house I higher stept to highest place of state For Pryamus the king of Troy did take me for his mate Who was the stately Emperour of Asia and there Amongst the hautie Phrygians the diademe did weare Then Queene was I of flaunting Troy The Troyans all reioyce That Priamus their Lord and king had made of me his choice There many noble sonnes had I the world doeth witnes beare No Nation vnder heauen that day with me durst once compare In valure with so many sonnes by one brought foorth to sight Each people on the earth as yet will yeeld to them their right That for so many bretheren as I brought foorth poore Queene I say againe that neuer since by any hath beene seene And that I meane to prophesie wherefore I dare be bold To say the like will neuer be while heauen and earth dooth hold But for because I would not wish thou shouldst my name mistake Whom Greekes and Romanes long agoe in dolefull verse did make The world to know and now my selfe shall verefie the same Who called me olde Hecuba so truely was my name A wretched wight too olde indeede for that I liude so long To scape the fire that burned Troy to suffer further wrong O would to God I then had died when Pryamus my mate By Pyrrhus sword receiude the wound but now I wish too late Fell destinie denide me that and sparde me for the nonce To plague me with a thousand woes ten thousand all at once But first to tell my fatall hap and orderly proceede To shew howe that the angry gods against me had decreede And vowed I thinke by one consent to worke me double woe Or else I neuer so had died to please my spitefull foe As after thou shalt knowe but first I wish to ease my minde In shewing how that destinie and haplesse fate assignde To me poore wretch such mischiefe vile as none did euer taste Before nor since though long agoe my miseries were past For first within my body I to my great paine did beare And nourish vp the fruit which was the cause of all my care With childe I was but then vnknowne what fruit I foorth should bring To ioy my selfe or else to please olde Pryam Troyan king My louing mate who vsde me well wherefore I wisht to please His quiet minde by my good will that we might liue at ease But see how froward fortune frownd a dreame did me molest And fearefull fright did trouble me when I was layd to rest Me thought I was deliuered of such a fearefull sight For all was fire which I brought forth and flamde as fire bright With furie great the fire waxt with flames the aire did streame Thus doubtfull dumpe by fright did pierse my breast in dreadfull dreame When that I wakde I tolde the king how Morpheus had delt With me in sleepe and further how what agonie I felt Who presently to oracle would haue no nay but sent To know what by this fierie flame and dreadfull dreame was ment The dreame resolude the Oracle for answere did returne That I a sonne should beare and he should cause strong Troy to burne With fire bright and for his cause olde Pryamus his sire And I his mother should behold our towne to burne with fire And all our people slaine downe right in fighting for his sake A mightie foe for his abuse should sharpe reuengement take Which to preuent the father sought to slay his harmelesse boy For that he thought some mischiefe might by his meanes hap to Troy And for because the Oracle on him vnborne did giue Such sentence which did fright his sire wherefore he might not liue That when his sonne was borne foorthwith the father did betake The childe vnto a trusty friend that he away might make The boy which well I loude but yet such pity did remaine Within my breast that I reserude my sonne which should be slaine And closly spake vnto the man that he my childe shoulde spare And tell the king at his returne that cruell beasts did teare The tender limmes of his yong sonn wherefore he now was free From such suspect as erst before the Oracle did see The aged King was then content and thought all things were well He feared not the prophesie which these things first did tell Thus did I breede and foster vp euen him that did destroy Both parents friends and countrey kinde and sought our great annoy The lad did liue with heard in field and shortly vp was growen So that he for King Pryams sonne by secret signes was knowen Then was the youth callde home againe and Pryam was content To take him for his sonne and did his former acte repent But when sir Paris came to Court for so we callde his name The doting boy began to loue and follow Venus game Enquiring oft when fame would bring newes of a peerelesse peece And passing dame which that ere long had tidings thus from Greece That there the flower of all the world six Menelaus helde The like to her on all the earth no Nation then could yelde For whom vnknowne my sonne did dote in such exceeding sort That he to Greece by sea would passe to see if that report Had blazde a truth but first before to Grecian soile he went He craude of me and Priamus to yeelde him our consent Then shippes were built on seas to saile king Pryam willd it so And mates for him were picked out and hence to Greece they go At Lacedemon he at length a place of Greece so calld Ariude and in their safest rodes his wearie shippes in halld By Menelaus his consent who foorthwith did inuite The Troyans all vnto his court suspecting no such spite As after did betide for that sir Paris did conuay Faire Helen thence his louing wife and so without delay Did hoase vp saile and speedie windes did send him soone to Troy Where many of his friends did wait to welcome his newe ioy But Helen thus conuaide from Greece the angry Greekes waxe mad To see how Paris plaid his prankes when Menelaus had Receiued his guest in frankest sort and did him friendly vse Whose courtesie to recompence the letcher did abuse His honest host by spitefull rape in stealing of his wife Which hatefull cause did soone procure sharpe warre and deadly strife Yet first the Greekes I must confesse like honest minded men Did send to Troy to haue againe faire Helena which then Was brought to Troy and their demaund to end the bloody iaerre Which likely were to followe fast and turne to deadly warre But Priam he with his fierce sonnes their lawfull sute denide For which the Greekes to take reuenge to Pryams Kingdomes hied From Greece they saile to Phrygia land which haughty Pryam held And there arriude in dreadfull sort well armed with speare and sheld The warre began great slaughter was for mightie Mars did raigne Full fierce they fought for ten yeares space yet neither party gaine Such losse
virrute propria ascenderunt non inferiorem laudem merentur quà m qui nobilitate maiorum superbise iactant Maior enim est gloria virtutibus proprijs niti quà m alienis intumescere They which are borne but of meane and base Parents and rise to high honour by their owne proper vertues deserue or merite no lesse praise when they which brag and boast of their right noble Progenitors Therefore far better is that baunt to sticke and cleaue fast to their own proper vertues than ouermuch to swell with the pride of another mās glorie But Iuuenalis reporteth of this mans father otherwise saying Plebeius ab officina gladiorum fuit He was free of the Cutlers and liued by that trade Which also was farre from the credite and calling of his sonne Demosthenes Fa. It is very true indeede such vaunting vanitie remayneth in many but it is very hard to finde such a one as is risen to great honour and dignitie in his Countrey being descended from meane and base parentage to vaunt and brag in causes of controuersie of his poore Progenitors much lesse ought he who is descended and sprong from the stocke of generositie being poore or in base estate ouer proudly to vaunt thereof for that either his fall was by the vicious vice of his predecessors wherof he ought rather to blush than brag Or els it proceedeth of his owne lasciuious or licencious vanitie whereof he ought greatly to be ashamed Well let this suffice that vertue maketh a Gentleman and the want thereof causeth the stock and graffe to wither and fall downe And whereas we haue alredy sufficiently touched the misdemeanors and bad behauiours of noble Peeres and high estates and what they gain by such disordered gouernment now againe we will shew and make manifest how much good gouernment is commended what praise it deserueth and what perpetuall memorie it registreth to the eye of immortall fame and also how farre clemencie courtesie humilitie and mercie in Princes and high estates auayleth and is of force where neither cruelty tyrannie or other rigorous dealing can preuaile First concerning modestie and the fruites thereof Demetrius the sonne of Philip king of Macedon being sent by his father to Rome to answere the greeuous cōplaint of the Grecians who made a great hainous complaint against him to the Romans for certain abuses which he had offered them in Greece when this Demetrius was in the Senate of Rome hearing his father greeuously complayned on would forthwith haue executed the office for which cause he came wherefore he stoode vp and began to answere to the accusations which they so vrgently obiected against his father But the Ambassadors of Greece so vehemently interrupted and interturbed his speach with vnpleasant babbling and rayling insomuch that the young Gentleman could not be heard by reason of their great importunacie for which cause the yong Demetrius being greatly abashed with blushing chéekes in most modest manner sate him down being greatly ashamed at their outragious railing pleaded his cause with silence because he would not be troublesome to the graue Senators he gaue the Ambassadors his aduersaries leaue to scolde and rayle their fill Which when the graue Bench of the Senators perceiued they also commaunded the antragious Grecians to silence and dismissed them the Senate suffering them to returne home to Grece without reformation of their wrongs pardoning the offence of the yong mans Father sending letters into Macedon to this effect Philip King of Macedon we the Senatours of Rome pardon thine offence remit the trespasses of thee done against the Cities of Grece not for thy sake Philip but for the modest behauiour of Demetrius thy Sonne shewed heere in the Senate of Rome before vs to the great wealth and good of thy Countrey and to his perpetuall remembrance What praise and commendation also did yong P. Cornelius Seipio otherwise called Scipio Africanus purchase by his singular clemencie notable curtesie and bountifull liberalitie for at such time as he had taken the Citie of newe Carthage in Spaine with a number of prisoners captiues and also great quantitie of riches and iewells there at that time also was taken among the rest a virgine of rare singular beautie who with diuers other were brought before Scipio after whom the people wonderfully thronged and thrusted delighting to sée her for the rarenesse of her beautie But the noble Scipio enquiring of her of what Countrey she was and of what kindred she was descended and perceiuing by her that shee was betroathed or made sure to a yong Prince of the Celtiberians whose name was Luceius Whereupon when he had committed the other Matrones and Maides to right worthie honest persons to the intent their chastitie might be both honestly and carefully preserued he presently sent for the said yong man and also for her parents At whose comming knowing that the yong Prince was sore enamored of her he thus said to him Sir I being a yong man haue sent for you that are also a yong man to come to me the cause is for that when this yong maide being fianced or ensured to you was brought to me by my souldiers I heard say that you entirely loued her as her beautie witnesseth you had good cause so to doe If I might lawfully enioy her pleasant loue were not otherwise occupied in my minde about the affaires of the Common wealth I could perchaunce beare her my loue and desire to enioy the same But now I will beare fauour to your loue that of right ought to haue her She hath been here with me as well and honourably kept and her virginitie as carefully preserued as though she had dwelled still with her owne parents To this intent I might make of her a present to you most acceptable and also for the preseruation of mine honour And for this my gift I require of you but onely this one reward that is that you from hencefoorth become a louing true and faithful friend to the Romanes and if you esteeme me to be a good and honourable man as my father and vncle before me were reputed to be then thinke that there are in the noble Citie of Rome many like vnto vs and trust me neuer if any people this day can be found on the earth that you will be more glad to haue the loue and friendship of or that you would be more sory to haue the displeasure of The young man after great thankes geuen to him prayed the Gods to reward him for all his goodnes where his power sufficed not Then were the parents of the mayd called foorth who had brought with them a great summe of golde for the raunsome of their childe But when they perceiued that the noble Scipio had geuen her fréely to her husband then they desired him to take and accept a parte thereof as of their gift for the better declaration of their good hearts towards him affirming that his receiuing therof should
of the Roman empire without cause at that time offered by the Romanes the Romanes then seeing their Empire in danger their whole state in perill their wiues and children likely to be spoyled the Citie defaced and their countrey vtterly to be ruinated and destroyed they then with manly courage and specially by the good help of the wise and valiant Scipio repelled them Italie draue them home into Affrike in the end to the very walles of their chiefest refuge which was to the stately towne and citie of Carthage there in the last battaile they were ouercome by the Romanes and forced to sue for fauour at the handes of them whom before they had inuaded The noble Scipio considering that in that battaile did consist and depend the victorie and whole ouerthrowe of one of those who stately Empires of Rome and Carthage And thus in this battaile they on both sides were stirred and pricked forward in hope of possessing each others Empire had no other meanes to animate and encourage his souldiers than by repeating and reiterating vnto them the perill of their owne estate and with what cruell and bloudy mindes the greedy Carthagiginians had inuaded them before Promising them futher to the intent to pricke their mindes forward more willingly to fight that if at that time and in that fight they did get the victory theÌ„ they should returne home to their owne countrey carying with them libertie for euer and neuer againe to feare such cruel inuasion as before they had tasted of For saith he Adesse finem belli in manibus esse predam Carthagenis si forte pugnauerint c. The war is euen now at an end the pray and spoyle of the Carthaginians were already in their hands and leaue should be giuen them after this victorie to returne home to their couÌ„trey parents wiues and children and to their houshold Gods So by the encouragement of the worthy Scipio they obteined a most triumphant victorie returning to Rome hauing coÌ„quered the causers of that bloudy war which they could neuer haue done if the Carthaginians first had not made them desperate by inuading their Region Also in the great warres sharp fight betwixt the Medians and the Persians in the time of Cirus and Astiages there hapned a notable thing which in this cause doeth merite remembrance For when the Persians vnder the conduct of king Cyrus were driuen backe and forced by Astiages and the Medes to retire being most eagerly chased by the fierce inuading foe with cruell force and bloudy minds vntill the Persian women rebuked the cowardlines of their flying men in this sort Nam matres vxores eorum obuiam occurrunt orant in prelium reuertantur cunctantibus sublata veste obscoena corporis ostendunt rogantes num in vteros matrum vel vxorum velint refugere The men by this sharpe reprehension of the women went backe againe into the battaile and put vnto shamefull flight those who before had caused them to retire For then they bethought themselues whether they should flie if they lost their owne kingdome thinking it very harde to liue and inhabite vnder the rule and dominions of other when as they could not enioy and quietly possesse their owne patrimony and also when they looked backe toward their women who came vpon them in such vndecent sort as hath before beene shewed they were greatly ashamed considering their own cowardlines who were faine to be stirred vp and put in minde by their valiant women to defend their countrey and familie Therefore the arte of warre is to be exercised and the feates and actes of chiualry highly to be commended not so much for the inuading of others as for the defending of their owne and beating down of the prowde vaunting foe This was an auncient order custome amongst the Romans to set open the Temple gates of Ianus in the time of warre and in peace to close them vp again for when they had thorowly seene the mutabilitie and vncertaintie of frowning battaile and the casualties of cruell warre being ouerwearied and tired with the calamities and miseries thereof at last they erected and buylded a temple in their city placing therein the image and picture of Ianus which was pictured with a bifronce or double forhead looking plainely and sensibly both wayes the temple dores and gates beeing closely bolted locked and shut vp in time of peace tranquilitie and in the time of warre either forrein or ciuill they commaunded to vnlocke and set ope the gates of the same temple to this end purpose that the people of the Citie might thoroughly behold the double face and backward looke of Ianus which signified and represented to the beholder a foresight of future thinges finally to happen aswell as for the prouision of the present state Thus it was continually vsed in peace to be shut and in warres to bée open wherby both the Senators Centurions Captaines and other Officers and Gouernors of the people were put in minde in the time of warre to haue a prouident foresight circumspect care what might happen thereby therein or thereafter as well as what séemed to stand good by their present knowledge Which prudent policie caused the wise Romanes to preuent diuers inconueniences for it is not good ouer blindly to goe forward in such causes trusting to their own force nor to fickle fortune who commonly deceiueth those that trust her It fortuned vpon a time that Dionysius the second and Philip the sonne of Amintas met together and falling into communication of manie matters as the vse and custome is in conference circular talke they harped both vpon this string Philip asked this question of Dionysius Quando cum tantum regnum accepisset à parente non id defendisset conseruasset How it chanced that he hauing receiued so ample a patrimonie of his Father did not defend and maintaine the same Whereunto he made this answere Non mirum quoniam omnia relinquens fortunam solùm qua ea parauerat tutus fuerat pater non mihi tradidit No maruell saith he for my father leauing all things to me in abundance did not deliuer to me withal his flourishing fortune whereby he obtained and maintained the same But truely where fortune most commonly is present and waighteth at will and pleasure there is wanting a satisfied mind which was verefied by the Legates of Carthage For when the Romanes had vtterly ouerthrown and subdued them they were forced to sue to the Senate of Rome for peace in which ambassade their was a graue Father of Carthage who boldly stood foorth in the â—â— the Romanes as thy first motion was rather than to mooue warre which dooth so happely fall out to the great honor of the Carthaginians no Hanno now I warrant thée we shall heare a Senator of Rome speake héere in the Senate house of Carthage most humbly crauing peace at our hands for their distressed Countrey and Commonwealth or
help whē he néeded desiring to vse him as one in whō he might repose his trust Now was Alexāder glad that of his own accord he would return and because he would better let him vnderstande some signe of good wil harty loue he accōpanied him into Thessaly but after they were arriued in the Citie of Larissa they a fresh began to practise new treason one against another and first Alexander to put Demetrius quite out of suspition either without armour or weapon or anie guard to attend on his person would oft visite him hoping thereby to make him doo the like but he was in his so thinking greatly deceiued for as Alexander one night came to supper to Demetrius without guard according to his accustomed wont and that they wer in the chiefe of their supper Demetrius sodainly arose from the table wherat Alexander was sore abashed insomuch that hee arose also followed him to the hall doore but so soone as Demetrius was without he gaue signe and token to his souldiors who incontinently fell vppon Alexander and slew him and certaine of his men which would haue defended him among whom a certain fellowe before he was killed said Demetrius hath preuented vs but a day onely Now was Demetrius King of Macedon and the Macedonians right glad of their change but not long after this Demetrius was taken prisoner by Seleuchus in battaile committed to prison where he continued vntill he died Then was the great fight betwixt Seleucus and Lysimachus which was the verie last battaile that was fought betwixt the successors of Alexander in which conflict Lysimachus was slaine Seleucus victor But Seleucus inioyed his victorie not long for he was shortly after slaine by Ptolome whose sister Lysimachus had married Also Olympias mother to Alexander the Great when she had slaine King Philip and his wife Euridice then to despite Cassander she put to death an 100. noble men of Macedon at one time also she made Nicanor brother to Cassander to be slaine and defaced the tombe and monument of Iole his other Brother to reuenge the death of Alexander her sonne as she said because it was suspected that he had poysoned him in giuing him drinke About the same time when Ptolome Lord of the Isle of Cypres vnderstood that Nicocles King of Paphos had secretly allied with Antigone hee sent two of his chiefe friends to wit Argey and Calicrate into Cypres charging them to kill the said Nicocles fearing that if he should leaue him vnpunished the rest would not sticke to doo the like When these messengers were arriued in Cypres hauing with them the souldiors of Ptolome they incompassed the house of Nicocles signifying to him their charge from Ptolome therefore they exhorted him to kill himselfe who from the beginning vsed manie words in the excusing of the fact but when hee did sée there was no account made of his tale hee at the last slewe himselfe and after that Axithia his wife vnderstood of his death she first slew two yong maides her daughters whom she had by him to the end they shuld not come into the hands of her husbands enemies and after exhorted Nicocles brothers wiues willingly to die with her which indéed they did In this sort also was the pallaice royall of Paphos ful of murders and wilfull slaughters and after in manner of a tragedie burnt for immediately after the brothers wiues of Nicocles were dead they shut vp the dores of the houses and set them on fire and foorthwith they that then liued in the pallaice killed themselues and so finished that lamētable murder In the same season while these things were done in Cypres great controuersie arose in the Countrey of Pontus after the death of Parisade sometime King of Bosphorus betwixt Satyre Eumele and Pritame Parisade his sonnes for the succession of the said Realme insomuch that the brothers made sharpe warre one against the other So it fortuned that Satyre and Pritame were both slaine in that warre wherefore the other Brother Eumele to assure himselfe of the Realme caused all the wiues children and friends of Pritame and Satyre his brethren to be slaine not long after was himselfe cruelly slaine by misfortune Now to returne to Alexander the Great and his line it was reported and partly beléeued that he himselfe consented with Olympias his mother to the death and murder of Philip his father for which gréeuous offence he himselfe with his whole line and stocke was punished accordingly For first it is to be considered that olde Antipater who in Alexanders life was his Lieutenant and after his death first had the Satrape of Macedon bestowed on him by Perdicas the Gouernour Which Antipater and Olympias could neuer agrée but still were at contention and strife both in the life time of her sonne Alexander and also after his death insomuch that when Alexander was comming from the conquest of the world making his abode in Babylon for a time and after minding to returne home into Macedon to visit his mother Olympias Antipater being then Lieutenant of Macedon considered with himselfe that if in case Alexander shuld return home that then his mother Olympias would make gréeuous complaints against him which thing he so much feared that he caused poyson to be giuen to Alexander at Babylon whereof hee presently died Thus when Alexander was dead and olde Antipater deceased there grew a new grudge and quarrell betwixt Olympias and Cassander sonne to Antipater insomuch that he tooke Olympias prisoner and in the end caused her to be slaine Aslo hee slewe Alexander sonne of Alexander the Great and Roxana his mother afterward he put to death Hercules the other sonne of Alexander with Arsinne his mother yet notwithstanding Cassander espoused Thessalonica one of the Sisters of Alexander the great who after the death of Cassander was also slaine by her own sonne Antipater Cleopatra also the other Sister of Alexander was also slaine by the commaundement of Antigonus After this sort was the whole line of Alexander for all his mightie conquests gained with lamentable slaughters and wonderfull effusion of bloud vtterly extinguished by Antipater and his Successours Also what gained his Successors by the large Kingdomes and possessions hee left For they were al by enuie depriued both of life and lands in miserable sort Insomuch that their remained not one that could iustly vaunt and brag of his happie successe but had rather good cause to mourne bewaile the cruel murders manifold slaughters and wastfull ruines both of themselues their wiues children and friends hauing also right good cause to wish that Alexander had neuer béen borne or els that he had neuer conquered so great a part of the world to leaue the possession therof to them wherby they were all driuen to vntimely death with the murder of infinite thousands of their people so that the whole whole world did lament and grieue at their
the wilely Greekes doo lurke Also faire Helena her selfe who was the originall cause of that bloudie warre greatly suspected that a troupe of Greekes were secretly inclosed in that hollowe frame insomuch that she her selfe came priuely to the horse beeing before time acquainted with the right voyces of the Ladies of Greece began most artificially to counterfaite their voyces in the Gretian tongue meaning thereby that if there were anie Lords of Greece therein inclosed they wold speake to her whē she did rightly counterfet their Ladies But the subtle Greeks were as mistrustfull as she was wyly refusing to aunswere to her voyce onely Anticlus would haue spoken when as he déemed he had heard the liuely voyce of Laodamia his wife had not Vlysses letted him by laying his hand on his mouth vntill Helena departed whereby Anriclus was strangled and foorthwith died What cause then had the victorious Grecians to reioyce at the ruine and destruction of Troy when as their chiefe Péeres were slaine at the same siege some of them violently being chased at sea so that they returned not home to Greece in the space of 20. yeres some of them also being slain at their returne to Greece by treason which was knowen to happen thorough the occasion of the Troian warre So that there remained aliue of 70. Kings not fully 15. but either they were slain before Troy at their returne by treason or else through dissention for diuiding the Troian spoyles Insomuch that all Greece had as great cause to bewaile the losse of their noble péeres slain by the Troian warre as the vanquished Troians had to mourn at the destruction and subuertion of their aged prince worthie Peeres and stately empire wherefore neither the Gretians Romans Macedonians nor any other countriemen whatsoeuer who by their notable victories haue brought manie Countries vnder subiection that euer had iust cause to ioye ouer their conquest or triumph ouer their great and mightie victories but rather had in the ende good cause to mourne lament sorrowe and hartely repent their achiued victories for that many calamities miseries lamentable losses and pitifull slaughters is as well incident to the victor as vneuitable to the vanquished therefore what gaineth the victor but losse and although it procureth priuat ioy to some yet notwithstanding it purchaseth publique sorrow to many Thus dooth despitefull warre both wast destroy ruinate confound and vtterly subuert the Kingdomes countries stately prouinces and worthie Cities of the conquered and also cruelly spoyle displeasantly voxe and miserably torment the conqueror so that where the vanquished haue cause to bewaile their subuerted state there most commonly the victor lamenteth his losse and hath good cause to complaine on fortunes crueltie That it is both a disgrace and also a foule discredit to Englishmen to chaleng their genealogie of the Troyans or to deriue their pedigree frō such an vnfaithfull stock who were the chiefe causers of their own perdition IT hath béen is at this day amongst Christians a meere folly and wonderfull madnes to deriue and fetch their genealogie and pedegree from the ancient Troyans because for sooth that they would be knowne to descend and spring from the Gods as the old foolish saying is that the Troyans did for it is said that old Anchises begot Aeneas on the goddes Venus and after the fatall subuertion of Troy Aeneas much increased that stock and kindred as hereafter shall more manifestly apeare The proud Troyans the stately Gretians falling into controuercie about their ancient generositie séeking out which of them descended from the most ancientest stock and line the Troyans affirming that Hector was far more worthy then Achilles the Gretians also stoutly mainetaine that Achilles was superior to Hector which thing the Troyans not well digesting vnfould their fond pedegree as followeth Etsi enim Peleifilius Achilles fuit Aeaci verò Peleus Aeacus Iouis sic quóque Hector Priami Priamus autem Laomedontis Dardani Laomedon silius Dardanus quóque Ioue prognatus est Alijgenus Hectoris paulò aliter deriuant Iupiter inquiunt ex Electra genuit Dardanum Dardanus Assaracum Ilium Ilius Laomedontē Laomedon Priamum Priamus Hectorem vide Tortellium after this sort they deriue themselues from the gods but if it be possible that a wicked a peruerse generation should spring and descend from the gods themselues then no doubt but that the Troyans came linially frō the gods and if as they say Dardanus was begotten of a God how soone then did his son Laomedon digres from that sacred genelogie for of him thus it was sayde Laomedon insignis perfidia fiut qui pactam pro constructis Troiae maenibus mercedū neganit Apolloni atque Neptuno violauitque sacram iurisiurandi religionem quae semper abalijs inuiolatè santissiméque habita Laomedon was the vnfaithfullest Prince that liued for hauing borrowed a great summe of money of the priests of Apollo Neptune to reare and build vp againe the decayed walls of Troy which being done the priests craue their money againe he mightily forsweres the debt protesting and vowing by the sacred gods he ought them no such summe therefore he would pay no such debt Wherfore by the iust plague of the Gods their predicessors as they thēselues affirme their citie was part ouer flown with the raging seat by reason where of there arose afterwards in the citie when the water was retired a most miserable deadly plague whereof many thousands of the Troyans died which plague to appease they asked counsaile aduice of the oracle at Delphos how they should satisfie the angrie gods answer was giuen thē that no other waies they could apease their wrath and displeasure but onely by this means by giuing monthly a virgin to a sea monster with should appeare for the nonce at the shore or banck before Troy which custome being obserued and dewly kept y e gréeuous plague seased it hapned in time that the daughter of Laomedon the King whose name was Hesione was chosen by lot and chance to be the virgin that should satisfie the gréedy monster thus when the time drew on that the sea monster was ready waighting at his wonted port crauing his accustomed pray and thus pensiue Laomedon with diuers of the lamenting Troyans came forth with the virgin bound presently to bee giuen to the eager monster to be deuoured in the meane time pitifully be wailing the destressed state of the guiltlesse virgin Hercules by great chance at that time comming from the voyage of Hespere hapned to be against Troy when such a mightie throng of people stoode on the shore wherefore he forthwith drew neere and demanded the cause and why they did so lament then trembling Laomedon told all that is before rehearsed confessing his owne periurie for which all this miserie chanced The noble minded Hercules greatly pittying their their distressed state demanding of Laomedon what he would giue the man that should frée their citie from
giue mee that which himselfe wanteth whereof I haue sufficient but I will send him that which hee lacketh and I my selfe haue abundantly and as for threats and menaces I nothing at al regard for if I liue saith he my countrie will bring foorth things sufficiently to furnish my life withall so that I shall not need his rewards as for death I do nothing feare but exceedingly desire it which shall deliuer me from my old withered carkas Thus you may perceiue that this wise philosopher accounted them poore which were not satisfied and those rich which were contented Scho. Sir I doo verie well perceiue my error and doo acknowledge it for it standeth with good reason that the riches of this world is contentment and that a coueting and discontented minde is extreame pouertie therefore if it please you to procéed forward according to your pretence I shall according to my promise be attentiue Fa. Well séeing you are satisfied heerein I will proceede further The Philosopher Diogenes as I said before perceiuing the vnconstancie of vnfriendly fortune the mutability of honour with the vncertaintie of life so much contemned despised the vaine preferments and promotions of this transitorie life that he liued content and satisfied with a small portion of possession which was but his bare tub or tun wherein he was Lord and King without controlment crauing neither territories or confines to inlarge this his quiet kingdom finding this his poore patrimonie so voyd of all incumbraunces vexations and inuasions that he contented himself with this life vntill his end turning his tub in the summer toward the North for the coolenesse and shade from the Sunne in winter to the South for the heate and warmnes thereof making his vaunt merelie that he could rule his Lordship and possession as he listed from the inuasions of his enimies which was the sharpe bitter windes by turning his tumbling pallaice Thus liuing in contentment it chanced that Alexander the great king of Macedony hearing the rare fame of this Philosopher thought good to visit Diognes in his tub to heare his wisedome and the cause of his so solitarie liuing came vnto him being set in his tun saying My friend I haue long desired to see thee and to inrich thee being so a poore a philosopher therefore aske of mee what goods or liuing thou needest and I will inrich thee with it to thy great contentment To whom when Diogenes had giuen thankes for his great courtesie offered he saide If thou wilt doo mee this fauour as thou saist then I pray thee take not that from me which thou canst not giue me but stand from before the mouth of my tun that I may haue the light and warmnes of the Sunne which is to me great riches for now thou detainest that from me and canst not giue me the like therefore do me but this fauour and I will craue of thee no other substāce Then said Alexander My friend how much possession lands and reuenues woulde satisfie and content thee if now I should giue thee thyful contentment to whom Diogenes answered Euen as much Alexander as thou must be thy selfe contented with all in the end But at the first he misconstrued the meaning of Diogenes and thought him wonderfull couetous knowing that he himselfe had nowe most part of the world in possession and dayly striued to get the whole therefore he thought it an vnsatiable appetite of him not to be contented with lesse but after consideration on the cause he perceiued that Diogenes meant his length of ground to be sufficient patrimony for himselfe which in the end the greatest king of the earth must be contented withall then said Alexander to him againe My good friend what thing best contenteth thee in this world to whom Diogenes replied saying That thing sir King which thou art most discontented withall in the worlde which is a satisfied and contented mind to couet for no more than sufficeth which in thee saieth he I finde contrary Alexander was nothing at all offended at the reprehension of the wise Philosopher but rather smelling his owne follie said at that time Truely if I wer not Alexander I would be Diogenes But we see that he was Alexāder therefore he could not be Diogenes he was couetous therefore he could not be contented wherefore it appeareth that Diogenes had the gift of temperance not to couet his owne destruction as Alexander did but being rich in contentment despised fortune for that her force coulde not molest or touch him reiecting honour because of the mutablitie and varietie of the same regarding not life for the vncertaintie of it but liued as a man contented fearing no calamitie nor aduersitie whatsoeuer might happē to him but was readie with patience to digest it Sch. Truly it doth appeare most plaine that this man had the gift of temperance sufficiently and that he was nothing subiect to the wauering wheele of fortune neither passing of her smooth countenance nor louring looke liuing a stranger to her whereby he kept himself free from her force notwithstanding I would faine know if the end and death of him were as worthie as his life for No man is called happie before his end which being answerable I must needs confesse the man deserued merit Fa. Indeed you say true it is good in our conference orderly to proceede for the life of man cannot be so cleare but that it may be much dimmed and dusked by an ill ende making digression from the former life but truely Diogenes continued a sound Philosopher vntill his end at his death it is said that he lying grieuously sicke perceiuing it a thing vnpossible for him to recouer his former health by feeling his aged body so much weakened and hauing in this great extremitie of sicknesse smal friends to comfort or relieue him threw himselfe downe tumbling from the top of a bridge abutting néere to the common place of excercises and commanded the kéeper or ouer-séer of the bridge that when life failed and breath was quite departed hee should cast his carkasse into the riuer Ilissus Adeò pro nihilo duxit mortem sepulturam Diogenes So little regarded Diogenes the inuasion of death or the tranquilitie and quietnesse of his bodie in the graue But I say not that this end was commendable in a Christian for he was long before the incarnation of Christ being an heathen man notwithstanding indued with wonderfull wisdome Againe some report of his death after this sort saying he died when he was 90. yeares olde and being at the poynt of death willed his bodie to bee left vnburied saying That he would not be troublesome to his friends to digge and delue for him who had no pleasure in their paine vnlesse they would doo it to auoide the smell and stincking sauor whereby he were likely to annoy them but when his friends asked him whether he would lie aboue the ground to be deuoured of birds and beastes No friends
in examples I am content in this point to be short referring it to your owne iudgement and consideration Scho. Not so Sir I beséech you for then should you offer me great discontentment in naming the princes which shuld be examples in our aforesaid conference referring them to my iudgement and consideration who as yet am altogether ignorant and vnacquainted either of their liues or endes contentment or discontentment wherefore my consideration herein can be but to small effect vnles I knew the certaintie And although it would séeme tedious and troublesome to the eares of those who before doo know their histories sufficiently yet notwithstanding because of mine ignorance herein for the better perceiuing of the aforesaid difference I am verie desirous to heare you and shall haue great pleasure thereby rather than trouble and let those who are alreadie perfect herein stop their eares vntill you conferre of other causes which shall please and content them better Fa. With verie good will my good friend being also glad that you will not plead perfectnes wherin you are ignorant nor refuse the name of a Scholer to learne further experience for the wise Plato being demaunded how long he would bee a Scholer and learne So long said he as I repent not to be wiser But to our purpose I will procéed according to promise first beginning with the most renowmed Caius Iulius Caesar a most victorious Romane who liued 40. yeres before the Incarnation of Christ and in 10. yeares space made manie mightie Nations submit themselues first winning the whole Countries of Spaine Gallia and Germanie conquering also the Heluetians the Latobrigians Tulingians Sedutians Harudes Tribockes with the Kauratians the warlike Boyans he also ouercame the Marcomans the Sueuians Nemets Seduns Veragrines Ambiliats Venets Diablinters Digerons Farbels and the Naunets in like manner he vanquished the Osisenes Tarrasats Vocats Pretians Flustrates Garites Garumnes with the famous Ansians the Sibusites Cocasats Aulerkes and compelled the stout Viridouix to yéeld himselfe slaying also an infinite number of the Morines Treuites Mennapians Lexobians he also slew the strong and valiaunt Captaine Indutiomares with his owne hand he subdued the Belges the Neruians the Aduatickes with Occo the great Prince of the Senons he beate downe the Condrosces Segemes and Eburons he also overcame the Britons with Cassibelan their King made them become tributaries vnto him Scho. Sir by your patience let me cause you to stay there a while vntill I be certefied in this one poynt the Britones whom Caesar conquered with their King Cassibelan I take to be the English Nation now which at the first time of his comming and inuading their Land if ancient Records may challenge credite gaue him a shamefull repulse and slewe a number of his men causing him also to flie the Land with great spéede into Gallia to saue his life where amongst the Galls hee practised by treacherous meanes to obtaine their Land Which in the ende he easily atchieued for hauing corrupted their Nobles and chiefe States he entred the Land the second time and made a conquest thereof But at his first comming the Britons so fiercely encountred with him that he was caused perforce to flie the Field and therefore where as he was wont to certefie the Senat of Rome by his letters briefly saying and concluding Vt veni vidi vici So soone as I came I saw and I ouercame Thus for breuitie sake certifying the Romanes of his prosperous succes and good fortune meaning thereby that no people or nation did or would withstand him himselfe being present but yéelded themselves to his mercie at his verie first comming Notwithstanding hee was at this time deceiued and caused to stay his letters from Rome for he could not say So soone as I saw I ouercame for the Britons at his first comming had driuen him out of their Countrey ioyning battaile with the Romanes and draue thē back with great slaughter and in the same conflict a Britaine named Nennius matched hand to hand with Caesar and chased him in the field with great hazard and peril of his life for catching the impoysoned sword of Iulius Caesar in his target with the which he caused him to flie the field as a hare before the hound to saue his life but Nennius not preuayling because of the wonderful swiftnes of Caesar retired into the battaile againe and slew the chiefe friend and Legate to Caesar whose name was Labienus with y e sword which he had taken from his Master Also by the reports of Caesars owne pen in his Commentaries that he neuer got Land with more difficultie than he did the Britaine Ile chiefly praysing the Kentishmen both for their courtesie manlinesse and constancie in the aforesaid Commentaries which were written with his owne hand Fa. I must needs confesse it is true yet notwithstanding he was called the victorious Caesar for that he vanquished in the ende whomsoeuer he warred against After the conquest of the Britones he forced the great Catiuulcus to poyson him selfe subduing the noble Lytauicus taking at the same time the great Citie Genabum and the Cities Valundunum Noniodunum battering downe to the verie ground Auaricum and slew in the same Citie 40000. people also he vanquished Theutomatus Camalogeus and slewe Eporidouix where in the same fight Cotus and Canarell were taken prisoners Sedulius prince of Lemnouix was by him slaine at Alexea he tooke a liue Vergasilaunus with three score baners and foure and thirtie thousand prisoners with many a noble man he ouercame Drapes Surus Suturuate and chased so narrowly the noble Prince Luctarius that hee miserably dyed by famishment The great king Etorix also hee made to bee brought by his owne People to him as Prisoner he ouerthrewe great Pompey the Romane Prince in many a battel discomfiting in one day al his power at Pharsalia and caused him to flie in poore aray out of the campe into Aegypt afterward displacing the king of Aegypt and placing his sister Cleopatra in his stead whome he dearely loued Iuba king of Africa and Pharnaces king of Pontus he made submit themselues to his will The sounes of great Pompey which came to reuenge their fathers quarrell in like sort he put to shamefull foile Thus highly fortune fauored him that he marched Conqueror through out all Europa For the hautie minde of Caesar as the auncient Romanes report could abide no equall neither could Pompey abide or tolerate any péere or superior whereby the whole world was troubled by their dissention and strife not onely with the losse of manie thousands of souldiors but also with a great number of woorthy valiant and noble men of great fame and renowme After these great victories huge slaughters of so many thousands Caesar marched home to the gates of Rome with the conquest of 300. seuerall nations and 800. stately townes at the least yet not cōtented with the proy of his victorie nor filled with so many blodie slaughters
proceed and dayly to go forward among them that in that behalfe they were forced to constitute and ordayne this sharpe sentence and punishment against all such wicked offenders prouided alwayes that whosoeuer should bee found guiltie of parricide should thus be vsed He should be put into a sacke or hollowe thing and therein also should be put a Dog a Cocke a Viper and an Ape which thing beeing shut vp and closed fast togeather againe shoulde bee throwen into the next Sea Riuer or Floud thereunto adioyning there most miserably to die in the hatefull companie of those which by nature coulde neuer abide or brooke each other And wherefore Et enim ei repentè coelum solem aquam terram adimerunt vt qui eum necasset vnde ipse natus esset careret quoque ijs rebus ex quibus omnia nata esse dicuntur Because hee should want or be depriued of both the sunne aire water and earth for that hee had slaine or murdred him who first was the cause of his life therefore he should want the benefite of such necessaries from whence all things are said to be procreated and ingendered For next vnder God the foure Elements are said to haue the chiefest regiment and gouernment of all naturall and earthly things Fame Well friend I perceiue that you are héerein certefied that murder is a most monstrous and hainous offence and that also from one degrée to another the wilfull committer scapeth not vnpunished For if as you say the Oracles haue pronounced such sharpe sentence against them not permitting such to come into the temple then no doubt but that the liuing God will much more with farre greater punishment torment such wilfull and malicious offenders and therefore as I say seeing you are herein so well satisfied perceiuing so effectually the tenor of our cōference I will with a more willinger minde procéed and goe forward according to forepassed promise But I greatly feare me least that alreadie I haue passed and far gone beyond the bonds of decorum in being so tedious and ouer troublesome in so manie superfluous examples which well might haue bin related and made manifest in a much more bréefer sort lesse troubling the eares of the willing hearer whose quick conceipt capacitie soone by a part coniectureth and discerneth the whole which error troublesome cause I shall right willingly be content hereafter to reforme vsing in the blameable place of tediousnesse a more briefe and shorter order Scho. Sir then as I haue said before you should offer to me great discontentment for that I as greatly delight in the histories and tragicall reports as no other conference can so well please me your intent and meaning therewithall being thorowly perceiued therefore sir I beséech you not to thinke that you so farre excéed the bonds of decorum as that héereafter you should with breuitie discourse of causes whereby I might remaine altogether vnacquainted of so manie especiall notes and good examples wherein I shall neuer be tired or ouer-wearied but rather impute that fault to mine importunacie and so shall you clearely free your selfe from anie such supposed blameable suspition Fame With verie good will I shall be content accordingly to procéed and if you in like manner refuse not to beare the blame of the aforesaid suspition therefore whereas wee haue alreadie sufficiently touched the mōstrous pride of mans mind and what in the ende is gained thereby yet notwithstanding there is another kinde of pride in the garments wearing apparell for the ancient Prouerbe is Per exteriora interius cognoscamus By the outward showe of braue apparell we may knowe the inward vainglorious minde But by the way this rule is no certaine consequence but as wee sée dooth often faile and deceiue vs for manie wil weare a braue cloake whose coate and inward apparel is veluet I meane pride to be couered with a simple garment and a méeke and humble minde shadowed with rich aray The wise Socrates when he marked the stately pride of the arrogant Antisthenes for he did alwaies weare the ragged péece of his thredbare cloake outward in sight beeing a wonderful proud minded felow making show as though he had béen contented with base and homely raiment being openly knowen that he might haue had better if he would was thus quipped for the pride of his minde by Socrates Quin desinis arrogantiam tuam nobis prodere Wilt thou neuer saith he leaue bewraying vnto vs thy vaine pride and foolish folly As who would say we knowe the arrogancie of thy minde by this thy counterfet basenesse Also Diogenes when he was come to Olympia and sawe certaine yong men of Rhodes gorgeouslie decked and sumptuously apparailed laughed at them and said Hoc nihil est preter fastum This is nothing els but meere pride and haughtinesse The same Diogenes againe chancing at the same time to sée certaine Lacedemonians in ragged ragged rent riuen slouenlie and loathsome garments said Haec longè alia est superbia This also is a kinde of pride but farre different from the former This also is to be remembred that at what time an auncient and graue Father of Ceus came to Lacedemonia being puffed vp with pride and swelling with insolencie was for his fatherly olde age had in reuerence and honour insomuch that he coloured his hoarie head ouergrowen with graye haires This olde man comming into an Assembly of the Lacedemonians discouered his head for them to behold and made a declaration of such matter whereabout he came But Archidamus King of the Lacedemonians rising vp said in this wise What sound or true tale can the tongue of this fellowe report whose heart is stayned with the spots of hypocrisie and double dealing and whose head is couloured with counterfet comelinesse Thus would hee in no case allow the wordes of the olde man but vtterly reiecting them taunted the euill inclination of the olde mans nature by those circumstances which were obiect to sight and apparant to the eye It is also certainly reported that Condalus the Lieutenant of Mausolus King of Caria perceiuing the people of Lysia wherein hee was Lieutenaunt to haue a great pride in their trimme bushes and long haire on a time fained that he had receiued letters from his Master the King that the People of Lysia should cut off their bushes of haire and send them to him Wherewith perceiuing they were all astonied fearing least that they should loose their brauerie wherein they much delighted he said If they would charge themselues with a péece of money that then he would not doubt but to finde out meanes that mens haire should bee bought in Greece and sent to the King his Master therewithall to satisfie his minde and they should keepe and weare still all their trimme lockes and bushes which follie and pride to maintaine they presently collected an infinite summe of money which euerie priuate man disbursed willingly Therefore
be as ioyfull vnto them as the restitution of their daughter vndefiled Then Scipio being ouercome with their long and vehement intercession caused the saide summe to be layd on the ground before his feete and calling Lucius againe to him hee said Beside the dowrie that you shall receiue of your Father in law for the mariage of his daughter ye also shall take this gift at my hande With which his great gift and also much honor done to him beside he returned home to his house countrey declaring to euery man the honor magnificence of noble Scipio saying There was a young man come most like a God who both with his power in warre and also with his gentlenes and liberalitie in peace had ouercome all the countrey Not long after this young Gentleman leauing his house and familie in good order returned to Scipio bringing with him 1400. good horsemen to the ayde and succour of the Romanes Thus first Scipio began with mercy lenity and gentle courtesie which was the cause that he gote in the end to the Romanes such notable and mightie victories The great Pompey neuer gate the like renowne in all his conquest of Spaine and Affrike nor in the subduing of the valiant Sertorius neither in the victories of Armenia Cappadocia Arabia Iberia Mesopotamia with diuers other Prouinces and Kingdomes as he did by his great courtesie For when in his warres against Mithridates he had taken certaine noble matrons and beutifulll virgins he caried a vigilant eye ouer them neither abusing any of them himselfe nor suffering his captains or souldiers to dishonour or dishonest them in any case calling them all together before him comforting them with sweete wordes in the best maner he coulde saying That none vnder paine of death should offer them villanie graunting foorth his safeconduct to them that they might be conueyed to their husbandes parents and friends with honour vndefiled richly rewarding them with iewels which he had taken in his warres protesting also vnto them that he for his part was most heartely sorrie that it was his hap so to fright and terrifie such hurtlesse creatures requesting them to take it in good part for such was the chaunce and casualtie of warre for which gentle behauiours had it not béen for certaine other lewd vices which are before mentioned he had attained to péerlesse praise Alexander the great king of Macedon although hee frequented a number of most notable and bad vices yet were it no reason to burie in obliuion and forgetfulnesse couering as it were in the graue of silence the gentle courtesie and manly pietie which hee showed in most ample maner to the distressed houshold and familie of king Darius For euen at such time as the mightie Warres began betwéene these two Princes In the second Battaile and conflict Alexander had a great victorie against Darius and the Persians taking the tents with all the bag baggage appertaining to the King and the Persians and also for a pray amongst other booties hee tooke prisoners the mother wife sister and the two daughters of King Darius his enemie whome when Alexander came to comfort beeing in great sorrow and distresse they beholding him comming with an armed troupe pitifully schritched and lamentably cried out as if they then should presently haue been slaine falling downe prostrate at the féete of Alexander beséeching him that they might before they died burie the dead bodie of their Lord Darius whom they supposed to be slaine in that bloudie fight and that now wheras he was a man and had at this time gotten a most noble and manly victorie against Darius their Lord and King so to behaue himselfe towards those poore distressed creatures who were altogether vnguiltie of that pitiful slaughter being as it were present in the Armie with their friend for their countreyes cause and in defence of their libertie in which also their Lord King Darius was now slaine therefore now that he would vouchsafe to bestow the bodie of their slain friend on them that they might doo to him in their life the rights of buriall and then said they O Alexander our liues be at thy cōmaundement Alexander beeing greatly mooued with pitie séeing their bitter teares and considering the hard hap and bad destinie of so noble Dames bewayled their distressed case with wéeping further comforting them saying that Darius theyr Lord and King was aliue and at libertie still with his owne force and power and although he was ouercome in that fight yet was he readie to giue newe battaile againe as in déede hee did causing them to banish feare from them for that no iniurie or wrong should happen to them giuing also commaundement that they should be prouided for and vsed as to their high estate and dignitie appertained giuing good words and comfort vnto the two yong Daughters of Darius wishing them assuredly to thinke and firmely to perswade themselues that hee woulde haue as great care to bestowe them in marriage if King Darius their father did die and perish in these warres as he liuing with a fatherly care would prouide for them and that with no base or obscure mates Which thing when Darius was truely certified of and of the courteous entertainement of his mother wife and sister being all prisoners and captiues at the hands of Alexander his enemie although he then was able to geue battaile to the strongest king of the earth for he agayne had gathered a most mightie and huge armie was already ouercome and conquered with the gentle courtesies of his enemie altogether vnwilling to fight against so friendly a foe wherfore he sent his letters to Alexander requiring him that he might redéeme his captiues promising a mightie summe masse of money for their raunsome Notwithstanding Alexander would receiue no money but required his whole kingdome for their redemption Darius not willing to fight with so friēdly an enemie sent his letters to Alexander the second time offering one of his daughters in mariage with part of his kingdome to him if it might please him to accept thereof But the vnsatiable Alexander could not be content with part vnlesse he might haue all the whole And as for the offer of his daughters he returned this answere saying He had them already and could doe with them his pleasure Now was Darius forced to goe against his friendly foe the thirde time hoping to get his prisoners and yet notwithstanding louing and honouring the very name of Alexander for the great courtesie and lenitie he had shewed to his familie The army and power of Darius was at this time foure hundred thousand footmen and an hundred thousand horsmen thus marching toward his enemie Alexander it was told him in his iorney that his wife was dead whose death Alexander lamented with teares and caused a noble funerall to be appointed doing to her the greatest honor he could deuise comforting the rest requesting them not so heauely to take the death of their friend whose
and valiant captaines whom they craue to haue againe by way of exchange and so may you haue me againe here at libertie in Rome notwithstanding first for my auncient authoritie in this our commonwealth then for my approued good wil towards my coūtrey and last in respect of my graue and aged yeares and here by the vertue and dignitie of my place in the Senate house I am to determine causes confer about the good of our weale publique and to haue as great a care for the preseruation both of our Citie and Countrey in as ample manner as the rest of you my fellowe Senators therefore most honourable Fathers being thus strongly warred vpon by so mighty a people who seeke daily to subuert our state throwe down our citie and spoyle our commonwealth the cause is therefore wisely to be considered on First for mine owne part as you all do know I am old decrepite and of little force of body not like long to continue Againe the Captaines whom you holde of the Carthaginians are both lustie valiant and couragious gentlemen likely to perfourme and doe great seruice against you to the great hurt of the Commonwealth Therefore Fathers conscript by the vertue of may aforsaid authorities I wil neuer consent to the redeliuering or redeeming of such perilous enemies but will with a willing heart returne to the Carthaginians from whence I came to saue both the honor of my countrey and the credite of my name from perpetuall infamie lest that we should be hereafter by the Carthaginians our enemies accounted and reprochfully tearmed the confringers of martiall rights Thus the graue Senators by no meanes could perswade the good old man to make such exchange as the Carthaginians offered but would néedes return for his countreis sake although he knew he went to present death and cruel torment Thus went Attilus Regulus to the enemie who after they had bound him cut of his eye lids and set him in a hollow tree vpright filled full of sharp and pricking nailes there continuing in most horrible paine vntill he died Thus did he carry a faithfull heart and noble courage in his countreis cause willing to lose his life for the profite and welfare of his weale publique In like sort Gobrias a Persian holding in his armes by force in a dark chamber him who was a traytor to his countrey insomuch that when one of his fellowes came to his ayde to help to slaye the traytor he cryed out to his friend saying Stay not thy blowe but thrust him thorow although thereby thou doest kill me also so that he escape not from vs to the further hurte of our Countrey therefore presently run thy sword thorow him and so shall our Common-wealth be freed from a wicked traytor Thus Gobrias esteemed not his life in deliuering his countrey from an enemie Codrus king of Athens for the sauegard of his publick weale went to present death willingly and with a valiant courage For at such time as there was warres betwixt him and the Dorians the Dorians went to the oracle of Apollo at Delphos to know who should be victors in that war begun to whom this answere was made That they should be coquerors if they killed not the king of Athens Then was proclamation made in all the Dorian campe to spare and preserue aliue the Athenian king But Codrus hearing of the answere of Apollo and being aduertised of their proclamation did foorthwith change his garmēts in most deformed maner with a wallet full of bread on his shoulders and went priuely to the campe of the Dorians and wounded a certaine od fellow among their Tentes with a sharpe hooke or sickle which hee had prepared for the nonce In reuenge whereof the wounded fellowe slewe Codrus the king but after when the body was knowen the order of his death the Dorians departed without battaile remembring the diuine answere of the Oracle wherby the Athenian king freed his countrey frō peril which otherwise had béen in great danger It is also reported that Lycurgus after he had made diuers good lawes to be obserued kept of his coūtreimē fained that they were made by the cōsent of the Oracle at Delphos And when he perceiued that these lawes statutes were to the great benefit of his countrey fayned that he would go to Delphos for further counsel And to the intent they should kéep those lawes vntill he returned from thence firme and sure he made the whole body of the commonwealth to sweare binde themselues by oath to keepe vnuiolated and vnbroken those lawes which then he had set downe vntill such time that he returned againe from Delphos but because he would haue those statutes remaine and be of force for euer in his Countrey hee went the next way to Créete and not to Delphos where he liued in exile banishing himselfe from his Countrey so long as he liued and at his death because his bones should not be caried into his Countrey whereby his Countreymen might think themselues discharged of their oathes and full fréed from their vowe he caused his bones to be burned and the ashes thereof to be throwen into the sea to the intent that neither he himselfe nor any part of him being left should be brought backe into his Countrey by which meanes he caused his Countreymen perpetually to kéepe those good and holesome lawes to the vnspekable profit of the Commonwealth Zopirus a nobleman of Persia also tendering his Prince Countrey insomuch that when the great Citie of Babylon rebelled against Darius his Lord and king to the great trouble vexation of the whole commonwealth and could by no meanes be subdued he then in fauor of his prince and countrey priuily and vnawares went and cut off his owne nose lips eares and in other deformed maner pitifully mangling his body fled into the City of Babylon saying that Darius his master and certain other of his cruell Countreymen had so shamefully disfigured and martyred him because saith he I perswaded him to haue peace with your citie Which when they heard greatly pitying his distressed case and in recompence thereof made him chiefe captain and gouernor of their towne by which meanes he yéelded vp the rebellious Babylonians to his soueraigne Lord the king to the great good quieting of his countrey Did not Sceuola that noble Roman whē the citie of Rome was besieged by the mighty Porsena king of Tuscane willingly run to desperat death to purchase liberty to his countrey for he apparreled him selfe in beggars cloathes came foorth of the citie by night and ranged in the enemies campe till he had found out the Tent of Persena the king minding to slay that mighty Tuscane who then so strongly compassed and enuironed their citie But he mistaking the king slewe his Secretary and missed his marke who being thereupon presently taken and his pretended purpose further knowen Porsena the king caused a great fire to be made to burne
Sceuola in which when he came to the place hee thrust his right hand willingly into the fire first suffering it to burne to ashes couragiously saying I willingly committe this my hand to the fire which fayled to kill Porsena the tyrant Further affirming at his death that there were thrée hundreth Romanes more redy prest which had also sworne the death of the king if he fayled and would as willingly venture themselues in their Countreys cause as he before them had done and as it were among themselues striuing who first should doe that good seruice to their countrey Which when Porsena had hearde he did not much discommend their faithfulnes towardes their Commonwealth but with all speed remoued his siege and departed from the walles of Rome to the great reioising of the citizens Thus ought euery man to haue a speciall care regard to preserue his natiue countrey and commonwealth For when both Princes and noble estates haue willingly ventured life nay run to present death for the sauegard of the weale publike much more then ought euery priuate person and meane subiect in Prince and Countreyes cause valiantly to venture both life and lim with right couragious mindes in defence of so honest and good a cause Scho. I confesse that euery subiect ought willingly to offer his body in defence of his Prince and natiue Soyle and not to haue so great a care for the preseruation of his priuate person as for the benefit and welfare of his Prince and Commonwealth Were it not a vile reproach and ignomie to those people that should by their cowardlines suffer their king to be slaine in the field and they themselues to remaine aliue and geue the looking on Contrariwise is it not great honor to him that shall hazard his life yea or run to right desperate exploites in the good cause or quarrell of his Prince To conclude it is the part of euery good prince to haue a care of the welfare of his commonwealth and of the preseruation of his subiects and also the part of all honest Subiects to haue a duetiful care to preserue their prince and a manly courage to defend their coūtrey Truely we read in most ancient histories of diuers who by their noble valoure wise policie and manly courage haue defended from the inuation of forrain foes both their weale publique from subuersion their stately townes and cities from ruine and decay also the whole body of their countreymen from most cruel murther and pitifull slaughter and yet in the end haue been most vilely recompenced by their vnkind countreymen Was not Manlius a Roman surnamed Capitolinus who preserued the Capitoll or castle of Rome from the cruell force of the Gaules and did many other noble actes in his Countreis cause throwne down from the top of the same Castle headlong by his owne vnkind countreimen whom he many times both manfully and couragiously had defended and saued Also Miltiades a noble man of Athens which in the field of Marathaon with 10000. Gréekes discomfited and put to flight 600000. Persians and so by his great wisdome and prudent policie saued deliuered his countrey from being ouerrun with such a mighty and huge hoast which otherwise had beene vtterly subdued ouerthrowen but after being cast in arrerage of a certaine summe of mony he was by his vngratefull Countreymen condemned into most cruell prison and there died in fetters and being dead he might not be suffered to be buried vntill his sonne had put on him the giues that his father did weare In like sort Themistocles a noble captain of the same vngrateful town of Athens after he had deliuered his Countrey from the huge terrible power of Xerxes putting him to flight and al his great hoast making y t mightie king by his circumspect wisdome and policie shamefully to flie home in a Fishermans boate vnknowen for the safety and preseruation of himselfe notwithstanding was at the last driuē his Countrey and forced to flie by the vnkinde Citizens to his enemie Xerxes whō before he had driuen from the walles of Athens but Xerxes willingly receiued such a friende with great intertainment and sent him againe with a mighty armie to warre on his owne countrey hoping now that he would be sharply reuenged on his vnkinde citizens But Themistocles being now Lord Generall against his natiue countrey hauing in his power the whole destruction and ouerthrow of his deere commonwealth yet notwithstanding for all that the Athenians had dealt so extremely with him he rather chose to die than any way to hurt his countrey And because he would not shew himselfe a traitor to Xerxes who had put his whole power into his hand and receiued him so courteously in his extremitie nor that he would torment the bowels of his vngratefull citie vnmercifully to spoyle with forraine people his vnkind countreimē to frée himselfe of these two inconueniences hee poysoned him selfe and so died a more faithfull frend to his countreymē than they had deserued After that Demetrius sonne of Philip king of Macedon whom before I spake of had obteined pardon for his father and whole countrey by his great modestie temperance shewed in the Senat of Rome because the Senators did write to his father the king in this maner We the Senators of Rome do not pardō thee for thy owne sake but for the modest demeanor of thy sonne shewed here before vs in the Senate Which thing Philip by the instigation of certaine of his flattering Subiectes did take so displeasantly and gréeuouslie that his sonne was in such estimation and better accounted of than himselfe and therefore so hated his sonne for his great paines and diligent care whereby he preserued both his father and Countrey from the reuenge of the Romanes At whose good hap also certaine of his vnkinde Countreymen with the helpe of his vnnaturall brother Perses so repined insomuch that they procured false witnes to accuse him to his father being willing to heare any cause against his sonne Thus by the surmise of his vnnaturall Countreymen he was condemned to death by his vnkinde father who before had both studied to preserue the honor of his father and also to mainteine the flourishing estate of his countrey Did not the Romanes banish and exile the noble and worthie Cicero by the procurement of Clodius when he had preserued and defended his Countrey from ruine and vtter destruction and saued the noble Citie of Rome from the fury of Cataline euen for because he had put to death the chiefe traytors and enemies of the Common-wealth in that dangerous conspiracie who sought to spoyle sacke take and burne their natiue Citie Rome Was not the same vngratefull Citie Rome found vnkinde to her most deare frend and preseruer the worthie Scipio for when the Romanes were in great distresse thorow the bitter and sharpe warres which the Carthaginians long time most greeuously helde against them being also mightely ouermatched
tended There is an inconuenience which bringeth to man wonderful miseries and manifold calamities which is fond and doating Loue I speake not of that Loue which is commendable and lawfully allowed but of such doating loue as shall hereafter more manifestly be explaned Magna est profecto Latmorum poetarum cohors quae solebant dicere Omnia vincit amor Surely great is the number of Romane Poets which wer wont to say Loue vanquisheth and ouercommeth all things and truely I must néedes confesse great is the force and furie of loue but much to be quallified by the aforesaid gift notwithstanding Hesiodus is of this minde Omnium primum natus est chaos inde terra tartara amor First of all thinges the Heauens were made then the earth then hell and next after loue Parmenides quoque ante deos omnes natum amorem autumat Parmenides also doth affirme that loue was created before the Gods themselues Euripides omnium deorum supremum esse Amorem Loue saith Euripides is the highest of all the Gods Ouid being about to speake of Loue saith Regnat in dominos ius habet ille deos Loue doth raigne and hath a dominion and regiment in the verie Gods themselues All which sayings of the Poets are but to showe the piercing force and ancient antiquitie of Loue faining also that Iupiter being chiefe of al the Gods could not withstand the furie of Loue much lesse then could anie of the inferior Gods but oft did change his shape to haue his pleasure Nam Iouem ipsum modo in Cygnum modo in Taurum transformauit quandoque in aurum conslauit Neptunum equi Mercurium Hirci formam induere coegit Apollinem vt Admeti pasceret armenta compnlit For Ioue transformed himselfe sometime into a Swanne sometime into a Bull and againe sometime into a golden shower Neptune to a Horse Mercurie to the shape of a Goate Apollo that hée might féede the flockes of Admetus did also change his shape and forme If the Gods as the Poets affirme have béen thus enflamed with Loue after so vaine fond a sort then no doubt but mortall men are more entangled in her traps and snares and blindly without consideration doe fall to foolish fancie and doting desire But this no doubt is but foolish babble of the prating Poets rather encouraging fonde men to goe forwarde in their folly for that say they the Gods could not bridle their affections from the force of loue therefore much lesse men Well let this suffice what greater calamity hath hapned to man than such as hath beene procured by inordinate and vnsatiable loue Was not Paris sonne to Priamus king of Troy the very cause by his inordinat loue that brought to passe such cruell wars betwixt the Gréekes and Troyans wherein both his aged father and brethren were slaine his countrey spoyled and the citie of Troy mightely defaced with fire throwen flat to the ground with the slaughter of many thousands of his coūtreymē What was the first occasion of the great warre betwixt the Thebanes and Phoceans which could hardly be ended in ten yeares but y e fonde loue of a certain Phocean who tooke perforce a Theban woman out of the hands of a Theban What also was the cause that Philip king of Macedon so oft and sodainly returned from his warres leauing all as the prouerb saith at six seuen with out order to his reproach and wonderfull losse but only the importunate loue he bare to Cleopater Did not noble Achilles purchase great dishonor by doting loue For when he lay at the siege of Troy because Atridas had taken his swéet loue gréen sléeues from him he would no longer fight in his coūtreis cause which was the death of many a thousand Gréeke vntil his swéet heart Briseis was restored againe or els as some say because Hector had slaine his louing companion Patroclus in his own armour Wise Vlisses was in like sort intangled in the same snare for when Agamemnon and the other captains of Gréece called for him to goe to Troy to reuenge the villanie which the Troyans had offered enrolling his name as a chiefe Peere of the Greekes but Vlisses newly maried to Penelope was not willing to goe to Troy in his countreis cause but to play and daily with his late loue at home insomuch that when the king and captaines of the Greekes were fully prepared and ready to goe to Troy Vlisses fayned himselfe mad and out of his wits and because he would the better perswade them of his madnes hee coupled dogs together and ran with a plowe raging ouer the fieldes sowing salt making as though he were starke mad without either wit or sense but Palamides loathing to loose so fit a mate as Vlysses was tooke Thelemacus the sonne of Vlysses and layd him in the way as his father came running with his plow but Vlysses not so madde but lifted vp the plow and missed the child whereby Palamides perceiued that he dissembled the matter and cried out thy craft and subtiltie Vlysses is bewrayed and found out therefore leaue off thy counterfaite madnes and goe with vs to Troy Thus when Vlysses had disgraced himselfe by his doting follie to his shame and reproch was in the ende forced to goe to Troy with a flea in his eare Hercules that noble champion and Conquerour of the world when he had done many notable and worthie exploites whereof the world at this day beareth witnesse at the last to the vtter defacing of all his former actions he fell to doting in such fond sort that he laid his weapons at the foote of Iole his loue and became her spinning slaue refusing no toyle whereunto she commaunded him which thing notwithstanding his valiant déedes at this day remaineth a vile reproch and blot to his dead carkasse What was the cause that the most valiant Sampson lost his great force and strength but by the peeuish loue he bare to Dalila who had oftentimes attempted his destruction but could neuer bring her purpose to effect vntill such time that he thorough inordinate and doting loue must néedes reueale his secrets which was the chiefe cause of his vtter confusion for these causes did the Poets faine that women are to men an euill yet notwithstanding they owe them this fauour to say they are necessary euilles Homerus saith Vsque adeònihilimprobius velmuliere peius that nothing is more vile or bad than a woman and diuers other Poets Foemina nihil pestilentius esse confirmârunt mulierem omnem esse malam doo affirme that nothing is more pestilent or wicked than a womā and that euerie woman is bad and euill Upon which occasion of the Poets babling this merie iest sprang first Lacon cùm vxorem duxisset perpusillam dicebatè malis quod minimum esset eligendum Lacon when he had married a verie little and small wife did say out of many euilles the least is to be
Minutius wher the remnant of the discomfited succors were Thus when the wilfull Minutius had séene himselfe so deceiued by the flights of Hannibal tried the frendly succor of his fellow whome by all meanes he had sought to discredite he called the remainder of his hoast about him saying I oftentimes louing souldiers and friends haue heard say that he is most wise that can giue good counsaile and tell what is to be done in weightie causes and that he is next wise that can obay him that giueth good counsaile but he that can neither giue good counsaile himself nor hearken to the graue aduice of the wise is of al other most foolish now therefore seeing that the first of these giftes fortune hath denied vs let vs keepe the second and while we learne to rule let vs also purpose with our selues to obay them that bee wise Wherefore I pray you let vs now though too late ioyn our tents with Fabius when you heare me salute him as my father salute you his soldiours likewise as your noble patrones by whose strength and hardines this day ye are preserued Incontinently they remooued to the Campe of Fabius wherat hee meruailed not a little now when their legions were met together and salutations had after long protestation made by Minutius to Fabius they tooke either other by the hand the soldiers of either dooing the like Minutius submitted himselfe and all the authoritie of the Empire which was committed to him by the Senators into the hands of Fabius as a man far more worthie thereof accounting it rather a burden to himselfe than honor desiring Fabius that he might be in the office of the master of the horsmen as before he was When this was knowen at Rome and affirmed to be true not onely by the letters of the Captaines but also by the reports of the soldiours of both parties the praise of Fabius was extolled to the verie heauens repenting their hard opinion which they had conceiued against him before confessing openly that they had greatly abused him in reiecting and condemning his wise and approoued counsaile so foolishly whose words they had found to be too true wishing that they had been ruled by so graue and wise a counsailor now submitting themselues as it were at his feete requiring him to defend their Countrey by his approoued pollicie and wisedome in so perilous a time and against so dangerous a foe as Hannibal was but first they felt their owne follie before they would giue anie credite or audience to the admonition of the wise Not long after Paulus Aemilius was chosen Consull and was to fight against Hannibal but before he departed the Senate Fabius made an Oration vnto him in the conclusion whereof hee said thus to the new chosen Consull Paulus if thou doo anie thing doo it soberly according to reason not rashly trusting to fortune followe not the occasion that thy enemie will giue thee neither be too hastie for hast is blinde and worketh vnsurely Notwithstanding Aemilius at that time gaue little héed to the wise precepts of the graue Fabius saying for a fashion sake Indeed they were more true than easie to bee followed At the last this Paulus Aemilius was ouerthrown at the great fight of Cannas where he lost all his power and was himselfe sore wounded whereof he soone died But before he ended his life C. Cornelius a noble Romane had found him out in the field being halfe couered with bloud who foorthwith requyred him if he felt anie hope of life to amount himselfe and depart the field and not to make the battaile more dolefull by the death of a Consull To whom Paulus made this answere C. Cornelius be thou increased in vertue but beware least while thou bewaile this chaunce thou haue small time to escape thy selfe goe thou therefore to the Citie and bid the Senate that they make strong their walls before this Conquerour come vnto them and secretly aduertize Quintus Fabius that Paulus Aemilius dooth firmely remember his friendly precepts and wise admonitions yea and liueth in them and finally dieth in them Wherewithall he presently died by reason of his mortall wound Wherefore it was well knowen that if the Romanes at the first had béen directed by the prudent counsaile of wise Fabius they had neuer tasted of so many calamities and miseries as hapned to their distressed State but their wilfulnes would not be warned before experience had sharply corrected their folly In like manner what blame did Cassandra daughter to Priamus king of Troy purchase when first her ouer wilde Brother went to Greece to fetch by stealth faire Helen away the wife of R. Menelaus for she mainly cried out and prophecied saying Whie ye Troyans will ye suffer my brother Paris to goe fetch fire in Greece to burne the stately towne of Troy thinke ye that the Greekes will digest so proud an iniurie O ye foolish Troyans And againe when he returned from Greece to Troy with his desired pray she with might and maine cried Away with Helen away againe with Menelaus wife for she smelleth of the Grecian fire that for her cause shall destroy the citie of my father me thinke I see for her sake my aged sier slaine and the Citie of Troy to flow with Phrygian bloud with heapes of the slain Troyans lying in the streetes for defending her vniust quarell Therefore saith she away with this fire spark least it consume our towne and make desolate our stately buildings Whereat the blinde Troyans laughed saying What is Cassandra madde knoweth she what she saith are not the Troyans able to resist the pride of Greece Let them pick what quarrell they wil we haue the beautifull Helen within our wals and will keepe her in the despite of the proud Greekes betide what may or will Thus was Cassandra openly blamed both of her brother and also of the whole Citizens for her wise counsaile when she most rightly had prophecied For not long after the Greeks loathing to suffer the Troyans so to abuse them in detaining King Menelaus wife came with a mightie and huge armie and besieged their Citie and in time tooke it slaying the people and vtterly defacing Troy with fire so that the stateliest Citie of the world lay flat on the ground Then could the Troyans say O Cassandra rightly hast thou said we finde thy words most true but we despised thy admonitions and reiected thy friendly warnings therefore is now this plague iustly fallen on vs. But then as the olde saying is Serò sapiunt Phryges they bethought thēselues too late being mad themselues with pride when first they thought Cassandra mad with folly Thus somwhat digressing though not altogether from our purpose in making manifest what the vainglorious and wilfull persons gaine in the end by not hearkening to the graue aduice wise counsaile of the prudent but contemning and reiecting the friendly warnings of those who before haue tried the mutabilitie of vnfriendly Fortune
Certaine Stratagems and politike practises of worthy warriours and expert souldiors BY as Priennius when the Citie of Priennia was besieged by the mighty Aliattes vsed this Stratageme or policie when the towne could not holde out any longer for want of vittaile for their men and forrage for their horses he turned out of the Citie into the enimies Campe certaine horses and mules which were wonderfull fat for they were for the nonce fed for that purpose whereby the enemy might think and know that they in the towne had sufficient forrage prouender for their horses insomuch that when Aliattes the Captaine of the enemie did see this he thought indeede that the citizens had plenty of all things sending a spie priuily into the City to viewe their abilitie in all respects Which when Byas had intelligence of he caused great heapes of sand to be piled vp together and poured thereon wheat and other grain to make a shew of plenty giuing further commandement that no man should trouble or molest the spie nor make as once they suspected him but let him haue liberty to passe repasse at his pleasure the spie hauing well viewed all things soone returned to his Captaine shewing him of their great plenty and abundance of all things which so soone as Aliattes heard hee presently remoued his siege and departed thinking it a thing vnpossible to get the towne before their vittaile fayled knowing that hee should want for his companie before those heapes of corne were spent in the City therefore he with speed marched from the towne which in short time might haue beene taken by reason of the great scarcity in the City for the people dyed very fast by famine crying out dayly to Priennius to yeeld the City and saue their liues but by this subtile pollicy they were clearely fréeed to the wonderful ioy of the distressed Citizens Also when Quin. Fabius Maximus had wisely enclosed the wily Hanniball within the straits of Formiana keping the mouth of the strait passages so surely that Hanniball could not passe out the coūtry also being stony and barren not able to relieue his army long fearing least that if he shuld spend y t prouision which he had alredy he might perish with y e whole hoast before he could get any more in that place Hanniball seing himself in such extremity knowing that he could not giue battel to y e Romans without hazarding his whole power for that their enemies lay so strongly on the hill tops being so well backed with fresh supplies if occasion serued wherfore he was forced to vse this slight and mockerie to beguile and deceiue the Romans hauing gathered a great quantity of dry rotten stickes wyth rubbish thornes and such other stuffe fit for his purpose commanding his men to fetch into the campe so priuily as they coulde that the enemie might not perceiue whereabout they went al the oxen and lusty beasts that they coulde finde Now hauyng brought into their campe the number of two thousand lusty beasts they wyth speede fastned vnto their hornes the aforesaide dry stickes keeping them priuily vntill the darke night so that their inuention by no means might be espied being once very darke he caused his armie to be in a readinesse marching circumspectly vp toward the straights which were strongly kept by the Romanes making as little noise as they could being come neere where the enemy lay hee caused those fagots which were on the oxe horns to be set on fire stil driuing them before towards the strait which fire so mightily incresed by the swift running of the beasts for feeling the heat to come so neere the quicke they ran forward as if they had been starke mad puffing blowing making such a noise flinging and tossing the flame and sparks after a most terrible maner so that it was a wonderfull strange and fearfull sight The frighted Romans beholding such a miraculous wonder being much amased on the sudden for that they suspected no such Stratageme began to bussel run for feare because that horrible sight came stil furiously on them insomuch that they were dispersed scattred abroad by the great fright feare therof leauing the narrow places wide open without any force or garde at all so that Hanniball comming after in good order did with great ease passe thorow without any resistance which when the Romans perceiued they could in no case pursue him for that their men were so disordered by running away thus at last but too late they knewe how they were deluded and mocked by the craft of wily Hanniball Also Hanniball vsed this policie to bring the wise Captaine Q. Fabius Maximus in mistrust with the Romans for that he perceiued the sobernes of Fabius did much indamage him who before had tyred and wearied him with daliance committing nothing ouer rashly to fortune which wise dealing of Fabius séemed to Hanniball displeasant altogether repugnant to his nature wherfore at such time as he knew very well the Romans did beare no great good liking to Fabius by reason of the ouerthrowe which Minutius had giuen to Hanniball in his absence knowing also that hee was openly condemned in the Senate either that hee durst not fight wyth Hanniball or else that he did beare goodwill and fauour to the Carthaginians and therefore to bring him in further cause of mistrust with the Romans that also the Senat might easily thinke there were some conspiracie or confederacie betwixt him Hanniball he vsed this craftie practise sending out a great number of soldiors to spoile rob the Countrey of Italie in diuers places straitly commaunding them that they should spare and not once touch the goods cattells and landes which were knowne to be the possessions of Fabius but spoyling and wasting round about them they should leaue them whole vnminished to the end that the Romans should cōceiue such displeasure against him as that they might in no case permit or suffer him to deale in their affaires which thing woulde beene most pleasant to Hanniball And surely this subtile practise sounded much to the discredite of Fabius and had taken further effect if he by his wise policy had not somwhat qualified their hard conceit by this means presently thereupon he sent his sonne into the country to sell make away those lands and goods which Hannibal had spared for litle or nothing despising to possesse any thing which Hannibal preserued which deed made the Romans somwhat better to think of him Notwithstanding though Hanniball was the wisest captain that in those dayes liued mocking and deceiuing the Romans at his pleasure yet in the ende hee himselfe was kindely flouted by a Roman Captain suspecting no stratagem or policy at all to be practised insomuch that on a time when he had long besieged the great city Cassilinum could by no means take the Town he assayed to famish them make the city perforce yeeld to his mercy not suffering any
childe his tender limmes to teare He would by no meanes do the deede but did the infant spare And yet he thought how that ere long the boy must needes be dead But by that meanes he sought to free his hands from vile bloodshed He killde a pig and tooke the heart and brought it to the King And blooded certaine linnen clothes in token of the thing And tolde him that his childe was dead and there he might behold The heart and heart blood of his sonne wherefore he might be bolde To banish feare for this his childe should neuer him molest For he was dead and dead againe and therefore he might rest Now see the hap that to this man did afterward betide For Phorbas king of Corinth soile by chaunce that way did ride VVho spide the child as then aliue which wofully did cry VVith sprauling hands it reachd about full near at poynt to dy He causde his man to take it downe to saue the infants life Right glad he was wherfore foorthwith he brought it to his wife VVho barren was and had no child then this as for her own She did receiue from whence it came to them it was not knowne The child did grow they loude it well and then in course of yeares Of noble linage comes the boy quoth Phorbas it appeares For that the lad vvas dayly geuen to Martiall exercise And did delight to take in hand some noble enterprise At last king Phorbas sends his sonne vvith mighty men of vvar To fight against the Thebane King twixt vvhom there was a iar Sir Oedipus in battell strong did vtterly confound The Thebanes and to their king he gaue a mortall vvound VVherof he presently did die thus Laius had his end The Gods that knew hovv all things vvent such fate to him did send And Oedipus his mother takes and maries her in hast No thing vvas knovven to him as yet that earst vvas done and past Thus Laius dide by his ovvne sonne no botter could he speede It is no striuing with the gods if once they haue decreed Wherefore vexe not O Hecuba let not thy ghost so fret Against the gods for this their doome and further do not three Fell destinie or fortunes frowne for this that they haue done Was for some mighty sinne of ours which fate we could not shunne Or for the sinne of periurie a vile and hatefull deede Which first my father did commit and now vpon his seede The plague did fall deseruedly for such his bad abuse The gods themselues wil not accept for periurie excuse And I likewise a wilfull man as al my deedes did showe My wofull folly was the cause of this our ouerthrowe For when the Greekes did send to haue faire Helena againe I would not hearken to their sute but pufft with deepe disdaine Did flowt and mocke at their request and openly denide Their iust demaund which great abuse the sacred gods had spide When that my sonne had tane away sir Menelaus wife A filthy part the letcher plaid yet they to end all strife Would willingly digest that wrong so that I would restore The Gretian dame that Paris stole from Greece not long before And that no warre should once arise betwixt our Empires stout So gently they did intreat but if I went about To holde her stil they threaten warre and vowed by gods aboue That they would fight to haue againe sir Menelaus loue Whom I perforce vniustly held and stoutly did maintaine So vile a part that would in time cause thousands to be slaine But I did giue them answere thus I minde to holde her still Not Greece nor all the Princes there in this shall breake my will Let Agamemnon do his worst I passe it not a straw Let Menelaus fret his fill my will shall be a law And let them both with all their force against my power fight I mind to holde dame Helen still against all law and right I haue her now and here with me I minde she shall remaine Let them not spare but fall to warre and see what they shall gaine The walls of Troy are strong enough my power is not small I ready am to sight the field when Grecian trumpets call This will of mine was chiefest cause that did procure my smart For I contrary to a lawe maintainde so hard a part No reason would perswade my minde true iustice was away And wilfull follie helde the sword selfe-will did beare the sway The want of iustice was the cause that this our ruine wrought What was the cause that Troy did fall and so consume to naught So many thousand men to die was not my wilfull fact The chiefest cause that Asia by Grecian power was sackt What Empires great and kingdoms wide hath ruine ouer runne For want of iustice and good lawes Or what hath Princes wonne By such default but present death The world doth witnesse well What mortall man that wilfull was but so to him befel The mighty Caesar ruling Rome true iustice was debarde His will was taken for a law and iustice was refarde His gouernement the Roman crew did priuily disdaine They hate him so that he ere long by subiects hand was slaine Could Nero liue when he began to cleaue vnto his will When Rome mislikt his gouernement and found his deedes so ill With one consent the Roman state decreede that he should die Vnworthy for to raigne in Rome his subiects all did crie And he that hated was durst not vnto their mercy stand But slewe himselfe because he would not fall into their hand And Philip King Amyntas sonne true iustice did neglect And how to remed wrong with right the man had no respect He partiall vvas for fauors sake not passing vvhat vvas right For vvhile he liud all Macedon gaue place to vvilfull might The vvrongd might crie for remedy vvhilst he did stop his eare For vvhom he loude vvho durst accuse as plainly did appeare Pausanias vvhen he had sude vnto the King for grace And found in vaine he did complaine his suite could haue no place He turnde his malice from the man that first had done him spite And causde reuenge deseruedly vpon the King to light For vvith his svvord he stabd the King his folly to repres Himselfe vvas cause of this his fall the dooer did confes VVhat vvas the cause that Carthage fell and subiect vvas at last The Empire great of Affrica of Romane force to tast Did not their vvilfull folly first their vvofull state procure The vvant of iustice made the vvar a long time to indure Vntill their Empire cleane vvas lost their chiefest forces spent That Carthage fell for such a fault the vvorld did much lament Did Rome not fall for such offence vvas she not ouerthrovven By Brennus Captain of the Gauls vvhose force each vvhere vvas knovven For Allia brook can vvitnes yet vvhere thousand Romans dide The want of iustice was the cause it will not be denide If Empires thus and Princes fell what
by his owne follie soone ended his life a more happier King than a father It were but a tragicall historie of Leyr sometime King of this land which is so sufficiently set down and made manifest in their English Chronicles what enormities calamities and infinite miseries hapned to him by the fond and doting loue which he bare towards his daughters For by a foolish conceipt which he had taken toward them so farre doating in an vnmeasurable sort and as it were being ouer much blinded with a fond conceipt and foolish affection towards the yong nice wenches that hee must néedes forsooth diuide his Kingdome betwixt them in his life willingly dispossesse himselfe standing euer after to their reward courtesie Thus when hée had displaced himselfe and deuision of the Kingdom was made ioyntly to the vse of his daughters being bestowed and married in seuerall parts of the Land hée himselfe thought good to remaine a time with the one and as long a space with the other vntill the good olde King had tyred both his daughters who soone began to be wearie of their aged Father denying and abbridging him in a maner of things necessarie and néedfull so that the poore old King was forced thorough extreame néede to séeke redres at his yongest daughters hand whom he neuer could well fancie neither had euer giuen anie thing vnto remaining out of his Kingdome because hee had bequeathed her no part thereof at whose hand the poore distressed King found reliefe and also redresse of his wrongs to his great comfort in his olde age Thus it remaineth euident extant at this day what miseries calamities enormities infinit troubles and dayly vexations consequently doo fall to man by that fond conceipt in doating folly inordinately louing and immoderately fonding ouer wife sonne daughter or others whosoeuer as the tenor of our conference hath hethertoo tended and expressed therefore my good friend leauing to your consideration our former speaches to be well and diligently noted wherby I may somewhat hereafter perceiue that you are profited and then I shall thinke my paines well bestowed and our first méeting right happie And now in the meane time for the better recouerie of your memorie and also beeing loath to trouble your senses with ouer much tediousnes I willingly craue pardon to rest vntill our next méeting expecting at this time no further replication but committing our conference to the safe tuition of your memorie Farewell FINIS The miserable calamities and lamentable distresses of bloudie Battaile and ruinous Warre with the vnspeakable mischiefes that consequently followeth disdainfull enuie WHereas diuers calamities and miseries incident to man are alreadie sufficiently explayned and set downe wherein he wilfully runneth to perdition and present destruction by his inordinate and vnsatiable appetites not withstanding there remaineth as yet vnspoken of the greeuous enormities of despitefull Warre with the infinite miseries and distressed calamities thereunto belonging which also hapneth to man by his immoderate and vntollerable pride But now first to decipher the cruell state of ruinous Warre it hath béene most vainely prooued by Logicall probations that Warre is incident and vneuitable to a Common wealth For as they say Warre bringeth ruine ruine bringeth pouertie pouertie procureth peace and peace in time increaseth riches riches causeth statelinesse statelinesse increaseth enuie enuie in the end procureth deadly mallice mortall mallice proclaimeth open warre and battaile and from warre againe as before is rehearsed so that by this argument the weale publike must either be in pouertie or els in war which truly we oftentimes sée to fall out accordingly But is this sophisticall argument of sufficient force to blinde and cloake the badde corruption of mans nature as though riches were master to the man not the man ouer his riches either is it consequently incident vnto him that is rich to carrie mallice enuie and mortall hatred in his minde or otherwise to him that is in pouertie to séeke for peace Then let vs attribute it to the whéele wherein one thing successiuely followeth another and not to bee redressed by the prouident gouernment of man Surely I am not of that mind although riches doth oft abuse the man and the man his riches yet notwithstanding it is no generall consequent that all rich men are malicious persons séeking after ruinous warre bloodie battaile for then should I thinke it a vaine thing for a man to striue with the corruption of his nature to preuent and disappoint such miserable calamities by his prouident wisedome as maye after incidently happen and fall out but rather wish him to runne headlong with his vnbridled affections to such casuall chaunces as may howsoeuer the world falleth out come to passe But truly I am of this opinion that whosoeuer hath the gift of temperance can neither bee proud in authoritie and high dignitie whereby mallice and enuie maye growe and encrease nor in pouertie to be so vnsatiable couetous that sufficient shall not serue him but whether riches encrease continue or diminish no doubt but that Temperance hath such a prouident foresight and prudent care to holde it selfe content without battaile Wherefore to make frustrate this former fond Argument Warre is not so incident to man but that by wisedome it may easely be preuented But now to returne to our purpose againe concerning the calamitie of warre the ancient Historiographer Trogus Pompeius reporteth that Ninus King of Assyria first made warre being stirred vp with pride and couetousnesse and first of all others assayed to bring other Nations and Regions vnder his subiection fighting with his neighbours and confines for superioritie wherein he made great effusion of bloud and mightie slaughters of people Yet notwithstanding the same Trogus affirmeth that there were certaine Kings before him who inuaded barbarous Nations and rude Regions to the intent to bring them to be ciuill people For saith hee Fuere quidem temporibus antiquiores Vexores rex Aegypti Scythiae rex Tanais quorum alter in Pontum alter in Aegyptum excessit sed longinqua non finitima bella gerebant nec imperium sibi sed populis suis gloriam tenebant contentique victoria imperio abstinebant There were before him Vexores King of Aegypt and Tanais King of Scythia the one going into Pōtus the other into Egypt and making warre a farre off and not on their neighbors neither did they séeke to get principalitie to themselues but perpetuall glorie to their Countrey men contenting themselues with victorie refrained to holde them vnder subiection sauing in repressing their barbarous maners Therfore saith Pompeius Ninus was the first that made warre because he inuaded his confines and borderers striuing for regiment fighting for superioritie and earnestly going about to get the Kingdomes of his neighbours vnder his subiection and not these Kings who sent their power into forraine countries to tame and make ciuill such barbarous people and to bring them to good gouernment and then to leaue their kingdomes
to their owne authoritie But Ninus hath béen so rightly imitated and iustly followed that at this day warre increaseth of trifling causes to most bloudie battaile Did not the cruell warre of the Persians growe of a small occasion and grudge betwixt Menāder Samius and the Athenians Also the bloudie conflict called Praelium sacrum began about the exaction of the iudgement of the Amphictions the Cheronean warre bred of a light occasion betwixt Philip the Athenians Which warres although they sprang but of friuolous causes could not be ended without great slaughters Therefore it is an easier thing to begin war than to end it wherefore a man ought first to haue a care howe to finish that which he taketh in hand or else he runneth blindly to his enterprise hauing also consideration that whosoeuer shal first begin warre sounding the trumpe of defiance vpon small occasions doth as it were open his gate to be spoyled as well of the forren as domestique enemie such misgouernment disorder there is in warre for the rude and vnbridled rascall doth gape after so fit an opportunitie to deuoure spoyle and rob the honest and true subiect boystrously intruding himselfe into the houses arrogantly challenging to be partakers of the goods substance of the quiet people which they haue long time trauelled for with great paines and carefull toyle so that he who cannot be content to enioy and possesse his owne proper goods priuately with quietnes let him proclaime open warre hee shall soone be rid of that griefe Who is so prone to bloudie broyles as such as haue by euillhusbandrie as they terme it spent their lands goods and substance in vaine pleasures and vile follies Was not Rome in great perill to haue béen spoyled by a notable crue of bankrupts For Lucius Sergius Cataline a noble mā of Rome when hee had by riot spend his patrimonie beeing altogether vnable to maintaine his prodigalitie and wanton vaine in immoderate spending went about to spoile sack and destroy his owne natiue citie and countreymen associating to him in this his greeuous conspiracie such outlawes and bankrouts as either stoode in feare of a law or els such vnthrifts as himselfe as had wantonly and most vainly spent and consumed their goods and possessions which presently were as soone allured as himselfe was ready to entise hoping to be made rich by the spoile of their owne countreymen when they had vnthriftely wasted their owne This rable rout of vnbrideled riotors had wrought their mischieuous purpose to such effect that their wicked enterprice had taken place if by the prouident wise foresight of Cicero it had not beene preuented neither was it knowen that any one Roman of good gouernment or any one that liued orderly in the commonwealth without riot or other bad and lewd conuersation was found culpable or gilty in this dangerous conspiracie although diuers principall and chiefe men at the first were suspected notwithstanding they were in the ende cleerely defended and apparantly freed from that slaunderous reproach and ignomie by their owne Citizens Did not Brennus in like manner leade and conduct a mighty huge bande of Gaules who had before spent their goods by ryot prodigalitie and disordering themselues in many bad and vile misdemeanors spoyling and robbing most vnmercifully the countreys as they marched committing sacriledge with a number of most vile villaines to recouer againe their former vaine expēces Did they not in the end after many cruell acts vnsatiable spoyles and shamefull robberies most miserably perish to the wonderfull example of such spoyling outlawes What was the cause that the Troyans inuaded Italie making such hauock and spoyle in what countrey soeuer they arriued but their greedy couetous mindes to recouer their vnthriftie losses For when they had by their own vnfaithfulnes greatly abused their frends the Greekes with a most shamefull abuse the Greekes in reuengement thereof sacked and spoyled their citie slaying and murthering the vnfaithfull Troyans sauing certaine which afterward made warres in Italie which were saved at the destruction of Troy for betraying their king and citie into the hands of the Grecians this remaine of the disloyall Troyans so scoured and pilled the coastes of diuers countreyes to get and take perforce whatsoeuer they could finger arriued at the last in Italy where they made sharp warre spoyling the people and wasting the Countrey vntill such time as they had taken the whole region from the lawfull inhabitors thereof Thus it is most euident that first warre is begun and set forward either by the vnsatiable person or els by the rebell bankrout or outlaw the one to satisfie his vnbrideled appetite plaguing diuers for his owne priuate gaine the other for his misgouernment and disobedience both to Prince and law to whom warre is swéete and most pleasant to answere their gréedy expectation withall But war to the contented person and quiet subiect is a hell and the very scourge of God the name whereof is most odious and terrible to the quiet minde for it bringeth all miseries and calamities to man as namely plague pestilence sodain death murther bloudy battaile cruel slaughters miserable destruction of many towns ouerthrow of stately cities sword fire and famine with a thousand miseries incidert to man by such a spiteful guest The olde prouerbe saith Dulce bellum inexpertis sed acerbum experientibus Warre is sweete and pleasant to the vnskilfull and ignorant but bitter and vnsauerie to the skilful Yet notwithstanding although war be most fierce and cruell yet is it stoutly to be maintained against the vnsatiable and inuading enemie and with might and maine to be folowed to the beating downe and suppressing of such spitefull foes as are euer ready prest and bent to disturbe a quiet and peaceable kingdome being blinded with auarice doe right soone consent to lamentable slaughters and effusion of bloud it is much more easier to defende a kingdome being already possessed and to repell the aduersarie than to inuade other regions or conquere forraine countreis for it is to be thought that the people will fight more couragiously both for their prince coūtrey libertie wiues and children house and familie than the proud inuading enemy who fights to satisfie his vainglorious minde and vnsatiable appetite Was not Xerxes king of Persia when he inuaded Greece with such an innumerable power who also perceiuing the strēgth of his multitude commanded both sea and laud to obey his pleasure driuē back out of Greece by a small companie of the defending Grecians causing him to flie with spéede home to his owne Countrey againe to his great shame and dishonor Was not such inuading the very chiefe and originall cause that the Romanes subdued Carthage for if the proud and vnsatiable Carthaginiās had not first inuaded Italie and the Romanes their owne Citie and commonwealth could neuer haue béene ouerthrowen and subdued For when first the Carthaginians entered Italie minding to make a whole conquest