that Panutius spake wept with depe sighes fro his harte And bycause he was so sore greued he coude not forthwith giue hym an answere At the laste he commanded Panutius to giue him in writyng al that he had sayd to thentent that he myght studye theron For he said it was no reson to forget thinges so well said So all the rest of that night the Secretarie occupied hym selfe to put in writing the same sayinge and the next day he delyuered it to themperour whiche toke it and looked theron all the day and kept it styll in his handes and oftē times redde theron And the next nyght themperour sente for the Secretarie in open audience he said as foloweth The answere of themperour to Panutius ca. xlii HAppy was the mylke that thou suckedst in Dacie the bread y t thou diddest eate at Rome the lernyng that thou haddest in Athenes and thy bringyng vp in my hous For in my lyfe thou haste wel serued me and at my dethe thou hast well counsayled me I commande Commodus my sonne to rewarde the for thy good seruice And I pray the goddis to recompence the for thy councel The reward for diuers seruices a mā may make but y e rewarde for good coūcel all the goddis had nede to do The gretist reward that one frend may do to an other is in a great weightie matter to succour him with good councel Al the trauailes of the worlde are weightie but the trauaylle of dethe is the weightiest all be perillous but that is moste perillous al ben great but this is the grettest al thingis haue an ende at last by deth saufe only deth whose ende is vnknowē He that is hurte with deth is as he y t is sicke of the sleping euill hauing a quicke vnderstandyng yet he knoweth no man many thinges beinge offered to hym he can determine vpon none Yet againe I say he is a true and faithfull frende that in such time wil giue good coūsel to his frend All they that here this that I say wyl say that it is true But I sweare that noo man can knowe it perfitely but he that is in case that I am in redye to dye Lxii. yere hath ben the cours of my lyfe and nowe deathe commaundeth me to close myn eies to folowe the cours of deth Moreouer as thou knowest not the infirmitie so thou approchest not to the cure and helthe The dolour is not there as thou hast made defensiues it is not the fistula where against thou hast giuen cautere it is not ageinst opilations that thou hast giuen siropes it is not in y e veines y t thou hast giuen me incision Thou hast not wel heled the wounde that thou hast stitched me I say that thou must entre further in me to knowe perfitely myne accesse The sighes that procede fro the botom of my hert can not be vnderstanden with heringe of them the goddis alonly know y e thoughtes of y e hart Also diuers thingis ar in me that I knowe not of my selfe noo more than that is without me O Panutius thou accusest me that I feare death To feare it greatly I deny it but I confesse to feare it as a man Of trouth if I shuld say that I feare not death I muste deny that I am not made of fleshe We se that the Olyphant feareth the lyon and the beare feareth the olyphant and the wolfe fearethe the beare and the shepe fearethe the wolfe and the ratte the catte and the catte the dogge and the dogge the man and all onely theyr feare is that they drede to be slayne Than if these brute bestes refuse deth not fearynge the fyghtynge with furious spirites nor the enioyenge with the goddes Howe moche rather oughte we to feare the deathe For we are in feare to be torne in pieces with the furies in theyr peynes or to be receyued in pleasure with the goddes Therfore I say that the naturall feare of deathe I haue ouer come with the bridell and lyberties of reason Thinkeste thou Panutius that I see not my grasse wasted and my grapes gathered that my house breaketh and that I haue nothyng left but the stocke of the grapes the skynne of the flesshe and but one onely blaste of all my lyfe Thou seeste well that by the tokens the exercise is sene And nettes be caste in the riuers and in the parkes bulles bene chased I saye that the rumour of deathe holdeth in sauetie the lyfe that is in me at this houre redy armed agaynst dethe I make batayle with deathe at this houre barayne and naked of lyfe and so redy to entre into the sepulchre at this houre I shall entre in to the campe where as I shall not be gored with bulles but shall be eaten with wormes and fynally I shal go from whens I can not flee Thus I hope abydyng deth And this I say bycause thou shalt knowe that I knowe it and that thou shalt fele that I fele And to the entent thou lyue vnbegiled I wyll tell the a secrete secrete The nouelties that thou hast sene in me as in abhorrynge of meate bereuynge of slepe liuynge alone werynes of company drownynge in syghes and pastyme in wepynge Thou mayste wel thinke what turment ought to be in the see of my harte whan suche tremblynges and motions of erthe and reynes are set in the erthe of my body Shal I shew y e wherfore my body is in this thought and my herte in suche trouble The cause why I suffre dethe soo greuousely is that I leaue my sonne Commode in this lyfe in a perillous age for him and suspecious for thempire By the floures the fruites are knowen and the viues in burgenyng by the colt the hors is knowen whether he shall be meke or stubborne for labour or cariage in the youthe the yonge man is knowen and by the lytell that I se in my lyfe by my sonne Commode I feare me it wyll be lesse after my deth Thou knowest not why I say thus And I say it not without cause for my sonne Commode is very yonge and yet yonger in wytte He is of an yll inclination but he be forced he gouerneth hym selfe by his owne wytte and vnderstandyng as thoughe he were a man of experince he knoweth but lyttelle and carethe for nothynge Of the tyme passed he hath no knowledge all onely he occupieth hym selfe with the tyme present Fynally by that I se with myn eies and thynke in my harte I feare me the personne of my sonne shall be in peryll and the memorie of his fathers howse perysshe Faustyne his mother hath fostred hym to delycately and by a harde stony grounde he hath a great way to go He entreth as now alone into the pathe of youth without any guyde I feare me he shall goo out of the ryght waye and wander in the bushes and thornes of vices O Panutius harken what I say I
not her folyshenes Herken to me and I shall tell you more All women wolde speake and haue all other to be stylle they wolde gouerne and be gouerned of none other One thyng they desyre that is to se and to be sene And suche as be lyghte in folowynge theyr lyghtnes they holde as theyr subiectes and sclaues and suche as be wyse and reproue theyr appetites they pursue as enemies In the annales Pompeyens I haue founde a thyng worthy for to be knowen and that is Whan Gnee Pompeie passed into the Orient on the mountaynes Rifees he founde a maner of people called Masagetes whiche had a lawe that euery inhabitaunt or dweller shuld haue two tonnes or fattes bycause there was lacke of houses in the sayde mountaynes In one was the housbande the sonnes and men seruauntes and in the other the wyfe the doughters and maydens On the holy dayes they dydde eate to gether and ones in the weke they laye together Whan great Pompeye had questioned the cause of theyr lyuynge in that maner for that he neuer sawe nor knewe a more extreme thynge in all the worlde One of them aunswered Pompey behold the goddis haue gyuen vs but a shorte lyfe for none of vs may lyue aboue .lx. yere at the moste and those yeres we trauayle to lyue in peace And in hauing our wyues with vs styll in companye we shulde lyue euer dyenge for we shulde passe the nyghtes in herynge their complayntes and the days in sufferynge their brawlynges and chydynges In kepynge them this wise from vs apart they nourishe their chyldren more peasibly eschewynge the noyses that sleeth the fathers ¶ I tell the Faustin that though we cal the Masagettes barbariens in this case they be wiser than the Romayns One thing I wyl tel you Faustin and I pray you marke it wel If the beastly mouynge of the flesshe enforced not the wyll of man to do his luste and that he wolde not desire women I doubte whether women wolde suffre it or loue it the lesse Of trouth if the goddis hadde made this loue voluntarie as it is naturall that is as we wolde we myght and not as we wold and may not with great peyn a man myghte be satisfied though he shuld lose him selfe for any woman It is a great secrete of the goddis and a great myserie to man that the faynt and weke fleshe doth force the herte whiche shulde be free to loue that it abhorreth and to alowe that that domageth This is a greatte secrete that men can fele hit euery houre as men and yet by discretion may not remedy it I enuie not the lyuynge goddis nor the menne that be deed but for two thynges and they ben these The goddis lyue without feare of thē that be malycious and they that be deed are in peace with out nede of women The ayre is so corrupt that it corrupteth euery man with two pestilent plages so deadely tha the fleshe and the harte endeth O Faustine is the loue of the fleshe so naturall that whā the fleshe fleeth scornefully we shulde leue the true harte as captiue And the resonne as reason put her to flyght the fleshe as fleshe forthewith yeldeth her to you as ouercome ¶ The emperour reherseth the perylles of them that haunt women excessiuely Cap. xx THemperour folowynge his purpose declareth the vniuersall domages that come to man by ouermoche conuersacyon and hauntynge of women And after he had tolde some particular cases that he had suffred with Faustin his wyfe he sayd I am well remembred y t in my yong age I folowed the fleshe to moch with purpose neuer to returne And therfore I cōfesse y t if I had good desires in one day in stede therof a. M. dayes I wrought yll It is reson that ye women flee from them that flee from you to hyde you from them that hyde them fro you to leue them that leaue you to seperate you fro them that separate them fro you to forgette them that forget you For some scape fro your handes yll famed and effeminate and other are hurt with your tonges many ben persecuted with your werkes and the better to scape free they come awaye abhorred of your hartes and bounde to your lyghtnesses Than who that feleth this what getteth he by the attaynynge therof O to howe many perylles offerethe he hym selfe that with women is greatly conuersant If a man loue theym not they count hym as a villeyne if he loue them they thinke hym lyghte yf he leaue theym they repute hym for a cowarde if he folowe them he is loste if he serue theym he is not regarded if he serue theym not he shall be hated of them yf he wylle haue theym they wylle not haue hym yf he desyre theym not they wylle seeke on hym yf he haunte theym he is ylle named if he haunte theym not they recken hym no man What shall the vnhappye man do Let men take this for certayne that thoughe the husbande do for his wyfe all that he can do as a mā and that he ought to do as a husbande and with his weakenes do the beste that he can for to fynde remedy agaynste pouertie with his trauayle and put hym selfe in danger for her euerye houre al this shall not please his wyfe nor make her the better but she wyll say that the traytour louethe other and that all that he dothe is onely to accomplysshe his pleasure on them Many dayes ago Faustyne I haue wylled to tell the this but I haue differred it tyll now hopynge that thou woldest gyue me occasion to telle it the the whiche longe agoo thou haste caused me to feele It is no poynte of wyse men that for euerye tyme they are annoyed with theyr wyues forthewith to hurte theym with wordes For amonge wise men the sayd wordes are moste estemed whan they are well appropried and sayd to good purpose I do bethynke me that it is .vi. yere sith Anthony Pie thy father dyd chuse me to be his sonne in law and thou me to be thy husbande and I the for my wyfe this my fatall destenie dyd permytte at the commaundemente of Adrian my lorde My father in lawe gaue the his fayre doughter to me for wyfe and the very sadde and ponderous empyre in maryage I trowe we were all begyled He to take me for his sonne and I to chuse the for my wyfe He was named Anthony Pius bycause he was pitiefull in all thynges saue vnto me to whom he was cruell for in a lyttell flesshe he gaue me many bones and to say the trouthe I haue no tethe to gnawe it nor no heate in my stomacke to dygeste hit and manye tymes I haue thoughte my selfe loste with it For thy beautie thou were desyred of many but for thyn yuell condicions thou were abhorred of all O howe vnhappy ben thy destenies Faustyne and howe yuell haue the goddis prouided for the. They haue giuen the beautie and
dilygently And sonne I haue kepte it alway with me and I beseche the goddis that such may be thy warkes as therin thou mayst fynde good counsell As emperour I leaue the heyre of many countreys and realmes and as thy father I doo gyue vnto the this table of counsayles Lette this be the laste worde that with the empyre thou shalt be feared and by this table thou shalte be beloued This sayd and the table delyuered to his sonne the emperour turned his eyen and within a quarter of an houre he yelded the spirite ¶ Nowe to retourne to the sayd table and writing There was written betwene the bulle and the kynge a scrowe in Greke letters in maner of heroicall verses conteynynge in our vulgar tonge thus I neuer chose ryche tirant nor abhorred the poore iust man I neuer denyed Iustice to a poore man for his pouertie nor pardoned a ryche man for his great goodes and rychesse I neuer dyd good deedes nor neuer gaue hyre for affection nor gaue correction onely for the peyne I neuer left ylnes vnchastised nor goodnes without reward I neuer commytted an other to doo Iustice that was clere nor darke iustice I neuer determined by my selfe alone I dydde neuer deny iustice to them that demaunded it nor mercy vnto hym that deserued it I neuer dydde correction for angre nor promysed any rewarde in my myrth I was neuer charged with thoughtes in my prosperitie nor dispayred in myne aduersitie I neuer committed yl by malic enor any villany for auarice I neuer opened my gates to flatterars nor dyssemblers nor lystened myne eares to murmurers I haue laboured always to be loued of them that be good and to be dread and fered of them that be yll And fynally I haue fauoured the poore that myght do but lyttell and haue be fauored of the goddis that may do moche ¶ Hytherto is shewed brefely the worthy and laudable lyfe of the emperour Marcus Aurelius and of his deathe And hereafter ensueth the seconde parte of this boke ¶ A letter sente by Marcus Aurelius to Pyramon his spciall frende Capitu. xlix ¶ The fyrste letter MArke oratour Romayn borne at mount Celio to Pyramon of Lyon my greatte frende desiringe salutation to thy person and strength and vertu against thy sinister fortune In the thyrde Kalendes of Ianuarie I receiued thy letter wherby I perceyue thou hast receiued one of myn I set small store by thy wordes but I esteme greatly what thou meanest by them So that without declarynge therof I haue gadred the sentence Reason wolde bycause I haue written so often to the that thou shuldest the better vnderstande me but thou arte so slouthfull that though I call the thou wylt not here nor thoughe I stryke the thou wylte not feele But nowe to comme to the purpose Thou knowest well Piramon howe nere we be in parentage auncient in frendeshyppe stedfaste in loue and tender of hartes and whan so euer thou putte it in experyence than one true frende shall proue an other Thou remembrest wel when we were at Rodes that we dwelled togyther in one house and dyd eate at one table and all that thou thoughtest I dyd it in effecte and that I sayd thou neuer gaynsaydest Certaynly thou were in my hart and I in thyne entrayles I was thyne and thou were myne We beinge together hit semed to all other that we were but one and of one wyll What is it my frende Piramon Thou writest howe thou arte heuy and yet thou doest not shewe the cause why thou complaynest y t thou art almost deed and thou shewest me not who taketh thy life fro the. If thou wilt not shewe to my thyn yll destenies sith thou arte my frende I wyll thou knowe that I demaunde it of right If thou wylte not I wyl that thou knowe that y e pitiefull goddes haue determined that all pleasures and profyte shall departe from my house and that all heuines and domages shall be registred in my personne Sithe I am prince of al honour being in tribulation yf thou woldeste thou canste not escape out of my seignourie For if thou complayne that thou arte vnhappy in fortune than I esteme my selfe to be happy in vnhappynes I demand one thynge of the. Whan haste thou sene me haue sufficiente and thou nede Whan haste thou sene me slepe and thou wake and whan haste thou trauayled and I rested Of trouthe sithe the goodes and persones are theyr owne propre the trauayles and yl aduentures are always common One thynge thou oughtest to knowe if in myne amitie thou wylte perseuer that all my goodes are thyne and all thyn euylles are myn syth thou arte borne to lyue easyly and to be gentilly ordered and intreated and I do lyue for to trauayle I say not this faynyngely for thou haste hadde experience of me that whan Iamaria thy syster dyed that was no lesse vertuous than fayre thou sawest wel whan she was buried deed I was buried quick and at the sowne of my teares thin eies daunced Sythe thou holdest suche sureties of my person surely thou maist discouer to me thy peyne Yet as often as I haue demanded it there hath not fayned reasons fayled in the. I require the and desyre the agayne and in the name of the goddes I pray the and in theyr names I coniure the that thou dispose all thy sorowes into myn entrayles For the way that thou goeste I wyll not leaue one pace to go fro the same if thou go I wyll go if thou reste I wyll reste yf thou worke I wyll worke if thou leue of I wyll doo the same if thou wylt dye thou knowest well I wyll not lyue Regarde frende what thou wylt do For thyne euyls and myne tormente bothe one harte If thou haue displesure all thynges displease me if thou wepe I swere fro hensforthe neuer to laughe if thou discharge the of thy peyne fro hensforth I shall take it for myne if thou go alone I wil forsake company and forth with lyue solytarily What wylt thou that I shuld desyre For al that euer thou wylt I wyll Thou complaynest that in all thy trauayles thou canst fynd no parent to remedy the nor frend to counsel the. I swere to the my frende Pyramon that of these two thinges I haue as moche pouertie in my howse as thou hast sorow in thyn I knowe wel the remedy shuld come by ryches and by councell and consolation of them that be wise And by reason of my heuy destenies slouthe hath taken fro me the knowlege of wisedome and fortune wyll not permytte me to haue great riches Certaynely I wepe for thy myserie and yet there is but smalle remedy in me Thou sayeste in thy letter that thy neyghbours and frendes in promysynge haue behighte the many thynges but in giuynge they do nothyng Hereof I meruaylle for the vertuous hand is not bound to make the tonge a fole Truly though our fete daunce our handes shulde werke at the
Rome The mother of this emperour was called Domiciade as Cyne historien recounteth in the bokes of the lygnages of Rome The Camilles were persones in that tyme greatly estemed by cause they were accompted to be descended of Camille the famous and auncient capytayne Romayne whiche delyuered Rome frome the Gaulles that had wonne hit The men that descended of that lygnage were called Camilli for the remembrance of Camille and the women were likewise called Camilles in the remembrance of a doughter of the sayde Camylle that was called Camilla ¶ There was an auncyent lawe that al Romaynes shuld haue a partycular priuylege in the same place where their predecessours had done to the Romayne people any great seruyce For this auncient custome they had priuylege so that all they of the lygnage of Camylle were kepte and maynteyned in the hygh capytol And though the varietie of the tyme the multitude of tyrantes the ebulition and mouynge of cyuill warres were cause of the diminyshing of the aunciente Polycie of Rome and introduced in maner a lyfe not very good yet for all that we reede not that the preemynences of the Romaynes were broken but yf it were in the tyme of Sylla whanne he made the vnyuersall prescription agaynst the Marians After the deth of this cruelle Sylla in exaltynge of hym selfe Iulius Cesar the pitiefull made dictatour of Rome and chiefe of the Marians adnulled and vndydde all that Sylla had made and broughte ageyne into the auncyent estate the common welthe ¶ What hath benne the condycions the estate pouertie rychesse fauour or disfauour of the auncestours of this Marke Aurelye Emperour we fynde not in the aunciente hystories and yet it hath ben dilygently serched for The ancyent Romayn hystoriens were not accustomed to write the lyues of the emperours fathers namely whanne they be made monarches but the merytes and graces that their chyldren had as for the auctoritie that they hadde inheritynge their fathers Trouthe it is as saythe Iulius Capitolyn the father of Marke Aurelee themperour had ben pretour in exercises and capitayne in the Frontiers in the tyme of Traian the good and Adrian the wyse and Anthony the meke emperours This is cōfirmed by that the same Marc Aurelee wrot being at Rodes to a frende of his called Polion that was at Rome sayinge thus Many thynges haue I felte and knowen frende Polyon by the absence of Rome namely of that I se my selfe here alone in this yle but as vertue makethe a straunger naturall and vice tournethe naturall to a straunger And as I haue ben .x. yeres here at Rodes to rede philosophy I therby repute my selfe as naturall of this lande that hathe caused me to forgette the pleasures of Rome and it hath lerned me the maners of the yle And here I haue founde many of my fathers frendes Here was capitayne agaynste the Barbariens to my lorde Adrian Anthonye my father in lawe the space of .xv. yeres I lette the to wyte that the Rodian people are curteis and ful of good graces I wolde haue redde phylosophy as longe as my father had ben at Rodes in warre but I maye not for Adrian my lorde commaundethe me to go and kepe residēce at Rome howe be it euery man reioysethe to see his naturall countrey ¶ So by the wordes of this letter it is to be beleued that Anio Vero father to this emperour Marc hadde applyed the mooste parte of his lyfe in warre It was not the custome lyghtly to truste a person to haue the office of a gouernour on the Frontiers without he had bene well exercysed in the feates of warre And as all the glorie of the Romaynes was to leaue after theym good renowme the sayd Marc certaynly was taken for the mooste vertuous and had greatteste frendes in the Senate wherby he trusted on the conquest of the most cruell enmyes accordyng as the sayde Sexto Cheronense historien saythe The Romayns all though they had in theyr handes mooste peryllous warres yet they hadde in foure partes of the empire stronge and entier garnisons That is to say in Byzance the which is nowe Constantinople by reasone of them of the oryente And Engades the whiche nowe is called Calex a citie of Spayne for loue of them of the weste In the ryuer of Rhodano which is nowe y e ryuer of Ryne for the Germaynes And in Collosse whiche nowe is calledde the Rhodes bycause of the Barbariens In the kalendes of Ianuarie whanne the senate deuyded the offyces beinge pourueyed of a dictatour and of two consulles yerely Incontynente in the thyrde place they prouyded for foure mooste excellente barons to defendethe sayde foure Frontiers The whiche semeth to be true for the most famous and renowmed barons of theyr yonge daies were capitaines in the said Frontiers The great Pompeius was sent to the Byzaunces Canstantinople The worthy Scipio was sente to the Collossences and Rodyans And the couragious Iulius Cesar was sent with the Gadytaynes of Calyx of Spayne and the stronge estemed Marcus was sente to theym of the ryuer of Ryne This we saye bycause that Anio Vero father to Marc Aurele emperour had ben prouoste and pretour in the offices and one of the capitaines of the Frontiers whiche oughte to be in Rome one of the persons most estemed ¶ What maysters Marke Aurely hadde in his youthe cap. ii VVe haue not by any autentike histories fro whens whan or howe in what maner or in what exercyses or with what persons or in what londes was spent consumed the moste parte of the lyfe of this good emperour But to be shorte Iulius Capitolyn sayth that he had ben xxiii yere vnder the commaundemente of Adrian the emperour Howe be it contrarye wyse is founde by other hystoriens accordynge as saythe Sexto Cheronense in his hystorie It was not the custome of the Romayns cronyclers to wryte the thynges doone by these princes before they were pryncis but onely of yonge people beynge in their yonge age hauynge greatte and hye magnyficence and doing great interprises This semeth to be of trouth for Sueton Tranquyll recounteth largely the fearefulle dedes and enterpryses doone by Caius Iul. Cesar in his yonge age to shewe to princes to comme howe it was a great ambicyon that they had to attayn to the monarchy and but of smalle wytte and maturitie to kepe theym selfe therin It is noo newe thynge that menne gape for hye and frayle thynges And the more hygher the magnificēce is the more lower they fele fortune And whan they were diligent to accomplysshe their desyre as moche thoughte had they to conserue their quyetnes and reste In case thā that Anio Vero father to Marke the Emperour folowed the exercise of warres yet he put his sonne in the way to lerne science For there was a lawe sore vsed and accustomed and well kepte in the Romayne polycye that euery citesens sonnes that enioyed the lybertie of Rome and had accomplyssed .x. yeres shulde not be suffred
pray as men that all thing be forgiuen to them that be olde and broken and to them that be yonge and lusty to dissimule for a tyme nothing to be forgiuen to very yonge chyldren In good soth these were good wordes spoken of suche a persone and semeth reasone For it is reason that the hors that hathe runne and passed his course of cariage shoulde reste hym And who that hath passed rightousely it is Iustice that he be suffred in reste And the chylde that wyll passe reasonne ought to be reformed Cause hym to be alwayes occupied in vertuous actes For if the vnderstandynge be dulled and the bodye slouthfull in suche aege with greatte difficultie wylle they drawe to thynges that be straunge to their delectations bycause that the lyghtenesse is in the heed and reasonne vnder the eyes His youthe wylle demaunde you some recreation whiche ye shall consider so it be not often nor to seldome Fyrste that it be by reasonne Secondely that they be taken in noble exercyses Take hede For I gyue not my sonne vnto you that ye shoulde gyue hym recreation but onely for to teache hym The henne hauynge her egges vnder her wynges in that season gothe not abrode in the yardes and though the egges be not her owne yet she hatchethe theym as yf they were her owne For this cause at this tyme in Rome of a C. disciples lxxxx cometh forth withoute doctryne for yf theyr masters wast two houres in doctrine with them they lese with thē .xx. houres in mockerye And therof it is that of the smal grauitie of the mayster spryngeth great boldnes and lyttell shame in the disciple Beleue me frendes that the teachers to princis and maysters to disciples profite more in one day with good exaumples than in a yere with many lessons My sonne seynge you drawe to vertues wyll drawe to the same if he se you studie he wylle study if he se you peasible he wyll be styll he seinge you temperate in fedynge wyl eate but lyttel seing you shamfast he wyll feare you seinge you restefulle he wyll reste and if ye do contrary he wyll do contrarye This surelye is true for the auncient men onely with the euyll that they se eyther do they corrupte their bodyes or sclaunder theyr owne iugementes as chyldern do that can say nothynge but that they here nor do nothynge but that they se I wil also that the prince my sonne lerne the .vii. artes lyberalle For I haue taken many of you to thentent that ye shulde teache hym moche And if at the laste we shulde be sorowfull bycause he hath not lerned all we shal not be sorie yf he knowe moche nor thynke his tyme yll spent nor be begyled in saying that he knoweth inough of that so yōge a chylde shulde haue to gouerne and rule thempire A very philosopher after the lawe of lygnage ought to haue speche at place and tyme conuenient to fyght in the felde and to speke in the senate If myn owne remembrance begyle me not amonge myn antiquities I haue brought a stone out of Grece the whiche Pythagoras y e philosopher helde at the gates of his schole wherin was written with his owne handes these wordes He that knoweth not that he ought to know is a brute beaste amonge men He that knoweth no more than he hath nede of is a man amonge brute beastes He that knoweth all that may be knowen is a god amonge men O moste highe wordes Glorious is the hande that wrote them the whiche not at the gates as they were than oughte to be written but within mens breestes they shoulde be paynted and grauen Our forefathers toke the laste sentence of this philosopher and the fyrste rebuke abydeth to vs theyr last chyldren For certayne amonge the Grekes and Lacedemoniens was atteyned as moche fame by theyr philosophers and conquestes as by theyr writinges which they haue lefte vs. And our former emperours gatte no lesse loue in theyr empire by theyr profound eloquence thanne they feared all the worlde by their noble triumphes For a profe wherof beholde Iulius Cesar whiche beinge in the myddell of his campe with his lyfte hande wolde holde his speare and his penne in his righte hande Ne he neuer lefte of his armour but forthewith he toke his bokes We must not lay excuses sayinge with them that be ignorante that the lyberall artes are to hye and the tyme that we haue verye shorte For certayne the diligence of men in tymes paste reproueth our slouth at this day One thyng I do se that in a shorte whyle we lerne all yll but in a longe season we can not lerne goodnesse Wyll ye se what is our fortunes and destenyes and in what thoughte the goddes doo kepe vs that for to do one good dede we lacke tyme and for to do many shrewde tournes we haue to moche tyme. I wyll say no more but that I wolde my chylde shulde be nouryshed in suche wyse that he shoulde lerne the feare of god the science of philosophers the vertues of aunciente Romayns the quietnes of you his maysters and the goodnesse of all them that be good as he hathe taken of me to be the heire of the empire I protest to the immortal goddis to whom I truste for to go and protest to the high capitoll where my bones shall be brent that neyther Rome now in my lyfe nor the heuens in tyme to come shall curse me after my deth if by yll lyuynge my sonne shoulde lese the common welthe yf by your small chastisement ye shal be cause of the losse of the empire ¶ Howe themperour Marucs nourished the princesses his doughters Cap. x. MArcus Aurelius the emperour hadde but two sonnes that is to wytte the prince Comode and Verissime He hadde fowre doughters by Faustyne his wyfe legittimate and heyres of thempyre This emperour was excedyng diligent for to nourishe his daughters As soone as any of them were borne forthwith they were put to nours into some ferme without Rome He wolde neuer suffre any of his chyldren sonnes nor doughters to be nourysshed within the walles of Rome Nor consente that they shoulde sucke the breastes of delycate women He hated delycate and gaye nourses and they that were laborous homely and holsome he loued and to them and none other he betoke his chyldren to nouryshe and he wolde neuer agree that they shoulde be brought home to his howse He was wont to say in his sportynge I haue more adoo to contente these nourysses than to mary my doughters Homere shewethe that in Grece there dyed Arthemio that was kynge of Argiue withoute any sonne to inheryte and the nourse that hadde nourysshed hym with all her myght demanded the realme for a sonne of hers whyche hadde sucked of the same mylke that the sayde kynge had done allegynge that syth they were bothe nourysshed togyther and sucked one mylke that they bothe shuld enheryte one realme This sayde Homer to
my palays And suche as the prince is suche shal be his householde as his house is so shal his courte be as the courte is so shal the hole empire be For this cause a kynge ought to be ryghte honeste his house well ordered and ruled his officers well lerned and his courte well kepte in awe Of my good life dependeth their good lyues and consequētly the yl liues Euery nation lerneth in theyr particuler scoles The Syriens in Babylon the Persians in Dorkes the Indiens in Olympe the Caldees in Thebes the Grekes in Athenes the Hebrewes in Helye the Latines in Samie the Frenche men in Orliance the Spaniardes in Gades and they all togyther in Rome The vnyuersall scole of all the worlde is the persone the house and courte of a prynce As we emperours do say the same wyl our subiectes say as we do they wyll do that we forsake they wyll leaue yf we lese our selfes they wyl lose them selues if we win they wyl winne and fynally our welth is theyr welth and our harme is their harme Truely the prince is bound to kepe his owne persone honestly and well besene his hous and courte so well ruled that all they that shall se it maye haue desyre to folowe and do therafter and that all they that here therof may desyre to see it Take ye hede and let vs take hede Haue ye in mynde and let vs haue in mind that they which be of strange lādes going through strāge landes into strange landes by their great trauayles commynge to haue and demaunde succour and remedy of vs may haue no cause to report any sclanders of our yl customes What thing more monstruous can be noysed among men than that they shulde come and complayn of the theues of their countreys to the theues of my courte What greatter shame and inconuenience can be than to demand Iustice of their mensleers of the mankyllers of my court and house What crueltie were so cruel as to complayne of the vagaboundes of theyr landes to the slouthfull and ydell folke of my house What thyng can be more shamefull than to come to accuse theym that haue sayde ylle of emperors before them that euery day blaspheme the goddis What thynge can be more inhumayne than to come to aske iustyce on hym that hath transgressed but ones of them that neuer dyd good warkes Truely in suche case the pore men shulde retourne with their ignoraunce begyled and we shulde tarie with our cruell malyce shamed of men and culpable before god O howe many smalle matters do we chastise in men of smal reputation which without breakyng of Iustyce we myghte forbeare and howe many great thynges do the goddis suffre in the hye pryncis and lordes the whiche not without Iustyce they may greuousely punyshe And by that cruell men as cruel can pardon nothynge and the goddis pitiefull scantely wyll chastyse anye thynge Yet for all this I wolde that none shulde deceyue hym selfe for though the goddis forbeare theyr iniuries yet they leaue theym not vnpunysshed by straunge Iustice The goddis ben in their chastisementes as he that gyueth a blowe to an other the hyer that he lyfteth his bande the greatter is the stroke on the cheke By semblable wise the mo yeres that they forbere our sinnes the more afterwarde do they hurte vs with peynes Truelye I haue seene the goddis dyuers tymes to dyuers persones forbeare dyuers synnes a greatte whyle but at the laste I haue sene theym all vnwaares chastysed with one chastisement ¶ Howe the emperour wolde haue them of his courte to lyue Capit. xxv SIthe that the goddis haue ordeyned and my fatall destenies haue permytted that I shulde be chosen emperour not to slouthfull I haue laboured all that I myght to vysyte the Empire ye lyttelle yonge folkes that are here were gyuen to me of your fathers for to nouryshe you in my palays And for you that ar bygger I was desyred to receiue you in hope to haue gyftes and rewardes and other I dydde chuse to do my seruyce The intention of the fathers whā they bryng theyr chyldren to the court of princis is to put theym from dalyance of their frendes and banyshe them from the wantonnes of their mothers And me seemeth it is well done for the chyldern from theyr youthe oughte to gyue them selfe to trauayle wherby they ought to lyue and resiste the disfauour and falles of fortune Ye are not come from your coūtreys to lerne the vyces of Rome but to lerne many good maners that are in Rome and leaue the yll maners of your landes All that doo not this and forsake trauayle gyue them selfe to very ydelnes The myserable Rome hath moore nede of labourers for to labour than of lordes and habytauntes Patriciens that wyll but passe the tyme in rest and pleasures I sweare to you that not for werynge the armes with the craft of weuynge and the fyngers with spinnyng the bordell houses nowe adayes are fuller of ydel women than the churches of good priestes And I sweare ageyne that easelyer may be founde .x. M. yll women in Rome to serue in pleasure of vyces than .x. M. good menne to serue in the churches I pray you who sleeth the marchantes in hye wayes Who dispoyleth wayfaringe men and pylgrimes on the mountaynes Who piketh the lockes and breketh honest mens dores and wyndowes Who robbe by strengthe the churches but these lewtrynge theues which wyll not labour by day but dispose them to rob by nyght O Rome what harmes come to the for one onely euyll Who hath fylled Italy so full of loste people the palays soo full of vnable persones the mountaynes so full of theues the tauernes so full of yl women and euery place so full of vacabūdes but one the canker of ydelnes and slouth whiche destroyeth the god customes more than the windes and waters thyne olde worne walles Beleue me oone thynge for I wote that I say trouth therin that the crafte of weauing wherin all the naughty vilanyes are wouen and wrought and the seede of all vnhappye vyces the slydynge of all goodnesse the fallynge of all theym that be euyll and the awakynge and prouokynge of all these is but this fowle vyce of slouthe and idelnesse And more ouer I saye that there is no vyce amonge all vyces that bredeth so great a fyre and causeth soo contynualle a syckenesse of slepe amonge aaged folke and that puttethe good folke in soo great peryll and dothe soo moche domage to theym that be euyll as doth ydelnes Who is it that causeth sedition amonge the people and sclaunder in Realmes but they that reste and doo nothynge bycause they wolde eate the foode gotten by sweat of them that labour Who is it that fyndeth newe inuencions of tributes and forayne exactions but ydell men the which bycause they wyl not worke with theyr handes fynde profite with infinite exactions who maketh discētion betwene neighbors but idel folke they
her expences For folye in the heed and beautie in the face bene two wormes that frete the lyfe and wasteth the goodes Also he must suffre her ryottes for a faire womā wyll that none but she haue her commandementes in the house Also he must suffre her nyce mynionnesse for euery fayre woman wyll passe her lyfe in pleasure Also he must suffre her presumption for euery fayre woman wyll haue preeminence before al other Finally he that marieth with a faire woman aparaileth him to a right great aduēture and I shall tell you wherfore Surely Carthage was neuer so enuyronned with Scipions as the howse of a faire woman is with lyght persones O vnhappye husbande whan his spirite is at rest and the body sleping than these lyght persons wyl come about his house drieng his body with ielousy casting their eies to the wyndowes scalynge the walles with ladders or clyminge ouer singyng swete songes playeng on diuers instrumētes watchinge at the gates treting with baudes vncoueryng the house waitynge at euery corner therof Al these thinges in case they shote at the pricke of the womans beautie they leue not to shote at the butte of the sorowfull husbandes good name And whether this be true or not report me to my self that maried me with your beautie and let them wite of my renoume that go so about the citie I say moche but truely I fele more No man complayneth of the goddis for gyuynge hym a fowle wyfe amonge his destenies Whyte syluer is not wroughte but in blacke pytche and the tender tree is not conserued but by the harde rynde I say the man that marieth a fowle wyfe ledeth a sure life lette euery man chuse as he lysteth and I say a man that marieth a faire wife casteth his good fame at hasarde and putteth his lyfe in peryl Al the infamy of our predecessours stode in none exercysinge of dedes of armes and nowe all the pastime of the Romayne youth is to serue ladies Whan a woman is famed to be faire than euery man gothe thyther and taketh great peyne to serue her and the women woll be sene I say Faustine you neuer sawe a yonge damoysel Romayne greatly renoumed in beautie but either in dede or in suspection there folowed som yl name of her In that lyttell that I haue redde I haue harde of dyuers fayre women bothe of grece Italy Parthe and Rome and they be not put in remembraunce bycause they were fayre but for the greatte perylles and heuy chaunces that by their beauties felle in the worlde For in maner by reason of their excellente beauties they were vysited in theyr owne landes and by their infamye shamed throughe all the worlde ¶ Whan the realme of Carthage was flourysshynge in ryches and happy in armes they ruled the common welth by wyse philosophers and susteyned it by discrete armies on the see Arminius the philosopher was as greatly estemed amonge them as Homer amonge the grekes or Cicero amonge the Romaynes he lyued in this worlde syxe score yeres and .ii. Of the whiche happy age .lxxx. yeres he ruled quietly as a baron most peasible of mynd and was as straunge to women as familiar with his bokes Than the senate seinge he was so broken with the cōmon welthe and withdrawen from all naturalle recreations they desired hym with greate instaunce to be maried bycause that memory myght be had of so perfytte a wyse man in tyme to come and the more importunate they were the more he resisted and sayd I wyll not be maried for if she be foule I shall abhorre her if she be ryche I muste suffre her if she be poore I must maynteyn her if she be faire I must take hede to her if she be a shrewe I canne not suffre her and the leaste pestylence of all these is suffycient to flee a M. men With suche wordes this wyse man excused hym selfe and he in his aege by reason of his great study lost his sight And the solytarines of his swete lyberties constrayned hym to take company of a womā and she had by him a doughter of whom descended the noble Amilcares of Carthage cōpetitours of the Scipions of Rome the which shewed no lesse worthynesse in defēce of Carthage than ours were fortunate to augment Rome ¶ Tell me Faustine may not suche suspection fall vppon your doughters though their vertue succour in the peryl and their honestie assure their persons I will discouer a secrete thynge to you There is nothynge that can be soo quyckely commytted yf a womanne be enuyronned with chast kepers and feminine shamefastnes Stedfastly they desire and with great leysure they procure these thynges that lyghtly may be atteyned There is nothynge soo certayne but that the welth of an other is matter for the own euyll And Faustine ye knowe that the moost honest womenne by our malyce are most desyred Certaynely theyr shamefastnes and kepynge close ben arowes in defence of our honestie We rede not that bludde ryches nor beautie of the vnhappy matrone Lucrece was the cause that she was desired But the clerenes of her visage the grauitie of her person the purenesse of her lyfe the kepyng of hyr selfe close in her howse the exercytie of her tyme the credence amonge her neyghbours and the great renoume that she hadde amonge straungers waked the foolyshe Tarquine to commytte with her aduoultrye by force What thynke you Wherof came this I shall shewe you We that be yll are so yll that as yll we vse the goodnes of them that be good This is no faute to the ladyes of Rome but rather in the immortall goddis Their cleane honestie accuseth our cruell malice Faustine you say your doughter is to yonge to be maried Do you not knowe that the good father ought to endoctrine his sonnes fro their yong age and to prouide for his doughters whiles they be yonge Of a trouthe yf the fathers be fathers and the mothers mothers as sone as the goddis haue giuen them a doughter forthwith they ought to fyxe in their hartes a newe remembraunce and not forgette it tyll they haue prouided their doughter an husband The fathers ought not to tary for ryches nor the moder for hygh lygnage the better to marie them So what with the one the other the tyme passeth and the doughters waxe aeged and than after this maner they be to olde to be maryed and to abyde alone they be maydens and to serue they be women they lyue in peyne the fathers in thought the parentes in suspection least they shuld be lost O what great ladies haue I knowen doughters of great senatours and not for faut of ryches nor of vertues in their persons but all only for slacke of tyme and driuinge of one houre to an other soo that at laste sodeyn dethe came to the fathers and no prouidence made for the doughters So that in maner some were couered vnder the erthe after their deathe and some buried with forgetfulnes
to be to passe his lyfe with honour and to take his deth with great vertue Ryght dere lorde I demande of you what prouffyte is it to the maryner to knowe the carde of the see and after to peryshe in a tourment or tempeste What prouffytte is it to a capitayne to speake moche of warre and after knowe not howe to gyue battayle What profyteth it to a knyght to haue a good horse and to falle in the strete What profyteth it one to teache an other the playne waye and hym selfe to wander asyde I saye what profyted it the force of your lyfe that you estemed soo lyttelle manye tymes seekynge your deathe And at this present howre that you haue founde deathe you wepe bycause it wyll take away your lyfe What thynges haue I written with myn owne hande beinge your Secretarye dyuysed by your hyghe and profounde vnderstandynge towchynge the stroke of deathe What thynge was it to se the letter that you sent Claudine vpon the deathe of her husbande what wrote you to Anthygone whan your sonne Verissimus dyed Wherin your vertue dydde consolate his heuynesse What highe thinges dyd I write in the boke that you sent to the Senate in the yere of the great pestylence comfortynge them after the great mortalitie passed therein you dydde shewe theym howe lyttell men shulde sette by deth what profyte foloweth therby And I haue seene and harde you blason dethe in your lyfe and nowe you wepe as thoughe you shulde lyue here styll Syth that the goddis cōmande it and your age requireth it your syckenes is the cause and nature permytteth it and fortune consenteth to it and is the fatall destenie of vs all than you muste nedes dye The trauayles that come of necessitie ought with a good courage to be abyden For the couragious feeleth not soo sore the harde strokes as the weake that falleth or he be foughten with You are but one man and nat two and ye ought to haue oone deathe and nat two Therfore why wolde ye for one lyfe haue two dethes enterrynge the body and sleinge the spirite with syghes After so many perylles of longe lyfe to take a sure porte wyll ye lyfte vp the sayles and entre ageyne into the swolowe of the see for to engloutte you In the see you haue chased the bulle and scaped his woodnes and nowe ye refuse to entre into the parke where you may surely slee hym You make assaute with vyctorie of your life and wyl dye atteynyng the deth you haue foughte .lxii. yeres in the campe of myserie and nowe you feare to entre into your sepulchre you haue got out of the busshes and thornes wherin you were closed and nowe at this howre you stomble in the faire way you haue had in certayne the domage of your death and now ye put in double the profyte of your death you ar entred into the campe of defyenge of the worlde and nowe you wolde tourne your backe whan it is tyme to putte your handes to armes Lxii. yere you haue foughte agaynste fortune and nowe you cloose your eies bycause fortune wyl strike you I say it bycause that willyngly you refuse this present dethe the whiche wyll cause vs to haue your lyfe passed suspect What do you high and mighty prince Why wepe you like a chyld why sigh you as one in dyspaire if you wepe bicause ye shal die why dyd you laugh so moche in your lyfetyme For of moche laughynge in the lyfe tyme cometh moche wepyng at the deth Wyl you do that you can not do and not be content with that you may do The grounde and pasture that is common you wolde ioyne to your owne the renowme of the common welthe you applyed to your owne heritage Of a subsidy or lone you wolde make your perpetuall ryghte I wylle shewe you who be deed All be deed and shall dye And amonge all other you wolde all onely lyue Wyll ye haue that of the goddis that they be goddis for That is bycause you are mortall that they make you immortall And you to haue that by priuilege which they haue by nature I that am but symple demaunde one thynge of you my lorde that are auncient and wyse whiche is the greattest or least welthe to dye well or lyue yll To lyue welle noo man can attayne certainely for hungre thirst solitarines persecution yll fortune sicknesses and disfauours This can be called no lyfe but rather a deth If an ancient man wolde make a shewe and booste of his lyfe from the tyme of his birthe to the layinge in his graue and the bodye to shewe all that it hath suffred by dolours and the harte to discouer all the strokes of fortune I thynke that the goddis wolde haue maruayle therof and men wolde be abashed therof that the body coude suffre soo moche and the harte beare it I holde the grekes wisest whiche wepe whan theyr children are borne and they synge whan an olde man dyeth but the Romaynes synge at the byrthe of theyr chyldren and wepe whan they dye olde Certaynly to laughe at the deth of them that die olde sith they dye to laugh and to wepe at the birth of chyldren sithe they are borne to wepe and that the lyfe abydeth the sentence of yl proueth well that the deathe is good Wyll you that I saye one veritie to you I haue alwayes seene that coūsell in the wysest man sonest faileth him Such as wolde gouerne al thinges by theyr opiniōs of necessitie in some or in the moste parte they do erre and fayle O Marc my dere lorde weene you that haue caused to burye soo many that some shulde not burye you in lykewise As you haue seene the ende of theyr dayes so other shal se the ende of your yeres Therfore me semeth it were better for you to dye and to go your waye to atteyne soo moche welthe than to scape and to lyue in so moche mysery If you fele deathe I haue no meruayle sythe you be a man But I meruayle that you do not dissimule it sythe you are dyscrete They that haue clere vnderstandynge feele many thynges at theyr harte that putteth them to peyne which they shewe not outwarde for the presumption of honour If al the poyson that is in a heuy hart were spred abrode in the weake flesshe by smalle greynes noo walles shulde suffyse vs to rubbe nor our nayles to scratche For certainly the deathe is but a playe wherin the player if he be apt aduentureth but lyttell to wynne moche and they that play may se wel that this is a wyly play and not a strōg And that also as well they lese that haue but a smal card not fearyng dethe as they that with a greatte carde loue long lyfe What thinge is deth but a trappe dore wherin the tent is closed in the whiche is solde all the miseries of our life This the goddis do change vs fro an olde filthy house
made a face in the worlde .xxxiii yere thou hast ben in the grace of the world nowe it is tyme fro hensforth to fall at some discorde therwith Abell kyng of the Assiriens hoped to haue but seuē yeres of good prosperitie Queene Simiramis but onely syxe Abell kynge of the Lacedemoniens fyue Eutrete kynge of the Caldeens .iiii. Alexander kynge of the grekes .iii. Amylcar the great of Carthage but two and our Gayus Cesar Romayne but one onely and many before and sythe not one yere And sith thou were the mooste vnknowen of lynage the grosseste of vnderstandynge and the leaste of power the darkest of fame and the most weke in merites wherfore than complayneste thou on fortune If thou haddest ben vertuous in all these .xxx. yeres thou haddest neuer eaten without thoughte nor neuer spoken without suspection nor slepte without stertyng thinking what thou haddest to do and wherin fortune myghte begyle the. He that is so longe besette aboute with soo many enemies I can not tell howe he shuld take any sure slepe Ah Torcate Torcate the worlde hath so many falles and we knowe so yll howe to continue amonge theym that be worldly that scantly we are fallen whan our handes and fete lyke sclaues be so faste tyed that we can not lose them It fylleth our persons full of vices strengtheth our sinewes to wickednes weaketh our hartes in vertues and fynally rendreth our spirites in a traunce and masethe our vnderstandynge and chaungeth our taste and sufferethe vs as beastes to shewe our euylles that we fele with waylynges all though as men we durst not shew it And that this is true it appereth that whanne we see that we lose we lament and complayne and none can helpe hym selfe This smal lesson I writte to the to the ende thou shuldest lyue in lesse thoughte The horse colte that thou dyddeste sende me leapeth very well The spanyell that thou sente to me is well but he is wylde the calfe was verye fatte and I wolde haue eaten it forthwith but my wyfe Faustyn besily prayed me to kepe it and thynketh that it was stolen in a gardeyne I sende to the .ii. M. sexters for to succour the in thy trauayles And as touchinge thy banyshement at tyme conuenient I shal dispatch thy matters with the senate The consolation of the goddis and the loue of man be with the Torcate The sodeynnes of euils and the yre of the furies be seperate froo me Marcus Aurelius Faustyn my wyfe greteth the and in lyke wise fro her parte and ours to thy mother in lawe and thy wyfe haue vs recommended Marc of Rome sendeth this writynge to Torcate of Gayette ¶ A letter sent to Domitius of Capue to comforte hym in his banisshemente The fourth letter MArke oratour Romayn borne on mount Celio to the Domitian of Capue salute and consolation of the goddis consolatours In this right colde wynter there arose in this lande a myghty gret wynd and by reason of the great wynde arose great quantitie of waters and the waters haue caused great humidites and great humidities brede dyuers maladies and diseases and amonge all the infirmities of this lande I haue the goute in my hande and the ciatica in my legge For the helth of my wyfe Faustine I can neyther go nor write I saye it bycause I can not write to the so longe as the case wolde require and as thy thankes meryteth and my desyre coueteth It is shewed me that by occasion of a hors thou hast had strif with Patricio thy neyghbour that thou art banished fro Capue and set in the prison Mamartyn Thy goodis are cōfisked and thy chyldren banished thy house caste downe and thy neuewe is putte out of the senate and banysshed the senate for .x. yeres It is tolde me that all the daye thou wepest and wakest by nyght in company thou diest and doest loue to reste solytarilye Thou hateste pleasure and louest pensyuenes And I haue no meruayle for the sorowefull hartes lyue with teares and wepynge and be mery laugh in dienge I am ryght sory to se the lost but moche more that for so smalle a thynge thou shuld be cast away as for a hors to lese al thyn estate O howe variable is fortune and howe soone a mysaduenture falleth before our eies Fortune gyueth these euyls we see it not with her handes she toucheth vs and we fele it not she tredeth vs vnder fete and we knowe hit not she speaketh in our eares and we here her not she crieth alowde vnto vs and we vnderstande her not and this is bycause we wyll not knowe her and finally whan we thynke we are moste surest than are we in moste peryll Trouth it is that with a lyttell wynde the fruyte falleth fro the tree and with a lyttell sparcle the house is sette a fyre a small rocke breaketh a greatte shyppe and with a lyttell stone the legge is hurte I saye that oftentyme of that we feare not cometh greatte peryll In a close Fistula rather than in an open the surgiens doubte the peryll In depe styll waters the pilote feareth more than in the great hye wawes Of secret enbushement rather than of open armies the warriour doubteth I wyll not onely say of straungers but of hys owne propre not of ennemyes but of frendes not of crewelle warre but of peace not of open domage or sclaunder but of secrete peryll and myschiefe a wyse man ought to beware Howe many haue we sene that the chances of Fortune coulde not abate and yet within a shorte whyle after vnwarenes with great ignomynious shame hath ouerthrowen them I wolde witte of the what reste can a persone haue that trusteth euer vpon the prosperitie of fortune syth for so lyght a cause we haue sene so great a stryfe in Rome and suche a losse to thy howse Seynge that I see I wyll not feare the wyndes of her trauayles nor beleue in the clerenesse of her pleasures nor her thunders shal not feare me nor wil trust vpon her flatteringes nor thanke her for that she leueth with me nor be sorye for that she taketh froo me nor wake for any trouthe that she sayth to me nor ryse for any of her leasynges nor lawghe for any thyng that she desyreth of me nor wepe for gyuing me leaue If thou knowest not the cause of this I shal tel the. Our lyfe is so doubtefull and fortune so way warde that she dothe not alway threate in strykynge nor striketh in thretnynge The wyse man gothe not soo temperately that he thynketh at euery steppe to falle nor lyue with so smalle athought to thynke to ouerthrowe in euery playn pathe For oftentymes false fortune shaketh her weapon and striketh not and an other tyme stryketh without shakynge Beleue me of one thynge Domitius That parte of the lyfe is in moste perylle whan with lyttell thoughte or care men thynke them selfe moost sure Wylt thou se the trouthe therof Cal to thy minde Hercules
the welth of other and finally lese them selfes And therfore they aduenture them selfe into the gulfes inflame theyr lordes that haue gyuen them suche offices to gyue them to suche as haue deserued them Thou mayst know that the beginning of them is pryde and ambition and theyr middell is enuye and malyce and their ende is death and distruction And if my counsell were taken suche shulde haue no credence with princis or gouernours but as sclaundred men to be seperate not all onely fro the common welthe but fro theyr lyues Surely great is the couetyse of them that be shamelesse which without shame demaunde offices of the senate or princis but it is a more boldenes of malyce for the pryncis to gyue them In this and in the other thinges these are so dampnable that neyther the feare of the goddis doth withdrawe them nor the prince doth not refrayne them nor vengeaunce dothe not lette them nor the common welth dothe not accuse theym and aboue all other reason doth not commaund them nor the lawe subdue them ¶ O my frende Antygonus note this worde that I write in the ende of my letter In the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi. C.xlii. the Romaynes as thanne in the worlde hadde dyuers warres as Gayus Celius ageynst them of Trace and Gneo Cordon his brother agaynst Sardyne Iunius Sylla agaynst the Vmbres Minutius Ruffus ageynst the Macidoniens Seruilio Scipio ageynste the Lusitayns and Marius consull ageinst Iugurtha kyng of the Numidiens It befell so that Boco kynge of Mauritayne fauoured Iugurtha and vppon them triumphed Marius and they laded with chaines were led afore his chariot not without great compassion of them that sawe it After this triumph done incontinent the same daye by counsell of the senate Iugurtha was beheeded in prison and his companion Bocus had pardon of his life and the cause was It was a custome none to be putte to Iustice but firste the auncient bokes shulde be serched to se if any of his predecessours had done before any seruice to Rome wherdy the captiue shulde meryte to haue pardone of his lyfe and than it was found that the grauntfather of Bocus came to Rome and made great orations before the senate by whose wordes and sentences his sayd neuew merited to haue pardon of his lyfe and amonge other of his sayinges he rehersed these verses that sayd what is that realme where is no good amonge the yll nor yll amonge the good what is that realme that hath theyr houses full of good simple persons and banysheth away al wisedom Or what is that realme that suche as be good are cowardes and the yl hardy or what is the realme where al peasible are displeased and the sedycious praysed What is that realme that sleeth them that wolde theyr welth and are angry with them that wolde helpe theyr yl or what is that realme that permytteth the proude poore folkes and the ryche tyrantes or what is that realme where they all know the euyl and none procureth any goodnes or what is that realme where suche vices are openly commytted that other realmes feare to doo secretely or what is that realme where as all that they desyre they procure and al that they do procure they attayne and all that is yll they thinke and al that they thinke they say al that they say they may do and all that they may doo they dare doo and put in operation that they dare do and worst of all there is none so good to resyst it In suche a realme there shulde be none inhabitaunte For within short space the yll men shall be chaunged or elles dispeopled of good men or the goddis wyll confounde them or the tirantis shal take thē Dyuers thinges were said the which I passe ouer at this tyme. Howe thynkest thou Antigone I swere by the immortal goddis that my hart breketh to thinke of the great shame that was laid vpon Rome by such wryting as was lefte to theym by the grauntefather of this kynge Bocus This my letter I wolde thou shuldest rede in secrete to the pretours if they amende not we shall fynde the meanes to chastise them openly And as touchyng thy banishemēt I promyse the to be thy good frende to the senate that we may ioy our auncient amitie to gether And to get the out of that yle certainely I shal do my diligence I haue written to my secretarie Panutius to delyuer the .ii. M. sexters to releue thy pouertie and thus I sende the my letter to comfort thy heuy hart I say no more but the goddis giue the contentacion of that thou woldest haue ioy and rest to thy person And al corporall euyls cruel enmies and fatal destenies be seperate fro me Marke For the behalf of my wife Faustine I salute the and thy wyfe Ruffa She is thyn and I am thyn With visitation of ioy I haue receiued thy letter and thankefully I send the myn I shal not reste to desire to se thy persone in Italy and there in Sicyle to leue my feuer quartayne ¶ A letter sent by Marcus to Lambert gouernour of the yle of Helespont whan he did banishe the vacabundis fro Rome The .xi. letter MArke emperour of Rome lorde of Asie confederate with theym of Europe frende of theym of Affrike ennemye of the Maures To the Lambert gouernour of the ile of Helesponte sendethe of his parte contentation and suretie fro the sacrate senate I am furred with y e furres that thou haste sent me am clothed with thy mātel am right well pleased with thy greyhoundes If I hadde thought that thin absence fro Rome shuld haue procured so moche fruit in that yle longe ago I shulde haue determyned as well for thy profyte as for my seruice I sente to the in demaundynge but small thinges in my sporte and thou hast sent me many thynges in ernest In good sothe thou hast better proporcioned thy seruyce with noblenes than I to commaunde with my couetise For if thou remēbre I sent to the for a doseyne skynnes of furre and thou hast sent me .xii. doseyns and I dyd send but for .vi. greihoundes and thou hast sent me .xii. Truly in this case my pleasure is double For here in Rome thy great largesse is publyshed and my smal couetise there in Helesponte And bycause I am sure thou hast great thankes of me I praie to gōd to sende the salute and helthe And that fortune be not denied the at a good houre I sende the .iii. barkes of mayster foles yet I haue not sent the al. For if I had banyshed all the foles in Rome we shoulde haue peopled vs with a newe people These mayster foles haue ben so wily to teche foly the Romayn youth so apt to lerne thoughe they be but in .iii. barkes theyr disciples wold lade .iii. M. Carrakes I haue great meruayle of one thynge and my hart sclaundreth the goddis for I se wel that erthquakes
that trusteth in youthe is lyght and he that gouerneth by him selfe alone is hardy and bolde and he that gouerneth by him selfe and other is wise These were notable wordes ¶ Than my sonne determin the to take counsel and specially in high thinges and matiers of difficultie and other wise let them not be determyned For whan the counsaylle is taken of dyuers than if any faute be it shal be deuided amonge them al. Thoughe the determination myghte be done by a fewe yet take counsel of many Amonge all thy welthes here the common counsel For one wyl shewe the al the inconuenience an nother the peryl an other the domage an other the profitte an nother the remedye And sette as well thyn eyes vpon the inconueniences that they laye as vpon the remedy that they offre Whan thou begynnest any harde mattier esteme as wel the smal domages that may befall afore and stoppe them as to remedy the gret misfortunes that come after Of trouth the strōg and myghty shyppe ofte tymes for a smalle takynge hede of the pylotte is sounken and drowned in a lyttell water and an other shyppe not so strong with wise diligence is saued in the gulfe of the see Be not annoyed to take coūcel in smal matters euery houre For many thinges forthwith require to be loked to and in abydinge for councel it endomageth And that that thou canst dispatche by thyn owne auctoritie without domage of the common welthe put it not to any other person For sith thy seruice al onely dependeth of thyn the rewarde dependeth of the alone ¶ In the yere .vi. C.xxx of the foundation of Rome after the cruell warres done ageinst the kynge of Numedie the day that Marius triumphed without puttyng of any of the riches that he brought into the common treasury he deuyded it to his men of warre And whan he was therfore accused and asked why he toke not firste the opinyon of the senate He aunswered and sayde Sythe they toke not the opinion of other to do me seruice it were no reson that I shulde take councell of other to rewarde and recōpence them ¶ Son yet I wil aduertise of other thinges Peraduenture some wyll gyue the counsell er thou demaund it In that case kepe this general rule neuer abide the second counsell of a man if he haue giuen the counsell before in the preiudice of an other For he offreth his wordes in thy seruice to bringe the besynes to his owne profyte O my sonne there are many thinges to knowe a man Xv yere I haue ben senatour consule censure capitaine and tribune and .xviii. yeres I haue ben emperour of Rome and diuers haue spoken to me in preiudice of other and many mo for their own profite and none haue spoken clerely to me for the profite of other nor for my seruice Great compassion oughte to be taken of princis for euery man foloweth them for theyr owne profite none for loue and seruice One counsell I toke for my selfe all the whyle that I haue gouerned Rome I neuer kepte man in my house after that I knewe hym hatefull agaynste the common welthe ¶ In the yere of the foundation of Rome .vi. C.lix of the Olympiade C.lxviii Lucullus Patricien greate frende to Sylla goynge to the warre of Methridates It chaunced that in Tygoano a citie of Caldiens he found a plate of coper or brasse vpon the kinges gatis wherin were certayne lytters whiche they sayde were grauen there by the commandement of Alexander the great The letters were in Caldee conteynyng these sentences That prince is not wyse that wyll holde his lyfe in peryll and wil not assure his lyfe and state with the loue of all men That prince is not vertuous that in giuinge moche to one person wylleth all other to haue but lyttell That prince is not iuste that wyll satysfie more the couetise of one person than the voices of all men That prince is a fole that dispyseth the councell of all other and trusteth all onely vpon the opinion of one And finally that prince is to bolde and hardye ▪ that for the loue of one wil be hated of all other ¶ These were wordes of eternall memorye And in dede these princis shulde haue this always in theyr presence Sonne yet I shal say more to the. This Lucullus Patriciens brought into the Senate al the tresure that he had and this plate with the sayd wordes theron to thentente that they shulde chuse the one and leaue the other And the senate refused all the treasure and toke the counselles written theron ¶ Of dyuers and partycular recommendations whiche the emperour commaunded his sonne Cap. xlvii I Haue shewed lyke a father the thynge that toucheth thy welth Nowe I wyll shew the what thou oughtest to do after my death for my seruice Those thynges that I haue loued in my lyfe if thou wilte be sonne to thy father esteme them after my dethe Fyrste my sonne I recommende to the the worshyppynge of the temples and the reuerence of the priestes with the honour to the goddis So longe shall the honour of the Romayns laste as they perseuer in the seruice of the goddis The realme of the Carthaginens perished not bycause they were not soo riche or more cowardes than the Romayns but bycause they loued their tresors to moch and were but yll worshippers and louers of the temples My sonne I recommend to the Helia thy stepmother remembre that though she be not thyn owne mother yet she is my wyfe and on the peyne of my cursyng suffre not that she be yl intreted For the domage that she shuld suffre by thy cōsent shuld gyue euidence of the smal thought that thou takest of my deth which shulde be an iniury to thy life I haue left to her the tributes and reuenues of Nostie for to maynteine her degre and the gardens of Vulcan which I caused to make for her recreatiō And if thou take it fro her thou she weste thyne ylnesse And to suffer her to enioy it I commaunde the by thyne obedience and to shewe her thy bountie and largesse Remembre she is a Romain yong and a widow of the house of my lorde Traian and howe she is thy mother adoptife my naturall wyfe wherfore I leue her vnder thy recōmendation Also I cōmyt to the thy breterne in law thy sisters my doughters I leue them al maried not to straunge kynges but to the natural inhabitauntes and citesens of Rome They dwel all within the walles of Rome where as they may do the seruice and thou mayst do thē good Son intrete them in suche wise that though their good father be deade yet let them haue fauour And though they se their brother emperour of Rome yet let thē not be defouled Womē be of a ryght tender cōdition they wyll complayne for a smalle cause and for lesse they wylle ryse vp in pride thou oughtest to conserue theym after my deth as
I haue done in my lyfe For otherwise their conuersation shulde be fekyll to the people and importunate to the. Also I cōmit to the Lipula thy sister that is amōge the virgins Vestales Thinke that she is doughter of thy mother Faustin whiche I haue greatly loued in my lyfe vnto the houre of my death I haue lamented hers Euery yere I gaue to thy sister .ii. M. sexters for her necessities she had ben as well maried as the other yf she had not be brent in the vysage whiche was estemed of euery man an yl aduenture and specially of her moder that wept alway for her But I esteme that yll aduenture a good fortune For if she had not ben brent in the face with fire she had in the worlde as touchyng her renome be brent with diuers tonges Son I swere to the that for the seruice of the goddes the fame of men she is more surer with the virgins in the temple than though she were in the senate with the senatours I deme that at the ende of the iourney she shal finde her self better at ease closed and locked in than thou with all thy libertie In the prouynce of Lucany I haue lefte for her the .ii. M. sexters I wyll not that thou take them fro her Also I cōmytte Drusia the wyddowe to the which hath layd a great proces against the senate bycause y t by motions afore passed her husbande was banished I haue great compassion of her for it is thre monthes sythe she put in her demande and bycause of my great warres I coude not declare her iustyce Sonne thou shalte fynde it trewe that in .xxxv. yere that I haue gouerned Rome there was neuer wydow that helde her processe before me passynge .viii. dayes Take compassion of suche For womennes necessities are right peryllous and at the laste yf their besynes be longe in hande they recouer not so moche of theyr goodes as they lese in their renowme Also haue compassyon of poore men and the goddis shall rewarde the with great ryches Also I commytte to the my auncient seruantes to whom my longe yeres and cruel warres my often necessities the displeasure of my bodye and my longe syckenesses hath ben right paynefull For they as true seruantes to gyue me lyfe haue taken peyn vnto the deth It is reason that syth I haue taken their deth that they inherite parte of my lyfe One thing I holde for certayne In case that my bodye abyde in the sepulchre with wormes yet I shall alwayes before the goddis haue remembraunce of them In this doinge thou shalt do as a good chylde to satisfie them that haue serued thy father Take hede my son euery prince doinge Iustice acquireth ennemies in the execution therof And this is done by thē that are mooste nere to hym For the more priuie they are with the prince the more hatefull they are to the people And though euery mā loueth Iustice in generall yet they all hate the execution therof in particular Whan a iuste prince is deade the people take vengeance of the vniuste seruantes Whan thou were a chylde my seruantis noryshed the to the entent that thou shuldest susteyne them in their age Surely it were great shame to the empire an offence to the goddis an iniurie to me and an vngentylnes of the ▪ that thou hast foūde them .xviii. yeres with their armes abrode to halse the that they shulde finde one day thy gates shet ageinst them These thinges I cōmit to the particularly kepe them alway in memory And sith I remembre them at my deth cōsider how I loued them in my life ¶ Of the last wordes that themperour spake to his sonne and of a table that he gaue hym Cap. xlviii WHan the emperour had ended his said recommendations the daye began to sprynge and his eye stringes began to breke and his tonge faultred and his handes shoke Than the said happy emperour felynge that weakenes began sore to drawe aboute his harte he commaunded Panutius to go into his study and to brynge to hym a coffre that was there And whan it was brought to his presence he opened it and toke out a table of thre fote broode and two fote longe it was of wood Lybanus rounde about garnished with vnycorne It was closed with two leaues subtylly wroughte of a red wood that some sayde was of the tree that the Phenyx bredeth in and is called Rasyn And as there is but one byrde Phenix bredyng in Arabie so lykewise there is no mo trees in the worlde of the same kynde On one of the outwarde parties of the table was pyctured grauen the god Iupiter on the other the goddesse Venus In the inwarde partyes of the Table that shette was pictured god Mars and the goddesse Ceres In the principall of the sayd table was pyctured a Bulle subtylly wrought to the quycke and vnder that a kynge was pyctured The whiche payntures were sayde to be of the handy warke of the expert Appelles an ancient worke man in payntynge Than the emperour toke the table in his hande and with great peyne he sayd Thou seest my sonne Comodus how I am al redy scaped from the trappes of fortune and am enterynge into the heuy aduentures of dethe I wote not why the goddis haue created vs syth there is so great annoyance in our lyfe so great perylle at our deathe I vnderstande not why the goddis haue and vse so great crueltie to the creatures Lxii. yere I haue sayled with great trauayle through the great perylles of this lyfe and at this howre I am commaunded to take lande and discharge me of my flesshe and to take erthe in the sepulchre Nowe vntyeth the lyuely thredes nowe vndothe the spyndel nowe ryueth the webbe nowe endeth my lyfe Nowe am I awaked from the slepynge euyll remembrynge howe I haue passed my lyfe I haue no more desyre to lyue And in that I knowe not whyche way to go I refuse dethe What shall I do I am determyned to put me into the handes of the goddis wyllyngly sythe I muste do so of necessitie Whome I require yf they haue created me for any goodnes not to depriue me fro them for my demerytes I am nowe in the laste gate and to this howre I haue kepte the greattest and most excellent iewell that I coude fynde in all my lyfe In the .x. yere of myn empire there arose a warre agaynst the Parthes wherfore I determyned in myne own person to giue theym battayle After that warre I came by the auncient citie of Thebes for to see somme antiquitie Amonge the whiche in a pristes howse I founde this table the whiche as a kynge was reysed in Egypte incontynente it was euer hanged at his beddes heed and this priest shewed me that it was made by a kynge in Egipte named Ptholome Arsacides that was a vertuous prince And in the memorie of him and example of other the priestes kepte it