shouldst reprehende As one with worse might aunswer thee VVhich thou in no wyse couldst defende As once did Leo Bizantine When one that had a crooked backe Hym cast in teeth his bleared eyne alas quoth he this is no lacke A humaine thing this is I say But why alas canst not espye Howe on thy backe thou bearest alway That goddesse fell dame Nemesye Nemesis Goddâ—sse râ—uenge Aduouterer see none thou call Whilst fouler lust in thee dothe raigne Ne yet reproue the prodigall If auarice thy lyfe dothe staine Alemeon when he did reuile Adrastus king of kin thou art Quoth he vnto that woman vile Whiche carft with knife her husbandes hart Adrastus then him aunswerd loe With that whiche did him touche at quicke Suche beastly wrathe in thee did floe Thy dame to slea ere she were sicke When Dyonise did Crassus skorne For that he wailde his Lampreys cas By crewell death then all forlorne Whiche in his ponde long fostred was Then Crassus said rebuke not mee Sith that from thee no teares did fall The death to see of thy wiues three Nor felst no grief therby at all VVho so delightes to checke or taunt No rybalde knaue or foole must bee VVith bragging woordes hymself to vaunt But rather should from vyce be free VVherfore none semes more bound tobay Apollos woorde thine own self know Then those that are most prompt alway To rayle to iest to mocke and mowe For hap it may saith Sophocles That whilst they taunt as them likes best To them again is said doubtles That whiche to heare they couet lest In tauntyng thus our foes we finde No litle fruit but more we gaine VVhen they likewise with wordes vnkinde Our faultes to taunt do not refraine Anthistines said well therfore That lyfe in safety to encloes Man ought to haue alwaies in store Right perfit frendes or bitter foes For faithfull frendes wyll vs reforme VVhen that we erre our foes againe VVyll so muche rayle aâ—d out of forme That nedes from vyce we must abstaine But syth that now true frendship is Of free speche spoylde and flattry bent To chatte and prate of thynges amysse Good counsels eke must nedes all stent And therefore nothing now remaines For vs to doe but to abide The trueth to heare to our great paynes By spightfull foes that nought wyll hyde When Telephus his festred wounde Could no wise heale with thenmies speare VVhich first him hurt louelyfe him bound To launce thesame without all feare Euen so must they of force agree To byde reprofe of spightful foes VVhere wanteth frendes their faultes to see And frankly wyll thesame disclose Nor in this case we should behold Our foes intent when they so rayle But if such thinges as they haue tolde Be true in vs or els doe fayle Prothemeus of Thessalie A grieuous sore had in his breast Whiche one that was his enemie Did cure by chaunce againste his heast For when he thought to haue him slain By dent of sword he brake the sore Which festred was to his great pain And so hym helde for euermore Euen so full oft it comes to passe That wordes yspoke for ill intent Do greatly helpe some one that was His fault t amend ful negligent But most men when they are reuilde Haue no regarde if with such vice As is them tolde they be defilde But sekes reuenge by lyke aduice VVhere reason would that suche as are By foes rebukte for their offence Should afterward thereof beware And seke redresse with diligence Yea more then that without desart Though they vs check for any thing To seke yet then it is our part The cause wherof the same did spring And eke to feare lest eare we thought VVe haue the same or such lyke don For one suspect hath many brought To shame and great derision As thargiue kyng sir Lacydes Because he was so nice of gate And eke his heere would finely dresse VVith finger aye was poynted ate And cald a man effeminat The lyke to Pompey dyd befall For that he vsde his hedde to scrat VVhen he no hurt dyd thinke at all For none did more then he despyse Such wanton lust and tendernes VVho aye was bent to enterprise Thynges great of weight and hardines So Crassus eke to tell you plaine Suspected was through suche lyke tale For that he did as some men fayne Frequent full oft a maide vestale And yet in dede his connyng nas For any hurt or ill intent But cerâ—ain land to hye in cas He could obtayne her free concent Posthumia through mirth and playe And hauntyng oft without respect Mens company her name I saye VVith infamy dyd sore infect For whiche she cited was tappere As one that had in lecherie Abusde her selfe with kinsfolkes nere And yet she dyd no villany VVhom though that Spurius whiche hight Manutius then bishop hye Of that ill fame did cleane acquight He warnde her yet thus fatherly Posthumia sith that thou haste In holy workes thy lyfe aye ledde Lest wanton talke thy name may waste I counsell thee haue lykewyse dredde Themistocles none ill had wrought VVhen he so often letters sent To Pawsanye yet some folkes thought To traye the realme was his intent If any man thee charge therefore VVith thynges vntrue in euery part Be negligent no whit the more Nor lightly let them from thee start But take good hede lest thou or thyne Hath geuen some cause of suche ill fame VVhiche once founde out thy selfe enclyne To learne thencefoorth to flee thesame For such ill happes as comes vnwares Do oft times teache what is for vs Most mete to doe in such lyke cares As Merop saith in writing thus VVhen fortune did me cleane depriue Of that whiche I estemed most To muche more wit I did arriue Albeit full dere it did me cost By maisters then of cheaper price VVhiche be our foes why should we steke In thynges vnknowen to take aduyce VVhiche with such cost we sometyme seke For they in vs doe knowe and see A thousande thynges whiche frendes reiect Because by loue they blinded bee VVhere foes are full of great respect When Hierons foe did hym reproue For that his breth did sauer ill Then to his wife and best beloue With spede went he to chide his fill And sayde to her why hast thou not To me declarde this fault of myne Because quoth she I thought god wot That all mens brethes had bene as thine Thus may you see that frendes most deare Our faultes nought can so soone out fynde As foes that aye both farre and neare Fayles not to kepe suche thynges in mynde One vertue more and that full goode By foes also we maye obtayne VVhiche is our tonges in angry moode By reasons bytte for to refraine For vertues such wyll not be hadde Except we learne in tyme to tame Our fierce affectes and rageing madde VVherby oftimes we come to shame As loe beholde the wrathfull man For lacke of wyt and temperaunce His foolish woordes
woorthy wight To whom all fate gaue place alon Whilste fortune gaue her childe suche might But this straunge kinde of felicitie or happines did consiste in harnesse horses and hostes of men gathered aboute hym and therefore heare nowe againe the inwarde voice of his sorowfull mynde crying oute againste the insolency of suche glory In grieuous cares and deadly smart Thus Ioue hath wrapte my woofull hart And therefore he compted those most happy that were free from all perill neuer aduaunced to honor but dyed wythout glorie With these and suche like kind of discourses a man by litle and litle pull out of his minde that iniquitie which is alwaies complaining and blamyng fortune and eleuate his desperate mynde whiche whilest it hath others in admiracion doeth reiect and abase it selfe and al that it possesseth For truely it doth greatly breake the quiete state of the mind whē a man towardes the atcheauing of anye thing doth force himself aboue his power and as it were beareth a greater sayle then his proporcion requireth For beyng led by a litle reioyceing hope we rashelye promyse great thinges to our selues and then if the successe doe not aunswer therto accordingly we accuse fortune oure Aungell of vniustnesse and partialitie Whereas we ought rather to condemne our selues of small discretion and foolish rashenesse As though we shoulde bee angrye with Fortune because we cannot shoote an arrowe out of a plowe or hunt the Hare with an oxe as though some vniust god did hinder those that vainlye wente aboute to hunte the Harte in chariottes and not to bee rather angry with oure owne madnesse and foolyshnesse in attempting to bryng to passe thinges vnpossyble The cause of this erroure is none other but onely selfe loue for whylest menne that loue themselues to much dooe attribute with greate comparyson the chiefest honour in all places to theym selues they waxe so headye and so stubburne that they leaue no enterprise vnattempted Nor it is not ynoughe for them to be ritch eloquente and pleasaunt compaignions at the boord yea to be frended with kinges to beare rule and office except they maye haue also the best dogges the fairest horses cockes quayles with other like birdes of pleasure for els they can neuer bee quiete in minde Dionisius thelder was not contented to be the greatest and most mightie Tiraunt that was in his time but thinking it al to litle and far vnworthy his estate because he was not also so good in vercefying as Philoxenus the Poet nor so eloquēt as Plato he was moued thereby to wrathe whiche ouercame him And therefore he banished Philoxenus into Latumias sent Plato to be sold in Aegina But Alexāder did not so at such time as he contended with Brison whose chariot should runne swiftest for thei say he was highly displeased with Brison because that Brison to flatter him did not his best but suffered hym to win the race Wherefore Homer speaking of Achilles and Vlisses did verye well to geue eache manne his due prayse in this wise Of all the greekes there was not one In chiualrye that could him passe But lawe to pleade suche one there was As hym excelde who was alone Megabisus perses cōming on a time into Apelles shoppe began to talke I know not what of the arte of paynctyng whose vnskylfull pratynge Apelles not suffering sayde thus vnto him Before that thou dyddeste vtter thy selfe by thy talke wee hadde somme good oppynion of thee beecause thy garmentes of Golde and purple did beautify and set furth thy silence But nowe the very boyes of my shoppe whiche grinde my coolours dooe laughe at these thy foolyshe bablynges Some thinke that the Stoykes do mock vs for that they doe not onely constitute and ordaine their wiseman whiche they faine vnto themselues to be prudent iust and valyaunt but also they call hym an Oratour an Emperoure a Poet and fynally a kinge and yet these glorious men abouesaide be not ashamed to attrybute al these names to themselues And if thei perceiue at lengthe that they cannot attayne to them all they bee immediatelye greued and dooe take it verye heauelye Whiche thing how reasonable it is thei themselues may easily see Sythe they knowe that the goddes themselues bee cōtente eache one with his peculier and sōdry name As this god because he hath the rule of warre and battayle is surnamed Emialius and that other because he is God of prophecies Mantous another for that he is God of gayne and lucre Cerdous Wherfore you shall read in Homer howe that Iupiter forbad Venus to intermedle with warrelyke affayres as thinges not appertayninge vnto her and commanded her to take cure and charge onely of matters of weddyng of bedding and of pleasure Beside this some of those thinges whiche seeme woorthie to be desired of vs are of a contrary nature one to another As for example it behoueth hym that endeuoureth himselfe to studye eloquence or any other of the liberal sciēces to be quiet and free from all worldlye affaires For office in the citie and the frēdship of kinges are woont to cause muche businesse and often to cal away the mind from his determinate purpose Also the aboundaunt vse of wine and fleshe maketh the body strong and mete to wrastle but it maketh the mynde weake frayle Finally in gathering and heaping vp of riches a man must vse great diligence tēcrease them and as great carefulnesse in kepyng them Cōtrarywise the despising of them and to set nought by them is a great helpe and furtheraunce towardes the studye of Philosophy and as it were the first practising of thesame Wherfore al men cannot haue al thinges And therfore it behoueth euery man tobay the preceptes of Pittachus that therby he may learne to knowe himself and so to consult with nature to folow her as his guide by applying himself to some one certayne thing rather then by passing from one kinde of life vnto an other to force nature The horse is mete for the cart the oxe for the plowe the Dollphin for the ship and the fierce mastife for the wilde bore For if a manne would be grieued because the mightye stronge Lyon cannot bee lyke a litle fawnyng dogge daintelye fedde in a widdowes lappe truelye he myghte bee wel compted for a very foole And he likewyse shoulde not one whit be better that would take vppon him bothe at one time to wryte of the worlde and to searche oute the naturall causes of thynges lyke as Empedocles Plato or Democritus dyd as also attende to embrace an olde woman for rychesse sake as Euphorion dydde Or elles would bee like vnto those that were wonte to spende the most part of the nyghte in bankettyng and reueling with Alexander as Medius did and yet to thynk such plesure to be nothing at al except for rychesse he myghte bee also no lesse notable then Ismenia and for vertue no lesse famouse then Epaminondas Those that runne for the beste game bee
For trouble is compaignyon to the voluptuous and delicate lyfe and waxeth olde with the poore miserable lyfe But as those that be fearefull of a weake stomake and not hable to brooke the Seas when they saile on the Seas wyll remoue manye tymes out of a lyttle Bote into a great shippe and from thence into a galey thinckynge therby to be immediatly easid of their griefe vntyll such time they feele that they profite nothing in so doinge because that wheresoeuer they go they cary with them that Chooler fearefulnes whych is wythin theÌ„ Euen so the ofteÌ„ chauÌ„ge of soÌ„dry kindes of life cannot delyuer the mynd froÌ„ suche grieffes and troubles as these be That is to saye Ignoraunce and lacke of Experience foolishe rashnes lacke of knowledge and power to vse thinges presente in their due kynde For these be the thinges that vâ—xe both ryche and poore and trouble so well the maryed as the vnmaryed Nor none other cause then thys doth make suche as haue forsaken the citie for to dwell in the Country to be wearye againe of the Countrey and to retourne eftsones into the Cytye These thinges also cause many men whiche by great helpe and importunate sute haue placed themselues in kynges Courtes anone after to repente their laboure so bestowed A sicke man as Ion sayeth is a verye vnpleasaunt thinge for he cannot abyde his wyfe he blameth his Phisicion and is angry with his bedde Yf hys friende commeth to vysite him he dothe but trouble hym And if he departe from hym he dothe againe offende him But after that hys dysease begynneth to asswage and to be somewhat more temperate Then commeth healthe by litle and lytle makinge all thinges delectable and pleasaunte In suche sorte that whereas the daye before he dyd lothe newe layde Egges deintye Brothes and the fyneste breade that might be gotten The nexte daye after can hungerlye eate a peece of common bread with a few cresses Of suche importaunce is a good discorse in all chaunges of the life thonely force wherof procureth the happye lyfe It is sayed that when Alexander hearde the Philosopher Anaxharcus affirmynge in disputation that there were innumerable worldes he weapte for sorowe And beynge demaunded by his frendes what iuste cause he had to wepe he aunswerid Haue we not iuste cause quod he to weepe sythe there be so manye worldes and we be not as yet lordes of one But Crates the porely clad Philosopher contrarywise consumed all hys life to the laste daie in sporte laughter as though they were all festiuall dayes Agamemnon likewise kynge of the Micens was not a little troubled for that he had the rule of so manye men Of whom Homer talking saieth thus Thou knowest righte well Atreus son That clepid is Agamemnon Whome moste of all with Labors great Ioues pleasure is to vexe and freat When Diogenes the Phylosopher was in the markette amongst others to be solde and was commaunded by the Cryer which should sell him to rise vppe He woulde not so doe but ieasted wyth the Cryer demaunding of him if he brought a fishe to sell whither he would bydde it rise vppe or not So litle he estemed hys mysserable state Did not Socrates lykewise being in prisoÌ„ fast cheined fettred stoodye wisedome and dyspute of phylosophye amongst his disciples and Scholars But looke agayne on thother syde howe Phaeton clymyng vp into the heauens with weeping teares complayned because that no maÌ„ would geue him the gouernement of his fathers horse chariot As the shooe is wont to be wriethed and turned to serue a crooked foote and not contrarywise the foote to fitte a crooked shooe Euen so the state and disposition of the mynde must make euery kinde of lyfe that is offred semblable and agreyng to her selfe Nor it is not custome as some men affirme whiche maketh pleasaunte the lyfe that they haue chosen as best for themselues But rather wisedom maketh thesame life best and moste pleasaunt Therefore lette vs firste labour to pourge to purifie and to make so cleane as is possible the flowyng fountayne of the tranquilitie of the minde whiche is within vs to thintent that we may make all outwarde thinges commyng vnto vs by chaunce plyant and apte to serue the purpose through our patient sufferance For though thinges doe not succede well accordyng to oure desire yet it behoueth not vs to be angrie therwith sithe angre thereto nought appertayneth Yea he is to be praised that by arte and pollecy can soonest redresse suche euyll successe And therefore Plato compared mans lyfe to the dice playe in the which although the player oughte to desier euery beste caste yet howe so euer it chaunceth he muste take skilfull heede to dispose eche caste in the beste wyse that he can according as the chaunce will beare it Of whiche two thynges the one that is the chaunce of the dye consisteth not in oure power But the other lyeth in vs to perfourme That is to saye if we be wise to take pacientlye whatsoeuer chaunseth and tappoynte euery one his right place in such sort that whatsoeuer chaunseth well may bee applied to most aduauntage that whiche happeneth otherwise to leaste damage But foolishe men and vnexperte in knowing howe to liue be like vnto a diseased body whiche can neither suffer heate nor colde For in prosperitie they be fresh and gaye and looke pleasauntlye But in aduersitie they bende the browes and looke all frowardlye And therefore both states doe trouble them yea rather in them both they trouble themselues And no lesse also bee they troubled in those thinges which of them selues are thoughte to bee good Theodorus which surnamed is Atheus was wonte oftetimes to saie that he reached furth his woordes with the ryghte hande but they receaued them with the left euen so fares thignorant sort which when fortune many tymes woulde come vnto them on the right side they moste vndecentlye turnyng themselues awaye doe place her on the lefte But muche better doe the wisemen whiche lyke as bees doe make honie whiche is of all thynges moste sweete of Thyme the driest hearb and of most bitter Iuyce So they of most harmefull thinges doe choose oute many tymes some thinge that is to them bothe meete and profitable Whiche thynge is most chiefly to be studied and with much exercise of the minde to bee laboured For as he that when he had throwen a stone at a snarlyng bitche and missing her vnwillynglye by chaunce hit his stepdame saide vnto hymselfe that his throwe was not altogether euill bestowed eueÌ„ so wheÌ„ chaunce chaunceth not according to our desier we maie amende it and apply it to some other vse Diogenes was banished out of his couÌ„trey and yet this had none euyll successe for the same banishemente gaue hym firste occasion to studie Philosophie Zenon Citicus being become of a Philosopher a notable riche merchaunt by misfortune loste all that he had saue one shippe whiche afterwarde when he heard
a corrupte oppinion and naughtye custome of oure selues hath taughte vs to be grieued therewith And that is the greatest parte against the whiche it should be well done to haue alwaies ready at hand this sayinge of Menander Thou neuer sufferest any outragious thynge excepte thou suppose it so to be For what needest thou to care so long as it pyncheth not thy fleshe nor toucheth thy lyfe as for exaumple The lowe byrth of thy father the whoredome of thy mother to be depriued of the honour of the highest seate or to be iniured in that the glorie of the victory is taken from thee what dooe these thinges I saye apperteigne to thee For thoughe all these thynges were so in deede yet nothynge letteth thee but that thou mayest bee well yea and verye well dysposed both of body and soule Now against such thinges as naturally somewhat offēd vs as sicknes misery death of oure frēdes we ought tobiect this sayīg wo is we But why woe is me syth we haue suffered nothing but that whiche apperteygneth to man For there is no talke or saying that doeth more quickly reproue the passyble parte of the soule when it is drawen out of the right waye by vnbrideled affections then that sayinge which doth admonishe vs and put vs in remembraunce of the vniuersall and naturall necessitie and of that which must nedes be with the whiche necessitie man is noryshed vppe and wrapt in it at the tyme of his byrthe and fyrst knyttynge of his bodye whiche one knotte is onelye subiecte to fortunes assaultes and al the reste of natures gyftes whiche be chiefest and of most valewe he may safely possesse withoute daunger When Kynge Demetrius had taken the cytie of Megara it is sayde that he demaunded Stylpo the Philosopher whether he hadde loste anye of hys goodes or not To whom Stylpo answered That he sawe no manne takynge awaye anye thynge of his for saieth he though fortune hathe suffered vs to bee robbed and spoyled of all the reste yet wee haue some thynge lefte in vs whiche the Greekes can neyther beare nor dryue awaye It is no reason therefore so muche to despyse and to reiecte nature as though she had no iote of fortitude nor of sufferaunce and therefore not equall in force to Fortune But sythe wee knowe ryghte well that that parte of manne which is to fortune subiecte is a verye small porcion of vs and lytle to bee regarded beyng so brittle and so softe that it yeldeth at the fyrste to euery lytle poushe and that we be lordes of the better parte wherein as in a strong holde all good thynges be placed yea and wherein also true glorye scyences and all studies apperteigninge to vertue haue their beyng whiche cannot be taken awaie nor euer perishe by anye vyolence it becommeth vs I saye therefore to bee in mynde vnuincible and to truste in oure selues fearynge nothynge that is to come And to saye to fortune that whiche Socrates fainynge to haue spoken vnto Anitus and Melitus his accusours spake in deede to the Iudgies Anitus and Melitus maye well take my life from me but hurt or damage thei can do me none For though Fortune may oppresse manne with diuers dyseases destroye his goodes and accuse him to the Tiraunte or to the people yet she cannot make hym an euyll manne or a cowarde or false hearted and faynte of courage or malicious and specially he beyng a good manne and endued with manlynesse and stoutenesse of courage And finally she can not take away the right constitucion and disposicion of the mind whiche doth help manne more to passe his lyfe then th art of sailing doeth the mariner to passe the seas For the sterne man be he neuer so expert can no more stil the raging sea or represse the violence of the boysterous winds then to take hauen where as he list so oft as he desireth to come from sea to shore No nor yet cā his art performe this that he being taken in a sodain tempest maye cōstantly and without feare escape such necessity But onely it helpeth thus much that so long as he despaireth not but that arte maie take place he gathereth in hys sayles aswel as he cā and so floteth with the tempest wheras the cowardly maryner sitteth wryngynge his handes together and whilste the maste of the ship lyeth drowned by violence of windes in the sea he trembleth quaketh for feare But the quiet mind in a wiseman both bringeth healthe to the bodye by the meanes of continency good diete exercise whyche thinges dooe aswage and cleane take awaye the cause and matter of sicknesse also if there be afterward perhappes any occasion of trouble whereuppon mannes mind doth run as vpon a rocke in the sea he hoyseth vp sayle and as Esclapiades saith quickly passeth thesame But fooles not so muche for desier of life as for feare of deathe dooe hang on the bodye by the hands closed lattys wise one finger with in another euē as Vlisses did hang by the wild figge tree when he feared the dangerous goulfe called Caribdis roaringe vnderneath him who as Homer writeth being sodainly taken in the sea of Sycelye was brought to such case that by meanes of the violence of the winde driuing him hither thither he could nether go forward nor backward nor yet as the prouerbe saieth as one that holdeth a wolf by the eares was hable what for wearines for thūhandsomnes of the place to holde the tree any lenger and yet durst not let it go for feare of the terrible monster Truely if a man woulde by some meanes searche oute the nature of oure soule and think with him selfe that by death we passe from this life to a better or at the least not to a woorse certainly that man in despisinge deathe shoulde prepare for himselfe no smal prouision to conduct him in his iourney towardes the quietnesse and tranquilitye of the mynde For he that as well by force of vertue whiche is proper and peculyer to manne may liue pleasantly as also by meanes of other thinges not apperteygnyng to manne but geuen besides nature being of great power farre passing our own proper thinges maie be of such bold spirite and courage that he maie saye to himself I maie depart yea I saye euē at the firste instant and by gods leaue whē I will my selfe Howe I pray you or whē maie we thinke that any grieuous thing indissoluble or troublous can chaunce to this man But whosoeuer he was the fyrst spake this famous and renowmed sentence O Fortune I haue preuented thee and taken vppe before all thy wayes and passages bee they neuer so strayghte truelye that manne seemeth not to haue encouraged and boldned himself by strong buildings fast barred and surelye locked but rather by Philosophicall decrees and testimonies of wise men which be cōmon and easie for all menne to haue yea and readie at hande to all those that shall vouchesafe to receaue them