the care they have to maintaine themselves and their credit in their estate is greater than the pleasure they take in possessing them For every small matter they thinke detracteth much from their reputation when they lye dying disposing their goods gotten with such toyle of their bodies and care to their minds danger to their lives and hazzard many times to their soules there is such gaping for that they have that they have more trouble to please all than they took pleasure to possesse all But improperly untruly are riches called goods when they bring with them so many evils For greater is the number without comparison of such as being good become evill by riches than of them that being wicked are by riches made good Alexander the Great sent Ambassadours to Phocion of Athens with a Present of an hundred talents being in value almost twentie thousand pounds Phocion demanding the cause of this great gift seeing there were so many Athenians besides him Because quoth they our master esteemeth you among all the rest for a vertuous and good man Then quoth he let him suffer me both to seeme and to bee so indeed and carry his Present backe to him againe Diogenes in the like sort refused Alexanders offers of worldly goods For being visited on a time by him as he was in his tub I see quoth Alexander to Diogenes that thou art poore and hast neede of many things aske what thou wilt and I will give it thee In the meane time quoth Diogenes stand out of the Sunne Some of his nobilitie standing by and supposing that hee studied what he might aske urged him to aske something Whether of us two said Diogenes to Alexander seemeth to thee to have most neede and therfore poorest I that desire nothing but my tub and a little bread or thou that art King of Macedon and doest hazzard thy selfe to so many dangers to enlarge thy dominions so as the whole world seemeth too little to satisfie thy ambitious and covetous minde Alexander had Diogenes in such admiration for the contempt of worldly goods that he said with alowd voice If I were not Alexander I would be Diogenes He said further that there was no other felicitie in this world than either to bee King Alexander that commandeth all or to be Dâ—…ogenes that commandeth Alexander The like boldness of speech Diomedes the Pirate used to Alexander being taken and brought before him for Piracie For the King demanding of him how he durst presume so to molest the seas without authoritie Because quoth he I rob but with one ship and thou doest the same with a great navie I am accused and called a Pirate and thou a King But if I had a navie and thou but one ship I should be called a King and thou a Pirate But the iniquitie of my fortune and poore estate and thy intolerable pride and unsatiable avarice hath made us both theeves If my bare estate were something amended peradventure I should become better but the more thou hast the worse thou wilt be The King pardoned him and his libertie of speech considering with himselfe that a great navie which is prepared with riches maketh not the right difference between a King and a poore Pirate that hath but one ship if the end of their enterprise be one that is to take by violence that which is none of theirs But the justice and equitie of the cause maketh the true difference and is appropriate to the dignitie qualitie of a King The same Diogenes before named being taken for a spie and brought to King Philip Alexanders father when hee made warre upon the Grecians and examined said I am indeed an espie of thy covetousnesse and madnesse that commest hither to hazzard thy selfe and thy Kingdome Iulius Casar passing by a little village said that hee had rather bee the first in that little towne than second at Rome By which sayings of these men it may be gathered that they esteemed him not poore that was not endued with worldly goods and possessions and contented himselfe with that he had but that he rather was poore that had much and yet desired more which is a thing common to all rich men Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit seth The love of mony grows as the mony it selfe increa He is happy not that hath what he desireth but he who desireth not that which he hath not And where the greedy desire of riches hath taken roote there is no prohibited meanes neither by the lawes of God nor by the ordinances of men that can restraine them if all other means faile to feck for help of the Divell to findeit out There was a Priest but few yeares past in the yeare one thousand five hundred thirtie to whom the divell had shewed treasure in a chrystall glasse at Norimberg And when the Priest taking one of his friends with him went to seeke for it without the towne he saw in the hole where he digged a chest and a blacke dog lying upon it And as he went down into the hole the earth fell upon him and killed him and filled up the hole againe Like wise there was one that sought for money by Magicke neare Paris and as hee would have taken up the coffer where it was a whirle-winde carried it away and a peece of the wall fell upon him and made him lame all his life A just reward and good example for men to beware how they trust to the Divels helpe And this was a strange thing that happened of late in the yeare of grace one thousand five hundred ninetie one there was one Mark Bragadin that professed himselfe to bee an excellent Alcumist but indeed a notable Magician This man came from Venice into Baviere and there practised to make gold in such abundance that he would give his friends whole lumps of gold making no more estimation of gold than of brasse or iron he lived stately like a Prince kept a bountifull house and had servants of great account and was saluted with a title of dignitie and drew many Princes into admiration of him insomuch as he was accounted another Paracelsus And after hee had long exercised his art made himselfe knowne to all the Princes was desired of them all hee came at length into the Duke of Bavieres Court who finding after a while his fraud illusions committed him to prison And when the Duke had commanded him to bee examined and put to the torture he desired he might suffer no such paine promising that he would confesse of his own accord all the wickedness that ever he had câ—…mitted and exhibited accordingly to the Duke in writing the whole course of his lewd life desiring neverthelesse that it might not be published Hee confessed that hee was worthy to dye but yet made humble sute that his concubine Signora Caura and his whole familie might returne untouched into Italie Not long after
of their pleasant instruments their sweet wine the mony also which they have in their purses commeth from thence And that they may have the fruition of these pleasures at the full they make themselves Prelates of Churches This is not sayth he to adorne the spouse of Iesus Christ but this is to risle her this is not to preserve her but to destroy her this is not to defend her but to give her to theeves for a prey The magnificence of these men was farre differing from the poore estate of Saint Peter and Saint Iohn that had not a penny to give to the lame man that asked their almes at the Church dore Which putt◅th me in minde of a pretty taunt given to a Pope by a Frier that glorying in his riches exalted himselfe above Saint Peter Pope Sixtus the fourth being exalted from a poore Franciscane Frier to that dignitie brought a Frier of the same order into his Treasurie and shewing to him his great wealth and riches sayd Looke Frier I cannot say as Saint Peter did Gold and silver have I none No truely quoth the Frier no more can you say as Saint Peter sayd to the lame and sicke of the palsey Arise up and walke The like taunt the Archbishop of Cullen received for the like pride of a poore husbandmā who as he was at plough in the fields seeing a great troupe of horse-men well armed after the manner of the Princes of Germany passing by asked of the formost company who it was that came after being answered that it was the Archbishop of Cullen this countrie fellow fell into a great laughing and being asked why hee laughed Because quoth he Saint Peter the Prince of Prelates lived poorely to leave his successours rich Word being brought to the Archbishop what this fellow had sayd hee meaning to excuse justifie himselfe Doest thou not know quoth he that I am both a Bishop and a Duke and have both the jurisdictions Thē the fellow laughed more than he did before and being demanded the cause I pray you Sir quoth hee let mee aske you this question If the Duke shall happen to be in hell where shall the Bishop be One reporteth of a Priest that used to have a net spread upon his table where he dined that he might the rather by that meanes resemble Saint Peter that was a Fisherman to whom Christ sayd when hee followed him that he should take men This Priest by his diligent preaching which hee used so long as he was kept bare was at last advanced to a Bishopricke and when he came home to dinner being a Bishop finding the net spread upon his table after his usuall manner Now take away the net quoth hee to his servant I have taken that which I fished for The world hath too many such fishers But where hath beene found in these latter ages among Prelates that contempt of worldly pompe and pride that was in that great Clerke Origen the fame of whose excellent learning and singlenesse of life being brought to the ◅ares of Alexander Severus the Roman Emperour he sent for him to come to Rome and commanded the Proyost of Egypt to furnish him with all things necessary for his journey When this Provost had provided him a ship and all things necessary and beheld him but simply apparelled he prepared for him divers garments in the most honest and comely sort that Philosophers then used But Origen would receive no part thereof not so much as hose or shooes but like as hee used alwayes to goe from his child-hood that was in a single garment of cloath and bare-foot so went he to Rome And when at his arrivall there were brought to him a Mule and a Chariot to use which hee best liked he answered That he was much lesse than his master Christ who rode but one day in all his life and that was upon a silly asse◅mare And therefore he would not ride unlesse he were sicke or decrepit so as his legges might not serve him to goe And when hee was brought into the presence of the Emperour and his mother the Emperour with most gentle countenance embraced him as he kneeled and enforced him to stand upon his feet His mother also saluted him with the like courtesie and rejoyced much to see him The Emperour beholding his native gravitie and sterne countenance judged him in his heart to bee a reverent personage Then demanded he of him what he professed And when hee answered Veritie the Emperour asked him what he meant thereby It is the word quoth he of the living God which is infallible The Emperour asked which is the living God and why hee so called him Origen answered that hee did put that distinction for a difference from them whom men being long drowned in errour did call their gods whom they confesse to be mortall once and to have died But the God whom he preached was ever living and never died and is the life of all things that bee like as hee was the creatour of them And when the Emperour had required him to declare the unitie of God the creatour hee devoutly lifting up his eyes after a short meditation with an incomparable and compendious eloquence forthwith opened that mystery in such wise that as well to the Emperor his mother as to all the standers by it seemed they were brought out of a long sleepe and then began to see things as they were indeed and that which before they honoured and esteemed were but vaine dreames and imaginations The Emperour after a little pawse sayd to Origen that hee much marvelled why men of such great and wonderfull knowledge should honour for God a man that was crucified being but of a poore estate and condition O noble Emperour sayd Origen consider what honour the wise Athenians at this present doe to the name and image of Codrus their last King for that when they had warres with their enemies who had answer made by the Oracle of Apollo that if they slew not the King of Athens they should have the victorie Codrus hearing thereof preferring the safeguard of his people before his owne life tooke to him the garments of a slave and bearing upon his shoulder a burden of stickes he went to his enemies campe and there quarelling of purpose with some of them and in the prease hurting one with his knife he was by him that was hurt striken through the body and slain which being known to the enemies they being confused raised their campe and departed And for this cause the Athenians have ever since had the name of Codrus in reverence worthily and not without cause Now then consider most excellent Prince how much more worthily with what greater reason and bounden dutie ought wee and all men to honour Christ being the Sonne of God and God who not only to preserve mankind from danger of the Divell his ancient enemy but also to deliver man out of his darke and stinking dungeon
the time present Nothing is more avaâ—…eable to suppresse the inordinate desire and estimation of worldly vanities and to discover the false 〈◊〉 of repâ—…ted happâ—…sse than to observe the course of mens lives and counsels of other ages and compare them with the manners present By which we shall see a cortaine kinde of confer 〈◊〉 and continued order from age to age of the variable and tragicall events with the fat all end of them that have aspired to high dignities and set their felicitie in vaine pleasures reputation and pompe of the world Cicero reprehendâ—…ng mens negligente in seeking after such kinde of knowledge saith To bee ignorant of the things that have happened before thou werâ—… borne is alwayes to bee a childe And Seneca for the like cause saith There are none ore unhappy than those old men that have â—…ber argument to prove their long life but their yeares If any man take occasion of offence because they finde the abuses and imperfections of themselves their estate or profession discovered by which they are subject to reprehension let them consider that my intent and scope is to search for the felicity of man and to see whether it hath any part in this life In doing whereof I was driven to examine the principall estates of life not in any particular Countrey or Common wealth but generally through the world and to discover the evill I found in them and yet not all that I have found written in other Authors nor that may truly be spoken but so much as I thought sufficient to make for my purpose For whon I note the abuses of some estates of life and manners of men as not sufficiently furnished with the things that should lead men to felicity my meaning is the abuses of other Countries reported by credible Authors and not of mine owne saving when I name our Nation where neverthelesse I wish that all things were so well as there were no cause to finde any fault And yet nothing is so generally spoken but it doth admit some exception But he that shall walke in so large and spacious a field as to treate of this subject wherein he must be enforced to looke into the condition and manners of men and to unfold for the truths sake the abuses and 〈◊〉 accidents that befall the estates of life which are disguised and lye covered under faire shewes as the Serpent 〈◊〉 under sweet flowers shall find the weedes to overcome the corne and the evill so farre to exceed the good that it is not possible for him to passe through so great a throng and multitude of people to seeke for a happy man but he must shoulder some and give occasion of offence or leave the thing unfound he goeth about to seeke The consideration whereof 〈◊〉 these verses often into my mind At melius fuerat non scribere namque tacere Tutum 〈◊〉 crit The truth as it is commonly sayd purchaseth displeasure and soothing or flattery winneth good will Caius Lucilius a learned man is reported to say that he wished the things which hee had written might neither be read of them that bee altogether unlearned nor of them that were very well learned because the one sort understand nothing the other know per adventer more than hee But I 〈◊〉 not so much the qualitie of their learning that shall reade that which I have written if it chance to be seen of more than I meant as I wish them to bee of a disposition inclined to vertue and honesty for such will eyther finde matter there to benefit themselves or at least not blame the Author for his good meaning Some like nothing but new matter that commeth from the Authors owne invention others delight to have it intermingled with examples of antiquity and the opinions and sayings of learned men which agreeth so aptly with my disposition that it occasioned mee to collect many histories and examples with grave sayings and sentences out of learned Authors as it were of old stuffe to help erect a new building not naming alwaies the Authors because they were 〈◊〉 forgotten or sufficiently knowne to mee that had none other meaning but to bee the end of mine owne labours To repreâ—…d vies to exciâ—…e to vertue to know our 〈◊〉 by nesse and â—…ferable â—…state can bee hurtfull to none it may bee profitable to 〈◊〉 in these 〈◊〉 sifteâ—… the 〈◊〉 of all our Discourse I wish it may turn to the benifit of them that sbalread it I have dividded this Treatise into fix bookes In the third not in honour and glory In the fourth not 〈◊〉 morall vertue or in the action of vertue after the Academickes and Peripateticks nor in Philosophicall contemplation In the fift I have declared mine owne opinion of the felicity and happinesse of this life In the 〈◊〉 I have shewed wherein consisteth the true felicity and Summum bonum of man and the way to attaine to it In which Discourse if I have missed the marke I shot at as it may well be the same per adventure being out of my reach let him that followeth take a better levell beware he shoot not as much too wide on the other side That I goe before and stand besides the prick will helpe his aime that shall follow and 〈◊〉 at the same marke I may seeme presumptuous if my 〈◊〉 bee taken as they lye in some places though meant for 〈◊〉 only and order of writing in taking upon 〈◊〉 to shew the 〈◊〉 to felicity so 〈◊〉 a matter as hath moved much controversie betweene the ancient Wisemen and Philosophers and the best learned of all ages and as it were to make my way through them by violence allowing and rejecting of theirs at my pleasure as though I were Nullius astrictus 〈◊〉 in verba magistri For to offer only the pen to the book among so many grave and learned men in a matter also of such importance may bee attributed to rashnesse and to touch the monuments of so many and profound Authors whose opinions have beene so many ages allowed may be taken for a kind of sacriledge But the reverence and love of antiquity ought to be no barre to posterity to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opinion and conceit in searching for the truth And because I tooke the matter in hand for mine owne 〈◊〉 onely without any meaning to publish it I was the more bold to give my selfe a warrant freely to utter my conceit 〈◊〉 any prejudice to the authority of antiquity But for that I have not followed the path which they and others have trodden before me but rather in a sort have broken the yee in a new place to make my way through after 〈◊〉 owne fancy and refused to 〈◊〉 by another mans compasse me thinkes I heare the sound of Virgil his verse in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quis novus hic nostris successit sedibus hospes That I have written though I may seeme to have given my selfe a liberty to think as I list and not to hang
cares determined to alter the course of his former life and give himselfe to contemplation Hee used often to goe alone up to the top of a hill that joyned to the Citie of Abderita where hee would kill dogs and calves rip them up make Anatomie of them ever as hee saw how aptly nature had compact the intrailes members together to serve the necessary uses of the creature he would fall into a great laughing Hee used this so often that the Senatours marvelling what he meant to goe so much up this hill sent one secretly after him to watch what he did This fellow beholding covertly his manner how he cut up dogs and calves and laughed at he knew not what brought word to the Senatours what hee had seene They supposing him to be mad or become foolish were very sorry and lamented his case to one of the Sages or Philosophers of Greece that was newly come to Towne They told him what a great losse they had of so grave and wise a Senatour that was now become a foole and desired him to examine the cause of his sudden alteration and to perswade him if he could to leave off those foolish manners to reduce him againe to his former gravitie and course of life This man watched when hee went up the hil and followed secretly after And when hee had beheld him a while quartering his dogs and laughing after his usuall manner he came to him reprehending him for his laughing admonished him to recall himselfe to his former gravitie Democritus after he had ended his perswasions leadeth him to the side of the hill where they might looke into the Citie and Countrey round about Now quoth he imagine that you see all things that are done within the Citie Look saith he what familiaritie is between that young man and the young woman you see which is yonder old mans wife there is a bargaine making to set a paire of hornes on the old mans head And doe you see yonder two fellowes how they watch for the plaine man 〈◊〉 travelleth about his businesse to kill him and to take his purse And look on the other side how that young man that married yonder old woman for her goods provideth a drink to dispatch her that he may marry a young woman At the end of everie of these questions Democritus after his usuall manner would fall into a great laughing When he had ministred divers of these kinde of questions whereby he noted the ordinarie vices and lewd behaviour of many which were too common in Cities and other places where is much concourse of people as though they had beheld them in action Is there any man quoth hee that seeth these things that can forbeare to laugh After this man that was sent by the Senatours had some farther discourse with Democritus hee returned to them who hoping that hee had perswaded him to bee of another minde made haste to meet him and were desirous to know what had passed between them You are deceived quoth he in Democritus that think him to be mad or foolish for he is only wise and all you be fooles He withdraweth not himselfe from the companie of you and others because hee is out of his right mind but hee looketh into the vanities of the world with a sound and upright judgment and hath in contempt this worldly wealth honours pompe esteeming those things as the frumps of fortune which ye exalt above the skies and take for felicitie and giveth himselfe to the studie of Philosophie and contemplation of the works of God wherein consisteth the true felicitie Diogenes after his accustomed scoffing manner which hee used to reprehend vice and to draw men from over-much care and estimation of worldly matters for there is no cause to let men from speaking the truth though in jest on a time as hee sate in his tub upon the side of the hill that looketh into the Citie of Syracusa which was situate at the foot of the hill beholding every man occupied in ramming up their gates and preparing things necessarie for defence of their Citie against their enemies that were comming to besiege it hee rolled his tub from the top of the hill to the bottome and from thence up to the top againe and then overthwart the hill from one side to another and being asked what he meant to labour so hard Look quoth he what a stir yonder is pointing downe to the towne it is no reason that I be idle when my Citizens are so occupied By which scoffe hee would give men to understand what advantage they had that conâ—…ed themselves with a meane estate that is voyd of all feare and danger and free from the uncertaine accidents of wavering fortune over them that live in abundance of worldly wealth honours alwaies subject to a world of misadventures not only of the losse of that they possesse esteem for their felicity but of their lives also of them that be most deare to them Of whom riches is greatly esteemed he is neither beloved of vertue nor of God neither can that man attaine to divine things that hath not rejected the delights of money and of the body Byas one of the Sages of Greece when the towne was wonne by their enemies and leave given to every man to carry his goods away with him Byas being met carrying nothing whereas all others were throughly laden and asked why he carried not his goods as all other men did theirs I carry quoth he all my goods with me accounting nothing appertaining to him but the goods and gifts of his minde as the Poet saith Divitias animi solas egojudico verâ—… Qui rebus pluris se facit ipse suis Those the true Riches of the minde I count When men thinke They their Riches far surmount The mention of this Byas bringeth to my remembrance a notable example of modestie and contempt of riches shewed by the seven Sages or wise men of Greece whereof Byas was one As certain Fishers were drawing their nets to land one bought their draught at adventure not yet knowne what was within them It chanced them to draw up enclosed within their nets a table of gold of great weight and value The Fishers desirous to reserve to themselves the golden table said that they sold only the fish the other affirmed he bought the fortune The contention grew so vehement that the matter was brought before the people of the Citie to give their censure They considering the strangenesse of the matter and the great value of the thing referred the judgement to their god Apollo at Delphos And when answer was made by the Oracle that he that excelled all others in wisdome should have the table they gave it with a general consent to Thales one of the Sages he sent it to Byas Byas sent it to Pittacus he to another and so passing through the hands of all the seven Sages it came
give over untill hee had run one course more and looking round about seeing almost none left he called Count Mongomery to him that was Captaine of his guard and commanded him to goe to the end of the Tilt but hee refusing to runne against him desired to be pardoned but the King his destinie drawing him strongly to his end would allow no excuse but putting the staffe in Mongomeries hand that killed him willed him to go to the end of the tilt hee would breake one staffe more before hee departed As they ran 〈◊〉 brake the staffe upon the King with a counterbuffe that the splinters ran into his eye and up toward his braine so as languishing a few daâ—…s he dyed Thus he that thought himselfe by the alliaâ—… of this mightie Prince to bee advanced to great glorie wherein by his new title he seemed to set his felicitie was taken away by the Captaine of his guard that was appointed for his defence in the beginning of his supposed happinesse Sâ—…ctransit transit gloria mundi This strange death of the Kings seemed to be fatall and was presaged before by Ganricus an Italian Astronomer who wrote to the King five yeares before that he had calculated his nativitie that the heavens threatned him in the yeare in which hee should be one and fortie a dangerous wound in the head by which hee should bee either striken blinde or dead both which came to passe therefore hee advised him that yeare to bew are of tilâ—…s tourneys such like pastimes Likewise Nostradamus told some of his friends secretly that the King would be in great danger of his life at the triumph which made them the more attentively behold the same to see the event There was also a child of sixe yeares old brought thither with his father to see the Iustes which boy as hee saw them run to breake their staves would alwaies cry out without ceasing They will kill the King they will kill the King But what danger soever followeth or what care or trouble is in comming by it there are very few examples of them that have refused honour and rule when they have had opportunitie meanes to attaine it But an infinite number of examples of them that by unlawfull means have sought rule to their owne destruction And no part of the world can afford more than the Romane Empire where within the space of one hundred yeares â—…n which were 〈◊〉 and thirteene 〈◊〉 there were but three that dyed in their beds by sicknesse all the 〈◊〉 suffred violent death In the Reign of Galienns there were 〈◊〉 that usurped the name of Emperour The Romanes had a custome to have certaine bands of choice men lodged without thâ—… wals of the Citie of Rome for the guard of their Emperours which they called Pretorian souldiers who by the negligence of some evill Emperours forgetting their old discipline grew so licentious that they used to kill such of their Emperours though they had beene beneficiall to them for whose defence they were appointed as went about to reforme their rapines and dissolute manners and advance others in their places For this hath been alwaies the manners of men to bee moved rather with the hope of a good turne to come than with the remembrance of a benefit already received and to depend rather upon them whose power and reputation they see doth increase than upon them that bee at the highest and have no possibilitie to climbe higher Pertinax was the sonne of a slave that was made free and being trained up in the warres through his vertue and valour hee obtained to the highest dignities in the Romane Empire and after Commodus the cruell Tyrant was slaine hee was made Emperour But after hee had reigned some three moneths to the great liking of the Senate and people of Rome the Pretorian souldiers finding his severitie not so fit for their purpose as the libertie they enjoyed by his Predecessour Commodus certaine of them conspired against him went armed through the Citie of Rome to his Palace with their halberds and swords drawne whereof the Emperour being advertised sent to the Captaine of the 〈◊〉 bands who brought him the first newes of Commodus death whereof he was the principall Author and cause of this mans election to the Imperiall crowne that hee would appease the souldiers but he was so farre from disswading them that hee rather allowed of the enterprise following the common course of tho world and as the Poet saith Dum fueris felix multos â—…merabis amicos Tempor a si fuerint nubila solus â—…ris Whilst happy thou hast many friends but try Them in foule weather and away they fly The Emperour thinking it not agreeable with the majestie of his estate nor answerable to his vertues and former valour by which hee was advanced to so many dignities to flye or hide himselfe as he was counselled hee came forth boldly to the souldiers hoping by his authoritie and majestie of his person to appease them And after hee had demanded of them the cause of their comming in this disordered sort My souldiers quoth he if you come to kill me you shall doe no great or valiant act nor a matter to me very grievous that am so striken in age and have gotten such honour and fame that death cannot much trouble me who am not ignorant that the life of man must have an end But take yee heed that it be not infamous to your selves first to lay hands upon your Emperour that hath done you no harme whose person is committed to your guard defence from all treason violence I may not flye that which the destinies have ordained neither that which you have determined But if this be my last day fatall houre I pray the immortal Gods that the vengeance of the innocent bloud which shall bee fhed of me fall not upon my mother Rome but that every one of you doe feele it in his person his house And though some of the souldiers when Pertinax came to the point to speak these words were moved with the authority and grave words of the good Emperour and were about to retire yet the rest that came after pursued their furious intent and especially one Tuncius seeing all men refusing to kill Pertinax he thrust a launce thorow the middest of his bodie with which wound Pertinax fell to the ground Which being done they cut off his head and put it on a launce and carried it through the streets of Rome and returned againe to their campe with the like speede as they came forth which they fortified and prepared themselves for defence fearing the 〈◊〉 of the people of whom Pertinax they knew was well beloved But after a day or two when they saw that none sought to revenge his death they gathered to them a more boldnesse and by a rare example the like wherof was never heard before the souldiers standing upon the walls of their
campe caused to bee published that hee that would give them most money they would make him Emperour A proud and presumptuous offer for a handfull of men inclosed within a wall of a little circuit to set the world to sale A notable example and worthy of deep meditation whereby we may plainely see how feeble and weake the things are which wee so greatly esteeme in this life and what small reckoning and account wee ought to make of worldly power and dominion and all other riches and possessions which wee call the goods of the world and how far they are from felicitie that thinke themselves to live in securitie and happinesse by possessing worldly wealth and dominion when three or foure hundred men shall be sufficient to take away the life and dominion from a grave and wise Emperour of Rome a man of great vertue and experience well beloved of his people master commander of the world in the middest of the Citie of Rome head of the Romane Empire And they to carry the matter away without punishment or called to answer their Princes death What reason have we so much to esteeme and desire any worldly wealth and power with the hazzard many times of our soules when so mighty a Monarchie representing such a majestie the terrour of Princes Nations and as it were the throne of the earth shall be by proclamation set out to sale for a little money When this newes was published in Rome that the Empire should be sold word therof was brought to Didius Iulianus a very rich man as he sate at supper in the middest of his pleasures Who being perswaded by his friends to hearken to this offer went presently to the campe where he found another chapman whose offer the souldiers durst not accept fearing lest hee would revenge the Emperours death whose kinsman he was But receiving the large promises of Iulianus they put downe a ladder over the wall of their camp took him to them where after they had sworn him to performe his promise for the money agreed upon they saluted him by the name of Emperour and marched with him in order of battell well armed through the Citie to the Palace The People in stead of salutations cursing him bitterly and cast stones at him out of their windowes And when the Armie had entituled him Pater patriae they found early the next morning these Latine letters written upon the gate P.V.E.P. sounding thus Proditor Venditor Emptor patria In English thus Traytor seller buyer of thy Country And after he had reigned seven moneths in which time he suffered a great many indignities being odious to all men and to the souldiers also because hee performed not his promise the Senate sent a Gentleman to kill Iulianus who declaring the sorrowful Embassage which hee brought him with many teares Inlianus desired that he might not be slaine before he had seene Severus who was then at the gates of Rome with an armie elected Emperour but the Gentleman durst doe no other than cut off his head These and the like examples whereof histories are full fraught argue the imbecillitie and frailtie of humane power and riches which may bee likened to the rattles and toyes which children use to play with suddenly they come and quickely they are gone no where stable nor settled but with every blast and mutabilitie of fortune tossed hither and thither He that now is lifted upon high is throwne downe againe into the gulfe of miseries Saepius ventis agitatur ingens Pinus celsae graviore casu Decidunt turres ferunt que summos fulmina montes The mighty Pine that growes aloft Is shaken by the windes more oft The higher that the Turrets be The greater is their fall we see The nearer Heaven the Mountaines looke The sooner they are thunder-strooke Unworthy are they to bee esteemed and called good things that double the bitterness of griefe with the desire of them when they are lost Which seemed to bee gravely considered of king Iohn of France when he was taken P◅soner by the blacke Prince For being moved with the sudden alteration of his fortune that in a moment of a mighty Prince was become a captive in the power of his enemies he was very sad and pensive But when he was brought to the presence of King Edward after he had considered of the vanitie and uncertainetie of worldly things hee looked with a very cheerfull countenance as though no such thing had happened to him At which change King Edward hearing before of his penfivenesse much marvelling demanded of him the cause of his sudden alteration I was quoth King Iohn the last day as you know a mightie King and now I am fallen into your hands a captive at your disposition Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas Vanitie of vanities and all is vanitie To which saying an English Poet seemed to allude No wight in this world that wealth can attaine Vnlesse he beleeve that all is but vaine And looke how it commeth so leave it to goe As tydes finde their times to ◅bbc and to slow The like is reported to bee spoken by Gilimer King of the Vandales when hee was overthrowne in battell by Bellisarius and led in the triumph very richly apparelled set out with gold and precious stones the king was at that time very sad and pensive untill he came before the Emperour Iustinian and then being commanded to adore him sitting in his chaire of State he fell into great laughing pronounced these words Vanitas vanitatū omnia vanitas And when all men thought by the greatnesse of his sorrow sudden alteration of his estate that he was falne mad that would laugh at such an unseasonable time the Emperour asked him why being before so long sorrowfull hee fell so suddenly into such a laughing He answered that he laughed at the variable unconstant estate and condition of men that he who was even now a king is now become a slave The King Sesostris was aptly taught the uncertainety of humane things by the example of foure Kings whom when he had taken prisoners he caused them to draw him in a Chariot one of the Kings turned his face alwaies backeward and being demanded the cause hee answered that as hee beheld the wheeles of the Chariot that the same which was on high came downe below hee called to minde the condition of men Which answer made Sesist◅is more milde and gentle Ecclesiastes saith one commeth out of prison and is made a King and another which is borne in the Kingdome falleth into povertie And whosoever shall enter into the due consideration of these things with an upright judgement shall finde that there is nothing in this life better than a meane estate which hee that can attaine and keep is of all other neer◅st to this part of felicitie For when ambition and desire of having hath possessed a mans minde whatsoever is sweet and pleasant in this
of vice or images of vertue The old Romanes desirous to excite their yong men to vertuous acts and considering how men are inclined to the love of honour they built two temples the one of which they dedicated to vertue the other to honour joyned them so artificially together that no man could come into that of honor but he must first come through vertue By which apt device they would have it knowne to all nations that the right way to honour is by vertue But in these latter ages the temple of vertue is so little frequented that the path which was wont to leade to it and be well troden is growne greene and another way found to that of honour by some backe doore not so well knowne in the elder time And if any chance to seeke to come the right and old accustomed way to honour through vertue the doore is kept so fast shut by a porter called envy and his servant detraction that hardly one among thousands can come to honour that way which is a great discouragement to those that would come to honour through vertue and maketh their devotion cold and slow to freqâ—…ent that temple One saith Virtute ambire opoâ—… non â—…bus but if hee have no other helpe in these dayes to prefer him but his vertue he is like to have but a cold sute Wee may wish it were in use that Plaâ—…us sayth Sat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the case is much altered For in stead of favourers he shall have deracters secret enemies alwayes to vertue Which made Plato commend the law of the Lydians that punished detracters with the like punishment as they did murderers For as one taketh away the life of a man so the other taketh away his reputation and good fame which after Saloman is more worth than worldly goods The Poets saying could to no age be more aptly applied than to these latter dayes Virtus 〈◊〉 alget Vertue is praised but not cherisht Which confirmeth Seneca his saying That men allow better of honesty than follow it Medea sayth video 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I see allow of the things that be better but I follow the worse Vertue is a medicine to the minde and healeth the diseases thereof as drugs are medicinable to the body restore it to health For the minde hath his diseases as the body hath For when the body is distempâ—…d and not in his perfect estate he is sayd to be sicke of this or that disease as of an ague of a pleuâ—…sie or such like and needeth Physicke So the mind that is distempered with this or that passion or perturbation as with pride covetousnesse vaineglory voluptuousnesse or such like is not in his perfect estate but needeth vertue as a medicine to restore him to health or his perfect estate againe Which was well signified by Agesilâ—… king of Sparta to Menelaâ—… a vaineglorious Physitian who being puffed up with pride through a reputation he had gotten by his skill in physicke called himselfe Iupiter and having occasion to write to the king his superscription was in Latin and English signification thus Menelâ—… Iupiter Agesilao Regi salute 〈◊〉 Iupiter wisheth to king Agesilaus health He answereth him with this superscription Agesilaus rex Menelao 〈◊〉 king Agesilaus wisheth to Menelaus health of minde reprehending his vanitie with one word by which he signified that want of health and perfection in his mind which hee wished to his body Moral vertue therfore is to be embraced of all men as a necessary and excellent thing and a speciall gift in our carnall nature by which mens mindes are purged and purified of all vehement passions and perturbations with which whosoever is oppressed can not enjoy the happinesse of this life and by which they are continued or restored to their perfect estate and health The good are by this vertue excited and maintained in honest conversation and civillity the bad are reformed and reduced to good life Yet for all that it is not eternall Iustice by which wee are justified before God for that Iustice free-will or reason cannot bring forth But morall vertue maketh men live civilly and honestly which God looketh for even of the heathens or infidels themselves It is better sayth one to live so as thine enemies may bee amazed at thy vertues than that thy friends should have cause to excuse thy vices The Poets faine that as Hercules in his youth sate musing alone what course of life were best for him to take there appeared to him two virgins the one representing vertue the other vice She that represented vertue told him that if hee would follow her hee must climbe over mountaines and craggie rockes and take great paines and labours But the other to allure him to follow her promised him a plaine and pleasant way downe the hill all at his case without any paine or labour Hercules after hee had considered of the matter refused the faire ossers and promises of the virgin that represented vice made choice with labour and paines to follow vertue by which he became the most famous man of the world The heathens were diligent observers of morall vertues through which many of them in all ages became excellent men By them they learned to know their duties to their countrey in generall and to private men in particular to moderate their affections to estimate things as they are and not as they are commonly reputed to contemne the vanities of this world to preferre an honest death before a shamefull life Regâ—…s a man endued with great vertue was sent by the Romanes into Affrica with an army to make warre upon the people of Carthage who after divers victories and overthrowes given to them of Carthage was himselfe at last taken prisoner and sent by them to Rome to treat of peace upon his oath that if that could not be obtained not the exchange of prisoners for himselfe hee should returne to them againe When he came to Rome and had delivered his embassage hee disswaded the Senate from peace and told them that either Carthage must be subject to Rome or Rome to Carthage and advised theÌ„ to make no change of lusty yong Gentlemen that were able to doe their country great service against the Romans for him that was but one man and old and unable to doe his countrey any great good and though the Romans were loth that the old man who had done them such service should returne againe to them that would put him to some unworthy death yet he was so affected to the love of his countrey and to the keeping his promise with his enemies that hee refusing to be stayd by the Romanes told them he would rather chuse to dye any cruell death than that it should be said he had broken his faith And so returning to Carthage with the other Ambassadours for the hatred they conceived against him for disswading the Romanes from their petition they cut off his
secrets to any speciall person for he used to say that when the people do understand that the Prince is counselled or directed by any one person such a one may bee with gifts and requests easily corrupted Philip de Comines saith that if any private man hath such favour and grace with the Prince that all others be compelled to feare and please him that man reigneth and enjoyeth the kingdome and provideth so carefully for his owne matters that hee neglecteth the affaires of the common-wealth And those Magistrates that beare chiefe rule in the common wealth under their Prince are thought to commit a fault when they give such especial credit to any of their servants or favorites as to suffer them to be the preferrers and solliciters of mens suits abusing thereby many times their credit with their master to the hindrance of right and justice to their owne gaine and his scandall wherein they might doe much better to heare suiters deliver their owne cause and let their servants or favorites meddle with their private affaires These two things may be observed in histories to be dangerous apparent signes notes of the ruine or alteration of a common-wealth the one when the riches wealth of the realme is gathered together into a few mens hands the rest live in want and extreame poverty the other when the Magistrates be covetous and justice corrupted and the people licentious and wicked and given to all manner of vice And there be three srnnes especially above all others noted by historians that bring danger and publike punishment and calamitic to kingdoms empires Vngodlinesse Injustice and Luxuriousnesse Vngodlinesse troubleth the Church Injustice the common-wealth Luxuriousnesse private families and the hurt in particular redoundeth to the whole The vices of private families enter into the common-wealth the vices of the cōmon-wealth into every mans house and the infection of them both corrupteth the Church As contrariwise If the ecclesiasticall discipline begin to decay the others fall with it for if godlinesse bee extinguished the love of honestie and vertue waxeth cold These vices delivered the Iewes to the Assyrians and the Greekes to the Turkes Iosephus reporteth that in his time the Iewes were growne so wicked that if the Romanes had not destroyed them without doubt either the earth would have opened and swallowed them up or else fire from heaven would have consumed them CHAP. III. Of Henry the third king of France The miseries that attend on the neglect of justice Venses presented to the Senate of Rome by king Boccas The rare continency of Romane Scipio and king Alexander the Great Examples of rare friendship in Damon and Pythias and in Ephenus and Everitus Foolish friendship in the two kings Hading and Hunding The treachery of Duke Valentine sonne to the Pope How dangerous it is for yong Gentlemen to travellinto Italy Marcus Aurelius Emperour Of the vices of Rome Ancient writers concerns friendship The ingratitude of men reproved in the histories of bruit beasts as Dogs Horses Oxen Lyons c. OUr owne age hath given us examples and experience of the dangers that the generality of vices and corruption of good manners and customes hath brought to a common-wealth and how necessarie it is for a Prince to be inquisitive and looke often into the manners of his ministers and subjects and to foresee in season that the corruption of a few members doe not infect the whole body of the common-wealth In the latter troubles of France in the reigne of Henry the third all the states by the kings appointment were assembled to reforme the disorders abuses and corruptions that were crept into all parts of the realme When they had reckoned up to the king in the assembly the generalitie of vices the disorders abuses and corruptions which had over-run all parts of France they set before his eyes with eloquent speech the evill bestowing of the ecclesiasticall functions upon persons unfit the ambition the covetousnesse the plurality of benefices the non-residencie the contempt of the law of God the luxuriousnesse and dissolutenesse of Bishops and principall Prelates except some few that jetted in great pompe up and downe his Court and in all other places with troopes of servants the most wicked and lewd in al the realme their houses sound not of Psalmes and songs to the honour of God but of barking of dogs and singing of birds and of all manner of dissolute voyces Then they shewed how their Noblemen Gentlemen were degenerate from their forefathers and what vices were now usuall amongst them and among the rest their swearings and blasphemies of the name of God whereas the oath of their forefathers was By the faith of a Gentleman which was done with reverence and in cases necessary and not oherwise And speaking more generally blasphemie say they is their mother tongue and ordinary with many Frenchmen Adulterie is to them a pastime Symonie is common merchandise The richer ignorant sort of the Realme finde place in the chiefe dignities men are knowne rather by their proud attire than by their vertue their knowledge or by their goodnesse Then come they to the overthrow of Iustice and the great abuse that was therein committed the delayes the subtilties and disguising of the truth that was there usuall the miserie of them that followed sutes by the subtiltie of the parties the little zeale and negligence of Iudges by so many delayes such prolongings whereby justice was not exercised but rather vexed and encombred and often troden under foote that the particular respect of many was the cause of these evils who laboured by this meanes to increase their estate to their posteritie Of these and the like things say they the King had appointed to be informed of his Iudges but his commandement was all one as if hee had not commanded for all was unprofitable and unfruitfull And this is the wickednesse of this time that the Iudges are bound to judge according to the Lawes as they have sworne and promised when they received their charge yet notwithstanding it is glorious to a great many Iudges in these dayes to say that they are not bound to judge according to the lawes written by the Lawyers but they will judge according to their owne braines whereof it followeth that as every one aboundeth in his owne sense so many heads so many opinions so many Courts so many sentences Hereof riseth the diversity of judgments in the like cases and in the selfe same matter by meane whereof the poore suters fall into infinite charges and immortall sutes Lawes seeme no other things than written papers Then proceeding to other disorders and abuses they came to the selling of offices and the power of judgment which was the cause that the more wicked sort was most honoured the most ignorant most esteemed that the stronger oppresseth without punishment the weaker that without scruple they sell that justice by retaile that was bought in grosse that
to enter into their Countrey saying that if kingdomes grow rich by trading with strangers they become poor of their proper vertues Wee cannot say with the Poet Câ—…lum non animors mntant qui trant more current Though forraine seas you passe and nations strange Yet t is the Climate not the minde you change For we change both ayre and minde not as he would have it in reformation but rather in deformation of maners from simplicity or singlenesse to diffinulation or doublenesse I allow well of the counsell of Favorinus the Philosopher Vivendum est moribus prateritis loquendum verbis prasentibus We should live after the maners used in times past and speake with words used at this present It is noted among learned men for a dangerous thing in a common-wealth a change or ruine to bee feared when the authority of good lawes is contemned faults goe unpunished vertue not rewarded and honest manners changed for worse The people of Creta being ill used of the Rhodians their enemies desired their gods that they would suffer some evill maners to be brought in among them thinking that to bee a worse curse than warre or pestilence or any other thing But had it not been more honourable and commendable for our nation to have continued in the simplicitie of habits and manners of our forefathers retaining their vertues than to receive the vanity of attyres and gestures of other countries with their corruption of maners with them to exchange our vertues for their vices are our maners and habits better now than were in times past those of our forefathers because they cannot lately out of Italy out of Spaine out of France from the Dutchmen Is there no better rule to be given how to discerne between that which is good that which is not good but by the example of other countries doth dignitie consist in sumptuousnesse of apparell decency in varietie of attires civility in vanity of gestures hospitality in excesse luxuriousnes order in consusiò Vertue in former ages was wont to be in estimatioÌ„ with the antiquity a rule to direct their lives by through which many became famous aswel privat men as whole Nations But what fruit hath bin brought to us with these new fashions and strangers manners what effect hath it wrought If it be lawfull to speake the truth besides to be proud and effeminate and the exchange of our vertues for their vices a confusion of all things What difference is there in habits betweene estates Doth not the baser sort glitter in gold and silver equally with the greater whereof ensueth many mischiefes The maners that in time past for reverence were peculiar to Princes the greater states of the Nobility as due onely to them are they not now common and usuall with the baser sort and even among carters But this alteration of fashions and manners so highly esteemed both brought forth no Decios no Fabios no Fabricios no Scipies no more than they have done with them from whence we had them since their old simplicity of manners were corrupted for where there is so great care for the backe and belly there is smal regard had to provide for the mind and soule where men so carefully desire to decke their bodies with silke silver or gold they have no care to garnish their minds with vertue learning and godlinesse The manners and fashions of these latter ages I meane in a civill life are so contrary to the manners and precepts of antiquity that 〈◊〉 must needs bee either they were fooles then and wee wise nowâ—… else they were wise then and wee not sowise now But because they were schoolemasters to the world and attained to that by their vertue which wee hunt after by a formalitie of habits and manners and cannot come by that is to bee famous in the world in all ages and had in admiration even to this day I rather beleeve that they were wise and led us the right path by morall vertue to civility without these vaine toyes now in use and we out of the high-way and many wayes their inferiours For what is civilitie but the manners of men grounded upon morall vertue and the precepts of wise men No man is looked into what is within him If the outside be gay and well set forth to the shew his 〈◊〉 trickes used with the right grace then all is well 〈◊〉 is a worthy man and surely he that beholdeth him must have a deepe conceit if he thinke better of him than he thinks of himself like unto the Asse that carried the image of Isis upon his back when he saw all menbow their knees do reverence to the goddesse he waxed 〈◊〉 and stately as though they had done all that reverence unto him untill he that drave the Asse gave him a 〈◊〉 or two with his whip and told him that this honor was not done to him but to that which he carried upon his backe and yet an ape is but an ape though he be clothed in purple gold And it may be sayd to them 〈◊〉 set so much by outward forme 〈◊〉 inward matter as the Fox when he saw a mans head so artificially made that there seemed to want 〈◊〉 vital spirits to 〈◊〉 it a lively head of a man the tooke it up and after he 〈◊〉 be held it a while ô quoth he what a goodly head 〈◊〉 is but it hath no braine And such vaine-glorious 〈◊〉 that hunt after fame beyond their merit may do 〈◊〉 teach birds to speake and to give them a 〈◊〉 let them flye into the fields as 〈◊〉 did If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 advisedly consider what a disorder and confusion befides many inconveniences the alteration of our maners and habits from the simplicity plainenes of our forefathers through a vain imitation of other countries fashions and mislike of our own hath brought forth may we not rightly say to the authors thereof Defunct is patribus successit 〈◊〉 Cujus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valuere ruunt The fathers dead they leave a wicked brood Whose lewd example ruines that which stood And it is not sufficient for men to delight in the matter of evill but they must also give it after the maner of other countries a peculiar forme to set it forth with the greater grace that it may allure and draw their desires to a further and more generall mischiefe The Romanes complained that the men of Asia and Greece sent their vices with their manners into Italy and corrupted the simplicitie of their former manners and vertues left to them by their forefathers from whence our travellers have brought the same corruption to us and given us the like cause of complaint of them as they had of the other There hath beene an old saying that all evils rise out of the North but we may say that all our evils come to us out of the South How happy were that common-wealth where yong men would labour to shine
From whence derive you your kinde From heaven What parents did beget you Measure did beget me sincere faith brought me forth Why is one of your eares open the other shut One is open to just persons the other is deafe to the wicked Why doth your right hand beare a sword and the left a ballance This doth weigh causes the other strikes the guilty Why goe ye alone Because there is small store of good men these ages bring forth few Fabritios Why go ye so poorely apparelled No man will desire exceeding great riches that coveteth alwaies to be a very just man Apollonius noting the corruption of Magistrates government having travelled over all Asia Affrica Europe said that of 2. things whereat he marvelled most in all the world the first was that he alwaies saw the proud man coÌ„mand the huÌ„ble the quarrellous the quiet the tyrant the just the cruell the pittifull the coward the hardy the ignorant the skilfull the greatest theeves hang the innoceÌ„t In these daies saith Mar. Aurelius in Italy they that rob openly be call'd Masters or Lords and they that steale secretly be call'd theeves One wisheth there were no greater theeves in the world then those that rob the goods of rich men Cato said Theeves of private theft lived in fetters irons but publike theeves lived in gold and purple The old Egiptians used to paint their magistrats blindfolded without hands meaning that a Iudge or Magistrate must know no kin nor friend froÌ„ a stranger without hands because he must receive no bribes or rewards And this was no unapt device to paint in a table 30. Iudges without hands and the President onely looking vpon the image of truth that hanged at his neck The Ariopagites vsed to heare no causes but in the darke nights that the Iudges might haue respect to the words that were spoken not to the persons that spake iosaphats speech to Iudges should be noted Looke what ye doe for ye exercise not the iudgement of men but of God and whatsoeuer ye shall iudge wil redound to your selues Chuse out of all the people men vertuous that feare God thâ—…t loue the truth and hate covetousnes and make them Iudges Ecclesiasticus giueth this counsell Blame no man before thou haue inquired the matter vnderstand first and then reforme righteously giue no sentence before thou haue heard the cause neither interrupt men in the midst of their tales There be foure things necessary in a Iudge to heare patiently to answer wisely to iudge vprightly and execute mercifully Iudges and Magistrates saith one should not imploy their study to get friends to maintaine their estate proudly but rather to read books to iudge mens causes vprightly The good Magistrate should take the authority of his office which the Prince giueth him for accessary and his good life for principall that the vprightnesse of his iustice and the sharpenesse which the wicked feele in the execution thereof should be so tempered by his discretion that all may hold authority by the syncerity of his life Aristotle requireth three things to be in all good Iudges and Magistrates Vertue and Iustice a loue to the present estate and a sufficiency to exercise those duties that are required in their office Now let vs looke a little into the estate of Couniers who seeme to challenge a peculiar interest in happinesse in respect of their easie and delicate life and reputation aboue others being neere the well head from whence their â—…elicity springeth for the estate of Princes they thinke to be perfect felicity These men for the most part have a speciall regard to please their sences and be more carefull to decke their bodies then to garnish their minds Nescis quale tegat splendida vita malum Thou knowest not what mischiefe a smooth life covers They set more by formalitie of manners then by substance of matter so they shew to be such as they would be they care not though they be not such as they should be Many of these men make it their felicity to passe their time lasciuiously in courting young Damosels as though they were borne as Boccas saith of himselfe por l'amore delle donne but in the kingdome of pleasure vertue cannot consist others that cannot have that favour of the Prince they look for insinuate themselues into the favour of some of them that be most in favour and receiue holy water at the second hand him they follow his beckes and countenance they obserue when he is merry they laugh when he is angrie they are sad what he alloweth they affirme what he liketh not they dispraise Et hoâ—…a summa putant aliena viuere quadra And thus they continue with him so long as the wind bloweth in the poope but if fortune begin to frowne vpon him they depend they find some reasonable cause for saving their credit if they thinke not the common custome a sufficient warrant to leaue him and follow some other Thus for riches and reputation they 〈◊〉 sell their liberty so precious a thing of instemiable price and transforme their nature into his whom they desire to please otherwise they must fall short of that they looke for The happinesse of these men differeth as much from felicitie as a darke dungeon differeth from the cleere light of the Sun and this is incident to those great estates that are so followed that many of them who to salute them take their hattes from their heads wish that his head were taken from his shoulders and that bow their knee to do him reuerence wish his legge broken that they might carrie him to his graue Alfonsus king of Arragon sayling vpon the sea froÌ„ Sicilia beheld certaine fowle soaring about his Galley and looking for meat of the marriners and when he had cast them meat he obserued how greedily they contended for it euer as they had gotten their prey away they would flie and returne no more Some of my Courtiers quoth the King turning to his company are like these chattering birds for as soone as they haue gotten any office or reward at my hands that they gape after and contend for one with another they flie away and returne not againe vntill necessitie compell them to sue for more Gueuarra to his friend that asked him how he imployed his time answered thus According to the fashion of our Courtiers beare euil-will blaspheme loyter lie prattle and curse and oft time we may more truly say wee lose it then imploy it and to another demaund with whom hee was most conuersant in that Court hee answered that the Court and people there of were grapes of so euill a soyle that we who goe in the same and from our childhood be brought vp therein study not with whom to bee conuersant but in discouering of whom to beware with much paine we haue time to defend vs from our enemies and will you that we occupie our selues in seeking new
vlciscitur orbem The euils of long peace Now luxury is held w'indure Amongst vs raging worse then Warre To auenge the conquered world Philemon in his Comedie bringeth in a plaine Countriman that derided the Philosophers disputing vpon their Summum Bonum one placing it in this thing another in that according to the diuersitie of their conceits Yee mistake the matter quoth this homely fellow to the Philosophers peace is the thing wherein the felicitie of man consisteth for nothing is better nor more desired or pleasant that God hath giuen to men then peace Yet notwithstanding wee doe see that a long continued peace engendreth luxuriousnesse and intemperance whereof ensueth beastly drunkennesse and an infinite number of diseases both of body and minde that besides many torments hasten men to their end it encreaseth riches which bringeth foorth couetousnesse pride vaine glory and ambition whereof ensueth vncharitable contention by law and effusion of innocent blood by ciuill Warres to the vtter ruine and destruction oftentimes of many goodly Kingdomes and Common-wealths Which was the cause that mooued Scipio to disswade the Romans from the destruction of Carthage lest by liuing securely in continuall peace without feare of any enemie they should at the length turne their weapons to their owne bodies which came euen so to passe Lodouicus Guicciardine in his description of the Low-Countrey seemed to presage the fall of Antwerpe before their Ciuill Warres began by reason of their abundance of riches wherein they were thought to exceed all the townes in Europe and luxuriousnesse security of life by their long peace Which may be a warning to other countries that finde themselues drowned in the like vices Cato said that luxuriousnesse and couetousnesse were two plagues that ouerthrow all great Empires Cyprian findeth fault with the corruption of his time by long peace Idlenesse saith he and long peace hath corrupted the discipline deliuered by the Apostles euery man laboureth to increase his patrimonie and is carried away with an insatiable desire to augment his possessions What would he haue said of the couetousnesse and greedy desires of these dayes Many examples may be produced out of Histories of the ouerthrow of Cities and countries by the vices gathered by long peace Euscbius reporteth that the long peace and rest which the Christians enioyed from the persecution that was in the gouernment of the Emperour Aurelian to the raigne of Dioclesian was the cause that the Christians manner of liuing began to be corrupted so as many iniquities did grow presently and the former old holinesse began to decrease and such disorders and dissentions began to be mooued among the Bishops and Prelates that as Eusebius saith God suffered the persecution of Dioclesiâ—… to serue in place of reuenge and chastisement of his Church which was so extreme and bloody and full of crueltie that neither is it possible for a pen to write not tongue to pronounce it So that whether wee liue in the warres or in peace each of them hath in them their infelicitie Occidit ignavus dum pralia pace quiescunt The slothfull dyes whil'st warres sleepe in peace Now if wee should prosecute in a generalitie this discourse of the miseries of man as wee haue done of their particular estates how many kinds of paines and torments hee suffereth in this life and how many wayes and in what miserable estate hee commeth by his death wee should rather lacke time then matter to write of But to follow the course that we haue already taken in other things let vs of an infinite number of examples select some few What paines and troubles men suffer in this life in labouring to attaine to their desires something hath beene said before and more shall be said hereafter Likewise what miseries men haue suffered by the warres hath beene touched already Now resteth to speake something of the calamities that happen to men by diseases and accidents which bring them to their end whereof we will recite some few examples of those that be rare and somewhat strange But first wee will adde one more to that which hath beene spoken before of famine a most miserable plague and horrible kinde of death one of the whips and scourges wherewith God vseth to punish the sinnes of men In the fourth booke of the Kings mention is made of a famine in Samaria in the time of Helizeus which was in all extremitie and when all their victuals were consumed the mothers did eate their owne children insomuch that a poore woman made her complaint to the King seeing him vpon the walles that a woman her neighbour would not performe a bargaine made betweene them which was that they should eate her childe first which said shee vnto the King I haue performed for wee sod and ate my childe and shee presently hath conueyed away her childe and hath hidden him that I should not eate my part of him which when the King heard his heart was ready for griefe to breake and leape out of his body and hee beganne to rent his garments and couered his flesh with sack-cloth saying God make mee so and as followeth in the Text. CHAP. IIII. Of sundry sorts of plagues and pestilence and great mortalities The Iudgements of God vpon diuers euill men Of Popyelus King of Polonia and his Queene Arnolphus and Hotto Bishop of Ments c. Other strange accidents concerning Gods great Iustice. The miraculous effects of feare sorrow and ioy approoued by History The instability of fortune instanced in the story of Policrates King of Samos His daughters ominous dreame His great prosperity and miserable end That no man can be said to be happy before death Of the vaine trust in riches and of rich and couetous men Auarice reprooued and punished c. CRedible Authors report that in Constantinople there was a strange kinde of pestilence in such manner as those which were sick therof thought themselues to be killed by other men and being troubled with that feare died madde supposing men did kill them Thucidides reporteth that there was a corruption of the aire in Greece that infinit numbers of people died without finding any remedy and such as recouered health lost their memory knowledge so as one knew not another not the father his child Certaine souldiers that were vnder the Lieutenant of the Emperour Marcus Anthonius being in Seleucia went into the Church of Apollo where they opened a coffer thinking to find some great treasure but the contagious aire that came forth of it first destroyed a great part of the people of Babylon then it entred into Greece and from thence to Rome whereof ensued such a pestilence that it destroyed a third part of the people In France there was such a disease at Aix that the people would die eating and drinking many would fall into a frenzie and drowne themselues in welles others would cast themselues out of their windowes and breake their neckes The mortalitie growing
one estate If these things be so thou art come very neere to the felicity that a man can enioy in this life But if thou desire or thinke to find happinesse in pleasures riches or honour thou art as farre from felicitie as from the true ioy and contentation thou seekest for these things after which thou huntest as though they would bring thee gladnesse and contentation are rather the causes of sorrow and griefe Euery man seeketh after the things that should make him ioyfull and content but where to finde that ioy which is certaine and constant they know not Some seeke it in feasting and carowsing others in ambition and great traines of followers some in braue attire others in courting young Damsels but all these and such like be false and deceiueable pleasures and ioyes and bring men rather to infelicitie then vnto happinesse He that will be happy must thinke vpon the varietie of accidents that chance vnto men before he feele them hee must account of his riches and possessions of his wife and children and all other things that be most deare to him as if he should not alwaies haue them and as if he should be nothing the more vnhappy if he should leaue to haue them For he is in a miserable state whole mind is vexed with feare of that which may happen and he is vnhappy before vnhappinesse come that with feare is carefull lest the things wherein he delighteth should not alwayes remaine with him for that man shall neuer be quiet and by looking for that is to come he shall lose the pleasure he might take in the things present Prouidence must foresee and wisedome preuent the euils that may happen and not to follow the common manner of men then to iudge when they begin to repent for nothing is more miserable nor foolish then alwayes to feare and what a madnesse is it for a man to run before or accelerate his owne euill He is more sorrowfull then is necessary that is sorrowfull before there be necessity But all these things will not bring thee to happinesse except thou direct them to the true felicity and beatitude and end of man that is Gods seruice and thy soules health And therefore thou must yet examine the matter further how thou dost vse honour and riches and beare pouerty and contempt how thou carriest thy selfe in health and sicknesse in prosperity and aduersity how thou vsest thy selfe hauing much learning or little for all these things be Gods creatures and gifts made to our vse which if thou vse as thou oughtest and carriest an indifferent hand vpon them and desirest no more nor no lesse of these and the like things then is necessary to the attaining of our end and felicity then art thou in the right path that leadeth to the same but if thou desire or seeke loue or vse these creatures to any other end then for this thou runnest astray and art out of the way that should bring thee to that end and happinesse Seeing then that the fountaine of our happinesse of life in a great part is within vs and proceedeth of a contented and quiet mind that is by a moderation of our affections which is brought to passe by the exercise of vertue let vs labour to make our selues vertuous and cleanse our mindes of all manner of perturbations that we may the sooner come to that happinesse of life we desire Euen as a field though the ground be fertill without manuring and tillage will not be fruitfull so the mind though well inclined without exercise of vertue and learning will grow dull and sluggish and as it were gather rust Diogenes walking on a time thorow the streete in Athens wherein were placed diuers images of such ancient men as had best deserued of the Common-wealth asked almes of them one after another the cause being demanded I learne quoth he to take deniall patiently so should we practise to master and command our affections and inordinate desires of fleshly pleasures and patiently to take deniall of riches reputation worldly pompe and vanities which allute and deceiue men by the like meanes as they that prepare a bitter drinke for a child anoint the cuppe with hony that the poore infant may by the sweetnesse of the one the lesse perceiue the bitternesse of the other and as the drugges that are tempered with vnwholsome and venimous hearbs haue written aboue A medicine for such a disease that the poyson may be nothing suspected of him that readeth the superscription So the worldly vanities we haue in such estimation allure and deceiue vs with a faire but a false shew of happinesse All men desire one thing that is a happy life but because they take the instruments for the thing it selfe and follow not the right way the more they labour to come to it the further they goe from it For whereas Felicitie requireth a quiet and contented mind with that which is sufficient men heape to themselues causes of worldly cares and troubles leauing the plaine straight way to goe ouer hilles and mountaines to whom it happeneth as it doth to trauellers that being once set out of the right way the further they wander the more they goe astray Euery man complaineth of the troubles of this life and yet no man is contented with quietnesse wherein they resemble foolish sea-men that when they should flie from the sea to the land they runne from the land to the sea And nothing seemeth to mee more to resemble the variable accidents of this worldly life then that of sea-faring men that are sometimes tossed vp and downe with tempestuous weather sometimes swallowed vp with the Sea otherwhile sayle in a faire calme sometime lie at anker in a safe harborough sometimes aduanced to great riches another time vndone or cast into great pouerty Democritus saith He that will liue happily must propound to himselfe things possible and be content with things present That which bringeth forth contentation is a sufficiency of things this sufficiency is measured either by the necessitie of nature or by the opinion of men The things that are necessary to nature are health of bodie and libertie and to be defended from hunger thirst and cold These be the things that nature requireth the rest are superfluous and not necessary to contentment or happinesse Why doest thou embrace saith Boetius externe good things for thine owne Doest thou thinke that fortune will make these thingsthine which Nature hath made nothing appertaining to thee The sufficiency of things by the opinion of men are diuersitie of pleasures abundance of riches and possessions honour and glory pompe and principality The election or choise of these things helpeth to make the life happy or vnhappy But although the things which nature requireth are sufficient to bring forth contentation yet because to liue according to the law of nature onely is barbarous and not meete for them that know ciuility which is to be
great price by ouermuch vse lose their estimation The pride ambition vaine-glory and corruption of these latter dayes hath engendred a confusion of all things but those ambitious and vaine-glorious men that hunt after offices of rule and charge without due consideration of their owne insufficiency and vnworthinesse to beare rule euen in meane callings also are aptly reprehended by the Earle of Surrey thus For with indifferent eyes My selfe can well discerne How some in stormes to guide a ship Do seeke to take the sterne Whose practice if 't were proued In calme to guide a barge Assuredly beleeue it well It were too great a charge And some I see againe Sit still and say but small Who could doe ten times more then they That say they can doe all Whose goodly gifts are such The more they vnderstand The more they seeke to learne and know And take lesse charge in hand Septimius Seuerus after he had passed thorow many of the most principall and most honourable offices of the Romane Common-wealth and ended his Consulship he remained a whole yeere without any office after which time hee would often say that the best and merriest dayes in all his life he passed that yeere wherein he had no office in the Common-wealth Plato saith that Fortune is more contrary to that man whom shee suffereth not to enioy that hee hath then to him to whom she denieth that which he craueth for many we see by daily experience can attaine to honour fame reputation riches and quietnesse that haue not the meanes afterwards to enioy them some because they cannot others because they will not By this which hath beene said it appeareth that felicity in the greatest part proceedeth from the minde Of externe things a little is sufficient to bring contentment to him that hath a minde framed to the purpose and inclined to vertue so that we must haue a mind prepared and all things premeditate that may happen and not to vnquiet our selues with a desire to aduance or change our estate and thinke other mens fortune better then our owne but when such motions trouble vs to looke into the matter with a sound and vpright iudgement whether the cause of such vnquietnesse be within vs or without vs whether in the matter or in an euill affected mind whether there be cause indeed or in opinion The want of which consideration bringeth to many much vnquietnesse and discontentment imagining the cause to proceed from the matter when it commeth of an euill affected mind Thine owne passions are they that make warre vpon thee and when thou keepest thine enemies within thy house thou complainest of them that bee abroad Which inconstancy of mens variable mindes is well noted of the Poet when hee alleageth a contention betweene the countrey life and that of the towne Rure ego viuentem tu dicis in vrbe â—…eatum Cui placet alterius alterius nimirùm est odio sors Stultus vterque locum immeritum causatur iniquè In culpâ est animas qui se non eff ugit vnquam I pleas'd am with the Countries rest The belly life thou hold'st most blest He whom anothers lot doth please To him his owne is a disease Fooles both to blame the place when we In our owne minds the error see c. And many might liue more happily if they desired not rather to content others then themselues hauing more regard to that men say then to that is meet for them to doe Plato compareth our life to table play wherein the dice must chance well and the player must dispose well of his cast now of these two things what the chance of the dice shall bee is not in our power but to receiue patiently whatsoeuer shall chance and so to dispose euery thing in his right place as being good it may most profit vs or being bad doe least hurt is in the power of a skilfull player so hee that shall liue happily must not onely haue things chance well to him but hee must also dispose well of them But that things shall chance well is not in our power but in the power of God that giueth all things but so to dispose of them as either they may doe good or little harme is partly in our power if God withdrawe not his grace from vs. And in this sort to dispose of things is whether God blesse our life and labours with prosperous successe or intermingle it with some crosse and aduerse euents to bee thankefull and patient and thinke all to bee done for the best Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently for hee that can moderately vse prosperity and patiently beare aduersity hath a great aduantage to felicity Whilest wee liue in this world wee should take felicity for borrowed ware and aduersity for our naturall patrimonie So that whether a man be in high estate or lowe whether rich or poore if Gods graces bee ioyned to a minde endued with vertue hee may liue happily for no estate or calling is excluded from felicitie yet neuerthelesse some with more difficultie attaine to it then some others and neede GODS graces in greater measure then the râ—… and therefore Seâ—…ca his counsell is because men haue not sufficient force to make resistance to the diuersity of accidents that chance to great estates to straighten their possessions to a certaine measure that they may be the lesse subiect to fortune hee that beareth his sailes low goeth sure in a storme Quatiunt altas sapè procella Aut euertit fortuna domos Minus in paruis fortuna furit Raros patitur fulminis ictus humida vallis High houses oft by stormes are shaken Or else by Fortunes rage forsaken Lesse frownes shee vpon things kept vnder And Dales are seldome strooke with thunder Isocrates likened the life depending vpon Fortune to a great land-flood that is troublous swift roaring dirty hard to passe ouer and during but a short time but the life giuen to vertue he likened to a goodly fountaine whose water is cleare vntroubled sweete meâ—…te to be drunke to men well-affected apt for nourishment fruitfull and void of all corruption and filthinesse Dante was vsed to say that such as sought the way that leadeth to the soueraigne or greatest good are withstood with three principal impediments which to ouercome they ought to employ all their endeuour The first is The delights of the sences figured by the Lionesse faire and hot by nature and shee through luxuriousnesse accompanied with gluttony and sloth The second is The glory of the world expressed by the proud disdainfull Lyon to whose ambition and pride is ioyned anger The third is The getting of worldly wealth signified by the shee-wolfe malicious and hungry whose couetousnesse is followed hard at the heeles with enuy One saith that the false felicity of the world consisteth in these fiue things Lordship Riches Honour Fame and bodily pleasure the desire whereof he that can suppresse or
he offered us his grace so plentifully and yet will we not receive it He that standeth in a high place letteth down a rope to help him up that standeth beneath so God hath let downe his grace to us to lift us up to him but wee will not take hold of it and therefore it may bee feared if we bee not more circumspect lest our common adversary entangle us with his rope that hee may plucke us downe to him Wee may be wondred at not without cause as the Emperour Constantius marvelled at his people that were newly become Christians I marvell said hee how it commeth to passe that many of my people are worse now than before they were Christians The best we can hope for if we amend not our maners is that God will chastise us and the most we can desire at his hands is that if he punish us by some of his ordinary meanes he will use a fatherly correction upon us and when hee hath beaten his children cast the rod in the fire Wee have beheld these many yeares in great tranquility under the flourishing reigne of a most happy Prince the troubles and afflictions of our neighbours by which we have beene warned to reforme our lives and to be thankfull but with how small effect is too apparent and therefore it may be feared lest the time will come that wee shall have cause to say to our neighbours Vivite felices quibus est fortuna per◅cta I am sua nos alia ex al◅is in fata vocamur Live happy you whose fortunes are full grown We have no fate to looke to but our owne Petrarks saying could to no time bee more aptly applyed that hunters and fowlers used not their endevour with greater diligence to lay nets and snares for wilde beasts birds than crafty men layd for the simple and plaine meaning And therefore said he if thou wilt not be deceived either dye or deale not with men which agreeth with Pionano his countrey man Con arte con inganno Si vive mezzo l'anno Con inganno con arte Si vive l'altraparte Hee therefore that would enjoy that happinesse which may be found in this life must live in the feare and service of God and alwayes lift up his minde to the true felicity which cannot be injoyed in this world but in the life to come He must desire God to bestow his benefits and graces upon him by which he may eschew and be free from those things that are hindrance to felicity and that he will blesse his labours and indeavours that are taken in hand and leadeth the right way to the attaining of happinesse Hee must arme himselfe with patience quietly to receive such afflictions and crosses as it shall please God to send and lay upon him and perswade himselfe he doth all for his good to draw his love from these worldly vanities to the contemplation and desire of God and his heavenly kingdome which is our end and sovereigne good and beatitude He must purge and cleanse his mind from those impure motions and affections that intice and allure men to the deceivable lusts and brutish pleasures of the flesh than which pleasure after Demosthenes there is not a more capitall enemie given of nature to man and after Demosthenes no evill can happen to that man which hath layd temperance and continency for a foundation of wisedom He must also beware and be very circumspect that he bee not overcom with inordinate desire of riches nor with ambition and desire of honor and glory whereunto for want of due consideration the most part of men are commonly carried headlong by a false and flattering shew of happinesse And if it shall please God to blesse him with worldly wealth honourable estate for they are his blessings to them that come rightly and justly to them he must use them to that purpose for which they were ordained and given him for the estimation of things and their use and abuse maketh them helpefull or hurtful to happinesse of life He that knoweth how to esteem and use riches honourable estate as he ought neither will desire them if he have them not nor feare their losse if he possesse them knowing that he may live well and happily without them as things not necessary to felicity For the greedy desire of riches possessions the ambitious passions common almost to all men in aspiring to honorable estate the cōtinual fear of their losse doth so torment and unquiet our mindes that whereas by the due estimation of riches and honour and such like delights of men with an upright judgement we might leade a pleasant and happy life wee contrariwise by a sinister opinion heape upon our selves grievous torments manifold cares and vexations so as wee seeme to seeke of purpose for the causes and meanes how to bring our selves into an unhappie and miserable estate for all the troubles and perplexities that travell our fraile bodies our selves are the cause of them and for the most part we goe out to seeke them For thus fares it with men of all estates first to desire one thing and then another without end or measure never satisfied or contented and therefore never happy He must estimate these things that will live happily not after the common custome and opinion of men but by a right and reasonable censure and content himselfe with his estate to which God hath called him whereunto he shall the more easily bee perswaded that will compare the dangers and troubles of high dignities and honourable estate with the security and quietnesse of meane callings and bestow some time in reading the monuments of wise and learned authors whose counsell he shall find to contemne the things wherein by an erroneous opinion men set their felicity as meere vanities and the frumpes of fortune and that a little is sufficient to the happinesse of life Yet providence is to bee used by a wise and ◅rugall man after Isocrates counsell To remember things past to doe things present and to beware of things to come For he is no lesse worthy of blame that provideth not that which is necessary than he that never ceaseth to get more than is sufficient And though no estate of life be excluded from felicity for that the chiefe part cause therof proceeds from the minde yet abundance of riches honorable estate hie dignities are more subject to those things that are hinderance to happinesse than the meane and inferiour estates are which whosoever will attentively observe will be the more readily induced to beleeve with Saint Paul that Godlinesse is great riches and sufficient to lead us to the felicity happinesse we seeke for For that bringeth with it a contempt of worldly vanities so much esteemed of the multitude peace of conscience and a contentation of mind wherein felicity consisteth Which was rightly espied by the Poet that the vanities of this world as riches pleasures
hee could have hindered it and did not because he ought not to hinder it lest hee should disturbe his apointed and settled order and destroy his owne worke God therefore is not the Authour of evill and sin for al things which he made are good It is no efficient but a deficient cause Evil is no substance nor nature but an accident that commeth to the substance when it is voyde of those good qualities that ought naturally to be in them and supplieth the others absence with his presence And that hee suffereth evill to be done agreeeth with his great justice and mercy For if God should suffer no evill to be done men could not finne which agreeth not with his nature the Creator of all things having given him in the beginning free-will And except there should bee sinners how should God shew mercy But because all men commit sinne many waies God findeth every where matter to forgive every whereupon whom to shew mercy Saint Augustine sayth If the disease were light the Physitian would bee contemned and not sought and if the Physitian should not be sought the disease would have no end Therefore where sinne abounded there also grace abounded which onely divideth the redeemed from the damned All which things are sufficient testimonie against us that God made all things good and the evill that is happened to us is come upon us by our owne fault that disobeied God to obey the Divell Wee must confesse therefore that God made man good and a divine creature after his owne image that he endued him with many goodly gifts and ornaments that hee made the world and all things therein to serve man as he made man to serve him and as man is the end of the world so God is the end of man that he esteemed him in place of his sonne and opened his mind to him But because man preferred his owne appetite before the will of his Creator and became as a bastard and degenerate not onely by breaking Gods commandement but by affecting an equality with him he fell out of his favour and lost those gifts hee first gave him and is justly punished by him that is most just with the alteration of his estate and condition as a rebell against his Sovereigne and Creator because he would not continue and rest in his felicitie wherein God had first placed him that is in the contemplation of his Creator but would needs seeke his felicity some other where For the end of man is to glorifie God having made him for his own glory and the end felicity beatitude and Sumâ—… bâ—…num of man is all one by the Philosophers confession as hath been shewed before Therfore God that hath made all things good and is most good and goodnesse it selfe is the felicitie or beatitude and Summum bonum of man And though man by his ungratefull revolting from God that had bestowed such innumerable benefits upon him deserved justly to bee utterly destroyed yet hee dealt mercisully with him that hee took not away all as his demerits required and left him a meanes to returne into his grace againe For by taking away the things he first gave us he would make us humble by the fall of our first parent lest by the like presumptuousnesse we should fall againe A King buildeth a new city and endoweth it as the manner is with many priviledges and liberties it happeneth the citizens to rebel the king taketh away from them many of their liberties and priviledges Which punishment of rebellion descendeth to all their posterity though the city was begun with a few families it groweth at length to bee very populous His giving those priviledges to the first inhabitants was to bee imputed to his bounteousnesse and liberality that he took them away was his justice that he denied restitution of them to their posterity was his clemency lest they being of the same disposition should procure againe their owne destruction So God gave unto man liberty a great priviledge and adorned him with many goodly gifts both of body mind for the which he ought to praise his goodness And because by abusing his gifts he hath taken them away or diminished them is to be attributed to his justice which hee hath done lest by example of the first man his posterity being of the same condition should commit againe the like offence and fall into the like punishment Thus it pleased God of his goodnesse to chastise his people and to suffer them to bee governed by his lawes but not utterly destroy them And that mankinde might feele and know how great miseries follow their sin and fall and thereby learn humility and godlines and to call for his great mercy apparent in the middest of his high justice that notwithstanding mans grievous offence ingratitude he would not utterly destroy his posterity whom he had made to his glory but raised up one out of that rebellious stocke that should satisfie his justice wherby they might live and bee received into grace againe hereby it is evident that mans nature is corrupted not so created at the first by God but by abusing his gifts and graces is fallen from goodnesse into wickednesse from his speciall favour into his just indignation And as we are of the nature of that man our first parent in whom humane nature was universally polluted so doe wee receive from him his nature and draw to us the corruption thereof from whence is derived by propagation the cause of our miserable estate and condition Now that we have shewed how by what meâ—…es wee fell out of Gods favour into this stinking pit and dunge on let us see how we may wade out of it againe God all men confesse to be Creator of all things and as he is good goodnesse it selfe all that he hath made must needs bee also good as proceeding from the fountaine of goodnesse And because God is wisedome all his creations we must needs acknowledge were made to some end For nature say the Philosophers doth nothing in vaine but all things well much more God the Creator of nature doth all things to an end And as God is the beginning middle and end of all things so hath he none other end of his workes but himselfe For he made all things to his own glorie and therefore we that be the creatures of God of whom we have our beginning and life can have no other end but God So that God is our Summum bonum or Soveraigne good our beatitude and felicity To that end therefore to the attaining of that good which is the proper action and true felicity of man all our studies and desires all our labours and diligence ought to be directed and employed If mans first nature had remained whole and uncorrupted there would not have needed any great search to bee made to find out his felicity For our end or felicity did then shine in our understanding and the same