine naturall and necessarie passions in the body properly belonging vnto it euen from the first creation therof which are not to be condemned neither can be taken away but with the abolishing of mans nature as the desire of drinking eating sleeping such like which onlie by the direction of reason are to be freed from all superfluitie But it standeth otherwise with the diseases and passions of the soule deriued from our first corruption and driuen forward by sinne being plentifull and rich which without comparison are far more dangerous than those of the bodie more hard to be perceiued knowen more headstrong and vneasie to cure and which is worse man is very slothfull in seeking out a remedie for them And for the most part thinking that he hath found some remedie through want of skill and ignorance he falleth into a worse estate than he was in before and as we commonly say from a gentle ague into a pestilent and burning feuer But first we will generally define this word Passion according to the opinion of those philosophers who were endewed with greatest light Passion is euerie naturall and actuall motion in the soule This motion is of two sorts the one weake good and holie aspiring and reioicing in that which is truly good the other verie strong euill and pernitious coueting with a disordered desire and delighting with an immoderate ioy in a good falsly so imagined The
the bodie For from it proceedeth the chiefe and most common cause of bodilie diseases and of the infirmities of the soule But to continue the examples of loue which the Ancients bare to the vertue of sobrietie this was it that caused Alexander the Great to refuse those Cookes and Paisterers which Ada Queene of Caria sent vnto him to send her word backe againe that he had better than they were namely for his dinner early rising and walking a good while before day and for his supper a little dinner Notwithstanding in the ende the Persian delicacies and riches which alwaies is the propertie of such goods caused this vertuous monarke to change his commendable custome of liuing and to approoue and like of excesse in drinking to which vice that he might giue greater authoritie he propounded six hundred crownes for a reward to him that dranke most and called a great cup after his owne name Which cup when he offered to Callisthenes one of his fauorits he refused saying that he would not for drinking in Alexander stand in need of Esculapius With which the King perceiuing him selfe touched was so incensed against him that he caused him to be put in a cage with dogs where he poisoned himselfe being impatient of his captiuitie Wherein we may note how ridiculous their blockishnes is who for feare not of such an entertainment as this wise man receiued but of being taken and reputed as void of good fellowship and vnciuill cast themselues into the danger of a sore sicknes rather than they will refuse to drinke carouse when they are inuited thereunto Hereby also those men shew their want of iudgement and of conuenient matter to talke of who cannot entertaine their friends without dronkennes and gluttonie And the other if they knew how to make denial fitly and in good sort besides the profit which they should receiue thereby their companie would be more desired than it will be for their dronkennes Cyrus Monarke of the Persians from his childhood gane great testimonie that he would one daye become a very sober man For being demanded by Astyages his grandfather why he would drinke no wine he answered for feare least they giue me poison For quoth he I noted yesterday when you celebrated the daye of your natiuitie that it could not be but that some bodie had mingled poison amongst all that wine which ye then dranke bicause in the winding vp of the table not one of all those that were present at the feast was in his right mind Afterward this vertuous Prince alwaies liued very frugally for proofe whereof may serue his answer made one day to Artabazus as he marched in warre who asked of him what he would haue brought vnto him for his supper Bread quoth he for I hope we shall finde some fountaine to furnish vs with drinke Porus a noble king of India liued with water and bread onely Phaotes also king of the same countrey did the like and the greatest feastes which he made or suffered his Courtiers to make was onely with a kind of venison Alphonsus king of Arragon and Cocilia a very sober man was demanded of certaine of his Princes why he dranke no wine bicause quoth he wisdome is hindred through wine and prudence darkned which two things onely are able to make a king worthy of that name he beareth Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia hauing beene alwaies brought vp in the discipline of Lycurgus who had banished all riot and superfluitie from that citie by the vtter defacing and abolishing of gold and siluer became very woonderfull by reason of his simplicity and plainnes in feeding and clothing his bodie and in behauing himselfe as the meanest of his subiects He vsed to say which he likewise put in vre that he which commanded and ruled many ought to surpasse them not in dainties and delicacie but in sustaining labor and in nobilitie of hart The benefit which as he said he reaped thereby was libertie whereof he assured himselfe that he could neuer be depriued by any alteration and change of fortune And as he passed with his armie by the countrey of the Thasians they sent him certaine refreshing of sloure of daintie cates as comfits and other daintie deuices made of paast but he would take nothing saue onely the floure And being vrged of others to receiue all he said Well if ye thinke it good diuide the rest amongst the Ilots who were their slaues for it agreeth not with them that make profession of manlie fortitude and powers to take such iuncates For that which allureth and inticeth men of a slauish nature ought not to be acceptable to thē that are of a franke free courage But is there any thing now a daies I pray you that so much allureth and keepeth base minds in the seruice of great men as the daintines of their table And surely the Ancients did not vnfitly apply the name of Tyrant to a rich man keeping a sumptuous table as to one that compelleth men to follow to obey him Neuertheles a courageous hart suffreth not it self to be takē with such baits but let vs continue the examples of sobrietic Pompey the great hauing all his life tyme loued modestie and frugalitie gaue yet a more certain testimonie thereof when by reason of a lingring disease he had lost his appetite to meate His Physition appointing him to eate of a Blackbird he was giuen to vnderstand by his serunats that because they were out of season it would be a hard matter to get any except it were of Lucullus who kept some all the yeere long and would willingly giue him some What quoth he then if Lucullus were not a daintie and nice glutton could not Pompey liue No no let me haue somthing made ready that may easile be gotten Marcus Cato after he had ouercome Spaine and triumphed of notable victories albeit he was now old and very rich yet he would adde nothing to his ancient maner of liuing which was very austere but dranke almost nothing but water and for the most part did eat nothing but bread and biefe laboring in the field in time of peace as much as the meanest of his seruants Epaminondas the greatest captain philosopher of his time liued so thriftily and temperately that being inuited by a friend of his to supper and seeing great superfluitie and sumptuosnes he returned very angry saying that he thought he had been requested to sacrifice and to liue honestly together and not to receiue reproch by being entertained like a glutton Caius Fabritius a notable Romain captaine was found by the Samnite embassadors that came vnto him eating of reddish rosted in the ashes which was all the dishes he had to his supper and that in a very poore house Scipio Aemilius kept a very honourable table for his friends for in his time riot had alredy begun to enter into Rome but going
our selues to intreate of I meane Oeconomie or gouernment of a familie we must seeke after a more ample and large declaration of a house which consisteth not in many stones and long peeces of timber ioined togither with great cunning but in stones that haue life and are partakers of reason tending to the benefite and profite of the house as to their end Also if you thinke it good and our howre giue vs leasure we may enter into the consideration of the sundry sorts of mariages and of certaine ancient customes obserued therein which I touched not in my discourse bicause I would not be ouer-long ASER. First it is necessarye saith Aristotle to ioine those togither which can not be the one without the other as the male and female for generation Next he that is able to execute the commandements of his maister by the strength of his bodie is a subiect and slaue by nature And of these two assemblies a house or familie is first instituted AMANA A familie or house is an assemblye framed by nature to communicate daily togither and they are called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as liue of the same prouision or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as vse the same Chimney But we shall vnderstād of thee ARAM the whole discourse of that which is heere propounded vnto vs. ARAM. When I consider of the excellencie greatnes of Plato his skil who was greatly admired of the Grecians as he that for vertue honesty of life for eloquence of speech perswasion by true and learned Philosophie went far beyond all other Philosophers I cannot sufficiently wonder how amidst so many good lawes profitable statuts for a common-wealth which we haue receiued from him he imagined to establish therein the communitie of goods wiues children amongst his Citizens not suffring them to haue any thing proper peculiar to the end as he said to banish from his citie these two words Thine Mine which in his opinion were the cause of all euils desolations that befall Common-wealths The Nicholaites reuiued the same error in the primitiue Church many others haue labored by friuolous reasons to defend maintaine it chiefly to roote out as they say vtterly frō within the soule those humane affections which commōly cary men rather towards their wiues children goods than to other things Which affections so long as they beare sway amongst the Citizens cause them oftentimes to turne aside from their duty towards the common-wealth whereby it is made weaker of lesse continuance Now among many grounds confuting this error which being receiued would fil all with disorder confusion to the ouerthrow of humane societie this is most certain cannot be impugned that forasmuch as the lawful distributiō of goods maner of mariages are the ordinance of God as it is manifest seeing the ordinance of God may not be altered by any counsell of man it followeth that aswell the diuision of goods as of wiues and children are immutable and consequently that the communitie of goods wiues children is a thing flatly gainsaying the institution of God therfore to be reproued Moreouer if goods were common an infinite multitude of do-litles of idle negligent persons borne as Horace saith onely to deuoure to consume the benefits of the earth being vnwilling to labor resembling waspes that eate the honie of the Bees would feede and cloath themselues with their goods who get their liuing with great sweate of their bodies vexation of their minds Which is against the expresse commandement of God who will haue vs eate our bread in the sweat of our face But what greater shame offēce vtterly defacing all honesty of life can there be amongst men than the community of wiues whereby all fornications adulteries would be maintained by authority This sheweth plainly that we are not to loose time in confuting such an opinion of theirs who seeke to take away from amongst men all marks of a Cōmon-wealth For there would not be any publike thing if nothing were priuate nor cōmon if nothing were peculiar Yea Plato afterward did wisely leaue that opiniō quietly renounced his first Cōmon-wealth to giue place to a second And the Heralds of Gods word condēned this error when it was raised vp in the Apostles time by an arch-heretik called Nicholas of Antioch who maintained this opiniō that goods wiues childrē ought to be cōmon amōg christians for example to others cōmunicated his wife to whosoeuer would albeit she was yoong and very beautifull Thus following the order established of God and continued alwaies through so many ages vntill our time and hauing seene the first institution of mariage we must also containe it within the house which is a societie and communion of life betweene the husband and the wife the maister and the seruant for daily profit Hesiodus putteth the Oxe in steede of the seruant so farre foorth faith Aristotle as the Oxe being fit to labour is to poore men in the place of a slaue This house thus described is simple but when children are contained therein it is absolute and compleate Therefore a house that is perfect and accomplished may be diuided according to the saying of Philosophers into these foure parts into Matrimoniall Parentall Lordly or Maisterlie and Possessorie part The Matrimoniall part comprehēdeth the husband the wife the Parentall containeth the father mother children the Lordlie hath vnder it the maister men-seruants and maid-seruants the Possessorie part includeth within it mooueables immooueables and chattels Now to follow our matter already begun and to discourse of things in order we haue heere to handle and to obserue diligently this first part of a house called the coniugall or wedlocke part and the sequele of our discourses shall instruct vs in the other parts He that hath tasted of learning and beene well instructed in the studie of wisedome shall find that there are foure kinds of coniunctions and mariages namely the mariage of honour the mariage of loue the mariage of labour and the mariage of griefe The mariage of honour is diuided into the highest middlemost and lowest degree The highest is that supernaturall mariage whereby God and mans nature meete togither euen by a mysterie which ouerpasseth the vnderstanding of all humane capacitie We saw the effect and truth therof in the incarnation and natiuitie of the eternall sonne of God The middlemost mariage of honour is when God and the soule meete and are ioined togither by grace and glorie The lowest degree of the mariage of honour is when God and the Church are coupled togither and are made one mysticall bodie These three sortes of mariages are supernaturall and appointed of God after an vnspeakeable manner but the cause of our assemblie requireth not that we should speake any more of them Now to come to the other kinds of
Philosopher and of the Politician is one and the same bicause they consist all three in knowing how to rule to teach and to iudge well He saith also that the only way to procure true quietnes and most happie felicitie in Common-wealths is when by some diuine prouidence the soueraigne authoritie of Magistracie meeteth with the will of a wise Philosopher in one person that vertue may be superior and vice suppressed And if such a gouernour ouer people is to be accounted very happy they are no lesse happie that may heare the excellent discourses good instructions which proceed from his mouth Besides when they see vertue after a liuely sort imprinted in a visible paterne that the Magistrates life is such an example they become wise of their own accord Then is force constraint or threatning needeles to bring them to their dutie as they that conforme themselues to an'vpright good life in friendship charitie concord one with another So that we may boldly say that he is by nature most worthie of soueraigne authority who is able by his vertue to imprint in mens harts the like disposition affection to liue wel vertuously But forasmuch as few vertuous men are found soueraigne Magistrats are not commonly chosen out of that smal number but come to that authoritie for the most part by succession it is no maruell if there be but fewe such Magistrates as we haue here described nay it is rather greatly to be wondered at if any one amonge a great many become very excellent Notwithstanding as their soueraign is nothing lesse ouer their subiects who owe fidelitie obedience vnto them so are they alwaies bound to do their dutie and office towards them which consisteth in ministring iustice counsel comfort aide and protection Moreouer bicause insolencie and rebellious wickednes is alwaies to be found in some corrupt persons who neither by teaching nor by example of good life will be brought to vertue but perseuer in committing a thousand impious vniust actions for the punishment of such the sword is put into the Magistrates hand both by the law of God man that as the minister of God he should serue his wrath take vengeance of them that do euil This is that which is so expresly cōmanded to Magistrats in infinit places of the scripture vnder these words Do iudgement iustice Iustice in deliuering him that is oppressed by force from the hand of the oppressor in not grieuing strangers widowes and orphanes in offering no iniurie to any in shedding no innocent blood and in dealing vprightly with euery one and Iudgement in resisting the boldnes of the wicked in repressing their impudencie and violence and in punishing their faults It is an abhomination to kings saith the wise man to commit wickednes for the throne is stablished by iustice A king that sitteth in the throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his cies A wise king scattereth-the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them Take the drosse from the siluer and there shall proceede a vessell for the finer Take away the wicked from the king and his throne shall be stablished in righteousnes Aswell he that iustifieth the wicked as he that condemneth the iust is an abhomination vnto God The people and nations curse him that saith to the wicked thou art iust Yea an offence is to be imputed asmuch or more to him that suffereth it to be done when he may is bound to stay it than to him that committeth the same And if it be a point of true iustice in Magistrates to persecute the wicked with drawne sword let not them that will needes forsooth abstaine from all seueritie and keepe their hands pure from blood whilest the swords of the wicked are drawne out to commit murder and violence I say let them not doubt but they them selues shall be iudged guiltie of great iniustice before the diuine Maiestie It is true that gentlenes and clemencie most of all beseeme a great and excellent man and is one principall vertue necessary for a Magistrate Notwithstanding it must so be ruled that for the benefite of the Common-wealth seueritie and rigor be ioined therewith bicause it is vnpossible to rule gouerne a multitude without this And yet it is not the part either of a wise Phisition or of a good gouernor of an Estate to set hand to the iron except in great necessitie when there is no other remedie For if they do otherwise as there is want of discretion in both so most of all in the Magistrate bicause iniustice also is ioined with crueltie So that it is necessarie both in clemencie and rigor to keepe some honest meane by right reason and prudence to the end that the inconueniences of both may be eschewed This is that which Isocrates speaking of the manner of raigning wel teacheth when he sayth that a man must be seuere in searching out of faults and mercifull in imposing punishments that are lesse than the faults gouerning men more by clemencie and prudence than by rigor and crueltie And seeing it falleth out so that an ouer-seuere Magistrate becommeth odious and that he is contemned despised who is too gratious a wise man must be both ciuill and graue grauitie being comely in commanding and ciuilitie necessarie for him that conuerseth with men For the conclusion therefore of our discourse we learne that both by the establishment of euery estate and policie and by a holie heauenly decree we are subiect to the soueraigne Magistrate who is lawfully ordained to rule to teach and to iudge vs in all things that respect this present life and the preseruation of ciuill societie We learne that seeing he is the image of God vpon earth he must conforme himselfe asmuch as he is able to the perfection of all goodnes and iustice that he may bring on them that are committed to his charge to godlines and vertue by his example that it is his dutie to honor the good and to punish the euill declaring thereby that he is the protector and preseruer of publike tranquillitie honestie innocencie and modestie and appointed to maintaine the common safetie and peace of all men Of the Law Chap. 55. ARAM. AS wee note in the vniuersall frame of the world that many vnlike motions are contained within one heauenly motion which is alwaies like to it selfe all causes by the first cause and as in euery liuing creature many sundry members distinct in office are comprised brought into vnion and agreement by the soule hart so in euery Common-wealth compounded of many differing parts necessary for the establishment thereof the law is the blood that giueth vertue and life vnto it the bond that reduceth all the parts therof to vnitie and the firme preseruer of ciuill societie Therefore seeing my Companions we haue discoursed of the first part of euery
himselfe indebted for the glorifieng of his name whether it were by death or by life For it belongeth to him to determine what is expedient for his glorie Wherefore if it behooueth vs to liue and die vnto him let vs leaue both our life death to his good pleasure but yet so that we alwaies desire rather to die than to liue be ready cheerfully to renounce this life whensoeuer it pleaseth the Lord bicause it holdeth vs vnder sin And let vs hold this Maxime that no man hath throughly profited in the school of Christ Iesus but he that with ioy gladnes expecteth the day of death and of the last resurrection S. Paul in his epistle to Titus describeth al the faithful by this mark the scripture when it propouÌ„deth vnto vs matter of reioicing calleth vs backe thither Reioice saith the Lord in Luke and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere It were absurd that that thing should breed nothing but sorow and astonishment in vs which Christ thought was fit matter to worke ioy in vs. Now than seeing death is dead to them that beleeue in him there is nothing in death which a maÌ„ ought to feare It is true that the image thereof is hideous and terrible bicause that besides the violent taking away of life it representeth vnto vs the wrath of God which biteth like a serpent but now the venome of it is taken away and can not hurt vs. And as through the brasen serpent which Moses lift vp in the wildernesse the liuing serpents died and their venome hurt not the Israelites so our death dieth and is not able in any sort to hurt vs if we behold with the eyes of faith the death of Iesus Christ Briefly it is nothing but an image and shadow of death and the beginning and entrance vnto true life Wherefore concluding our present speech let vs learne that as our miserable nature had brought vs to the like condition of death so the grace of God maketh this difference that some namely the wicked die to their destruction and others which are the children of God led by his spirit and word die to liue more happily so that their very death is precious in the sight of God And although the lust of our fleshe beyng blind and earthly striueth continually against the desires of the spirit seeking to separate vs as far as it can from our soueraigne Good yet let vs haue this ingrauen in our harts that they are happy that know the vanitie of this world more happy that set not their affections vpon it and they most happy that are taken out of it to be with GOD in the kingdome of heauen The ende of this Academie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist lib. 2. Eth. cap. 2. Aug. lib. 2. de doct chr cap. 40. Aug. lib. 8. de ciuit Dei cap. 6. 7. 8. c. Aristotle de Mundo Lib. 6. Strommat This commendation of vertue is chiefly to be vnderstood of faith the roote of all good vertues Hebr. 1. Psalm 8. All things were created for man To knowo our selues is true wisedome The soule is truly man Socrates was called the father of Philosophie Socrates said that the knowledge of God and of our selues must be ioined together Wherin the dutio of man consisteth Ignorance of our selues the cause of much euill What man is Gen. 1. Col. 3. The ende of mans being There is a double reason in man Heraclitus wept continually Democritus alwaies laughed The iudgement of Philosophers concerning the nature of man Pindarus Homer Timon Plinie The custome of the Scythians The presumptuous opinion of the Stoiks The end of the knowledge of our selues The wilfull fall of man The restoring of man All men naturally haue some loue and liking of the truth Effects of Christian regeneration The perfection of a wise mans life The wonderfull coniunction of the bodie and soule All things are preserued by agreeing discords The definition of a bodie Gen. 6. Rom. 8. Gal. 5. The works of the flesh Man is a little world Gen. 3. Of the conception and fashioning of man Of the excellencie of the bodie and of all the parts thereof Great secrets of nature The diuersitie of mens voices and writings The soule is infused not 〈◊〉 The definition of the soule Pythagoras was the first that was called a Philosopher The diuision of the soule Plato maketh sixe parts of the soule Aristotle diuideth it in two parts Foure parts of the soule The best diuision of the soule The soule cannot be diuided but is made subiect to two parts Both parts of the soule are corrupted Rom. 7. 23. The properties of the soule The actions of the soule The beautie of the soule Gal. 5. 22. 23. The true delight of the sense Phil. 4. 4. Luke 10. 20. How a man ought to vse both body and soule Nothing woorse to man than man himselfe Rom. 7. 18. 19. There is no good thing in the flesh of man Man is a mutable creature Pleasure and griefe the cause of passions Manis more carefull of his body then of his soule The ende cause and remedie of bodily diseases Naturall passions The definition of passion The diuision of passions All men haue naturally a desire of happines No man by nature can finde out the right way that leadeth to happines The word of God sheweth vs the right way to happines Of the perturbations of the soule The scope of our passions The ancient heathen may rise vp in iudgement against many Christians in these daies The originall nature and effects of perturbations All perturbations are contained vnder these foure heads Desire Ioy Feare Griefe An excellent comparison The cause of the diseases of the soule Reason is the medicine of the soule A sound soule correcteth the naughtines of the bodie The passions of the soule are headstrong and hard to be cured The passions of men commonly bring foorth effects contrarie to their purposes Reason is wisedome inspired from heauen A remedie against passions Examples of death by ouer-great ioy Herennus died for feare Plautius through griefe The effects of desire Vertue is alwais without excessiue passion The nature of worldly goods A wise soule gouerneth the affections What it is to liue happilie The common drife of men What men ought chiefly to leuell at The worke of philosophie The proper end and scope of Philosophie Why the philosophers could neuer attaine to the souereigne good in this life The definition of philosophie The diâ—ision of philosophie Of diuine philosophie How we must behaue out selues in searching our the secrets of God Of naturall philosophie Aâ—ule to be kept in naturall philosophie Against sorcerers magitians and birth-gazers The issue of all things is to be referred to the prouidence of God Of morall philosophie God the Idea of all good The benefit that commeth by philosophie Philosophie is the art of life What it is to play the philosopher Where and how philosophie is
be ioined with knowledge What want of prudence is The pernitious effects of ignorance All ignorant men are euill The effects of ignorance both in rich poore Common effects of ignorance The spring of all errors The reasons which mooued the heathen to beleeue that there was a diuinitie Nicias feared an eclipse of the moone Caligula and Domitian Otho 1. Anaxagoras saying against the superstitious feare of celestiall signes Cleander a traitor to Commodus his Lord. The hase mind of Perses being ouercome of Emilius What malice and craft are Vertuous men seeke after honest not secret things Satan the father of malice and subtiltie The malice of Nero. Tiberius Math. 10. 16. We must not denie or hide our ignorance Math. 12. 35. Pro. 17. 27. 28. 1. Per. 3. 10. A double speech or reason How speech is framed Words are the shadow of works The foundation and scope of all speech Of Laconicall speech A pretie saying of Pittacus Of graue and eloquent speech Against prating pleaders The toong is the best and woorst thing that is Isocrates appointed two times of speaking Apelles speech to a Persian lord How great men ought to speake Apelles speech to a shoomaker Alexander gaue money to a poet to hold his peace Nothing ought to be written without great deliberation Notable and pithy letters of ancient men A good precept for speaking The praise of silence Hyperides Examples of mischiefes caused by the intemperancie of the toong Of concealing a secret Examples of the commendable freedome of speech The constancie of Gordius Prudence requisite in a friend No outward thing is to be preferred before friendship Nothing more rare or excellent than a friend The principall cause and end of all true friendship What friendship is The difference betwixt friendship and loue What things are requisite in friendship The common practise of flatterers What maner of man we must choose for our friend How we must prooue a friend How we must shake off a false friend How Alcibiades tried his friends The meanes to keepe a friend Friendship must be free Phalereus How many waies we owe dutie to our friend How we must beare with the imperfections of our friend Against the plurality of friends He that hath neuer a fo hath neuer a friend The best and most excellent friendship is betweene one couple Pisistratus letter 〈◊〉 his nephew Titus Flaminius Nothing better than to liue with a vertuous man Three things necessarie in friendship Man is mutable One of the greatest fruits reaped in friendship A notable custome of the Lacedemonians A friend compared to a musitioÌ„ Agesilaus How we must vse reprehension Time bringeth as many things to good order as reason doth We must correct in our selues those faults which we reprehend in others Sundry instructions how to admonish wisely Reprehension is the beginning of good life Solons good aduice for counsailors to princes Philosophers ought to be conuersant with princes Solons counsell giuen to Craesus Why Plato went into Sicilia to Dionysius Arrogancie dwelleth in the end with solitarines Notable counsell for princes Demetrius Traians letter to Plutarke How Philoxenus corrected Dionysius tragedie The free gird of a peasant giuen to an Archbishop The like giuen to Pope Sixtus the 4. by a Frier Prou. 27.5 Gal. 6. r. Mediocritie must be vsed in all actions The difference of good and bad consisteth in mediocritie Against curiositie in knowledge A notable saying of Socrates The death of Aristotle and Plinie through too much curiositie The burning of Aetna Two generall kinds of curiositie Against the curiositie of seeing strange nations One euident cause of the ruin of Fraunce Lycurgus for-bad traffick with strangers Fiue vices brought out of Asia by the Romanes Why Fabius would neuer go on the water Plato and Apollonius were great trauellerâ— Of curiositie in seeking to know other mens imperfections The curious are more profitable to their enimies than to themselues Curiositie in princes affaires is perilous How we must cure curiositie Examples against curiositie Against lightnes of beleefe Faults whereinto curious men commonly fall Wittie answers made to curious questions Rom. 12. 3. Natural vertues according to the Philosophers who had no knowledge of mans fall The diuision of nature What nature is The propertie and light of nature The corruption of nature Three things neceâ—â—arie for the perfection of 〈◊〉 The difference between philosophers and the common people Three things coâ—curâ—e in perfect vertue The defect of nature is holpen by good education The weaknes of our naturall inclination to goodnes A similitude Lvcurgus example of two dogs Socrates and Themistocles were by nature vicious but by education vertuous The Germaines much changed by institution A mans naturall inclination may be espied in a small matter Great men ought especially to learne vertue The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Pythagoras and translated of the Latins Mâ—ndus and of vs World signifieth a comely order No vertue can be without temperance The true marks and ornaments of a king What temperanceis What Decorum or comelines iâ— The definition of temperance What passions are ruled by temperance Fower parts of temperance The commendation of temperance Woonderfull examples of temperance Scipio Africanus Alexander Cyrus Architas Xenocrates Isaeus C. Gracchus Antigonus Pompeius F. Sforce The temperance of Pompey against ambition Pittacus Pedaretus Scipio Torquatus Fabritius Aimaeus Amurathes Charles 5. Soüs Lysimachus Cato Rodolphus Socrates Predominant passions in intemperance Some sinnes are punishments of other sinnes Rom. 1. What intemperance is The difference betweene an incontinent and an intemperate man A fit similitude The companions of intemperance Intemperate men resemble mad folks Heliogabalus Nero. Commodus Caligula Proculus Chilpericus 1. Xerxes Epicurus Sardanapalus Antonius Boleslaus 2. Adrian Iohannes a Casa The Temple of Diana was burnt by Erostratus Or Stupiditie Luke 13. 27. The cause of the long life of our Elders and of the shortnes of ours Dionysius a monster and why The sobrietie of old time and corruption of ours compared togither Sobrietie preserueth health There is more pleasure of the creatures in sobrietie than in superfluitie The belly is an vnthankfull beast The counsell of Epictetus concerning eating How wise men in old time feasted one another Against vaine delights in feasts The bellie a feeding beast When musicke is most conuenient The custome of the Egyptians at bankets The custome of the Lacedemonians The manner of drinking in old time The sobrietie of Alexander Against excessiue drinking Cyrus Porus. Phaotes Alphousus Agesilaus Good cheere keepeth baâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on â—â—â—peius M. Cate. Epaminondas C. Fabritius Scipio Masinissa Mithridates Hannibal Vespasianus Daniel Iohn Baptist. Maxentius Socrates feast Darius in his thirst iudged puddle water to be good drinke Tokens of the wrath of God The chiefest cause of destruction to Common-wealths is excesse in delights Pleasure the end of superfluitie Of the delicate life The seed of diseases Of the shortnes of mans life The soule of gluttons
commodities to get and treasure vp vertue only And why do we after their example despise all these things and spend that which we account most pretious I meane time that we may be adorned and cloathed with vertue if it cannot make vs hit that marke which euery one so much desireth and seeketh after with such great paine and labour namely that they may enioy some chiefe Good in this world and lead thereby a contented and happy life Be not ouertaken friendly Reader with this smal difficultie which perhaps might cause a grosse and feeble head not well instructed in wisedome to stagger and depart out of the right way Now although the heauenly word onely hath the perfect and sound knowledge of wisedome bicause he is that eternall wisedome it selfe yet man being his workmanship aided with his grace must not leaue of to seeke for to require earnestly of him that gift of the knowledge participation of the secrets of that incomprehensible truth so farre foorth as he may and shall be necessary for him that his soule thereby may obtaine hir permanent and lasting happines Moreouer albeit our soueraigne chiefe Good our perfect contentation and absolute felicitie be onely in heauen in the enioying of that diuine light yet we must not in the meane while albeit we cannot fully possesse that leaue of to seeke without ceasing or giue ouer in any sort to keepe and follow that good and infallible way of vertue which causing vs to passe ouer quietly and to sustaine with ioy of spirite the miseries of mankind and appeasing the perturbations of our soules from whence proceed all the euils that torment vs and making them void of all damnable effects will teach vs to lead a pleasant peaceable quiet life to effect all things woorthy beseeming this certaine hope that we shal one day by the grace of God be framed a new in that eternal most happy contented life Let vs therefore account this world and all the riches thereof as a thing belonging to an other as a straunger and nothing appertaining to those men who beyng regenerated by the spirite of grace haue profited well in the schoole of wisedome Let vs not seeke for friendshippe vpon earth let vs not couete after riches glory honour and pleasure which none but fooles doe extoll desire and wonder at Wee are not of this worlde but straungers onely therein and therefore let vs set all worldly things behinde vs and account them vnwoorthie the care of our immortall soules if we meane not to perish with the worlde by ioyning our selues there-unto Let vs forsake it I say forsake it boldly how precious soeuer it bee that we may aboundantly treasure vp that great sweete and durable wealth I meane vertue which is honoured loued and desired for it selfe onely which is the true and wholesome medicine for diseased soules the rest of the mynde oppressed with care the cause by the will of GOD of that chiefe Good wherein the principall ende of the soule consisteth and the onely assured guide which leadeth to the Hauen so much desired of euery one namelie the contentation of minde Which thing this present Academie doth not onely set before our eyes but also doth saue and keepe vs beyng already entered into this Hauen of safetie agaynst all tempestes if wee will our selues and not spare our labour to reape profite of those learned and wise instructions that are here giuen vnto vs by the preceptes of doctrine and examples of the lyues of auncient vertuous and famous men For first of all wee shall learne hereby to know our selues and the ende of our beyng Secondly wee shall bee instructed in good maners and taught how we may liue well and happily in euery estate and condition of lyfe whatsoeuer Yea we shall finde in the basest and lowest estate which of the ignorant and common sort of people is oftentimes called miserable as much ioy and happinesse as a Monarch can be partaker of in the fruition of his greatnesse yea much more than he if he bee wicked bicause vice in all Estates maketh the possessour thereof wretched and contrarywise Vertue maketh euery condition of life happy Moreouer wee shall see in this Academie that euery one louyng and fearing GOD may obtaine this inestimable Good of vertue and thereby remayne a Conquerour ouer the perturbations of his soule which breede all his miserie remembring this poynt alwayes so farre foorth as the fraile nature of man ayded by the Author of all goodnesse can attayne to this perfection Wee shall learne here how we ought to gouerne our selues wisely and duetifully in all humane actions and affaires and in all charges and places whatsoeuer either publique or priuate whereunto we shall be called We may note here cause of the subuersion and ruine of many Empires Estates and Common-wealths and of the glittering shew and glory of infinite others as also the cause of the wretchednesse and destruction of a great number of men and what hath lift vp others and crowned them with honour and immortall prayse We shall bee taught here the gouernement of a house and familie the maner of the education and instruction of children the mutuall duetie of married couples of brethren of masters and seruauntes how to commaund and how to obey We shall see here the order and establishment of policies and superiorities what is the duetie of the Heads of them of Princes and Gouernours of nations as also what the duetie of their subiectes is Briefly both great and small may drawe out from hence the doctrine and knowledge of those things which are most necessarie for the gouernement of a house and of a Common-wealth with sufficient instruction how to frame their life and maners in the moulde and paterne of true and holy vertue and how by meanes thereof the grace of GOD woorking in them they may runne the race of their dayes in ioy happinesse rest and tranquillitie of spirite and that in the middest of greatest aduersities which the vncertaintie and continuall chaunge of humane things may bring vpon them Nowe bicause the sequele compounded of the sundrie treatises and discourses of this Academy will sufficiently instruct thee in all things aboue mentioned as it promiseth in the fore-front and title thereof I will not dilate this matter any farther but only desire of thee Reader patiently to heare these Academicall students from the first of their discourses vnto the last Their intent was only as thou maiest vnderstand more at large in the entrance of their assembly to teach themselues and next euery one according to their abilitie the institution of good maners and rule of good lining for all ordinarie and common estates and conditions of life in our French Monarchie to the ende that euery member of this politike body brought thus low with euils and beaten with tempestuous stormes might somewhat helpe and profite it by their counsels and instructions And this thou mayest do friendly
Reader if thou takest payns to read well to vnderstand better and which is best of all to follow the precepts instructions and examples which thou shalt find here as also if thou bringest hither a good will and cheerefull disposition voyd of all malicious enuy which at this day is commonly practised by most men of this our age who like to malicious Censorers busie themselues rather in seeking out what to bite at and to reprehend in other mens workes than to draw out and to commend that which is good or to assay to make them better Besides thou shalt haue somewhat to commend in the order of these discourses and in the maner of teaching which is in them For after the handling of that knowledge which is especially necessary for man all those vertues follow which he ought to imbrace and those vices which he is to shun Next he is instructed in that which concerneth house-keeping then in that which hath respect to estates and policies last of all how he may die well after he hath liued well As for the maner of teaching which is diligently obserued by these Academikes thou shalt see that first they prayse that vertue or disprayse that vice which they propound to themselues to discourse vpon that they may mooue and frame mens minds as well to hate the one as to desire the other Then they define that wherof they discourse that the end of the present subiect may be better knowen Afterward they giue precepts to find out the means wherby to attaine to that which is Good and to eschew the euil Lastly they adde examples which are liuely reasons and of great waight to mooue men with delight to embrace vertue and to flie vice Now if thou thinkest that too litle is spoken considering the goodly and large matter here propounded it is not bicause they knew not that the excellencie of euery thing put foorth here is so great and the reasons so aboundant that a man might well make a booke therofby it selfe as many learned men haue done but the chiefe scope and drift of these Inter-speakers was to discourse briefly of such things as are necessarily required in the institution of maners and of a happy life Neuerthelesse it may well be that that which thou findest not sufficiently folowed in one place may be learned in another if thou lookest vnto the end Moreouer they who are here named and who mind to retaine alwayes the name of disciples neuer purposed or presumed to set downe resolutions or to appoint lawes which are necessarily to be kept and may not be changed in any wise by those that are cleere-sighted according to the occurrence benefit of the estate of this Monarchie but grounding their counsels and instructions vpon the soundest and most approoued opinion of the writings of learned men both of auncient and late times and vpon such as drew neerest to the infallible rule of the holy scriptures according to the small measure of graces giuen them from aboue they haue left to euery one following therein the ancient schoole of the Academikes libertie to compare the motiues of the one side with the reasons on the other that the truth of all things might be diligently searched out and inquired after that none through any head-strong conceit should be wedded to priuate opinions and that afterward choise might be made of the best and of such as are most certain therby to order and rule all intents and actions and to referre them to the perpetuall glory of that great Lord of Hierarchies who is the onely cause and chiefe fountain of all Good contentation and happinesse Spe certa quid melius The Contents of the seuerall chapters of this Booke Chap. 1 Of Man Page 10 2 Of the body and soule 19 3 Of the diseases and passions of the body and soule and of the tranquillitie thereof 27 4 Of Philosophie 38 5 Of Vertue 51 6 Of Vice 63 7 Of Sciences of the studie of Letters and of Histories 72 8 Of the Spirit and of Memorie 83 9 Of Duetie and Honestie 92 10 Of Prudence 103 11 Of want of Prudence and of Ignorance of Malice and subtletie 115 12 Of Speech and Speaking 126 13 Of Friendship and of a Friend 136 14 Of Reprehension and Admonition 148 15 Of Curiositie and Noucitie 159 16 Of Nature and Education 170 17 Of Temperance 179 18 Of Intemperance and of Stupiditie or blockishnes 189 19 Of Sobrietie and Frugalitie 198 20 Of Superfluitie Sumptuousnesse Gluttonie and Wallowing in delights 209 21 Of Ambition 223 22 Of Voluptuousnes and Loosenesse of life 234 23 Of Glory Praise Honour and of Pride 245 24 Of Shame Shamefastnes and of Dishonor 256 25 Of Fortitude 265 26 Of Timorousnes Feare and Cowardlines and of Rashnes 277 27 Of Magnanimitie and Generositie 288 28 Of Hope 298 29 Of Patience and of Impatiencie of Choler and Wrath. 308 30 Of Meeknes Clemencie Mildnes Gentlenes and Humanitie 319 31 Of good and ill Hap. 328 32 Of Prosperitie and Aduersitie 338 33 Of Riches 350 34 Of Pouertie 358. 35 Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming 367 36 Of an Enimie of Iniurie and of Reuenge 378 37 Of Iustice 390 38 Of Iniustice and of Seueritie 402 39 Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason 413 40 Of Ingratitude 424 41 Of Liberalitie and of the vse of Riches 434 42 Of Couetousnes and of Prodigalitie 444 43 Of Enuie Hatred and Backbiting 457 44 Of Fortune 467 45 Of Mariage 478 46 Of a House and Familie and of the kinds of Mariage of certaine ancient customes obserued in mariage 484 47 Of the particular dutie of a Husband towards his wife 500 48 Of the dutie of a Wife towards hir Husband 513 49 Of the dutie of the Head of a familie in other partes of the house namely in the Parentall Masterly and Possessorie part 523 50 Of the dutie of children towards their Parents of the mutuall loue that ought to be among brethré of the dutie of seruants towards their masters 536 51 Of the Education and instruction of Children 549 52 Of the diuision of the ages of Man and of the offices and duties that are to be obserued in them 561 53 Of Policie and of sundry sorts of Gouernments 573 54 Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office 584 55 Of the Lawe 593 56 Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Lawe 603 57 Of a Monarchie or a Regall power 615 58 Of diuers kinds of Monarchies and of a Tiranny 627 59 Of the Education of a Prince in good maners and conditions 640 60 Of the office and dutie of a King 652 61 Of a Councell and of Counsellers of Estate 675 62 Of Iudgements and of Iudges 689 63 Of Seditions 703 64 Of the causes that breede the change corruption c. of Monarchies and Policies 716 65 Of the preseruations of Estates and Monarchies and of remedies to keepe them from sedition 730 66
mortall matter of as small continuance as a vessell of earth sinning without ceasing and endeuoring that that which is shut vp within it should please it Notwithstanding we ought not to neglect and contemne the woonderfull frame of this heauenly plant as Plato calleth it saying that the roote thereof is in the head drawing towards heauen seeing as in a little world we may behold therein the excellencie of the woonderful works of God and that in so great measure that the wisest and most eloquent men could neuer set them foorth sufficiently And if we cal to minde how by his almightie power he framed him at the first of a peece of earth we shall not neede to stand long heere to inquire and search out how he could be ingendred and fashioned in his mothers wombe how he receaued nourishment and life and lastly how he came into the light As for example how the sixe first daies after his conception he is nothing but milke the nine following blood twelue daies after flesh and howe in the eighteene next ensuing he is fashioned at what time the fruite beginneth to liue and to haue sence which is the fiue and fortieth day after he was conceaued These are secrets of nature which may seeme as incomprehensible and beyond the capacitie of man as his first creation For what greater maruell can there be than that of a little drop of mans seed there should be engendred bones sinewes vaines arteries similar and instrumentall partes skinne and flesh and that all these should be framed in that kinde figure and similitude which we daily see in men who are all created after that maner What neede we then to make an anatomy of all the chiefest partes of the body of man when as the consideration of the least of them which peraduenture may be found to be most necessarie will suffice to rauish vs with admiration What superfluous thing can be noted in the bodie What small parcell is there which the noblest part may want conueniently and which is not partaker of euerie euill disposition thereof What thing is there in the whole nature thereof which doth not satisfie that dutie verie profitably whereunto it is borne and appointed which mooueth not of it selfe which either doth suffereth or disposeth of it selfe otherwise than is most expedient and meet for it owne benefite and for the rest of the frame of man The progresse and growth thereof from day to day from houre to houre and that of all the parts together of this principall worke at one instant euen from the first houre of his being vntil his whole perfection are they not more heauenly than humane things What is more woonderfull vnder the cope of heauen than the coniunction and subiection of the naturall sences vnto the bodie I meane of the sight smelling hearing taste and touching whereby saith Plato the common sence which is as it were a generall receptacle conceaueth al outward things What an excellent propertie in man is it to voide from him a profitable superfluitie of his nourishment from whence the cause of the preseruation of mankinde proceedeth The articulate and distinct voice proper to him onely is it not woorthy of great maruell What greater secret of nature could rauish the minde of man more with admiration than amongst the infinite multitude of men in the world to consider the variety of their gestures and diuersity of their countenances that hauing al but one and the same forme yet not one almost resembleth another And when in so great varietie two are found resembling in all points one another as we read of some euen of sundry nations who haue been taken indifferently one for the other is it not a stranger matter How maruellous is it that all men hauing a toong wherewith they speake and sing yet we seldome see that the speaking and singing of one resembleth the speech and tune of another wherupon it commeth to passe that friends and familiars oftentimes acknowledge and vnderstand one another by their speech and voice before they see ech other Who will not admire this great secret in the hand of man that a hundred thousand writers may write the same thing with the same inke and like pen and that with three and twentie letters which haue each his owne figure and shape and yet the writings shall not resemble one another so but that euery writing may be knowne by his hand that wrote it Briefely what is there in the whole body of man that is not full of rare beautie This is sufficient for the matter in hand now let vs come to the soule which is much more noble and infused into the body by God the Creator without any vertue of the generatiue seed when as the parts of the body are alreadie framed and fashioned This alone can lead vs to the knowledge of God and of our selues or rather as Socrates said we shall neuer vnderstand perfectly what the soule is except we first know God and behold it in him as in a true glasse who onely can represent it vnto vs. Let vs then see what the soule is according to the sayings of the ancient Philosophers Thales Milesius one of the sages of Graecia who florished in Athens in the time of Achab king of Iuda was the first that defined the soule affirming it to be a nature alwaies moouing it selfe Pythagoras the light of his time and the first that tooke vnto himselfe the name of a Philosopher bicause all those who before him were addicted to the contemplation of the diuinity of the secrets of nature caused themselues to be called by the name of Mages and wisemen which he would not haue spoken of himselfe saying that this diuine and lofty title of Wise was proper to God onely and that it farre passed all humane ability I say this excellent man Pythagoras affirmed that the soule was a number moouing it selfe Plato saith that it is a spiritual substance moouing it selfe by harmonicall number Aristotle saith that the soule is the continuall act or moouing of a naturall and instrumentall bodie that may haue life Or else according to others it is the light of the substance and in perpetuall motion They diuiâ—e it likewise diuersely and make many parts therof The soule as Pythagoras said is compounded of vnderstanding knowledge opinion and sence from which things all knowledge and Arts proceed and of which man is called reasonable that is apt to discourse by reason Plato saith that there are three vertues in the soule belonging to knowledge and vnderstanding which for this cause are called cognitiue or knowing vertues namely reason vnderstanding and phantasie Vnto which three others are answerable appertaining to appetite namely Will whose office is to desire that which vnderstanding and reason propound vnto it Choler or Anger which followeth that that reason and phantasie offer vnto it and Concupiscence which apprehendeth whatsoeuer phantasie and
matter of these motions are opinions affections and inclinations which being considered in their owne nature are through sinne wicked and corrupt throughout the soule yea the blossome and roote of them proceed from our owne substance to the end as Plato saith that no man should thinke God to be the cause of euill Now albeit these passions thus defined by the philosophers are many in number yet drawing neerer to the truth we may comprehend and diuide them all into two principall kinds The first kind shall be that which we beleeue by faith the other according to our opinions and affections Vnder the first we comprehend that which euerie one beleeueth thinketh and desireth concerning diuine and heauenlie things as of true righteousnes of the immortalitie of the second life and of the iudgement to come Vnder opinions and affections is comprehended whatsoeuer respecteth and concerneth earthlie things this life maners gouernment of a houshold of a common wealth and generally al humane inclinations and actions As touching that which we beleeue by faith we are led thereunto and stirred by the weake instinct and feeling of the diuine nature imprinted in euery soule which after a sort mooueth man to aspire vnto and to desire the true and souereigne good and which being more power-full and of greater efficacy in some than in others causeth the better sort to delight also in the same good Neuertheles it is proper to euery mans vnderstanding not to hold a stedfast and sure way in seeking out the truth but to wander aside into diuers errors as a blind man that walketh in darknes and to fill it selfe rather with lies and with a continuall desire and curiositie of new vnprofitable and superfluous things than to content it selfe simplie with the truth insomuch that finally it misseth of all But to the end we be not of this number we ought to hold fast the infallible rule of the holie scriptures which gift we are to aske hope wait and seeke for in the onely grace and mercie of that Spirit which indighteth them and to looke for the full opening of these treasures in the second and eternall life As for the second kind of our passions properly called perturbations according to the philosophers from whence all the euils and miseries of mankinde proceed and whereof we minde chiefely to speake they are but affections and inclinations which come from our will corrupted by the prouocations and allurements of the flesh and which wholy resist the diuine nature of the reasonable part of the soule fastening it to the bodie as Plato saith with the naile of pleasure Which passions the mind of man commonly beholdeth cleerly enough when it applieth it selfe thereunto if it be not altogither peruerted and depraued yea by the grace and helpe of God the mind is able to confirme it selfe against any passion through the discourse of reason before it be in force and during the vehemencie thereof to fortifie it selfe against it And although the passion be contrarie to reason and haue for hir onely scope pleasure and the feare of griefe which can preuaile greatly with man yet reason by the meanes of Gods grace can both easily constraine maister and compell all passions in such sort that they shall take no effect and also bring to passe that whatsoeuer is rashly desired shall be ouercome by the discourse of prudent counsell And for this cause we say that the first motions are not in our power but that the euent and issue of them is in some sort Likewise reason doth not wholie quench and extinguish all passions which cannot possibly be performed in the nature of man but repelleth and hath the vpper hand of them as the precepts of doctrine and infinite examples of the liues of ancient heathen and pagan philosophers do learnedly teach vs. Which thing as it ought to cause many at this day to be ashamed who vaunt themselues of the name of Christians so it condemneth them in a fault not to be excused before the iust iudgement of God bicause those men being destitute of the perfect knowledge of God which they say they haue far excelled and surpassed them in the bridling ouercomming and killing of so many pestiferous passions as compasse the soule about as we may handle elsewhere and see examples thereof worthie of eternall remembrance when we shall discourse particularly of vertues and vices In the meane while we may learne of Cicero the father of Latine eloquence whose skill in ioining philosophie with the art of Rhetorike was excellent and who in my iudgement handleth this our present matter more profitably than any other of the ancients that all the aboue named euill passions are perturbations which if they be not maistered by reason depriue man of the soueraigne good of the soule which consisteth in the tranquillitie therof Moreuer he saith that through ignorance basenes of minde they proceed onely of the opinion of good or euill either present or to come which we imagine to be in the vnperfect and transitorie things of the world and which are accompanied vnseparably either with good or euill In respect of good things we are caried away with a vehement desire or coueting of them besides an immoderate ioy in them in regard of euil things we are oppressed with feare and sorrow And these are the foure springs of all vices sins wherein men plunge themselues during this life and vnder which all perturbations are comprehended which fill the soule with endlesse trouble and disquietnes causing man to liue alwaies vncontented and to finde euery present kinde of life burthensome and so to seeke after and to desire another But as fearefull men saith Plutark that excellent philosopher schoolemaster to that good Traian and they that are at sea subiect to casting thinking they shal be better in one place than in another go from the sterne to the stem then to the bottom of the ship afterward to the highest part frō thence go into the skiph and in the end returne into the ship without any amendment of their euil because they carrie alwaies about with them both feare griefe so the alteration of life of worldly conditions and estates into others doth not purge but rather increase the perturbations diseases of the soule if first the cause of them I meane ignorance of things the imperfection of reason be not taken out of it These are the mischiefes which trouble both rich and poore these are the miseries which wait vpon great and final bond and free yoong old Thus is the spirit of sick persons vexed and that continually One while the wife is troublesome the physition vnskilfull the bed vneasie the friend that visiteth importunate he which visiteth not proud but being once healed they finde that whatsoeuer was irksom vnto them before now pleaseth them But that which health doth to the diseased body the same thing
reason worketh in the soule of a prudent man by curing the passions and perturbations thereof and by causing him to rest ioyfull and contented in what estate and condition soeuer he be Let vs note moreouer which we touched in the beginning of this present discourse that all these passions of the soule are much more dangerous than those of the bodie bicause the most hurtfull passions of the bodie are first ingendred of those in the soule For the bodie yeeldeth it selfe ready to serue the desires appetites and pleasures of the soule which being ouercome and in the power of fleshly prouocations procureth in the end destruction to them both But contrariwise the soule being ruled by reason resisteth mightilie all corporall passions and is nothing at all or verie little made partaker of their euill dispositions whereas on the other side the bodie is constrained to alter and change with euery infirmitie of the soule If the minde be troubled what cheerefulnes can be seene in the face The diseases of the bodie hinder not the soule from effecting all good vertuous actions yea many haue brought forth the fruits of wise philosophers and great captaines when they were vexed with diseases which they could neuer do at least verie few of them that were corrupted and defiled in soule And therfore Democritus said very well that it was much more conuenient and meet for a man to haue care of his soule than of his bodie For if the soule be perfect she correcteth the naughtines of the body whereas the strength disposition of the body without the vse of reason hurteth both the soule and it selfe Moreouer that the passions of the soule are harder to be perceiued and knowne and consequently more vneasie to be cured who doth not easily feele it being greeued but in the least part of his bodie yea what griefe doth not of it selfe sufficiently appeere either by some inflammation or by the colour of the visage or by some other outward shew But how many do we fee whose soules are extreemly sicke spoiled and corrupted with vice and yet being depriued of all feeling they thinke themselues to be the soundest men in the world And that they are headstrong and vneasie to be cured we may know by this that the body is in the end so farforth obedient that if reason be vrgent vpon it she forceth euen the naturall passions of hunger thirst and sleepe findeth out besides a thousand remedies to help it self But when the passions of the soule haue once beene grounded and rooted within it without resistance they haue such pearcing pricks that oftentimes they presse ouerwhelme all reason which is their onely medicine and preseruatiue And yet to fill vp the measure of all miserie such is the froward nature of man that he is much more slothfull to seeke out this remedy of the soule than that of the bodie as we touched in the beginning of this present discourse Moreouer the iudgement of reason being oftentimes diseased within him is the cause that when he thinketh to finde health he encreaseth his euill and falleth into those inconueniences which he desired most of all to eschew Example hereof we haue in those who being led onely with a desire of glory and honor obtaine nothing by their dooings if we consider them well but shame and dishonor The like may be said of all the other diseases of the soule which commonly are accompanied and followed with effects contrary to their endes and desires What remaineth then seeing we perceiue the dangers to be great which follow al the perturbations of the soule but that knowing it to be more easie not to receiue them than to driue them out being receiued we preuent them and hinder them from taking liuely roote within our soules by making reason which as Hesiodus saith is a diuine guide and wisedome inspired from aboue so strong and powerfull that it may be able by the grace of God to resist al the assaults of vnbrideled desires and the froward affections of this flesh But behold yet a better and more certaine remedie namely that being assured that all perturbations are but opinions drawne from our will through a iudgement corrupted with the affections of this flesh we labor by good and sound reasons to ouerthrow and confound these false and erronious opinions perswading our selues that whatsoeuer we imagine to be good or euill in the world which is the cause that our minds are depriued of their rest and quietnes is indeede neither good nor euill and so consequently that it ought not in any sort to breed passions within vs. Hereof the sequele of our discourses shall by the helpe of God giue vs to vnderstand more at large and furnish vs with examples of pernicious effects which proceed from all the passions of the soule We will here by the way note their force hauing learned out of Histories that they haue oftentimes set vpon the harts of men in such violent maner that some through desire some for ioy those by feare others by griefe haue ended their liues Diagoras the Rhodian and Chilon hearing that their children had wonne the price at the games of Olympus felt such a motion in them of the spleene that they were stifled with laughter Herennus the Sicilian as he was led prisoner for being a copartner in the conspiracie of Caius Gracchus was so astonished oppressed with the feare of his iudgement to come that he fell downe strke dead at the entrie of the prison Plautius the Numidian looking vpon his dead wife tooke it so to hart that casting himselfe vpon the dead body he arose no more but was there stifled with sorrow As for extreme desire or coueting there is nothing that so greatly mooueth or carieth away the minds of men or that commeth neerer to their destruction than this foolish passion indangereth their life Galeace of Mantua saying oftentimes to a damsell of Pauia whom he courted and made loue to that he would suffer a thousand deaths for hir seruice if it were possible was in iest commanded by hir to cast himself into the riuer which he presently performed was drowned But we shal alleadge more fitly such testimonies of the fond effects of desire and of all the perturbations of the soule when we discourse more particularly of euery vice that proceedeth from them In the meane time I would gladly aske this question of him that is most ignorant vicious and carnall whether he will not grant vertue to be a good of the soule There is none so impudent whose conscience would not compell him to confesse the same And yet no man is caried away with too great a desire of vertue neither doth any reioice therein too excessiuely after he hath obtained it Likewise there is none that feareth so vehemently least he cannot obtaine hir as that the feare thereof driueth the soule out of his place and rest For
no man can fall into this feare least he should not becom vertuous except he be very desirous to be so indeed and none can haue this desire except reason guided with heauenly light and doing her dutie in him had wrought the same but reason thus qualified must needs be an enimy to all perturbations Thus we see that no man through feare of not being vertuous is ouertaken with perturbations The like may be saide of sorrow For albeit a man be greeued bicause he is not vertuous yet his minde is not excessiuely disquieted seeing this desire is neuer in him but when reason commandeth according to hir diuine nature by causing vs to knowe our selues Whereby we perceiue that perturbations neuer arise in vs for that which is the true good of the soule but onely for that which fooles do falsely call good and which the philosophers call the goods of the bodie and of fortune But these being naturally subiect to corruption and as we haue alreadie said inseparably accompanied with vehement desire vnbrideled ioy feare and griefe as we shall see more at large when we handle them hereafter are vnwoorthy to be cared for by the immortall soule neither may or ought they to be called goods bicause they are possessed much lesse euils when they are wanting If we be thus perswaded we shall be masters ouer all perturbations not esteeming that which is mortall and fraile woorthy to be either wished for or delighted in Hereof it will come to passe that our soule and spirit shall be quiet and reason which knoweth how discerne good from euill wil deale with vs as a good husbandman and vine dresser dealeth with his tree and vine when he cutteth off the dead branches and vnprofitable twigs to the end that all noisome sap and moisture may be taken away And thus shall we be taught to desire and do that which we ought and euery contrarie inclination shall be weakened not taking effects and the soule shall fulfill hir dutie in commanding absolutely ouer all the prouocations of the flesh and in quenching them so foone as they do appeere For as they that haue healthful bodies saith Epictetus easily indure both cold and heate so they that haue a staied and setled soule haue the dominion ouer anger griefe ioy and all their other affections Then shall we liue happily not being terrified with any feare nor vexing our spirits with any longing or tedious desires nor being tormented with any lustes and disordred affections and lastly not suffering our selues being drunken with sugred poison to be ouer come and bound vnder the yoke of pleasure This shall we learne by the studie of Philosophie which is a certaine remedie and a sound medicine for euery vice and passion and is able to inrich and cloath vs with reason which is such a beautifull perfect and profitable ornament Of Philosophie Chap. 4. AMANA THe life of man said Pythagoras is like to that generall assemblie of Graecia at the Olimpyan games where manie carried with glorie and ambition presented themselues at those exercises that they might beare away the crowne and prize otehrs led with couetousnes came thither to traffike selling and buying merchandise and a third sort of men more praise worthie and noble came thither also who sought not after vaineglorie or couetousnes but carefully marked whatsoeuer was done in that assemblie that they might reape profit and commoditie thereby So men comming into this world as into a faire or mart some giue themselues to ambition and vaineglorie others to couetousnes and to heape vp treasure But they that are of a more diuine nature sequestring themselues from worldlie affaires meditate vpon heauenlie things and thereupon fasten the scope of their intents desires and wils Diuine Plato ioining action with contemplation in a happie and perfect life saith that next to the glorie of God we must haue regard to do that which is profitable for the Common-wealth Which excellent opinions of these two philosophers are comprehended vnder this onely word of practising philosophie and that art which giueth vs the precepts thereof is called philosophie whose worke and effect as Seneca Neroes schoolmaister said very well is to find out and to knowe the truth both of diuine and humane things Iustice pietie religion yea the whole companie of vertues neuer depart from hir She teacheth vs to adore and serue God and to loue men ARAM. Surely philosophie is the mother and continuall spring of all good knowledge For she teacheth vs to knowe good and euill she prouoketh vs by the vprightnes of reason to flie this thing to do that causing vs to liue as wise and prudent men ioyfull and contented in euery estate whereupon ariseth the sound rest of the spirit Moreouer the excellencie of this knowledge as Plato saith is so great that it is but one and the same thing to be a king a gouernor of a Common-wealth and a philosopher bicause the roiall ciuill and philosophicall arts are compounded of the same matter namelie of iustice and prudence ACHITOB. Philosophie cannot sufficiently be praised seeing that whosoeuer obeieth hir may passe his daies without tediousnes For the true scope thereof is to seeke to glorifie God in his woonderfull works and to teach a man how to liue well and to helpe his neighbor Which perfection cannot be attained vnto without a speciall and heauenlie grace and that after the knowledge of the sountaine from whence all goodnes commeth And this hath beene the cause as I thinke why so many great philosophers knowing certainly wherein the true and perfect felicitie of man liuing in this world consisted namely in the tranquillitie of the soule and labouring continually to roote out or at least to weaken al the perturbations therof by the vprightnes of reason and to engraffe vertue therein yet could neuer perfectly enjoy this souerigne good which they so much desired bicause they were ignorant of the fountaine from whence it proceeded which is the grace and mercie of our God in his beloued sonne And albeit their life was maruellously quiet and void of many vices yet it standeth vs in hand if we be Christians in deed to lead without comparison a more happy contented and excellent life and to exercise philosophie according to that true wisedome which our Lord Iesus Christ teacheth vs. But I thinke ASER is prepared to speake of this matter and to discourse thereof more at large vnto vs. Let vs harken then what he will say ASER. That which presently offereth it selfe to bee handled requireth truely a farre better spirit than mine Notwithstanding that I seeme not to shun those lists into which we entered willingly I purpose according to my weake iudgement to tell you first what philosophie is what good commeth vnto vs by it the meanes to learne it and to profit thereby how a man may know he hath it and how he must shew foorth the fruits thereof and lastly how we
euer came neere vnto his diuine knowledge of eternall things We see then how we must be the disciples of philosophie all our life time Now as there is nothing wherin a master builder reioiceth so much after he hath laid a good foundation of some great worke as to see the progresse and proceeding thereof so after we haue laid our first happie resolution as is said of attaining to the knowledge of philosophie and haue tasted of the first principles of hir holesome fruits it will turne to our great contentation and occasion of proceeding when we see and perceiue that we profite and amende by this studie This will appeare vnto vs by the consideration of our present works and actions being compared with the former and by the diminishing and qualifiying of our wicked passions and naturall inclinations which the profession of this science will vndoubtedly worke in vs. For as we take it for a good signe when a disease remooueth into some parts of least account so when our vices are changed into more meeke and soft passions it putteth vs in hope that we shall wholy deface them afterwarde The right and perfect way hereunto is to enter deepely into our selues and to take a perfect and sound knowledge of our naturall hurtfull and most vehement inclinations by comparing one with another Next as a good and expert Phisition before he dealeth with dangerous diseases beginneth with gentle preparatiues we are first to correct lesser faults that after we may the easier ouercome the greatest For it is certaine that by such an exercise and custome of keeping our selues from things that are after a sort excusable yea that are permitted and lawfull it will be farre more easie for vs afterward to amend abstaine from vnlawfull things After we haue thus reformed our selues we shall wholy forsake small imperfections which will be easie for vs to do and make no more reckoning of little offences as those which we shall auoid altogither From thence we shall come to consider and to discouer better the nature and cause of our greater and more hurtfull passions together with their vglines and deformitie Then labouring to diminish their force by eschewing prudently the causes of them and by cutting oft one branch now and then another we shall in the end woonder to see how reason perfecteth in vs hir office of commanding absolutely ouer all the perturbations of our soule I meane so farre foorth as humane frailtie aided by God can as I said before attaine to perfection Then may we truely call our selues Philosophers when by our owne example we make it knowne that the life of man at all times in al places in all passions and generally in all affaires receiueth the vse of Philosophie Now after we haue well profited through so great diligence watchfulnes through such industry of minde and continuall studie I meane after we are become better than we were before by reason of the tranquillitie of our soules purged from perturbations we must be carefull that this our commoditie redound also to others as the commandement of God and natural dutie binde vs thereunto Then I say we shall haue attained to the perfection of this goodly knowledge when we are seruiceable to our neighbors brethren and countrimen not of vaine glory or for terrestriall riches but for the loue of vertue onely which of it selfe is a goodly recompence for it selfe being ioined with a happy expectation of heauen But let vs note farther for the last point of our discourse whereof I haue already briefely spoken that one of the surest meanes which we can take to come to a true knowledge of Philosophie is not to esteeme at all but rather to contemne whatsoeuer is subiect to corruption and is in the power of variable fortune as the Philosophers vse to speake namely vainglory worldly wealth and other earthly goods forasmuch as the desire of getting keeping and increasing them is that which carrieth vs away most and which hindreth euery other good and vertuous inclination Therefore let vs freely forsake all such things let vs withdraw our mindes from all by-thoughts and dispise all earthly discommodities yea let vs patiently sustaine all greefe that we may yeelde our selues wholy to the studie of Philosophie which is the cause of so many good things Crates the Theban forsooke his patrimonie of eight talents which according to the common computation amounteth to foure thousand eight hundred crownes that being deliuered from the care of hous-keeping and of guiding his goods he might follow the studie of philosophie with greater libertie Anaxagoras for the same cause suffered his lands to lie waste and after long studie returning to his house and finding it altogether fallen into ruine and desolation he said if these things had not perished I had perished as if he had said that he should neuer haue gotten the treasure of knowledge which was the ornament of his minde if he had giuen himselfe to gaine and to gather goods Democritus Abderita being verie rich as may be gathered by the feast which his father made to that innumerable armie of Xerxes who came into Graecia which consisted as Herodotus writeth of more than two millions of fighting men gaue all his patrimonie to his countrey reseruing to himselfe but a little some of money to liue withall that he might haue the more leasure to studie philosophie for which cause he went to dwell at Athens Euclide of the towne of Megara being verie desirous to heare Socrates dwelling at Athens betweene which two cities the warre was so cruel that no Citizen of the one citie durst be seen in the other without ineuitable danger of death if he were knowne had notwithstanding so great loue to wisedome that although he were an Ethnick and doubted of a second life yet he preferred the desire of knowledge before the care of his life and being apparailed like a woman went once in two daies to Athens and abode there all night to heare Socrates who commonly spent the most part thereof in discoursing of wisedome and then returned againe about the break of the day Now to conclude our present treatise we will hold this that onely philosophie can giue vs certaine knowledge teach vs how we may inioy in this life our onely soueraign good which is the rest and tranquillitie of our soules Yea she is vnto vs in stead of a guide to lead vs to the eternall fruition of our supreame and euerabiding good which is promised and purchased by the blood of the immaculate Lamb in that second and most happie life And as Plato said speaking by the mouth of Socrates that they onely shal attaine to the kingdom of heauen with God who end their daies in this life purged by philosophie so shall it be by the vnspeakable loue of this eternall wisedome that we shall be purged clensed and saued Yea through the expectation of this
vnbeseeming good wits This did Antisthenes giue one to vnderstand who greatly commended Ismenius for an excellent plaier on the flute it is true quoth he to him but otherwise he is good for nothing For else had he not been so good a minstrell So euerie one applying himselfe to some base and vaine art produceth for witnes against himselfe that labor which he hath bestowed about vnprofitable matters to prooue that he hath beene idle and slothfull in learning honest and profitable things And for the last fruit and vse of our speech we see heere what great occasion we haue all our life time to become the disciples of knowledge which is so high and profound and to diminish all pride and presumption of our skill after the example of that wise man Socrates who although he were the learnedest of his time and so iudged to be by the oracle at Delphos yet alwaies said that he knew nothing And when he was demanded any thing he would neuer answer resolutely as if he would haue been beleeued but doubtingly vsed to say I thinke so or It may be so Being therefore desirous to learne with all modestie let vs endeuor to seeke out more and more by trauell and studie the assurance and knowledge of veritie and vertue Of the Spirit and of memorie Chap. 8. AMANA HAuing now discoursed of the greatnes beutie and profit of knowledge I thinke that if we were to wish for two helps very necessarie for the attaining vnto it those ought to be a spirit or mind ready to conceiue and memorie firme to retaine without which two things we shall profit our selues little and much lesse a great many ARAM. Those two things which thou propoundest vnto vs would seeme woonderfull if they were togither For we commonly see that they who haue a readie and quicke wit for the most part want memorie and they that learne with greatest difficultie and paine do best retaine and keepe that which they haue once learned ACHITOB. This talke of the spirit whereunto you attribute the propertie of comprehending and yet speake not of the soule is vndoubtedly worthie of great consideration For euen when we speake of a yong infant we say by and by that his spirit or wit will grow with his bodie and of a crooked old-sire we say that his spirit waxeth old with him which in many we see oftentimes becommeth altogither dul and vnfit for the ordering gouernment of affaires Now that which waxeth old draweth to an end as the scripture it selfe teacheth vs concerning times and seasons which wax old like to mens garments and are to take end And yet we know that the soule is immortall and therefore waxeth not old So that one would thinke that the soule and spirit are two distinct things although we see euery where the one taken for the other But let vs heare ASER discourse of this matter and so we shall learne what the spirit is in the soule ASER. As the works of the diuine power are altogither incomprehensible to the outward sence of man and very hard to be comprehended by reason guided conducted by grace from aboue so we are not to think much if the knowledge of a mans selfe which is most necessary be so hardly found out by him seeing his composition farre passeth all the works of nature that are visible and subiect to sight Now if a man cannot know himselfe how should he hope to comprehend greater matters which are supernaturall and hidden in the heauens And who can rightly boast that he hath the true and perfect vnderstanding of the chiefest part and most powerfull beginning of himselfe namely of his spirite Who am I saide Socrates Am I a subiect compounded of soule and body Or rather a soule that vseth the body as a horseman doth a horse Or is euery one of vs that principall part of the soule whereby we vnderstand discourse and do and all the other parts of the bodie but instruments of this power Or if there be no proper substance at all of the soule by it selfe but that it is onely a temperature and complexion of the bodie so framed that it hath power to vnderstand and to liue am I not a sauage beast more crafty bold and furious than euer was the serpent Typhon Or else am I a meeker and simpler creature pertaker of a better estate and voide of pride All the excellentest philosophers that euer were handled this self same matter aswel as Socrates with incredible trauel and paine that they may attaine to this knowledge of the noblest part in the which is the soule and spirite taking indifferently the one for the other But first of all this wise Socrates spake excellently of the dignitie and immortalitie of the soule saying that in truth the soule is man and not this mortall masse and lumpe of the bodie which of it selfe is no more than a simple and base instrument is in regard of the most cunning workeman of any art of science And for this cause giuing vp the ghost amongst his disciples and being asked by Clito where he would be buried As for Socrates quoth he to him take thou no thought or care For thou canst not stay him whose tombe hath beene from all time readie for him But concerning that which he leaueth here below it is not woorthy to be cared for by him The greatest thing said Periander that may be said to be contained in a little place is the soule in a mans bodie Empedocles speaking of the generation of the soule saith that neither bloud nor the vitall spirit congealed haue giuen vnto vs the substance of the soule and the beginning of life The bodie onely is compounded earthlie and mortall But the generation of the soule is heauenly being sent here below as a passenger and stranger or as one that is banished and sent out of his countrey Whereupon she continually sigheth groneth and as it were drieth away like to a good plant translated out of a good plot of ground into a bad vntill in the end she returne and be receiued into hir immortall habitation after she hath changed hir present life which is vnto hir but as a vaine illusion of some dreame in respect of a true certaine and permanent life Surely these philosophicall speculations are not vaine and friuolous but very necessarie to lead vs to that happie end of our being which we seeke for For if we be well instructed concerning the great and honorable place and condition which the soule enioieth aboue the bodie as well in hir immortall generation as in hir contemplation and action as also that of hir happines dependeth as before we handled it the felicitie of the whole frame of man will we not apply all our principall care studie and diligence in prouiding such things for hir as she desireth and which are meet and healthfull for hir But we haue further thanks be giuen to
perfection of these two great gifts of nature is a good sound iudgement proceeding from pondering and from a firme discourse of reason lightned by the spirit of God and by the same spirit purged from error illusion and all vaine opinion which are vsuall in man and hinder him from iudging aright of the truth But to continue our speech of the woonderfull effects of memorie so much esteemed of Plato that he writeth that we shuld leaue of to be men become like to the gods if our memory could retaine and keepe so much as the eies can read and see We must not here forget to make mention of Iulius Caesar that great monarke of whom Historiographers report that at one time he caused his Secretaries to write vnto foure seuerall persons of sundry matters and that oftentimes he would indight a letter to one of his Secretaries read in a booke and heare another speake all at one time Seneca rehearsed two thousand sundry names hauing onely heard them pronounced before beginning at the last and continuing to the first By these examples we see the greatnes of memorie wherby we may easily indge how profitable it is for the inriching of the minde with all things necessarie to the gouernment of mans estate Yea it is vnto vs a helpe requisite to saluation as that whereby we keepe in remembrance the gifts and graces which we daily receiue from the goodnes and fauor of God to this end that we should not be vngrateful but yeeld vnto him glorie and praise without ceasing Nowe bicause one of you my companions touched this that they which haue a ready and quick wit commonly want memorie that they which hardly learne retaine and keepe better that which they haue learned I will giue you this reason with Plutark that hardnes of belecfe seemeth to be the cause why men comprehend slowly For it is very euident that to learne is to receiue some impression whereupon it followeth that they which resist least are such as soonest beleeue And therefore youth is easier to be perswaded than old folks sick than sound women than men and generally the weaker that thing is which discourseth and doubteth the easier may a man put and adde vnto it what he will as likewise the selfe same thing is sooner lost and let slip away Some others as Iustine Martyr saith haue rendred this reason of the quicknes or slownes of mans wit saying that it commeth of the good or immoderate mixture temperature of the elements of which our bodies are compounded and framed and of the symmetrie and proportion of the organicall or iustrumentall parts ioyned togither in him And surely these seeme to giue the true reason therof For we see many who in their beginning and first age shew that they haue a prompt and sharp wit but when they come to old age are changed become slow and dul to conceiue Which is a great token and argument that a good or bad complexion and constitution of the body is the cause of such a disposition either in quicknes or slownes of spirit as the difference of yeeres doth affoord them Besides doe we not perceiue that they which haue the head ouergreat and ill fanored whom we cōmonly call great blockheads bicause there is not an equall symmetry and moderate proportion betweene that and the other parts of the bodie are naturally vnapt to conceiue and to bring foorth any sensible and wittie thing But the resolution of al this speech shall be that all gifts of the spirit are from aboue that amongst all sorts of men there are some found that are prompt wittie to comprehend great and diuine things by a speciall grace and fauour which God hath bestowed vpon them Some by the gift of the holie Ghost haue wisedom others knowledge and vnderstanding of things and all giuen to euerie one for the profiting both of himselfe and of his neighbor Knowing therefore by this present discourse according to the weakenes of our iudgement the creation and nature of the spirit which is the principall and most noble part of vs and that whereof dependeth and proceedeth all our happines rest and felicitie let vs be carefull and diligent to search it out and to prouide such things as it desireth of vs as helps to that effect bestowing all our care labour and studie to adorne and deck it with righteousnes and holines according to the holie desire therof wherin consisteth life and peace And let vs beware that we seeke not to feede it with strange meats which may make it sorrowfull and with which our flesh aboundeth to hir death and destruction But mortifieng all the deadly desires and affections thereof let vs labour not to walke any more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and let vs know that all wearisomnes and tediousnes which troubleth the tranquillitie and rest thereof proceedcth from the want of experience in affaires from the want of good discoursing grounded vpon a resolute and setled iudgement and from the want of skill fitly to apply our selues to present occasions And this is that which troubleth all sorts and conditions of life as well rich as poore But the way to preserue the spirite in rest and quietnes is to nourish and exercise it in the studie of wisedome where it learneth reason which of it selfe can cure it of all sorrow anguish and greefe through wise discoursing and worke in it a like inclination and constant behauior in euerie alteration of life causing man to liue happie throughout the whole course of his life not without the hope and certaine expectation of a blessed immortalitie The end of the second daies worke THE THIRD DAIES WORKE Of Dutie and Honestie Chap. 9. ASER. ALthough all things were created of diuers natures and properties and manie of cleane contraries yet by an incomprehensible wisedom they were appointed to refer themselues to one onely certaine and common end namely to shew foorth the infinite power and greatnes of their worke-maister sufficient in the lest of his works with admiration to rauish man to whom he hath made al things subiect But as in him alone the treasures of his heauenly graces haue been without comparison more liberally vnfolded and that in all fulnes and bountie as well in regard of the goods and commodities of this life which he draweth from heauen from the earth from the aire from the water from beasts and plants and generally from all things contained vnder the cope of the firmament as also in respect of that vnspeakable happines and eternall felicitie which by the speciall grace of God is purchased and assured to him onely in the immortalitie of the second life so also hath God from the beginning vntill this present and for euer reserued to himselfe a particular homage and that not for a time or for certaine yeeres of his life but to continue without intermission from time to
of women when he is inuited to weddings or in their companie to request him to walke that hath alreadie gone a great way when he seeth a thing sold to bring a chapman to the seller who would haue giuen a great deale more for it to repeate one thing oftentimes to shew himselfe readie to do that which a man would not haue him to do and yet dare not well denie it him to woonder at all things and to speake all in a word an vnskilfull man is alwaies in all places and in all affaires vnciuill and impertinent The examples of these foresaid effects are but too familiar amongst vs. And first concerning these of small and meane estate and condition how many millions of men haue there been in the ages past and do liue yet among vs whose life being ignorant of euery good cause and reason is not much vnlike and in many things worse than that of brute beasts The originall of so many errors foolish opinions and impieties hath it not had passage through the midst of their soules bicause they had no true knowledge of the end of their being nor of his will by whom they liue From thence it commeth that the best aduised among them exercise base handicrafts not being desirous to learne further that some lead a seruile and contemptible life bringing their bodies and soules in subiection to the lusts and wicked desires of the greater sort that others remaine idle and vnprofitable seeking to maintaine their liues by vnlawfull meanes that all through a blockish ignorance depriue themselues of all present and eternall felicitie Now albeit these poore men who haue no great meanes to execure their wicked desires may after a sort seeme tollerable and excuseable to mans iudgement bicause their ignorance doth not greatly hurt any but themselues yet it falleth out far worse with those that haue wealth at will and authoritie to command others who not knowing how to vse their goods well by vertuous deeds abuse them to all vice dissolutenes and pleasure whereby for the most part they cast themselues headlong into infidelitie and Atheisme bicause they neuer had true vnderstanding of the perfect diuinitie nor yet considered the perfection of his works both in heauen earth O pitifull calamity abounding in this our age more than euer it did A thousand millions of Pagans and heathens considering that there was nothing to be misliked in the heauens neither any negligence disorder or confusion in the moouing of the stars nor in the seasons of the yeere nor in their reuolutions nor in the course of the sunne about the earth which causeth the day and the night no not in the nourishing and preseruation of all sorts of liuing creatures nor in the generation of yeerly fruits and for a thousand other good considerations beleeued and worshipped one supreme eternall essence which gouerneth all things And shall they that carie the name of Christians to whom the vnspeakable treasures of the heauens haue been opened and offered with innumerable graces shall they I say doubt yea impudently denie that there is a God But let vs returne to our matter It is most certaine that the higher that ignorant men are aduanced so much without question are their faults greater than those of meaner estate bicause they are hurtfull to many Yea oftentimes it hath come to passe that one onely fault of such a man hath been the losse and destruction of an infinite number of men Nicias the general captain of the Athenians through the feare which he had conceiued of the darkness of an Eclipse of the moone and not knowing the cause thereof staied so long vntill his enimies had inclosed him round about whereupon he was taken aliue of them and put to death besides the losse of fortie thousand Athenians that were taken and slaine Who doubteth but that ignorance draue Caligula Domitian into such pride crueltie that whilst they sought to be worshipped in stead of the true God they were the cause of the death destruction of more than a hundred thousand men In the time of Otho the first there fell a stone from heauen which astonished all Germanie and turned them from prosecuting an enterprise of great waight and importance for the benefit of their countrie If they had knowen it to be a naturall thing and such as had come to passe long before as Aristotle affirmeth they had not been so fearfull nor receiued that dammage to the detriment of the Common-wealth which came to them afterward That speech of Anaxagoras a Greeke philosopher agreeable heerunto is worthie to be remembred when he said that a man ought to driue out of himselfe and to tread vnder his feete all superstitious feare of the heauenly signes and impressions of the aire which worke great terror in them that are ignorant of their causes and that feare the gods with a forlorne and amased feare bicause they want that certaine knowledge that philosophie bringeth which in stead of a trembling and alwaies terrifying superstition engendreth true deuotion accompanied with an assured hope of good Let vs looke a little into our Chronicles and consider what profit our kings receiued by their ignorance when they were called Simple when they stood but for images and were seene of their subiects but once a yeere They suffered their wise maisters of the palace to take knowledge of and to order and rule all things who depriuing them as vnworthie of all authoritie tooke possession in the end of their crowne And surely it is no lesse pernitious for the greater sort to aduance ignorant men to charges and places of honor and to vse their counsell than to be ignorant themselues For as we said ignorance causeth him that is aduanced to forget himselfe and lifteth him vp into all pride There are amongst vs too many examples of the ambition and presumption of many ignorant men who contrarie to Torquatus that refused the Consulship bicause of his diseased eies altogither blind as they are deafe dumbe and destitute of all natural light of prudence and experience to guide themselues are not contented to manage the sailes and tacklings but desire to haue the rudder of the Common-welth in their hands And it is greatly to be feared that such vnskilfull and ambitious men will in the end shew themselues both in will and practise to be imitators of one Cleander an outlandish slaue who being preferred by Commodus the emperor to goodlie offices and great places of honor as to be great maister of his men of war and his chiefe chamberlaine conspired notwithstanding against his Lord seeking to attaine to the imperiall dignitie by feditions which he stirred vp in Rome betweene the people and the soldiers But through good order taken his enterprise tooke no effect except the losse of his owne head and destruction of his house Although oftentimes it falleth out cleane contrarie through the iust punishment of God for the ignorance
bicause he discouereth manifesteth and sheweth vnto them from what they are to beware and what to correct and yet in the mean while he seeth not the most part of that which is within himself so greatly is he dazeled by beholding that which is without in other men He openeth all euen to the very wals of strange houses and pearceth like a wind into the midst of those things that are most secret His mind is both vpon the pallaces of the rich and cotages of the poore He ferretteth out euerie thing and inquireth many times after the affaires of the greatest which is the cause of his ouerthrow when he busieth himself too far in them This was wisely noted by Philippides when Lysimachus the king asked him what part of his goods he would haue imparted vnto him What you please sir quoth he so it be no part of your secrets Now if we desite to diuert and to quench the heate of this vicious passion of curiositie which is too familiar amongst vs and vnseemlie in a prudent and vertuous man we must sometimes abstaine from inquiring after lawfull things though otherwise not necessarie In the exercise and practise of iustice it is expedient sometime to leaue vntaken that which a man may lawfully take thereby to accustome himselfe to abstaine more easily from taking any thing vniustly Likewise it is good for a man sometime to abstaine from his owne wife that he may attaine to the vertue of temperancie and so be neuer mooued to desire another mans wife In like maner if in stead of shewing our selues to be of the number of these diligent and curious inquirers after vnprofitable newes we signifie rather to him that commeth to tell vs of some newes that he should please vs better if he had some good and profitable matter to speake than should we thereby giue testimonie of a staied and setled nature despising curiositie This was noted in Alexander the great who seeing a messenger running apace towards him with a smiling countenance said vnto him not shewing himselfe to bee mooued at all or desirous to vnderstand what he would speake what good newes canst thou bring me my friend vnles thou didst come to tel me that Homer is risen again And truly he had great reason to thinke that no more excellencie could be added to his valiant acts and deeds except it were to haue them consecrated to immortalitie by the writings of some learned and notable wit The example of Phocion deserueth well to be heere alledged against curious folks who are commonly light of beliefe For as soone as the Athenians receiued newes of Alexanders death they purposed presently to alter their estate and to shake off the yoke of the Macedonian alliance But Phocion being of a contrarie opinion said vnto them If this newes be true to day it will be true also to morow And therfore my Lords Athenians make no haste but deliberate leisurely and looke safely to that which ye haue to do It is certaine that if we vse in this sort to shew our selues staied in such things and in all other things of smal importance wherein our naturall inclination would prouoke vs to be curious as namely to breake off good communication begun vpon the receit of a letter to forsake companie to run and meet a messenger onely to know what newes he bringeth and a thousand such like sudden motions proceeding of lightnes and curiositie I say by auoiding such things we should prepare a way to the restraining of al curiositie in greater matters which otherwise may procure blame As for example to open another bodies letter to intrude our selues into the secret counsels of our neighbors to seeke out their faults and imperfections to inquire busily after that which may greeue our familiar friends or to aske them of that which they like not of neither is grounded vpon any good cause or reason least peraduenture the answer of some wise man should turne more to our shame than be framed according to our desire Thus dealt Demaratus with a curious importunate fellow that had oftentimes asked of him who was the honestest man in Sparta He that resembleth thee lest quoth he vnto him The answer also of an Egyptian was not vnfitly made to one that asked him what he caried there folded It is wrapped vp quoth he bicause thou shouldst not know what it is Now by that which hath been hitherto discoursed it appeereth sufficiently that al kind of curiositie is hurtful hateful and greatly to be blamed in euerie one if it be not bounded and limited by the reason of true prudence which guideth and stirreth vs vp to seeke after good honest and profitable things either in heauen in earth in the aire or in the sea according to the gift and capacitie of our vnderstanding and iudgement which may be necessarie for vs to know or may helpe vs to liue well and happily For whatsoeuer is more we ought to account it vnprofitable and superfluous Let vs learne then not to know more than we ought but vnto sobrietie containing our spirits within the limits of mediocritie simplicitie and modestie Let vs forsake all sophisticall curiositie and worldlie wisedome which is meere foolishnes before God that we may imbrace a simple popular and Academicall kind of knowledge which will teach vs to know our selues and our dutie whereby we shall be led to that happy end which we seeke for and desire Let vs not admire any more the merchandise and outward shewes wherewith strangers feed the eies of curious folks but let vs wonder at vertue onely saying with the comicall poet where he speaketh of those that couered their bedsteads with gold and siluer what great follie is it to make sleepe so deere which God hath freely giuen vnto vs So to seeke for that of strangers with such great expences which we may haue at our owne hauen better more cōmodiously were all one as if we shuld leaue the substance run after the shadow or that which is certain for an vncertaintie We may haue in France if our blockishnes stay vs not Vniuersities and schooles for all honest exercises meet for our nobilitie without strangers And if we think that in some places amongst them they haue better teachers than we haue let vs first seeke amongst our selues for those instructions that are most necessarie namely for the knowledge of good letters and institution of vertue and then if we thinke good we may heare their teachers and maisters without infecting our behauiour with the corruption of their maners Besides by the same studie we shal learne to shun al curious inquiry into other mens imperfections that we may diligently looke into our owne Of Nature and Education Chap. 16. AMANA SEeing that in the entrance of our former treatise we began with that naturall instinct of man which mooueth and disposeth him to desire and to seeke after his good we may in continuing
countries as the histories of most nations in the world declare vnto vs and namely of the Germaines who in the time of Tacitus had neither law nor religion nor knowledge nor forme of commonwealth whereas now they giue place to no nation for good institution in all things Let vs not then be discouraged or faint by knowing our naturall imperfections seeing that through labor and diligence we may recouer that which is wanting but happie is that man and singularly beloued of God to whom both good birth and like bringing vp are granted together It followeth now to discourse particulerly of the maner of good education and instruction of youth but this will come in more fitely when we shall intreat of Oeconomy And yet seeing we are in the discourse of mans nature I thinke it wil not be from the purpose nor without profite if to make vs more seuere censurers of our owne faults we note that although our behauior be cheefely known by the effects as a tree by the fruit yet many times a mans naturall inclinatiō is better perceiued in a light matter as in a word in a pastime or in some other free and priuate busines wherein vertue or vice ingrauen in the soule may be sooner espied than in greater actions and works done publikely bicause in these matters shame or constraint commonly cause men to vse dissimulation Howbeit this also is true that the more power and authoritie a man hath when he may alleadge his owne will for all reason the inward affection of his hart is then best discouered For such an vnbrideled licence mooueth all euen to the verie depth and bottome of his passions and causeth all those secret vices that are hidden in his soule to be fullie and euidently seene Whereupon it followeth that great and noble men ought aboue all others to learne vertue and to studie to liue well especially seeing they haue all those requisite helps and commodities through want of which most men are hindred from attaining thereunto Let vs therefore learne by our present discourse to knowe that the nature of all men by reason of the corruption of sin is so depraued corrupted and vnperfect that euen the best men amongst many imperfections carry about them some enuie ielousy emulation and contention against some or other and rather against their verie friends This did Demas a noble man and greatly conuersant in matters of estate declare vnto the councel in the citie of Chio after a ciuill dissention wherin he had followed that part which ouercame For he perswaded those of his side not to banish all their aduersaries out of the city but to leaue some of them after they had taken from them all meanes of doing more harme least quoth he vnto them we begin to quarrel with our friends hauing no more enemies to contende withall For this cause we must fortifie our selues with vnderstanding and knowledge through labor and studie of good letters that we may restraine and represse so many pernitious motions mingled togither in our soules Let vs know moreouer that seeing our nature is assaulted and prouoked by a vehement inclination to do any thing whatsoeuer it is a very hard matter to withdrawe and keepe it backe by any force no not by the strength or feare of any lawes if in due conuenient time we frame not within it a habite of vertue hauing first wished to be well borne But howsoeuer it be let vs endeuor to be well borne through custome and exercise in vertue which will be vnto vs as it were another nature vsing the meanes of good education and instruction in wisedome whereby our soules shal be made conquerors ouer all hurtfull passions and our minds moderate and staied that in all our doings sayings and thoughts we passe not the bounds of the dutie of a vertuous man The ende of the fourth daies worke THE FIFT DAIES WORKE Of Temperance Chap. 17. ASER. THe diuine excellencie of the order of the equall wonderful constācie of the parts of the world aswell in the goodly and temperate moderation of the seasons of the yeere as in the mutuall coniunctiō of the elements obeying altogither with a perfect harmonie the gratious and soueraigne gouernment of their creator was the cause that Pythagoras first called all the compasse of this vniuersal frame by this name of World which without such an excellent disposition would be but disorder a world of confusion For this word world signifieth asmuch as Ornament or a well disposed order of things Nowe as a constant and temperate order is the foundation thereof so the ground-worke and preseruation of mans happie life for whom all things were made is the vertue of temperance which conteineth the desires and inclinations of the soule within the compasse of mediocritie and moderateth all actions whatsoeuer For this cause hauing hitherto according to our iudgment sufficiently discoursed of the first riuer of the fountaine of honestie I thinke we ought to set downe here in the second place although it be contrarie to the opinion of manie philosophers this vertue of Temperance saying with Socrates that she is the ground-worke and foundation of all vertues AMANA As a man cannot be temperate if first he be not prudent bicause euerie vertuous action proceedeth of knowledge so no man can be strong and valiant if he be not first temperate bicause he that hath a noble and great courage without moderation will attempt a thousand euils and mischeefes and will soone grow to be rash and headie Likewise iustice cannot be had without temperance seeing it is the cheefe point of a iust man to haue his soule free from perturbations Which cannot be done except he be temperate whose proper subiect the soule is ARAM. Heroicall vertue saith Plato is made perfect by the mixture and ioyning together of Temperance and fortitude which being separated will at length become vices For a temperate man that is not couragious easily waxeth to be a coward and faintharted and a noble hart not temperate becommeth rash and presumptuous Let vs then heare ACHITOB discourse of this Temperance so excellent and necessarie a vertue ACHITOB. Agapetus a man of great skill writing to the emperor Iustinian amongst other things had this saying We say that thou art truly and rightly both emperor and king so long as thou canst command and master thy desires and pleasures and art beset and decked with the crowne of Temperance and clothed with the purple robe of Iustice For other principalities end by death whereas this kingdome abideth for euer yea others are manie times the cause of perdition to the soule but this procureth a certaine and an assured safetie When we haue considered well of the woorthie effects and fruits of this vertue of temperance no doubt but we will subscribe to this wise mans opinion and to as many as haue written of the praises and roialties of that vertue Temperance saith thagoras is that light which
that an incontinent man chooseth not neither consulteth when he offendeth as one that knoweth full well that the euill he committeth is euill and had resolued with himselfe not to follow it but being ouercome with perturbations yeeldeth thereunto Whereas the intemperate man committeth euill of election and setled purpose to follow it accounting it a good thing to be desired And this commeth through a long custom habit of vice which is the cause that he neuer repenteth him of the fact but taketh pleasure therein whereas on the contrarie side the repentance of an incontinent man followeth hard at the heeles of his sinne and transgression In this maner then proceedeth intemperance vntill men are wholie addicted and giuen ouer to vice This is the cause why the sensuall and vnreasonable part of the soule contendeth no more with reason which then is as it were starke dead and suffereth it selfe to be caried to vgly and vnnaturall vices and to all fleshly desires bicause the diuine part of the soule is weakened in such sort that she hath no more strength nor feeling of hir essence which is an enimie to vice And thus accustoming hir selfe to follow nothing but the will of the bodie she forsaketh God altogither who seeing himselfe forsaken leaueth hir to hir concupiscences from whence is ingendred this exceeding luxuriousnes euen against nature this mortall venemous and bloodie enuie this furious and barbarous crueltie this insatiable couetousnes this bloud-thirstie ambition and other incurable diseases of the soule too wel knowen amongst vs whereof the sequele of our discourses will affoord a more ample knowledge vnto Thus we see that intemperance as Cicero saith is the mother of all the perturbations in the soule and causeth man as Socrates said to differ nothing from a beast bicause he neuer thinketh vpon that which is best but onely seeketh how to satisfie and content the vnbridled desires of pleasure and lust hauing no more vse of reason than beasts haue Intemperance saith Eusebius corrupteth the soule and destroieth the bodie bicause it constraineth a man for loue of pleasure and desire to satisfie it to do that which he knoweth well is dishonest and vile And as the winds torment and tosse that ship which they haue seazed vpon now heere now there and will not suffer it to be guided by hir maister so intemperance moouing and compelling the soule to disobey reason suffereth hir not to enioy tranquillitie and rest which is an assured hauen of harbour from all winds Intemperance saith Aristotle is a vice that proceedeth from the coueting part of man whereby we desire to enioy vnlawfull pleasures It is hir propertie to choose the fruition of hurtfull and vile pleasures supposing none to liue happily but such as passe away their life in them This vice is vnseparably accompanied with the troubling of all Order with impudencie vnseemlines luxuriousnes sloth negligence and dissolutenes In a word intemperance remooueth and troubleth all tranquillitie of the mind and leadeth men to all kind of wickednes the end of one vice being the beginning of another which Socrates called the punishment of sinne that doth not cleanse but kill the malefactor There is no kind of dissolutenes wherein the intemperate man plungeth not himselfe no wickednes or crueltie which he executeth not for the satisfying of his vncleane desires and vnsatiable lusts no feare or imminent danger which can draw him backe And further he laboreth oftentimes to procure that glorie and honor should be giuen to his most cursed and execrable misdemeanors imagining and fansying with himselfe dreames answerable and agreeable to that he most desireth Wherein he resembleth mad men who haue alwaies before their eies those Ideas and shapes which worke the apprehension of their furie and hold them in the vision and inward view of that which most troubleth their diseased braine But to make this vice of intemperance more odious vnto vs and to moue vs more earnestly to flie those causes that nourish it labouring to cut off all those branches and hurfull fruits which it bringeth with it as superfluitie gluttony ambition pride and other excesses in all kind of delight wherof we will intreat more particularly heerafter let vs call to mind examples of such pernitious effects as it hath brought foorth in them that voluntarily submitted themselues vnder hir tyrannous gouernment Although we should search throughout all ancient histories yet hardly could we alledge a more euident testimonie than the life of Heliogabalus bicause there is no kind of cursed mischiefe of detestable lust of iniustice of crueltie wherwith he was not defiled Yea he fel into such a furious frensie of vice that seeking to become a woman and to be maried to one of his minions thinking in that sexe better to satisfie his beastlines he apparelled himself after such a fashion that he was neither man nor woman And knowing it impossible for him by reason of his impietie and corrupt life to escape a miserable end and violent death which ought rather to haue been vnto him an occasiō of amendment he was so bewitched with intemperance that he prepared poisons ready at hand to poyson himself withall if he perceiued himselfe pressed of his enimies And to make his death luxurious according to his desire he kept his poisons in vessels made of precious stones He prouided also silken halters to hang himself withall if he saw that more expedient for him than to be poisoned or if he should thinke it better to murder himselfe he kept for that purpose kniues made of precious mettals Likewise he caused a high tower all gilded to be built all 〈…〉 his death as fittest occasion should be offred In the meane while he gaue not ouer that execrable kind of life which through Gods iust iudgement he ended being depriued of all those means wherwith he desired to serue his owne turne in his death For he was strangled by the souldiers of his gard who trailed him in that maner through all places of the citie of Rome Nero one of his predecessors was little better than he For he slew a Romane Consul called Atticus that he might haue the free vse of his wife and pleased himselfe so much in his crueltie that he was the murderer of his own mother brother sister of two wiues which he had named Octauia and Poppea Likewise he put to death his schoolemaster Seneca and many other good men But his end dissembled not his life For beyng hated of all and sought for to be slayne he killed himselfe Commodus an other emperor not finding wherwith to satisfie his intemperance in three hundred concubines three hundred buggerers which he kept in his palace committed incest with his owne sisters Caligula also did the like but the one of them was slain by his wife the other by his concubine Proculus a Romain emperor was so much giuen to lust that he bragged how in
grow a little in yeeres Further let such dissolute men as make pleasure the ende of their desire know that sobrietie leadeth those that follow her to farre greater and more perfect pleasures than incontinencie and superfluitie doe For these excessiue fellowes neuer expect hunger or thirst or any other pleasure of the bodye but through intemperance preuent them and so enioy scarce half the pleasure But sober and temperate men forbearing the fruition of their desire a long time haue a farre more perfect taste of them bicause as Cicero saith the pleasure of life consisteth rather in the desire than in the satietie thereof And if mediocrity be not obserued those things that are most acceptable and pleasant become most vnpleasant Do we not also see that when the body is not ouercharged with meate and wine it is better disposed and more temperate for euery good action And as for the spirite for which we ought chiefly to liue it is more ready and nimble to comprehend and conceiue what right reason and true honestie are For as Aristotle saith sobrietie causeth men to iudge better and according to truth of all things and in that respect is very necessary for the attaining of Philosophye Likewise sobrietie retaineth that in a wise mans thought which a foole without discretion hath in his mouth And therefore saith Cares we must striue by all meanes to restraine our belly bicause that only is alwaies vnthankfull for the pleasures done vnto it crauing continually and oftener than it needeth so that whosoeuer is not able to command ouer it wil daily heape vp mischiefe vpon mischiefe to himselfe But frugalitie and sobrietie are the mistresses of good counsell and the badges of chastitie For this cause Titus Liuius commendeth more the barrennes and sterilitie of a countrey than fertilitie and fruitfulnes saying that men borne in a fat fertile soile are commonly do-littles and cowards but contrariwise the barrennes of a countrey maketh men sober of necessitie and consequently carefull vigilant and giuen to labor as the Athenians were being situated in a very vnfruitfull place We make great account saith Paulonius of frugalitie not bicause we esteeme the creatures themselues vile and of small value but that by meanes thereof we may encrease the greatnes of our courage And if the greatest chiefest benefit that could come to man were said Solon to haue no need of nourishment it is very manifest that the next to that is to haue neede but of a little But amongst so many good reasons of such excellent mē the counsell of Epictetus is wel woorth the marking where he saith then when we would eate we must consider that we haue two guests to entertain the body and the soule and that whatsoeuer shall be put into the body departeth away quickly but what good thing soeuer entreth into the soule abideth for euer To this effect Timotheus a Grecian captaine hauing supped with Plato in the Academie at a sober and simple repast for the greatest festiual dainties were oliues cheese apples colewoorts bread wine said that they which sup with Plato feele the benefit therof the next day yea a long time after For these wise men met togither at bankets void of excesse not to fill their bellies but to prepare and dresse their minds to learne one of another by their goodly discourses of Philosophie whereof a vertuous soule hath better taste than the body of a well relished and delicate meale Such were the feasts of Pythagoras Socrates Xenocrates and of other Sages of Grecia where the discussing of good and learned matters there handled brought through the remembrance of them great pleasure and no lesse liked commoditie and that of long continuance to such as were present at them And as for the pleasures of drinking and eating they iudged the very remembrance thereof to be vnwoorthie and vnbeseeming men of honor bicause it was to passe away as the smell of a perfume Neither would they suffer that men should bring into their assemblies the vanitie of foolish delights as of the sound of instruments of enterludes or of any other pastime which a wise man ought rather to esteeme as a hinderance of delight than any pleasure at all For hauing within themselues sufficient matter of recreation and reioicing through their learned discourses it were meere follie to beg strange and friuolous delights from without them And Plutark saith that the brutish part of the soule depending of the feeding beast and vncapeable of reason is that which is pleased brought to order satisfied by songs and sounds which are sung and tuned vnto it euen as with the whistling of lips or hands or with the sound of a pipe sheepeheards cause their sheepe to arise or lie downe bicause they vnderstand not an articulate or distinct speech that hath some pith in it Therefore I commend Euripides for reprehending such as vse the harpe so long as a feast lasteth for quoth he musicke ought rather to be sent for when men are angrie or mourne than when they are feasting or making merry thereby to make them giue more libertie to all pleasure than before I suppose the Egyptians did better who vsed in the midst of their bankets to bring in the Anatomie of a dead bodie dried that the horror thereof might containe them in all modestie For this cause the memorie of the Emperour Henrie the third greatly recommendeth it selfe who banished all pompe and vanitie from his wedding and draue away the plaiers iesters causing a great number of poore folke to come in their place The custom which the Lacedemonians obserued when they liued vnder Lycurgus lawes is also worthie to be remembred which was that no torches or lights should be brought vnto them when they departed from feastes at night that it might be an occasion vnto them to feare drunkennes and so to auoid this shame that they onely could not find out their houses Now in those happie times vines were planted and dressed that wine might be drunke rather in time of sickenes than of health insomuch that it was not sold in Tauernes but onely in Apothecaries shops Those ancient Sages commonly measured their drinking by that saying of Anacharsis that the first draught which men drunke ought to be for thirst the second for nourishment and as for the third that it was of pleasure and the fourth of madnes Pythagoras being much more religious in this matter and liuing onely of herbs fruite and water said that the vine brought foorth three grapes whereof the first quencheth thirst the second troubleth and the third altogither dulleth He neuer dranke wine no more did that great Orator Demosthenes nor many other famous men of whome histories make mention The kings of Egypt were forbidden wine which they neuer dranke except on certaine daies and then by measure And truly it bringeth with it pernitious effects aswell to the soule as to
desperate case Briefly to speake in a word Fortitude is the cause that neither for feare nor danger we turne aside from the path waie of vertue and iustice neither yet repent vs of well doing for any torment And thus it belongeth properly to this vertue to command chiefly ouer these two perturbations grounded vpon the opinion of euill namely Feare and Griefe as before we saw that Temperance exerciseth hir power ouer vnbrideled desire excessiue ioy Furthermore bicause they that naturally haue greater stomacks and more excellent spirits are desirous and greedie of honors power and glorie and seeing that an excessiue desire to rule and to excel others commonly groweth with the greatnes of the hart it is necessarie that this vnrulie affection should be moderated by the contempt of such things as are common to all men by nature And this also is a propertie belonging to this vertue of Fortitude which desiring the greatest and best things despiseth those that are base and abiect aspiring to celestiall and eternall things shunneth humane mortall things and iudgeth honors riches and worldlie goods an vnwoorthie recompence for his valiant acts Which is the who cause that whosoeuer hath this vertue of Fortitude perfectly if so great happines could be among mortall wights he remaineth free from all perturbations of the soule to enioy a blessed tranquillitie which togither with constancie procureth vnto him dignitie and reputation For this cause Cicero teacheth vs that they which giue themselues to the gouernment of affaires ought at least asmuch as Philosophers to make light account of temporall goods from whence proceedeth all the rest of our mindes yea they ought to striue to that end with greater care and labor than Philosophers do bicause it is easier for a Philosopher so to doe his life being lesse subiect to Fortune standing in lesse need of worldly Goods than doth that of Politicks And if any mishap befall them it toucheth the Philosopher a great deale lesse But whether it be in war or in ruling a Common-wealth or in the gouernment of a house there are alwaies means enough to exercise the works of Fortitude many times this vertue is most necessarie in things that seeme to be of smallest account Besides that honesty which we seeke after is perfected by the forces of the soule of which euery one hath great need not by those of the bodie I will not say that the firme knitting togither of the members and the good disposition of nature to sustaine manfully the iniuries of wether al kind of paine trauel without sicknes is not a good helpe towards the execution of noble enterprises only I say that it is not so necessarie but that many being troubled with a thousand ill dispositions in their persons especially such as were placed in offices of Captaines and Conductors of armies haue executed infinite great and glorious exploits surmounting all weakenes of their bodies through the magnanimitie of their hart Yea oftentimes they haue as it were constrained their bodies to change their nature that they might be made fit to execure whatsouer their wise spirite iudged to belong to dutie Was there euer any Captaine among the Romanes greater than Iulius Caesar Yet was he of a weake and tender complexion subiect to great head-aches and visited somtimes with the falling sicknes But in steed of vsing the weaknes of his bodie for a cloke to liue nicely and delicately he tooke the labors for warre for a fit medicine to cure the vntowardnes of his bodie fighting against his disease with continuall labor and exercise liuing soberly and lying for the most part in the open aire which made him to be so much the more admired and loued of his souldiers As it may appeere by that which is reported of him that being one daye by reason of great storme and tempest greatly vrged with want of lodging in a plaine where there was but one little cottage belonging to a Peasant which had but one chamber he commanded that Oppius one of his Captaines who was il at ease should be lodged there as for himselfe he laye abroad with the rest saying that the most honorable places were to be appointed for the greatest and the most necessarie for such as were most diseased What shall we say of those who being impotent in some part of their members did notwithstanding not diminish in any sort but augment the glorie of their doings Marcus Sergius a Romane Captaine hauing lost his right hand in a battell practised so well with the left hand that afterward in an armie he chalenged foure of his enimies one after another and ouercame them such force hath a good hart that it can doe more in one onely little member than a man well made and fashioned in all points that hath but a cowardly hart We might heere alleadge infinite examples whereof histories are full of all those effects which we said were brought foorth by the vertue of Fortitude in noble minds but we will content our selues to touch certaine generals that were of notable and politike prowes and valure and constant in their resolutions aswell for shortnes sake as also bicause heereafter we shall haue further occasion to bring others in sight when we handle more at large the parts and branches that proceed from this happie stalke of Fortitude Fabius the Greatest commeth first to my remembrance to prooue that the resolution of a courageous hart grounded vpon knowledge and the discourse of reason is firme and immutable This Captaine of the Romane armie being sent into the field to resist the furie and violence of Hannibal who being Captaine of the Carthaginians was entred into Italy with great force determined for the publike welfare and necessitie to delay and prolong the warre and not to hazard a battell but with great aduantage Whereupon certaine told him that his owne men called him Hannibals schoolemaister and that he was iested at with many other opprobrious speeches as one that had small valure and courage in him and therfore they counselled him to fight to the end he might not incurre any more such reprehensions and obloquies I should be quoth he againe to them a greater Coward than now I am thought to be if I should forsake my deliberation necessarie for the common welfare and safetie for feare of their girding speeches and bolts of mockerie and obey those to the ruine of my countrey whom I ought to command And in deed afterward he gaue great tokens of his vnspeakeable valure being sent with three hundred men onely to encounter with the said Hannibal and seeing that he must of necessitie fight for the safetie of the Common-wealth after all his men were slaine and himselfe hurt to death he rushed against Hannibal with so great violence and force of courage that he tooke from him the diademe or frontlet which he had about his head and died with that about him Pompey who by
he knoweth the one to be honest and the other vile and wicked Hauing now seene that vice which is cleane contrary to Fortitude and knowing that euery vertue hath a counterfeit follower thereof no doubt but rashnesse is that vice which falsly shrowdeth it selfe vnder the title of Fortitude and valure For this vertue easily ouerthroweth it selfe if it be not vnderpropped with good counsaile and the greater abilitie it supposeth to haue in it selfe the sooner it turneth aside to wickednesse if prudence gouerne it not This is that which Isocrates saith that Fortitude ioined with Prudence is auaileable but otherwise it procureth more euill than good to the possessors thereof If Fortitude saith Lactantius without necessarie constraint or for a dishonest matter hazardeth hir selfe into daungers she chaungeth into rashnesse He that doth anie thing at all aduentures saith Aristotle not considering how well he doth it ought not to be called vertuous but onely if he put it in execution after knowledge consultation and election Therefore as it is a noble acte to make such account of vertue as for the loue thereof not to feare the losse of life otherwise very deare so is it a point of rashnesse and follie to contemne life vpon a small and light occasion Rashnesse than is that which causeth a man with ioy of hart and for a vaine and friuolous matter to cast himselfe into certaine vndoubted daungers and to desire earnestly to fall into them to vndertake all things vnaduisedly and vnconstrained to expect those perils which he knoweth will fall vpon him The Elder Cato hearing certaine men to commend one openly who desperately hazarded himselfe and was bold without discretion in perils of warre said vnto them That there was great difference betweene much esteeming of vertue and little waighing of life as if he would haue said that it is a commendable thing to desire life to be vertuous And truely to liue and die are not of themselues good but to do both of them rightly and in a good matter So that to shunne death if it proceed not from a faint hart is not to be reprehended But rashnesse is especiallie to be condemned in Captaines and Heads of Armies as that which procureth great dammage to kingdomes and monarchies and to so manie as march vnder their conduct This is that which Iphicrates an Athenian captaine would haue vs learne who compared in an armie the Scoutes lightly armed to the handes the Horsemen to the Feete the battaile of Footemen to the Stomacke and breast and the Captaine to the Head of a Mans bodie For sayde he the Captaine that hazardeth himselfe too much and throweth himselfe into daunger without cause is not retchlesse of his own life onely but also of all those whose safetie dependeth vpon him and contrarywise in taking care for the safegard of his owne person he careth therewithall for all those that are vnder him Isadas the Lacedemonian seeyng Epaminondas with the Thebane armie at hand agaynst the Spartanes readie to force and take their Citie vnclothed himselfe starke naked puttyng off his Shirte and all and taking a Partisane in one hand and a sworde in the other he went with might and mayne agaynst his enemies where he shewed great prowesse and valure For which behauiour although he had a Crowne giuen him by the Seignorie according to the custome that was amongst them yet he was fined bicause he hazarded his lyfe so rashly We see daylie among vs but too manie examples of great mischiefes which befall men through their rashnesse led with ambition and desire of vayne-glorie Therefore to conclude and to drawe some profite out of our present discourse we say that we ought to feare the incurring of blame and dishonour for filthie and vnhonest matters and for euill deeds and are to shun all feare proceeding of want of courage of pusillanimitie and of a depraued and corrupted nature this last as proper and peculiar to the wicked and the other as that which maketh a man vnapt to all good and commendable thinges And as it is an acte of Prudence and Fortitude to prouide for a tempest and for stormes to come when the shippe is still in the Hauen and yet not to be afrayd in the middest of stormes so is it a point of rashnesse for a man to throw himselfe wittingly into an euident danger which might be auoyded without any breach of Vertue and Iustice Therefore Plato saith that timorous and rash men feare enterprise vnaduisedly whatsoeuer they take in hand but that noble minds do all things with prudence This also is that which Seneca saith thou maist be valiant if thou cast not thy selfe into perils nor desirest to fall into them as timorous men do neither abhorrest or standest in feare of them as being timorous But following the sage aduice of Cicero before we enterprise any thing we must not onely consider whether it be honest and commendable but also whether there be any like meane to execute it that neither throgh cowardlines we giue it ouer nor through greedie desire and presumption we purchase to our selues the reputation of rash men obseruing moreouer in euery matter of importance this Maxime of estate that before we begin any thing we must diligently prepare and foresee whatsoeuer is necessarie thereunto Of Magnanimitie and Generositie Chap. 27. ARAM. WHen that saying of Aristotle cōmeth to my remembrance that Fortitude isa mediocritie in fearing enterprising but that Magnanimitie consisteth in great things I am somewhat troubled in the vnderstāding of this sentēce bicause it semeth he would put a difference betweene Fortitude and Magnanimitie as if this latter had more excellencie and perfection in it than the other For this cause my Companions hauing intreated this morning of the vertue of Fortitude I propound now vnto you to discourse vnto vs what Magnanimitie is ACHITOB. Among mortall and perishing things there is nothing as the Philosophers say that ought to trouble the Magnanimitie of a noble hart But I find that they propound vnto vs in this word such a wisedome as cannot be in him that remaineth all his life time subiect to affections and perturbations For this they would not haue in true Magnanimitie which notwithstanding is wel able to bring foorth infinite wonderfull effects out of a noble mind causing it to be neuer vnprouided of a good resolution to be put in execution according to the ouerthwarts that happen vnto him ASER. The propertie of a noble spirit saith Cicero is not to be turned aside through ingratitude from the desire of doing good to all men euen to his enemies as also to leaue carking for that which is mortall that he may imbrace celestiall things But we shall vnderstand more at large of thee AMANA how these marueilous effects are works of true magnanimitie AMANA Although the vertue of Fortitude be neuer perfected without Magnanimitie which is as much to say as generositie or noblenes of
proper end expecting our renewing in that life which is immortall and euerlasting Of Good and Ill hap Chap. 31. ARAM. THere hath beene alwayes men of great humaine learning but voyd of the sincere knowledge of the truth that haue maintained one of these two opinions some That all things were gouerned by nature others that they were ruled by fortune They that acknowledge nature for the first cause of all things did attribute vnto hir a constellation which through the strength and efficacie of the starres gouerned the counsaile and reason of men The other sort acknowledging fortune maintained that all things were done at aduenture and by chance Now albeit there are too many at this day that follow this error yet is it so absurd a thing that in the writings of Ethnicks and Pagans a thousand inuincible reasons are found of sufficient force to conuince such opinions of meere lying and ouer-great sottishnes and to constraine those that are most impudent and shameles to acknowledge an infinite almightie power to be the creator of nature and of all things moouing therein and to dispose and order them with an eternall and euerlasting prouidence True it is that I would not absolutely deny the maruellous effects which many haue noted in heauenlie bodies throughout nature neuertheles I hold this for certaine that as all their vertue dependeth of one onely God so he withdraweth from them his power when and as soone as it pleaseth him Of this I inferre that they greatly deceiue themselues who thinke that the seeking out of the starres and of their secret vertues diminisheth any thing from the greatnes and power of God seeing that contrariwise his maiestie is much more famous and woonderful in doing such great things by his creatures as if he did them himselfe without any meane Nowe that which I haue touched heere my companions is not to offer any occasion to discourse of the Mathematicks or of any part thereof which would be to depart out of those bounds which we appointed to our Academy But seeing nothing is so common amongst vs as to vse or rather to abuse these wordes of Good and Ill hap by attributing vnto them some power and vertue ouer our doings insomuch that we commonly say there is nothing but good or ill lucke in this world I thinke it wil not be without fruite to consider narowly what we ought to thinke of these words and wherein we are to seeke and desire good hap and wherein to feare and flie ill lucke Now therefore let vs be instructed of you touching this matter ACHITOB. Good hap consisteth in that contentation which proceedeth from the perfection of the subiect therof being adorned with a perfect habit and intire possession of all kind of Goods in the priuation whereof all ill hap consisteth This cannot be verified of the passions and affections of men nor of their worldly affaires which are alwaies intermingled with diuers sundry accidents turning one while on this manner by and by after an other and carying the soule continually vp and downe with these two perturbations Desire and Griefe Therefore if there be a happie man in this world said Socrates it is he that hath a pure and cleane soule and a conscience defiled with nothing For the mysteries of God may be seene and beheld of him onely ASER. A temperate and constant man that knoweth how to moderate feare anger excessiue ioy and vnbrideled desire is very happie but he that placeth other vading Goods in his felicitie shall neuer haue a quiet mind Let vs then heare of AMANA wherein we ought to iudge that happines or vnhappines consisteth AMANA The continuall alteration sudden chang of one estate into another cleane contrary which might alwaies be noted in the nature disposition and euents of mens actions counsels desires gaue occasion to some of the ancient Philosophers to thinke the sicke more happie than the sound bicause said they sicke folks looke for health whereas the healthie expect sicknes For this very consideration it seemeth that Amasis almost the last of those kings that raigned peaceably in Egypt shoke off the alliance and league with Policrates king of Samos who was so happie in worldlie respects that do what he could yet could he not know what sorow meant but all things fel out vnto him better than he desired For proofe wherof may serue that which happened vnto him after he had cast into the sea a ring of great value which he loued exceedingly Now although he did so of purpose to the end he might taste of some sorow and griefe yet he found it quickly againe in the bellie of a fish taken by Fishermen and bought for his kitchen Whereupon this wise Egyptian iudged it a thing altogether impossible but that some great miserie was to follow hard at the heeles of so great happines and therefore he would not be partaker therof as of necessitie he should haue beene if he had continued still that league which before was betwixt them Neither was Amasis any thing deceiued in his opinion For within a while after Policrates was depriued of his kingdome and shamefully hanged seruing for a common and notable example of the instabilitie and variablenes of mans estate as also to shew that it is a very absurd thing to place happines in so vncertain felicity And yet among infinit imperfections borne with man this is common in him to loose quickly the remembrance of a benefit receiued but to retaine a long time the memorie of a calamitie fallen vpon him Which is the cause that he alwaies supposeth his mishaps to be without comparison greater than all the good hap that he can haue so that he complaineth continually of his miseries and calamities not remembring the innumerable benefits which are daily offred presented vnto him from the grace and bountifulnes of God Notwithstanding if all men as Socrates said aswell rich as poore brought their mishaps and laid them in common together and if they were in such sort diuided that euery one might haue an equall portion then should it be seene that many who thinke themselues ouercharged oppressed would with all their hartes take againe vnto them their fortune and be contented withall Wouldest thou said Democritus auoid the griefe of thy miserie Behold the life of the afflicted and by the comparison thereof with thine thou shalt see that thou hast cause to thinke thy selfe very happie He that will measure his burthen saith Martial may well beare it Now with this common complaint in men of their estate and condition this custome also is ioined to lay the cause of that which they suffer vpon cruell and intollerable destinie accusing that to excuse their owne fault Wherefore we cannot more aptly compare them than to blind folks who are angrie and oftentimes call them blind that vnawares do meete and iustle them But if we desire to cure our soules of so many
or execute the same but with a thousand perturbations which cause vs to want the rest and tranquillitie of our soules wherein all our happinesse and felicitie consisteth And therfore Seneca saith If he that wronged thee be weaker than thou forgiue him if he be mightier spare thy selfe For whosoeuer nourisheth his neighbors anger whosoeuer prouoketh incenseth him more when he seeth him vehement and importunate against him he committeth two faults First he hateth himselfe by procuring his owne trouble and griefe Secondly his brother bicause he maketh him sad and vexeth him Moreouer prudent men as Theophrastus saith ought to doe nothing in choler For that vnreasonable part of the soule being mooued foreseeth nothing wisely but being driuen forward with a contentious desire suffereth it selfe to be caried hither and thither as if it were drunken Also we must take great heed that we do not alwaies put in execution whatsoeuer we haue a mind vnto but onely that which moderate reason commandeth vs. Wherein we shal deserue the praise of true Magnanimity if I say we can command our selues and all vehemencie of choler which driueth men forward to be auenged on their enimies is an act that sauoureth more of a vile and abiect hart drawing neere to brutish fiercenes than of a noble mind which despiseth whatsoeuer is earthlie mortall and vading that it may thinke of nothing but of heauen and immortalitie This is that which the studie of our Philosophie teacheth vs euen as expert Phisitions knowe how to draw medicines apt for the preseruation of life out of serpents poisons other deadly and venemous things so we ought to draw from our enimies not their life which ought to be onely in the power of God and of his iustice but profit commoditie by their backbitings reproches and iniuries Which will easily be done if we make small account of their intent and consider narrowly the fact which they speake ill of to the end that if we be guiltie of that which they condemn in vs we may purge and correct our selues And if so be they harme vs wrongfully their impudencie will cause their reproches and iniuries to be turned back and sent against themselues togither with that shame and dammage which they thought to procure vnto vs wheras we shall be no lesse honest and vertuous men than before So that the best reuenge and most honorable victorie which we can carie away from our enimies will be to surpasse them in diligence bountie magnanimitie good-turnes and in all vertuous actions whereby they wil sooner perceiue and confesse them selues vanquished constrained to stop their mouth and to represse their toong than by any other force which we can oppose against them Then may we say that as he who enterprised to kill Prometheus the Thessalien gaue him so great a blowe with a sword vpon an apostume which put him in danger of death that by lancing it he saued his life contrary to his meaning so the iniurious speeches of our enimies vttred in wrath of ill will to hurt vs haue been the cause of curing many euils in vs whereof we made no account and of making vs much better than we were before But bicause iniurie seemeth so hard and vneasie to be tolerated by the imbecillitie of mans nature which is so soone offended and by the hart of man being full of reuenge let vs yet see whether we can find any remedie if not to cure that which is incurable at least wise to purge and to clense the Accidents of this euil Iniurie is offered either to the goods to the honour or to the person of a man As touching the first and last namely the spoiling of our goods and violence offred to our person what other reuenge either by the lawe of God or of man can we haue than to repulse force with force I meane when we are constrained thereunto or else by way of the prince his Iustice which is open to euery one If any haue robbed thee must thou become a thiefe or satisfie thy selfe by thine owne strength Much lesse oughtest thou to set thy selfe against him that is not faultie as many do If thou being the weaker art ouertaken hurt and wronged oughtest thou to vse new force violence and murder to reuenge thy selfe and to repaire thy iniurie receiued The sword is in the hands of the king and of the magistrate that representeth his person and it belongeth to him onely to vse it against them that trouble publike tranquillitie and ciuil societie to the end there should be no shew that any other either would or durst meddle with the soueraigntie whose greatnesse and preseruation consisteth in the administration of iustice Yea the lawes haue alwaies so abhorred violence and priuate force that they haue restored thieues and robbers into those places which they vniustly possessed if they had been driuen from them by violence But some man will say that these things ought in deed to be dulie considered of if Iustice were executed and had not forsaken the earth to dwell in heauen And how then canst thou execute it seeing thou art not called to do but to demand iustice Tarie and the iust Iudge wil returne double that which hath been vniustly taken from thee which thou hast suffered or which hath been denied thee euen then when thou shalt haue greater neede than now that thy daies are so short and then thou shalt liue for euer of that which thou hast reaped in this poore and miserable life Concerning honor the iniurie whereof we feare more than of the other let vs know that it cannot be hurt in a good man bicause vertue which is inuincible protecteth and defendeth it But now a daies we fetch it not so farre off For we will haue our honor tied to the vaine opinion of the world which reiecteth and contemneth those men as cowards and base-minded that haue but once put vp the least iniurie offered by another but honoreth as noble and courageous those that can lustilie kill their enimies This is the cause why many who would willingly forget an iniurie receiued dare not do it for loue of their friends as also bicause they see that it would rather be imputed vnto them as a tokē of a faint hart than of a desire to followe reason But let all these blood-suckers enclined to reuenge to murder couer their beastlie crueltie aswell as they can yet haue they no other reason to disguise it but this that it is a vsuall kind of behauiour now a daies amongest men to the ende they may be welcomed praised and fauoured of Kinges Princes and great Lords otherwise they must take a Coole and shut vp themselues in some cloister But they must needes affirme this withall that they had rather vndoe and condemne themselues with the multitude so they may haue worldlie honour than be saued with the small number of honest men except
the meane time we will heere note that the deniall of Iustice hath procured to many their death or vndoing Phillip the first king of Macedonia was slaine by Pausanias a meane Gentle-man bicause he would not let him haue Iustice against Antipater who had offered him wrong Demetrius the besieger hauing receiued many requests and supplications of his subiects threw them all into the water as he went ouer the bridge of a riuer whereupon his subiects conceiued such hatred against him that within a while after his army forsooke him and yeelded themselues to Pyrrhus his enimie who draue him out of his kingdome without battell In our time Henrie king of Sweathland striking with a dagger a Gentle-man that asked Iustice of him stirred vp the Nobilitie and people in such sort against him that putting him into prison where he is at this present they elected his yoonger brother to be their king who nowe raigneth But for a more woonderfull matter we might heere rehearse how God to shew vnto vs his detestation of Iniustice hath sometimes suffered his iudgement to fal out in that very howre and time which such as were vniustly condemned did assigne to their vniust Iudges In the liues of the kings of Castile we finde that Ferdinando the fourth of that name putting two knights to death more through anger than iustly one of them cried aloud in this sort O vniust king we cite thee to appeere within thirtie daies before the tribunall seate of Iesus Christ to receiue iudgement for thy Iniustice seing there is no other Iudge in earth to whome we can appeale from thy vniust sentence Vpon the last of which daies he died likewise True it is some man may say that death is so naturall and the hower thereof so vncertaine although determined that no other cause thereof ought to be supposed but onely necessitie But yet when it followeth so neerely some notable wickednes committed and some disquietnes and torment of mind is mingled therewith in the soule as it commonly falleth out we may take such a death for a testimonie and beginning of the Iustice of God who will not suffer the vniust man to rule any longer but exerciseth his iudgements diuersly in due time and season vpon those that are not to giue an account of their doings to men like themselues And as for such as are of meaner estate and lower in degree God suffreth also many times their punishment to be notorious and that sometime by such as are not much better than themselues Heereupon Apollonius that great Philosopher said that in his peregrination ouer three parts of the world he maruelled most at two thinges whereof the first was that he alwaies sawe the greater theeues hang the lesse and oftentimes the innocent And thus it fell out in the time of king Phillip the long wherein a Prouost of Paris named Henrie Lapperell caused a poore man that was prisoner in the Chastelet to be executed by giuing him the name of a rich man who being guiltie and condemned was set at libertie by him But his reward followed him hard at the heeles being for the same accused conuicted hanged and strangled Not long after a President of the Parliament named Hugues of Crecy met with the same fortune for a certaine corrupt iudgement giuen by him Therefore let euery one of vs learne to flie from this pernitious vice of Iniustice namely from euery action repugnant to the dutie of christian charitie and destroying the bond of humane societie through the vtter spoiling of the riuers that flow from the fountaine of honestie And let vs be afraid through such impietie to fal into the indignation and wrath of the Almightie to whome onely as to the author of Iustice and to whome all time is as nothing it belongeth to define and to determine thereof when after what sort and how farre it standeth with reason all which things are vnknowne to vs. If he deferre sometime the punishment of Iniustice let vs know that it is for their greater and more greeuous condemnation who multiplie and heape vp daily vpon their heads iniquitie vpō iniquitie And for an example which great men ought to follow and not suffer Iniustice to be practised according to euery mans fancie or vnder any other pretence whatsoeuer we wil propound vnto them the fact of a Pagan king who shall rise vp in iudgement against them if they do otherwise The Prince I meane is Artaxerxes surnamed Longhand and king of the Persians who being requested by a Chamberlaine of his whome he greatly fauoured to do some vniust thing hauing by his diligence found out that he vndertooke this suit for another who had promised him thirty thousand Crownes called of them Dariques he commanded his Treasurer to bring the like summe vnto him and then said vnto his Chamberlaine Take this mony which I giue thee For in giuing it vnto thee I shall be neuer the poorer whereas if I had done that which thou requiredst of me I should haue beene more vniust Alexander Seuerus the Emperour handeled after another fashion yea more iustly a seruant of his who vsed like a horse-leech of the court to sucke their bloud that had to deale with his master by thrusting himselfe forward and profering his means to fulfill their request for a good reward by reason of the fauour which he bare him which turned to the great dishonor of his imperiall maiestie bicause a Prince ought not to make greater account of any thing than of the grace and fauor of his gifts and benefites This monarch caused him to be tied to a post and choked with smoke making this proclamation by sound of trumpet That they which sell smoke should so perish with smoke Now to enter into the last point of that matter which is here propounded vnto vs we must diligently note that as it is the dutie of all Magistrates and of such as haue authoritie ouer others to chastice to punish euery malefactor so likewise they must beware lest vnder pretēce of exercising Iustice they fall into another kind of Iniustice through ouer-much rigor which is as hurtfull or rather more than that vice whereof we discoursed euen now namely into Seueritie which causeth them to be misliked for crueltie and belongeth rather to a beastly and sauage nature than to the nature of man For clemencie and compassiō neuer ought to be separated from a good iust sentence which is to hold smal faults excused or but lightly to punish thē prouided alwayes that Iustice be not violated Clemencie saith the wise man is the true preseruation of the roial throne And therefore one of the ancients said that it was ill to be subiect to a prince vnder whom nothing was tolerated but worse when all things were left at randon We may alleage here for an example of ouer-great seueritie the fact of Manlius Torquatus a Consull of Rome who caused his
general end be to set an order and policie amongst vs and not dispute of their reason and cause as long as their iurisdiction extendeth not to our soules to lay vpon them a new rule of iustice Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Law Chap. 56. AMANA WE haue hitherto seene that the preseruation of policies dependeth of the obseruation of the law that the soueraigne magistrate ruleth thereby and vseth it as a bond to reduce to vnitie and agreement all the citizens of one Common-wealth being vnlike in calling and liuing vnder his dominion at which marke euery good politike gouernor ought chiefly to aime Now my companions we are to intreat of this third part of a citie which maketh the politike body perfect and absolute namely of the people and of that obedience which they ought to yeeld to the magistrate and to the law ARAM. The whole Common-wealth fareth well or ill as all hir parts euen to the least are ruled and containe themselues within the compasse of their duetie For all of them togither make but one body whereof the magistrate is the head and the lawe the soule that giueth life vnto it Wherefore it is needefull that these should commaund and the other obey ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer profiteth the whole profiteth the part and that which is commodious to the part is also commodious to the whole and so contrarywise Wherefore to obey well which is necessarily required of the people is greatly auaileable to the whole political bodie Now let vs heare ASER handle this matter vnto vs more at large ASER. In euery discipline the beginning is commonly taken from the least partes thereof Grammer taketh his beginning from letters which are the least things in it Logike from the two least partes thereof namely the Nowne and the Verbe Geometrie from the point Arithmetick from Vnitie Musick from the Minnem and Sembrief which are likewise the least parts therof Therefore hauing seene that Policie is the order and life of the citie and that the citie is a multitude of citizens before we speak of the whole bodie of them we must as I think intreat first of a citizen who although he differ according to the diuersitie of common-wealths yet to take him properly may be said to be euery one that hath right to iudge in his citie hath a deliberatiue voyce in the generall or common councell thereof This definition of a citizen cannot fitly be applied to all citizens of all Common-wealths but only to those that are ruled popularly wherin they are all equall and gouerne themselues by assemblies in which euery one hath libertie to speake his aduise Some define a citizen to be he whose parents are citizens or els to be a free subiect holding of the soueraigntie of an other wherin they adde this word Free to distinguish him from slaues and strangers But generally we may say that whosoeuer may beare offices or magistracie in what forme of gouernment so euer is reputed taken for a citizen and such are all the naturall Frenchmen in this monarchie amongst whom there is not one how base soeuer he be that may not be made noble by vertue or that may not by skill and integritie of life attaine to the greatest estates of iustice of treasurie and of other publike charges This is not seen in all common-wealths For in the Seignorie of Venice it seemeth that none are truely citizens but the lordes and nobles who onely enioy the office of magistracie and may enter into the great councell after they haue attained the age of fiue and twentie yeeres As for the people they intermeddle not with any matter of gouernment this only excepted that they may be Secretaries and Chancellors as Contarenus reporteth The citie of Rome hauing many times sundry gouernments the appellation of a citizen was likewise diuers therein For as long as the first kings rules the common people were altogither excluded from publike honors offices But after when the regall power was changed into the gouernment of a certaine number of men chosen by suffrages and common voyces the people were admitted to magistracies and to the managing of affairs being present at the publike assemblie had in Mars his field which was distributed by tribes wardes companies and centuries to deliberate of the common estate to create magistrates and to decree new lawes where he was reputed for a citizen in deed that was a free man that had both house and tribe and possibilitie to attaine to honor enioying besides many other priuiledges and prerogatiues But when the soueraigntie came into the emperors hands those assemblies continued onely vnder Iulius and Octautus and after were abrogated by Tyberius and translated to the Senate and to the absolute power of the prince taking away al authoritie frō the people in publike matters Now to returne to our former assertion we say that all they are citizens to whom the gate that leadeth to the gouernment of the citie lieth open I mean the whole company of them that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates Such are all the subiects and naturall vassals of our king of whom the people and the nobilitie are the two orders or estates and of them is the estate of the church compounded which maketh one part of the common-wealth of France This self-same distinction of citizens is obserued almost throughout all Europe But besides this general diuisiō there are some more special in many common-welths as at Venice into the Gentlemen Burgesses Common people at Florence before it was brought in subiectiō to a Prince there were the greater sort the middle sort the vulgar or common sort of people And our ancient Gaules had the Druides the Horsemen the inferior people In Egypt were the Priests the Souldiors the Artificers And although Plato labored to make all the citizens of his common-welth equal in rights prerogatiues yet he diuided them into three estates into Gardes Souldiers and Labourers Whereupon we must necessarilie inferre this conclusion that there neuer was nor can be Common-wealth wherein the citizens were equall in all rights and prerogatiues but that some had more or lesse than others and yet so that wise Politikes haue carefully prouided that the meanest should haue no cause to complaine of their estate Moreouer the conueniencie and proportionable agreement of our French estates hath been the cause why this kingdome vntill this our infortunate age hath continued prospered so long amongst other kingdoms both of auncient and late times namely when Goodes Honours and publike charges were ordinarily distributed according to the condition of euery estate and their rightes and priuiledges preserued especially when it was carefully prouided that one estate should not grow too great aboue the other I meane that the nobilitie should not keep the people too much vnder and bring them to a
the constitutions of lawes aswell in the gathering of their duties and tributes as in their manner of life They vsed the seruice of Noble mens and of Princes children onely who were of the age of twentie yeeres and were instructed in all sciences The reason whereof was that the king being pricked forward with the sight of thē that were about him might beware how he committed any thing woorthie of reproch And truly there is nothing that corrupteth Princes so much as vitious seruants who seeke to please their sensuall desires and affections When the king arose in the morning he was bound first to take and receiue all the letters and requests that were brought vnto him that answering necessarie matters first all his affaires might be guided by order and reason Then he went to the Temple to offer sacrifice to the gods where the Prelate and chiefe Priest after the sacrifice and praiers were ended rehearsed with a loud voice in the presence of the people what vertues were in the king what reuerence and religion towardes the gods was in him and what clemencie and humanitie towards men Moreouer he told that he was continent iust noble-minded true liberall one that brideled his desires and punished malefactors with a more mild and light punishment than the greatnes of their sinne and offence required rewarding also his subiects with graces gifts that were greater than their deserts This done he exhorted the king to a happie life agreeable to the gods and likewise to good manners by following after honor and vertue and therewithall propounded vnto him certaine examples of the excellent deedes of ancient kings thereby to prouoke him the rather therunto These kings liued with simple meates as with veale birds for all dishes they kept very exactly all the lawes and ordinances of their countrie in euery point of their life which was no lesse directed euen in the least things than the simplest of their subiects And truly so long as the kings of Egypt were such zealous obseruers of their lawes and of iustice raigned peaceably among their subiects they brought many strang nations into their subiection gathered togither infinite riches whereby they adorned their countrie with great buildings and sumptuous works and decked their townes with many gifts and benefits The Barbarian kingdomes were the second kinde of Monarchy namely the ancient Monarchies of the Assyrians Medes and Persians whose Princes vsurped Lordlie rule ouer their goods and persons and gouerned their subiects as a father of a familie doth his slaues Which kind of gouernment sauoureth more of a tyrannie than of a kingdome besides it is directly against the law of nature which keepeth euery one in his libertie and in the possession of his owne goods Notwithstanding when by the law of Arms and of iust warre a Prince is made Lord ouer any people they properly belong to him that conquereth and they that are ouercome are made his slaues by the ancient consent of all nations and this maketh the difference betweene the Lord-like Monarchy and a tyrannic which abuseth free subiects as slaues Of this second kinde of Monarchy was the kingdome of Persia as Plato writeth vnder Cambyses Xerxes and other kings vntill the last Darius For vsurping more absolute authoritie to rule than was conuenient they began to contemne their Vassals and to account of them as of slaues and putting no more confidence in them they intertained into their seruice mercenarie souldiors and strangers whereby they made their owne subiects vnfit for warre and so in the end lost their estate when it seemed to haue attained to the top of worldlie prosperitie Such is the estate of the Turke at this day wherein he is sole Lord commanding ouer his subiects in rigorous manner aswell ouer the Musulmans as Christians and Iewes He vseth in his principall affaires which concerne peace and warre and matters of gouernment the seruice of runnagate slaues whom he placeth in authoritie changeth or deposeth as he thinks good without peril and enuie yea he strangleth them vpon the least suspition or dislike conceiued of them not sparing his owne children and others of his blood if they anger him So did Sultan Solyman deale with Hibrahim Bascha who was almost of equall authoritie with him insomuch that he was there called the Seignour king of the Ianitzaries the Bascha and king of the men of Armes Neuertheles in one night wherin he made him stay sup with him lie in his owne chamber he caused him to be slaine and his bodie to be cast into the sea The morrow after he seazed vpon his goods as confiscate and caried them away and yet no man euer knewe the cause of his death except it were this that he was growne too great and consequently suspected of his maister who was a Tyrant rather than a King Likewise he keepeth in his hands all the Lordships of his kingdome which he distributeth to men of warre who are charged to maintaine a certaine number of men of Armes and of horses according to the rate of their reuenew and when it pleaseth him he taketh them away againe Neither is there any man in all the countries vnder his obedience that possesseth Townes Castles and Villages or dwelleth in strong houses or that dare build higher than one storie or than a Dooue-house The great Knes or Duke of Moscouia exceedeth for seueritie and rigour of commanding all the Monarchs in the world hauing obtained such authoritie ouer his subiects both Ecclesiasticall and secular that he may dispose of their goods and liues at his pleasure so that none dare gainesay him in any thing They confesse publikely that the will of their prince is the will of God and that whatsoeuer he doth is done by the will of God The king of Ethiopia is also a Lordlike Monarch hauing as Paulus Iouius affirmeth 50. kings no lesse subiect vnto him than slaues And Frauncis Aluarez writeth that he hath seene the great Chancellour of that countrie scourged starke naked with other Lords as the very slaues of the prince wherein they thinke themselues greatly honoured The Emperour Charles the fift hauing brought vnder his obedience the kingdome of Peru made himselfe soueraigne Lord thereof in regard of goods which the subiects haue not but as they farme them or for terme of life at the most The third kind of Monarchy whereof the Ancients made mention was that of Lacedemonia wherein the king had not absolute power but in time of warre out of the countrie and a certaine preheminence ouer the sacrifices We made mention of their gouernment before The first kings in Rome were sacrificers also and afterward the emperors called themselues Pontifices that is chiefe bishops and those of Constantinople were consecrated as our kings of Frāce are In like maner the Caliphaes of the Sarasins were kings and chiefe bishops in their religion the
vpon no other vse than vpō the paiment of his men of war as also to keepe that money apart from his ordinary receipts But bicause this is not duely obserued the people are doubly vexed for they pay their money and yet are polled on all sides Notwithstanding all these ordinarie charges the poore pesants would thinke themselues happie if they were discharged by erecting victualing tents for the men of warre as they haue been forced to doe of late yeeres Now what good issue can be hoped for when the souldiors through an vnbrideled licence sack spoile and burne the poore subiects This hath alwayes been seene that houses families kingdoms and Empires haue come to ruine and pouertie bicause the poore were contemned and the subiects giuen ouer to the robberies of souldiors The immoderate licence of the Pretorian souldiours who were to the emperors as the Ianitzaries are to the Turke and of other men of warre was no small helpe to ouerthrowe the Romane Empire For taking vpon them to elect Emperours at their pleasure one was chosen in one armie and an other else-where and presently murdered by those that had elected them Their insolencie also caused seditions and ciuill warres whereupon those kingdoms and countreys that were vnder the Romane obedience reuolted And it commeth to passe oftentimes that their vnruly behauiour incenseth the people in such sort against them that their destruction followeth As it hapned to all the Frenchmen that were in the I le of Sicilia in the yeere 1281. vpon Easter day at the first peale to Euensong at what time they were all put to death by a secret conspiracie for their insolencies and whoredoms whereupon this prouerbe doth yet remaine amongst vs The Sicilian Euensong There is no corner of this kingdom where the people being halfe mad through the iniuries receiued from the men of warre haue not committed infinite and cruell massacres We may not here forget to propound the wise and warlike discipline of Bellizarius lieutenaunt generall to the Emperor Iustinian who for valure and temperance was equall to the ancient Romanes as histories testifie of him which was the cause that he reconquered all Italy possessed by the Barbariās Not long since during the warre of Piemont which was a very schoole of vertue and of warrelike knowledge the pesaunt husbandman and artificer were suffered quietly at their worke the warre continuing betweene warriours onely for the possession and not the ruine of the countrey And as the people were then glad to receiue amongst them such armies so they dispaire no lesse at this day bicause all warlike discipline all policie both diuine and humane is in such sort extinguished yea all kind of humanitie and societie which is to be seen amongst barbarous people that it is lawfull for Frenchmen to sacke spoile and put to ransome Frenchmen that are many times of the same side faith and condition and that without punishment But let vs not looke for prosperitie and good successe in our enterprises before there be some other order and discipline obserued The ende of the seuenteenth dayes worke THE EIGHTEENTH DAIES WORKE Of the office and dutie of a Generall Chap. 69. ASER. THose men commonly prosper in their affairs that vnderstand them throughly and manage them well diligently considering aduisedly what hath beene heretofore that they may in some sort iudge of that which is to come bicause all worldly things haue euermore some agreement with the ages past Which commeth of this that beyng the works of men they haue had and will alwayes haue like formes and therfore must of necessitie haue like effectes But the cause of the good or euill successe of men in respect of mans nature consisteth in this that the meanes and maner of proceeding iumpe with the time wherein the very condition therof and the occasion offred is diligently to be obserued And if this consideration taketh place in all priuate affaires it is much more necessarie in warre wherein a light fault oftentimes procureth losse ouerthrow to a whole armie whose good or ill happe dependeth of the head and leader therof according as he is either woorthy or vnwoorthy of his charge My opinion therfore is my companions that we alleage in this place whatsoeuer we know belongeth to his duetie and office I propound now the discourse of this matter to you AMANA Men disdaine commonly to obey such as know not how to commaund well Therfore euery Generall of an armie ought to labour carefully that men may behold and see a certaine greatnes magnanimitie constancie in all his doings ARAM. A Generall must be had in estimation of his souldiors and of that reputation that they may giue credite to his prudence otherwise an army doth quickly become rebellious and troublesome to be guided But let vs learne more amply of ACHITOB whatsoeuer concerneth this matter ACHITOB. Lamachus a great Athenian captain sayd that no man must offend twise in warre bicause the faults are of so great waight that for the most part they bring with thē the ouerthrow of the state or losse of life to those that commit them and therefore that it was a hard and daungerous matter to haue experience thereof So that Prudence gotten by vse ought to bee hastened forward bicause it is deerly bought so long a cōming that oftentimes death preuenteth it It must be hastned forward by the diligent enquirie of those things that haue fallen out both before since our time that we may become wise by other mens perils For this cause it is very necessarie that whosoeuer taketh vpon him the honor of guiding an armie should exercise his minde as much in science and in the knowledge of histories as he doth his body in all martiall actes that so he may diligently obserue the deedes of famous personages see how they gouerned themselues in warres and examine the causes of their victory thereby to flie the one and to follow the other And bicause it is against reason that a well armed man should obey him that is vnarmed or that they should take the rudder out of the Pilots hand to saue the ship in a storme that haue no skill in sea-faring matters it is very requisite that whosoeuer vndertaketh to commaund an army should first haue gotten a good report of all men for his valure and greatnesse of courage whereby his authoritie will be reuerenced as being bestowed vpō one that is woorthy of it forasmuch as titles of dignitie do not honor men but men are an ornament to titles Now if souldiors haue conceiued a good opinion of the desert and valure of their captaine it will be as a sharpe spur to pricke them forward in well doing and cause them to honor to loue his commandements For true zeale of vertue that is to say the desire to imitate it is not imprinted in mens harts but through a singular good will reuerence towards that
learned True philosophy is to be found in the word of God How much we owe to good authors The chiefe foundation of al philosophie Necessarie points for a philosopher We must learne alwaies Against presumption and selfe liking A fit comparison Antisthenes an example of great loue to knowledge Plato How we may know whether we profit in philosophie A good way to ouercome great faults When we may be called Philosophers The perfection of Philosophie The contempt of worldly goods necessary in a Philosopher Crates Notable examples of loue to Philosophie Anaxagoras Democritus Euclide Philosophie only teacheth vs to know our chiefe good The true cause of ioy and tranquillitie in a Christian soule What this word Philosopher meaneth There were three chiefe sects of philosophers Who are happie and who vnhappie Worldlie goods are of no force Two sorts of goods Vertue is the effect of regeneration The definition of vertue Socrates called religion the greatest vertue The dutie of prudence The foundation and spring of all vertue Wherein humane happines consisteth The gifts and graces of God are diuers in men The excellencie and propertie of vertue Euerie thing is made profitable through vertue Vertue compared to a palme tree The reward of vertue in the life to come is of the free mercie of God Comparison of worldly goods with vertue Nothing hath power ouer vertue Vertue cannot be valued Why Plato in his works bringeth in Socrates speaking Wherein the happines and greatnes of a king consisteth What it was that procured to Alexander the surname of Great Examples of the force and effects of vertue in aduersitie Pelopidas Philocles A most constant death Anaxarchus A woonderfull magnanimitie A wise man dieth willingly The feare of death doth not astonish the vertuous Callicratides Themistocles loue to his countrie Age hath no power ouer vertue Agesilaus Vertue causeth kingdoms to florish Vertue is the onely honest profitable and pleasant good Anacharsis forsooke a kingdome that he might the better obtaine vertue Three things necessarie for the obtaining of vertue The knowledge of goodnes must go before the loue of it Vice is the onely euil of the soule What we ought to call euill Vertue is the health and vice the sicknes of the soule Vice is like a dropsie When we begin to hate vice The definition of vice The effects of vice Vice is of an endles stocke Although we are to hate vice with a perfect hatred yet we must not kill our selues to be 〈◊〉 of it The vicious man onely is a captiue Nothing more hurtfull than vice Vice ioined with authoritie is more hurtfull A good lesson for great men The propertie of the wicked The alteration of kingdoms commeth of vice Offences are neuer without paine How a man may haue continuall quietnes The force of conscience in the wicked Leuit. 26. 36. Esay 66. 24. Examples of tormented consciences in the wicked A wise man is ashamed to attend before himselfe Why God deferreth his vengeance vpon the wicked Custome in sinning is dangerous How we should fortifie our selues against vice The humanitie of Pythagoras euen towards brute beasts An excellent comparison teaching vs not to suffer any vnlawfull thing We must neuer harken to the heralds of vice How vice deceiueth men The prudence of the serpent Why Diogenes asked his almes of images The speeches of ignorant men touching the studie of sciences Why many fathers set not their children to schoole Man was created to vnderstand and to do The benefits which come by knowledge The proper worke of the spirit of man It is long ere men without knowledge become good magistrates The praise of wisedome The diuision of sciences Grammer Rhetorick Logick Physick Metaphysick Mathematick and the parts thereof as Arithmetick Geometry Cosmography Geography Astronomy Musicke Poetry Those sciences are first to be learned that are most necessarie What kinde of knowledge is especially required in a philosopher Anacharsis letter to Craesus touching the studies of Graecia The praise and prosite of 〈◊〉 How a man may become happie Wherein kings ought most to exercise themselues The saving of Philip at the birth of Alexander Alexanders letter to Aristotle His loue to learning Iulius Caesar Xenophon Nicias Archimedes Socrates conclusion drawen out of 24. howers contemplation Charles 4. Robert king of Sicilia Ptolemie Philadelphus Charlemaine Francis 1. Antisthenes saying touching a flute plaier The modestic of Socrates touching his owne skill Quicke wits commonly want memorie Psal 102. 26. It is very hard for a man to know himselfe Socrates opinion concerning man The soule is 〈◊〉 man Socrates answer touching his burâ—all Periander Empedocles Of the generation of the soule The soule is diuided into the spirit and the flesh The spirit of the godlie both by creation and regeneration is enimie to vice The fight betweene the spirit and the flesh Rom. 8 7. What we are being left to our selves The difference betweene the 〈◊〉 and the spirit The three parts of the spirit Of Memorie Mithridates Frederick Genusbey P. Crassus From whence iudgement proceedeth Iulius Caesar Seneca A good â—se of memorie Reasons why quick est wits haue woorâ—t memories and conâ—â—â—wise 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 8. 1. The end of the creation of all things What homage we owe to God Which is the cheefe end of our being What â—uâ—ie is The diuision of dutie What dutie we owe to God and therefore Obedience to Gods law is the mother of all vertues What our dutie towards our neighbour is Man created for man Profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be separated from honestie Two things requisite in euerie good worke Fower riuers issue out of the fountaine of dutie Examples of the zeale of the ancients in the seruice of there god Calanus The zeale of the Iewes to their law Of the loue which a man oweth to his countrie Cato of Vtica In what case a good man may sue for an office Metellus Lycurgus Marcus Otho The couragious mind of a soldier A notable example against ciuill war Codrus M. Curtius Dutie and honestie are to be propounded in all our actions Ecclus. 1. 18. Ecclus. 1. 23. What prunence is The effects of the vertue of prudence The difference betweene science and prudence Prudence compared to the sight Prudence hath three eies The praise-worthy effects of prudence The coniunction of all the vertues Of the prudence of Alexander Of the prudence of Pulius Caesar Caesar noted two faults in Pompey Agesilaus The losse of a captâ—â—â—e is commonly cause of the ruine of an amâ—e The prudence of Solon The prudence of Lycurgus Phocion The prudence of Demosthenes in defending the innocencie of a poore woman How a prudent man may reape benefit by his enimies and by mishaps Anaxagoras The prudent foresight of 〈◊〉 The prudence of Scipio in answering to an vniust accusation Emilius Scaurus The sports of prudent men Pleasant sayings ful of doctrine A prudent man doth not ouerlightly beleeue any thing How none can be hurt but by himselfe Vertuous actions are to
commoditie thereof A notable law for the common instruction of children Of Gymnastick or bodilie exercise The end of Musicke The vse of painning Fower things to be vsed in the institution of youth Instruction which consisteth in six precepts 1. The first precept The first thing that youth must learne is to worship God We can do nothing without the grace of God 2. The second precept Youth must not glorie in transitoric goods Nor in bodilie beautie The fruits of true knowledge and vertue 3. The third precept The common diseases of youth Modestie is the best remedie for them 4 The fourth precept hath fower branches 5. The fift precept 6 The sixt precept Of admonition Of promises Youth is to be drawne on with the promises of eternall life Of praises and threatnings Hope and feare are the foundation of vertue Adolescencie is the age betweene 14. 28 Place and time are to be considered in all things All kind of behauior not conuenient in all ages Of the diuision of the ages of man The number of seuen accounted a perfect number Of the climactericall yeere of 63. The whole age of man diuided into six parts Of Infaucie Of Childhood * He meaneth not common naturall infirmities but malitious offences Two things requisite in a Schoolemaister skill and bonestie of life The benefit that commeth by good Schoolemaisters A strang custom vsed by the children of Rome The reason oâ— this word Iuuentus Of adolescencie The fruits of adolescencie being left to it self Aurelius exhortation to his sonnes gouernours Concupiscence raigneth most in Adolescencie Who are to be accounted free Knowledge and iudgement are the gard of adolescencie Catoes sonne banished for breaking an earthen pot And Cinnaes sonne for gathering fruite without leaue How the Romanes taught their yoong men to forsake the follies of their first age The dutie of yoong men A moderate youth maketh a happie old age Examples of vertuous young men Alexander a paterne of vertue in his youth Bucephalus Alexanders horse Pompey Papyrius Of 〈◊〉 maâ—s estate The dutie of a man at the perfection of his age Clitomachus M. Aurelius Solon learned to the hower of his death Socrates learned musick being old T. Varro and M. Cato learned Greeke when they were old Iulianus Alphonsus Of old-age Psal 90. 10. Prudence is the ornament of old age What Senate is and froÌ„ whence it came What vse is to be made of a white beard Epaminondas salutation vsed to men according to their ages Cato What breedeth authoritie in a man Sophocles To whom old age is not grieuous The soule is not subiect to mans iurisdiction Gal. 3. 18. Col. 3. 11. Gal. 5. 1. 13. Rom. 13. 1. 2. All power is of God The beginning and preseruation of policies is from God Of commanding and obeying Policie is the bond of all societie There is shew of commanding and obeying in all things As in harmonie The superior part of the world ruleth the inferior The Sunne is king and the Moone Queene among the starres The Moone ruleth ouer all moistures The Fire and Aire chiefe among the elements The Eagle Lion whale and pike ouer their kinds No people without all policie Diuine iustice humane policie always linked togither Religion is the foundation of all estates The auncieâ—â— law makers established then ordinance through the means of religion Religion the greatest means of inlarging the Roman empire What Policie is and from whence the word is deriued The diuers significations of this word Policy Of the end of policie Ciuil ordinance ought to maintaine the worship of God Euery estate coÌ„sisteth of 3. parts of the magistrate the law and the people When common-wealths are right and when corrupt The good or euil estate of coÌ„mon wealths dependeth of the magistrates next vnder God The diuision of common-welths in generall The subdiuision of them Of a monarchie Of a tirannie Of an Aristocratie and what it signifieth The Lacedemonian estate was an excellent paterne of this gouernment Why the Senate of Lacedemonia was first instituted What power the kings of Lademonia had The policie of Polydorus and Theopompus to get the power out of the peoples hands Why the Ephories were appointed in Lacedemoniâ— Of an Oligarchâ— How an Oligarchie is changed into a tirannie with examples thereof Of a Timocraty * His meaning is that it is ruled by some lawes taken from ccb of these Of a Democratie Fiue kinds therof according to Aristotle in his 4. booke of Politi ca. 4. Athens a Democratical estate Of a mixt kinde of common-wealth Examples hereof The perfectest distinction of common-wealths There is difference between the estate and the gouernment of a common-wealth Examples of the popular estate Of the Aristocraticall Of the Monarchicall What right is The foundation of euery estate is the soueraigntie therof Euery estate coÌ„sisteth of 3. parts The magistrate is the image of God The wisest must rule Why God distributeth his gifts diuersly to diuers men A well gouerned familie resembleth the kingly regiment Gen. 10. 10. Of the originall of kingdoms Cicero his opinion therein What soueraigntie is A little king asmuch a Soueraigne as the greatest Monarch Of the name of Magistrate The Dictator of Rome was called Magister populi The calling of Magistrates prooued to be lawfull Psal 82. 6. Iohn 10 35. 2. Chron. 19. 6. Prou. 8. 15. 16. The calling of the Magistrate is most holie He is the minister of Gods iustice Good counsell for Magistrats The Magistrate compared to the hart of a liuing creature And to a Carpenters rule The Magistrate is in the Common wealth that which reason is in the soule The example of the Magistrate is the best way to teach the people Whereunto the Prince is bound aswell as his subiect The dutie of the Magistrate consisteth in three things The art Royall Philosophicall and Politicall is all one Who is most woorthie of soueraigne authoritie Why there are so few vertuous Princes Wherin the dutie of the chiefe Magistrate consisteth Why the sword is put into the Magistrates hand Ier. 22. 3. What is meant by this precept Do Iudgement and Iustice Prou. 16. 12. 20. 8. 26. Prou. 25. 4. 5. He that suffreth euill is culpable aswell as he that committeth it Seueritie and clemencie are to be linked togither in a Magistrate Ciuilitie and grauitie must be ioined both togither in a Magistrate The dutie of the Magistrate Al motions contained vnder one and all causes vnder the first The law is the blood and bond of the Common-wealth The law is the spirite and soule of the common-wealth All creatures are sociable by nature The prerogatiues of men aboue other creatures What a citie is The diuers ends of the three good Common-wealths A king must line vnder a law albeit he be not subiect to the lawe The marke of a soueraigne Wisd 6. 3. How far Princes are subiect to lawes Wherein the absolute power of Princes consisteth The definition of the law The diuision
Clemencie examples of great clemencie in princes 324. c. it preserueth the thrones of Princes 411 Common-wealth a sure token of a desperate common-wealth 407. 600. 690. the spring of corruption in Common-wealths 550. the description of a mixt common-wealth 583. how a corrupt common-wealth must bee corrected 699. when common-wealths begin to alter 717 the causes therof 739 Commandement the 5. commaundement onely hath a special promise annexed vnto it 538. there is a shew of commanding and obeying in all things 575 Comparisons 33. 38. 46. 47. 55. 64. 70. 105. 150. 176. 191. 212. 286. 338. 339. 343. 360. 371. 378. 383. 4â—6 446. 448. 487. 513. 550. 589 641. 687. Communitie Plato established a communitie of all things in his common-wealth 490 the confutation therof 491 Concupiscence the fruites of concupiscence 238 Conscience the force of conscience in the wicked 68. examples of tormented consciences 68 Constancie the wonderfull constancie of Socrates 348 Correction nâ—â—â—ssarie for children 534. the lawe Falcidia touching the correction of children 551 Councell what a councell is with the profite of it 677. of the councell of sundrie countreys 679. c Counsellors qualities requisite in counsellors of estate 687 Counsell good counsell for counsellors 155. and for princes 157 Countrey examples of the loue of heathen men towards their countrey 60. 98. c Couetousnesse is neuer satisfied 445. the fruites of couetousnes 446. examples of coueiousnes 449. what magistrates are best liked of couetous princes 456 Coward Agamemnon dispensed with a rich coward for going to warre 284. what vices proceed of cowardlines 285 Creation the end of the creation of al things 92. Creatures all creatures are sociable by nature 594 Curiositie against curiositie in knowledge 161. two kindes of curiositie 162. against curious inquirie into other mens imperfections 166. curious persons profite their enimies more than themselues 167. wittie answeres made to cuâ—ioâ—â— questions 169. curiositie in princes affairs perilous 168 Custome a notable custome of the Lacedemonians 150. custome in sinning is dangerous 69 D Death the feare of death doth not astonish the vertuous 60. what death Cesar thoght best 262. no man ought to hasten forward his death 293. what it is to feare death 294. the comfort of euery true Christian against death 805. Definition the definition of ambition 224. of anger 312. of a body 20. of charitie 321. of a citie 595. of a Citizen 605. of comelines 181. of confidence 300. of duty 94. of enuie 458. of fortune 468. of friendship 138. of a house 490. 492. of iealousie 505. of iustice 390. 391. of intemperancie 190. of iudgement 691. of liberalitie 435. of the law 596. of malice and craft 123. of man 13. of meekenes 321. of nature 172. of Oeconomie 523. of policie 523. of passion 30. of Philosophy 40. 390. of prudence 104. of patience 310. of pleasure 236. of sedition 705. of societie 480. of the soule 23. of temperance 181. of vertue 52. of vice 65. of wedlocke 480 Democraty the description of a Democraty with the sundry kinds of it 528 Desire the effects of desire 36 Diseases the end cause and remedie of bodily diseases 29. the cause of the diseases of the soule 33. the seede of diseases 211 Discipline the ancient warlike discipline of the Romanes 769. the corruption thereof in these daies 769 Discord all things are preserued by agreeing discords 19 Diuision of Citizens 606. of a Common-wealth 579. 583. of dutie 94. of a house 492. of iustice 393. of the law 596. of nature 171. of Philosophy 40. of passions 31. of speech 127. of the soule 23. of sciences 76 Dowries why the dowries of women haue alwaies had great priuiledges 486. Lycurgus forbad all dowries 493 Drinke the manner of drinking in old time 203. against excessiue drinking 204 Drunkennes hurtfull effects of drunkennes and gluttony 213. examples of drunkennes 214 Duarchy what a Duarchy is 617 Dutie wherein the dutie of man consisteth 12. dutie and profite are distinct thinges 429. the duty of a wise man 12. what duty we owe to God and what to our neighbour 94. fower riuers issue out of the fountaine of duty 96 E Eclipse Nicias feared an eclipse of the Moone 120 Education helpeth the defect of nature 175. examples therof 177. naughtie education corrupteth a good nature 551. how Plato would haue children brought vp 552. of the education of daughters 554 Emperours there were 73. Emperours of Rome within 100. yeeres 223. what this word Emperour importeth 624 End the proper end of all things 477 Enimy how one may reape benefite by his enimies 112. 383. why men are beholding to their enimies 379. the common behauiour of men towards their enimies 380 Enuy is a note of an ambitious man 225. the nature of enuie 457. the fruits of it 458. it hurteth enuious persons most 459. a good way to be reuenged on the enuious 464 Ephoryes why the Ephoryes were appointed in Lacedemonia 581 Equality two sorts of equalitie 737 Equity is alwaies one and the same to all people 601. the equity of the Morall law ought to be the end and rule of all lawes 602 Error the spring of all error 119 Estate euery Estate and policie consisteth of three parts 578. the opinion of Politicks touching a mixt Estate 625. examples of mixt Estates 626. what it is to hold the Estates 685. a rule of Estate 723. choise custome of seuen flourishing Estates 732. meanes to preserue an Estate 734 c. it is dangerous to an Estate to call in forraine succours 785 Euent wee must not iudge of enterprises by the euent 305. we must be prepared against all euents 306. the euent of all things is to be referred to the prouidence of God 42 Euill what we ought to call euill 63 Exercise what bodily exercise is meete for youth 557 Expences a good law e to cut off the occasions of idle expences 221 F Fables who delight most in reading of fables 462 Family there must be but one Head in a family 509. the progresse of a family before it come to perfection 525 Father why many fathers set not their children to schoole 72. the storie of a father appointed to execute his owne child 535 Fauour the punishment of one who solde his maisters fauour 411 Feare two kinds of feare 278. the feare of neighbour enimies is the safetie of a Common-wealth 279. good feare is ioined with the loue of God 280. examples of wary feare 280. a strange effect of feare in one night 284. examples of feare which is the defect of fortitude 281 Feast how wise men feasted one another in old time 202. Socrates feast 208 Fidelitie a description of fidelitie 414 Flatterie the common practise of flatterers 139. good counsell for Princes against flatterers 462 Flesh the works of the flesh 20 Foe he that hath no foe hath no friend 145. Looke Enimie Fortitude the woorkes of fortitude must bee grounded vpon equitie and iustice 251. it is a good
vnreprooueable as Gods steward not frowarde not angry not giuen to wine no striker not giuen to filthie lucre but harberous one that loueth goodnesse wise righteous holy temperate holding fast the faithfull worde according to doctrine that he also may be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and improoue them that say against it Feede the flocke of Christ which dependeth vppon you saith Saint Peter caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthie lucre but of a ready minde not as though yee were lordes ouer Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the flocke Therefore if Pastors preach the Gospell giue example of good life by their workes fight against the enimies of the truth with the weapons of charitie prayers perswasions testimonies of the holy scripture if they remooue from them couetousnesse pride dissolutenesse and superfluitie of expences and walke in this sort in their vocation the first place of honour is due to them amongst men and a greater and vnspeakable prepared for them in heauen The second thing that is necessarie in euery Common-wealth and citie are iudgements and consequently magistrates to execute them But bicause we discoursed at large of this matter before we will not stand long vpon it but comprehend in few wordes the whole duetie and office of a good magistrate which consisteth in foure things In taking nothing vniustly from any body in giuing to euery one his owne in despising his owne profit and in preseruing publike profite He performeth these duties perfectly by the distribution of iustice into seuen partes by procuring that God may be worshipped that reuerence be giuen to superiours that concord be amongst equals that discipline bee vsed towards inferiours patience towardes enimies mercy towards the poore and that integritie of life proceede from himselfe Nowe let vs consider of Armes and of Nobles Armes as Varro saith are all warlike instrumentes seruing both to set vpon our enimies and to defend our selues from their assaultes and enterprises They are necessarie in a Common-wealth and citie for these three causes to resist the outward force of enimies and to keepe them in feare to represse naughtie citizens both by compelling them to obey magistrates and lawes and by punishing the guiltie and last of all to defend the libertie of subiects The exercise and vse of armes warres and battels hath from all antiquitie been committed to the noble men Nobilitie as Aristotle saith is a glittering excellencie proceeding from auncestors and an honour that commeth from an auncient linage and stocke Or according to Boetius Seuerinus nobilitie is a prayse that proceedeth from the deserts of our Elders and forefathers Many make three kindes of Nobilitie one that is bred of vertue and of excellent deedes the second that proceedeth from the knowledge of honest disciplines and true sciences and the third that commeth from the scutchions and armes of our auncestors or from riches But to speake truely there is no right Nobilitie but that which springeth of vertue and good conditions For as he is a thiefe that stealeth and he vniust that doth vniustly so he is a vile and base person that dealeth vilanously He boasteth in vaine of his great linage and seeketh to be esteemed for the nobilitie and vertue of his auncestours that hath no goodnesse in him nor commendable qualitic of his owne to ioine with those of his predecessors Let no man please himselfe too much saith Agapetus in the nobilitie of his ancestors for all men haue dung for their stock from whence they come both they that are pricked vp in purple and fine linnen they that are afflicted with pouertie and sicknesse as well they that are decked with crownes as they that lie naked vpon the strawe Let vs not therfore brag of our earthly race but let vs glory in the integritie of maners Although vice be in one that commeth of noble bloud yet is it always lothsome and infamous yea it doth so much the more appeere shameful odious as it is ioyned with greater nobilitie But vertue is the very liuely colour ornament of nobilitie and causeth it to be honored for loue of it selfe only All kings and princes saith Plato came of slaues and all slaues of kings What profite is there saith Macrine the Emperour writing to the Senate of Rome in nobilitie if the hart of a prince be not replenished with bountie and gentlenes towards his subiectes The goods of fortune come oftentimes to the vnwoorthie but the vertue of the soule always maketh a man woorthie of the greatest praise Nobilitie riches and such like come from without a man are subiect to corruption but iustice bountie and other vertues are not only wonderfull bicause they come from the soule but procure also to him that hath them vseth them vertuously a perfection of all felicitie Yea it is far better and more commendable in a man to leaue to his posteritie a good beginning of nobilitie by vertue than to defame by villanie wicked behauior that praise which he hath receiued frō his predecessors Therefore we ought not to be puft vp with pride bicause we come of a great race seeing that honour belongeth more to our progenitors thā to vs if we be not noble by our owne vertue Is not one God as Malachie saith father of vs all He made the first kings of a poore base stock to teach vs that men ought not through arrogancie vaine boasting of their nobilitie esteeme themselues better than others but so far forth only as his holy gifts and graces are more abundantly in them Saule was chosen king as he was seeking his fathers asses Dauid whē he was a sheepheard and the yongest of his brethren The brier and the rose came of one and the same roote so noble-men and vile persons came of one masse and lumpe The brier is reiected bicause it pricketh the rose for hir good smel is esteemed and held in mens hands So he that maketh himselfe vile through vice ought to be reiected and he that is odoriferous and smelleth sweetly by good vertues and noble actions ought to bee esteemed honoured and accounted noble of what race stocke soeuer he commeth True it is that ancient nobilitie ioined with excellent vertue is very commendable among men especially in euery monarchie wel established of which the nobilitie is the chiefest pillar being appointed by God and approoued by the law of man for their fidelitie towardes their kings and defence of their subiects wherein the true dutie and office of noble-men consisteth Riches are the fourth thing necessary in euery common-welth and consequently citizens who commonly possesse them and are setled from all antiquitie in towns hauing rents reuenues and possessions and being as it were the strong pillars of cities and of the whole political body Cicero saith that riches are the sinews of battels For as the whole body