the wicked which remaine still are so manie in number that if all those should be hanged that deserue it by Iustice a man could hardly finde hang-men sufficient nor gallowes to hang them vpon Admit according to the varietie of realmes and prouinces that diuers lawes and customes haue beene instituted therein yet for a truth there was neuer nor shall bee found any nation or Common wealth in the world so barbarous but hath beene founded of iustice For to affirme that men can bee preserued without iustice is as much as to say the fish can liue without water How is it possible that a Common Wealth may liue without iustice sith without her cannot bee ruled one onely person Plinie in an Epistle sayeth that he himselffe hauing the charge of a prouince in Affricke demaunded an old man and in gouernement expert what he might doe to administer iustice the aged man answered Doe iustice of thy selfe if thou wilt be a minister thereof For the good iudge with the right yeard of his owne life ought to measure the whole state of the common-wealth And hee sayde further If thou wilt be right with men and cleane before God beware of presumption in thine office For the proud and presumptuous Iudges oftentimes doe contrarie to their wordes and also exceede in their deedes Plinie also sayeth that hee profited more with the counsell this olde man gaue him then with all that euer he had read in his bookes O to how much is hee bound that hath taken vpon him to administer Iustice For if such a one be an vpright man hee accomplisheth that where vnto hee is bound but if such a one of himself be vniust iustly of God hee ought to be punished and likewise of men to bee accused When great Princes commaund their seruants or Subiects any thing that they cannot accomplish them in such sort as they had charge to do then he ought to haue them excused those excepted which gouern realms and prouinces for no man leaueth to administer iustice but for want of knowledge or experience or else through aboundance of affection or malice If a Captaine lose a battel he may excuse himselfe saying his men were fled when they should haue assaulted their enemies A poast may excuse himselfe for that the waters were so high A hunter may say that beast is escaped another way and others such like but a gouernour of a Common wealth what excuse can he haue that he doth not iustice Cōscience ought to burden him and also he ought to bee ashamed to take vpon him the charge of any thing if hee doubt to bring it to effect for shamefast faces and haughty courages either ought to put that in execution which they take vpon them or else they ought to shew a lawful cause why it tooke no effect Let vs knowe what iustice is then we shall know what is meete for the administration thereof The office of a good Iudge is to defend the cōmon wealth to helpe the innocent to aide the simple to correct the offender to helpe the orphanes to doe for the poore to bridle the ambitious finally by iustice he ought to giue each one his owne and to dispossesse those which holde any thing wrongfully of others When a prince commandeth any man to take the charge of iustice and such one doth not seek it of himselfe if perchance he did not in all pointes vprightly in the administration therof he might haue some excuse saying that though hee hath accepted it it was not with intent to erre but because he would obey what shal we say of many which without shame without knowledge experiēce without conscience do procure the office of iustice O if Princes knew what they giue when they giue the charge to any to gouern the Common-welth I sweare vnto you that they were better to giue them goods to find them for twenty yeares then for to trust them with the charge of iustice twenty daies What a thing is it to see some men shamelesse dishonest great talkers gluttons ambitious and couetous the which without any reasonable cause authority or knowledge demaund of Princes an office of iustice as if by iustice they did demaund their owne Would to God the giuer would haue an eye to those which in this case do demaund But what shall wee say of those that doe solicite them procure them importune them beseech them and more then that euen as without shame they doe demaund it so without conscience likewise they buy it There remaineth in this case more as yet that is that if those cursed men doe not attaine to that which they demaund and if those hauing no conscience do not giue it them then they blaspheme and complain of those which are in fauour with princes as if they had done them great iniurie O what trouble is it to good men to accomplish the desires of the euill For the couetous ambitious persons doe but desire that the good mē had the like paine in giuing that they haue in demaunding Many times I haue thought with my selfe wherein so many damages of the Common-wealth should consist such disobedience such contrarieties and so many thefts and in the end I finde that all or the most part proceed in that that they prouide for ministers of iustice not for conscience sake but for couetousnesse onely Admit that it appertaine to all to desire and procure iustice yet to none it appertaineth so much to procure and defend it as to the royall person which the subiects ought sometime to feare but princes are bound to minister it equally to all It is a great matter that princes be pure in life and that their houses bee well ordered to the end that their iustice be of credite and authoritie For he which of himselfe is vniust giueth no hope that another at his hands shold haue iustice He which cannot gouerne his owne house can euill gouerne the common-wealth Those princes which are true in their words cleane in their liues and iust in their works though sometime they erre in the administration of the Common wealth all excuse them saying that they erre not thorough the malice of themselues but rather thorow the euill counsell of others So that all which the good prince doth they commend and all the euill that chanceth they excuse Plutarch in the second Booke of his Common wealth sayeth That herein some Princes differ from others For the euill Prince is onely obeyed but the good Prince is obeyed feared and loued And moreouer hee that is good maketh heauy things light with his goodnesse and the Tyrant that is euill maketh things which are light to be very heauy through his naugh tinesse Happie is the prince which is obeyed but much more happy is he which is obeyed feared and loued for the body is weary oftentimes to obey but the heart is neuer constrained to loue Titus the Emperour was once demanded of these two things
sonne in lawes in maintaining processes in discharging debts in fighing for that is past in bewayling that that is present in dissembling iniuries in hearing woful newes and in other infinite trauels I So that it were much better to haue their eyes shut in the graue thē their hearts and bodies aliue to suffer so much in this miserable life He whom the gods take from this miserable life at the end of fiftie yeeres is quitted from all these miseries of life For after that time hee is not weake but crooked hee goeth not but rowlleth he stumbleth nor but falleth O my Lord Marke knowest thou not that by the same way whereby goeth death death cometh Knowest not thou in like manner that it is 62. yeers that life hath fled from death that there is another time asmuch that death goeth seeking thy life and death going from Illiria where he left a great plague thou departing frō thy pallace ye two haue now met in Hungarie Knowest not thou that where thou leapedst out of thy mothers intrailes to gouerne the land immediately death leaped out of his grauè to seeke thy life Thou hast alwayes presumed not onely to bee honored but also to be honorable if it bee so since thou honouredst the Embassadors of Princes which did send them the more for their profite then for thy seruice why dost thou not honor thy messenger whom the gods send more for thy profite then for their seruices Doest thou not remember well when Vulcan my sonne in law poysoned me more for the couetousnesse of my gods then any desire that hee had of my life thou Lord that diddest come to comfort mee in my chamber and toldst me that the gods were cruell to slay the yong and were pitiful to take the old from this world And thou saidst further these wordes Comfort thee Panutius for if thou wert borne to the now thou drest to liue Since therefore noble Prince that I tell thee that which thou toldst me and counsell thee the same which thou counsellest me I render to thee that which thou hast giuen me Finally of these vines I haue gathered these cluster of grapes CHAP. LII The answer of the Emperour Marcus to Panutius his Secretarie wherein he declareth that he tooke no thought to forsake the world but all his sorow was to leaue behind him an vnhappie child to inherit the Empire PAnutius blessed be the milke which thou hast sucked in Dacia the bread which thou hast eaten in Rome the larning which thou hast learned in Greece and the bringing vppe which thou hast had in my pallace For thou hast serued as a good seruant in life and giuest mee good counsell as a trustie friende at death I command Commodus my son to recompence thy seruice and I beseech the immortall gods that they acquite thy good counsels And not without good cause I charge my son with the one and requrie the gods of the other For the payment of many seruices one man alone may doe but to pay one good counsell it is requisite to haue all the gods The greatest good that a friend can doe to his friend is in great and waightie affaires to giue him good and wholesome counsell And not without cause I say wholesome For commonly it chaunceth that those which thinke with their counsell to remedy vs doe put vs oftentimes in greatest perils All the trauells of life are hard but that of death is the most hard and terrible Al are great but this is the greatest All are perillous but this is most perrillons All in death haue ende except the trauell of death whereof wee know no end that which I say now no men perfectly can know but he which seeth himselfe as I see my selfe now at the point of death Certainly Panutius thou hast spoken vnto mee as a wise man but for that thou knowst not my griefe thou couldst not cure my disease for my sore is not there where thou hast layde the plaister The fistula is not there where thou hast cutte the flesh The opilation is not there where thou hast layd the oyntments There were not the right veines where thou didst let me bloud Thou hast not yet touched the wound which is the cause of all my griefe I meane that thou oughtest to haue entred further with mee to haue knowne my griefe better The sighes which the heart fetcheth I say those which come from the heart let not euerie man think which heareth them that he can immedialy vnderstand them For as men cannot remedie the anguishes of the spirit so the gods likewise would not that they should know the secrets of the heart Without feare or shame many dare say that they know the thought of others wherein they shew themselues to bee more fooles then wise For since there are many things in me wherein I my selfe doubt how can a stranger haue any certaine knowledge therein Thou accusest me Panutius that I feare death greatly the which I deny but to feare it as man I doe confesse For to deny that I feare not death should bee to denie that I am not of flesh We see by experience that the Elephants do feare the Lyon the Beare the Elephant the wolfe the Beare the Lambe the Wolfe the Rat the Cat the Cat the Dog the Dog the man Finally the one and the other do feare for no other thing but for feare that one killeth not the other Then since bruite beasts refuse death the which though they die feare not to fight with the suries nor hope not to rest with the gods so much the more ought we to feare death which die in doubt whether the furies will teare vs in peeces with their torments or the gods will receiue vs in to their houses with ioy Thinkest thou Panutius that I doe not see well my vine is gathered and that it is not hid vnto me that my palace falleth in decay I know well that I haue not but the kernell of the Raison the skin and that I haue not but one sigh of all my life vntill this time There was great difference betweene me and thee now there is no great difference betwixt me and my selfe For about the ensign thou dost place the army In the riuers thou castest thy nets within the parkes thou huntest the buls in the shadow thou takest cold By this I meane that thou talkest so much of death because that thou art sure of thy life O miserable man that I am for in short space of all that is life I haue possessed with mee I shall carrie nothing but onely my winding sheete Alasse how shall I enter into the field not where of fierce beasts I shall bee assaulted but of the hungrie wormes deuoured Alasse I see my selfe in that distresse from whence my fraile flesh cannot escape And if any hope remaine it is in thee O death When I am sicke I would not that hee that is whole should comfort me When
although it may be borne betweene men of like degree and coequalitie yet is it not tollerable between the prince the fauored of the Prince But rather euery day houre moment that the Fauoured Courtyer entreth into the Princes pallace or into his priuy-chamber hee ought euer to doe it with as great curtesie reuerence humilitie and honour and in speaking to the King as if hee had neuer spoken with him nor seene him So that hee should let all men see that though it please the Kings Majesty to make of him and to accept him into his fauour yet that hee leaue not to serue him and doe him that duety that all other seruants doe and are bounde to doe The safest and most certaine way to maintaine those that are sublimated and exalted in the Courtes of Princes and to raise vp and bring those to aucthority that are lowe and of base condition is that the esteemed repute himselfe euer a Seruant and that the seruant neuer vaunt nor boast himselfe to be fauoured or esteemed The familiars of Princes ought euer to beware that there come no complaints of them to the Princes care For as a drop of Water by Time and continuall Fall commeth to pierce the hardest stone so it might happen that the numbers of complaints might bee occasion for the prince to withdrawe his fauor and loue from the Courtier againe If his only seruices were sufficient to induce the Prince to fauor loue him so the number of his subiects coÌ„plaints against him were occasion enough to make him mislike him and and put him out of fauor clean changing his loue and fauor to hate and discredite For it is a certaine thing that when the Prince doth looke well into his owne doings he had rather be be loued of all then serued of one alone The honored Fauorite of the Court may not so much regarde the honour and credit he is called to by his prince as the basenes and pouertie he was in when it pleased the king to like of him and that he came first acquainted with the King For if he did otherwise it might so happen that like as Fortune had brought him to that high estate hee had So Pride might ouerthrow him againe and bring him as low as hee was before For I should haue saide more truely a great deale saying That it would haue made him fall downe right beeing the propertie of Fortune to suffer the baser sort whom she hath caled to honour onely to returne them to their meane estate calling they were of at first and neuer to leaue the fauored of the Prince and men of aucthoritie nor neuer satisfied till shee hath throwne them downe headlong into extreame misery neuer to rise againe Agathocles first the sonne of a Potter and afterwards made king of Scicilia whilst hee liued hee euer vsed this manner that in his treasurie or iewell house yea and also at his Table amongst all his cups and dishes of gold and siluer hee had also some of Earth amongst them and beeing asked the occasion why in so great a Treasurie and masse of golde and siluer he had so vile and base a thing as Earth Hee aunswered thus I drinke in golden cups and eate in Earthen dyshes to giue thankes vnto the Gods which of a Potters-sonne that I was brought mee to this Royall estate of a mighty King And I do it also to haue euer more cause to bee humble and lowly and to flye Pryde For it is an easier thing and more likelyer for a king to become a Potter then for a Potter to attain to the greatnes state of a king These wordes of Agathocles were euer worthie to bee noted and had in â—â—nory since we see plainly that to giue a man a fall a little stone sufficeth to make vs stumble and fall to the ground but to rayse vs vp againe wee must needes helpe vs with power of handes and feet It may well be that this braue Courtier and fauoured of the Court before hee came to this degree of honour was but of a meane house and bâ—fuly borne and besides that esteemed of few for his nobilitie of bloud of an vnknowne Countrey of poore parents of small substance and no better nor otherwise fauoured of fortune in his birth or linage of all which things he hath no cause to be ashamed but rather to glory praise God For hee shall euer bee more esteemed in the Court and wel thoght of to remember from whence hee came and to regarde his first estate then hee shall if he waxe glorious high minded by reason of the fauour he is at this present vtterly forgetting his first rising Titus Liuius reciteth that the renowmed Romane Quintus Cincinnatus before he came to bee made Captaine of Rome hee was taken out of the fields a labouring man plowing tilling the ground And this so noble a person beeing occupied in great affayres of the common weale eyther in prouisions or munitions or in expeditions of warre was wont to sigh before all the Captaines and say Alas who could tell me now any newes how my Beefes doe in my graunge my sheepe in the mountaines and whether my seruauntes haue prouided them of Hay and Pasture for to keepe them the next yeare Surely it is to be thought that whosoeuer speakes these wordes with his mouth must needes haue little pride in his heart And vndoubtedly hee proued his words true and shewed that hee spake as hee thought and in good earnest without intent of iest since afterwards returned home againe to follow the plough to plant his vines and to see his owne thinges gouerned leauing behinde him a perpetuall testimony of his noble and worthy doings And his common Weale also greatly enriched by his famous acts Saul was King of Israel and taken fot a God and was annointed of Samuel his Father a poore husbandman of the Countrey and hee from his youth brought vp in that trade for to holde the plough and yet when hee was King he neuer disdayned for to plough his ground to sow his oates and to driue his beasts now to pasture then home againe So that the good King did glory this day to holde the plough and to morrow to fight with his sword When Fortune therfore sheweth her selfe enemy to any and that from great dignity and high calling shee ouerthroweth him and bringeth him to low and meane estate It is then that he hath good cause to complain of fortunes cruelty and to bewayle his wretched happe ashamed to see his lothsome misery But when shee worketh contrarily and from mean estate brings him to great honour and credite that must needes be great honor and glory to him Therefore I say let them beware that beare rule and authority in the Court that they be not proud glorious high minded neither otherwise detected of any kinde of vice though they be neuer so much in fauour and estimation Sith Fortune sheweth most
to bee borne afore him a burning brand and the Councel an Axe of Armes the Priests a Hatte in manner of a Coyse The Senatours a Crusible on their Armes the Iudges a little Balance the Tribunes Maces the Gouernours a Scepter the Bishoppes Hattes of flowers the Oratours a Booke the Cutler 's a Sword the Goldsmith a pot to melt gold and so forth of all other offices strangers excepted which went al marked after one sort in Rome For they would not agree that a stranger should be apparrelled and marked according to the children of Rome O my friend Pulio it was such a ioy then to behold the Discipline and prosperity of Rome as it is now at this present such a griefe to see the calamitie thereof that by the immortall Gods I sweare to thee and so the God Mars guide my hand in Wars that the man which now is best ordered is not worth so much as the most dissolute person was then For then amongst a thousand they could not find one man vicious in Rome and now amongst twenty thousand they cannot find one vertuous in all Italy I know not why the Gods are so cruell against me and fortune so contrary that this forty yeares I haue done nothing but weepe and lament to see the good men dye and immediately to be forgotten and on the other side to see wicked men liue and to be alwayes in prosperity Vniuersally the noble heart may endure all the troubles of mans life vnlesse it bee to see a good man decay and the wicked to prosper which my heart cannot abide nor yet my tongue dissemble And touching this matter my friend Pulio I will write vnto thee one thing which I found in the booke of the high Capitoll where hee treateth of the time of Marius and Silla which truely is worthy of memory and that is this There was at Rome a custome and a law inuiolable sith the time of Cinna that a Censour expresly commāded by the Senate should goe and visite the Prouinces which were subiect vnto it throughout all Italy and the cause of those visitations was for three things The first to see if any complained of Iustice The second to see in what case the Common-weale stood The third to the end that yearely they should render obedience to Rome O my friend Pulio how thinkest thou If they visited Italie at this present as at that time they suruaied Rome how ful of errours should they finde it And what decay should they see therin thinkest thou Truely as thou knowest they should see the common wealth destroyed Iustice not ministred and moreouer Rome not obeyed and not without iust cause For of right ought that common-wealth to be destroyed which once of all other hath beene the flower and most beautified with vertues and after becommeth most abhominable and defiled with vices The case was such that two years after the wars of Silla and Marius the Censour went yeerly to Nola which is a place in the Prouince of Campania to visite the same Country as the custome was And in those dayes the time and season being very hote and the Prouince quiet not disturbed with warres and perceyuing that none of the people came to him The Censour said to the Host which lodged him Friend I am a Iudge sent from the Senatours of Rome to visite this land Therefore goe thy wayes quickly and call the good men hither which be among the people for I haue to say vnto them from the sacred Senate This Host who peraduenture was wiser then the Romane Iudge although not so rich goeth to the graues of the dead which in that place were buried and spake vnto them with a loude voyce saying O yee good men come away with mee quickly for the Romane Censour calleth you The Iudge perceyuing they came not sent him againe to call them and the Host as he did at the first time so did he now at the second For when he was at the graues with a loud voice he sayd O yee good men come hither for the censour of Rome would talke with you And likewise they were called the third time with the selfe same words And the Censour seeing no body come was maruellous angry and sayde to the Host Sith these good men disdain to come at my commandement and shew their allegiance to the sacred Senate of Rome that were aliue and not those that are dead the Host made answere O thou Romane Iudge if thou wert wise thou wouldest not maruell at that that I haue done For I let thee vnderstand in this our City of Nola all the good men all I say are now dead and lye here buried in these graues Therefore thou hast no cause to maruell nor yet to bee displeased with my aunswere but I rather ought to bee offended with thy demaund willing me to enquire for good men and thou thy selfe dost offend with the euill dayly Wherefore I let thee know if thou bee ignorant thereof if thou wilt speake with any good man thou shalt not finde him in all the whole world vnlesse the dead bee reuiued or except the Goas will make a new creation The Consull Silla was fiue moneths our Captaine in this our City of Nola in Campania sowing the fruit which ye other Romaines gathered that is to say he left children without Fathers Fathers without children daughters without Mothers and Husbands without Wiues Wiues without Husbands Vncles without Nephewes Subiects without Lords Lords without Tenants Gods without Temples Temples without Priestes Mountaines without Heards and fieldes without fruites And the worst of all is that this wicked and cursed Silla dispeopled this our City of good and vertuous men and replenished it with wicked and vitious persons Ruine and decay neuer destroyed the Walles so much neyther the Mothes euer so many garments nor the Worme rotted so much fruit nor yet the Hayle beate downe so much corne as the disorder and vices of Sylla the Romane Consull did harme which hee brought vnto this land of Campania And although the mischiefe and euils that hee did heere to the men were manifold great yet much greater herein was that which he did to their Customes and Manners For in the end the good men which hee beheaded are now at rest with the dead but the vices which hee left vs in this Land there are none but proude and arrogant men that delight to commaund In this land there are none other but enuious men that know nought else but malice In this land there are idle men which doe nothing but loose their time In this land there are none but gluttons which doe nothing but eate In this land there are none but theeues which entend nought else but robberies In this land there are none but rebels that do nothing but stirre sedition And if thou and all the Romanes esteeme these men for good tarry a while I will goe to call them all to thee For if wee should
to gather with trauell the grape know thou that heere in my palace thou shalt not want of the wine The Gods will not suffer that now in this moment thou shuldst find my heart shut from thee whose gates I found alwaies for the space of twentie yeares open vnto mee Sith that my Fortunes wrought me to the Empire I haue alwayes had two things things before mine eyes that is to say not to reuenge my selfe of mine enemies neither to bee vnthankfull to my friends For I pray to the Gods daylie rather then hereafter through vnthankfulnes my renowm should be defamed that euen now with forgetfulnes my bodie should be buryed Let a man offer to the Gods what sacrifices he will let him doe as much seruice to men as he can yet if he be vnthankfull to his friend hee ought in all and for all to bee vtterly condemned Because thou shouldest see my friend Pulio how greatly the auncient friend ought to bee esteemed I will declare thee an example of a Philosopher the which to heare thou wilt somewhat reioyce The auncient Histories of the Grecians declare that among the seuen Sages of Greece there was one named Periander who was Prince Gouernour a great while and he had in him such liuelinesse of Spirit on the one side and such couetousnesse of worldly goods on the other side that the Historiographers are in doubte whether was the greater the Philosophy that hee taught reading in the Schooles or the tyranny that hee vsed in robbing the Common-wealth for truly the science which is not grounded of truth bringeth great damages to the person In the second yeare of my Empire I was in the City of Corinth where I saw the Graue which contained the bones of Periander where about was engrauen in Greeke verses and old letter this Epitaph Within the compasse of this narrow graue Wretched Periander enclosed lyes Whose cruel facts could Greece alone not haue So small a soyle his hunger could suffice Here lodgeth oke loe Periander dead His filthy flesh the hungry wormes doe eate And liuing he with Orphelines good was fed His greedy guts did craue such dainty meate The Tyrant Periander stayeth here Whose life was built to hinder all the rest And eke whose death such profit large did bear As brought reliefe to him that had the least Here wicked Periander resteth now His life did cause great peopled realmes decay His death that forst his liuing sprite to how Assurde them life that stoode in brittle stay The cursed Periander heere doth lye Whose life did shed the poore and simple blood And eke that clambe to riches rule so hye By others swette they sought for wasting good Of Corinth loe here Periander rest To seeme for iust that equall Lawes did frame Yet flitting from the square that they possest By vertues doome deserude a Tyrants name The Catiue Periander sleepeth here That finisht hath his 80. years with shame And though his life that thousands bought so deer Be faded thus yet bloometh stil his blame There was more letters on the graue but because it was alone in the fielde the great waters had worne it so that scarsely the letters could bee roade and truely it was very olde in his time it seemed to bee a sumptuous thing but the negligence of reparation lost it quite and it is not to bee maruelleed at for in the end time is of such power that it causeth renowmed men to be forgotten and all the sumptuousbuildings to decay and fall to the earth If thou wilt know my friend Pulio in what time the tyrant this Philosopher was I will thou know that when Catania the renowned City was builded in Cicilia neere the Mount Ethna and when Perdica was the 4. King of Macedonia and that Cardiced was the third King of the Medes and when Candare was fift king of the Libeans and that Assaradoche was ninth King of the Assyrians and when Merodache was twelfth King of the Caldeaus and that Numa Pompilius raigned second King of the Romanes and in the time of those so good Kinges Periander raigned amongst the Assirians And it is meete thou know an other thing also which is this That this Periander was a Tyrant not only in deede but also in renowme so that they spake of no other thing thorow Greece but it tended hereunto Though hee had euill works hee had good words and procured that the affayres of the Common-wealth should bee well redressed For generally There is no man so good but a man may finde somewhat in him to bee reproued neyther any man so euill but hee hath some thing in him to bee commended I doe yet remember of my age being neyther too yong nor too old that I saw the Emperour Traian my Lord suppe once in Agrippine and it so chanced that wordes were moued to speake of good and euill Princes in times past as wel of the Greekes as of the Romans that all those which were present there cōmended greatly the Emperour Octauian and they all blamed the cruell Nero for it is an ancient custom to flatter the princes that are present and to murmur at Princes that are past When the good Emperour Traian was at dinner and when he praied in the Temple it was maruell if any man saw him speake any word and that day since hee saw that they excessinely praysed the Emperour Octauian and that the others charged the Emperour Nero with more then needed the good Traian spake vnto them these words I am glad you commend the Emperour Octauian but I am angry you should in my presence speake euill of the Emperour NERO and of none other for it is great infamy to a Prince being aliue to heare in his presence any Prince euill reported after his death Truely the Emperour Octauian was very good but yee will not deny me but hee might haue beene better and the Emperour Nero was very euill but you will graunt mee hee might haue beene worse I speake this because Nero in his first fiue yeares was the best of all and the other nine following he was the worst of all so that there is both cause to disprayse him and also cause to commend him When a vertuous man will speake of Princes that are dead before Princes which are aliue hee is bound to prayse onely one of their vertues that they had and hath no licence to reueale the vices whereof they were noted for the good deserueth reward because he endeauoureth himselfe to follow vertue and the euill likewise deserueth pardon because through frailety he hath consented to vice All these wordes the Emperour Traian spake I being present they were spoken with such fiercenes that all those which were there present both chaunged their colour and also refrayned their tongues For truly the shamelesse man feeleth not so much a great stripe of correction as the gentle heart doth a sharpe worde of admonition I was willing to shew thee these things my
at my desire doe it for that thou art bound For many men oft-times condiscend to doe that which they would not more for vertues sake then to satisfie the demand of any other Thou shalt take that which my Embassador shall giue and beleeue that which he shall tell in my behalfe and by this my letter I doe promise thee that when thou shalt ariue here I will make thee treasorer of my coffers only counsailour of mine affaires secretary of my counsell father of my children reformer of my Realme master of my person and Gouernour of my Commonwealth finally Anacharsis shall be Cresus because Cresus may be Anacharsis I say no more but the gods haue thee in their custody to whom I pray that they may hasten thy comming The Embassadour departed to goe to Athens bearing with him this letter and many sewels and bagges of gold and by chance Anacharsis was reading in the Vniuersitie at the arriuall of the Ambassadors of Athens Who onely sayd and did his message to Anacharsis presenting vnto him the gifts and the letter Of which thing all those of the Vniuersitie maruelled for the barbarous Princes were not accustomed to seek Phylosophers to gouern their commonwealth but to put them to death and take from them their liues After the great Phylosopher Anacharsis had heard the Ambassage seene the gifts and receiued the lerter with out altering his countenance or elation of his person impediment in his tong or desire of the riches immediatly before the phisophers sayd these words which hereafter are written The letter of the Phylosopher Anacharsis to the king Cresus ANacharsis the least of the Phylosophers which to thee Cresus most mightie and puissant king of Lides the health which thou wishest him and the increase of vertue which thou sendest him They haue told vs many things here in these parts as well of thy Realme as of thy person and there in those parts they say many things as wel of our Vniuersitie as of my selfe For the heart taketh great pleasure to know the conditions and liues of all those in the world It is well done to desire and procure to know all the liues of the euill to amend our owne It is well done to procure and know the liues of the good for to follow them but what shall we doe since now a daies the euill doe not desire to know the liues of the euill but for to couer them and keepe them secret and doe not desire to know the liues of the good for to follow them I let thee know king Cresus that the Phylosophers of Greece felt not so much paine to be vertuous as they felt in defending them from the vitious For if a man once behold vertue immediatly she suffereth to be taken but the euill for any good that any man can doe vnto them neuer suffers themselues to be vanquished I beleeue well that tyrannie of the Realm is not so great as they talke of here neither oughtest thou likewise to beleeue that I am so vertuous as they report me to be here For in mine opinion those which declare newes of strange countries are as the poore which weare their garments al patched and peeced wherof the peeces that were sowne on a new are in more quantitie of cloth then the old which before they had when they were first made Beware king Cresus and bee not as the barbarous Princes are which vse good words to couer the infamy of their cruel deeds Maruel not though we Phylosophers readers in schooles desire not to liue with princes and gouernors of realms For euil Princes for none other intent seeke the company of wise men but onely because they would through them excuse their faults For doing as thou doest of will and not of right you will that the vulgar people thinke you do it by the counsel of a wise man I let thee vnderstand king Cresus that the prince which desireth to gouerne his people well ought not to be content to haue one onely Sage in his Pallace For it is not meete that the gouernement of many do consist in the aduise of one alone The Ambassadour hath sayde by word and the selfe same thy letter testifieth that thou art certified that I am counted for Sage throughout all Greece that this presupposed I wold come to thee to gouerne thy commonwealth And for the contrary thou doing thus as thou doest condemnest mee to be an Idiot for thou thinking that I would take thy gold is nothing else but for to raile vpon me as a foole The chiefe point wherein true philosophy is knowne is when he despiseth the things of the world for there neuer agreeth together the libertie of the soule and the care of the goods in this life O king Cresus I let thee vnderstand that hee which knoweth most the cause of the Element is not called Sage but it is he which least knoweth the vices of this world For the true phylosopher profiteth more by not knowing the euill then by learning the good I let thee vnderstand I am threescore and seuen yeares old and yet neuer before this time there reigned ire in me but when thy Ambassage was presented to me and that I saw layde at my feete such treasures and riches For vpon this deed I gather that either wisedome lacketh in thee or that great couetousnes aboundeth in me I doe send thee thy gold againe which thou sendest me and rhy Ambassadour shall declare as witnesse of sight how greatly it hath slandered all Greece For it was neuer seene nor heard of that in any wise they should suffer gold to enter into the Vniuersitie of Athens For it should not onely bee a dishonour to the Phylosophers of Greece to haue riches but also it would turne them to great infamie to desire them O King Cresus if thou knowest it not it is but reason thou know it that in the Schooles of Greece wee learne not to command but to obey not to speake but to be silent not to resist but to humble our selues not to get much but to content vs with little not to reuenge offences but to pardon iniuries not to take from others but to giue our owne not to be honored but to trauaile to be vertuous finally we learne to despise that which other men loue and to loue that which other men despise which is pouertie Thou thoughtest that I would accept thy gold or else that I would not If thou thoughtest I would haue taken it then thou haddest had reason not to haue receiued me afterwards into thy Palace for it is a great infamie that the couetous man shuld be acceptable to a Prince If thou thoughtst that I wold none of it thou wert not wise to take the pains to send it for Princes ought neuer to take vpon them things wherein as they thinke that subiects should lose their honestie in receiuing them Seeking Cresus and behold that by diligence it litle auayleth
great Lordes ought to recommend their children to their Maisters to the ende they may teache them to change their appetites and not to follow their owne will so that they withdrawe them from their owne will and cause them to learne the aduise of another For the more a man giueth a Noble mans sonne the bridle the more harder it is for them to receyue good doctrine CHAP. XXXIII Princes ought to take heede that theyr Children bee not brought vp in pleasures and vayne delightes For ofte times they are so wicked that the Fathers would not onely haue them with sharpe discipline corrected but also with bitter teares buryed BY experience we see that in Warre for the defence of men Rampiers and Forts are made according to the qualitie of the enemyes and those which saile the daungerous Seas doe chuse great Ships which may breake the waues of the raging Seas So that all wise men according to the quality of the danger doe seeke for the same in time some remedie Ofte times I muse with my selfe and thinke if I could finde anie estate anie age anie Land anie Nation anie Realme or any World wherein there hath beene any man that hath passed this life without tasting what aduersitie was For if such an one were found I thinke it should bee a monstrous thing throughout all the earth and by reason both the deade and liuing should enuie him In the ende after my count made I find that he which but yesterday was rich to day is poore hee that was whole I see him to day sicke he that yesterday laughed to day I see him weepe he that had his hearts ease I see him now sore afflicted hee that was Fortunate now I see him vnluckie Finally him whome lately we knew aliue in the towne now wee see buryed in the graue And to be buryed is nothing else but to be vtterly forgotten For mans friendship is so fraile that when the Corps is couered with earth immediatly the dead is forgotten One thing me thinketh to all men is grieuous and to those of vnderstandng no lesse painfull which is that the miseries of this wicked world are not equally deuided but that oft times all worldly calamityes lyeth in the necke of one man alone For we are so vnfortunate that the worlde giueth vs pleasures in sight and troubles in proofe If a man should aske a Sage man now a daies who hath liued in meane estate and that hee would bee contented to tell him what hee hath past since three yeares that he beganne to speake vntill fiftie yeares that hee began to waxe olde what things thinke you he would telvs that hath chanced vnto him truely all these that follow The griefes of his Children the assaults of his enemyes the importunities of his wife the wantonnes of his daughters sicknes in his person great losse of goods generall famine in the citie cruel plagues in his countrey extreame colde in winter noysom heate in Summer sorrowfull deaths of his friendes and enuious prosperities of his enemyes Finally hee will say that hee passed such and so manie things that oft times he bewailed the woful life and desired the sweet death If the miserable man hath passed such things outwardly what would he say of those which he hath suffered inwardly the which though some discrete men may know yet truly others dare not tell For the trauells which the bodie passeth in 50. yeares may well bee counted in a day but that which the heart suffereth in one day cānot be counted in a hundred yeres A man cannot denie but that wee would count him rash which with a reede would meet another that hath a sword and him for a foole that wold put off his shooes to walke vpon the Thornes But without comparison we ought to esteeme him for the most foole that with his tender flesh thinketh to preuaile against so manie euill fortunes for without doubt the man that is of his body delicate passeth his life with much paine Oh how happie may that man bee called which neuer tasted what pleasure meaneth For men which from their infancie haue bin brought vp in pleasures for want of wisedome know not how to chuse the good and for lacke of force cannot resist the euill which is the cause that Noble-mens children oft times commit sundry heinous offences For it is an infallible rule that the more a man giueth himselfe to pleasures the more he is intangled in vices It is a thing worthie to be noted and woefull to see how polliticke we be to augment things of honour how bolde we be to enterprize them how fortunate to compasse them how diligent to keepe them how circumspect to sustaine them and afterward what pittie it is to see how vnfortunate we are to loose all that which so long time we haue searched for kept and possessed And that which is most to bee lamented in this case is that the goods and Honours are not lost for want of diligence and trauell of the father but for the aboundance of pleasures and vices of the sonne Finally let the Riche man knowe that that which hee hath wonne in labour and toyle waking his Sonne beeing euill brought vp shal consume in pleasures sleeping One of the greatest vanities that reigneth at this day amongst the children of vanitie is that the Father cannot shewe vnto his Sonne the loue which he beareth him but in suffering him to be brought vp in the pleasures and vanities of this life Truly he that is such a one ought not to be called a pittifull father but a cruell step-father for no man will denie me this but that where there is Youth liberty pleasure and Money there will all the vices of this world be resident Lycurgus the great King giuer of lawes and sage Philosopher ordained to the Lacedemonians that all the children which were borne in Citties and good Townes should bee sent to be brought vp in villages till they were xxv yeares of age And Liuius saith that the Lygures were which in olde time were confederates with those of Capua and great enemyes to the people of Rome They had a Lawe amongst them that none should take wages in the warres vnlesse he had bin brought vp in the fields or that he had bin a heard man in the Moūtains so that through one of these two waies their flesh was hardned their joyntes accustomed to suffer the heate and the cold and their bodies more meete to endure the trauells of the warres In the yeare of the foundation of Rome 140. the Romalnes made cruell warres with the Lygures against whome was sent Gneus Fabritius of the which in the end he triumphed and the day following this triumph hee spake vnto the Senate in these words Worthie Senatours I haue beene these fiue yeares against the Ligures and by the immortall Gods I sweare vnto you that in all this time there passed not one weeke but wee had eyther battell or some
passioned in casting his seruice in the Princes teeth saying All others haue been recompenced saue onely him whom the Prince hath cleane forgotten For Princes will not that wee onely serue them but that we also at their willes and pleasures tarry for recompence and not to haue it when wee gape or are importune for it Howbeit it is lawfull notwithstanding humbly and lowly without choler or passion to put the Prince in remembrance of all that wee haue done for him and of the long time we haue spent in seruing him Also the curious Courtier shall not shew himselfe to dislike at all of the Prince neyther by heaping of many words to induce him to hear him with the better good will For mens hearts are so prone to ill that for one onely vnpleasant or ouerthwart word spoken to them they lightly forget a thousand seruices done them Socrates being one day demanded what hee thought of the Princes of Greece answered There is no other difference betweene the names and propeties of the gods that of princes but that the gods were immortall and these mortall For these mortall princes vse in a manner the like authoritie heere in earth that the Gods immortall do in Heauen aboue Saying further also that I alwaies was am and will bee of that minde that my mother Greece remain a common weale But since it is determined to bee gouerned by princely Monarchy I wish them in al and for al to acknowledge their obedience and allegiance to their King and Soueraigne For when they would otherwise vse it they may bee assured they shall not onely goe against mortal Princes but also against the eternall God Suetonius Tranqutllus sayth that Titus the Emperour being aduertised that the Consuls would kill him and vsurpe his Empire aunswered thus wisely Euen as without the diuine will and prouidence I could neuer haue possessed the Emperiall Crowne so without their permission sufferāce it lyeth in no mans power to depraue mee of it For to vs men it pertayneth onely to keepe the Emperiall iurisdiction and to the gods alone to giue and defend it Which wee haue spoken to the end no man presume to be reuenged of his Prince neyther in word nor deede for to speake ill of him wee should rather purchase vs their high indignation and displeasure then procure vs any cause or suggestion to be reuenged of him Let the good Courtier bee also aduised that in talking with the Prince he bee not too obstinate to contende with the Prince or any other in the Princes presence For this name of arrogant and selfe willed becommeth not the person of a wise Courtier For we know that in sport and argument euery man desireth to ouercome how trifling soeuer the matter bee And therefore wee reade in the Life of the Emperour Seuerus that Publius the Consull iested one day with Fabritius his Companion and tolde him he was in loue Whom Fabritius answered I do doe confesse it is a fault to bee in loue but yet it is a greater faulte for thee to bee so obstinate as thou art for loue proceedeth of wit and discretion but obstinacy commeth of folly and great ignorance If perchance the King aske the Courtiers opinion in those matters they discoursed if he know his opinion to agree with the Princes Let him therfore tell it him hardly but if it be contrary let him holde his peace not contend against him framing som honest excuse to conceale his opinion But if perhaps the King were obstinate and bent to his opinion in any thing and that through his selfe will and obstinacie he would do any thing vnreasonable or preiudiciall to his Common-wealth and that great detriment might come thereby yet for all this in such case the Beloued Courtier should not at that instant be too plain with him to let him vnderstand his error neyther yet should hee suffer him altogether to passe his way vntouched but in some fine manner and proper words as may become the place best to giue him to vnderstand the truth But to vse it with more discretion hee shall not need before them all to open his whole mind but to keepe his opinion secret expecting a more apter time when the King shall be apart in his Priuie Chamber and then franckely to tell him his whole minde with all humility and reuerence and to shew him the plaine truth without keeping any one thing from his knowledge For otherwise in telling the King openly he should make him ashamed and in dissembling his faulte also priuily he should not be admonished of his error committed Now therefore let our conclusion bee that the Courtier that proceeds in his matters rather with opinion obstinacy then discretion and iudgement shall neuer be in fauour with the Prince nor yet beloued in the Court For it is as necessary for the Courtier that will seeke the fauour of the Prince and loue of the Court to impose his tongue to silence as it is to dispose his body to all manner of seruice I know there are some such rash vndiscreet and arrogant fooles that as much do boast and reioyce to haue spoken vndiscreetly to the King and without respect of his princely Maiesty as if they had done some maruellous thankefull seruice with whome truely no man ought to be greatly offended for such fond bosts and vants as they make and much lesse also with that that happens to them afterward The Courtier also must bee well aduised that albeit the king for his pleasure doe priuilie play with his handes or iest with his tongue with the Courtier and that he take great pleasure in it yet that he in no case presume to doe the like yea thoogh hee were assured the Kings Maiesty would take it well but let him modestly behaue himselfe and shew by his words and countenance that hee thinketh the Prince doth honour him in pleasing his Maiesty to vse those pastimes and pleasant deuises with so vnworthy a person as he is For the Prince may lawfully play and sport himselfe with his Lordes and Gentlemen but so may not they againe with him For so doing they might be counted very fond and light With a mans companions and coequals it is lawfull fot euery man to bee merry and playe with all But with the Prince let no man so hardy once presume further more then to serue honour and obey him So that the wise Courtier must endeauour himselfe alwayes to come in fauour by his wisedome and courtly behauiour in mattsrs of weight and importance and by great modesty and grauity in thinges of sport and pastime Therefore Plutarch in his Apothegmes sayth That Alcibiades amongst the Greekes a worthy Captaine and a man of his owne Nature disposed to much mirth pleasure being asked once by some of his familiar friends why he neuer laughed in Theaters Banquets and other cōmon playes where hee was aunswered them thus Where others eate I faste where others
times Princes are so earnest of their game and so desirous to kill that they hunt that they are wonte boldly to chase the beastes they hunt and pursue them so that oftentimes they lose the sight of the rest In such a case the good Courtier must euer haue his eyes vpon him and rather seeke to follow the King then to take pleasure in hunting of other beasts for in that case it shal be a better hunting for him to finde out the King and to be with him then he should take pleasure in being alone with the Hart. It may happen lightly that the king galloping his horse vpon the rockie stones he might stūble at such a stone as both the King and his horse should come to the ground and at that time it could not be but very profitable to the Courtier to bee present For it might so happen that by means of the Princes fall he being ready to helpe him he might thenceforth beginne to grow in fauour and credite with the Prince The most part of those that delight to goe a hunting are wont commonly to eate their meate greedily drinke out of measure and besides to shout and make a wonderful noise as they were out of their wits which thinges the graue and wise Courtier should not do for they are rather fit for vagabonds idle persons that set not by their honesty then they are for the honest Courtier that only desireth and endeauoreth by modesty wise behauiour to become great and in fauour CHAP. X. Of the great pains and troubles the Courtier hath that is toilde in sutes of Law and how hee must suffer and behaue himselfe with the Iudges THere are in the Court also diuers kindes of men that bee not Courtiers Princes seruants but only are Courtiers of necessity by reason of suites they haue with the counsell And these manner of Courtiers haue as much need of counsell as of helpe for hee that hath his goods in hazard hath also his life in ieopardy To speake of the diuers and subtill wayes of suffering it is no matter worthy to bee written with ynke but onely with liuely bloud For indeed if euery one of these suters were forced to abide for his faith and beleeue those paines troubles and sorrowes that he doth to recouer his goods as much cruelty as tortures should Vaglioditi and Grauata haue as euer had Rome in times past In my opinion I thinke it a hell to continue a long suter And surely we may beleeue yea and sweare to that the Martyrs executed in olde time in the Primitiue Church which were many in number did not suffer so much neyther felt such griefe to loose their life as doth now a daies an honest man to see himselfe depriued of all his faculties It is a great trouble and charge to recouer any thing but in the end of these two effects a wise man suffereth and feeleth more the displeasure he receyueth then he doth the goods hee spendeth And in my iudgement to striue and contend is nothing else but to bring matter to the hart to sigh and lament to the Eyes to weepe to the Feet to go to the Tongue to complaine to the handes to spend to intreat his Friendes to fauour his cause and to commaund his seruaunts to be carefull and diligent and his bodie to labour continually He that vnderstandeth not the conditions of contention I will let him know they are these which follow Of a rich man to become poore of a mery man to be made sad and Melancholie of a free man a bond-man of a liberall man a couetous man of a quiet man an vnquyet person and of a htaefull a desperate person How is it otherwise possible but that the haplesse Poore Suter must become desperate seeing the Iudge looketh vppon him with a frowning counteuaunce his goods to bee demaunded of him wrongfully and that now it is so long a time hee hath not bin at home and knoweth not as yet whether Sentence shall be giuen with him or against him And besides all this that the Pooreman in his lingring Sute hath spent so much that hee hath not left him sixe pence in his purse If any of these troubles be ynough to bring a man to his end much more shal they be to make the poore-man desperate and weary of his life So diuers are the effects and successes seene in matters of Sutes that many times there is no wit able to dyrect them nor goods to bring them to end Nay wee may boldly and truely say that the Lawes are so many diffuse of themselues and mens iudgements so simple to vnderstand them that at this day there is no Suite in the world so cleer but there is found another law to put that in doubt make it voyd And therfore the good and ill of the Suter consisteth not so much in the reason he hath as in the Law which the Iudge chuseth to giue iudgmēt of It is well that the Suter belieue and thinke that he hath right but the chiefest thing of importaunce is that the Iudge also desire that hee haue his right For that Iudge that fauoureth my cause and desireth to doe mee Iustice he will labour and study to seeke out some Law that shal serue my turn to restore mee againe to my right To contend is so profound a science that neither Socrates to the Athenians nor Solon to the Greeks nor Numa Pom pylius to the Romaines nor Prometheus to the Egiptians nor Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians nor Plato to his Disciples nor Apolonius to the Poets of Nemesis nor Hiarcus to the Indians could euer teach it them and much lesse could they tell how to finde anie way to write it in the bookes of their Common-wealth The cause why these famous men did not finde it was because this Science could not be learned by studying of diuers bookes nor by trauelling through diuers countreyes but onely by framing great Sutes and Processes and by infinite charge and expences of money Happie yea truly and most treble happie were those ages in which they neither knew nor yet could tell what strife or contention meant For indeede from that time hetherto the world hath fallen to decay and chiefly since men haue grown to quarrel and each one contēded with his neighbor Plato was wont to say that in that Commonweale where there were found many Physitians it was also an euident token that there were many vicious people and likewise we may say that in that Citie where there are manie Suters it is to bee thought it followes also that there are many yll disposed-people That onely may be called a blessed and fortunate Common Weale where men liue quietly and haue not to doe with Iustices nor Iudges for it is a true rule when Physitians are much frequented and Iudges much occupied that amongst that people there is little health and lesse quiet But to returne to the troubles of our
yea and surmount and surpasse many but yet I doe aduise thē not to employ their force but to follow one For often times it chanceth that many which suppose themselues in their life to excell all when they are dead are scarcelie found equall vnto any Though man hath done much and blazed what he can yet in the end he is but one one mind one power one birth one life and one death Then sithence hee is but one let no man presume to know more then one Of all these good Princes which I haue named in the rowle of iustice the last was Marcus Aurelius to the intent that he should weaue his webbe For suppose we reade of many Princes that haue compiled notable things the which are to bee reade and knowne but all that Marcus Aurelius sayde or did is worthy for to be knowne and necessary to bee followed I doe not meane this Prince in his Heathen law but in his vertuous deedes Let vs not stay at his beleefe but let vs embrace the good that hee did For compare many Christians with some of the Heathen and looke how farre we leaue them behind in faith so farre they excell vs in good and vertuous works All the olde Princes in times past had some Philosophers to their familiars as Alexander Aristotle King Darius Herodorus Augustus Pisto Pompeius Plauto Titus Plinie Adrian Secundus Traion Plutarchus Anthonius Apolonius Theodotius Claudinus Seuerus Fabatus Finally I say that Phylosophers then had such aucthoritie in Princes pallaces that children acknowledged them for Fathers and Fathers reuerenced them as masters These Wise and Sage men were aliue in the company of Princes but the good and vertuous Marcus Aurelius whose doctrine is before your Maiesty is not aliue but dead Yet therefore that is no cause why his Doctrine should not bee admitted For it may bee peraduenture that this shall profite vs more which hee wrote with his handes then that which others spake with their tōgus Plutarch sayeth in the time of Alexander the great Aristotle was aliue and Homer was dead But let vs see how hee loued the one and reuerenced the other for of truth he slept alwayes with Homers booke in his hands and waking he read the same with his eyes and alwayes kept the doctrine thereof in his memory and layde when he rested the booke vnder his head The which priuiledge Aristotle had not who at all times could not be heard and much lesse at all seasons be beleeued so that Alexander had Homer for his friend and Aristotle for a master Other of these Philosophers were but simple men but our Marcus Aurelius was both a wise Philosopher and a very valiant Prince and therfore reason would hee should be credited before others For as a prince hee will declare the troubles and as a Philosopher hee will redresse them Take you therefore Puisaunt Prince this wise Philosopher and Noble Emperour for a Teacher in your youth for a Father in your gouernment for a Captaine generall in your Warres for a guide in your iourneyes for a friend in your affayres for an example in your vertues for a Master in your sciences for a pure white in your desires and for equall match in your deedes I will declare vnto you the Life of an other beeing a Heathen and not the life of an other beeing a Christian For looke how much glory this Heathen Prince had in this world beeing good and vertuous so much paines your Maiesty shall haue in the other if you shall bee wicked and vicious Beholde behold most Noble and illustrious Prince the Life of this Emperour and you shal plainly see and perceyue how cleare hee was in his iudgement how vpright hee was in his iustice how circumspect in the course of his life how louing to his friends how patient in his troubles and aduersities how hee dissembled with his enemies how seuere against Tirants how quiet among the quiet how great a friēd vnto the Sage and louer of the simple how aduenturous in his warres and amiable in peace and chiefly and aboue all things how high in wordes and prosound in sentences Many and sundry times I haue beene in doubt with my selfe whether the heauenly and eternall Maiesty which giueth vnto you Princes the Temporall Maiesty for to rule aboue all other in power and authoritie did exempt you that are earthly Princes more from humane fraylety then hee did vs that be but Subiects and at the last I know hee did not For I see euen as you are children of the World so you doe liue according to the World I see euen as you trauell in the Worlde so you can know nothing but things of the world I see because you liue in the Flesh that you are subiect to the miseries of the flesh I see though for a time you doe prolong your life yet at the last you are brought vnto your graue I see your trauel is great and that within your Gates there dwelleth no rest I see you are colde in the winter and hote in the Summer I see that hunger feeleth you and thirst troubleth you I see your friendes forsake you and your enemies assault you I say that you are sadde and do lacke ioy I see that you are sicke and bee not well serued I see you haue much and yet that which you lacke is more What will you see more seeing that Princes dye O noble Princes and great Lords since you must dye and become wormes meate why doe you not in your life time search for good counsell If the Princes and noble men commit an errour no man dare chastice them wherefore they stand in greater need of aduise and counsell For the traueller who is out of his way the more he goeth forward the more hee erreth If the people doe amisse they ought to be punished but if the Prince erre he should be admonished And as the Prince will the people should at his hands haue punishment so it is reason that he at their hands should receyue counsell For as the wealth of the one dependeth on the wealth of the other so truly if the Prince bee vitious the people cannot be vertuous If your Maiesty will punish your people with words commaund them to print this present worke in their hearts And if your people would serue your Highnesse with their aduise let them likewise beseech you to reade ouer this booke For therin the Subiects shall finde how they may amend and you Lords shall see all that you ought to doe whether this present Worke be profitable or no I will not that my pen shall declare but they which do reade it shall iudge For wee Authours take pains to make and translate and others for vs to giue iudgement and sentence From my tender yeares vntill this present time I haue liued in the World occupying my selfe in reading and studying humane and diuine Bookes and although I confesse my debility to bee such that I haue not read so
commaund much hauing respite to liue but little mee thinketh it were a great folly and lacke of wisdome Presumptuous and ambitious men which measure their works not with the few dayes they haue to liue but with the arogant and haughty thoughts they haue to command They leade their life in trauell and take their death with sorrow And the remedy hereof is that if the wise man cannot obtaine that which hee would hee should content himselfe with that which hee may I let thee to know Alexander that the perfection of men is not to see much to heare much to knowe much to procure much to come to much to trauell much to possesse much and to bee able to do much but it is to bee in the fauour of the Gods Finally I tell thee that that man is perfect who in his owne opinion deserueth not that hee hath and in the opinion of another deserueth much more then that hee possesseth Wee are of this opinion amongst vs that hee is vnworthy to haue honour who by such infamous meanes searcheth for it And therefore thou Alexander deseruest to be slaue vnto many because thou thinkest to deserue the signory ouer all By the immortall Gods I sweare I cannot imagine the great mischiefe which entred into thy brest so vnrighteously to kill King Darius whose vassall and friend thou wast onely because thou wouldest possesse the Empire of the whole World For truly seruitude in peace is more worth then Signiory in warre And hee that shall speake against that I haue spoken I say he is sicke and hath lost his taste CHAP. XXXIIII The sage Garamante continueth his Oration shewing that perpetuitie of life cannot be bought with any worldly treasure Among other notable matters hee maketh mention of the seuen lawes which they obserued THou wilt not deny me Alexander but that thou werte more healthfull when thou wast King of Macedoâ—â—â— then thou art now being Lord of all the earth for the excessiue trauell bringeth men out of all order Thou wilt not deny me Alexander that the more thou gettest the more thou desirest for the heart which with couetousnesse is set on fire cannot with wood and bowes of riches but with the earth of the graue be satisfied and quenched Thou wilt not deny me Alexander but the aboundance that thou thy selfe hast seemeth vnto thee litle and the little which an other man possesseth seemeth vnto thee much For the Gods to the ambitious and couetous harts gaue this for penance that neyther with inough nor with too much they should content them selues Thou wilt not denie mee Alexander if in deed thy heart bee couetous that first the pleasures of life shall end before thy couetousnesse for where vices haue had power long time in the heart there death onely and none other hath authority to plucke vp the rootes Thou wilt not deny mee Alexander that though thou hast more then all yet thou enioyest least of any for the Prince that possesseth much is alwayes occupied in defending it but the Prince that hath little hath Time and leasure in quiet to enioy it Thou wilt not deny me Alexander though thou callest thy self Lord of all yet thou hast but onely the name thereof and others thy seruants and subiects haue all the profites for the greedy and couetous hearts doe trauel and toyle to get and in wasting that which they haue gotten they pine away And finally Alexander thou wilt not deny me that all that which thou hast in the long conquest gotten is little and that which of thy wisedom and quietnes thou hast lost is much For the Realms which thou hast gotten are innumerable but the cares sighes and thoughts which thou hast heaped vpon thy heart are innumerable I let thee know one thing that you Princes are poorer then the poore Subiects for hee is not rich that hath more then hee deserueth but he that desireth to haue lesse then possesseth And that therefore Princes you haue nothing For though you abound in great Treasurs yet notwithstanding you are poore of good desire Now Alexander let vs come to the poynt and cast account and let vs see vs see to what ende thy Conquest will come Either thou art a man or thou art a god And if thou bee anie of the gods commaunde or cause that wee be immortall and if thou canst doe any such thing then take vs and our goods withall For perpetuity of the life can by no riches be bought O Alexander I let thee vnderstand that therefore wee seeke not to make warre with thee For we see that both from thee and also from vs death will shortly take away the life For hee is a very simple man that thinketh alwayes to remaine in another mans house as in his owne It thou Alexander couldst giue vs as God euerlasting life eache man would trauell to defend his owne house But sith we know we shall dye shortly we care little whether to thee or any other our goods and riches remaine For if it be follie to dwell in an other mans house as his owne it is a greater follie to him that loseth his life in taking thought and lamenting for his goods Presuppose that thou art not god but a man I coniure thee then by the immortall gods and doe require thee that thou liue as a man behaue thy selfe as a man and couet no more then an other man neyther desire more nor lesse then a man for in the ende thou shalt dye as another man and shalt be buryed as another man and thou shalt bee throwne into the graue and then there shal be no more memorie of thee I tolde thee before that it greeued mee to see thee so hardy and couragious so apt and so young and now it grieueth mee to see thee so deceyued with the world and that which I perceyue of thee is that then thou shalt know thy folly when thou shalt not be able to finde any remedy For the proude Young man before hee feeleth the wound hath alreadie the ointment You which are Grecians call vs Barbarous because wee enhabite the mountaines But as touching this I say that we reioice to be barbarous in our speech and Greekes in our doings and not as you which haue the Grecian tong and doe barbarous workes For hee that doth well and speaketh rudely is no barbarous man but he which hath the tongue good and the life euill Sith I haue begun to that end nothing remaine vnspoken I will aduertise thee of our laws and life and maruell not to heare it but desire to obserue and keepe it for infinite are they which extoll vertuous workes but few are they which obserue the same I let thee know Alexander that wee haue short life wee are few people wee haue little lands wee haue little goods wee haue no couetousnes we haue few lawes we haue few houses and we haue few friends and aboue all we haue no enemies for a Wise man
shee represented her selfe before me remembring that she liued I was sorry to remember her death Life was so grieuous vnto me that I would haue reioyced to haue beene put in the graue with her For truly hee feeleth assuredly the death of another which alway is sorrowfull and lamenting his owne life Remembring therefore the great loue which my sister Milena bare vnto me in her life and thinking wherein I might requite the same after her death I imagined that I could not by any meanes doe any thing that was more acceptable for her then to bring thee vp thou which art her childe and left an Orphane so yong For of all trauells to a woman this is the chiefest to leaue behinde her children to bring vp My sister being dead the first thing I did was that I came to Rome and then sent thee to Capua to be brought vp there in the which place hard at my nose they gaue thee sucke two yeares For thou knowest right well that the mony which by reading Rethorike I gate scarcely satisfied for thy dayly feeding but that in the night I reade some extraordinare lecture and with that I payed for the milke which thou suckedst on the dugge so that thy bringing vp depended vpon the labour of my life After that thou wert weined and and brought from the teate I sent thee to Bietro to a friend and kinsman of mine named Lucius Valerius with whom thou remainedst vntill fiue yeares were fully accomplished where I found both him and thee all things necessary For he was in great pouertie and a great blabber of his tongue in such sort that he troubled all men and angred me much For truely a man should as willingly giue mony to cause him to be silent which is talkatiue as to giue a wise man to heare him to speake The fiue yeares accomplished I sent thee to Toringue a citie of Campaignia to a Maister which taught children there called Emilius Torquates of whom to the end hee should teach thee to reade and to write three yeares I tooke a sonne of his whom hee gaue mee to reade to him Greeke foure yeares so that thou couldest not haue any profite in thee without the increase of great trauell and augmenting paine to my heart And after thou wert seuen yeares old that thou couldest reade and write wel I sent thee to study in the famous city of Tareth where I kept thee foure yeares paying to the masters a great summe of money Because now a dayes through our euill fortunes there is none that will teach without great stipend Without lamenting I doe not tell thee that in the time that Cincinos which were after the death of Quintus Cincinatus vntill Cyna and Catulus the phylosopher and maisters were by the sacred Senate payde and none ceased to study for lacke of money For in those dayes they which would apply themselues to vertue and sciences were by the common treasure maintained As our fathers were well ordered in their things so they did not deuide offices by order onely but also by order they payed their money in such sort that they paide first with the common treasure the priests of the Temples Secondly the maisters of schooles and studies Thirdly the poore widowes and Orphanes Fourthly the strange knights which of their owne free wills voluntarily were made citizens of Rome Fiftly all the old souldiesr which had serued 35. yeares continually in the warres For those which were retired home to their owne houses were honourably found of the common-wealth The twelue yeares past I my selfe was in Tarenthe and carryed thee to Rome where I read vnto thee Rhetorike Logike and phylosophy and also the Mathematicall sciences keeping thee in my house in my company at my table and in my bed and further more I had the in my heart and in my minde The which thing thou shouldest esteeme more then if I gaue thee my house and al my goods For the true benefites is that onely which is done without any respect of profite or interest I kept thee with meanes in this sort in Laurence in Rhodes in Naples and in Capua vntill such time as the gods created me Emperor of Rome And then I determined to send thee to Greece because thou shouldest learne the Greeke tongue and also to the end thou shouldest accustome thy selfe to worke that which true phylosophy requireth For the true and vertuous phylosophers ought to conforme their workes to that they say and publish their words with their deeds There is nothing more infamous then to presume to be sage and to be desirous to be counted vertuous principally for him that speaketh much and worketh little For the man of a pleasant tongue and euill life is hee which with impostumes vndoeth the commonwealth When I sent thee to Greece and withdrew thee from Rome it was not to exile thee out of my company so that thou hauing tasted of my pouertie shouldest not reioyce at my prosperitie but it was that considering thy youthfull disposition and lightnesse I was afrayde to vndoe thee in the pallace chiefely least thou wouldest haue presumed to haue bin too bold and familiar because thou wert my nephew For truely Princes which take pleasure that their children be familiar with them they giue occasion that men shall not count them wise and cause also the young men to bee esteemed for light I haue tolde thee that I did for thee in Italie I will now let thee know what thou hast done and doest in Greece so that I will shew thee to bee notorious that is to know that thou taking and esteeming thy selfe to bee well disposed in thy youth thou hast forsaken thy study and despised my counsayles thou art accompanyed with vaine and light men and hast most viciously employed the money which I had sent thee to buy books All the which things to thee being hurtfull are to me no lesse dishonor shame For it is a generall rule when the childe is foolish and ill taught and the blame and fault is layd on the masters necke who hath taught him and brought him vp It greeueth me not for that he brought thee vp neither for that I haue taught thee to reade and cause thee to study neither likewise to haue kept thee in my house to haue set thee at my table nor also to haue suffered thee to lie with me in my bed neither it greeueth mee to haue consumed so much on thee but with all my heart it greeueth me that thou hast not giuen me occasion to do thee good For there is nothing that greeueth a noble Prince more then not to find persons able of capacity to do them any good They tell me that thou art well made of thy body and faire in countenance and that thou presumest also in those things wherefore to enioy the pleasures of thy person thou hast forsaken Phylosophy wherewith I am not contentented For in the end the corporall beautie carely or
oportunitie to accomplish her desires wherfore shee answered vnto his Parents that shee did accept their counsell and said to Sinoris that she did chuse him for her husband speaking these words more for to comfort him then with intent to pardon him And as amongst those of Galatia there was a custome that the new maried folkes should eate together in one dishe and drinke in one cup the day that the mariage was celebrated Cāma determined to prepare a cup with poyson and alsso a lute wherewith shee began to play and sing with her prober voyce before the Goddesse Diana in this manner TO thee Dian whose endles raigne doth stretch Aboue the bondes of all the heauenly rout And eke whose ayde with royall hand to retch Chiefe of all Gods is most proclaimed out I sweare and with vnspotted faith protest That though till now I haue reserude my breth For no intent it was but thus distrest With wailfull end to wreke Sinatus death ¶ And if in minde I had not thus decreed Whereto should I my pensiue daies haue spent With longer dole for that forepassed deed Whose oft record newe sorrowes still hath bent But oh sinee him their kindled spite hath slaine With tender loue whom I haue waide so deere Since he by fate is rest from fortunes raine For whose decay I dreadlesse perish here Since him by whom my onely life I led Through wretched hands the gaping earth now haue Ought I by wish to liue in any sted But closde with him together in the graue O bright Dian since senslesse him I see And Makeles I here to remaine alone Since he is graude where greedy wormes now bee And I suruiue surmounted with my fone Since he is prest with lumpes of wretched soyle And I thus chargde with flame of frozen care Thou knowst Dian how hard with restles toyle Of hote abhoring minde my life I spare For how can this vnquiet brest reserue The fainting breth that striues to draw his last Since that euen then my dying heart did starue When my dead Phere in swallowing earth was cast The first blacke day my husband sleptin graue By cruell sworde my life I thought to spend And since a thousand times I thought to haue A stretched cord my sorrowes wrath to end And if till now to waste my pining dayes I haue deferde by slaughter of my hand It was but loe a fitter cause to raise Whereon his sharpe reuenge might iustly stand Now since I may in full suffising wise Redeeme his breath if wayward will would let More deepe offence by not reuenge might rise Then Sinoris erst by guiltles bloud did get Thee therefore mighty Ioue Iiustly craue And eke thy daughter chast in thankfull sort That loe the offering which of my selfe ye haue Ye will vouchsafe into your heauenly fort Since Sinatus with soone enflamed eyes Amongst the Acaian routes me chiefly viewed And eke amidst the prease of Greekes likewise Chose for his phere when sweetly he had sewed Since at my will the froth of wasting wealth With gladsome minde he trayned was to spend Since that his youth which slippeth loe by stealth To waite on me he freely did commend Since he such heapes of lingring harmes did waste Aye to content my wanton youthfull will And that his breath to fade did passe so fast To glut their thirst that thus his blould did spill Though great the duetie be which that I owe Vnto his graued ghost and cindred mould Yet loe me seemes my duety well I shew Performing that my feeble power could For since for me vntwined was his threed Of guiltlesse life that ought to purchase breath Can reasons doome conclude I ought to dreed For his decay to clime the steps of death In wretched earth my father graued lies My deare mother hath runne her race of life The pride of loue no more can daunt mine eyes My wasted goods are shrunke by fortunes strife My honour soone ecclipsed is by fate My young delight is loe for done by chaunce My broken life these passed haps so hate As can my grieued heart no more aduaunce And now remaynes to duetie with my phere No more but refuse loe my irksome life With willing minde followed eke with drere Which I resigne as fitteth for a wife And thou Sinoris which Iunos yoke doest craue To presse my corps to feede thy liking lust The rout of Homers gods thee grant to haue In stead of royall feates a throne of dust In change of costly robes and rich array A simple winding sheete they digne thee giue And eke in stead of honest wedlocks stay They sing thy dirge and not vouchsafe thee liue In place of Himens hye vnfiled bed They lay thee vp in closure of thy graue In stead with precious meates for to be fed They make the Woormes for fitter prey thee haue In stead of song and Musickes tuned sowne They waite on thee with lowd lamenting voyce In change of ioyfull life and high renowne Thy cruell death may spread with wretched noyse For you great gods that stalled be on hie Should not be iust ne yet such titles claime Vnlesse this wretch yee ruthlesse cause to die That liueth now to slaunder of your name And thou Dian that haunted Courts dost shunne Know'st with what great delight this life I leaue And when the race of spending breath is done Will pierce the soyle that did my phere receiue ¶ And if perchance the paled ghosts despise Such fatall fine with grudge of thankelesse minde Yet at the least the shamefast liuing eyes Shall haue a Glasse rare wisely gifts to finde Wherein I will that Lucrece sect shall gaze But none that liue like Helens line inblaze ANd when the prayer was ended that this fayre and vertuous Camma made shee dranke and gaue to drinke to Sinoris of this cuppe of poyson who thought to drinke no other but good wine and water and the case was such that he died at noone daies and she likewise in the euening after And truely her death of all Greece with as great sorrow was lamented as her life of all men was desired Princesses and great Ladyes may most euidently perceiue by the examples heerein contayned how honest and Honourable it is for them to loue and endeauour themselues to be beloued of their husbands and that not onely in their life but also after their death For the wife to serue her husband in his life seemeth ofttimes to proceede of feare but to loue and honour him in his graue proceedeth of loue Princesses and great Ladies ought not to do that which many other women of the cōmon people do that is to say to seeke some drinkes and inuent some shamefull sorceries to be beloued of their husbands for albeit it is a great burden of conscience and lacke of shame in like manner to vse such superstitions yet it should be a thing too vniust and very slaunderous that for to be beloued of their husbands they should
great Ladies which of their patrimonie and heritage possesse manie Townes and Citties for to such I wil not take away the seruices which are due vnto them by their Subiects but I doe perswade them to the obedience which they ought to beare to theyr Husbandes It is not maruell though that women of meane estate haue sometimes quarrelled with their Husbands For they haue small Riches to loose and lesse honour to aduenture then the Princesses and great Dames haue the which since they do aduenture to commaund manie why wil not they humble themselues to obey one speaking with due reuerēce It is for aboundance of follie and want of wisedome that a Woman should haue presumption to gouerne a whole Realm and that she hath not grace to obey one Husband Seneca in a Tragedie saieth thus that in the time of the warre of Mithridates it chanced in Rome that the Consulls sent to the olde Knightes and commanded that they should all be in a readinesse to go with Silla the Consull into the warres And it happened that when they came into ones house in Rome to publish the Edict to warne him to bee ready they found not the husband but the wife who made answere and sayd That her husband ought not nor could not goe to the warres and though hee would hee should not neither would see giue him licence for hee was an old and ancient Knight and therefore hee ought to be exempted from the warres With this answer those that heard it were greatly abashed and the whole Senate no lesse offended wherefore they commaunded that the husband should bee banished Rome and the wife to bee carryed to the Prison Mamortine not for that he excused himselfe for going to the warres but because she commanded her husband and because he suffered himselfe to be commanded of her The Senate did this to that end that from that time forwards no woman should presume or contend with her husband and that no husband should giue his wife any occasion to be bold with him CHAP. VII That Women and especially Princesses and great Ladyes should be very circumspect in going abroad out of their houses and that through the resort of them that commeth to their houses they bee not euill spokenof AMong all the counsels that may or ought to be giuen to Princesses and great Ladies this is the first that they do what they can to haue rest in their houses and that they goe not as strayes to the mansions of other men for if such Ladyes are good they get much reputation and if perchance they bee euill they take from men all occasion Whether the husband be present or absent it is a most necessary and honest thing that the wife be for the most part in the house for by this meanes the household shal be well gouerned and from the heart of the husband shall bee withdrawne all kinde of suspitions Sithens the office of the husband is to gather goods and riches and the office of a wife to keepe and preserue them the houre that she goeth out of the house she ought to thinke that her Maydens will stray abroad the Children will runne out to play the Varlats and Seruants will bee out of order the Neighbours wil take occasions to speake euill and that which is worste of all some will steale the goods out of the house and the others will speake euill of the reeowne of the wife Oh God giueth a goodly gift and grace to that man which hath such so good a wife that of her own nature loueth to keepe her selfe within the house And truely I say that such a one doeth excuse many griefes and saueth much mony for she spendeth not the goods in Apparel nor giueth occasion to men to iudge euill of her person The greatest debate that is betweene man and wife is for that hee desireth to get and keepe his goods to bring vp his children and to maintayne his familie and on the other part that she desireth to spend all vpon apparrell for women in this case are so curious in louing of themselues that they would abstaine from meates that should maintaine their life onely to buy a new Gowne to set out their pride Women naturally do loue to keepe and will not spend any thing except it be in apparrell for euery houre that is in the day and the night they desire to haue a new Gowne to change My intention is not to speake of Apparrell only but to perswade Princesses and great Ladyes that they would keepe themselues in their houses and in so doing they should excuse these superfluous wastes and expences for her neighbour seeing her better apparrelled then shee is looketh vpon her husband as she were a Lyon It chanceth oftentimes I would to God I had no cause to speake it that if by chaunce there commeth any great or solemne Feast or Marriage shee will neuer looke louingly on his face before he hath giuen her a newe gowne to her backe and when the poore Gentleman hath no money to pay of necessitie hee must runne in credite And when the vanity of the woman is past then the time of payment draweth neere and they come to arrest all his goods so that they haue cause to lament one whole yeare for that which they haue spent in one houre VVomen seldome contend for that one is fairer more nobler of linage better married or more vertuous then another but only that another goeth better apparelled then shee For touching apparell there is no woman can endure that another meaner woman should make comparison with her nor that in like manner her equall should excell her Lycurgus in the lawes that he gaue to the Lacedemonians commaunded that their Wiues should not goe out of their houses but at diuers solemne Feasts in the yeare For he saide that the women ought to be making their prayers in the Temples to the Gods or else in their houses bringing vppe their children For it is not honest nor cōmendable that the wife should passe her time abroade trotting from street to streete as common women I say that the Princesses and great Ladyes are much more bound to keepe themselues at home in their Houses then other women of meaner degree and without a cause I speak it not for thereby they shall get them more reputation For there is no vertue whereby the woman winneth more reputation in the Common-wealth then alwaies to be seen resident in her house I say also that a Wife ought the most part of her time to keepe her house because she hath lesse occasion then others haue to goe abrode For if the poore wife the Plebian goe out of her house shee goeth for no other cause but for to seeke meat but if the rich and Noble-woman goeth out of her house it is for nothing but to take her pleasure Let not Princesses maruell nor let not great Ladyes wonder if they dispose their feete to trotte and occupie
crooked To the end Iustices be vpright they ought much to trauell to bee liberall I meane in things wherein they ought to giue sentence It is vnpossible that those which haue respect in theyr sentences to fauour their Friendes should not accustomably vse to bee reuenged of theyr enemyes Truely such a Iudge ought not to bee called iust but a priuate tyrant Hee that with affection iudgeth and passion punisheth is greatly deceyued Those in like manner which haue authority to gouerne and doe thinke that for borrowing a little of Iustice they should therby encrease and multiplie friends in the common wealth are much abused For this acte before men is so heynous and before GOD so detestable that though for a space he refraine his hands yet in the ende hee will extend his power For the Redeemer of the world onely Father of Trueth will not permit that such doe take vppon them the title of Iustice which in their Offices do shew so extreame wrong Helius Spartianus in the life of Anthonius saith that the good Emperour going to visite his Empire as he was in Capua and there demaunding of the state of the Censours whether they were vniust or rightfull A man of Capua saide in this wise By the immortall Gods most noble Prince I sweare that this Iudge who presently gouerneth here is neither iust nor honest and therefore mee thinks it necessarie that wee depriue him of his dignitie and I will recount vnto thee what befell betweene him and mee I besought him that for my sake hee would graunt me foure things which were all vniust and hee willingly condescended therevnto wherof I had no lesse maruell in my hart then vexation in my bodie For when I did desire him I thought nothing lesse then to obtaine them but only for the contentation of those which instantly desired me to doe it And further this Capuan saide By the God Genius I sweare likewise that I was not the more friendly vnto him for that he sayde he did it for my sake more then for another For hee that to mee would graunt these foure it is to bee beleeued that vnto others hee would graunt them foure hundreth For the which thou oughtest to prouide most noble Prince because good Iudges ought to be patient to heare and iust to determine By this notable example Iudges ought to haue a great respect not to those which doe desire them but to that which they demaund For in doing their duty their enemyes will proclaime them iust and contrary wise if they doe that they should not doe their nearest friends wil account them as tyrants Iudges which pretend fauour vnto the common-wealth and to bee carefull of their consciences ought not to content themselues simply to doe Iustice but that of themselues they should haue such an opinion that none durste presume to come and require at their hands any vile or dishonest thing For otherwise if we note the demaunder to bee vnshamefaste we must needes somewhat suspect the Iudge in his iustice Princes ought also to bee very circumspect that the Iudges be not onelie contented to bee iust honest and true but also in them there ought to remaine no auarice nor couetousnes For Iustice and Auarice can seldome dwell in one house Those that haue the charge of the gouernement of the people and to iudge causes ought to take great heed that with bribes and presentes they be not corrupted For it is vnpossible but that the same day that Riches and Treasures in the houses of Iudges begin to increase that the same day the true administration of Iustice should not decay Lycurgus Prometheus and Numa Pompylius did prohibite nothing in their Law so much neyther for any other cause they ordained so many punishments but to the intent Iudges should not bee so couetous nor yet thieues And of truth they had great consideration to foresee and forbid it For the iudge that hath receyued parte of the Thefte will not giue sentence against the stealers thereof Let not iudges be credited for saying they receyue no siluer nor golde neyther silkes nor iewells but that they take onely small presentes as fruites fowles and other trifles For oftentimes it chaunceth that the iudges doe eate the fruite and the poore Suter doeth feele the morsell Cicero in the booke of lawes saith that Cato the Censor beeing very aged the Senators said vnto him one day in the Senate Thou knowest now Cato that presently wee are in the Calendes of Ianuary wherein wee vse to deuide the Offices among the people Wherefore wee haue determined to create Manlius and Calidanus Censors for this yeare wherefore tell vs as thou thinkest if they be able and sufficient to supplye the rowme Cato the Censour answered them in this wise Fathers conscript I let you knowe that I do not receyue the one nor admit the other For Manlius is very rich and Calidanus the citizen extream poore and truly in both there is great perill For we see by experience that the rich Officers are too much subiect to pleasures and the poore Officers are too much giuen to auarice And further hee said in this case me thinketh that your Iudges whom yee ought to chuse should not bee so extreame poore that they should want wherewith to care neither so rich that they should surmount in superfluity to giue themselus too much to pleasurs For men by great aboundance become vitious and by great scarcitie become couetous The Censor Cato beeing of such authoritie it is but reason that wee giue credite to his words since hee gouerned the Romane Empire so long space though in deed all the poore bee not couetous nor all the rich vitious yet hee spake it for this intent because both those Romans were noted of these two vices For the poore they desire to scrape and scratch and the rich to enioy and keepe Which of those two sortes of men Princes should chuse I cannot nor dare not rashly determine And therefore I doe not counsell them eyther to despise the poore or to chuse the rich but that they giue the authoritie of iustice to those whom they know to bee of good conscience and not subiect to couetousnesse For the iudge whose Conscience is corrupted it is vnpossible hee should minister equall iustice A man may giue a shrewde guesse of suspition in that iudge whether hee bee of brittle conscience or no if hee see him procure the office of iustice for himselfe For that man which willingly procureth the charge of conscience of another commonly little regardeth the burthen of his owne CHAP. VII Of a Letter which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius wrote to Antigonus his friend answering another which hee sent him out of Scicile wherein hee aduertised him of the cruelty of the Romane Iudges and this Letter is diuided into v. Chapters MArcus Aurelius companion in the Empire Tribune of the people presently being sicke wisheth vnto thee Antigonus health comfort in the
of counsel they themselues imagine and other flattrers telleth that thogh they haue much in respect of other princes yet they can doe little Also they say vnto them that if their substaunce bee great their Fame ought to bee greater Further they tell them that the good Prince ought little to esteeme that hee hath inherited of his predecessors in respect of the great deale more hee ought to leaue to his successours Also they tell them that neuer prince left of him any great memory but inuenting some cruell Warre against his enemie Also they tell them that the houre that one is chosen Emperour of Rome hee may boldely conquer the whole earth These vaine reasons being heard of the princes afterwardes as their Fortune is base and their mindes high immediately they defie their enemies they open their Treasures they assemble great armies and in the end of all the Gods suffer that they thinking to tkae an other mans goods they waste and lose their owne Oh Princes I knowe not who doth deceyue yee that you which by peace may be rich and by war wil be poore Oh Princes I know not who doth deceiue you that you which may be loued doe seeke occasions to be hated Oh princes I knowe not who doth beguyle yee that yee which may enioy a sure life doe aduenture your selues to the mutabilitie of Fortune Oh princes I knowe not who doeth deceyue you that you so little esteeme and weigh your owne aboundance and so greatly set by the wants of others Oh princes I know not who doth deceiue you that all hauing need of you you should haue neede of others I let thee to knowe my Cornelius though a prince bee more quicke and carefull then all other his predecessors haue bin in Rome yet it is vnpossible that all things touching warre should succeede vnto him prosperously For in the greatest neede of warres eyther he wanteth money or his subiects do not succour him or time is contrarie vnto him or he findeth perilous pasges hee lacketh Artillerie or the captaines rebell or else succour commeth to his aduersaryes so that hee seeth himselfe so miserable that thoughtes doe more oppresse his heart then the enemies do harme his land Though a prince had no warre but for to suffer men of warre yet he ought to take vpon him no warre I aske thee now my Cornelius what trauell so great to his person or what greater damage to his Realme can his Enemies do then that which his own men of warre doe c The Enemies to doe the worst they can will but robbe our Frontiers but our men of War do robbe the whole countrey The Enemies we dare and may resist but to ours we cannot nor dare not speake The Enemyes the worst they can do is once in a moneth to robbe and runne their wayes but ours daily do robbe and remaine still The Enemyes feare their enemies only but ours doe feare their enemyes and haue no pitie on their friends The enemies the further they goe on the more they diminish but ours the further they goe the more they encrease I know no greater warre that Princes can haue then to haue men of warre in their realmes For as experience doth shew vs before the Gods they are culpable to Princes importunate and to the people troublesome so that they liue to the damage of all and to the profit of none By the God Mars I swear vnto thee my friend Cornelius as hee may direct my hands in the war that I haue more complaints in the Senate of the thefts which my Captaines did in Illyria then of all the enemies of the Romane people Both for that I say and for that I kept secret I am more afraid to create an Ensigne of two hundred men of warre then to giue a cruell battell to thirty thousand men For that battell fortune good or euill forthwith dispacheth but with these I can bee sure no time of all my life Thou wilt say vnto me Cornelius that since I am Emperour of Rome I should remedy this since I know it For that Prince which dissembleth with the fault of another by reason hee will condemne him as if it were his owne To this I answere that I am not mighty enough to remedy it except by my remedy there should spring a greater inconuenience And since thou hast not beene a Prince thou couldest not fall into that I haue nor yet vnderstand that which I say For Princes by their wisdom know many things the which to remedy they haue no power So it hath beene so it is so it shall be so I found it so I keepe it so will I leaue it them so I haue reade it in bookes so haue I seen it with my eyes so haue I heard it of my predecessors And finally I say our Fathers haue inuented it and so will wee their children sustaine it and for this euill wee will leaue it to our heyres I will tell thee one thing and imagine that I erre not therein which is considering the great dammage and little profite which men of warre do bring to our Common wealth I thinke to doe it and to sustaine it eyther it is the folly of men or a scourge giuen of the Gods For there can be nothing more iust then for the Gods to permit that wee feele that in our owne houses which wee cause others in strange houses to lament All those thinges I haue written vnto thee not for that it skileth greatly that I know them but that my heart is at ease for to vtter them For as Alcibiades sayde the chests and the hearts ought alwayes to be open to their friends Panutius my Secretary goeth in my behalfe to visite that Land and I gaue him this Letter to giue thee with two Horses wherewith I doe thinke thou wilt be contented for they are Genets The Weapons and riches which I tooke of the Parthians I haue now diuided notwithstanding I do send thee two Chariots laden with them My wife Faustine greeteth thee and shee sendeth a rich glasse for thy Daughter and a iewell with stones for thy sister No more but I doe beseech the gods to giue thee a good life and me a good death CHAP. XVII An Admonition of the Author to Princes and great Lordes to the entent that the more they grow in yeares the more they are bound to refrayne from vices AVlus Gelius in his booke De noctibus Atticis sayeth that there was an auncient custome among the Romanes to honour and haue in great reuerence aged men And this was so inuiolate a Law amongst them that there was none so noble of bloud and linage neyther so puissant in riches neyther so fortunate in battels that should go before the aged men which were loden with white hayres so that they honoured them as they did the Gods Amongst other the aged men had these preheminences that is to say that in feasts they sate highest in the
orders which they haue peruerted Once againe I returne to say vnto thee that I haue not banished them so much for because they were occasion of murthers as to be teachers of all lyes Without comparrison greater is the offence to the gods greater is the damage to the Common-wealth to take away as the loyterers haue done the senses of wise men then that which the murtherers doe to take life from their enemies The end of these Iestes Scoffers Iuglers idle men and those kind of raskalr is alwayes to perswade men that they speake continually in mockeries treat continually in mockeries and to ridde them of their sorrowes and all this is but to deceiue them of their goods In the which case I say and so pleased it the gods that they shoulde content themselues with the goods without robbing vs of our wisedome When Scipio the Affrican had ended the warres of Affricke he went thorow Rome accompanied not with valiant Captaines but with the Players Iesters and Iuglers The which a Philosopher seeing sayde vnto him these words O Scipio according to the much they haue talked of thee and the little I see in thee it had beene better thou hadst dyed in Affricke then to come to Rome for thy high Acts in thy absence did astonish vs and thy lightnes in thy presence doth offend vs. To thee it is great infamie and to the sacred Senate little honesty that thou hauing conquered so mighty Princes in Affricke shouldst goe accompanied with fooles and mad men in Rome I let thee to vnderstand that thy Life had not then so much perill among thy enemies as thy honour hath at this present among fooles These words were very good although they were euill receyued of humane malice for by reason of these words the poore aged Philosopher was banished by the friends of Scipio out of Iraly and sent to the Isle of Helespont CHAP. XLVII The Emperour endeth his Letter and sheweth the cause and time why and when these Iesters and Iuglers were admitted into Rome AFter that these Loyterers vagabonds shall land in thy Isle thou shalt let them goe at liberty and shalt take none of their goods but thou shalt aduertise them that they be not so hardy to exercise their craftes nor feates For if they doe the contrary thou mayest make them lose their life in thy Isle which I haue conditionally pardoned here in Rome One thing I commaund thee and I beseech thee forget it not that is to say that thou compell them to labour and that in no meanes thou suffer them to bee idle For idlenes is the mother of all vices in the person and the causer of all slanders which arise in the common wealth Since wee knowe not but to labour and the loyterers knowe not but to loyter I would say that with more reason they might say that we were not sage then wee might say that they are fooles For wrongfully are they called fooles which by craft eate the sweat of others seeing the little regarde wee haue to these Loyterers and considering how much we presume by the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee Lambert that with greater reason they should mocke our workes then wee others should laugh at their words for they profite more with our goods then we doe of their folly In the 251. of the foundation of Rome a sore plague came into Italy The which being ended they determined to tell not the thousands of men that were dead but the small number of those which remained aliue Rome afterwards being so solitarie and Italy so desolate onely to reioyce the people and to the end the Cities should not remaine vnhabited the first Theaters were inuented and then first were these players receyued For vntill that time the Romans knew no other thing but to offer sacrifice to their gods in the temples and to fight against their enemies in the fields O lamentable thing to heare that this plague lasted onely 24. monethes and the rage and folly of these players and idle men hath endured more then 53. yeares Would to the immortall gods that the plague had ended those few which remaine before this cursed generatiō had broght so abominable customes into Rome For much better had it beene for our mother Rome that she had wanted inhabiters then such raskals should haue come and dwelled therein I know Lambert that those persons doe greatly complaine of mee that the complaints which they do in the beginning shall not haue an ende there but I care not much for the complaints of the euil which do serue for no other thing but to reproue the Iustices which are ministred vnto thē by the good The Princes in that they command and the Iudges in that they execute ought not much to esteeme the complaints of all those which say they haue wrong Prouided that the cause bee iustified and that vnder the colour of iustice they do not wrong in deed In the flatteries which they tell vs concerning our glory and in the slanders which they speake of vs concerning our reproach wise men ought well to note the nature of the person which speaketh it whether that bee true which hee speaketh and what moueth him to tell it For as it is a shame for to bee rebuked of a man which is honest so it is no small infamie to be praysed of those which are euill Since the time I was borne I neuer saw any thing lesse profitable in the commonwealth nor more vaine neither worse inuentions nor colder recreations then these are which these iesters plaiers and iuglers doe inuent What thing can bee more monstrous then to see the folly of a foole bring diuers wise men out of their wits What greater mockerie can there be then that all doe thinke that the iests of a foole ought to bee reioyced at with the laughter of the Sage What greater slaunder can there be then that in the offices of the noble and worthy Romans the gates should alwayes be open for fooles and the wise men should finde them alwayes shut What greater cruelty can there be in Rome then that the Senators rich men giue more to a Player for a song which he singeth in one houre then they do to the seruants for seruing them a whole yeare what greater theft can there be then this that the Garrisons which are in Illyria want and Players Iesters Iuglers Flatterers and Loyterers in Rome haue too much What greater shame can Rome receyue then this when it shall bee sayde in time to come that Iuglers Players Parasites Iesters and Flatterers haue wonne more with their iugling playing iesting and flattering then diuers Captaines with their weapons and triumphes Beholde therefore Lambert what difference there is betweene Captames and Loyrerets For when the one went through Rome sowing their follyes from gate to gate the others went from realm to realme consuming their goods aduenturing their liues fighting against the
Princes ought to take the dammages of their persons light and the dammages of the commonwealth for the most grieuous O Panutius let therefore this be the last word which I will say vnto thee that is to say that the greatest good that the gods may giue to the man that is not couetous but vertuous is to giue him good renowme in life and afterwardes a good heire at our death Finally I say that if I haue any thing to do with the gods I require and beseech them that if they should be offended Rome slandered my renowme defamed and my house diminished for that my sonne be of an euill life that they will take from him life before they giue me death CHAP. LIIII Of the words which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius spake vnto his sonne Commodus at the houre of death necessary for all young gentlemen to vnderstand SInce the disease of Marcus Aurelius was so extreme that euery houre of his life he was assaulted with death after he had talked a long time with Panutius his Secretarie he commanded his sonne Commodus to be wakened who as a yong man slept soundly in his bed And being come before his presence all those which were there were moued immediatly with compassion to see the eyes of the father all swollen with weeping and the eyes of the childe closed with ouermuch sleepe They could not waken the childe he was so carelesse and they could not cause the good father sleepe he tooke so great thought All those which were there seeing how the father desired the good life of the sonne and how little the sonne wayed the death of his father had compassion of the olde person and bare hate to the wicked childe Then the good Emperour casting his eyes on high and directing his words to his sonne sayde When thou wert a childe I tolde thy masters how they ought to bring thee vp and after that thou diddest waxe greater I tolde thy Gouernors how they should counsell thee And now I will tell thee how thou with them which are few and they with thee beeing one ought to gouerne and maintaine the Common-wealth If thou esteeme much that which I will say vnto thee my sonne Know thou that I will esteeme much more then thou wilt beleeue me for more easily doe wee olde men suffer your iniuries then yee other young men doe receyue our counsels Wisdome wanteth to you for to beleeue vs yet wee want not boldnesse to dishonour you And that which is worst the aged in Rome were wont to haue a chayre of wisdome sagenesse but now a dayes the young men count it a shame and folly The world at this day is so changed from that it was wont to bee in times past that all haue the audacity to giue counsell and few haue the wisedome to receyue it so that they are a thousand which tell counsels and there is not one that buyeth wisedome I beleeue well my sonne that according to my fatall Destenies and thy euill manners little shall that auayle which I shall tell thee for since thou wouldest not credit these words which I spake vnto thee in my life I am sure that thou wilt little regard them after my death But I doe this more to satisfie my desire and to accomplish that which I owe vnto the Common-wealth then for that I hope for any amendment of thy life For there is no griefe that doth so much hurt a person as when hee himselfe is cause of his owne paine If any man doth mee an iniurie if I lay my hands vpon him or speake iniurious words vnto him my heart is forthwith satisfied but if I doe iniurie to my selfe I am he which wrongeth and am wronged for that I haue none on whom I may reuenge my wrong and I vexe and chase with my selfe If thou my sonne bee euill after that thou hast enherited the Empire my mother Rome wil complaine of the gods which haue giuen thee so many euill inclinations Shee will complaine of Faustine thy mother which hath brought thee vp so wantonly she will complaine of thee which hast no will to resist vice but shee shall haue no cause to complaine of the olde man thy Father who hath not giuen thee good counsels For if thou hadst beleeued that which I tolde thee mē would reioyce to haue thee for theyr Lord and the Gods to vse thee as their Minister I cannot tell my sonne if I bee deceyued but I see thee so depriued of vnderstanding so vncertaine in thy words so dissolute in thy manners so vniust in iustice in that thou desirest so hardy and in thy duty so negligent that if thou change and alter not thy manners men will hate thee and the Gods will forsake thee O if thou knewest my sonne what a thing it is to haue men for their enemies and to be forsaken of the gods by the faith of a good man I sweare vnto thee that thou wouldest not onely hate the Seigniorie of Rome but with thy handes also thou wouldest destroy thy selfe For men which haue not the Gods mercifull and the men friendly doe eate the bread of griefe and drinke the teares of sorrow I am sure thy sorrow is not so great to see the night doth end my life as is that pleasure which thou hast to see that in short space thou shalt bee Emperour of Rome And I do not maruell hereat for where sensuality raigneth reason is banished and constrained to flye Many loue diuers things because of truth they know them not the which if they did know without doubt they would hate them Thogh men loue in mockerie the Gods and men hate vs in earnest In all things wee are so doubtfull and in all our works so disordred that at some time our vnderstanding is dull and loseth the edge and another time it is more sharpe then it is necessary Thereby I meane that the good we will not heare and much lesse wee will learne it but of the euill wee know more then behoueth vs or necessitie requireth I will counsell thee my sonne by words that which in sixtie two years I haue learned by science and experience And since thou art as yet so young it is reason that thou beleeue him which is aged For since wee Princes are the mirrour of all euery man doth behold vs and wee other doe not behold our selues This day or to morrow thou shalt enherite the Romane Empire and thinke that inheriting the same thou shalt bee Lord of the world Yet if thou knewest how many cares and perils commaunding bringeth with it I sweare vnto thee that thou wouldest rather choose to obey all then to command one Thou thinkest my sonne that I leaue thee a great Lord for to leaue thee the Empire which is not so for all they haue neede but of thee and thou alone hast neede of all Thou thinkest I leaue thee much treasure leauing thee the great reuenues of the Empire that which also is
is also a great trouble and daungerous for a man to practise with new Iudges and to put their matters into their hands who onely were called to the place of a Iudge being thought learned and fitte for it and so brought to rule as a Magistrate For many times these young Iudges and new Physitians although they want not possible knowledge yet they may lacke a great deale of practise experience which is cause that one sort maketh many lose their liues before they doe come to rise in fame the other vndoe many a man in making him spēd all that euer he hath There is yet besides an other apparant daunger to haue to doe with these new and yong experienced iudges for when they come to sit newly in iudgement with their other brethren the Iudges hauing the lawe in their mouth to serue all turnes they doe but onely desire and study to winne fame and reputation amongst men and thereby to bee the better reputed of his brethren And for this cause only when they are assembled together in place of Iustice to giue iudgement of the pleas layde before them they doe not only inlarge themselues in alleadging many and diuers opinions of great learned men and booke cases So that the Hearers of them may rather thinke they haue studyed to shew their eloquence and learning then for to open the decision and iudgement of the cases they haue before them And for finall resolution I say that touching Pleas and Sutes I am of opinion that they should neyther truste the experience of the olde Iudge nor the learning and knowledge of the young But rather I reckon that man wise that seeketh by little and little to grow to an agreement with his aduersarie and that tarieth not many yeares to haue a lingring yea and possibly an vncertaine ende Also I would in some sort exhort the poore Plaintise not to bee ouer-curious to vnderstand the qualities of the iudge as a man would say If he be olde or young if he be learned or priuiledged if he be well studyed or but little if hee be a man of few or manie words if hee be afflicted or passionate tractable or selfe willed For possiblie beeing too inquisitiue to demaund of any of these things it might happen though hee did it vnawares yet hee should finde them afterwards all heaped togethers in the person of the Iudge to his hinderance and dammage in decyding his cause The wise Suter should not onely not seek to be inquisitiue of the iudge or his conditions but also if any man would seeme to tell him of him hee should giue no eare to him at all For if it come to the Iudges eares hee enquireth after his manner of liuing and condition hee will not onely be angry with him in his minde but will be also vnwilling to giue iudgement in his fauour The poore Siuter shall also meete with Terrible Iudges seuere intractable chollericke incommunicable and inexorable and yet for all this he may not looke vpon his nature nor condition but onely to regarde his good conscience For what neede hee care if the Iudge be of seuere and sharpe condition as long as he may be assured that hee is of good conscience It is as needefull for the vpright and good Iudge to haue a good and pure Conscience as it is to haue a skilfull head and iudgement in the Lawes For if he haue the one without the other hee may offend in malice and if hee haue that without the other hee may offend also in ignorance And if the suter come to speake with the Iudge and hee by chaunce finde him a sleepe hee must tarry till hee awake and if then hee will not or he cannot giue eare vnto him hee must bee contented And if he caused his man to say he were not within notwithstanding the suter saw him hee must dissemble it yea if the seruants giue him an ill answere he must take it in good worth For the wary and politike suter must not bee offended at any thing that is done or sayde to him till he see the definitiue sentence giuen with him or against him It is a maruellous trouble also to the suter to chuse his Counsellour for many times hee shall chuse one that shall want both law and conscience And some others shall chuse one that though on the one side hee lacke not Law yet on the other hee shall bee without both soule and conscience And this is apparantly seen that somtime for the gaine of twenty Nobles hee shall as willingly deny the truth and goe against his owne consciedce as at another time he will seeke for to maintaine Iustice It is true there are many other Counsellours also that are both wise and learned and yet notwithstanding they know the Law they can by no meanes frame it to his Clients case wanting deuice and conuayance to ioyne them together And so it happeneth many times that to compare it to his Clyants case hee conuaieth him so vnfitlie as of a plaine case it was before It is now made altogether a folde of infinite doubts I graunt that it is a great furtherance vnto the Clyants to haue a good and wise Counsellor but it is a great deale more for their profite if they can giue a sound and profound iudgement of his case For it is not ynough for the Counseller to bee able to expound the Law but it is behouefull for him to applie it to his purpose and to fit it to Time and Place according to the necessitie of his cause I haue knowne Counsellours my selfe that in their Chayres and Readings in their Halls haue seemed Eagles they haue flowne so high in their doctrine and interpretations but afterwards at the barre where they plead and in the face of their Court where they should best shewe themselues there they haue prooued themselues very capons And the onely cause of this is because they haue gotten by force of long trauell and continuall studie a knowledge to moote and read ordinarily their Book-cases in their chaires by common-practise and putting of them each to other But when they are taken out of common-trade and high beaten way and brought to a little path-way straighted to a Counsellers-room at the barre to pleade his Clyents strange and vnknowne case much contrarie to theyr Booke-cases before recited then stript of their common-knowledge and easie seate in chayre they stand now naked on their feete before the iudgement-seate like sense-lesse creatures voyde of reason and experience But now to supplye these imperfections of our rawe Counsellers and to further also our Clyents cause the better wee will that the Clyent be liberall and bountifull to his Counseller thereby the better to whette his wit and to make him also take paines to studie his ease throughly beeing true That the Counseller giueth Lawe as hee hath rewarde And that the Counseller also be carefull of his clyents cause and to goe through with that hee
taketh vpon him and truely to deserue that he taketh of euery man For else they will say and who can blame the poor soules That they are better takers then good dispatchers A foule blot to so great a vertue But well wee will compare them to their Brothers the Physitians who deale with their sicke Patients as the Lawyers do with their poore clyants For if you giue him not a piece of golde or two in his hand at each time of his visitation to restore the languishing bodie hee careth as little for the preseruation of his health whether hee liue or dye as the Lawyer doth for his clients case whether whether it goe with him or against him Moreouer my penne ceaseth not to write of the great troubles displeasures iourneyes expences and trauels that the poore suters haue with theyr Counsellours dayly as with their Atturneyes Soliciters Clerks Officers Registers and Sealers for want of matters to write on but onely for that they are so tedious matters and so foule examples that they deserue rather to bee remedied then written Therefore leauing this Law Discourse and returning againe to the priuate affaires of the Courtier abiding still in Court I say That the Courtier must learne to know the Noble men and chiefe Officers of the Prince As the Lord Chancellour the Lord Treasurer the Lord Marshall the Lord Steward the Lord Chamberlaine the Lord Priue Seale The Treasurer the Controller The master of the Horse The vice Chamberlaine the Secretary the captaine of the Guard and the Coferer And hee need not force to weigh their stocke and family whether they were rich or poore humble or proude stout or fearefull nor regard their qualities and complexions much lesse theyr persons saue onely their authoritie and office they haue And to say truly it cannot bee chosen but wee must come before these Iudges and Officers sometimes to beseech and pray them now for our owne priuate causes then for the misrule and offence of our seruants and also for the importunancy of our friendes in their matters to labour them for iustice and fauour And for this cause mee thinks it is a wise part of the courtier to get into fauour with the counsell and other officers of Iustice and to obtaine their good wils with continuall attendance of them in doing them seruice at a neede and also to entertaine them with some small presents to continue their fauour First before wee beginne to trouble them wâ—e must bee acquainted with them visite them and present them with somewhat For indeed it is a colde and vnfit thing to craue fauour at a Iudges hands whom we neuer knew nor did any seruice to The wise Courtier must beware also not to importune the Noble men and his friendes so much that for euery trifling thing hee would haue them to goe to the Iudges to solicite and entreate for him which I speake because I know there are some so vndiscreet that dayly doe importune the Iudges so much and for such trifles that afterwards with shame they are repulsed and denied in maters of great weight and importance And there are some also that solicite their matter with grauity and others with importunity to whome I will bee so bold to say and to tell them of it also that importunacie sheweth the simplicitie of the Suiter and grauity the honesty of the worthy Knights and Gentlemen Courtier It is but well done and meete for the Courtier that is a Suiter to be diligent to solicite his cause and to follow it throughlie but yet without troubling or importuning too oft the Iudges For if once the Iudges know him for an importunate and cumbersome suiter they will not onely not speake with him when hee comes but also they will not let him come in at the gate when they see him coÌ„ming to them And if hee happen to goe home to the Iudges house and that hee tell his tale to him standing let him in no wise care to sit downe and that his wordes hee speake to him bee fewe and his memorial he giues him briefe For obseruing this order hee shall at that time bee easily yea willingly and courteously heard of him and shall make him thinke that hereafter also he wil vse the like order with him When hee seeth that the Iudge is troubled and that his head is occupied let him in no case at that present offer to trouble him or to speake to him in his matter For admit hee were contented to heare you quietly though halfe vnwilling and to suffer you to tell your tale yet it is impossible hee should wholy vnderstand your case his heade being otherwise occupied And it is needfull also to shewe you that though the Iudge seeme to bee a little Melancholy or Collericke yet the Suiter neede not let for that to speake to him to open his case yea and to seeke to holde in with him still For many times wee see the Melancholy and ill-disposed Natures appeased and ouercome with the courteous and gentle conuersation I remember touching this matter I went once to the court to solicit the Iudge to pray him to dispatch my friends matter and that he might haue iustice And tooke my friend with me And the Iudge answered vs both that with all his heart hee would dispatch him and sware and sware againe to him that hee should haue iustice and that with right good wil hee would keepe his right all he could Nay sir sayd my friend to him whom the case touched I thanke you sir very much that you will dispatch mee quickly but where you say that you haue a great desire to keepe my right and iustice I vtterly appeale from that sentence For I come not sir and if it please you to followe your heeles and to waite vpon you to solicite my cause to the end you should keepe my right and detaine it from mee but that you should giue it to me For I promise you this sir if you once giue it me I meane neuer to trouble your worshipp hereafter with the keeping of it againe but will discharge you quite And now after all these things we haue spoken I conclude that whosoeuer curseth his enemy and seeketh reuenge of an iniury done him Let him not desire to see him poore and miserable neyther hated nor ill willed of any other dead nor banished but let him onely beseech God for to plague him with some ill sute For a man cannot deuise to take a greater reuenge of his enemy then to see him entangied in a vile sute to follow the Cour or to attend in Chauncerie CHAP. XI The Author changeth his matter and speaketh to the beloued of the Court admonishing them to bee pacient in their troubles and that they bee not partiall in the affayres of the Common weale THe Courtier shall doe well and wisely and chiefely if hee be noble and beloued to passe ouer the iniuries done him and to beare them patiently and neuer for to
esteemed about the Prince For the reputed of the Prince commonly thinke they doe much for the Common-weale in bearing and fauouring some and in punishing and persecuting others For those that are of great authoritie professing honour and reputation and that feare shame would rather themselues to be defamed reiected then to see their enemies aduanced or prefered to the fauor of the Prince or of thē that be in fauor with the prince And the beloued or officers of the Prince may not thinke that the fauor they giue to one against an other can bee kept secret and that it cannot come to light for in so doing they are deceiued For in deed there is nothing more manifest or known in the Common-wealth then the doings practises of those that are in fauour and authority yea euen to the very words they speake Those that are agrieued and haue to complaine of some iniury done them or also those that are euen the familiars of the fauoured and that doe but aspire dayly to grow in greater credite with their Prince then others doe not see any thing saide or done to others that are in better credit then themselus be it in eating drinking watching sleeping in play beeing quiet or busie but they suddenly go report it and tell it to som other that is in fauour to enter and to encrease alwayes into greater fauour and trust with them If there happen any discention or enmity amongst the people in the cōmon weale or realme the esteemed of the Court must beware in any case they put not in their hand if they do at all that it be but to pacifie them and to make them good friendes againe and not to discouer thē worse then they were before For if he do otherwise all these quarrels in the end shall cease they being reconciled together and now made perfect friends and to him they wil all shew themselus open enemies And therfore it behoueth the fauored of Princes to behaue themselues so wisely towards them that are at discord and variance together that both the one side and the other should bee glad and well pleased to make him arbitrater between them to decide both their causes without any suspition that they haue of him be it neuer so little of partiality of eyther part The same day that the fauoured of the Court shall take vpon him to beare any priuate affection to any of the Common weale and that hee rather leane to one party or to an other the selfe same day and houre he shall put in great hazard his person and not without great danger to loose his goods together with the fauour and credit of his Prince And the secrete enemies he hath through the enuie they beare him should suffice him yea rather too much by reason of his fauour and credit without seeking anie new enemies for that he saith or doth Such as are great with the Prince and that flye the passions affections and partialities of the Common-weale may be assured they shall bee beloued serued and honoured of all but if they shall doe the contrary they may trust to it likewise that their enemies wil be reuenged of them because they did pursue them And their friends also will complaine of them because they did not fauour their cause as they ought Therfore let not the beloued thinke if he dare beleeue me that by hauing onely the fauour of the person of the Prince it is inough for him to gouerne and rule the whole Realme at his pleasure For although it cannot be denyed that to haue so great a friend as the person of a King it is a great aduantage and commodity and that he may do much yet wee must graunt also that many enemies are able to hurt vs and do vs great iniurie And therefore my aduise should be that euery wise man hauing one friend should beware to haue an other enemy CHAP. XII That the officers and beloued of the court should be very diligent and carefull in dispatch of the affayres of the Prince and Common-wealth and in correcting and reforming the seruants they should also bee very circumspect and aduised SVurely it is a great seruitude trouble to liue in court continually but it is far greater when it is enforced of necessity by reason of sutes and troubles and yet greatest and most intolerable whē they cannot obtain a short and briefe dispatch according to their desire for waying well the manner and conditions of the Court that Suiter may reckon himselfe happily dispatched euery time that he is quickly dispatchd although his dispatch bee not according to his mind And I speake it not without a cause that he may reckon himselfe well dispatched when he hath his answere For without comparison it is lesse ill of both for the poore Suiter that attends on the Court to be presently denyed his Suit then to continue him long with delayes as they they do now a daies the more is the pitty If the poore Suters that goe to the Court did know certainely that the delay made in their Suites were for no other occasion but for to dispatch them well according to their desire although it were not so reasonable yet were it tollerable the paines and trouble that they abide But if the poore miserable and wretched creatures haue great trouble in trauersing the Lawe and abiding their orders obtaining it neuerthelesse in the end with great labour and toyle yea and contrary to their expectation haue they not yet matter ynough trow yee to complaine of yes sure enough to make them despaire Whatsoeuer he be therefore that goeth to the Court to be a Suiter for any matter of import let him determine and thinke with himselfe he shal not obtaine his suite euen as he wold haue it For if he shall feed himselfe with certain promises made in priuat a thing common to Courtiers to promise much and performe nothing with other vaine and foolish thoghts the great hope he shall conceiue of their smokes of Court must needes giue him afterwards occasion to despayre when hee seeth the promise vnperformed The court is a Sea so deep a pilgrimage so incertaine that there wee dayly see nought els but Lambes swim with safety in the deepest chanel and elephants down in the shallowest foord To go sue to serue to trauell to solicite in the Court of Princes may aptly be likened and compared to those that put too many rich iewels to the Lottery in open market in which it happeneth very oft that hee that hath put in a 100. lots shall not happen perhaps of one and an other that only hath but in one fortune shal so fauour him that he shall euer after be made a rich man The like we may say to him that hath liued so long in Court that he hath not onely gotte him a beard but it is also now becom a gray beard and yet in all this long time of his seruice he hath not gotten
wee now at this present doe also aduise them to take heede that they doe not accept and take all that is offered and presented although they may lawfully doe it For if hee be not wise in commaunding and moderate in taking a day might come that hee should see himselfe in such extremity that he should be inforced to call his Friends not to counsell him but rather to helpe and succour him It is true that it is a naturall thing for a Courtyer that hath twenty crowns in his purse to desire suddenly to multiplie it to an 100. from a 100. to 200. from 200. to a 1000. from a thousand to 2000. and from 2000 to an hundred thousand So that this poore wretched creature is so blinded in couetousnes that hee knoweth not nor feeleth not that as this Auarice continually increaseth and augmenteth in him so his life daily diminisheth and decreaseth besides that that euery man mocks and scorns him that thinketh The true contentation consisteth in commanding of Money and in the facultie of possessing much riches For to say truly it is not so but rather disordinate riches troubleth and grieueth the true contentation of men and awaketh in them daily a more appetite of Couetousnes We haue seen many Courtiers rich and beloued but none indeede that euer was contented or wearyed with commaunding but rather his life should faile him then Couetousnes Oh how many haue I seene in the Court whose legges nor feete haue bin able to carry them nor their bodie strong enough to stand alone nor their hands able to write nor their sight hath serued them to see to reade nor their teeth for to speake nor their iawes to eate nor their eares to heare nor their memory to trauell in any suite or matter yet haue not their tongue fayled them to require presents and giftes of the Prince neyther deepe and fine wit to practise in Court for his most auaile and vantage So incurable is the disease and plague of auarice that hee that is sicke of that infirmity can not bee healed neyther with pouerty nor yet bee remedied with riches Since this contagious maladie and apparant daunger is now so commonly knowne and that it is crepte into Courtiers and such as are in high fauour and great authoritie by reason of this vile sinne of auarice I would counsell him rather to apply himselfe to bee well thought of and esteemed then to endeauour to haue enough Also Queene Semiramis was wife to king Belius and mother of king Ninus and although by nature shee was made a woman yet had shee a heart neuer otherwise but valiant and Noble For after shee was widdow shee made her selfe Lord by force of armes of the great India and conquered all Asia and in her life time caused a goodly tombe to bee made where she would lye after her death and about the which she caused to bee grauen in golden Letters these words Who longs to swell with masse of shining golde And craue to catch such wealth as fewe possesse This stately Tombe let him in hast vnfolde Where endlesse heapes of hatefull coyne do rest Many dayes and kinges raignes past before any durst open this Sepulchre vntill the comming of the great Cyrus who commaunded it to be opened And being reported to him by those that had the charge to seeke the treasure that they had sought to the bottomlesse pit and Worldes end but treasure they could find none nor any other thing saue a stone wher in were grauen these words Ah haplesse Knight whose high distracted mind By follies play abused was so much That secret tombes the carcasse could none binde But thou wouldst reaue them vp for to be rich Plutarch and also Herodotus which haue both written this history of Semiramis doe shew and affirme that Queen Semiramis got great honour by this iest and King Cyrus great shame and dishonour If Courtiers that are rich thinke and beleeue that for that they haue money inough and at their will that therefore they should be farre from all troubles and miseries they are deceyned For if the poore soule toyle and hale his body to get him onely that he needeth much more dooth the rich man torment and burne his heart till hee be resolued which way to spende that superfluitie he hath Iesu what a thing is it to see a rich man how bee tormenteth himselfe night and day imagining and deuising with himselfe whether hee shall with the mony that is left buy leases milles or houser anuities vines or cloth lands tenemēts or pastures or some thing in see or whether he shal enrich his sonne with the thirds or fifts and after all these vaine thoughts Gods will is for to strike him with death suddenly not onely before he hath determined how hee should lay out or spend this money but also before he hath made his will I haue many times tolde it to my friends yea and preached it to them in the Pulpit and written it also in my bookes that it is farre greater trouble to spend the goods of this world well and as they ought to be spent then it is to get them For they are gotten with swette and spent with cares Hee that hath no more then hee needeth it is hee that knoweth well how to parte from them and to spend them but he that hath aboundance and more then needfull doth neuer resolue what hee should doe Whereof followeth many times that those which in his life time were enemies to him shall happen to bee heyres after his death of all the goods and money he hath It is a most sure and certaine custome among mortall men that commonly those that are rich while they are aliue spend more money vainely in thinges they would not and that they haue no pleasure in and wherein they would lest lay it out and after their death they leaue the most part of their inheritance to those whom they loued least for it hapneth many times that the sonne which hee loueth worst enheriteth his goods that sonne which hee loued best and made most of remaineth poore Therfore continuing still our matter I say that I know not the cause why the fauoured of the Court desire to bee so rich couetous and insatiable sith they alone haue to gette the goods where afterwardes to spende them they haue need of the counsell and aduise of many Let not those also that are in fauour with the Prince make too great a shew openly of their riches but if they haue aboundance let them keepe it secret For if their lurking enemies know not what they haue the worst they can doe they can but murmur but if they see it once they will neuer leaue till they haue accused him To see a Courtier builde sumptuous houses to furnish them with wonderfull and rich hangings to vse excesse and prodigality in their meates to haue their cupbordes maruellously decked with cups and pots of golde and siluer to
then all others and otherwise to fall in disgrace and to make the Prince forget all the good seruice he hath don him his whole life time hee need but the least displeasure and fault he can commit Eusenides was maruellously beloued with Ptolomey who after Fortune had exalted and brought him to honour and that he was grown to great wealth sayde one day to Cuspides the Philosopher these words O my friend Cuspides tell mee I pray thee of thy faith is there any cause in mee to be sadde sith Fortune hath placed me in so great authoritie and honour as she can deuise to doe and that the King Ptolomey my Lorde hath now now no more to giue me he hath already beene so bountifull to me To whom the Philosopher aunswered saying O Eusenides if thou wert a Philosopher as thou art a beloued seruant thou wouldest tell mee an other tale then that thou tellest mee now For although King Ptolomey hath no more to giue mee knowest thou not that spightfull fortune hath power to take away from thee many things For the noble heart feeleth more griefe and displeasure to come downe one stayre or steppe then to clime a hundred Not many dayes after these words passed betweene Cuspides and Eusenides it happened that one day King Ptolomey found Eusenides talking with a Lemman or Curtesan of his which hee loued dearely whereat hee was so much offended that hee made her straight drinke a cuppe of poyson and caused him to bee hanged before his owne gates The Emperour Seuerus had one in so great fauour and credit which was called Plautius and he loued him so extreamely and trusted him so much that he neuer read letter but Plautius must reade it and hee neuer graunted commission or licence to any man but it must passe vnder Plautius Seale neither did hee euer graunt anything but at the request of Plautius nor did make warres or peace without the counsell and aduise of Plautius The matter fell out so that Plautius entring one night into the Emperours Chamber with a priuy coate his ill happe was such that a little of his breast before was open whereby was spyed the male which Bahhian seeing being the Emperours eldest Sonne sayde vnto him these sharpe words Tell me Plautius Doe those that are beloued of Princes vse to come into theyr Bed-Chambers at these howers Armed with yron-coates I sweare vnto thee by the immortall Gods and so let them preserue me in the succession of the Empyre That since thou commest with yron thou shalt also dye with yron Which presently tooke place For before hee went out of the Chamber they strake off his head The Emperour Commodus that was sonne of the good Emperour Marcus Aurelius had a Seruant called Cleander a wise and graue man olde and very pollitike but withall a little couetous This Cleander was oft times requested of the Praetorian company that is to say of the whole band of souldiers that he would commaund they might be payd their pay due vnto them and to perswade him the better to pay it they shewed him a bill signed from the Emperour to which he answered That the Emperour had nothing to do in the matter For althogh he were lord of Rome yet had he not to deale in the affayres of the Common-weale These discurteous and vnseemely wordes related to the Emperour Comodus and perceyuing the small obedience and respect of duty that Cleander shewed to him hee commaunded forthwith he should be slaine to his great shame and that all his goods should be confiscate Alcimenides was a great renowned King among the Greekes as Plutarch writeth of him and hee fauoured one Pannonius entirely well to whom only hee did not commit his person his trust but also the whole affaires and doings of the common weale and hee might dispose of the goods of the king at his will and pleasure without leaue or licence So that all the Subiects found they had more benefite in seruing of Pannonius then in pleasing of the King Therefore the King and the beloued Pannonius playing at the ball together they came to contend vpon a Chase and the one sayde it was thus the other sayde it was contrary and as they were in this contention the king commaunded presently those of his guarde that in the very place of the Chace where Pannonius denyed they should strike off his head Constantius the Emperour also had one whome hee liked very well and made much of called Hortentius which might well bee counted a Princes darling for hee did not onely rule the affayres of the common weale of the pallace of warres his goods and person of the Emperour but also hee was euer placed aboue all the Ambassadours at his table And when the Emperour went in progresse or any other iourney he euer had him to his bedfellow Thus things being in this state I tell you it happened that one day a Page giuing the Emperour drinke in a glasse the glass by mishappe fell out of the Pages hand and brake in pieces whereat the Emperour was not a little displeased and offended And euen in this euill and vnhappy howre came Hortensius to the king to present him certaine billes to the signe of hasty dispatch which was a very vnapt time chosen and the Emperour yet contented to signe it could neyther the first nor the second time because the penne was ill fauouredly made the inke so thicke that it woulde not write which made the king so angry that euen presently for anger he commaunded that Hortensius head should be strucken off But to the end wee may come to the knowledge of many things in few words I will shew you how Alexander the Great slew in his choller his deere accounted Cratherus and Pirrhus king of the Epirotes Fabatus his Secretary The Emperour Bitillion his greatest friend Cincinnatus Domitian the Emperour Rufus of his Chamber Adrian the Emperour his onely fauoured Ampromae Dâ—cclesian his friende Patritius whom he loued as himselfe and alwayes called him friend and companion Diadumeus Phamphilion his great Treasurer for whose death hee was so sorrowfull that hee would haue made himselfe a way because he caused him to be so cruelly slaine All these aboue named and infinit others also some were Masters some Lordes some kings and som of great authority and fauour about Princes by whose tragicall histories and examples wee may plainely see that they did not onely loose their goods fauor and credit but also vpon very light occasions were put to death by sword Therefore mortall men should put no trust in worldly things sith that of little occasion they become soone great and of much lesse they suddenly fall and come to worse estate then before And therefore king Demetrius asking one day Euripides the Philosopher what hee thought of humane debility and of the shortnesse of this life answered Mee thinkes O king Demetrius that there is nothing certaine in this vnstable life sith all men liuing
Athens hee being not of the age of eightie fiue yeares asked what that old man was and it was answered him that it was one of the Philosophers of Greece who followed vertue and serched to know wherein true Philosophie consisted Whereupon he answered If Xenocrates the Philosopher tell mee that hee being now eightie fiue yeares old goeth to seek vertue in this age I would thou shouldest also tell me what time hee should haue left him to bee vertuous And hee sayde moreouer in those yeares that this Philosopher is of it were more reason we should see him doe vertuous things then at this age to goe and seeke it Truely we may say the very like of our new Courtier that Eudonius sayde of Xenocrates the Philosopher the which if hee did looke for other threescore yeares or threescore and ten to be good what time should remaine for him to proue and shew that goodnesse It is no maruell at all that the olde Courtiers forget their Natiue Countrey and bringing vp their Fathers that begate them their friendes that shewed them fauour and the seruants that serued them but at that I doe not onely wonder at them but also it giueth mee cause to suspect them is that I see they forget themselues So that they neuer know nor consider that they haue to doe till they come afterwardes to be that they would not be If the Courtiers which in Princes Courts haue beene rich noble and in authority would counsell with me or at least beleeue my writing they shold depart from thence in time to haue a long time to consider before of death least death vnawares and suddenly came to take execution of their liues O happy and thrice happy may we call the esteemed Courtier whom God hath giuen so much witte and knowledge to that of himselfe hee do depart from the Court before fortune hath once touched him with dishonour or laid her cruell handes vpon him For I neuer saw Courtier but in the end did complain of the Court and of their ill life that they ledde in Court And yet did I neuer know any person that would leaue it for any scruple of consciēce he had to remain there but peraduenture if any did depart from the court it was for some of these respects or altogether that is to say Eyther that his fauour and credite diminished or that his money fayled him or that some hath done him wrong in the court or that hee was driuen from the court or that he was denyed fauour or that his side faction he helde with had a fall or for that hee was sicke for to gette his health hee went into the Countrey So that they may say hee rather went angrie and displeased with himselfe then hee did to lament his sins If you aske priuately euery Courtier you shall finde none but will say he is discontented with the Court eyther because he is poore or afflicted enuied or ill willed or out of fauour and hee will sweare and resweare againe that he desireth nothing more in the World then to be dismissed of this Courtiers trauell and painefull Life But if afterwards perchance a little winde of fauour be but stirring in the Entrey of his chamber dore it will sodenly blow away all the good and former thoughts from his mind And yet that which makes mee to wonder more at these vnconstant Courtiers and vnstable braines is that I see many build goodly stately houses in their countrey and yet they neyther dwell in them nor keepe hospitality there They graffe and set trees plant fruites and make good Gardens and Orchards and yet neuer goe to enioye them they purchase great Landes and possessions and neuer goe to see them And they haue offices and dignities giuen them in their Countryes but they neuer goe for to exercise them There they haue their friends and parents and yet they neuer goe for to talke with them So they had rather be slaues and drudges in the court then lords rulers in their own countrey we may iustly say that many courtiers are poore in riches strangers in their owne houses and Pilgrimes in their Countrey and banished from all their kindreds So that if wee see the most part of these Courtiers backbite murmure complaine and abhorre these vices they see daily committed in Court I dare assure you that this discontentation and dislyking proceeds not only of those vices and errors then see committed as of the spight and enuie they haue daylie to see their Enemyes growe in fauour and credite with the Prince For they passe little of the vices of Court so they may be in fauour as others are Plutarch in his book De exilio sheweth that there was a Law amongst the Thebanes that after a man was fiftie yeares of age if he fell sicke he should not bee holpen with Physitians For they say that after a man is once arriued vnto that age he should desire to liue no longer but rather to hasten to his iourneys ende By these examples wee may know that infancie is till vii yeares Childhood to xiiii yeares Youth to xxv yeares manhood till xl and Age to three-score-yeares But once passed three-score me thinks it is rather time to make cleane the nettes and to content thēselues with the Fish they haue till now then to go about to put their nets in order againe to fish any more I grant that in the Courts of princes all may be saued yet no man can deny mee but that in princes Courts there are mo occasions to be damned then saued For as Cato the Censor saith The apt occasions bring men a desire to do yll though they be good of themselues And although some do take vpon them and determine to leade a godly and holie life or that they shew themselus ' great hypocrites yet am I assured notwithstanding that they cannot keepe their tongue frō murmuring nor their hart from enuying And the cause hereof proceedeth for that ther are very few that follow the Court long but onely to enter into credit and afterwards to vaxe rich and growe in great authoritie Which cannot bee without bearing a little secret hate and enuy against those that doe passe them in this fauour and authority and without suspect and feare of others which in 〈◊〉 are their equals and companions It were a good counsell for those that haue 〈◊〉 the Court or Princes till they be 〈◊〉 old and gray headed that they should determine and liue the rest of their yeares as good Christians and not to passe them as Courtiers so that though they haue giuen the world a meale yet they should in the end giue the brain to Iesus Christ I know euery man desireth to liue in Princes Courts and yet they promise they will not dye in Court And since it is so mee thinkes it is a great folly and presumption for such men to desire to liue long in such state where they would not dye for all the
viilaine Conclusion of the villains speech wherein he reproueth the Roman Magistrates The tyrannie of the Romanes to the Germanes Here the villaine layeth open the miserable estate of his Country The commendation that the Emperour gaue of the Oration of the villaint The speech of King Alexander the great The greate courage of Alexner The phylosophers speech concerning the honour of Princes The saying of Plutarch to Traian the Emperour Good admonitions of Seneca to his friend Lucilla Graue sentences of Seneca The speech of King Philip. What maâ—ter of men Iudges and Officers ought to be What is requyred in an vpright iudge The wise answere of Cato Cato his aduise in choosing Officers A Letter of Marcus Aurelius to his friend Antigonus Ancient lawes obserued among the Rhodians God the onely true â—udge What may moue one man to bee mercifull to another The Emperour continueth still his letter concerning cruell Magistrates The commendations of Lycaronicus for equal iustice The cruelty of Lycaronicus The pitty mercifulnes of Romulus the first Romane King The vertue of an herbe called Ilabia An Epitaph of a vertuous King The Emperour continueth his letter against euil Iudges The cruelty of Nero. with one of his pittiful sayings The carefulnes of Augustus in choosing Iudges What is required in an vpright iudge The reason why Iudges are ordained The Emperour continueth still his letter concerning cruell Magistrates What the ancient Hebrewes were and their conditions How vn happie that Realme is that is forsakeÌ„ of God A token of peace if the disturbers thereof bee taken away Where Iudges are vniust there the commoÌ„wealth goeth to ruine The counsell of the poore ought not to bee despised The 〈◊〉 that Princes ought to haue in 〈◊〉 Magistrates The conclusion of the Emperours letter concerning cruell Iudges The property of euil Iudges and Officers A Caue at for Iudges and all other Magistrates Offices giuen more for friendshippe then for desert The triumph of Marius the Romane Consull The speech of the Grandfather of K. Boco The Nephew pardoned for the good desert of the Grandfather The vertous life of Augustus second Emperour of Rome described The vertues of a godly prince described Warre ought to be eschewed peace entertained K Dauid a patterne for Princes how to stain warre Howmuch euery ought to preferre peace before warre How vnsatâ—able a couetous man is What incoÌ„ueniences are incident to Warres What may moue Princes to loâ—â— peace and â—ate warre Questions demaunded by King Dimo and answered Commodities that follow peace Warres vniustly taken in hand neuer come to good end For what reason wars ought not to be taken in hand The warre destruction of the good and godly men The reason why the Emperozr Augustus was o fortunate A dreame of King Antigonus A true saying of Plato Our Sauiour Christ the true patterne of peace Good couÌ„sell and worthy to be followed Dangers incident to warres Enuie and malice a deadly foe to true honour MaÌ„ putteth his life in danger only to winne honour How little the Emperour Marc Aurelius esteemed vaine honours Wherefore the Emperour cursed Rome Rome in ancient time the most flourishing City of the world The Emperour goeth on with his letter touching the order of warre Customes which the Romanes vsed before they went to the war The great outrages that the Romane souldiers did Lewde women oftentimes the cause of warre What mischiefe followed by the â—â—â—â—â—dnes of a strumpet Priestes exempt from warre The answer of the Oracle of Apollo How the Rumanes were wonte to make trial of their Captaines A reward giuen by the Emperour to a cowardly Captaine Marcus Aurelius continueth his letter shewing the detriment that followeth wars What felicity the ancient Romans tooke in warlike discipline What mischiefe came to Rome by conquering Asia The great miseries that were specified of Asia What vices were brought to Rome from Asia What incoÌ„uenience coÌ„meth by coÌ„quering strange Realmes Warre the mean occasion to make a coÌ„monwealth poore How vncertaine the euent of Warre is No greater hinderance to a Common wealth then to keepe men of warre A custome among the auncient Romanes Lycurgus his Lawes to the Lacedemonians Death maketh an end fal worldly miserie A wise Sentence of Cato A saying of Phalaris the Tyrant A wise aunswere of a philosopher The six Ages of mans life said opeÌ„ explaned A graue sentence of Sences Good counsel of Seneca worthy to be followed both of olde and young How circuÌ„spect wary men ought to be in eating 〈◊〉 Discommodityes that come by excesse of eating and drinking The answer of a young man to the Senate or Rome The iudgement of the Senate against drunkennes An euill qustome vsed among the Goths Euery man ought for to weare apparrell according to his calling Pride in the aged ought to be neglected A lye in a young man hatefull but in an olde man abhominable A worthy lesson c. Olde men ought to be a lanterne to youth A Letter of the Emperour reprouing light behauiour in old men A discommodity that war bringeth For foure causes Friends are to be esteemed The speech of the Emperour Adrian to his ieaster The difference of Solon and Lycurgus in opinion The continuation of the Emperours letter to his friends The vanity of the world and the vncertainety thereof How warie euery man ought to be No man euer contented with his estate in this world Euery man ought to flye the vain intisements of the world The prosecution of the Emperours letter teaching old men to be vertuous What is required in euery olde man What duty is required of the yong man to the olde A Question demaunded of aâ— Senatour of Rome Olde meÌ„ by experience know and feele many daungers A speech of the Emperor Adrian A custome among the Barbarians The conclusion of the Emperours letter reprouing old men which liue dissolutely like young children All the meÌ„bers of man waxe feeble in time but onely the heart and tongue The pride of the auncient Senatours of Rome A seuere sentence giuen by the Senators of Rome vpon an old man A question demaunded of an olde man and his answere A good example and worthie to be noted What caused Alexander to be loued and honoured King Darius noted of couetousnes The vice of auarice so odious that it cannot be sufficiently expressed A worthie saying of Aristotle A true saying oâ— Boetius The description of a miserable and couetous man Poverty far better then riches with couetousnes The desire of couetous men neuer satisfied The description of a couetous man A comparison between the glutton the vsurer The almes of the couetous man if he giue any The Emperour sheweth the abuse of those that leaue their calling Wherein true friendship consisteth The Emperour sheweth what vertues men ought to vse and the vices they ought to eschew A worthy saying of Cicero The Emperour concludeth his letter describing the vanities of the world The frailety and state of man