as by experience we see all things to haue a care of his owne life The Lion when he feeleth hym self sicke he neuer ceaseth vntil he féedeth vpon an Ape whereby he maie recouer former health The Gotes of Creet féedyng on high vpon the mountaines when any of them is shot through with an Arrowe as the people of that countrey are most excellent archers they seeke Dictamum and hearbe assone as they eate any thyng of the same the arrowe faleth downe and the wound waxeth whole incontinent There are certen kyndes of Frogges in Aegypt about the floud of Nilus that haue this perseueraunce that when by chaunce they happen to come where a fishe called Varus is whiche is a greate mourtherer and a spoyler of Frogges they vse to beare in their mouthes ouerthwart a long réede which groweth about the bankes at Nilus whiche when this fishe doth gape thinkyng to feede vpon the Frog the réede is so long that by no meanes can he swallowe vp the Frogge and so saue their liues If the Gotes of Creet If the frogges of Aegypt haue this vnderstanding to auoide their enemies how muche more ought men to be circumspect of his life which hath I saie millions of enemies nether séen nor knowen We reade in the first boke of Aelian that the rude swine if at any tyme by chaunce they eate of that hearbe called Hioscyamus which draweth by by the vaines together that skant thei can stirre yet they striue for remedie sake to goe vnto the water where they feede vppon yong Crabbes to recouer health In the same booke ye maie reede of a Sea Snaill whiche from the water doth come vnto lande to breede and after she hath egged she diggeth the yearth and hideth her egges and retourneth vnto the sea again and there continueth .xl. daies and after .xl. daies she commeth vnto the same self place where she hidde her egges and perceiueth that thei are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her yong ones with her vnto the sea And thus haue they care charge not onely of their owne states and liues but also of others and by some shewe of sence thei amende that which is most daungerous and hurtfull for the sely and simple mise haue this kynde of fore knowledge that when any howse waxeth olde and ruinous they forsake their olde dwellyng and creepyng holes they flee and seeke refuge in an other place The little Antes haue foresightes that when penury and want of relife draweth nier they waxe so painefull and laborious toilyng and trauailyng in gatheryng together victualles as maie serue them duryng the tyme of famine If these smale crepyng wormes seely and simple beastes prouide for them selues what shall wee saie of man the kyng and ruler ouer all beastes who hath not onely a bodie to prouide for but also a soule to saue More happie are these wormes and beastes in their kinde then a nomber of Princes are For that they by nature onely are taught their foes to auoide neither we by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnes can loue our frendes Therefore verie well it is saide of the wise man that either not to be borne or els beyng borne streight to die is the happiest state that can chaunce vnto man For liuyng in this vale of miserie wee sée the Pilgrimages and trauell of life to be such that better farre it were be a poore quiet man then a busie proude Prince And sith death is the last line of life aswell appointed for princes as for poore men who in reading the liues of Emperours Kinges and Princes the nobles of the worlde seeth not their vnhappie states whiche commyng vnto the worlde naked and departyng from the same naked yet like proude pilgrimes busie one to destroye another not coÌ„tented with countries and kingdomes go from one place vnto another from one couÌ„trie vnto another like Pilgrimes to bee acquainted with miserie and to seeke death Alexander the great conquerour takyng his voiage from his kyngdome of Macedonia vnto India to destroie all the worlde hee was in the citie of Babilon preueÌ„ted by Antipater and Iola his taster and kinsman with poison and there he died Philopomen a greate Emperour sometyme in Greece beyng in prison in Messena taken in the warres and beyng so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates whiche then was Prince of that countrie and conquerour ouer hym one draught of poison he coulde not be coÌ„tent to be Emperour and ruler of Greece but moued to seeke death in a straunge countrie amongest his foes Ladislaus kyng of Apulia endeuouryng to subdue the Florentines and séekyng to bee kyng ouer the Florentines he loste the kingdome of Apulia For by them was hee at length poisoned and so berefte from his owne kingdome and life with this vnhappie kinde of death wer many princes preuented no lesse thretened are these princes of their owne houshold frendes then of foren foes no lesse do their childreÌ„ their wiues brethren and kinsmen studie to destroie them sometyme for the kingdomes sake some tyme for hatered hidden and most ofteÌ„ prouoked of these to spoile them as it is written that Claudius Caesar an Emperour of Rome was poisoned of his owne wife Agrippina Antiochus king of Siria was poisoned of his Queene Laodice for that hee was in loue with Berenices Kynge Ptholomeus sister Constantine the Emperour the soonne of Heraclius beeyng but one yere a ruler of his empire was poisoned by his mother in lawe named Martina The verie cause of the Emperour Conradus death whiche was Frederikes soonne was the Empire and rule of Rome whiche Manfredus his successour made the phisicions for money to poison him that then hee beyng the successour of the empire might beare rule O vnhappie state of Princes whose liues are desired of frende and foe How sore was L. Vectius set on of Caesar to betraie Pompeius the greate whiche for the loue and zeale that Pompeius had in Rome Caesar began to malice Lucullus Curio Cato and Cicero for their priuate loue towarde Pompeius no lesse daunger it is to be in fauour with princes sometime then perilous to bee princes wee reade of a Quéene named Rosimunda the doughter of kyng Cunimunda of Gepida after that she poisoned Albonius king of Longobardes hir first housebande she maried a prince of Rauenâ—a named Helinges which likewise she thought to poison but beyng warned in y e middest of his draught he caused his wife to drinke the reste whiche drinke was the cause of both their death howe manie noble Princes in the middest of their Pilgrimages died that death as Diocletian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius kyng of France Carolus the eight of that name with diuers others as Hanibal prince of Carthage Aristobolus king of Iuda and Lucullus Emperour of Rome Princes and noble men doe sometyme poyson theimselues lest they should
also a water called Albula that healed gréene woundes In Sicilia the riuer called Cydnus was a present remedy vnto any swelling of the legges Not farre from Neapolis there was a Well whose water healed any sicknesses of the eyes The lake Amphion taketh all scurâ—es and sores from the body of any man What shoulde I declare the natures of the foure famous floods that issue out of Paradice the one named Euphrates whom the Babylonians and Mesopotamians haue iust occasion to commende The seconde is called Ganges which the Indians haue great cause to praise The thirde called Nilus which the countrey of Egypt can best speake of And the fourth is called Tigris which the Assyrians haue most commodity by Here might I be long occupied if I shoulde orderly but touch the natures of all waters The alteration of the Seas and the woonders that therof appeare as ebbing and flowing as saltenesse swéetenesse and all things incident by nature vnto the Seas which were it not that men sée it dayly practiseth the same hourelye and marke thinges therein continuallye more woonders woulde appeare by the seas then skant reason might be aleaged for sauing that God as the Prophet sayth is woonderfull in all his workes The fiue golden Riuers which learned and auncient writers affirme that the sandes thereof are all glistering gemmes of golde as Tagus in Ispaigne Hermus in Lydia Pactolus in Asia Idaspes in India and Arimaspus in Scythia these I say are no lesse famous through their golden Sandes which their weltering waues bring vnto lande in these foresayde countreys then Permessus in Boetia where the Muses long were honoured or Simois in Phrygia where Venus was conceyued by Anchises To coequat the number of these fiue last and pleasaunt riuers there are fiue as ougly and painfull as Styx in Arcadia whose property is to kil any that will touch it and therfore founde of the Poets to be consecrated vnto Pluto for there is nothing so harde but this water wyll consume so colde is the water thereof Againe the riuer of Phlegeton is contrary vnto this for the one is not so colde but the other is as whâ—t and therfore called Phlegeton which is in English fiery or smoky for the Poets faine likewise that it burneth out in flashing flames of fire Lethes and Acheron two riuers the one in Affrica the other in Epire the one called the riuer of forgetfulnesse the other the riuer of sadnesse The fift called Cocytus a place where mourning neuer ceaseth These fiue riuers for their horror and terrour that procéeded from them for the straunge and woonderous effectes therof are called infernall lakes consecrated and attributed vnto King Pluto which Virgil at large describeth Diuers welles for the straungenesse of the waters and for the pleasauntnesse thereof were sacrificed vnto the gods as Cissusa a Well where the nources of Bacchus vsed to wash him and therfore consecrated vnto Bacchus so Melas vnto Pallas Aganippe vnto the Muses so foorth not molesting the reader further with natures of water but briefely I meane to touch the straunge nature of the earth Plini affirmeth that there was neuer man sicke in Locris nor in Croton neyther any earthquake euer hearde in Licia after an earthquake they had fourtie fayre dayes By Rome in the fieldes called Gabiensis a certaine plotte of ground almost two hundred akers would tremble and quake as men rode vpon him There are two hilles of straunge natures by the floudde called Indus the nature of the one is to drawe any yron vnto it insomuch as Plini saith that if nailes be in any shooes the ground of that place draweth the sole of There is a piece of grounde in the Citie Characena in the countrey of Taurica where if anye come wounded hée shall bée straight healed And if any enter vnto diuers places as in a place called Hirpinis where the temple of Mephis is builded or in Asia by Iheropolis they shall incontinently die Againe there are places by the vertue of grounde in that place that men may prophesie Diuers where we reade that one péece of grounde deuoured another as the hill Ciborus and the Citie harde by called Curites were choked vp of the earth Phaegium a great mountaine in Aethiopia and Sipilis a hie hill in Magnesia with the Cities named Tantalis and Galanis There is a great rocke by the Citie Harpasa in Asia which may be moued easie with one finger and yet if any man put all his strength therevnto it will not stirre To speake of mount Aetna in Sicilia of Lypara in Aeolia of Chimaera in Lycia of Vesbius and Aenocauma fiue fierie mountaines which daye and night bourne so terrible that the flame therof neuer reasteth If anye man will sée more of these merueylous and woonderous effectes of Elementes let him reade the seconde booke of Plini where he shall haue aboundance of the like examples There he shall sée that in some places it neuer rayned as in Paphos vpon the temple of Venus In Nea a towne in Phrigia vpon the Temple of Minerua and in diuers places else which is the nature of the grounde About Babilon a fielde burneth daye and night In Aethiopia certaine fieldes about mount Hesperius shine all night like stars as for earthquakes and woonders that thereby happened I will not speake for that it is forced of matter but of those strange groundes that neuer alter from such effectes afore mentioned beside the mettalles the stones the hearbes the trées and all other thinges are so miraculous and straunge that Plini in diuers places doth speake of And as for fire it is to great a woonder that the whole worlde is not burned thereby sith the Sunne the Starres the Elementarie fire excell all miracles in kéeping the same from damage and hurt vnto manne if God had not preuented yea appoynted that the heate of the Sunne should not kindle strawes stubbles trées and such like which the heate thereof as we dayly sée burneth stones leade and the moste hardest substaunce out sith speciallye that fire is in all places and is able to kindle all thinges insomuch that the water Thrasimenos burneth out in flames which is vnnaturall and straunge that fire kindleth in water And likewise in Egnatia a Cittie of Salentine there is a stone which if any woode touche it will kindle fire In the Well called Nympheus there is a stone likewise whence flames of fire from the stone it selfe burneth the water A greater woonder it is that the fire should be kindled by water and extinguished by winde Fire flashed about the heade of Seruius Tullius being then a boye in sléepe which did prognosticate that hée shoulde be a king of the Romanes Fire shined about the head of L. Marcius in Spaine when he encouraged his souldiours to reuenge manfullye the deathes of those noble and famous Romanes
named Sipians The meruellous effectes of fire are most woonderous and most straungest ¶ Of the worlde and of the soule of man with diuers and sundrie opinions of the Philosophers about the same AMongst diuers Philosophers and learned men grewe a great controuersie of the beginning of the worlde some of the best affirming that it had no beginning nor can haue ende as Aristotle and and Plato applying incorruption and perpetuall reuolution to the same Some with Epicurus thought the world shoulde be consumed Of this opinion was Empedocles and Heraclitus Some of the other side did iudge with Pithagoras that so much of the worlde shoulde be destroyed as was of his owne nature Thus helde they seuerall opinions concerning the making the beginning the ending and the numbers of the worlde Thales sayde there was but one worlde agréeing with Empedocles Democritus affirmeth infinite worldes and so iudged Metrodorus the Philosopher worldes to be innumerable What child is of this age but smileth at their folly reasoning largly one against another in applying the cause and the effect of thinges vnto their owne inuentions And as they haue iudged diuersly of the worlde concerning the frame and nature thereof so were they as farre from the true vnderstanding of the creation of man Some grosly thought that mankinde had no beginning Some iudged that it had a beginning by the superiour bodyes And for the antiquity of mankind some iudge Egypt to be the first people some Scythia some Thracia some this countrey and some that countrey with such phantasticall inuentions as may well appeare vnto the most ignoraunt an errour And alas howe simple are they in finding out the substaunce of the soule what it shoulde bée where it shoulde be and by what it shoulde bée some say that there is no soule but a naturall moouing as Crates the Theban some iudge the soule to bée nothing else but fire or heate betwéene the vndeuidible partes Others thought it an ayre receyued into the mouth tempered in the heart boyled in the lights and dispersed through the body Of this opinion was Anaxagoras and also Anaximenes Hippias iudged the soule of man to be water Thales and Heliodorus affirme it to be earth Empedocles is of opinion that it is hote blood about the heart so that they varye in sundry opinions attributing the cause thereof eyther to the fire or else vnto water eyther vnto the earth or vnto the ayre and some vnto the complexion of the foure Elementes others of earth and fire others of water and fire Some againe reason that the substaunce of the soule is of fire and of the ayre And thus of approued Philosophers they shewe themselues simple innocentes How ignoraunt were they in defining the soule of man so far disagréeing one with an other that Zenocrates thinketh againe the soule to be but a number that mooues it selfe which all the Egyptians sometime consented vnto Aristotle himselfe the Prince of all Philosophers and his maister Plato shewed in this their shifting reason which both agrée that the soule is a substaunce which mooueth it selfe Some so rude and so farre from perfection in this poynt that they thought the heart to bée the soule some the braine Howe ridiculous and foolishe séemeth their assertion vnto this age concerning the soule and as childishly they dispute reason againe about the placing of the same where and in what place of the bodie the soule resteth For Democritus iudgeth the heade to be his seat Parmenides in the breast Herophilus in the ventricles of the braine Strato doth thinke that the soule was in the space betwéene the eie browe yea some were so foolishe to iudge it to be the eare as Zerxes king of Persea did Epicurus in all the breast Diogines supposed it to be in a hollowe vaine of the heart Empedocles in the bloode Plato Aristotle and other that were of the best and truest philosophers iudged the soule to be indifferent in all partes of the bodye Some supposed of the wisest that euery péece and parcell of the bodie hadde his proper soule In this againe they were much in séeking a proper seate for the soule deceyued euen as before they erred shamefully and lied manifesty about the essence and substaunce of the soule so now were they most simplye beguiled in placing the soule as you haue hearde And now after I haue opened their seuerall opinions concerning what the soule is and where the soule is you shall here likewise heare whither the soule shall go after death according vnto the Philosophers which as diuersly vary and disagrée in this as you before hearde their diuersitie of opinions concerning the substance the place And first to begin with Democritê° who iudgeth y e soule to be mortall that it shall perish with the body to this agrée Epicurê° Plini Pythagoras iudged that the soule is immortall and when the body dieth it fléeth vnto his kinde Aristotle is in this that some partes of the soule which haue corporall seates must dye with the body but that the vnderstanding of the soule which is no instrument of the body is perpetuall The people called Drynda were of this iudgement that soules should not discende vnto Hell but shoulde passe vnto another worlde as the Philosophers called Essei which suppose that the soules of the dead do liue in great felicity beyonde the Ocean Seas The Egyptians auntient people iudged with Pythagoras that the soules of men shoulde passe from one place vnto another and then to enter vnto another man againe The Stoicks are of that opinion that the soule forsaketh the body in such sort that the soule which is diseased in this life and aduaunced by so vertuous death together with the body but they iudge it if it bée adurned with noble and heroicall vertues that it bée accompanied with euerlasting natures Diuers of the Pagans holde that the soule is immortal but yet they suppose that reasonable soules enter into vnreasonable bodyes as into Plantes or Trées for a certen space There were againe some friuolous Philosophers as Euripides and Archelaus which say that men first grew out of the earth in maner of Hearbes lyke vnto the fables of Poets which faine that men grew of the sowen téeth of Serpentes Some againe very childishly affirme that there bée nine degrées of punishment or rather nine Mansions in Hell appointed and prepared for the soule The first seate is appointed for young Infantes The seconde for idiotes and fooles I feare that place wyll bée well filled The thirde for them that kyll them selues The fourth for them that bée tormented with loue The fift for those that were founde gyltie before Iudges The sixt appointed for strong men and champions The seuenth is a place where the soules bee purged The eight seate is where the soules beyng purged do rest The ninth and last is the pleasaunt fielde Elisâ—us And to
benifite my countrie to pleasure my friendes and to shewe my selfe more willing than able in performing the same and though I in my rashenesse presume to write of the liues of Princes yet I trust in gathering the fragments broken sentences as a beginning vnto others that are better stored it vvill be of the vvise and learned considered though of others defamed and taunted For there is no booke sayth Plini so simple but it profiteth some body for in bookes sayde Chilo the Philosopher are the fame of vvorthie men eternized and the veritie of thinges etere vnknovvne wvritten vvhich tvvo thinges neyther time can consume nor fortune destroy and for this cause were the bones of Homer sought and contended for of seuen Cities in Greece to be buried and kept as a monument of so great a vvriter and for this vvas Euripides dying in Macedonia sent for by embassadors of Athens to bee hadde in memorie as a prayse vnto Athens by his buriall For the Greekes supposed the greatest honour of all to haue educated such men as vvere studious and carefull for their countrie For greater is the attempt of any simple booke writer to hazarde himselfe to present perill to encounter with diuers men with a pen in his hande then that that valiaunt Perithus with Cerberus or Theseus vvith Minotaurus yea or Hercules with Antheús iollie champions vvith swordes drawne for that they fought vvith one a peece and that before their faces the simple writer with thousandes and they behinde his backe slaunder him Architas the Philosopher whome the Tarentines made a general in their warres sixe seueral times he I saye vvas in no such daungers in his vvarres as hee was resisted for his rules and lawes in Tarentum Plato vvas not in such perill at the besieging of Tanagra and Corinth amongst all his enimies as he vvas enuied in Greece by Zenophon and Aristotle his ovvne schollers by his Philosophie Neyther vvas Socrates in such hazarde of life being in armes in Delphos as he vvas in Athens by vvriting of bookes put to death by the Greekes Zeno the poore Philosopher coulde resist the violence of the great king Antigonus Demosthenes could vvithstand the force of Philip and yet neyther of them coulde auoyde the snares of those that defamed their labour enuied their diligence in vvriting and making of bookes Simple men must not therefore be discomfited to vvrite bicause the vvise and learned vvere herein euill spoken For the Gimnosophistes in India the Prophetes in Egypt the Sages in Persea the Ephori in Lacedemonia the Chaldeans in Babilon and the Philosophers in Greece are novv more famous and renovvmed being deade then they being a liue vvere enuied and slaundered their vvritinges and bookes more read novve than alovved or knovvne then they rtrauell novve is commended though their liues then vvere despised And therefore I vvish all learned Claâ—kes vvere as vvilling to vvrite as the most part of ignoraunt are studious and carefull to finde faultes VVherfore crauing the good vvill of the learned reader as a bovvlster and defence to my simple trauell I ende vvishing that both the Printers faultes and mine might lesse mooue occasions of offence ¶ CHRISTOFORVS CARLILVS IN FLODVM GEstiunt Musae Charites triumphant Gestit insignis lituis Apollo Pallas ac Orpheus monumenta Flode Cernere tanta Ipse ne ditem videar beare Aureis nummis Calabrosue pomis Vel redundantem Bromeum racemis Dicere cesso Est opus dignum solido Cupresso Et Cedro suaui simul atque laude Maxima Flodi celebrate famam Anglica pubes Si legis librum furiosa philtra Non tâ—bi possunt nâ—camara Circes Vasa non atrox rabies Megerae Vlla nocere ED. GRANT IN LOD. FLO. QVae a tûere difuruis immersa tenebris aeduntur patrijs condecorata sonis Quae prius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuerint bene cognita paucis nunc venient cunctis percipienda viris Postera Floyde tuam nascentia secula laudem cantabunt praesens nomen in astra feret Quicquid est in mellis quicquid liberiste lepôris continet omne tuum laus tribuenda tibi Liuide mendaces compescito Zoile voces tela licet vibres non violabis opus Inclita mordaci non laedes facta libello florescit Floydus docta perora virum ¶ IN LIBRVMDE PRINCIPVM periginatione Iohannis Coci scholae Paulinae magistri hendecastichon cum versu quodum Homerico ad lectorem STato domi nullis terre iactatus in oris quem patrium subijt noscendi sola libido Sin mores hominum varios tibi nosse voluptas ingenijque vagas ediscere nobilis artes Non perigrinanti deerunt monimenta laboris que memtemque manumque parent ad talia promptas Quod liber hic regum referens quae facta priorum tuta domi cupido praestabit vota manendi Hinc licet ingenij praesignes discere cultus quos aditu regum prouisa pericula monstrent Nam liber hic peragrans tibi quae viscenda fuissent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ¶ IN LAVDEM LODOVICI FLODI Thomas Dranta Archdiachonis Leuuicensis PRincipibus placuisse viris non vltima laus est sic ais summis placuisti leuis horati Principibus placuisse viris si tam bona laus sit Principibus fuisse viris precepta quid hoc est Atque ipsos mutos ipsos formare loquentes consilium totis sanumque adscribere vitis Hoc tu Flode facis quedam tua dogmata vidi caetera cum visis si quadrant congrua membra â–ª Quod facile credo quid tmultis te tibi tollam es bonus ingenioque bis bonus argumento ¶ THOMAS CHVRCHYARD Gent. of Lodo. Fl. IF learning had no laude mans lyking vvoulde decaye avvay And fevv vvould vvrite or knovvledge seke if praise vvere pluckt The laborer hath his hier to quite his carefull paines The noble minde for vvorthie vvorkes a crovvne of glorie gaines The horse toyles all the daye at night some rest to finde The havvke in hope of vvished praye full hie doth beare the vvinde Than hee vvho made this booke of right must reape renoume Sith through the trumpet he hath blovvne a famous fact doth soune He shevves by learned lines our painefull pilgrimes state And hovve the Prince and people both driues out their dreery date A pilgrimage vve goe in pathes of perilles great And through the shades of suerties shoe vve passe to burning heate That all consumes by flame of deepe desire in brest VVhose kindled cooales like Aethna smokes in sulphur voyde of rest VVhose sparkes doe flee so farre they cannot quenched bee Except that vvisdome vvater cast vvhen fier most hote vve see VVhat humour leades me thus I meant to prayse this man As farre as penne and skill may stretch that first this vvorke began And though the svvelling svvannes that svvimes in povvting pride By skovvling brovves tels vvorld that they this vvorke cannot abide I carelesse stande of that and vvishe those birdes so vvell In greatest glorie
with infamie and moste true it was spoken vnto one of the thirtie tyrauntes which being in banquet with diuers nobles gentles when the house fell and slue them all yet he this tyraunt escaped braggyng much of his fortune that he so saued him selfe a simple man sayde vnto him Neuer boast of fortune at any tyme for that she spareth thée nowe she wyll the next time more sharply plague thée which so came to passe that his fleshe was made a foode vnto his horses and his bloodde drincke appointed for them that in sparyng his death then when the house fell hée was afterwarde requited as you hearde If fortune whose waueryng steppes are neuer certayne were as little trusted of the most part as shée is most deceitfull and false vnto all men then Cicero woulde not haue spoken that they that seke fortune are blinder then fortune shée neuer aduaunced any to dignitie but shée suppressed the same againe vnto misery as Tarquinius the prowde a King that fortune made famous diuers wayes of princely progenye of passing parsonage of incredible beautie and of all noble qualities to whome shée presented Lucrecia Collatinâ—s wyfe as the onelye snare to catche him and to take him by whome he was depriued from hys gouernement left his kingdome and banished out of Rome to raunge countries in miserie and payne after long felicitie and pleasure euen so Dionisius king of Siracusa after many princely pleasures renowned fame great glory yet in the ende banished his countrie and driuen to kéepe schoole in Italie In the lyke sort shée deceyued that noble and valiaunt Scipio Affricanus whose prowesse and magnanimitie augmented muche the fame of Romanes by conquering of Affrike and Carthage and notwithstanding driuen to exilement and miserye where he dyed after many triumphes and victories like a poore begger O vncertaine state and slippery whéelâ— of fortune And bicause fame followeth fortune and proceedeth from fortune as the smoke commeth from the fire for as fortune is variable so is fame diuers If we séeke histories we finde the fame of poore men for theyr pouertie aswell as the riche for all their riches poore Codrus and ragged Irus are as famous in respect béeing beggers with Poetes â–ª as Mydas or Cressus two famous and welthie Kinges of India are mencioned of Plutarch Doth not Aristophanes make as much meÌ„tion of Cleonimus the Coward as Homer doth make of Achylles the stoute Poliphemus and Enceladus two huge monstrous Giaunts are not so famous in Virgill for their bignesse as Conopas or Molon two little dwarfes of two foote length are renowmed in Plini for their smalnesse Iuuenall and Claudian report no lesse of the little Pigmeis than Ouid or Maro of the huge Ciclopes If fame procéede of poore men for pouertie of dwarfes for their smalenesse of cowardes for their cowardenesse as muche as it doeth flowe of riche men for their wealth of Giauntes for theyr bignesse and of stoute men for their courage What is it but a pilgrimage we liue and trauayle here for fortune and fame runne togither as diuers as they are vncertaine Plini that famous Histographer writeth of one named Messala which was so forgetfull and weake of memory that he forgat his owne name and yet as famous for his obliuiosnesse as Hortensius was renowmed for that he coulde pronounce out of hande with his tongue that which he wrote with his penne Seneca the philosopher commendeth one called Caluisius that hée likewise was so obliuious that he could not often name those daylye friendes that hée vsed companye withall What greater fame coulde Cyneas haue for all his memorie when hee was sent from King Pirrhus as Embassadour vnto Rome where the seconde day in the Senate house before all the people of Rome he named all the Senatours by name What greater renowme coulde King Cirus haue for his noble memory for naming euery souldier of his by name beyng in y e Campe What fame hath King Mithradates for his diuers and sundry languages whiche without an interpretour coulde speake vnto .xxij. nations being his souldiers but onely that they are recorded in bookes where likewise Caluisius Messala and suche obliuious men that forget their owne names are put in writing Doth not Homer the Trunpettour of fame write of Melitides an Idiote that woulde after the destruction of Troy and after King Priamus all his were slaine yet he then would come to succour y e Troyans Homer I say doth not forget Melitides no more then he doth Agamemnon What shoulde I speake of siely and simple Herostratis whiche for burnyng of the Temple of Diana is euerlastingly remembred and myllyons more of the lyke whiche are mentioned of auncient writers What is fame then but a memorie of thinges past ¶ Of magnanimitie of Princes and fortitude of minde vvhere and vvhen it vvas most esteemd EUen as Iustice without temperaunce is often counted iniurie so magnanimitie without respect vnto prudence is tirannye This vertue procéedeth from a valiaunt and a sober minde ioyning both the body and minde togither that wisedome and pollicye of the one the strength and courage of the other bée alwayes redye to defende the cause of his countrey the quarell of his Prince and societie of fréendship vnto this therefore vnto his Prince countrey and fréendes any good man is borne preferryng common commodities before priuate wealthe Hercules being yet a young man musing muche what he myght best do thus studiyng and pondering to what he shoulde applye his noble minde appeared vnto hym two taule goodly women the one as Zenophon doth describe very gorgeous and braue ringes of golde on her fingers a chaine of golde about her necke her heares set and frisled with Pearles and Diamondes hangyng at her eares the other in sober and comely apparell of modest behauiour of shamefaste countenaunce stoode before him The first saide Hercules if thou wilt serue me thou shalt haue golde and siluer enough thou shalt féede daintily thou shalt liue princely thou shalt enioye pleasures possesse mirth In fine thou shalt haue all things at thy wyll to liue with ease and rest The other sayde with comely countenaunce if thou wilt serue me Hercules thou shalt be a victor of conquerers thou shalt subdue kingdomes and ouerthrowe kinges thou shalt be aduaunâ—ed vnto fame renowmed in all the worlde and shalt deserue praise of men and women Whiche when Hercules sawe and hearde the offers of these two launcing Ladyes vnderstandyng the idle seruice of the firste and the exercise of the seconde tooke her as his maistrisse to whome hée wyllyng became her man Whereby according vnto promise made enioyed fully the fame and praise by due desertes That magnanimitie had Hercules that ouercame Lions Dragons Beares and such monstrous huge wilde beastes that dyd destroy kingdomes and countreys That fortitude of minde had Hercules that conquered Giauntes and subdued Tyraunts enlarged liberties set frée captiues and prisoners and
liued a hundred and odde yeares Metellus of lyke age called to the like function and administration of common welth being an olde man What should I speake of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of diuers other noble Romanes whose age and time was the onlye occasion of their aduauncement vnto honour dignity What shoulde I resite Arganthonius who was thrée score yeres before he came vnto his kingdome and after ruled his countrey fourescore yeares vnto his great fame and great commendations of age To what ende shall I repeate Pollio who liued in great credite with the people vnto his last yeres a man of worthy prayse of renowmed fame which liued a hundred and thirtie yeres in great aucthoritie and dignitie To speake of Epimenides whome Theopompus affirmeth that hée liued a hundred and almost théescore yeres in great rule and estimation small it were to the purpose to make mention againe of Dandon amongst the Illirians which Valerius writeth that he was fiue hundred yeres before he died and yet of great memorie and noble fame Nestor which liued thrée hundred yeres of whom Homer doth make muche mention that of his mouth proceeded foorth sentences swéeter than honey in hys latter dayes yea almost his strength corespondent vnto the same That renowmed Prince Agamemnon Generall of all Gréece wished no more in Phrigia but fiue such as Nestor was which with their wittes and with their courage hée doubted not but in short time he were able to subdue Troye Swéete are the sayinges of olde men perfite are their councelles sounde and sure their gouernaunce Howe frayle and weake is youth How many Cities are perished by young councell Howe much hurt from time to time haue young men deuised practised and brought to passe And againe of age how full of experience knowledge prouision painful studious vnto the graue as we reade of Plato that noble Philosopher which was busie and careful for his countrey writing and making bookes the verye yere that hée died being fourescore and two Of Isocrates which likewise being fourescore and fourtéene compiled a booke called Panathenaicus of Gorgias which made the lyke studious carefull to profite his countrie I saye a hundred and seuen yeres was altogither adicted to his bookes to his studie So of Zeno Pithagoras and Democritus might be spoken men of no lesse wit trauaile and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero sayth the gouernement and rule of common wealthes consisteth not in strength of bodye but in the vertue of the minde wayghtie and graue matters are not gouerned with lightnesse of the bodie with swiftnesse of the foote with externall qualities but with authoritie councell and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other grauitie and prudence As Themistocles Aristides who though not friendes then at Athens both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profite their countrie which youth coulde neuer haue done That sage Solon was woont often to bragge howe that he daylye by reading learning and experience waxed olde Apelles that approued painter and renowmed Gréeke in his age and last time woulde haue no man to passe the daye ydle without learning of one line Socrates being an olde mar became a scholler to learne musicke and to playe vpon instrumentes Cicero being olde himselfe became a perfite Gréeke with studie Cato being aged in his last yeres went to schoole to Enneus to learne the Gréeke Terentins Varro was almost fourtie yere olde before he tooke a Gréeke booke in hande and yet prooued excellent in the Gréeke tongue Clitomachus went from Caâ—thage vnto Athens after fourtie yeres of age to heare Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write méeting Marcus the olde Emperour with a booke vnder his arme going to schoole demaunded of the Emperour whether he went lyke a boye with his booke in his hande the aged Emperour aunswered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learne those thinges I knowe not O God sayde Lucius thou being an olde man goest to schoole now like a boye and Alexander the great died in thirtie yeres of age Alphonsus King of Cicilia was not ashamed at fiftie yeres olde to learne and to trauayle for his knowledge and least hée shoulde lose the vse of the latten tongue hée occupied him selfe in translating Titus Liuius vnto hys vulgar tongue though he was a King I doe not holde with age in diuers men which for want of discretion and witte waxe childishe againe but of perfite men in whome age séemed rather a warraunt of their doinges For euen as he that playeth much vpon instrumentes is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially So as all men that liue long are not to be praysed as much as he that liued well For as apples béeing gréene are yet sowre vntill by time they waxe swéete so young men without warraunt of time and experience of thinges are to be misliked If faultes be in olde men sayth Cicero as manye there bée it is not in age but in the life and maners of men Some thinke age miserable bicause eyther the bodie is depriued from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecilitie or weakenesse or that it is not farre from death or quite called from due administration of common wealthes these foure causes sayth Cicero make age séeme miserable and lothsome What shall wée saye then of those that in their olde age haue defended their countries saued their Cities guided their people and valiauntly triumphed ouer their enimies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of woonderfull credite in their olde yeres What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Coruncanus aged men of great agilitie of famous memorie in their last dayes Howe might Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both olde and blinde resisted the Senatours to compounde with king Pirrhus for peace though they and all the Consulles of Rome herevnto were much enclined If I shoulde passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed vnto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogither bare swaye and rule if from thence vnto the Aethiopians and indians where all their lines are ruled and gouerned by olde men if from thence vnto any part of the worlde I shoulde trauile I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estimation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians doe liue most commonly a hundred and thirtie yeres The people called Epeij doe liue in the countrey of Aetolia two hundred yeres naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that countrey liued thrée hundred yeares The kinges of Arcadia were woont to liue thrée hundred yeres The people of Hyperborij lyued a thousande yeres We reade in the olde
eyes was deceiued Iuno therby was so furious and so angrie with Argos that she translated his hundred eyes vnto a Pecockes taile and transformed Iola vnto a white Cowe There is no suche rage nor anger in Ielowsie as there is wilines and craft in loue so that the streight pinning and kepyng of Danaes kyng Acrisius doughter in Towres and Castels cold neuer kepe hir from valiant Perseus neither the hundred eies of Argos might spie the craft of Iupiter vnto Iola We reade of a womanne named Procris who was in suche Ielowsie of her housbande whiche was called Cephalus and hauyng hym in suspition for his often goyng a huntyng on a certaine tyme she folowed hym priuely vnto the woddes thinkyng there to finde hir housbande at his praie and hiding hir self in a thicke bush to see the ende of thinges hir housband passyng by the bush perceiuyng somthyng there to stéer thinkyng it had been some wilde beast thrust his wife vnto the hart with his darte and thus Procris was slain of hir owne housbande for hir importunate Ielowsie The like happened vnto Aemilius wife whiche for hir suspicious minde and ragyng ielowsie neuer quiet but busie alwaies to finde some faulte in hir housband folowyng hym euery where and watchyng still in euerie secrette seate and spiyng in priuie places thinking to finde him with the maner vntil she spead of the like chaunce as Procris did she could neuer rest Cyampus wife named Leuconoa was deuoured of dogges in stead of a wilde beast hidyng them self in the woddes to folowe marke hir housbandes viage Ielowsie this moued hir that she could no otherwise A straunge kind of sicknes that so infecteth the mind that vexeth the spirites and molesteth the hearte that the head is ful of inuention the minde full of thought and the hearte full of reuengement So Ielows was Phanius that inuented this in his head and thought this in his minde that the doores beyng shut the windowes cloase all priuie and secret places preuented euery where as he thought stopte his wife could not deceiue hym neuer thought that loue could pearce Tile stones to come vnto his wife but he was deceiued for the lurkyng dennes of loue the Lion caues of fancies the secrete searche of affection haue more priuie pathes wherby that Cupide maie come to his mother Venus then Labiranthus had chambers for Minotaurus kyng Acrisius thoughte he was so sure of his doughter Danaes when that she was close bulwarkt with a greate castell Iuno thought to preuent Iupiter by the hundred eies of Argos Phanius thought that his wife was sure when the doores were shut and the windowes cloase But sith the ielowsie of Iuno might not preuent it nether the eies of Argos spie it neither the streight pinning of Danaes auoid it neither the narow stopping of Phanius defende it I must nedes commende one called Cippius that woulde oftentymes take vppon hym to sleape when he did wake and he would bee ignoraunt though he knewe it I wishe wise men to sleape with Cippus and to saie with Cicero Non omnibus dormio I sleape not vnto all menne and to be ignoraunt though they know thinges And likewise I wish wise women to imitat Aemilia y e wife of noble Scipio who although she knewe thinges euident by hir housbande Scipio made asmuche of his Paramour as she made of hir housband and al for Scipios sake For thei saie ielowsie proceadeth from loue and loue from God but I saie it commeth from hatered and hatered commeth from the Deuill And because we reade in the sacred scripture that Abraham was in ielowsie of his wife Sara saiyng thus vnto his wife I know that thou art faire and that they will kill mée to haue thy loue the maners of the Parthiās were to kepe their wiues in pruie places of their houses ouer whom thei were so ielouse that their wiues might not go abroad but with couered faces The Perseans were so suspicious of their wiues that thei had no libertie to go in sight thei durst not go a foote but in Wagons couered ouer lest thei should see or be seen The Thracians with suche care and studie keepe their wiues that as Herodotus affirmeth thei trust no manne with them in companie but their parentes The olde and auncient Romaines in tymes past kept their wiues so streight that their wiues as Valerius Maximus saieth did after kill poison or with some snare or other destroie their housbandes diuers tymes and by a yong manne of the Citie of Rome all thinges beyng discloased there was a hundred three score and tenne that so killed and destroied their housbandes for that their housbandes were so ielous ouer theim but bicause it is a common disesse in all places I néede not further to write wishyng my frende neuer to be encombred therwith but rather with silence to passe it with Cippius and so he shal finde ease thereby ¶ Of Idlenesse AS nothyng can be more difficult vnto a willing minde so is any thyng a burthē vnto the Idle member For as labour and exercise of bodie in one manne industrie and diligence of minde in an other man are sure fortes and stronge Bulwarckes of Countreis so Idlenesse and negligence the cause of all euill Wee reade that Alexander the Greate least he should be acquainted with Idlenes at any tyme euen in the night tyme vsed this feate to holde a siluer balle when he went vnto bedde in his hande hauyng a siluer basen vpon the grounde straight vnder his stretched arme that when the batle should fall he beyng fast a slepe the shrill sounde therof should wake hym and make hym mindfull of his enemies so fearfull was this noble prince of Idlenesse that to shake of sleepe and slothfulnesse he studied and trauailed how he might auoide it For in twoo thinges Alexander the Greate beyng called the sonne of Iupiter and fully perswaded with hym self that he was of linage of the Gods yet in slepe and venerie where to he was muche subiecte he knewe hym self to be a man wherefore he oftentymes wrasteled with Nature in that behalfe In the self same place of Marcellinus it is reade that Iulius Caesar the greate and moste renowmed Emperoure that euer raigned in Rome to haue followed this order and to haue practized this policie least he should bee idle at any tyme Firste when this Emperour went to bedde he to suffice nature slepte a certaine tyme appoincted Secondarely hee woulde bee occupied in the affaires of his countrey Thirdly to trauaile in his priuate studie Thus leste he shoulde be idle naie rather leste he should lose any tyme he deuided euery nighte in thrée partes euen as you heard firste vnto nature secondly to his countrey thirdly about his owne busines That mightie prince Philip of Macedon as wée reade in Brusonius was of suche care and diligēce when his souldiors slept he alwaies watched Againe he neuer slept before his frende