of the minde proceeding thence thorough his grace which communicateth so great a good as it is written in the booke of Wisedome I doe reioyce in all thinges because wisedome goeth before And it receaueth no griefe but such as our selues are content to yeelde vnto as Possidonius sayde to Pompey And there is an other sauour giuen and an other kinde of face set vpon that which they call euill And vertue valor force patience magnanimitie can no waies play their part without griefe paine And as Diamans other precious stones haue either a more high or dimme colour according to the foile in which they are set so fareth it with the euil happes griefe which taketh place as a man is eyther strong or weake And as all thinges in this worlde in the ende referreth it selfe wholly to the glorie of God so doth all thinges turne to good to such as are good Plato and Terence compareth our life to a game at draughtes where the player must euer marke well what shal befall vnto him and dispose euery thing eyther to profit him or little to hurt him And they which care least for to morrowe following the commandement of our sauiour ariue there most ioyfully hauing not the will vnproportionate to the might nor their minde afflicted Homer maketh two vessels to be in heauen full of destinies the one of good the other of bad he accounteth him happie which equally partaketh as well of the one as the other as much hony as gaul And Seneca writeth that the destinies leade gently such as consent drawe by force such as refuse Notwithstanding the wise do temper and turne the euill into good drawing out of their good aduentures what naught soeuer is there mingled by this meanes passe away the more easily the course of this life To which the old prouerbe agreeth that euery man is the workman of his owne fortune and fashioneth her according to his maners And if we doe contemne honours riches pleasures banishmentes griefes and sickenesse we shall be cleane exempt from all couetous desires passions and tormentes of the minde As Xenophon in his Pedia reciteth of one Pheraulas to whō Cirus gaue a Lordship of a very great reuenewe but hauing well considered the ease contentment which he toke during his pouertie and the care which he must then needes take for his reuenewe and domesticall affayres hee put all againe into the handes of a friende of his As Anacreon hauing had fiue talents worth three thousande crownes giuen him by Policrates after he saw that he had passed two nights togither studying what he shold do with it he sent them backe againe saying that they were not worth the care he had taken for thē And when newes was brought vnto Zeno and certaine other that their shipps goods and marchandise were loste they reioysed because it was a cause to make them apply themselues to Philosophie which yeelded them farre greater contentment Philoxenes hauing purchased a farme wherby he might liue the better at ease quitted it againe and returned to Athens saying These goods shall not loose me but I them As Seneca wrote to a friend of his if thou hadst not lost thy goods it might be they might haue lost thee And the bricklenesse of the aduised serueth them as it were to be shodde with showes of yce against sinne Anacharsis left the kingdome of Scithia to his younger brother to growe to be a Philosopher in the sayde Citie of Athenes Aristides chose likewise to remaine in his pouertie though it laye in his power to haue made himselfe a Lorde of greate riches Scipio hauing by force taken Cartharge touched no whit of the sacking or spoyle thereof Epaminundas and Camillus amonge all the victories they obtayned neuer carried anie thing else away then honour An infinite number of other as well Captaines as Philosophers haue contemned goods albeit this moderation which was so greatly praysed in them was neuer ioyned together with a hope of eternall life as the Christians is who knowe that the creator of heauen and earth is their father and Lord almightie that he loueth them and knoweth ful well the way they ought to holde the medicines which they ought to vse and whatsoeuer is most expedient to bring them to the promissed blisse after this their pilgrimage and exile Therfore they suffer thēselues to be cōducted by him without murmuring approuing for good whatsoeuer proceedeth from his fatherly hande and by this meane remaine in the peace of the spirit and calmenesse what winde soeuer blowe without being tossed in the troubles stormes of this life They know likewise that if God doe stricke them downe with the left hande he rayseth them vp with the right againe according to the promisse he made by his Prophet Ose And as all meates are agreeing with a good stomach and to a bad the most delicate seeme corrupt as it is written in the Prouerbes that to a hungrye soule all bitter things seeme sweete so all things turne to good to the faithfull as S. Paul hath written And in Ecclesiasticus all thinges are turned into good to such as feare God but to the sinners they are turned into euill who turne light into darkenesse and good into euill And money is to good men a cause of good to the wicked of euill and crueltie And as the showe is fashioned according to the foote so his disposition which is wise moderate leadeth a life like vnto it to wit peaseable and without passion coueting nothing vnpossible and contenting it selfe with the present That is it which Cicero writeth that vertue in trouble doth euer remaine quiet and being cast into banishment neuer departeth from her place For the goods of fortune reioyce those most which least doubt their contraries and the feare of loosing them maketh the pleasure of the enioying of them more feeble and lesse assured Plato gaue counsell not to cōplaine in aduersitie for that we know not whether it happen vnto vs for our hurt or no. And in his Phedon hee writeth that looke what beautie riches honour and kinred we here desire it is so farre off from being good that indeede they doe rather corrupt and impayre vs. But a Christian man ought to esteeme all good and for his health whiche perswasion serueth vnto him as the meale did which Elisha cast into the pot which tooke cleane away all the bitternesse of the pottage and as the tree with which Moses made the waters sweete From thence ensueth that Christian Parradoxe so often times verified that there neuer happeneth euill to the good nor good to the wicked whose nature is changed by blessing As it is sayde of a diseased bodie that the more it is nourished the more it is offended And as strange dreames shewe that there be grosse and clammie humors and perturbation of
of loosing all that he should be courteous gratious and graue that he should banish from his court all lewde counsellours such as charge the people with newe inuentions that his life should serue for an vnwritten lawe that he be such towardes his owne subiectes as hee would require of God to bee towardes him that hee manifest not him selfe eyther to sorrowefull or to ioyefull that by no meanes he sell his offyces for he that selleth them maketh sale of his owne subiectes Me thinketh wee ought in no wise to forget the commendation which Xenophon gaue to Kinge Agesilaus comparing him as contrarye to many tyrauntes that he euer measured his expenses with his reuenewe fearing least for the furnishing thereof he should doe ought that were vniust greatly delighting to see his subiectes rich and that they being valiant he commanded ouer valiant people that he esteemed it a greater prayse not to be ouercome with money pleasures and feare then to take by assault most strong cities that he shewed himself much to the people and courteously entreated euery one that had any supplycation or suite to make vnto him and as soone as he was able gaue order for the dispatch of whatsoeuer was proposed vnto him with reason The ordinance of Anthonye the Emperour was holy for his time that no tribute should bee exacted without the consent of the Senate and the people and also that it should not be employed to any vse but by their especiall aucthoritie For there must bee a Geometricall proportion kept betweene the King and the people And when he would wrest all vnto himselfe it is as the Emperours Traian Adrian were wont to say that when the spleene is swolne all the rest of the members waxe dry Among the othes which the Emperours make at their coronation one is that they shall lay no taxe or tribute without the consent of the estates of the Empire The which the kings of Polognia Hungary Inglande and Danemarc doe in like sort Thence proceeded the ordinance made by Philip de Valois and other of our Kinges And if such as are charged by vertue of their offyce to see the buildinges of Churches to be repayred the poore to be well vsed to hinder the excessiue fellings of Tymber to cause the good lawes to be put in execution to hold the Mercurials to controle each one would performe their dutie euery thing would prosper better The lawe which Titus Liuius and Plutarke writeth was practised at Rome were very profitable to be put in vre within the citie of Paris that all fountaynes which were drawne into particuler houses thorough fauour corruption or otherwise might be cleane stopped and placed in publicke places or out of the same houses that particuler persons might not be able to withdrawe the water in abusing the publicke benefite as they doe The saying of King Agis Agasicles and Titus the Emperour is worthy to be well cōsidered that a Prince may easily raigne without any guarde or weapons when he commaundeth ouer his subiectes as a father ouer his children vsinge them withall meekensse sweetenesse and clemencie For if a Prince tende to nought else then to maintayne him selfe and bring his people into slauerie there is no more anye name lefte of citie or people as Saint Augustine sayeth And it is not ynough that a Prince knoweth what establysheth preserueth or destroyeth seignuries if he doe not withholde or reiecte awaye cleane the cause and preuent troubles or if they doe chaunce to happen presently quench them with small dammage It were besides to be desired that they had a care to the mayntenaunce of godlinesse and religion of hospitales and schooles and that they put in execution what Kinge Philip de Valois sayde to the Archbyshoppes Byshoppes and Prelates of his Realme whome he had caused to assemble togeather that if they woulde correcte what were woorthie of amendment hee would alter nothing in the state of the Church but if they differred to doe it he would remedie it in such sorte as God thereby should be better serued the people contented and the nobilitie which so much complained thereof without cause giuen of offence It woulde also breede a verye great benefite if according to the ordinance of Charlemagne Lewys 12. Otho the first of Councels Decrees Cannons and the aduise of sundrie good Popes Diuines and Doctours they would institute into benefices the most learned men and of best life and which mought bee founde more agreeable to Ecclesiasticall functions and to the people not depending of one alone which careth for nought but to put in his coffers the yearely reuenewe which appertayneth according to the Cannons and meaning of such as were founders to other as well as to the poore and by this reformation would iustice be maintayned and a better order established thorough out For if the dewtie of a Magistrate bee to see that the people liue well and vertuously according to Aristotle his opinion in his Politiques religion is one of the greatest vertues As in like sorte Moses Iosua Samuel Dauid Salomon Aza Iosophat Ioab Ezechias Iosias and other greatly trauayled to refine the seruice of God And Saint Ambrose writeth that Theodosius when he dyed had a greater care of the Church then of his sickenesse And Socrates in the Proeme of the fifte booke of the Ecclesiasticall hystorie sheweth the great care that the Emperours euer since they became Christians tooke touching Ecclesiasticall affayres And the Diuines are of opinion that the name of Melchisedech King of Salem sheweth what kinges ought to be to wit kinges of iustice and peace And the worde Abimilech signifieth my father the kinge Sundrye haue likewise wished for the quiet of the commonwealth that Princes woulde ofte set before their eyes the causes by meanes whereof an estate is turned topsie turuie and chaunged according to the rules in the holye scripture and hystories thorough vice hatred which God carryeth to impietie idolatrie vniustice tyrannie sorcerie and whoredome And often times the enuie of such as gouerne their ambition desire of reuenge choler rashnesse obstinacie despite couetousnesse trust in their owne strength accompanied with hautinesse foolishe imitation and curiositie corrupteth their counselles and prouoketh them to stirre vp out of season what they should let lie in quyet And we in our owne time haue seene what troubles haue ensued hereon For which a good Prynce ought to prouide and if hee chaunce to forgette him selfe he ought to bee brought backe agayne thorough the gnawinges and bytinges of the sharpe teeth and smarting prickes of his conscience And hee ought well to weigh the threatninges conteyned and set foorth in the holy scripture and that which Seneca writeth that there is no tempest vpon the sea so soddaine nor waue that followeth one an other sooner then the condition of Princes is variable for that they are subiecte to dreadfull faules and chaunges And
a liue man and one dead Aristippus aunswered likewise sende them into a farre countrey and then you shall knowe and there is nothing but knowledge which causeth a man to bee esteemed And the oracle giuen vnto the Greeks of the doubling of the house was interpreted by the wise men that it was ment thereby that they should leaue armes and conuerse with the Muses and learning which would mollifie their passions and driue away ignorance and procure courage and good councell as Agesilaus maintained that the lawes of Lycurgus bread a contempt of pleasures To accustome youth in like sorte to followe vertue to brydle passions and choler to shunne vice and lying to enter into consideration how good and vertuous personages haue in all times behaued themselues to remember the harmes happened to the wicked and the blessings and honours which haue accompanied the good bredeth a great quiet al the life long because such a custom hath a maruailous efficacie in aduauncing of a man And betimes is the iudgement that proceedeth from an euil custome to be corrected the which in a vile nature doeth ofte by processe of time throwe downe and abase our mindes and render vs contemptible The which may be helped and amended through vertuous exercises For if that resistance which reason maketh to the appetite of eating and drinking forceth verie often hunger thirst much more easie shal it be for one to cut off couetousnes ambition pride enuie choler curiositie lying and other vices by refraining and abstaining from those things which he coueteth so as in the end they shall al remaine cleane discomfited To abstain also from pleasures which are permitted is a good exercise to meete with such as are forbidden I leaue here to declare howe much France was dishonored when as the Polakes made their entrie into Paris accompanied with the French gentlemen who for the most parte were dome not able to speake or vnderstand Latine and were rather brought vp to wear a rapiar be their syde ryde a horse danse and playe at fense then to haue skill in languages and artes with which the verie Barbarians in old time were adorned honoured became more valiant in the warres As Alexander and sundry other great Captaines and Princes haue confessed Yea him selfe grew extreme angry that Aristotle had published his Metaphisicks because he said he had rather a desire to passe all others in learning and knowledge then in armes and force And wee before haue noted that he attributed all his victories to what hee had learned of Philosophie The Emperour Antonin the Philosopher went himselfe to seeke out learned men in their owne houses saying that it verie well became a man yea though he were olde to learne what hee was ignorant of The which Cato and other of our lawyers haue affirmed And Paulus Iouius writeth of Charles the fifth that his schoolemaster Adrian who since was Pope did with verie greate cause often times foretell him that hee woulde greatly repent that in his youth hee had not learned the Latine tongue For it is verie requisite that youth be brought vp in that parte of learning which is called humanitie because that without the discipline thereof the worlde shoulde liue but brutishly And that it bee accustomed to make account of lawes and superiours and to keepe a straight discipline in the manner of life which it chooseth be it in warre and defence of their countrie And a man followeth all his life longe his first addressinge in his youth As if a tree blossome not in the spring it will hardly beare fruit in the Autumne The which ought to stirre parents to chastise their children and to make them to bee diligently taught and not to pamper them As Plinie writeth of Apes which choak their little ones in imbrasing them too harde And wee ought greatly to weigh the saying of Origen that the sinnes which the euill nurtured and vnchastised children commit shalbee layde to the fathers charge as it is sayde in Samuel of Ely And if it be written of Xenocrates that his auditours of dissolute became temperate and modest what fruite are wee to thinke that youth will beare through the sweetenesse and benignitie of the Muses That is through the knowledge of learning which as Plutarque writeth in the life of Sertorius causeth them to tame and sweeten their nature which before was wylde and sauage holdinge the meane by the compasse of reason and reiectinge the extreame And Lycurgus the lawgiuer sayde that hee neuer vsed to set downe his lawes in writinge because such as had beene well nourished woulde approoue and followe whatsoeuer were moste expedient for the time Which was the cause of the lawes so muche commended by Diodorus that children shoulde bee brought vp in learninge at the publicke expense To bee shorte good bringing vp of youth maketh it to bee true constant and ioyfull For hauing a good conscience true comforte and resolution which sweeteneth all the bitternesse of this life and knowinge the causes why God hath alwayes beene accustomed to punish his maketh them carrie all thinges cheerefully not doubtinge but that hee loueth and hath a fatherly care ouer them So doe they repose themselues vppon the assurance of this good will and endeuour to obey him and dye with a good hope acquitinge them selues of their duetie Sundrie haue greatly commended the lawes of the Lydes because they depriued such children as were not vertuous from their enheritaunce which caused them to correcte their naughtie inclinations and to shunne vice as also they had certaine officers in sundrye prouinces which tooke care of youth and punished the parentes which did not well bringe vp their children And for as much as it is a great happinesse vnto a countrey when the Prince hath beene well instructed Plato in his Alcibiades and Xenophon doe write that out of the whole realme of Persia were foure moste sufficient men chosen to bringe vp the Kinges children the one in learninge the seconde to teache them all their life to bee true the thirde to instruct them to commaunde their passions and not to addicte themselues to pleasures the fourth to make them hardie and couragious Wee ought to make our profite of the lamentation which the Prophet Baruche made in that the young sought after wisedome vppon the earth and became expounders of fables and knewe not the waye of wisedome which was the cause of their destruction Dauid also founde no meanes for a young man to redresse his waye but in takinge heede thereto according to Gods worde The Apostle admonished Timothie to flye from the lustes of youth and to humble the fleshe to the spirite to the ende no aduauntage bee giuen vnto the enimie which will bee an euill token for the rest of the course which is to bee runne all our life longe And Saint Peter commaundeth young men to bee wise modest and humble
and engendreth within vs an amendment of life readie obedience and loue towardes God and our neighbour giueth vnto vs the hope of eternal life and of obtaining what we ask at Gods hands rendreth our conscience peaceable maketh vs to perseuere in the good giueth vnto vs a boldnes to addresse our selues to the throne of grace bringeth with it selfe a constancie and pacience in all aduersities and comforteth vs cleane remouing away all feare anguish vexation of minde For this cause God is called by S. Paul in the beginning of his second Epistle to the Corinthians The God of mercie and consolation And in the sixth to the Ephesians he doth exhort vs to take vpon vs the shielde of faith wherewith we may quench all the fierie dartes of the wicked CHAP. 3. Properties of the truth and how much it is requisite in a Prince and Clergie SAint Paul recommendeth this trueth vnto vs as an especiall and principall part of the armour required to be worne by a Christian Knight and as a bulwarke against all assaults And most excelent is that saying in the 8. chapter of the prophesie of Zecharie where hee exhorteth Euerie man to speake the trueth vnto his neighbour and as the bodie bereft of the soule is nought else then stinking carrion so man depriued of this trueth is no better then a verie infection and filthie carkasse For this cause Plato in his commonwealth ordained for a lawe that aboue all thinges the truth might be preserued And Xenophon bringing in a good Prince vnder the person of K. Cyrus requireth especialy that he be founde true This was also the first lesson which Aristotle taught Alexander the great And Isayah setteth downe a King to reigne in Iustice and a Prince to rule in Iudgement being as an hiding place from the winde and as a refuge for the tempest And a byshop of Cologne declared to Fredoric the Emperour that the bare worde of a Prince ought to be of as great weight as other mens othes and that the trueth ought to bee his chiefest ornament The aunsweare which Charles the fift Emperour made vnto such as would haue perswaded him by no meanes to sende backe Luther being come vnto him vnder his safe conduit is greatly praised saying that though the performance of promises were cleane banished the face of the earth yet it should be kept by an Emperour Our Sauiour also in manie places of the Euangelistes commaundeth vs in any wise to keepe truth and nameth himselfe the sonne of Iustice and the essentiall truth On the other side the Diuell is called a lyer and the father thereof to the end that euerie one abyding in God who is the soueraigne good and hauing him for a father Lorde Sauiour and Protectour might be founde true and that we should not serue so wicked a murtherer and cruell deceauer as Sathan and that we shoulde abhor lying with which he onely serueth his turne to extinguish the light of the truth the onely life of the soule And Iob sayth that the wicked abhor the light they knowe not the wayes therof nor continue in the pathes thereof The Catholique Church is likewise called of S. Paul The pillar and grounde of trueth And Lactantius calleth it the fountaine of trueth house of faith and temple of God into which who so doth not enter is cleane shut vp from anie hope of eternall life For out of her is there no saluation to be found but euen as it fared with them that were without the Arke of Noah in the time of the flood And our religion hath beene founded vppon faith which dependeth of this truth which alone hath much more vertue than Cicero would attribute to Philosophie as in casting out of spirits remouing vaine solitarinesse deliuering vs from lusts and chasing away all feare For she teacheth vs the true seruice of God how to worshippe his mightinesse admire at his wisedome loue his bountie trust vnto his promises and rule our life according vnto his holie will She cleareth and giueth light vnto the course of reason thorough the knowledge of thinges and guideth our will vnto the true good and taketh away the clowdes of our vnderstanding as it is saide the North winde doth in the ayre And wee daylie see that the afflicted and wretched innocent taketh his greatest comfort in that the trueth is of his side And this truth causeth that parte of our vnderstanding wherein reason lyeth to rule and our will affections and like partes willingly obey thereto and suffer themselues to be gouerned therby And we may the rather be termed men in neare approching to God our patron For all the doctrine of the lawe tendeth to ioyne man through holinesse of life vnto his God as Moyses in Deutronomy sayth to make him leane vnto him For neither the worlde nor anie other creature can make man happie but he alone which made him man And thorough this truth are we deliuered from false opinions and ignorance and in al actions she is the light to guide vs frō stumbling and bringeth foorth all vertues And since that the end of Grammer is to speake aptly and agreeably and the end of speech societie of Rhethoricke to carrie all mens mindes to one opinion And of Logicke to finde out a truth amidst manie falshoodes all other artes doe likewise tende to this trueth And let vs make our senses to serue our vnderstanding and that vnderstanding of ours to serue him by whom it is and doth vnderstand And since this truth is a light her propertie is to chase away the darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance of our vnderstandings and to reioyce and comfort vs as the sunne rising doth to Pilgrims except they be such as our Sauiour spoke of who loue darkenesse more then the light which maketh vs to perceaue what hath beene hidden from vs. And men are more afraide to do amisse by day then by night and we are better able to guide our selues and can yeelde a better testimonie of what we haue seene as our Sauiour sayde in S. Iohn we speake that we knowe and testifie that we haue seene CHAP. 4. Extremities in the truth and how men may speake of themselues and of that which they vnderstande and that men ought not to publish anie writing but of their owne inuention and to some purpose nor to attribute to themselues the honour of a thing well done SInce that this trueth is approued to be a vertue she ought to hold a mediocritie to be set betweene two vitious extremities of either too little or too much as it is saide of the rest of the vertues which make them selues more apparaunt in gayning vnto themselues by those actions which consist in the middest of two contrarie vices as doeth the true tune among discords The excesse and ouerplus shal proceede of arrogancie pride vaunting disdain insolencie
the lawe consisteth in the loue towardes God and our neighbour And wee reade in manie places of Cicero and others that the better a man is the lesse he tendeth al his actions to his owne profit and the more he doth studie to serue God and his commonwealth Plato himselfe wrote to Architas that man was borne for his parents friends and countrey in sort that the least part of him remaineth to himselfe and for this cause man is named a ciuill and communicatiue creature And as S. Paule wrote Iesus Christ was borne for vs to the ende that they which liue should not liue anie more vnto themselues but to him which dyed for them And exhorteth vs no more to purchase after our owne profitte but that which may concerne our neighbour and that we be made rich in good workes which he calleth a treasure and foundation to come In which doing we shall followe the pathes of truth and shalbe counted most happie especially if wee retire our affections from vncleannesse from whence Nilus an auncient byshop sayde a smooke proceeded which blacked the soule with sowte There be then two sorts of Christians the one in name and profession only the other in effect The first care not but for their bodie honours riches and pleasure without ought regarding the feare of God The other with all their affection dedicate themselues to God at whose hand they take all in good parte and despise the worlde louing God and his woorde and commaundementes and of these Isayah writeth that they which shall see them shall knowe they are the blessed seede of the Lord and in another place he calleth a naughtie conscience a narrowe bed in which a man cannot well stretch out his bodie nor lie at ease for he which hath a wounded conscience can neuer finde out anye condition place or state that is not too little for him and which may anye wayes content him This is the cause why Dauid requireth at Gods hande to set at large his imprisoned heart that is to say that he will do him the grace to cause him to haue a sound and neate conscience I will not here forget that as God is honoured by the good life of the faithfull according as the holy scripture witnesseth so is he blasphemed and dishonoured thorough wickednesse And there is no doubt but the behauiour of Christians haue caused the Turkes and Infidels euen to detest the true religion Lopes a Spaniard and Beuzo a Millannese and other that haue written of the historie of America and the West Indies haue beene constrayned to confesse that the crueltie couetousnesse blasphemies and wickednesse of the Spaniardes hath altogether alienated the poore Indians from the religion which the said Spaniards gaue out they held for true who did not long enioye those goods which by detestable meanes they had there gathered And all men write that they were lesse worthe then the Idolatrous Indians The cruell handling of those Indians and that which the Turke did to them of Asia Africa and part of Europe who liued as we doe the Turke notwithstanding being the farther are set before our eyes as an example to the end that we should change our selues and seeing the behauiour of Christians and their obstinacie to vice wee shoulde looke but euen for such cursednesse and miseries as we reade they haue beene enwrapped and fallen into And wee may well say that we touch euen neare the end of the worlde alreadie quaking and doting thorough old age and full of the wrincles of lying which notwithstanding can not obscure the sonne of trueth nor take away the light of them which feare God which see and loue the way which we ought to follow to attaine to life eternal And that we neede not further wander wee must exercise our selues in reading of good bookes in prayer fasting and workes of godlinesse And as Xenophon writing of the dewtie and office of an esquire warneth him aboue all thinges to beseeche at Gods hande to make his thought speech and deedes such as shall be agreeable vnto him and contentment to all his friendes and honourable and profitable to his commonwealth without molesting of anie man by farre greater reason the Christians ought to praye vnto God without intermission that he will teach them his will and dresse their pathes to loue and feare his name When a man speaketh of good woorkes it is thereby meant such as are furthest from all superstition and hypocrisie and proceede from a fayth woorking thorough charitie and a pure heart witnessing the great bountie and excellencie thereof and profiting our neighbours referring all to the glorie goodnesse and grace of God which bringeth foorth in vs good fruites and giueth vnto vs both to will and to performe as saint Paul sayth and crowneth in vs his owne workes CHAP. 8. How much true men haue beene esteemed and that all magistrates ought to be so and of the riches of princes IN Exodus Iethro counselled Moses to appoint rulers ouer the people men of courage fearing God men dealing truely hating couetousnesse and in Egypt the chiefe magistrate euer carried a picture of truth hanging at his necke The which Amian writeth also of the Druydes shewing that a Iudge ought to carie it in his heart his Iudgements and all other his actions And the tablet hanging with two chaines vpon the heart of the high priest whereof mention is made in Exod. 28. and Numbers 3. was called VRIM which signifieth light For the kings in all their actions of importance demaunded counsell of God by his high priest or prophets Pythagoras and Demosthenes esteemed to be trewe and to doe good to another the two most excellent thinges that were giuen from heauen to mankinde And the same Pythagoras being demaunded wherein men were likest vnto God aunswered in trueth And it was a sufficient reason for any thing he said to say He saide it And the great Thebane captaine Epaminondas was most especially praysed because he loued the truth and neuer made lie And Pyndarus praysed him as he did before one Pyttacus a Tarentine for that knowing much he spake little And albeit Pyrrhus was an enimie to the Romaines yet neuerthelesse did he giue this prayse vnto Fabritius that a man might assoone turne him from the truth and honestie as the sunne out of his course And the chiefest prayse which hystoriographers giue to Byshops in time past is that they neuer lyed and in the Psalmes and Apocalyps the saintes were euer honored with this title that a lye was neuer founde in their mouth And Zacharie praysing Ierusalem calleth it the citie of trueth And in the holy scripture this woorde of thinke say or promise is interpreted in God to doe because all which he thinketh sayth or promiseth is surely executed and put in effect Pomponius a friende of Ciceroes was extolled for
children then verie necessitie requireth for they shal verie much esteem that which is sufficient if thou hast wel brought them vp and if they be ignorant then wil they haue lesse care feare and occasion to do euil The which Phocion practised refusing the presents of Alexander as Plutarque writeth Let vs then consider that knowledge is not laid open to fortune as are richesse the which are verie often possessed by the wicked nor mutable as glorie nor coÌ„meth by discent as nobilitie nor of smal lasting as beautie nor changeable as health nor decayeth diminisheth as strength but encreaseth with time is not vanquished by warre as Stilpon tolde K. Demetrius And the Laconien scholemaster aunswered verie well that he would make the noble gentleman which was his pupil to sport himself in things honest iust true and to be offended at vnhonest vniust lyes For maners being through discipline well composed within are the verie fountaine whence al contentment proceedeth And children are by custome trayned into the waye of vertue And the Pithagoriens lesson seemeth vnto mee to bee very wise Choose the best way custome shal make it agreeable pleasant vnto thee The Komanes had a good custome to place their children with those whom they would haue them to imitate And in France there is great account made of one which hath bin brought vp as a page to some valiant and wise gentleman Cirus in the end of the 7. booke of Xenophon desireth euery man to giue a good example to children because if they see no vncomlines they shalbe enforced to follow goodnes and vertue be fit for al things A King of Sparta answered him wisely which asked what children ought to learne That said he which they ought to doe when they are men he told another that they were to learne to knowe how to obey to commaund We must then more studie to fil the vnderstanding then the memorie not onely to haue a care to besprincle the soule with knowledge but to make it grow perfect and learne by studie not of the tongues but of wisedome courage and resolution to auoide the baytes of pleasure and to throwe downe with an inuincible courage the threates of Fortune and death to be sounde and short in discourse to render themselues and quite their force to trueth as soone as they shall perceiue it without beeing too stubborne that their conscience sinceritie and vertue be manifested in their wordes and deedes that in companie they cast their eyes rounde about and in themselues controll the manners of eche one to followe the good and contemne the wicked And they ought not to let one worde or sentence fall to ground without putting it in their tables to make their profite thereof as Bees drawe honye out of sundry flowers so learning the discourse of Phylosophie they shall cleare the tempestes of Fortune They must also take away strangenes and partialitie enimies to societie and apply the supple bodies to all kinde of fashions customes companies to bee able to doe all thinges but louing to doe but what is good And if they goe to the warre to feare nothing but God and an euil renowne To learne to combate with the enemie and aboue all things to obey their head as Caesar in his commentaries desired the French to doe To accustome themselues to endure paine colde and heate to lye harde to assault well and to keepe a forte The cheefe care which Kinges and gouernours ought to take is of the honour of God and maintainance of his Churche and nexte of pollicie and iustice followinge the lesson of our Sauiour in seekinge the kingdome of God and then whatsoeuer is necessarye for them shall bee giuen vnto them Nowe the kingdome of God is the Church of the faithfull the seede whereof is youth which is consecrated to God thorough baptisme vnder the Churche Then this seede ought to bee well husbanded and kept from weedes which might choake it that the eares may bee gathered full of graine It is an olde saying that hee which hath begunne well hath halfe ended The beginning is in the first youth whence the good Bourgesses Magistrates and gouernours doe spring And there is greate aduauncement and hope to bee looked for in that place where youth is well brought vppe in godlynesse and honestie For this cause Aristotle in the ende of the seuenth of his Politiques would haue them turne their eyes and eares from all iniuries fowle and vndecent actions and communication And the more that we see all thinges to impayre good manners subuerted wickednesse couetousnesse ignoraunce and vniustice not by stealth but publickely and without shame to runne their course of which our predecessours greatly complained and wee complaine of at this daye and it is verie likely that they which come after vs shall rewe it the more regarde ought we to haue that the nurcerie of our posteritie which is the youth may be taught to liue soberly and iustly not so much to speake well as to liue well to the ende that what the vessel beeing newe hath once beene seasoned with it may long keepe the sent thereof as Horace writeth And there is no doubt but that man being desirous to knowe and encline to vertue from his birth if by a good guyde he bee vntill the last yeare of his adolescencie kepte and defended from the snares which the delightes of sences and pleasures drawe with them his vnderstanding beeing once fortified thorough good instructions shall after of himselfe bee so well rooted in the loue of knowledge vertue and the feare of God that it shalbee verie harde euer after to withdrawe him The which was the cause that the Lacedemonians aunswered Antipater that they woulde rather dye then giue him their children whiche hee demaunded for hostages so great account made they of their education This felicitie and happinesse as Aristotle sheweth in the ende of his Ethickes dependeth principallye of the grace of God of a good reformation of the liberalitie magnâ—â—cence bountie and courtesie of Princes which heereby prouoke and pricke forwarde the aduauncement of Artes and of good wittes as contrariwise they languish and cleane decaye thorough the ignorance enuie couetousnesse tyrannie and stubbernesse of such as gouerne and thorough great disorder and corruption I haue before touched the inconueniences and mischiefes which happen in France by reason that the nobilitie is not trayned vp in learning And not without cause the greate King Francis said that it greatly grieued him that the gentlemen of his Realme gaue themselues no more to studie and learning to the ende he mought haue prouided for them the cheefe offices of the long robe thinking that thereby hee shoulde haue been better serued both in his gouernmentes and warres And that great Captaine Bayart aunswered him that asked him the difference betweene a learned man and an ignorant as much as betweene a Phisition and a patient
Diodorus Valerius Soranus K. Seleucus A vvord escapeth the mouth returneth not Fuluius Qu. Curtius lib. 4. Amasis king of Egypt The tong the best and vvorst peece of the body Prou. 13.3 The seat and piece of the tongue Homer Phocion spoke better then Demosthenes Pericles Zeno Drunkennes subiect vnto much babling The Pie consecrated to Bacchus Eccle. 22 Cato of the Greekes and Romanes Caesar Comment lib. 6 Counterfaite nevves To be silent is dangerous Circumstances of time and place to speake By friends enemies truth is discerned from falshood Xenophon Philip King of Macedon The profite vvhich men reap by their enemies Scipio The profite of friendes Euripides Diogenes Amitie Menander Eccles 6.16 Pithagoras Plato Loue of it selfe is blind The similitude of Demosthenes To be warned by our freindes Knowledge of histories necessary for princes To take couÌ„sell of the deade Caesars commentaries translated by the commauÌ„dement of Selim The loue the weomen of Bavire bare to their husbandes The monuments of our auncestors inflame vs to vertue Themistocles awaked through the trophees of the Miltiades Feare of blame and dishonor causeth the wicked to refraine Custome of Aegipt Diod. lib. 2â— cap. 3 Charlemagne Songs containing the high enterprises of vertuous persons Bardes Tyme left Fables and olde vvyfes tales Prudence required in reading histories All prophane authors write not trulie A reader of histories must not be too quicke of beliefe nor too credulous The holy Scripture the rule of all thinges VVhat vvriters soonest to be credited Enemies enuying the frenche Affections passions of men staine the trueth Not to iudge things according to the euent To make conquests assured Comment li. 6 Men differ from beasts by reason Cassiod lib. 1. Causes of losses More laudable to keepe then to gette Vse practise Aug. cap. 131 mor. epise Mens vvritings in all points can not be true The beginninges and motife causes of al things as to be considered To prayse and thanke God for our good successe Rom. 15.4 VVhatsoeuer is vvritten ought to serue for one learning Examples Mutations is common vveales This life but a sorrovvfull exile Prases deceaue men Statuas throvvne dovvne and broken Honours refused by Theopompus Niger Bracidas Antigonus Sigismond Iustinian Titus Fabritius Timoleon Antisthenes Galien Offices and dignities called charges Honours Glory The temple of glory adioyning to that of vertue Epictetus Cicero Salomon Ecclesiasticus 10. Marius Maiestie pictured Cato A knight Maximilian Honour to be accepted Youth stirred vp to vertue through praise Pope Iohn 23 Themistocles Remedy against praise and glorie Psal 62.9 144.4 Plutarque Gracchi Demosthenes The Lye Titus Fabius Ecclesiasticus Plato Cato Lucretia A good conscience K. Demetrius Marius VVarly discipline Vengeaunce reserued to god Trueth in Policies and gouernments Ierem. 3. Luke 1. Phil. 3.8 Philosophers of olde tyme haue not attained to the light of the trueth Tales The ignoraÌ„ce of the Philosophers Mans soueraigne good The Philosophers coÌ„forts Holy scripture Psal 119. Homers Nepenthes Seneca Horace reproued Phylosophie the loue of wisedom Aristotle reprehended Physis Iob. The lyfe of the Paganes The promises of God are certaine Chrysostome Rom. 1.22 The lamentation of Socrates Iob. 14.6 Sophisters Lib. 10. Cap. 2 de ciuit Dei Against Atheists and Epicures VVhy God ordained princes Kings children Scipio K. Lewys 11. K. Lewys 12. Dyonisius the tyrant of Sicil The coÌ„plaint of Gordian Dyoclesian Emperours Hester 16.6 Flatterers coÌ„pared to the Syrenes K. Antiochus Eugenes pope K. Lewys the grosse K. Lewys 12. Ptolome Charles the 4 and 5. Seleucus Adrian Pope Traian emperour Homer 2. iliad An arte of great difficultie to commaunde and rule vvell Dioclesian The miserable lyfe of tyrants vvicked princes Wisd 17.10 Guichard lib. 1 of Naples Plutarque Demosthenes The duety of a good prince Claudius emperour Dispensing vvith holy ordinances Comment lib. 7 L. 5. Si contra ius L. 5. de Thesau L. x. C. Selling offices Suppressing of offices Frontiers highe vvayes Superfluous ordinances Offices requiring great vvisedome Equalitie to be obserued 2. Cor. 15. Edicts of religion made for necessity Christians in Turkie The Edict of the emperour Charles the 5. at Ausbourgh Ferdinando Maximilian Philibert D. of Savoy Demosthenes Acts. 5.38 Tvvo things vvhich subuert empyres Pensions to Straungers Alexander seuerus Traynes of princes Galba Seneca Cassiod lib. 4. Tiberius Pertinax Money The testameÌ„t of K S. Lewys Iulian the emperour pardoneth the Alexandrians The bulle of the supper The instructions Basil gaue to his sonne Leo emperour Agesilaus contrary to many Tyrants The holy ordinance of Antony emperour The oth the emperours tak at their coronation Procurers generall Conduits of cities Guardes not necessarie for good Kings L. 4. c. 4 l. 9 c. 21. 〈◊〉 ciuit Dei K. Philip de Valois Arist lib. 3 c. 6 Theodosius Melchisedec Abimilec The causes of the alteration of states The Condition of princes vncertain Psal 107.40 Iob. 12.18 Deut. 18 11 Leuit. 20.6 Ier. 15.4 Tirannical Licence Flatterers of Court Micheas 2.3 Caligula his vvishe Horat. ode 2. lib. 3. Dyonisius Damocles Seuerus Ouinius Varus 1. Sam. 8.11 Deioces Theodosius Fortune like a glasse Isocrates Theopompus Solon Titus Apollonius Cinike People yealding their right The othe princes take at their coronation The cause of the creation of kings Agesilaus Kinges giuen of God Dan. 2.21 Pro. 8.16 Iob. 13.18 2. Chron. 9.8 1. Sam. 9.2 Sa. 6 21. 1. Chron. 19. 2. Kings 19.11.20.35 Polit. lib. 5. ch 21. 3 ch 7. The oth of Christian princes Zonar lib. 3. cap. 11. Ioshua 1.8 Kings of Lacedemon Rom. 13.1 Deuter. 17. 2. Sam. 6. Pericles Iustinian Antiochus K. Philip. K. Artaxerxes The life of princes a rule Isocrates In Cassiodorus Claudian Hos 4.9 Xenophon â—ib 2. Polit. ch 12. Plynye Q. Cursius Anthony Theodoricus 2 A landable custome of S. Lewys and other kings Deuter. 17.19 Iob. 8.8 Pro. 1.35 11.14 24 6. Councell Thucidides K. Charles the vvyse K. Lewys 11. Princes who euer had especiall care to retaine about their persons such as vver the vvisest to couÌ„sell them the better in the managinges of the affairs of their kingdomes Platoes image exected Theodosius councelled by S. Ambrose L. digna vo â— A vvise prince rendreth him selfe subiect to lavves Zaleueus Charondas Manlius K. Antigonus Nothing lavvfull that is not honest Plato Tacitus lib. 3. Diod. lib. 2. c 2. Good lavves are the soules of common vvealths Traian Faithful and true freinds most profitable Naughtie foolish ministers to princes very pernitious Xenophon Mignions of courte A good admonition of Charles 8. Meanes to meete vvith the auarice of the Courtiers Basil emperour of Constantinople The ordinances of the kings of France Trop donne soit repete The Larum of the K. of Persia Surnames of good Kings Alexander Spartianus Suetonius Lampridius Garneades The image of Osyris Kings kisse the booke of the holy Euangelists The picture of Pallas Nobility ought to be learned Charles 5. Paulus
Psalmes 25.36.45.117 and 138. S. Augustine in his booke of confessions writeth that accursed is all our righteousnes if it should be examined and iudged without Gods mercie And saint Ambrose faith that a man should not glorifie himselfe as iust but in that he hath beene redeemed not in that he was without sinne but in that he hath pardon for it not that I shoulde aduaunce my selfe ouer other but in that Iesus Christ is my aduocate towardes his father hauing shed his precious bloud for me for he came into the worlde to destroye the workes of the Diuell to regenerate and iustifie vs not to the end we should be vnprofitable and without fruite but to exercise our selues in all good workes First to the ende that thorough them and the shyning of our light as our sauiour sayde Matth. 5. God might be glorified we stande more assured of our vocation and election and our fayth the more strengthned exercised and embrased as Paul wrote to Timothe 1. Cap. 1. that likewise our neighbours by our good example may bee mooued and prouoked to liue well 2. Cor. 9. and that we minister to the necessities of poore Orphanes Widowes and such as haue neede of our succour as members of one bodie Mat. 10. 25. and since that faith purifieth the heartes as S. Peter sayth Acts. 10. what faith I praye you can they pretende that are full of filthinesse enmitie and corruption and which are puffed vp with passions and disordinate affections This faith ought to regenerate vs and make vs newe creatures exempting vs from condemnation and clothing vs with the righteousnesse and spirit of Iesus Christ The which spirite can not abide in our heartes but it must worke that is to saye that it lighteth vs quickneth and guideth all our counselles thoughtes wordes and actions What is faith except we shewe it by our holy conuersation mortifying our concupiscences eschewing all vice and applying our selues to all vertue not onely abstayning from that which is euill but from whatsoeuer carieth any shew thereof Perseuering in this exercise euen vntill the ende of our life Nowe if we haue the feare of God and a good conscience how commeth it to passe that wee doe not abhorre any more to defile our selues hauing beene once clensed I haue washed my feete sayth the faithfull soule how shall I againe defile them For God hauing made an alliance with vs mutually requireth of all his children seruants and creatures an integritie of life And we must discouer a melodie and accord betweene the righteousnesse of God and our obedience And by this meanes we ratifie the adoption through which God hath receiued vs for his children And holinesse is the chaine of our coniunction which tyeth vs to God to whome wee ought to dedicate all our life as to the aucthor thereof And to say the trueth wee abandon our creator wantonly and disloyally and renownce him for our sauiour when wee deforme our selues in sinne where wee ought alwayes to aspire to a heauenly life and laye aside all earthly affections being raysed vppe with Christ Iesus as Saint Paule writeth and euen wee denye with Ieremie that hee hath receaued the trewe knowledge of God except we put of the olde man which is corrupt in his disordinate desires to put vppon vs the newe And to the Philippians hee requireth that our patient minde be knowen vnto all men The Lorde is at hande let not vs take care for ought but that in all thinges our requestes may be made knowen to God by prayers and supplications with giuing of thankes And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall keepe our heartes and senses in Christ Iesus Moreouer whatsoeuer thinges are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are pure whatsoeuer thinges pertaine to loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good reporte if there be anye vertue or if there bee any prayse let vs thinke of these thinges And hee wrote to the Corinthians in his seconde Epistle Since wee haue receaued the promisses let vs clense our selues from all fylthinesse of the fleshe and spirite and growe vppe vnto full holinesse in the feare of God And to the Ephesians yee haue not so learned if you haue beene taught by him as the trueth is in Iesus And hee complayned greatly to Titus howe they professed to knowe God but by their abhominable workes denie him And our Sauiour sayeth in S. Matthewe that by their worke ye shall knowe them For such as followe not the good which they speake resemble monsters which haue but one mouth and one tongue but no feete nor handes at all He doth therefore falsly boast to knowe the truth if his life be not good and correspondent For the doctrine of trueth is not a doctrine of the tongue but of life And if for good cause the Philosophers were woont to be angrye with such as made profession of their art which they called the mystresse of life and in the meane time turned it but to a sophisticall babling and did euer esteeme wicked liuers and such as were couetous not worthye to speake as the Emperours Dioclesian and Maximian wrote that their profession and inwarde desire belide themselues howe muche greater reason haue wee to detest these bablers which onely content them selues to haue the Gospell at their fingers endes and in their life rebellious and seditious cleane despise the same Considering that the power and efficacie thereof ought to pearce the verie bottome of our heart and from thence to bee shewed in all our behauiours grace garmentes and all other our actions and comportmentes as Tertullian did wright We haue heretofore declared howe we ought to haue this ende before our eyes to tende to that perfection which God hath commaunded vs to wit an integritie which signifieth a pure simplicitie of the heart voyde of all faynednesse and contrarie to a double heart Euerie one ought thus farre to walke according to his might And it shall auayle much if to daye surmount yesterdaye And beeing entered into the listes we should enforce our selues to goe out to the verie ende assured to obtaine a verie greate prise To declare perticularlie euerie vertue would be too tedious in this Chapter but I will adde that which doeth most entertaine and delight some men in lying that is that they be too much louers of themselues and are verie forwarde for their particular profitte which doeth altogether blemishe their sight and hindereth them so as they can not consider the will of GOD nor his promisses For whatsoeuer wee deliberate couet and poursue ought to be ioyned with the good and profitte of our neighbour And wee must not be stirred vppe nor mooued with anie picke against the lawe of Charitie Saint Augustine in his first booke of Christian doctrine writeth that hee liueth excellently well which the least hee is able liueth to himselfe because the obseruaunce of
pleasures of sinnes And it is a harde matter as Salomon saith for a man to take fire in his bosome his clothes not to be burned And in the 16. chap. he declareth that such plesures are conuerted into teares torments Men of auncient time haue named danses allurings poysonings bauderies of Sathan who by the meanes therof corrupteth vs as Lizander softened the walles of Athens burned their ships by sound of flutes The Lord reprehended them in Isaiah for vsing banquets harps tabors other dissolutenes And without any more repeating the places of holy scripture wherin we are commanded to resist the desires of the flesh to shun al apparance occasion of euil to shew a good example as I touched before S. Basil in a sermon he made against drunkennesse flatly forbiddeth prophan songs dansing as things repugnant to al the holy dueties of a christian man in steed of bending his knees before god which he ought to do Which likewise S Chrisostom doth in manie homilies vpon Mathew the Epistle to the Coloss and vpon Genesis speaking of the mariages of Isaac Iacob in another homely he praised the peple for hauing left it S Ambrose in his third book of virgins S. Augustine against Petilian declare that in the wel ordered churches dansings were banished reproued as vnworthie dissolutenes vpon the 32. Psalm he is of opinion that it is not so yl to trauail plough the ground vpon the sunday as to danse The which Nicholas of Clemenge an ancient doctor of the Sorbonists doth cōmend in a tretise he made of not augmenting of holy days And the said S. Augustin in another place rather liketh the wife or maid that soweth vpō the holy day then her that danseth In the sea of histories is mention made of an Archbishop of Magdebourg that broke his neck dansing with a damsel Other haue been stroak down with thunder or knocked brused in pieces with the fal of the house where they dansed Our writers make mention of the great danger which K Charls 6. escaped hauing like to haue bin burned in a danse as some other great lords were And by dansing Herodias caused Iohn Baptist to be behedded And by bills of inditements drawn against sorcerers it hath bin found true that in their diuelish sinagogues they goe all dansing And not without cause one of auncient time named dansings snares for maides misfortune for men and a bayte for baudes And the Voltes courantes and vyolent daunses proceede from furie and hath caused many weomen to be deliuered before their time And god in Isaiah gretly threateneth the daughters of Sion for that they went winding prauncing making their steps to be heard againe Origen writeth that al persons haue been forbidden them but especially weomen for feare of defyling their sexe Plutarque likewise writeth that they ought to bee ashamed to bee founde dansing And the daughters of Israel were by that meanes rauished I could alledge sundrie counsels which haue forbidden it yea and of our owne ordinances which we ought to keepe and among other at the last assemblie of the estates holden at Orleans For the sanctification required by the law of God vpon the sabboth feastdaies is thereby maintained the which figureth in vs a spirituall rest which God worketh in his faithfull sanctifying them regenerating and making them aspire to things heauenly diuine keeping their feast in sinceritie truth as S. Paul hath written And this ought to be a continual Sabboth to the said faithfull to the ende that euerie day they may liue holily renouncing the works of the flesh honor God both in bodie minde And the holy day is principally ordained to heare the worde of God to serue him to call vpon his name to remember his benefits free gifts to giue him thanks to dedicate our selues vnto him to performe al works of pietie to participate with the publique prayers made in the churches to set our selues far of from al apparance of yll As S. Paul saith that God hath purifyed to himselfe a people making profession of good workes this sanctification is declared in Isaiah to consist in doing of no yll in following the will of God not our own suffering our selues to be gouerned by him For how can we name our selues Christians keepe holy dayes if we prophane them with dansing banqueting masking spending excessiuely playing dissolutely prouoking the wrath of God vpon vs which wil bring forth her accustomed effects chastisements if we do not amend And if according to the saying of our Sauiour We must render account for euerie idle worde howe much more for our songs which men vomit out in daunses from a heart impure the more to giue fire to our couetous desires sufficiently occasioned by other meane to boyle in steade of imploying our tongue to the praise of our creator and giuing him thankes for his benefites And as the mysteries of religion are spirituall so doe they require the minde of man to the ende to nourish it instruct refourme humble it if it be too much exalted and lift it vp if it bee too much throwne downe to comforte and regenerate it without applying it to vaine thinges dishonest and hurtfull which was the cause that Saint Augustine and other doctors founde it strange that men are offended if they see one plough vpon a holy daie but not if one be drunke go a whoring or worke any other iniquitie It is to be feared that God will obiect vnto vs that in the first of Isaiah My soule hateth your appointed feastes I am wearie of them and I will not heare your prayers And in Amos I hate and abhorre your feastes dayes and I will not smell in your solemne assemblies though you offer me burnt offringes and meate offringes I will not accept them And I will turne your feastes into mourninges and all your songes into lamentations and I will bring sackcloth vppon all loynes The puritie of the Gospell calleth vs to a profession that we should reforme and cut off all euill customes and eloigne our selues from all daungers vanities and lightnesse And not without cause Antisthenes being demanded what a feast was answered that it was an occasion of surfeting and disorders And oftentimes no dayes are lesse festifall and lesse obserued then the festifall dayes which many dedicate to Bacchus and Venus Which surely would require to be well reformed And whereas they blame frenchmen for great pleaders those that are of the best aduised exempt themselues make a pointment and quit one part to conserue the rest in peace and winde themselues out of the handes of these suckpurses and palterers thinking it a true saying of Chilo that quarels sutes and debtes are euer accompanied with miseries as more at large hereafter it is declared Nowe to
conclude the iustifying of our selues wee will cleaue to these places of the holy scripture which accuse al nations of lightnesse vanitie inclination to euill lying change selfeloue inconstancie infirmitie and hereditarie vices which euery one by experience may finde in himselfe And no man in this worlde is able to glorifie himselfe but onely in that God hath shewed him mercie in that he is called to his church and put in the ranke of his children and heyres to be partaker of the heauenly benefites And I will pray all them which will not be satisfied with my excuses to consider the saying of the Emperour Augustus that ciuill warres cause many inconueniences and disorders which are amended thorough a good peace as sundry aucthors haue written of diuers people especially Xenophan of the Lacedemonians famous for a time for their great discipline but in succession of time yeelded themselues to all dissolutenesse Some bewaile in France the diuersitie of fashions taken from strangers and desire that it might haue the honestie courtesie gentlenes humanitie valour iustice honest exercises frugalitie and temperance to cloth themselues drinke eate and speake which the auncient french men were accustomed to haue And as Plutarke writeth of the Sicilians that their continuall wars made them like to sauage beastes so is it not strange to see a change in France occasioned thorough so often warres especially ciuill as Tacitus at large describeth it in like sorte to haue happened to the Romaines CHAP. 12. That we ought to flye euill and seducing companies with other instructions to nobilitie worthy to be noted CHoler and headinesse haue euer beene taken for enemies to good counsell and suddaine and quicke natures are euer subiect quickly to enterprise and shortly after to repent themselues Wherefore it is necessarie that wee accustome our selues by little and litle yea in matters of smal importance not to do or speak any thing but first throughly to consider what may ensue thereon For when one hath vndertaken a matter thorough counsell it is a great contentment and occasion to continue what he hath alreadie begun if the time which is euer trewe schoolemaister and correctour teache not a better aduise To this ende Iphicrates sayde that the worst speech possible to come out of a Captaines mouth is I neuer doubted that or else I neuer once thought of it And we see that wise men haue euer in the beginning to their power applyed prouisions to all accidentes and good counselles to the end they might not be surprised being a matter necessarie in warre and other affaires to chaunge sometime our deliberation according to the course of affayres hauing regarde to the disposition will and nature of those with whom we are to negotiate and be readie prepared before the assault I will dispense with my selfe to say that in charge that I haue had of great importance I haue had sent mee manye remembraunces commaundementes and letters whereof I made no semblance at all knowing the difficultie and impossibilitie to accomplishe that which was conteined therein And I euer tooke heede not to aduaunce my selfe in wordes and to holde backe from making anye promise There is nothing so harde or difficile that custome will not render easie And exercise in matters of vertue is of so great efficacie and force that shee attayneth to the toppe of all And wee ouercome the vices and passions of the minde thorough iudgement and exercise Indgement that is knowledge preceedeth because no man doth exercise himselfe in rooting out the vices of his minde except he haue them in hatred and we then beginne to hate them when we perceaue the filthinesse shame and dammage that followeth thereon as we see that flatterers curious men bablers and lyars whylest they woulde bee beloued bring themselues into further hatred and the contrarie to that they pretende doth often happen to lewde persons The which wee ought first to consider and afterwarde that there is nothing more pleasing to God and man nor more agreeing to nature then to be a vertuous man constant trewe rounde offensiue to no man and despising all passion Wee must likewise consider howe wise they are reputed who speake little and are constant in their deedes and woordes wherereof there ensueth a good conscience and hope which accompanieth them all the dayes of their life And since wee are created of God to serue to his glorie and the aduauncement of our neighbour and to approche the neerest wee are able to his holinesse and are borne and predestinate to honestie as Cicero himselfe declared by the opinion of Zeno and Aristotle wee ought to take great heede that no vnconstancie lightnesse or lye be founde in our actions and that no woorde proceede out of our mouthe but aduisedlye pondered Wee ought also to consider that our Creator is good iust wise and almightie and proceedeth slowly to the chastisement of the wicked to the ende that thorough his example we should shun all beastly headinesse not doing ought rashly or by aduenture as being the fountaine whence all faultes spring as it is taughtvs in the Prouerbes that VVhosoeuer is hastie commeth surely to pouertie and that there is more hope of a soule then of him For constancie euer accompanieth the other vertues And therefore iustice is defined to be a constant will to render to euerie one what appertayneth of right vnto him And temperance to be a constant moderation to vse all things aright And it commeth to passe as Titus Liuius hath written that good successe euer followeth good counsel and abandoneth rashnesse whereof we haue infinite examples which ought to keepe vs backe frō being too soddaine to exhort vs to folow the properties that are in God in shewing al vertue clemency patience taking the feare of his name for our guide and counseller And for this cause Alexandridas said that the Lacedemonians staied many days in deciding their criminall causes where question passed of mens liues because they which once erred in the death of a man could no more sufficiently make recompence for their faults And there haue beene Emperours that haue sayde that there could not be too long time taken about the condemnation of a man And the auncient prouerbe doth carry that we must long time deliberate for that we would execute but once Iosephus attributeth the greatnesse of the Romaines to be because they enterprised nothing inconsiderately or vnaduisedly And they esteemed those accidentes of fortune which had ill successe much better being deliberated of by counsel then if without hauing taken counsell they should haue succeeded as they would haue had it cōtenting thēselues reioycing in the misfortune which ariued vnto thē after the matters were debated and consulted of And in the second booke Agrippa declared that nothing in the world soner remedied wounds then long pacience nor any thing bringeth more shame to the violent and furious persons then
daunger hauing taken away all those whome either we ought to reuerence or mought iustly feare A Lacedemonian captain answered to the complaint of a Athenian If the Athenians tooke good heede to what they did they should neuer be troubled nor neede to care what the Spartiates reported of them Contrariwise friendes I meane without flatterie or disguising declare freely what they thinke amisse and il beseeming Which mooued Euripides to exhort men to get such friendes as would not spare them As Diogenes saide that other dogges vsed to bite their enemies but he his friendes for their owne good And such an amitie which is a beneuolence a conformitie of wils and pleasures and a desire of the good of an other ioyned with vertue is as som haue said a beast of the company but not of the troupe because there be very few true friends And Menander sayde not without cause that he was happye that could meet but with the shadow of his friend who is called by Ecclesiasticus a tresure and the medicine of life A man must not shake euery man by the hand as Pithagoras sayd Plato wisely discoursed how the greatest of all euilles doth spring vp with vs and that we desire not to be deliuered of it to wit that euery man loueth him selfe delighteth in his owne opinions because loue is blinde and one easely deceaueth him selfe in what he loueth being preuented and abused thorough fansies before conceaued Therefore he sayde it was very requisite to shunne this foolish loue which taketh from vs our iudgement And the similitude which Demosthenes made is very true that as the payne in the eyes hindreth one from seeinge what lieth before his feete so the first conceates and fansies obfu scate the vnderstanding Wherefore to the ende we may see the naked truth we must be voyde of all passions louing to heare of our faultes and to bee corrected which the wise man esteemeth as a chayne of gold about ones necke and ought rather to desire it might proceede from our friendes then from our enemies because wee must eschew vice led therevnto thorough vertue and shame and not by the contrarie way or by feare And it is a great deale better to abstaine from doing ill following the counsel of our frends then to repent our selues for hauing done ill when we see our selues accused and blamed by our enemies and such warninges as goe before disorders are a great deale more fit and render better fruite then such as follow after CHAP. 17. That it is needfull to read histories there to see the truth which one is afraid to speake with aduise vpon the reading of all bookes and of the conquestes of French men of the meanes to keepe them and to assure a victorie of the dutie of a captaine and of that which is to be considered in examples and alterations DEmetrius gaue counsell to Kinge Ptolome that hee shoulde diligently reade such bookes as intreated of the gouernmentes of kingdomes and segnuries to the end he might be instructed in those thinges which men dare not so freelie deliuer them selues to princes for the penne is of a more free condition then the tongue We reade likewise how the Catoes Aemiles Scipios Caesars and sundry other Emperours haue beene so studious in readinge of them that they haue copied out with their owne hande whole histories and euen them selues composed suche as were in their owne time And haue bene more curious to haue of them in their handes then their swoordes by their sides to the ende to ioyne the written discipline of war with the practise of the wars For this cause Alphonsus sayd of Qu. Cursius that he was soner healed by his history then his Phisitions and that he tooke counsell of the dead Which Ferdinand king of Spaine likewise said by Titus Liuius And the reading of Xenophon moued Scipio to vndertake those prowesses which he performed And the great Selim hauing caused Iulius Caesars commentaries to be translated into his owne tong and heard them by imitating of him he knew the greatest parte of Asia and Africa And the sayd Iulius endeuoured altogeather to imitate Alexander who likewise set Achilles before him selfe as an example And the Emperour Charles the fift had in hand the historie of Philip of Commines Laurence of Medices surnamed the father of learning recouered his health in reading the historye of Conradus the Emperour who resolued to make Guelphe the Duke of Bauire to dye and to ruine both the place and the inhabitantes of the citie which hee had longe time besieged in the ende ouercome with the intercessions of the weomen of the citie suffered them to depart their liues and baggage saued with all that they could carrye vpon their owne sholders but leauing all their goods they carried their Duke their husbandes fathers children and friendes as many as they were able of which the said Conrade conceaued such contentment that hee gaue pardon both vnto his enemie and all the rest And if the Fabians and Scipioes as Polibus and Salustus haue witnessed haue beene greatly enflamed to vertue when they haue beheld the statuas and monumentes of their auncestours and by the remembraunce of the high feates of armes which they moste prosperously haue atchieued this flame encreased in the heartes of generous personnes and was not quenched vntill such time as their vertue had equalled their glorye and high renowne and if Themistocles sayde that the victories and trophees of the Miltiades kept him that he could not sleepe how much more ought it to pricke vs forwarde when we reade in histories of the prowesses and magnanimous feates that haue beene consecrated to immortalitie and more liuely representing such manners counsels occasions and meanes as haue beene helde in enterprises and executions of braue attemptes togeather with the euentes the better to resolue in all affayres and to iudge what we ought to follow or flye in like occurrence of humaine accidentes And there maye Princes learne without hasarde expense or daunger how deeply they are charged and the better impresse within their memorye the preceptes eyther of politicke lawes or of the art of warre then they shoulde doe in Philosophers bookes seeing what praises are gyuen to the well doers and what blame and punishment to the wicked as in the middle of a Theatre And they are awakened to take the way of vertue as out of a trompet of honour and the seedes thereof are taken out of the valour and gentlenesse of oure auncestours And albeit there be great difference betweene the actions of our auncestours and ours yet we ought to follow and practise according to the reason by which they haue guyded their inuentions carrying the like spirite iudgement and hardinesse that they did And since that as Seneca hath written in the firste booke of his Epistles if one haue a minde to doe ill and espieth one present by him that
will be a witnesse thereof he sinneth the lesse so is there no doubt but manye tyrauntes haue refrayned the executing of a number of mischiefes they haue determined for feare of the spotte which a historie woulde staine them with As Democritus likewyse rehearseth how manye kinges of Aegipt haue heene brideled from committing of euill fearing a custome which the people had to oppose them selues to the pompes and magnificences that were wont to be celebrated at the obsequies of their good kinges Without histories we are neuer able to know the benefites which GOD hath bestowed vppon men nor the chastisementes with which he correcteth the wicked nor the beginning progresse and successe of all thinges nor the mischeefe which both the publique and particular weale suffer nor what doctrine is more auncient and to bee followed For this cause Cicero calleth it the light of trueth the witnesse of tymes the Mistresse of lyfe the Messenger of antiquitie and the life of memorye preseruinge from obliuion deedes worthye of memorye atchieued thorough longe processe of tymes And this same seede of vertues whiche Plato sayeth is in oure spirites lyfteth it selfe vppe thorough the emulation of them whiche haue beene suche as wee nowe are And wee doe gayne more by reading thereof in our youth then by whatsoeuer is either attributed to sence or experience of old men or to suche as haue beene in farre voyages It is written tht Charlemagne woulde euer haue a history read vnto him during his meales and that perceauing the small regarde the auncient Gaulois had of setting downe the monumentes of their auncestors in writing he caused certaine songes to bee made commaunding they shoulde teach their children to singe them by hart to the ende the remembraunce therof might endure from race to race and that by this meanes other might be stirred vp to doe well and to write the gestes of valiaunt men Which they say was likewise obserued by the Indians and Homer writeth the same of Achilles And the like is mencioned in the 78. psalme And Caesar in his Commentaries Lucane and Tacitus maketh mention of certaine philosophers that were french men called Bardes which song the praises of valiaunt men and the blame and reproch of lewde persons tyrauntes and base minded and Polibus sheweth that a historie doth teache and prepare the way to the affaires of Policie and to carrie well the chaunges of Fortune and to know what we are And if that which Plinie writeth be true that all that time which is not imployed to the study or exercise of good things is lost and that which Seneca hath written that they are all fooles that in this greate scarcetie of time which is bestowed of them learne but matters superfluous Wee ought much to lament that the desire which the common sort haue to histories is an occasiō that they giue themselues to fables and old wiues tales where is nought els but a vaine delight without anie profite where as in histories besides pleasure there is great learning to teach vs not to vndertake vppon the fiske and flying either any warre that is not necessary or any quarrels suites in law or other affaires of importaunce And we see how manie mischiefes losses and faultes ignoraunce hath beene the cause of But Prudence is greatly required especially in holy histories For there must we confrant the examples to the commaundementes of God because the very saints them selues haue had their faultes which we ought not to follow and the holye scripture is a good looking glasse which representeth as Saint Augustine saide thinges as they in deede are setting before vs vertues to follow them and vices and imperfections to shunne them and to praise the mercie and bountie of God in that he couereth them And as touching the prophane we must carry the like iudgement and therein consider the particularities the causes the conduct and Prudence which men haue vsed and the fortune and successe that hath proceeded from aboue It shall not here be amisse for the readers if I admonish them not to take for good monye not to account all that which prophane aucthours haue writen as articles of their faith nor indifferently to trust therevnto without examining them further I comprehend herein all such where they which can see clearely may discouer lies and vntruthes amidst good things and some beastes come from a pensell and not by nature Therefore we must apply thereto a good sife to sifte and seperate the one from the other And me thinketh what knowledge soeuer those bookes teach vs is verye small if one bee not acquainted with the vse and practise of the world and be likewise accompanied with a iudgement and quicknes of spirit And it was verye wisely written by Aristotle that in reading of histories a man muste not be of too quicke a beliefe nor too incredulous for feare he take not false for true or els profite no whit at all And what color or disguising so euer men set on to flatter great ones they which prie narrowly into their behauiours take their counsels and actions in time of peace and war are not deceaued and discerne toyes and cauillinges amidst deepe counsels and do discouer pretexts cloaking and occasions with the true causes neuer hauing their iudgement there by deceaued referring and examining all things to the rule of the holy scripture Besids we ought to esteme most of such histiographers which haue had least passions and partialitie and the best meanes to discouer the truth either beeing there them selues in personne or hauinge certaine intelligence from them that were present men of faith and sincere iudgement speaking without affection to the ende they set not out fables and lies as many of our time haue done and that which they steale from other is as a precious stone ill set in worke It were also requisite they should be conuersaunt and nourished in affaire of state and acquainted with the proceedinges of the worlde and not giue them selues so much to pleasure as to speake the truth not beeing inough not to write false but to declare the very truth without anye partialitie at all For if in anye one place a writer be founde a lier the rest of his historie is cleane reiected as Alexander the great was wont to saye It is also needefull to obserue what sundrye Italians Spaniardes Fleminges as Almames of an enuious malice and want of right iudgement haue euen enforced them selues to praise their countrie and couer their faultes and diminish the greatnesse and excellencie of matters done by the french men to the aduancement of whole christendome and profite of sundry nations And it is no straunge thing to see how much the passions and affections of men doe staine the truth which is the very eye of histories Polibus him selfe reherseth the exāples of sundrie historiographers before his time and discouer contrarieties betweene them selues and by
Titus the Emperour was wont to say that because he did nothing that deserued blame or reprehēsiō he cared not for any lies wer made of him As also Fabius surnamed the most high answered some that rayled on him that a Captaine ruler in the field who for feare of speaking or of the opinion of the commons ceased from doing what he knewe to be profitable or to desist from a purpose fully deliberated of wherof he wel vnderstood the causes reasons ought to be esteemed more faint then he which feareth to proue his strength when hee seeth occasion giuen for his aduantage And chose rather that his wise enimy might feare him then the folish citizens should praise him that being wel aduised he cared not for being accounted too fearefull or too slack It is the lesson of Ecclesiasticus Set not thy heart vppon euery worde that is reported And Plato in Criton admonisheth vs not to regarde what euery man sayth but what he saith that seeth al things the truth And not without cause an auncient father said I wil lose the verie reputation of an honest man rather then not to be an honest man Cato was accustomed as Plutarque writeth in his life time to bee ashamed only for dishonest things but euer to despise what was reproued by opinion S. Augustine attributed the death of Lucretia to her imbecillitie as fearing the euil opinion suspition of the common sort And there is no enterprise or execution so right worthie of praise that is not subiect to the reproche detraction of the ignorant to the passions of the malignant enuious to rash iudgements For this cause in al our actions we ought to cōtent our selues with a conscience well informed And but that I feare I shoulde be too tedious I coulde alledge a number of most notable examples of the inconueniences that haue happened as wel to them of old time as of ours for esteeming more the iudgement of the ignorant then the truth Which detractions K. Demetrius was wont to say he cared not for not esteemed them better then a fart not much passing whether it made a noyse before or behind aboue or below Marius likewise spake wisely in Salust how no report was able to offend him because if it were true it woulde sound to his praise if false his life manners should proue it contrarie By this discourse I desire to impresse into the nobilitie a sound iudgemēt of true honor which is engendred but by vertue good deedes and to make them laye aside that foolish opinion which they haue of falshod vnder colour whereof vpon light occasion and offence they vndertake combates neuer regarding the lawes of God nature ciuil canonical priuate nor their owne saluation or duetie of charitie hazarding their liues soules goods friends for that stale infected passionate fantastical tyrant termed honor neuer embrasing such meanes of concord as the lawes commaund And remaine so stubborne blind that whereas the true honour consisteth in obeying God and his laws in mastering ones passions in louing forgiuing succouring ones neighbour they make it to be in disobeying of God his holie lawes going about to diffame destroy murther their neighbours render themselues slaues to their owne choler And how can that be honorable which God forbiddeth detesteth condemneth to eternal death And also to be meeke peaceable reconciled to ouercome wrath and passions to aproch neere vnto God through his clemencie and mercie which are the actes of vertue and of true Christians how can these I say breede vnto the nobilitie either dishonor or infamie Considering that by the auncient discipline of warre it was adiudged dishonest worthie of punishment if one combatted with his enimie without his Captaines leaue or if he left the place giuen to him in gard And the auncient Emperors and Kings esteemed it a point of greater magnanimitie and nobilitie to pardon and commaund ones selfe then to be reuenged as a murtherer of himselfe to laye open his owne life to euident peril Wee proceede all of vs from God our creator not of our selues into his handes wee ought to put all our reuenges as hee himselfe willeth vs and not to make our selues the accusers Iudges and hangmen of him whome wee pretende to haue cast an eye vppon the shadowe of this delicate honor as I haue els where touched for the importance of this pernitious error CHAP. XIX That without the trueth there is nought else but darknes and confusion and how much the Philosophers haue laboured to find it out how farre wide they haue beene of it HE made no bad comparison in my opinion that said that pollicies gouernements and kingdomes were like an emptie lampe or lanterne and that the trueth was the match with the oyle and the waxe or the tallowe that gaue the light for without this Sunne shine of trueth there is nothing but darkenesse and disorders in this life and we may say with the Prophets that without it the people remaine lying in darkenesse and in the region of the shadowe of death And with Ieremie that the wise boast not in his knowledge nor the strong in his force nor the riche in his wealth but that all our glorie bee to knowe him which is the verie trueth for whatsoeuer men maye alledge vnto vs of victories tryumphes honours eloquence force and other gyftes and graces they are nought else if this trueth bee taken awaye but as if one shoulde sayle in a darke nyght among the floodes rockes and tempestes of the sea and in the ende prooue a sorrowfull tragedie Sainct Paul iudged all thinges to be doung in respect of this knowledge and the excellencie thereof which hath lyen hidden manie ages and made most clearely manifest thorough our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus who hath imparted vnto vs the heauenly treasures and hath beene made for vs iustice righteousnesse life sanctification and redemption And albeit the Philosophers of olde time attayned not vnto this light yet did they not cease to pursue the shadowes thereof of which in parte wee entreate leauinge vnto the Diuines the deepe insight into this light and maiestie of the essentiall trueth The sayde Phylosophers as Socrates Plato Democritus Aristotle Plinie Architas Tales Tianeus an infinite number of other haue made verie farre long voiages the better to be instructed in this trueth in the knowledge hereof to the end they might not ouerlightly beleeue or speake out of purpose The said Tales being demanded what distance there was betweene the trueth and a lye aunswered as much as betweene the eyes and the eares as if he would haue said that we may boldly declare what we haue seene but that often times one is deceiued trusting vnto anothers report And albeit the said Plato Aristotle and other Philosophers haue written many notable
rebuked vice Sundry Emperours haue done the like We haue sundry examples in the scriptures of Baasha for killing the Prophet Iehu because he tolde him the truth Likewise of Achab Asa Ioas and Ozias 1. King 22.2 Paral. 18.16.24 26. of Sedichias of Ioachim and of the princes of Iuda Ierem. 23.32 38. But as the wise man saith in the Prouerbes in the end he shall be conned more thanke which rebuketh then he that deceaueth by flattery Notwithstanding euery man according as his vocation the times the persons and places will permit him ought to declare the truth to such as he seeth neede with an intention to profit instruct thē without any choler disdain immodesty or other passiō mingling with the bitternes of reprehension the sweetnes of some praises A man ought likewise to consider that the egernes and sharpnes of biting wordes especially spoken to one that is in aduersity profiteth nothing being a kinde of incontinencie of a tong mingled with malignitye and a will to iniury carrying a very declaration of enmitye which is the cause that they which vse it hurt them selues As did Antiphon about Dyonisius the tyraunt where a dispute beeing helde betweene them what brasse was best he aunswered that whereof the Athenians made the statuas of Armodius and Aristogiton for this soure aunswer caused him to be put to death And as Plutarque sayde in the life of Phocion euen as the honye which is sweete of his owne nature engendreth greefe and payne beeing applyed to partes infected so doe true admonitions the more prouoke such as are in misery if they bee not well sweetned and mingled with pitye and consolation Clytus an auncient Captaine of Alexanders maye serue for an example who was slayne for vsinge too arrogant an admonition In lyke sort one ought not at the boarde to vse such reprehensions as make men knitte the browes forgetting the occasion and place of pleasure and there is required a dexteritie as it is written of Socrates who beeinge desired at a feaste to speake and discourse of his arte it is not now time sayde he to discourse of what I knowe and in that for which the tyme now serueth I am no whit skilfull in And when Damaratus was arryued in Macedonia during the time that king Philip was fallen out with his Wyfe and Sonne the kinge hauinge saluted and embraced him demaunded of him if the Greekes agreed well one with an other Demaratus who was verye familiar with him aunsweared it becommeth you very well O kinge to enquire of the concorde of the Athenians and Peloponesians in the meane time suffer your owne house to be so full of discord and diuision A captiue which the sayde Philip caused to be solde to him that woulde giue moste bad him in his eare to let downe the fore part of his robe because hee shewed what was not comelye to bee discouered the whiche was the cause of his deliuerie An other beeing taken for a spie sayde vnto him that he came to espie his follye in that without necessity he put both his realme and life in hasard Some haue compared reprehensions to the remedies of the splene which ought to be souer and sharpe so truth told in fit oportunitie is profitable and is of such force as Eschines saide that shee surpassed all the cogitations of man And Menander wrote that shee commeth into light although shee be not sought for and defendeth her selfe easely against all the deceates craftinesse and wilines of men And in the disputation that was held before Darius truth was found the greatest and most strong for euer S. Augustin in the citie of God lib. 2. c. 19 calleth her an eternall victorye and in the question 108 ex vtr he sayth that It is better to be ouercome of the truth then to be willing to surmount her in vaine To which purpose may very well serue the summarie description of the table which Apelles painted after he was eschaped out of a false accusation and an extreame daunger He had pictured a Iudge with the eares of an Asse hauing on the one side two Ladies Ignoraunce and Suspition before him stood false accusation with a countenaunce full of rage and furie holding in the left hande a burning torche and with the right pulled a young man by the heare lifting vp his eyes and handes to heauen neare vnto whome was a man painted looking pale earthly and a squint which was enuie two damsels followed false Accusation named Treason and Deceat behind whome stoode a Ladye all wailing and mourning which was Repentaunce which fastened her eye sight vppon a verye fayre Lady intituled Truth declaring by this picture to all Princes and Iudges that they ought not too lightly to beleeue As Alexander closing one of his eares to an accuser sayde he kept the other for him which was accused And it was commaunded Moyses straightlye to forbid the children of Israell lying false accusation and malitious detraction and cause them to keepe iustice equalitie and truth I will not heare omit the aduertisement giuen by wise Plato commended so much by Plutarque that when one founde anye committing anye fault he ought to discende into him selfe and say priuatelye vnto him selfe Am not I such a one To the ende wee may auoyde the like errours When in like sort we woulde iustifie our selues for anye reprehension we mought praye him that did it to reserue that freedome of speach againste he committed a fault him selfe And it was not sayde amisse of them of olde time that the beginning to liue well and repulse ignoraunce was to be reprehended mocked and blamed Sainct Basyl for this cause named reprehension the healing of the soule and in the Prouerbes 25. it is called an ornament of fine gold And in the 29. it is written a man that hardeneth his neck when he is rebuked shall suddainly be destroyed can not be cured And Dauid Psal 41. sayd that it was like the precious baulme We read euen of the Emperours Philip Theodosius and Valentinian that they did great penitence after they were admonished as also did Dauid and other kinges being reprehended by the Prophetes And Sainct Augustine in his booke of recantations acknowledged how he had erred But as Plato sayd that Speusippus corrected other by the example of his owne life so men ought to esteeme those reprehensions that are made without a word speaking thorough a single life irreprehensible and vertuous CHAP. 24. That anger hindereth the truth of the euilles which it bringes with it and of the meanes to resist it PHisitions esteeme the sicknesse very daungerous when the face is disfigured The which we maye saye of choler which altereth the countenaunce speach and all the sences of man It hath beene termed a fury darkning iudgement And as in the darke a man is not able to discerne his kinsman or friende from his enemye so amidst the
such as can commaunde ouer them selues enter heauen The auncient custome obserued among the Princes and gentlemen of Fraunce written by Agathius deserueth here to bee recited that when anye one had a quarrell or was at variaunce with an other a great number of gentlemen woulde presently present them selues in armes and constraine those that had a minde to fight to ende their controuersie by lawfull and amiable meanes which occasioned the subiectes a great deale more willinglye to applye them selues to iustice which they sawe so much esteemed amonge their Lordes and Princes And it was one of the chiefe articles in the leage of the Grecians and all allies to vndertake nothing by armes but by iustice The Philosophers set downe foure powers to rule in the mind reason will anger and concupiscence in which they lodged foure vertues to euery one one Prudence iustice fortitude temperance So as they made choler to serue to fortitude so it be not infirme or out of square CHAP. 25. Of the errour of some Authours which haue praised promise breakers and the cruel of punishmentes of such what our gettinges and dealing with the great ought to be aduertisements to the readers and of pardoninges I Euer found it a very strange matter in diuers authors who lacked no iudgement at all in that they produced those for example who during the whole course of their conquestes violated their faith with sundrye Princes and esteemed it verye necessarye for a great Prince that he shold learne to deceaue I do not in like sort approue the opinion of Lysander that where a Lions skin will not suffice it must be patched vp with a foxes confessing in deed that the truth is better then falsehoode but that the dignitye and price of each of them ought to be measured and turned to commodity and profit saying further that children must be deceaued with trifles men with othes The which likewise the tyrants Dionisius and Policrates were wont to say authorising impietye lying and deceat Which maxime hath been followed of sundry Princes as king Pirrhus confessed him selfe to the Athenians in recompence for their good cheere counselling them euer to distrust all tyrauntes because they did euer obserue or breake their faith accordinge as they serued their turnes in their commodities profites or ambition As in Thucidides an Athenian embassador sayd that a tyraunt is a friende and enemy according to the time and season There is likewise an Aleman prouerbe that it is for noble men to promise and clownes to obserue And in Sophocles Vlisses taught Neoptolemus the sonne of Achilles to deceiue by lying and whereas the saide childe demaunded how it was possible to lye without blushing he aunsweared that such was the vse in the trafficque of men and that one neuer is to bee ashamed where anye profitte maye bee reaped The which that wicked Emperour Caligula in lyke sort sayde praysinge impudencie Moreouer I approoue no whit at all the sayinge of Thrasimachus the Calcedonian that the pleasure and profit of Princes is the rule and definition of all lawes nor that which Anaxarchus sayde vnto Alexander when hee sawe him so much vexed for the death of his friend Clytus whome hee had slayne that Themis and Iustice were set of each side a kinge to confirme his faultes nor that which that vilanous step-mother sayde vnto Caracalla that whatsoeuer hee listed was lawfull for him But we will mayntayne that God and the lawes are set ouer kingdomes to punishe such as violate the Maiestie of the lawes and that right blyndeth the profite and pleasure of Princes and that nothinge is lawfull saue what the lawes permit And it is certayne that the higher any personne is exalted the more ought he to shew him selfe vertuous and true as aboue we haue noted And in all actions a man must consider the motife roote and counsell with sundry other circumstaunces and therein discouer if there haue beene anye cloaking infidelity trompery perill or deceat that the bare matter maye be perceaued and confront what ill soeuer is founde vnder an apparaunce of good knowing that an euill beginning can not but leade an euill ende And if we shoulde take awaye this firste excellencye of suddaine conquestes we shall finde a tragicall issue and a chaunge in extreame calamities As Quintus Cursius wrote that power gotten by mischiefe endureth but a while The which likewise the Prophetes besides experience doe in sundye places witnesse And the Duke of Valentinois Sonne of Pope Alexander and others which Michiauel set before vs to imitate haue had moste miserable endes after hauing beene made a laughing stocke vnto their enemyes And the sayde Authour hath not without iuste cause had his qualityes paynted out by Paulus Iouius as one ignoraunt both of Gâ—D and learning and so censured by the counsell of Trente And as accompanyed with truth and vertue euerye kinde of lyfe is sweete and easie so doth there euer ensue lyinge sorrowe payne losse repentaunce and care and it is vnpossible to haue anye ioye or contentment if quietnesse of the minde constancy pietie iustice and full assuraunce haue not layde the foundation And a good conscience carryeth a calme with it selfe which can not be found in falsehood against promise trust the which as euery other kind of wickednes is the occasion and bruer of her own tormeÌ„t being a maruailous worker of a miserable life with great shame suffering many frightes furies and perturbations of the minde full of vnquietnesse and sorrowes as Ieremie the Prophet witnesseth And not without cause did Isocrates entreating of peace compare such men to Wolues and beastes who while they thinke to rauen vpon some pray cast them selues headlong into the snare or toyle And we may saie with Dauid that iniquitye is seated in a slippery and daungerous place I haue seene the wicked strong and spreading it selfe like a greene Bay tree yet I passed away and loe he was gonne For since that God is true iust constant and like vnto him selfe his iudgementes are euer founde a like against all the enemies of the truth as it is sayde in Ieremie and in Ezechiel speaking of Sedechias Thinke you it is possible for him that breaketh his promise longe to endure and raigne And since that Isaiah tearmeth righteousnes the mother of peace we must no whit maruaile if lying and treason be punished by warre plague famine sedition and disorders in a realme or if that which is attained by leasing and lewde meanes be called by the Prophets a fire brane wherewith one burneth his owne house a heape of earth which one causeth to fall vpon him selfe and a pit to stifle and bury ones selfe in and as siluer put into a rented sacke Euripides in like sort esteemeth whatsoeuer is vniustlye added to a house as a plague and infected ayre and euerye man maye perceiue suche gotten
The Aegyptians ordained death it selfe for a punishment to periured persons and to such as declared not the verie trueth in their declaration which of necessitie eche one was to make yearely both touching his name and the meanes he had to nourish his familie The Scithians and Garamanthes followed the same lawe and there was he condemned that had prognosticated any false thinges to come The Persians and Indians depriued him of all honour and farther speache which lyed The Gimnosophistes Chaldeans barred them al companies dignities condemned to remaine in perpetual darknes without speaking And Nicephorus reciteth how the verie wormes did eat the toung of the cosener Nestorius in his life time Monstrelet writeth of Popiel k. of Pologne who had euer this word in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rattes might eat mee that he was so assailed by rattes in a banquet that neither his gards nor fire nor water could preserue him from them Other do assure vs that an Archbishop of Magence died of the like death K. Artexerxes made one of his souldiers toungs to be nailed with iij nailes that had made a lie The lawes of Solon imposed great pains vpon such for that cause did the Gabaonites lose their libertie The emperour Traian surnamed the good Prince took away frō the sonne of Cebalus the kingdom of Dace which we terme at this day Trāsiluania Valachia only because he caught him in a lye told him that Rome the mother of truth could not permit a lyar to possesse a kingdom Cirus in like sort told the k. of Armenia that is was most manifest a lye was not capable of pardō as Xenophon writeth in his 3. booke of his Pedia After that one had red vnto Alexander the great a historie out of Aristobulus wherin he had intermingled certaine counterfait praises he flong the booke into the riuer saying the said writer deserued to haue bin flung in himself because men ought to studie to serch out the truth without which nothing can be wel don that it was a shame great damage when a lye shold put good wordes out of credit And he found fault with another when he compared him to Hercules If he had in this sort remained al the rest of his life that prosperitie flatterie had not rendred himself more insolent he had bin worthy of much greater honor I could here verie wel alledge how in Almanie the lye hath bin alwayes extremely hated shunned as it were a plague bastardes could neuer obtain the prise of any ocupatiō whatsoeuer nor take degree in any art or science as also in the olde testament they were excluded both out of the church sanctuarie For they are euer in doubt which of the sundrie mignions that their mother entertained was their father For this cause Philo Alexandrin compareth those with Idolaters who through ignorance of their creator and his bountie cal vpon many declareth that a multitude as much to say as a pluralitie of gods is very athisme the grounde of lying banishing for euer from thence life euerlasting CHAP. XXIX That the periured and blasphemers are detestable lyers and the paines for them CIcero was of opinion that there was no difference betweene the lyar and the periured person and that God had ordained to eche like punishment and that he which was accustomed to lye did easily periure himselfe The which opinion sundry doctors of the church haue in like sort helde Others notwithstanding haue thought that they haue offended more deepely which abuse the name of God to confirme their lying the which sort of people deserued death by the lawes of Plato Aegypt as committers of sacriledge And the Prophet Ezechiel calleth it the prophaning of the name of God the spoyling him of his trueth He saieth also that he which despiseth his othe shall neuer escape And it is written in Ecclesiasticus that A man that vseth much swearing shalbe filled with wickednes and the plague shall neuer goe from his house Saint Chrisostom made sundrie homilies sermons to the end we should hate leaue all othes that there mought neuer be among men folowing the cōmandement of our sauiour but yea yea nay nay without blaspheming the name of God by swearing And he greatly marueiled to see vs so ready to obey the lawes ordinances of Princes albeit they be very hard vnreasonable that of Gods commandemēt so expressely giuen vnto vs not to sweare at al we make so litle account wherof also Plato greatly complaineth and that men couer themselues with a lewd custom which euery man ought to enforce himselfe vtterly to abolish The saide doctor in like sort writeth that it is vnpossible that he which much sweareth should not forsweare himselfe As wee reade of the othe rashly made by King Saul whereby he was constrained either to put to death his innocent sonne or to remaine periured And God reuenged vpon his race and people the great slaughter that he made of the Gabaonites contrarie to the othe sworne vnto them by his predecessours And the other tribes of Israel hauing sworne that they would not giue their daughters in marriage to that of Beniamin because they woulde not breake their othe chose rather to councell them to rauish their saide daughters And Titus Liuius sheweth that the Petelins in Calabria the Sagontines in Spaine chose rather to dye a most miserable death then to breake the faith they had plighted It is written in Zechariah I sawe a flying booke the length thereof is 20 Cubites and the bredth 10. the curse whereof shall enter into the house of him that falsely sweareth and it shall remaine in the middest of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and stones thereof Now that all is full of blasphemies othes and periuries wee greatly ought to feare a most sharpe chastisement of the wrath of God for so ordinarie a contempt of his holy name and followe the counsell of Ecclesiasticus Keepe thy mouth from being accustomed to sweare for that carryeth great at ruyne withall K. Agesilaus hauing vnderstoode that Tisaphernes K. of Persia had broken the promise which he had sworne vnto him aunswered that therein he had done him a verie great pleasure because that by his periurie he had rendred himselfe odious and enimie both to the Gods and men And truely all policies and matches are cleane turned topsie turuie if the promise be not obserued Titus Liuius in the beginning of his historie greatly commendeth the common wealth of Rome because it was gouerned by faith and simple oth not by feare of lawes or chastisements It was also the principall charge of the Censors of Rome as Cicero writeth to punish the periured against whome there is great threates in the holie scripture and in Leuiticus not onely the periured man is
often times the ignorant and vnconstant do turne the scriptures to their owne ruyne as our Sauiour and S. Peter witnesse so is it very requisite that in the reading thereof men carry a sounde iudgement and certaine bookes to be forbidden to be reade of euery one and not to giue stronge meate vnto such as haue neede of milke and in this poynt is it very conuenient to followe the decree of the Councell of Trent in those places where it is receiued and the instruction of their Curate and Pastor Gregorie Nazianzene in his apologie maketh mention of the custome of the Hebrewes who neuer accustomed all ages to euery kinde of doctrine nor reuealed their secretes but to suche as were of a sounde iudgement The which S. Ierome marketh well in the beginning of Ezechiel and S. Ambrose vpon the 35. Psalme and S. Augustine li. de spir lit alleage for example the Cantickes which some for their owne pleasure haue very disorderly applyed I leaue to the iudgement of euery man whether we haue nowe lesse occasion then had the Prophetes to complaine of some pastors which they termed by the name of theeues wolues dumbe dogges seducers idoles couetous voluptuous hypocrits and by sundry other most detestable names The dreame or vision of S. Anthonie where hee imagined he sawe certaine swyne and moyles defiling the aultar is verified in this time Our dutie is to beseeche at Gods handes that it well please him to sende vs such as be good that they may search nought else then his glorie and nourish their flocke with good holsome food For from thence as Plinie doth witnesse commeth the good wooll that is to say good life S. Augustine commended the saying of Socrates that both God and man will be serued as he commaundeth The which he applyeth to the seruice of the trewe God who commaundeth that nothing be eyther added or diminished vnto his worde And sayth that for this cause the Romanes allowed the seruice of all gods hauing for that ende builded a Temple to all gods called Pantheon and yet would neuer receaue the trewe to wit the God of the Hebrewes Because if they had serued him otherwise then he commaunded they had not serued him at all but their owne fictions if they had done as he had ordeined then had they cleane reiected and set aside all other Gods For the principall seruice of God consisteth in obedience as Samuel sayde vnto Saul The Prophets called it a spirituall chastitie not to swarue therefrom nor to thinke that whatsoeuer wee finde good in our owne eyes pleaseth him And as Nahas the Ammonite woulde by no meanes receiue them of Iabes a citie in Iudea which he had beseaged to his mercie vntill he had put out their right eye And when the Philistins had subdued the children of Israell they disarmed them euen to their kniues So did that Apostata Emperour Iulian Dioclesian and other who studied in what they coulde to make the Christians continue in ignoraunce and blindnesse neuer enquiring of the will of GOD or order of the primatiue Churche and vnder a great payne made them to be disarmed of that worde which the scripture calleth the knife of the spirite Iosephus lib. 2. contra Apionem setteth downe the custome which the Iewes obserued euerie weeke in reading of the holie scripture so as eache man vnderstoode it and knewe it by heart The which Socrates lib. 5. cap. 22. sheweth was also obserued in Alexandria and it maye bee seene by that which is written of our Sauiour Luke 4. Actes 5. 1. Tim. 4 When in the time of Iosias 2. Kinges 21 the booke of the lawe after it had long lyne hydde was founde againe he made great estimation thereof and sayde vnto the Priestes Goe yee and enquire of the Lorde for me and for the people and for all Iudah concerning the wordes of this booke that is founde for great is the wrath of the Lorde that is kindled agaynst vs because our fathers haue not obeyed the wordes of this booke to doe according to all that which is written therein for vs. We must likewise imagine that such as haue taken vppon them to teach the way to that happinesse which all men couet to attayne vnto haue beene but counterfayte except they haue layde the foundation out of the holy and Canonicall scriptures and the lyes wherein their fathers liued ledde them into erroure according as Amos wrote We ought therefore often to praye vnto God with Dauid Salomon and Saint Paule that he will giue vs wisedome and vnderstandinge and open our eyes that we may followe that which may be most agreeable vnto him without deceiuing of our selues Saint Ierome in his Epistle to Laeta sayeth excellently well that reading ought to followe prayer and prayer reading A man might verye well impute the cause that so manie prouinces haue beene made subiecte vnto the tyrannie of the Turke so many disorders corruptions warres seditions maladies murthers and other calamities haue happened to the contempt of this worde according to which a man will not reforme his life nor his strange opinions nor supporte one an other knowing that this worde teacheth nought else then peace concord and amitie and that we may be wise as serpentes which to saue their heade laye open their bodie and with their tayle stop their eare against the enchanter So let vs spare nothing for the mayntenance of this doctrine so long a goe left vnto vs without dissolutenesse sectes or discentions for there is nothing so well established which discorde can not ransacke and as Saint Augustine sayth very well the knowledge of the trewe doctrine humilitie and patience entertayneth concorde And Quintius Capitolius in Titus Liuius sayth that partialitie poysoneth and infecteth common-wealthes making such as would gayne saye not to consider what is most expedient as we finde by experience in France and haue too many examples both at home and abroade The Emperour Maximilian the seconde had often in his mouth that it was a greenous sinne and errour to raygne ouer mens consciences as the lawes carryed it I can here affirme that if men did knowe the truth and the happinesse which followeth the knowledge of trewe religion the voluptuous man would there searche his pleasures the couetous his wealth the ambitious his glorye the onely meane which can fill their heart and satisfie their desire and it serueth vs for a guyde to leade vs vnto God whereas the false doeth cleane withholde vs from him CHAP. XXXI That those which deferre their amendment doe wrappe them selues in a daungerous lie WE haue alreadie shewed that if they which name themselues Christians would but follow their profession vice should not raigne so plentifully For who so would beleeue the promises of God and setle therein a full assurance and consider what a great blessing is prepared for such as feare him and what euerlasting punishment
is ordeyned for the wicked he would set all his care in seeking howe to please and obeye him which hath honoured him with so manifolde blessinges And this is the verye trewe cause that we so much lament their follye and miserie which doe euer deferre the amendment of their disordered life proceeding onely from their infidelitie and want of beleeuing of the threatninges of the iudgementes of God who will render to euery man according to his workes to whose selfe we must render account of all our ydle woordes thoughtes and affections Moreouer euery one knoweth that the houre of death is vncertaine and we indifferently see the young dye as well as the olde and that nothing is more common than suddaine death the which caused the great Philosopher Demonax to warne the Emperour Adrian and such as liued at their ease in no wise to forget howe in verye short time they should be no more And an other did often times put Kinge Philip in minde that he should remember he was a man And the Emperour Maximilian the firste did alwaies cause to be caried about with him among his robes whatsoeuer was necessarie for his buriall as one that was alwayes booted and readie to depart We must not excuse our selues with the patience bountie and mercie of God except we be determined to amende and thereby be drawen to repentance so much commaunded in the holy scriptures but still be afrayde of his iudgementes and call to minde that which is so often written that neither the vnrighteous neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeues nor couetous nor dronkardes nor raylers nor extortioners nor murtherers nor gluttons nor such as are full of wrath Enuie contentions seditions or heresies shall inherite the kingdome of God And euery one shal reape what himself hath sowen And Saint Paule addeth that they which are of Christe haue crucified the fleshe togeather with the affections and concupiscence thereof Therefore Ecclesiasticus exhorteth vs to make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and not to put off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake foorth and in our securitie we shall be destroyed and perish in time of vengeance And the wisedome of God in the beginning of the preuerbes of Salomon doth amplye exhort vs to receaue in dewe time his correction not to reiect his councell and that the foolish are slayne thorough their ease but he which will obey shall dwel surely and rest without feare of euill Let vs consider that the most iust GOD doth recompence the good and punish the wicked and payeth not euerie night nor euerye Saterdaye but as Valerius sayeth counterpeaseth the slackenesse of his deferred punishment by the greeuousnes thereof when it commeth And the afflictions of this present time sent vnto the good to containe them in their dewtie are not worthie of the glorie which shalbe shewed vnto vs as S. Paul sayth And all the delights and pleasures of this life are turned into sowernesse and it is the act of a Christian to looke that at the houre of his death he runne to none but to God and himselfe nor take care of ought else For we shall haue enough to doe without taking such carke and care for the affayres of this world and to premeditate thereof giueth great aduantage Our sauiour in Saint Luke sayde vnto him which still delighteth himselfe in heaping vppe of riches O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those thinges bee which thou hast prouided The prophetes and Apostles very often admonyshed vs to amende while there is time to the ende we should not tarrie vntill the gates of repentance were fast locked vp and barred The which our Sauiour would also teach vs by the parable of the foolishe virgins who were suddenly surprised and shutte out of the hall where the bridegrome made his feaste to the ende that after the confession of our sinnes we might runne to the promises and mercie of God and dispose our selues to a newe and holy life Isaiah warneth vs to seeke the Lorde while he may be founde and to call vpon him while he is neere and it is to be feared if we ouer slippe the oportunitie least hee will leaue vs. And if suche as search the riches and vanities of the worlde forget nothinge which may further them I praye you with what feruentnesse ought we to search God and our saluation Let vs take heede least that reprooche in Isayah be not cast in our teeth I haue spredde out my handes all the day vnto a rebellious people And Ieremiah writeth Thou hast striken them but they haue not sorrowed thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction they haue made their faces harder than a stone and haue refused to returne For this cause Saint Paule to the Hebrewes putteth them in minde of that in the 95. Psalme To day if you will heare my voyce harden not your heartes The accustoming of our selues to sinne and the examples of other greatly harme vs. For when men see the elder sort to fayle then doth youth take example thereby and being ill brought vs followeth the same trayne all the rest of their life But by little and little this custome must be changed nothing is so hard as Seneca saith but the vnderstāding of man surmounteth it and is able to attayne what euer it seeketh Let vs call to minde what God sayth in Isayah Your refuge in falshoode shall be made voyde your couenaunt with death shall be disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stande when a scourge shall runne ouer and passe thorough then shall yee be trodde downe by it Nowe therefore be no mockers Hearken ye and heare my voyce Hearken ye and heare my speeche And he sayeth in Ieremie Giue glorie to the Lorde your God before he bringe darkenesse and or euer your feete stumble in the darke mountaynes and whyles you looke for light hee turne it into the shadowe of death and make it as darkenesse Can the Blacke More change his skinne or the Leoparde his spottes Then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill We must then vndertake the good way guyded thereunto thorough the assistaunce of God and what diffycultie soeuer we finde yet to striue to come to our pretended ende and wee shall finde the pathes of iustice pleasant and easie We reade in hystories that sundrie Pagans haue ouercome their euill and naturall inclination and what ought a Christian to doe If riches honours and pleasures slacke vs let vs call to minde the sundrie threatninges in the holy scriptures agaynst the riche the proude and ambitious and haue all our owne greatnesse in suspition and enioy all thinges as not possessing them and let it be the least parte of our care the affayres of
lying might bee met with which accompanieth the disabilitie of restoring The which likewise was the cause of the aunswere which Phocion made vnto them which demaunded of him to contribute where euerie man had verie franckly giuen Nay I should be much ashamed to giue vnto you and not to restore vnto him pointing vnto a creditor of his owne And Seneca writeth that often times he which lendeth money vnto his friend loseth both money and friend Aulus Gellius l. 7. c. 18. l. 16. c. 7. telleth of one which tearmed an othe a playster of them which borrowed And to the ende the Boetiens and sundry other mought be kept from borowing they tyed a coller of yron about such as payde not at their day and they stoode long time open to the reproche of such as passed by The father of Euripides was in like sort handled And Sueton writeth that Claudus was so serued before he was chosen Emperour And Hesiodus parents to auoid that shame were constrained to quitte their countrey That is worthie of marking which Pausanias writeth that the Athenians before they gaue charge to any Captaine either by sea or by lande acquited their debts otherwise no account was made of him And according to the disposition of the law one that is endebted ought not to take vppon him the office of an Embassador I haue seene this same lawe of the collar obserued in certain Cantons of Zuizerland to make men thereby the better to keepe their promise In Saxe they made them prisoners which did not acquite themselues The lawe of the twelue tables was farre more seuere for if one did not pay what he borowed they would giue vnto him a short peremptorie day in which time if he did not acquite himselfe they solde him or he was giuen to his creditour to serue him as his slaue if hee had many creditors they mought dismember him take euery one a peece Such a lawe notwithstanding was not long since in vse as Titus Liuius and Aulus Gellius haue written and was repealed at the request of the tribunes of the people afterwarde by Dioclesian Among the Indians likewise if the debtor did not discharge himselfe in his prefixed time they mought take from him either a hand or an eye and if he dyed indebted they would not suffer him to be buried vntil his children or friendes had answered it Wee read in the seconde booke of the Kinges the miracle which Eliseus did to pay the debte of a widowe from whom her creditor woulde haue taken away her two children to haue serued him for want of payment And it is written in the Prouerbs that the borower is seruant to the man that lendeth and so is it in the lawe 3. C. de Nouatio Titus Liuius and Plutarque in the liues of Coriolanus and Sertorius describeth the sedition which fell out at Rome which was abandoned of manie because the creditoures lead as slaues their debtors and detained them in most cruell bondage Aluare which wrote the historie of the Abissius setteth downe that debtors were deliuered as bondmen to their creditours and some others haue written that in the realme of Calicut vpon complaint made to the Bramains against the debtor they gaue the creditour an instrument wherewith hee mought make a circle in the earth and therein enclose his debtor commaunding him in the Kings name not to depart from thence vntil he were satisfied and so was he constrained either to pay or dye there for hunger At Athens there was a Iudge which had no other charge then to see debtes payde the Tribunes likewise at Rome had the like charge against the greater sort And by the ciuil lawe if a man called one his debtor which in deede was not he mought lawfully haue an action of the case against him so odious was that name As touching the inconueniences of suretiship Salomon setteth them down in the Prouerbes He shalbe sure vexed that is suretie for a stranger and he that hateth suertiship is sure Be not among them that are suretie for debtes if thou hast nothing to paye why causest thou that hee shoulde take thy bed from vnder thee And in Ecclesiasticus Suretiship hath destroied manie a riche man and remoued them as the waues of the sea For the condition of the suertie is sometime worse then his that borroweth because not making account to pay it he is prosecuted and put in execution and often times constrained to helpe himselfe by verie sinister means to his great disaduantage The which agreeth with the olde Prouerbe Be suertie and thy paine is at hande And according to the opinion of Bias he which loseth the credit of his worde loseth more then he which loseth his debte I doe not for all that meane by this that charitie shoulde therefore waxe colde nor that there shoulde be any let why both in worde and deede wee should assist and helpe the necessitie of our neighbour according vnto such meanes as God hath bestowed vpon vs. CHAP. XXXIIII Of lying ingratitude THE vnthankfull man hath euer beene accounted a more daungerous lyer then the debtor for as much as he is onely bounde by a naturall obligation to acknowledge the benefite which hee hath receiued and notwithstanding impudently dissembleth the same thinking it a sufficient excuse for that he can not be by lawe constrained therunto as the debtor shunneth him whom he ought to seeke breaking that conuersation humanitie which preserueth the societie of men He despiseth God his kinne and friends And through this impudencie he is euen driuen to al vilanie and mischiefe and maketh him selfe a slaue and ought to be grieuously chastised as Xenophon writeth And Plutarque interpreteth Pithagoras symbole of not receiuing of swalowes that a man ought to shunne vngratefull persons The which hath been an occasion that many haue refused great presents fearing that they shoulde not haue meanes to requite the same and thereby to auoid the suspition of ingratitude which hath alwayes beene condemned for a most manifest iniurie and vniustice and vnder the worde vngratefull haue all vices with a curse beene comprehended The Romanes likewise in the middle of their citie caused a temple to be builded and dedicated it to the Graces thereby to admonish euery man to loue peace detest ingratitude and to render to euery one according to Hesiodus rule a man famous among the Philosophers with encrease and greater measure whateuer we haue receiued imitating therein as Cicero sayeth the fertile landes well laboured and sowne which bringeth forth more then foure folde increase For this cause Xenophon among the praises which he gaue vnto Agesilaus reputeth it a parte of iniustice not onely not to acknowledge a good turne but also if more be not rendred then hath ben receiued And if we bee naturally inclined to do good to them of whome we conceiue good hope howe much
al things to detest it to vse liberalitie to the ende they may prouoke drawe euerie man to embrase the good happines of their estate holde men still diligent in their seruice in the duetie of good men And as Salust rehearseth Bocchus the king of the Getules had reason to tell Sylla that it was a lesse shame for a king to be ouercome by armes then by courtesie And before hee wrote of the same Sylla that hee neuer willingly woulde receiue a pleasure at the handes of any except he mought verie speedily requite them and neuer asked his owne of any studying aboue all thinges to make multitudes of nations fast bound vnto him CHAP. XXXV That lying hath made Poets and Painters to be blamed and of the garnishing of houses PLato wrote that Poetrie consisted in the cunning inuention of fables which are a false narration resembling a true and that therein they did often manifest sundrie follies of the gods for this cause he banished and excluded them out of his common wealth as men that mingled poyson with honie Besides thorough their lying and wanton discourses they corrupt the manners of youth and diminish that reuerence which men ought to carrie towards their superiors and the lawes of God whom they faine to be replenished with passions vice And the principall ornament of their verses are tales made at pleasure foolish disorderly subiectes cleane disguising the trueth hystorie to the end they might the more delight and for this cause haue they bin thrust out of sundry cities Among other after that Archilocus came into Sparta he was presently thrust out as soon as they had vnderstood how he had writtē in his poemes that it was better to lose a mans weopens then his life forbad euer after al such deceitful poesies Hence grew the common prouerb that al Poets are lyers And it was written of Socrates that hee was yl brought vp to poesie because he loued the truth And a man mought say that this moued Caligula to cōdemne Virgils Homers books because of their prophane fables which S Paul exhorted Timothie to cast away Plutarque telleth of a Lacedemonian who when he was demanded what he thought of the Poet Tirteus answered that he was very good to infect yong mens wits And Hieron of Siracusa condemned Epicarinus the Poet in a great fine because in his wiues presence he had repeated certaine lasciuious verses And Viues writeth that Ouid was most iustly sent into banishment as an instrument of wantonnesse He which first inuented the Iambique versifying to byte and quippe was the first that felt the smart And Archilocus the Poet fell into confusion through his own detractions as Horace and sundry other haue written and Aulus Gellius reporteth that Orpheus Homer and Hesiodus gaue names honours to the gods And Pithagoras saide that their soules hong in hel vpon a tree still pulled of euery side by serpents for their so damnable inuention And Domitian banished Iuuenal and Pope Paul 2. and Adrian 6. held them as enimies to religion Eusebius in his 8. booke first Chapter de Preparatione Euangelica setteth down an example of a Poet who for hauing lewdly applyed a peece of Scripture to a fable suddenly lost his naturall sight and after that he had done penance it was restored to him againe And as touching Painters they haue beene greatly misliked of for representing such fictions Poetical deceits For as Simonides saide Painting is a dumme Poesie and a Poesie is a speaking painting the actions which the Painters set out with visible colours and figures the Poets recken with wordes as though they had in deede beene perfourmed And the ende of eche is but to yeeld pleasure by lying not esteeming the sequele and custome or impression which hereby giue to the violating of the lawes and corruption of good manners For this cause the Prophets called the statuas images and wanton pictures the teachers of vanitie of lyes deceite abhomination And Lactantius writeth that a counterfait tooke the name of counterfaiting and all deceit as wee before declared springeth from falshood and lying This was it which mooued S. Iohn in the ende of his first Epistle to warne men to keepe themselues from images for an image doeth at their fansie counterfait the bodie of a man dead but is not able to yeelde the least gaspe of breath And idolatrie is properly such seruice as is done vnto Idoles Wee reade howe God especially forbad it in the first table and how long the Romanes and Persians liued without any vse thereof and howe the Lacedemonians coulde neuer abyde that an image should stand in their Senate There hath beene in sundrye councels mention made thereof S. Athanasius more at large discoursed thereof in a sermon he made against Idols and S. Augustin in his booke de fide Simbolo and vppon 150. Psalm in his eighth book of the citie of God Damascene in his 4. book 8. C. The occasion of so free passage giuen to Poets is for that their fables slyde awaye easily and cunningly turne them selues to tickel at pleasure whereas the trueth plainly setteth downe the matter as it is in deede albeit the euent thereof bee not verie pleasant Plato in like sort compared the disputes in Poetrie to the banquets of the ignorant who vse Musike in steede of good discourse and in his thirde booke of his commonwealth he forbiddeth Poets or painters to set downe or represent any thinge dishonest or wanton for feare of corrupting of good manners And Aristotle in his Politiques the third booke and 17. Chapter woulde haue all vyle wordes to be banished And Saint Paul to the Ephesians that any vncleannesse foolish iesting or talking shoulde bee once named among them And Tertullian an auncient doctor of the Church called Poets and certaine Philosophers the Patriarches of heretiques This which I haue spoken of must not be vnderstood of Poesies wherein much trueth and instruction is contained nor of pictures which represent the actes of holye and vertuous personages nor of fables taken out of hystories whereof there maye growe some edifying but onely of that which is lasciuious and grounded vpon naughtie argument rendring youth effeminate and men more giuen to wantonnesse pleasures passion vayne opinions then to vertue cleane turning away the honour that is due vnto God or to good edifying for according vnto the commaundement of God Cherubyns were made The admonition which Epictetus gaue to such as were too curious in pictures ought by no meanes to be here forgotten Trim not thy house saith hee with tables and pictures but paint it and guild it with Temperance the one vainely feedeth the eyes the other is an eternall ornament which cannot be defaced The same doeth Plutarque teache in the life of Dion that more
care is to bee taken for the hanging and adorning of the palace of the soule then of the outwarde And the same Philosopher did not muche out of the waye warne vs that wee shoulde take heede that the skirt of our garments shoulde not carrie a stinche of life CHAP. XXXVI Of backebyters mockers and euill speakers and why the Comedians stage players and Iugglers haue beene reiected WE haue heretofore shewed that our mouth ought to serue our neighbour as wel to preserue him in honor as in profit and for that our Lord God commaundeth that wee should neither deale falsly nor lye one to another He forbiddeth vs either to depraue or deceiue any for deprauing backbiting is an enimie vnto the trueth to the weale honour of our neighbor forbidden by God in the commandement of not bearing false witnes hath euer bin accounted as manslaughter stealing away of the renowne which we ought to esteeme according to the saying of the wise man aboue great riches Plato in his common wealth greatly praised the lawes of Lidia which punished backbiters as murtherers neither doe wee want sundrie examples which shew what mischiefe hath ensued through backbyting Wee haue one in Hester c. 3. of the mischiefe which Haman pursued against the Iewes which K. Ahashueroh of Doeg which through his backbiting was the cause of the death of 85. persons that did wear a lynen Ephod sundrie other myseries And Dauid did attribute vnto slanderers al the euil which Saul had wrought against him The backbiter is in degree neare vnto the flatterer hurteth three persons the absent of whom he speaketh the present which giueth eare vnto him himselfe And it is written in Ecclesiast that hatred enmitie reproch attendeth the backbiter And S. Paul writeth that railers shal not inherit the kingdome of God to the Ephesians Let al bitternes anger wrath crying euil speaking be put away from you with al malitiousnes Be ye courteous one to another tender harted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you Solon being demanded what was more cutting then a knife answered a slaunderous toung the which Dauid calleth a sharpe razor and hot burning coales The same writeth S. Iames in his Epistle more at large And as it is taken for a signe of health so is it a signe of a sound vnderstanding to be exempt from al words that may do harme And not without cause said Salomon that death life are in the power of the tongue more perish thereby then by the sword And addeth that he which keepeth his tongue keepeth his life S. Augustin sheweth that the truth hath written in our hearts this commandement Do vnto an other as thou wouldst be done vnto thy selfe And S. Ierom vppon Isaiah in like sort saith euen as wee woulde not that men shoulde speake euil of vs no more ought we to depraue our neighbour S. Paul willeth vs not so much as to eat or drink with the railers and so did S. Iames. Al kind of mockerie ought also to be shunned which is a reproch couered with some fault and which accustometh the mocker to raile lie moueth more then an iniurie when it proceedeth from a wil to outrage a malice without necessitie The which moued some to terme it an artificial iniurie Salomon writeth in his prouerbs that God doth abhorre al mockers the which Isaiah comprehendeth C. 38. 57. The lieutenant of K. Darius put to death one of his soldiars which had railed vpon Alexander saiing that the part of a soldiar was to fight not to raile Antigonus caused one to dye for the like cause and they of Alexandria were well chastised by Vespasian and diuers children were torne in peeces for mockinge of Elisha with wylde beares At the least wee ought to resemble the Phisitiōs which Hipocrates made to sweare that they shoulde not bewraye the secrete and hidden faultes and euils And Saint Gregorie in his Morals compareth the backebiter vnto him which bloweth the powder that flasheth into his owne eyes and hindereth his seeing For this cause ought wee to followe the councel giuen vnto vs by Saint Peter that laying aside all malitiousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and all euil speaking as newe borne babes wee desire the milke of the worde that wee may growe thereby And aboue all thinges followinge the councell of Demosthenes wee must take heede of speaking yll of the absent or giuing eare vnto the backebiters as Alexander Seuerus was wont to saye and doe And for as much as comedies are compounded of fixions fables and lyes they haue of diuers beene reiected As touchinge Playes they are full of filthie wordes which woulde not become verie lacqueys and courtisanes and haue sundrie inuentions which infect the spirite and replenish it with vnchaste whorishe cosening deceitfull wanton and mischeeuous passions Atheneus writinge of the inuention of a Comedie and tragedie sayeth that they haue euer been inuented in a time of vintage drunkennesse And for that besides all these inconueniences Comedians and stage players doe often times enuie and gnawe at the honor of another and to please the vulgar people set before them sundrie lies teach much dissolutenes and deceit by this meanes turning vpside downe all discipline and good manners many cities wel gouerned would neuer at any time intertaine thē And the citie of Marseilles hath beene maruelously praised in auncient time for that she alwaies reiected such kind of people And the Emperours Augustus Anthony Frederick the first and Henry the thirde caused them to be driuen out of their Empire And the Tribunes banished one Neuius out of Rome And S. Chrisostome in his 17 homilie vpon S. Matth. saith that there is no peril vppon the sea so dangerous as are the Theaters and places of Commedies playes and declareth at large what dissolutenes disorder factions mischiefes inconueniences haue ensued thereby The like doth Seneca declare in his first Epistle of the first booke Caelius Rodiginus in his 5. booke 7. Chapter And S. Augustine in his Citie of God commendeth Scipio for that he forbad the vse of any such pastimes as an enimie to al vertue honesty And saieth that the diuels vnder the similitude of false gods erected them The Lacedemonians also would neuer permit such playes acts for feare somewhat might be imprinted into the peoples brest cōtrary to the lawes truth For as the Apostle writeth Euil words corrupt good manners And this caused the good king S. Louis to banish them out of his court And S. Ierom towards the end of his first booke against Iouinian writeth that tragedies are ful of contempt of mariage good lawes And Seneca wisely wrote in his Epistles that it is verie daungerous
the pleading place of Atheues were two benches the one of contumely the other of impudency It was also vncouered as that at Rome was which Cato made be paued with sharp flintes and wished that it might be flowred with yron caltrops to the end the Romans shoulde haue no delight to plead He forbad any to be called to the bar whō he knew eloquent in a bad cause And said as Plutarque reciteth that it was meet for a prince or iudge to giue no eare to the persuasiō of an Orator or lawyer making a motion for any matter vniust For as Cicero writeth which was also attributed to the Emperor Valentinian if he ought to be punished which corrupteth a iudge with mony or presents how much more ought he which coseneth thē with his faier speech babling because a vertuous man will not suffer himself to be corrupted with presents but he may be deceiued thorough their cunning tales lies And Cicero in his Oratiō which he made for Murena discourseth at large of the vanity deceit of practisioners We proue by the ciuil law that in sundry places the nūber of lawyers hath bin limited how K Ptolome conferring with an embassadour which the Siciones had sent vnto him inquired of him of the state forme of their cōmon wealth he answered that his Lords maintained no inuentors of new things nor receiued any phisitians which alter health much lesse lawiers because they disguise the truth prolong suites Pope Nicolas the 3 thrust al practisers in the lawes out of Rome saying that they liued by the bloud of the poore people And it was a vse in most holy France that no proctor should be appointed but by licence frō the K. all procurations ended togeather with the yeare which was a great cause of dispatch of suits Domitian in like sort banished some Galeace duke of Milan caused one to bee hanged for his delatory pleas delaying of a suit against a manifest and cleare debt And Pope Pius 2. compared pleaders to birdes the place of pleading to the fielde the iudge to the net the proctors aduocates to fowlers birders A man may say that the cause why Caligula would haue burned al law bookes although himself were very ill giuē was to haue suits soner dispatched to meete with the cautels and delaies which men toward the law study by their boke practise And herevpon I will not let passe a tale of Mathias Coruinus K. of Pannonia who hauing maried the daughter of Ferdinand K. of Naples brought a lōg in his traine out of Italy certaine lawiers and aduocates of great practise who as sone as they were ariued in his realme by litle litle changed the course which they had found in maner that an infinite nūber of suits were bred therby And the K. perceiuing how euery day the number encreased he was constrained to send thē back againe that he might establish the ancient custome simplicity quiet In like sort they write that Ferdinand themperor sending a viceroy into the Indies which had bene newly discouered forbad him by no meanes to carry ouer any lawier with him to the end he should not sow there the seeds of suits There are some which attribute this infection contagiō of petifoggers brought into France in the time of Philip the faier to Pope Clement 5 whē as he transported his seat frō Rome to Auignon together with al his bullistes practisers petifoggers by frequenting of whō french men first learned this braue piratical art as it were neuer once dreamed of before And sundry authours as well french as Italians and Germanes haue written that since that french men haue suffred them selues to be gouerned by the Popes which were retired to Auignon and haue intermingled their affaire and practises together they haue euer waxed worse and worse and their delicatenes hath euen abastarded the good warlike discipline wherof there was forewarninges when as the saide Pope Clement made his entry into Lyons We read in the time of Charlemagne and before him how the Druides in France tooke notice of all differentes and processe in law and Caesar in his commentaries reciteth the like And if there were any which wold not stād to their award they straightly forbad him their sacrifices which of all other was the most grieuous punishment because thē they were held in the ranke of men abhominable and accursed euery one abhorred their company or to talke with them for feare least some misfortune might ensew after such comunication which were to bee wished might now take place for the dispatching and abolishing of suites And Paulus Emilius writeth that the french men in matter of triall and law did so simply behaue them selues that they stucke to their firste iudgement and neuer appealed further But since deceit was the cause of a soueraigne iurisdiction which held once a yeare for a few daies and afterward the said Philip the fayre caused the palace to be builded which suffiseth not for all that to satisfie the heat of pleading Eschines in that famous Oration which he made against Cthesiphon reprehending the maners corruptiō of his time calling to remēbrance the ancient customes good laws saith that if they were wel obserued al things would go wel and there should be few suites or pleas at al as if the cōmennes of thē were one of the greatest mischiefes could happē to a cōmōwealth as Plato was of opiniō in his discourses And Socrates shewing how good lawes neuer engēdred suits said the multitude of thē to be a sign of corruption Strabo commended the Indians because they were no pleaders and euer in their lawes and barganes vsed great simplicity kept their word without vsing of any witnes or seales The Poets in their verses wishe for seates and triales without pleaders and esteeme that mā happy which hath no processe in law And the Germane prouerb sheweth it that if a mā haue two kine he were better giue awayone then not to enioye the other quietly or go to iudgement in which place it seemeth that many turmoiles troubles meet a multitude of people throng them selues together For this cause the said Isocrates in an Oration which he made being of the age of 80. yeres and two said that he had al his life shunned processe benches of pleading that men accounted him an vnworthy aduocate to haue any disciple and he was ill accounted of at Athenes which haunted the said benches and was often seene there And the principal doctors which haue written vpon our ciuil law haue alwaies bin of opiniō that euery good man ought to abhor suites that such as loued them ought to be accounted cauillers and exception to be taken to their witnes Vpon the contention question which grew before Sforce Duke of Milan who ought to take place the lawyer or
how we pul vp the bryars weeds which hinder the good seedes from growing in our gardens yet fewe haue regard to this couetousnes which kepeth the word of God the onely incorruptible seede from being able to take roote choketh it when it would growe Crates finding that the wealth of this world did hinder him frō the studie of Philosophy cast his goods into the sea saying that he had rather drown them then be drowned by them Wee haue before made mention of sundrie other which haue left their goods possessions the better to intend their studie the which poore Pagans wil condemne such as are slaues to their own substance And would to God men would learn that lesson of S. Paul Godlines is great gaine if a man be contented with that he hath For wee brought nothing into the world it is certaine that we can carrie nothing out therfore whē we haue foode raiment let vs therwith be content And sheweth of how many mischiefes couetousnes hath bin the cause And he writeth in the 3. to the Philippians that after that he knew Iesus Christ the great riches which he brought to them which receiued possessed them through faith he then began to account al those things which the flesh was accustomed to glorie in but as losse dong And al such as through reading preaching haue known wel tasted of those goods which God the father by the meanes fauor of his sonne would bestow of vs esteem not of this worldly riches muck but enioy thē as though they enioyed thē not do not set their hearts vpon so friuolous vncertain things as we haue infinit examples in the scripture to declare for as we haue aboue noted the knowledge of spiritual goods maketh vile the price of earthly The desire loue wherof beginneth to vanish as soone as we haue but tasted of the other which are sound permanēt breed true contentmēt Our sauiour Christ is called in Isaiah the Prince of peace that faith which wee haue in him is such as thereby wee haue peace towarde God rest in our spirit And contrariwise couetousnes desires trouble the same for they are vnsatiable infinit they which are possessed with them are accursed like the serpent for that like vnto him they liue with earth therin settle their paradise like Moles For where their treasor is there is their heart their God paradise Let vs consider that very litle wil content a mind which is but desirous of what is necessarie for to entertain it here and if we seek his kingdō the righteousnes therof al temporal things as he hath promised shalbe giuen vnto vs without needing for our further enriching to fashion our selues or do ought against our dutie or honor or rendring our selues too much addicted vnto them It is here wher we ought to vse violence not only if our eye cause vs to offend to plucke it out if our hand or foote cause vs to stumble to cut them off cast them frō vs as our sauiour councelleth vs in the 18. of S. Matth. but to cut off these accursed desires which in such sort presseth downe our harts keepeth thē from not being able to lift vp them selues on high to search out heauenly things as al good Christians ought to do The which I haue the rather amplified besides that which is before contained in the 25 discourse to the end we mought endeuor to diminish these accursed desires which are the cause of so great mischiefs annoyes miseries throughout the world And to make vs to haue lesse occasions to take we may not be too curious in our raimēts banquets buildings for as Cicero writeth if one wil exēpt himself frō couetousnes he must take away riotousnes which is the mother it shalbe very requisite that they by no offices which the Emperor Iustinian thought to be the very beginning of naughtines And the Emperors Theodosius Valentinian ordained that al Iudges gouernors of prouinces should at their entrance into their office sweare that they neither gaue nor promised any thing nor had any wil to giue or cause ought to be giuē also that they shoulde take nothing but their wages And if it were foūd that they had receiued any thing in which it was lawful for euery one to be an informer then paid they quadruple besids the infamie they sustained of periury And the like paine was ordained to him which gaue the brybe I would commend it much more for the weale both of the King realme if the youth mought rather giue themselues to learning discipline and Philosophy or to the Mathematiques diuinitie phisick or some honest trade of marchandise to husband wel their reuenues left vnto them by their ancestors then both dearly foolishly to buy offices to gaine by them pil the poore people That would be a cause both of fewer officers fewer sutes more learned men And for the most part the money which cometh of such a saile turneth into smoke through a iust iudgement of God and often time such purchasers leaue behind them no heires Now the Presidents counsellors Iudges beeing chosen according as the ordinances carie would be much more honored France in more quiet Sabellic recyteth that in the graue Senate of Areopage none was receiued except he had made some notable proofs of his vertue knowledge dexteritie And if any one suffred himselfe to be corrupted impayred he was so ashamed among so many vertuous men that voluntarily he quited his estates absented himself And euery one was aboue fortie yeres of age The holy Scripture attributed the change of the Iewisse common wealth to that they demanded a King founded vppon that the sonnes of Samuel turned aside after lucre and tooke rewards And Dauid said that man was happie which tooke not And our Sauiour bad his disciples giue for nothing what they receiued for nothing Yet wil I not herby restrayne the liberalitie of Princes as wee haue sundrie examples in the scripture it is praise worthie to releeue such as haue neede thereof and to entertaine amitie and reconcile themselues and especially the holy scripture commaundeth vs to giue of our substance to the poore as if it were to God euen to attaine to eternall life Tiberius the second made a notable aunswere to his wife that a man shoulde neuer want wealth while he gaue great almes And that good Bishop Nilus exhorted vs to intertaine the poore because they rendred our Iudge more fauourable vnto vs. Guiciardin in his seconde booke greatlye commended the Venetians because they did not onely encrease the paye to such as had valiantly behaued them selues at the daye of Tournauue but also yeelded pensions and sundrie recompenses to manye of their children which dyed in that battaile and assigned dower to their
Agesilaus certaine refreshinges of corne foule comfits baked meates and other exquisite fare and most daintie wine He tooke the corne only and commanded such as brought it to carry away the rest as a thing which hee had no neede of but in the end thorough the great instancie which they made vnto him he tooke them and willed them to make diuision thereof among the slaues telling them that it was not meete for such as made profession of valor and prowesse to receiue such nice daynties and that which is proper and serueth to a seruile nature ought not to agree with such as are of a franke free courage A Lacedemonian answered one that wondered howe he could liue so sparingly considering he was of such wealth that it was an honest matter when one hauing great store of riches could notwithstanding liue according vnto reason and not appetite And Archidamus tolde one that had promised to giue him excellent wine that that would serue but to make one drinke more and become lesse man Too much sleeping also fatteth and diminisheth the spirits of life and of time And not without cause sayd a Philosopher that it annoyed the bodie the minde and all businesse except it were moderated to suffice nature egalling our felicitie with an other miserie and that like vnto a tole gatherer it tooke away the halfe part of our life And if as Plutarke Varro and Plinie wrote to liue is to watch then they which sleepe doe not properly liue as they write of Epaminondas who after that he had killed one of his souldiers that was set to watch because he founde him sleepinge aunswered that he left him in the same estate he founde him in Frō whence I imagine the custome first grewe of which I spake before to awake the Kinges of Persia and Macedonia earely to put them in minde to take care of that which God had committed vnto their charge Hesiodus describeth vertue vnto vs to be enuironed with sweate watching and great trauaile And we see that sluggishnesse maketh both mind and bodie to languish And if the ayre in which we liue and the waters were not tossed with windes there would be nought else but corruption Quintus Cursius writeth of Alexander and of the Lacedemonians and Titus Liuius of Hannibal and the Carthaginians that they which were not able to be ouercome and vanquished by their enemies and infinite harmes which they endured were notwithstanding cleane destroyed through delights and pleasures And the Poets wrote of Perseus that through the ayde of Minerua he cut off Gorgons head which turned men into stones vnderstanding therby that Princes through wisedome haue surmounted pleasures which make men as blockish as images And we see by experience that the poore hath this aduantage ouer the rich that they are exempt frō pleasure The which Curius Corancanus wel knowing when it was told thē that some referred all to plesure said wold to god that the Samnites Pirrhus had bin as wel perswaded herein to the end that giuing thēselues to pleasure they mought more easely haue bin vanquished And many haue sayd that all pleasure was followed by enemies it is to be coniectured that it was not thorough folly that sundry emperors haue made al the spider cobwebs through out the citie of Rome to be gathered heaped togeather created a Senate of weomen led their armies to the sea shore to gather cockles as though there were want of enimies to stand catching of flies but it was to auoide idlenes rather to occupie their souldiers in such trifles toyes then quarels to sel smoke rather thē to do worse which likewise as Plinie wrote moued thē which builded those so wonderfull Pyramides where about one of thē 300. and threescore thousand men wrought the space of 20. yeares yet he writeth that their remēbrance was clean lost which spent so much treasure and time in such vanities And it had bin much more commendable to haue bestowed that time expence in matters profitable to the common wealth Gelon after that he had vanquished the Carthaginians led the Siracusians often times into the field to labour and plant as well as to warre to the end to enrich their lande and that they should not waxe worse in doing nothing The auncient prouerbe carieth that the Gods sell riches vnto men for their trauayle So following Galens counsell who so would be in health ought to liue soberly and to take paynes except he will cosen him selfe as we see that all thinges alter except they be put in vse A great Lorde tolde Kinge Alphonsus that hee toyled too much to whome hee aunswered thinkest thou that God and nature haue giuen handes vnto Kinges in vayne And if they desire to liue in health why should they seeke the contrarie thorough idlenesse and delightes As Salomon teacheth in his Prouerbes Ease slayeth the foolishe and the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them Our forefathers counselled vs to exercise our bodie and minde equally togeather as a couple of horses sette in a coach togeather And Zenon was woont to saye that the life of schoolers that is to saye of such as are giuen to idle studie dyffereth not from the voluptuous and Epicurians For knowledge and studie ought as well to profitte other as ones owne selfe And for as muche as idlenesse draweth to vnprofytable and dishonest games heere were a verye good place to shewe the mischiefes noysomnesse blasphemies and cosonage that they carie with them and to prayse Chilon the Lacedemonian who returned from Corinth without deliuering what he had in charge because he found the gouernors playing at dice. And it were very requisite that the good ordinaunces which are made therefore were well obserued The which Alphonsus forbad to those in his court and to all his subiectes not permitting them to playe vnder a great forfaiture And in Turkie he was noted of great infamie which played for money and greeuous paines are appointed if he returne to it againe Sundrye haue written that King Cyrus to punish them of Sardes commanded them to passe away their time in playes and banquets therby to render them lesse men and keepe thē from rebellion It were very requisite that all playing at chance and hazard were banished out of France as well in deed as they are by the edictes by the lawe Martia sundry other Euery man may see how many young gentlemen haue beene cleane vndon by playing at cardes and dice by gluttonie drunkennesse whordome expences and excesse which proceede thereof I will not for all that mislike honest pastime and yet we ought to be sorrie with Apelles if we scape a day without drawing a line or with Cato the Censor if through negligence we haue neyther done nor learned any thing that is good and at night call all our actions to account and see what losse we haue made of the