geare but very basely vsed and as present occasion craued priuily sent away by secret and vnknowne wayes to the intent it might not be intercepted or stayed Now when Perdicas had espied the sumptuous simulachre of dead Alexander and sawe euery thing as he thought roially executed and pompously performed he pawsed from his speedy pursuit after Ptolomey perswading himselfe that he had obtained the thing namely the body of Alexander wherabout such strife and contention kindled and burned betwixt them both so egerly but hee was deluded and mocked for all that and vnderstood the truth somewhat too late and perceiued that he was craftily circumuented and was forced in the end to retire backe being shamefully flowted This was the end of this earthly god and the vnquietnes which fell to his dead carkasse which could not for a time obtaine the rights of buriall and also after it was committed to the ground it could not rest but was tossed and remoued from place to place for whereas hee in his life time despised to be counted mortal he was at his death denied the cōmon benefite of a mortall man Of whose life and manners hereafter shall be more sufficiently spoken according as the cause shall require and occasion be offered Scho. O most vnhappy Prince that euer liued woulde hee needs be a god Was there no remedy Well therefore as it seemeth he could not enioy the common benefit of a man what meant he by this vaine wish when he heartily wished that his armes might reach from the orient to the occident and that he might beare his banners displayed in all kingdoms and nations of the earth to the intent he might be knowne their Lorde and King nay rather what meant he when that he could not satisfie himselfe with so great a parte of the world as he had already gotten and wonne but mourned for the other worldes which he heard of which he thought vnpossible for him to get Was his appetite so vnquenchable O vnsatiable minde that hearkened not to the wise saying of Diogenes who saide His length of ground were sufficient patrimony for him which in the ende the greatest prince and peere of the earth must be contented withall but he being kept so long aboue the ground as seemeth lesse than his length in his life might containe his dead rotten carkas For a small hole would serue to croud and thrust the remaine of the decayed and putrified corps with ease wherefore he needed not so large measure of ground as Diogenes spake of before But sée the power of the immortall God in shortning the armes of this mortall God so much that so small a rowme would with ease hold and containe him which before groped in a manner after the verie heauens the vpper face of the earth not contenting his greedie appetite Therefore truly in my opinion he needed not to write vpon his graue or Tombe as Ennius did who ingraued these verses be cause the people should not bewaile his death saying Nemo me lacrimis decoret neque funerafletu Faxit cur volito docta per ora virûm No man shall bewaile mee with teares nor shall make sad my funerall with weeping For Alexander might well assure himselfe hauing so much troubled and molested the world that his name which in his life time was both odious and detestable should not at his death bee bewailed and deplored but rather that his funerall should turne the whole world to great gladnes and common ioye Fa. Cyrus the Persian King although he liued a while contented and in fauour and good liking of his people yet notwithstanding in the end hee was drowned in couetousnesse giuing himselfe to the vaine pride of the world hunting after honour climing after superioritie striuing vncessantly for the kingdomes of his neighbours whereby he grewe both odious to his countrimen also vntollerable to his confines and borderers neither could he take example by Croesus the rich King of Lydia whom hee had taken prisoner before with all his people which happned thorowe his coueting and vnsatiable minde and yet for all that hee gaue himselfe so much to the conquering of the kingdomes of others that in the end he lost both his own patrimonie and life also But first to showe the preseruing election and establishing of this King it shall not much digresse from our purpose Astyages King of the Medeans in the night dreamed that out of his daughters loynes should spring a vine whose branches should ouer shadowe al Asia The King being feareful asked counsaile of y e Southsaiers cōcerning y e euent of his troublesome dreame whose answeres were y t his daughter should bring foorth to him a nephewe which should take his kingdome from him Thus being terrified with this answere he would neither giue his daughter to any forreigne Prince or worthie state nor to his owne countriemen which discended or came of any honorable parentage to the intent that no stock or race of nobilitie might bréed or bring vp such a nephewe to him But at the last he gaue her in mariage to Cambises a Persian which was at that time a most obscure Nation notwithstanding fearing the future hap of his dreame he sent for his daughter being great with child vnder colour of being graundfather that he might looke well and carefullie to his daughters Child when it should be borne Not long after the young Childe his nephew was borne and then foorthwith Astiages the Graundfather gaue it to Harpagus chiefe Lord of his counsaile to bee presently slaine but Harpagus fearing least after the death of his Lord Astiages his daughter mother to that child should raigne in the kingdome and so reuenge the murder of the innocēt on him wherfore he gaue it to one of the kings shepheards to bee priuelie brought vp returning this answere to the King that he had slaine the child his nephew therefore he should not néede to feare his dreame But in time the boy growing vp to a pretie stripling being in companie with his fellowe shepheard boyes in the field and by lot was chosen King in their childish sportes and plaies when certaine of his little subiects had transgressed his cōmandement he caused them to be holden vp in iest whilest he whipped them in earnest the boyes complained of this abuse to their parents and they in like sort taking in hard part such whipping cōplained of it also to the King how that the sonne of a hired seruant had scorged and whipped their children which they tooke grieuousely then Astiages sending for the boy demanding of him the cause Where with the boy with a bolde and manly face Fecisse se vt regem respondit he answered That hee had done as became a King and no otherwise Astiages hearing this maiesticall answere of the pretie boy called to minde his forepassed dreame viewing well the lad he asuredly thought that y e boy much fauored his daughter whose Childe hee had caused
comming she marched couragiously toward thē willing them to execute their office With which boldnes the souldiers were all astonished sauing certaine of the friends of those whom she had slain before which stabbed her thorow the body whereof she presently died Yet this manly courage is to be noted in her that after she felt the wound to be mortall and that she fainted ready to yeeld vp her life she nesled her garmentes about her body plucking downe her neather skirts to her féete hauing a womāly care in all respects least that by striuing with life and death she might showe or vncouer the vndecent parts of her bodie Thus dyed the mightiest Princesse vnder the heauens for a iust reuenge of her former cruelties and merciles murders she was daughter to Neoptolome King of Epyre sister to Alexander then King of Epyre wife to Philip King of Macedon mother to Alexander the great and yet for all these high and mightie alliances the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished but caused such measure to be giuē to her which she before had meated to other In like sort Agrippina daughter to the noble Germanicus first being maried to Domitius had by him Nero and afterward was married to Claudius whom she poysoned with his sonne Britannicus to y e end she might make her first sonne Nero Emperor which indéede came accordingly to passe but now her sonne Nero being Emperour possessing the crowne by meanes of his mothers bloudie act whether it were that the liuing God would not suffer her to scape vnpunished or the wicked inclination of Nero but howsoeuer the case stood she receiued like reward for her son caused her to be most cruelly tormented commanding her wombe to be opened cut vp that he might sée the place wherein he lay and in the meane time while she was suffering such miserable torture he gaue so little regard to the wofull mournings pitifull cries of his naturall mother that he played on a cistern y e destruction of Troy and sung most pleasantly to his instrument Notwithstanding although he was ordeyned to scourge and plague his mother for the aforesaid horrible fact yet scaped not hee vnreuenged for so vile a déede For when he had a time raigned in Rome persecuting the guilties and innocent the Romanes at last detesting his bloudie disposition séeing y t his whole delight was in tormenting his natiue Country men began so deadly to hate him for his crueltie that by the whole consent of the Romanes the Senate decréed this sharpe sentence against him Vt more maiorum collo in furcā coniecto virgis adnecem caederetur his neck being fastned in a yoke or forke after the vilest order which was a most monstrous reproach and seruile slauerie amongst the Romanes should be beaten to death with rods But Nero hauing intelligence of their decrée fled in the midle of the night out of the citie taking with him not past one or two of his lewd cōpanions who also perished with him for feare of the Romans Thus being scaped from the punishment which was appointed for him he now determined to die a desperate death requiring one of his friēds which was with him to stab him through with his sword that he might ende his miserie Who when he had denied his sute as a thing vniust Nero cried out saying Itanè nec amicum habeo nec inimicum dedecorosé vixi turpius periam Surely neither haue I friend nor enemie meaning no friend in the Citie to defend his cause nor enemie nowe with him to ende his life I haue liued vilely I will perish as filthely and therewithall thrust himselfe through and so died Thus miserably ended Domitius Nero after hee had reuenged the cruell murther which his Mother committted and in the ende himselfe was driuen to the same shoare and forced to arriue at the same Port of miserable Destinie to be cut off with vntimely death for his most vile slaughters and cruelties Also Aristobulus sonne to Hircanus vnnaturally committed to prison his mother and his brother Antigonus and after most cruelly slew his said brother in prison for which grieuous offence God so strake him that all his bowells rent in his belly and hee vomited vp all the bloud in his bodie and so most pitifully he dyed in recompence of his former crueltie In like manner Antiochus Illustris sonne of the great Antiochus did also imbrew his hands in the bloud of his friends For giuing his sister in marriage to Ptolomaeus King of Aegypt and vnder pretence of familiaritie came to visite his brother in lawe vnder the coulour of alliance and that he might by treacherous meanes take from him the Kingdome of Aegipt and finding him sitting at supper saluted him with his sword which presently he thrust through his sides thus traiterously he slewe his brother Ptolome and ceazed on all Aegipt to his owne vse And after hée had done manie other cruelties at last hee was striken with a most horrible sicknesse that his bodie stanke and his flesh was so corrupt and putrified that no bodie could abide the sauour therof liuing wormes créeping and scrauling out of his bodie insomuch that in his great extremitie hee was forsaken of all his friends and seruants and so died as a iust recompence for his villanie It is farther well knowen that Archelaus King of Macedonia was murthered by the hands of Cratenas his Paramour who sore thirsted after his said kingdome which shamefull act beeing committed and Cratenas placed in the regall Throne according to his long desire raigned King not past thrée or foure dayes but was himselfe slaine in semblable manner by other mens meanes whereunto this saying may be well applyed Qui struit insidias alijs sibi damna dat ipse Who seeketh other men to insnare Nets for himselfe he doth prepare So that this man possessed his princely seate but a short space which he had purchased by wilfull murder I trust it is very well knowen also to the English Nation what cruell murders and miserable slaughters were committed by King Richard the third brother to Edward the fourth and sonne to the Duke of Yorke for that the Chronicles doo make mention thereof at large First bringing his owne brother the Duke of Clarence to vntimely death then shewing his tyrannie on the Barons and Nobles of the Land and after that his brother Edward the fourth died he miserably smoothered the two sonnes of his said brother Edward which were committed to his tuition and gouernment not sparing the néerest of his kinne but imbrewing himselfe in their bloud to the ende he himselfe might possesse the Crowne and Diadem of the Realme which in deede consequently came to passe But were it possible that such pitifull murders and execrable slaughters as he committed both in slaying of the Nobles of the Land and also in the deprauing of his swéete Nephewes of life and Kingdome should scape vnreuenged No truly it
chop should staine Because I feard the prophesie therfore I did consent But what of that the Gods themselues did hinder mine intent For if the Gods decree it once I know it will fall out Let no man think the powers diuine by any meane to stout Sir Satire sonne to Pariside of Bosphore sometime king Was wild by Oracle to shun a mouse of any thing For that a mouse should be his death except he took great heed The Oracle did tell him flat his fate was so decreed But he to shun the warned harme did slay the silly mice In field and town that none might liue his death to enterprice And in his land no man might dwell that mouse was cald by name He sought each way to saue himselfe he feared so the same He stopt the holes of creeping mice in euery place full sure For that the vermins by no meanes his death might once procure Yet see the end when least he thought of this forewarned harme He wounded was vpon the brawne or muscle of the arme For Musculus a little mouse in Latine we doo call And Mus a mouse which Satire slew as after did befall A dagger piercd Sir Satirs arme right where the muscle grew And muscle comes of Musculus though then too late he knew And Philip King of Macedon was warned to beware Of wagon or of wheeled coach wherfore he had a care To keep himselfe from any such he neuer could abide To come in coach for feare of that but still on horse did ride For all his care it so fell out he could it not preuent He was deceiud no running coach by this before was ment For being slaine the sword that slew the King was brought to sight And viewed well where on the hilts a coach was grauen right To Pelius it was declarde when that he chauncd to see One barefoot doing rights vnto his fathers ghost that he Should then of death in danger stand the prophesie was so Because he should take heed of him and shun the warned foe When he was doing of his rights vnto his fathers ghost His nephew Iason came by chance whose right foot shoo was lost And there vnto his grandsire dead the youth his dewes did giue The vncle then with ielous mind not long did think to liue For that he feard his neuew now who barefoot there did stand Should be the cause of his dispatch wherfore he out of hand Did counsell Iason being young to Colchos Ile to sayle To fetch the golden fleece from thence wherin he did preuaile His meaning was that Iason should be lost or drownd therin The conquest seemd vnpossible the golden fleece to win And for because he might not feare the prophesie forepast He shipt his neuew speedely and sent him thence in hast But Iason soon returnde again and brought away the fleece And brought Medea home with him to be old Pelias Neece To Thessalie Medea came and hearing what was done Against the aged Pelias she presently begun To practise treason at the last and causd the aged sire By his own daughters to be slaine this was for Pelias hire For he that could not trust the man that was his kinsman near But purposely did seek his death to free himselfe from fear Had such a chance ere that he wist Medea did the deed His ielous mind was chiefest cause that made him so to speed The Oracle long time before did know old Pelias mind Wherfore it told what destenie was to the man assignde Of fiftie daughters Danaus to be the sire was knowne Aegiptus then his brother had so many sonnes his own Aegiptus would haue all these his sonnes his brothers daughters wed But Danaus would not consent wherfore away he fled And tooke his daughters all with him because he did suspect A sonne in law would be his death therfore he did reiect The offer that his brother made but why he did refraine The cause was thus the Oracle did say he should be slaine By him that was his sonne in law wherefore he sought to shunne Such destinie as might befall through such a wicked sonne Aegyptus wroth with this his deede did send his sonnes to stay Their vncle that before was fled and pact from thence away His sonnes according to his will old Danaus did take And causde him there against his will a marrige day to make His daughters all were wedded then against their fathers will Eche man his cousin germaine had Aegyptus did fulfill His mind at last and did reioyce in this so strange a march But Danaus not well content did worke a swift dispatch Because he fearde the prophecie least that on him should light He did commaund his daughters all they should appoint a night Wherein eche one with willing minde her slumbring mate should slay And disappoint the prophecie before the morrow day His iealous minde did vexe him so he still did doubt the worst Til it was done he could not rest the man did so mistrust According to the fathers minde they did commit the act The nuptiall bed was so defilde with such a filthie fact All sauing one was slaine that night a hard and cruel part Whose life was saude for that his wife did wil him thence to start For very loue she bare to him though all her sisters had Destroyde their mates which deede she thought to be right vile and bad Thus being saude by such a meane the sonne in law did wexe Right fierce against his father law and earnestly did vexe He vowde reuenge on Danaus that thus vniustly delt He swore that he should taste the same that they before had felt And in the end he slue the wretch for doing of that deede The Oracle pronouncde before how Danaus should speede Thus seeking how to shunne his fate his death he did procure Himselfe was cause of his dispatch when he thought all things sure The Theban king that Laius hight by Oracle was tolde That Oedipus his onely sonne would proue a man too bolde And in the end should be the death of him that was his sier But Laius thought to frustrate that and proue his god a lier Vnto a shepheard of his owne his sonne he gaue to slay And chargde the man vpon his life there should be no delay But presently his sonne to kill and bring him home his heart He shall not liue so long quoth he to make his father smart The shepheard tooke the lad a field but loath he was to kill His Masters sonne that he loude well and yet he must fulfill His masters minde which grieude him sore wherefore he did inuent How he might satisfie the King and saue the innocent That Oedipus were dead he wisht so that his hands were freed From doing hurt vnto the youth and from so vile a deede Wherefore the hurtlesse lad he tooke his legs with twigs he bound And by the heeles vpon a tree he hung him from the ground That no wilde beasts might reach the
the mother did take rest with her children in the morning her two sonnes were founde dead whereby it was gathered that the greatest benefit that man could haue was in the middest of his glory and praise to end his fraile life that the vnconstancie of fickle fortune might not blot out any part of that which he had before gotten Croesus the rich King of Lydia demanding on a time of Solon who was the happiest man that euer he did sée thinking that he would say Croesus for his great riches and wealth but Solon said Tellus a man of Athens who had honest and good sonnes and they also had good children all which he sawe in his life and when he had liued a good time honestly at the last fighting against and vanquishing the enemies of his countrie he died a faire death was in the same place honorably buried of the Athenians When Croesus asked who was most happy next Tellus Solon named those whome hee knewe to liue and die most happiest not naming Croesus at al where at he being abashed said vnto Solon My friend of Athens settest thou so little by our felicitie that thou preferrest before vs these priuat persoÌ„s SoloÌ„ answered Truly Croesus in proces of time many things are seene that men would not see and many things are suffered that men would not suffer and speaking much of mans calamitie at the last he concluded saying Ante obitum nemo supremáque funera foelix No man is happie or thorowly blessed before his last and vttermost end and that the end of euery thing is to be looked on where to it shall come for God plucketh vp many men by the rootes vnto whom he gaue all thinges at pleasure therefore I cannot account any man happy before his end be knowne Croesus made hereto no countenance at al but esteeming Solon for a foole considering hee passed so lightly vpon things which appeared good let him depart A good space after Croesus attempting warre against Cyrus king of Persia was at the last taken of him who caused a great pile of wood to be made redy and Croesus to be gyued and set on the top therof to be burned Then forthwith Croesus remembring the words of Solon that no man liuing was blessed or on all parts happy lamenting cried O Solon Solon Solon which Cyrus hearing caused it to be demaunded of him who it was that he named Croesus with much difficultie told who it was and declared all that was before rehearsed which wheÌ„ Cyrus had heard remembring himselfe to be also a man sore repented that he went about to burne him which was equall to himselfe in honour and riches and commaunded him to be taken from the fire which then began to flame so with great difficultie he was deliuered who coulde not perceiue his own errour before experience had made him wise wherefore in such causes it may aptly be sayd Phryx plagis emendatur he bethought himselfe too late Scho. It is sufficiently apparant by your examples that the life of man cannot be happy vntill his ende and that man ought to liue accordingly to attaine to that happinesse but the nature of men is so farre from that consideration that they rather thinke themselues immortall and without end as doth appeare by their liues most euident for they liue now in these our dayes according as the Agragentines did in times past for the wise Plato said of them They bâ—â—ded as if they would liue euer and fedd as if they should alwayes die because of their costlines in building and their delicatenes in eating the one shewing the immortall minde of man and by the other contrary to their meaning they runne headlong to an vntimely death which surfetting end according to the opinion of the wise Philosophers can not be accounted happy but whereas temperance hath beene the originall ground of our conference it shalbe also expedient that you would make manifest what the want thereof is as well in princes and high estates as in the meanest subiect and what by their vnsatiable coueting they gaine Fa. It is very requisite and necessary truely to shew the vnsatiable appetite of aspiring mindes and what by their inordinate coueting they gaine which commeth by the want of the aforesaid gift whereof I am right wel content my good friend so that you will diligently marke what I shall say herein I will first begin with a king of the Hebrewes whose name was Amasius liued before the incarnation of Christ 853. yeares who although he liued well and contentedly for a space yet in the ende he forgat himselfe and especially he forgat the liuing GOD whom he before had serued which hapned by his successes and innumerable riches where withall he grew so proude that not contenting himselfe he wrote to Ioas king of the Israelites commaunding him his people to be vnder his obedience and gouernement But Ioas after defiance gathered an army and went against Amasius whose people fled before they came to strokes for feare of Ioas himselfe being taken and brought to the king who threatned to kill him except he caused the gates of Ierusalem to be opened that he with his army might enter in there Amasius was forced to breake downe of his owne Citie walles foure hundred cubites by which way his enemie Ioas might enter in being also led as prisoner by his foe into his owne where his aduersary spoyled and robbed him before his face of al the treasure of his house and citie with the treasure of the temple which he commanded to be caried to Samaria and afterward being deliuered his owne people slew him This gained he for his discontentment In like sort Marcus Antonius a noble Roman whome Augustus the Emperour highly fauoured making him companion in the Romane Empire with himselfe vsing him so louingly and friendly that hee wholie ruled and commaunded the Empire so far foorth as Augustus himselfe in consideration wherof Antonius by the lewd enticement of Cleopatra Q. of Aegypt aspired to the whole Empire and to put downe his true and trusty friend Augustus who before had aduanced him to that dignitie for which vnsatiable appetite he was destroyed of his very louing and faithfull friend Also if Caesar Pompey Cyrus Alexander Hanniball and diuers other great Princes had bene coutented with their owne large kingdomes and possessions they had neuer bin driuen to those extreme and shamefull ends as they were so that it may well be prouerbially spoken Aurum Tolosanum habem they died most miserably whose liues and ends I would sufficiently relate and vnfold to the better vnderstanding and perceiuing of the quiet state of contentment and the shamefull fall and destruction of couetous and aspiring mindes but it may be that I shoulde ouer-weary your eares with tediousnesse for where a briefe will serue it were méere folly to make a volume Therefore for the auoyding of the blameable cause of ouer much tediousnesse
gratia venistis Why doe ye not dispatch your purpose in respect of the accomplishment whereof you be resorted hether Then they all looked on ech other in the face being troubled in their mindes greatly repenting their enterprise that euer they went about to worke such villany to so noble a minded Prince who knew their practise before and yet spared to punish them rather choosing himselfe to die than to vse tyrannie on his subiects which indeede had been no cruelty but vpright iustice wherefore they all with one accorde threwe downe their speares and lighted from their saddles confessing their trespasse humbly submitting themselues on their knees crauing mercie at the hands of Darius proffering their voluntarie seruice to doe whatsoeuer hee hencefoorth gaue them in commaundement Thus with the great mercie and clemencie of Darius without bloudshed the vnbrideled stomackes of his nobles were pacified and made quiet which by a bloudy hand he coulde neuer haue brought to passe And from that time foorth they were mindfull of so gratious a benefite remayning euer after most faithfull obedient and full of duetie to Darius their milde and gentle Prince In like maner Titus a Roman Emperor sonne to Vespasianus excelled in humilitie clemencie and courtesie for at such time as two of his chiefest Péeres had consented conspired to the murthering of their master the king Titus hauing knowledge thereof first calling them into a priuie chamber telling them home of their wicked intent wishing them by milde and gentle meanes to become better Subiectes to their hurtles Prince who so farre as he knew had not deserued at their hands the very thought of such a wicked inuention And afterward taking them both with him to a common game or play setting himselfe betweene them both willing them to sit neere his person and so soone as the sword-players came out with their glittering swords Titus called for one of them which was presently deliuered to him then he foorthwith gaue it to the one and after to the other vnder colour of feeling how sharp it was beholding them with a smiling countenance saying Videtisne potestates fato dari frustrà que tentari facinus potiundi spe vel admittendi metu See ye not saith he that authoritie and power is geuen by destinie therefore it is vaine to trie by wicked practise to possesse the place and as vaine it is to feare the losing thereof Meaning thereby that although they had the sword in their handes yet could they not displace him whoÌ„ God had setled Thus courteously did Titus intreate his Nobles saying that he had greater pleasure and more delight to correct offenders with lenitie than to chastice them with cruelty which caused him to raigne more quietly in his life and also at his death to be bewayled thorow the whole earth calling him the darling and delight of mankind He was wont to say y e night that the day before he had not geuen well to the poore or béene liberall amongst his friends Amici perdidimus diem Frends we haue lost a day Gelon king of Syracusa behaued himselfe wonderfull mildly gently and peaceably in his kingdome yet notwithstanding he was of some tearmed a tyrant But this is most certaine that when diuers of his commonwealth sought wayes to shorten his life by cruell murther wayting for fit occasion to execute and accomplish their vile pretended villanie Whereof when Gelon was enformed and certified he called a court and sommoned an assemblie of Syracusians which being done in the presence and countenance of them all hee went vp into an hauty and high place in maner of a pulpit hauing on his bodie harnesse and in his hands weapons bright and glistring In which sort and order he stoode before them making a declaration of his faithfull care which he alwayes had ouer the weale publique tendering the welfare of them all euen as his owne life Hauing thus done he vnarmed himselfe laying down both armour and weapon at his féete and vttered these words to the congregation which was there assembled saying En amictus tunicula nudus armorum asto dedo me vobis vt pro voluntate libitóque mecum agatis Behold I stand before you naked vnarmed in a thinne wastcote I yeald my life into your handes my body is at your commandement deale with me according to your pleasure For saith he I detest the place if you despise my person neither doe I wish any longer to liue in my calling than you shall well like of my gouernment When Gelon had thus yealded himselfe to his subiects the whole assembly of the Syracusians were much amased and thereupon were so affectioned in mind that néeds they would there was no way to the coÌ„trary deliuer those traiterous varlets and rebellious villaines to the kings power to punish them according to the proportion of their offence and gaue him their suffrages vniuersall consents to continue ouer them his dominion gouernmeÌ„t yet not withstanding would not Gelon correct those offenders but fréely forgaue theÌ„ their trespasses counselling them euer after to become better subiects and to wish to him in their harts no otherwise than he would deserue at their hands Which great mercy and fauor of Gelon the king made the Syracusians to honor and duetifully obey him so long as he liued among them and after his death to haue him in perpetuall remembrance for his singular courtesie and notable clemencie They erected and planted a standing image wearing a single peticote representing to the beholder that this king did raigne and rule by gentle and courteous meanes more safer and far stronger than he that should raigne like a tyrant with harnes and armour of proofe Scho. Truely Sir it is now in these our dayes most manifest how mightely the lenitie and gentlenes of Princes is of force and auayleth and with what willing hearts their subiects will venture both life land and limme in the seruice and defence of their so milde and gentle a Prince yea if it were possible that one body should venture the losse of life ten times or presently to runne to ten deaths for the preseruation â—o safetie of such a noble and mercifull Prince no doubt they could make no curiositie in the cause nor scrupulositie on the matter but with willing and fierce mindes boldly venture themselues Contrariwise we both dayly see and reade that cruell tyrants by their tyrannie cannot compell their Subiectes to beare or carry towardes them a duetifull minde and louing heart neither willingly to venture themselues in their causes but drawen as it were by the eares to their defence or els they should fight in their owne quarrels the people also delight reioyce to heare of the ruine and destruction of such tyrannicall Princes yea and that which is worse doe often conspire and practise vnnaturally the death and destruction of such tyrants Wee reade of the cruell tyrant Clearchus King of the Heraclians that when by no perswasions he could be
Sceuola in which when he came to the place hee thrust his right hand willingly into the fire first suffering it to burne to ashes couragiously saying I willingly committe this my hand to the fire which fayled to kill Porsena the tyrant Further affirming at his death that there were thrée hundreth Romanes more redy prest which had also sworne the death of the king if he fayled and would as willingly venture themselues in their Countreys cause as he before them had done and as it were among themselues striuing who first should doe that good seruice to their countrey Which when Porsena had hearde he did not much discommend their faithfulnes towardes their Commonwealth but with all speed remoued his siege and departed from the walles of Rome to the great reioising of the citizens Thus ought euery man to haue a speciall care regard to preserue his natiue countrey and commonwealth For when both Princes and noble estates haue willingly ventured life nay run to present death for the sauegard of the weale publike much more then ought euery priuate person and meane subiect in Prince and Countreyes cause valiantly to venture both life and lim with right couragious mindes in defence of so honest and good a cause Scho. I confesse that euery subiect ought willingly to offer his body in defence of his Prince and natiue Soyle and not to haue so great a care for the preseruation of his priuate person as for the benefit and welfare of his Prince and Commonwealth Were it not a vile reproach and ignomie to those people that should by their cowardlines suffer their king to be slaine in the field and they themselues to remaine aliue and geue the looking on Contrariwise is it not great honor to him that shall hazard his life yea or run to right desperate exploites in the good cause or quarrell of his Prince To conclude it is the part of euery good prince to haue a care of the welfare of his commonwealth and of the preseruation of his subiects and also the part of all honest Subiects to haue a duetiful care to preserue their prince and a manly courage to defend their coūtrey Truely we read in most ancient histories of diuers who by their noble valoure wise policie and manly courage haue defended from the inuation of forrain foes both their weale publique from subuersion their stately townes and cities from ruine and decay also the whole body of their countreymen from most cruel murther and pitifull slaughter and yet in the end haue been most vilely recompenced by their vnkind countreymen Was not Manlius a Roman surnamed Capitolinus who preserued the Capitoll or castle of Rome from the cruell force of the Gaules and did many other noble actes in his Countreis cause throwne down from the top of the same Castle headlong by his owne vnkind countreimen whom he many times both manfully and couragiously had defended and saued Also Miltiades a noble man of Athens which in the field of Marathaon with 10000. Gréekes discomfited and put to flight 600000. Persians and so by his great wisdome and prudent policie saued deliuered his countrey from being ouerrun with such a mighty and huge hoast which otherwise had beene vtterly subdued ouerthrowen but after being cast in arrerage of a certaine summe of mony he was by his vngratefull Countreymen condemned into most cruell prison and there died in fetters and being dead he might not be suffered to be buried vntill his sonne had put on him the giues that his father did weare In like sort Themistocles a noble captain of the same vngrateful town of Athens after he had deliuered his Countrey from the huge terrible power of Xerxes putting him to flight and al his great hoast making y t mightie king by his circumspect wisdome and policie shamefully to flie home in a Fishermans boate vnknowen for the safety and preseruation of himselfe notwithstanding was at the last driuē his Countrey and forced to flie by the vnkinde Citizens to his enemie Xerxes whō before he had driuen from the walles of Athens but Xerxes willingly receiued such a friende with great intertainment and sent him againe with a mighty armie to warre on his owne countrey hoping now that he would be sharply reuenged on his vnkinde citizens But Themistocles being now Lord Generall against his natiue countrey hauing in his power the whole destruction and ouerthrow of his deere commonwealth yet notwithstanding for all that the Athenians had dealt so extremely with him he rather chose to die than any way to hurt his countrey And because he would not shew himselfe a traitor to Xerxes who had put his whole power into his hand and receiued him so courteously in his extremitie nor that he would torment the bowels of his vngratefull citie vnmercifully to spoyle with forraine people his vnkind countreimē to frée himselfe of these two inconueniences hee poysoned him selfe and so died a more faithfull frend to his countreymē than they had deserued After that Demetrius sonne of Philip king of Macedon whom before I spake of had obteined pardon for his father and whole countrey by his great modestie temperance shewed in the Senat of Rome because the Senators did write to his father the king in this maner We the Senators of Rome do not pardō thee for thy owne sake but for the modest demeanor of thy sonne shewed here before vs in the Senate Which thing Philip by the instigation of certaine of his flattering Subiectes did take so displeasantly and gréeuouslie that his sonne was in such estimation and better accounted of than himselfe and therefore so hated his sonne for his great paines and diligent care whereby he preserued both his father and Countrey from the reuenge of the Romanes At whose good hap also certaine of his vnkinde Countreymen with the helpe of his vnnaturall brother Perses so repined insomuch that they procured false witnes to accuse him to his father being willing to heare any cause against his sonne Thus by the surmise of his vnnaturall Countreymen he was condemned to death by his vnkinde father who before had both studied to preserue the honor of his father and also to mainteine the flourishing estate of his countrey Did not the Romanes banish and exile the noble and worthie Cicero by the procurement of Clodius when he had preserued and defended his Countrey from ruine and vtter destruction and saued the noble Citie of Rome from the fury of Cataline euen for because he had put to death the chiefe traytors and enemies of the Common-wealth in that dangerous conspiracie who sought to spoyle sacke take and burne their natiue Citie Rome Was not the same vngratefull Citie Rome found vnkinde to her most deare frend and preseruer the worthie Scipio for when the Romanes were in great distresse thorow the bitter and sharpe warres which the Carthaginians long time most greeuously helde against them being also mightely ouermatched
with the subtile and wilie Hanniball chiefe General of the hoast of the Carthaginians who came marching to the very walles of Rome conquering the Romans staying their Consuls and beating downe their strongest powers whose force and policie made the citie of Rome to shake for feare the Senators graue fathers to tremble in despaire the noble matrones and young damsels to cry out and lament most pitifully as if the Citie euen then shoulde haue beene sacked knowing not how by any meanes to repell the enemie being in this distresse and ready to be spoyled by their mortall foe when all their flourishing young Gentlemen were almost slaine and their chiefest Captaines and most noble warriors put to the sword Now in this great extremitie the noble Scipio required leaue of the sorowfull Romans to reuenge their iniuries on the bloody minded Carthaginians not doubting but that with a lusty courage and circumspect care to encoūter the power and policie of fierce Hanniball Thus when the graue Senators and the rest of the distressed Romanes did see such willingnes in the noble youth Scipio knowing that both his father and vncle were slaine in the same warre before also seeing such inuincible courage in the braue minded Gentleman they all with willing consent made him gouernour almost ouer their conquered band requiring him with lamentable teares hanging about his necke that at this time he would remember their miserable and distressed estate and seek to hold vp and maintaine their wauering Common wealth which was nowe ready to fall into the hands of their cruell enemie Thus Scipio hauing taken his Countreys cause on him with a noble heart marched against the hardie Hanniball and draue him as well by policie as by force out of the borders and confines of Italie ouercomming him in diuers notable battailes in Spaine getting also the whole Countrey of Spaine againe which the Carthaginians had lately woon from the Romanes not resting vntill he had chased and driuen Haniball back into his owne countrey of Affricke yea and in the end penned him vp hard to the very walles of Carthage which was his chiefest defence and refuge where was fought a cruell and bloudy battaile betwixt two of the most noblest captaines of the world contending in that fight for the Empire of the whole world watching to whō now it should fall For the pride of these two empires of Rome and Carthage could neuer digest or brooke the statelines of each other which first was the cause of this bloudy warre but now at this time it was turned to a whole Monarchie for Scipio in this battaile ouercame the Carthaginians and caused stately Carthage to be yeelded to his mercie Now when Scipio had finished this perilous war he returned with the conquest of Affrica and Spaine making the stout captaine Hanniball to fly for his safetie causing the hautie Carthaginians to yeeld them selues on their knees to the mercie of the Romanes returning into Rome with the Empire in a māner of the whole worlde to the great ioy and euerlasting fame of the Romanes Surely a great and sodain change to see the Romans raigne as victors when that not long before the dreadfull Captaine Hanniball had ranged all Italie ouer and driuen the Romanes into their citie of Rome who euery day expected the destruction of themselues and their Citie and now not onely to be Lordes againe ouer their owne Empire but also ouer the stately Carthaginians who before had sought their subuersiō and confusion which hapned by the wise gouernment and valiant courage of noble Scipio The Romanes being now fréed from all miseries and calamities and againe ruling as kings ouer the whole worlde could not chuse but defile themselues with notable ingratitude and spot themselues with wonderful vnkind dealing for Scipio who had thus pleasured his countrey because the world had him in great honor and admiration comming dayly from far to the citie of Rome to behold and doe honour to so valiant and fortunate a Gentleman who had so manfully defended his countrey and gotten such peereles prayse to the Romanes wherfore the Romanes disdayning that the honour of Scipio should dayly so increase repining and grudging at him séeking by all meanes possible to hunt him from the citie because they would not acknowledge themselues to be beholding vnto him for his noble actes despising that any one should liue amōg them that should be accounted the preseruer or vpholder of their common wealth which was by reason of their intollerable pride therefore they sought by all meanes to banish and exile him from the Citie which was by his meanes preserued as the world at this daye can wel witnesse inuenting against him strange and diuers accusations First hee was charged with the olde matter betwixt the Locrenses and Pleminius wherein as they say he being Consull was corrupted with mony and therefore ministred not true Iustice. Againe they layd to his charge that his sonne being prisoner to Antiochus their enemie was deliuered to him without raunsome which they thought was verie suspitious For these small causes he was called before the Senate to answere to their obiections which were but of small importance euen as if he had béen a meane man base person vrging causes against him with extremitie without fauour or hauing anie respect to his noble actes done for the Common wealth which ingratitude he tooke so displesantly that he departed from the Court and went into the countrey to the towne of Lytarne where he dwelled as long as he liued exiling himself frō Rome for euer and at his death he commaunded his bodie to bee buried there also that his bones might not rest in that vnkind Citie The most worthie Captaine Hannibal was also banished Carthage by his vnkinde country men when he had done wonderfull exploytes in his Countreys cause and although he was in the ende conquered by Scipio yet was he well knowen to bée the most famous and worthiest Captain liuing in the world at that time notwithstanding Fortune fauoured him not Thus we sée that diuers are most vile hardly recompenced by theyr vnkinde countrey men for their good seruice done Fame Yet notwithstanding my good friend although diuers Countreys haue béen vnkinde and vngrateful to their noble Countrey men it is no consequent that anie Country man should be vntrue to his natiue soyle and Commonwealth for the fault is much more hainous and farre more gréeuous for the man to be vntrue to his Common wealth than for the coūtrey to shewe an vnkinde part to the man although it be bad in both But now againe to our purpose though wee haue somewhat digressed from the matter in shewing what man ought to doo for his Countrey and with what willingnesse hee ought to hazard life for the preseruation thereof it shall not séeme vnfitt to retire againe to our former conference concerning the gouernment of man which altogether ought to bee grounded on temperance as our former speach hath hetherto
giue mee that which himselfe wanteth whereof I haue sufficient but I will send him that which hee lacketh and I my selfe haue abundantly and as for threats and menaces I nothing at al regard for if I liue saith he my countrie will bring foorth things sufficiently to furnish my life withall so that I shall not need his rewards as for death I do nothing feare but exceedingly desire it which shall deliuer me from my old withered carkas Thus you may perceiue that this wise philosopher accounted them poore which were not satisfied and those rich which were contented Scho. Sir I doo verie well perceiue my error and doo acknowledge it for it standeth with good reason that the riches of this world is contentment and that a coueting and discontented minde is extreame pouertie therefore if it please you to procéed forward according to your pretence I shall according to my promise be attentiue Fa. Well séeing you are satisfied heerein I will proceede further The Philosopher Diogenes as I said before perceiuing the vnconstancie of vnfriendly fortune the mutability of honour with the vncertaintie of life so much contemned despised the vaine preferments and promotions of this transitorie life that he liued content and satisfied with a small portion of possession which was but his bare tub or tun wherein he was Lord and King without controlment crauing neither territories or confines to inlarge this his quiet kingdom finding this his poore patrimonie so voyd of all incumbraunces vexations and inuasions that he contented himself with this life vntill his end turning his tub in the summer toward the North for the coolenesse and shade from the Sunne in winter to the South for the heate and warmnes thereof making his vaunt merelie that he could rule his Lordship and possession as he listed from the inuasions of his enimies which was the sharpe bitter windes by turning his tumbling pallaice Thus liuing in contentment it chanced that Alexander the great king of Macedony hearing the rare fame of this Philosopher thought good to visit Diognes in his tub to heare his wisedome and the cause of his so solitarie liuing came vnto him being set in his tun saying My friend I haue long desired to see thee and to inrich thee being so a poore a philosopher therefore aske of mee what goods or liuing thou needest and I will inrich thee with it to thy great contentment To whom when Diogenes had giuen thankes for his great courtesie offered he saide If thou wilt doo mee this fauour as thou saist then I pray thee take not that from me which thou canst not giue me but stand from before the mouth of my tun that I may haue the light and warmnes of the Sunne which is to me great riches for now thou detainest that from me and canst not giue me the like therefore do me but this fauour and I will craue of thee no other substāce Then said Alexander My friend how much possession lands and reuenues woulde satisfie and content thee if now I should giue thee thyful contentment to whom Diogenes answered Euen as much Alexander as thou must be thy selfe contented with all in the end But at the first he misconstrued the meaning of Diogenes and thought him wonderfull couetous knowing that he himselfe had nowe most part of the world in possession and dayly striued to get the whole therefore he thought it an vnsatiable appetite of him not to be contented with lesse but after consideration on the cause he perceiued that Diogenes meant his length of ground to be sufficient patrimony for himselfe which in the end the greatest king of the earth must be contented withall then said Alexander to him againe My good friend what thing best contenteth thee in this world to whom Diogenes replied saying That thing sir King which thou art most discontented withall in the worlde which is a satisfied and contented mind to couet for no more than sufficeth which in thee saieth he I finde contrary Alexander was nothing at all offended at the reprehension of the wise Philosopher but rather smelling his owne follie said at that time Truely if I wer not Alexander I would be Diogenes But we see that he was Alexāder therefore he could not be Diogenes he was couetous therefore he could not be contented wherefore it appeareth that Diogenes had the gift of temperance not to couet his owne destruction as Alexander did but being rich in contentment despised fortune for that her force coulde not molest or touch him reiecting honour because of the mutablitie and varietie of the same regarding not life for the vncertaintie of it but liued as a man contented fearing no calamitie nor aduersitie whatsoeuer might happē to him but was readie with patience to digest it Sch. Truly it doth appeare most plaine that this man had the gift of temperance sufficiently and that he was nothing subiect to the wauering wheele of fortune neither passing of her smooth countenance nor louring looke liuing a stranger to her whereby he kept himself free from her force notwithstanding I would faine know if the end and death of him were as worthie as his life for No man is called happie before his end which being answerable I must needs confesse the man deserued merit Fa. Indeed you say true it is good in our conference orderly to proceede for the life of man cannot be so cleare but that it may be much dimmed and dusked by an ill ende making digression from the former life but truely Diogenes continued a sound Philosopher vntill his end at his death it is said that he lying grieuously sicke perceiuing it a thing vnpossible for him to recouer his former health by feeling his aged body so much weakened and hauing in this great extremitie of sicknesse smal friends to comfort or relieue him threw himselfe downe tumbling from the top of a bridge abutting néere to the common place of excercises and commanded the kéeper or ouer-séer of the bridge that when life failed and breath was quite departed hee should cast his carkasse into the riuer Ilissus Adeò pro nihilo duxit mortem sepulturam Diogenes So little regarded Diogenes the inuasion of death or the tranquilitie and quietnesse of his bodie in the graue But I say not that this end was commendable in a Christian for he was long before the incarnation of Christ being an heathen man notwithstanding indued with wonderfull wisdome Againe some report of his death after this sort saying he died when he was 90. yeares olde and being at the poynt of death willed his bodie to bee left vnburied saying That he would not be troublesome to his friends to digge and delue for him who had no pleasure in their paine vnlesse they would doo it to auoide the smell and stincking sauor whereby he were likely to annoy them but when his friends asked him whether he would lie aboue the ground to be deuoured of birds and beastes No friends
spared not but beate down the stately walles of his owne natiue Citie Rome because his countriemen fearing his crueltie at the first would not open the gates of the Citie vnto him for which cause hee made the Romans yéelde themselues on their knées to become his faithfull and true subiectes making himselfe Emperour ouer the Romane State which was neuer subiect to Emperour before his time Thus did the pride of his minde still clime for dignitie not béeing satisfied but catching at the verie heauens if his power had extended so farre being fleshed with so manie bloudie broyles and animated with such lordly statelinesse that no Roman péere or potentate might stirre or speak against his wilfulnes Therfore true is the saying of Tully who saith Quem metuunt oderunt quem quisque odit perijsse expetit Whom they feare they hate whom euerie man dooth hate his death is wished for Which saying was truly verefied in him for he grewe in such detestable hate dayly amongst the Romanes that they continually wished and heartely desired his destruction and confusion which came thorough his great pride and in that he would so much be feared Neither was it vnknowen to him that by his aspiring minde and stately behauior he was growen into deadly hate amongst the Romanes for which cause fearing the destruction of expected hap he made a law and instituted a decrée that no Romane should come into the Senate house with anie weapon at all vnder paine of death which was where he most commonly sate in iudgement and where the States of the Romanes assembled themselues together to conferre and determine of causes yet notwithstanding in the end Cassius Brutus extreamely hating the vnquenchable pride of his aspiring minde brought priuely into the Senate in their pockets and sléeues small bodkins little kniues and such other fit instruments for their purpose and sodainely in the Senate house set vpon him vnlooked for stabbing him into the bodie most miserably vntill he died This was the end of mightie Caesar which happened through the default of Temperance which gift if he had possessed he had not so died Scho. O good God what meant the vnsatiable Caesar by his inordinate coueting and by the vncessant climing for vaine superioritie had he delight and pleasure in such cruell slaughters and miserable murders of so many destressed people was his gréedie appetite so hungrie after honour that his minde could neuer be satisfied would not so manie pitiful murders so manie lamentable chances so manie cruell acts so manie hard escapes in his warres which he both beheld in others also felt himselfe mollifie and abate the hautie pride and loftie courage of his aspiring minde wherein he might haue perceiued himselfe as mortall as the rest Surely I much meruaile how hée could register and set downe with his owne pen the whole discourse of his warres and victories compiled in a volume called Caesars Commentaries without blushing chéeks wonderful shedding of teares and déepe sighes from the heart to thinke that for his owne vaine glorie and pride of heart so manie Nations were subdued so manie stately Townes beaten downe sacked so manie people slain and murdred most lamentably that all Europa stood floating with y e blood of his slaughters He might haue considered the nature of man by the disposition of himself for before their Countrey should be sacked spoyled robbed and destroyed by the inuasions and forces of forreign enemies they will most willingly venter life and runne with desperate minds to death in defence of Countrie and libertie but the wise Cato saith Sic facias alteri quòd tibi vis fieri So doo vnto another as thou wouldest thy self be done vnto Euen such measure as he gaue to others such measure was heaped to him againe For when he had depraued diuers kings of their kingdomes spoyled them of their liues wrested from them their goods in the ende as it séemeth he was in one houre depraued of his Empire which he had made firme to himselfe perforce despoyled of his princely regiment and most miserably murdred by the hands of his owne subiects O most vnhappy end Fa. If wee shall goe forward according to promise it is not conuenient to stand long vpon this one example but to procéed Alexander the Great who was the sonne of Philip King of Macedonie in like manner was one whome fortune highly fauored for being but twentie yeares old when first he began his raigne at which time hee set forward to conquere the whole World and at the first subduing the Athenians Getes Lacedemonians Argeans Thalants with all the whole countrey of Greece from thence he went to Hellespont where he conquered all the countries there about marching from thence into Asia where at the first hee slew in one day of Persians 20200. causing also many Cities and strong townes in the same country to yéelde to his mercie as Sardis Lydia Magnesia Phrygia Ephilos Pamphilia Caria Pysidia Lysia Gordin Helicarnus Melyton Selenas Aucyre Paphlagony Solos Malon Lernesus Islon Sebestus with strong Castabulon Then passing to the large country Cilicia where he tooke prisoners the mother and wife of King Darius putting him to flight sleying of the Persians 100000. compelling also Strato the great King of Arade with all the Kings of Syria to yéeld themselues on their knées to his mercie he put to sacke the stately and strong Citie Tyre that neuer before since the beginning of the World had been conquered then sayled hee into Aegypt and so ouer the riuer Nilo where he subdued all the country marching forward to Araby where hee slew the mightie King Darius with manie thousand of his people from thence he passed to the great Citie Babylon which was presently yeelded to him then he conquered the whole countrey of Armenia Atrapine Persepolis Paralacen marching to the huge Nation of the Mardons where he vanguished the Medes Parthians Spartans Thracians Acabians Boetians Cannians Besyrians Nisans Pisides with many more vntill he was letted by the Caspian seas the countrie of Amazon he also subdued and vtterly destroyed the great Prouince of Dranga compelling their King to flie into India to saue his life he ouercame the whole land of Aracosia sacking the Cities Acadera Bactria Cyroposis Scythia Bubacen Basannes Duhanes and the Maurians from thence hee conueyed his armie into India that neuer was inuaded by any one before but by Hercules passing ouer and conquering the high and stéepe Mountaines of Meroae and Dedala with rich Amzaga Mount Arum hee long besiedged and in the end gat it which Hercules before him could not subdue making the Kings of India Omphis Abiazaris and Gamaxus to yeeld themselues on their knees then passed he ouer Hidaspis streames where he vanquished the great King Porus and slewe all his armie still marching to the Sabians Sugdrians and Mallians which he also conquered then to the Oxidricans whome hee vtterly ouerthrew marching on to the vttermost
commanding the whole world to stoupe and be obedient to no other gods but themselues despising to heare of their mortalitie accounting themselues immortall which vile error and abominable opinion procéedeth and is first stirred vp by the proude aspiring minde and vnsatiable appetite of mā in coueting so inordinatly after kingdoms authoritie worldly wealth and such superfluous desire wherby his minde is eleuated to such lordly statelinesse Scho. Truely sir I must néedes confesse that in these our dayes gold is accounted a speciall and chiefe friend to man yea one of the nearest and most surest at the time of néede going thorow with all causes when other friends doe often faile the force whereof when the learned and pleasant Poet Ouid had thorowly by experience found out and sufficiently tryed at the last being banished Rome liuing in exile and being vtterly forsaken of his dearest friends with sorow from the heart repeated these verses saying En ego non paucis quondam munitus amicis dum slauit velis aura secunda meis Vt fera nymboso tumuerunt aequora vento in medijs lacera puppe relinquor aquis Which well may be englished after this sort Behold how many frends were prest while wealth did me support And golden gale did driue my sayle so long would they resort But when both windes and seas did rage and fortune frowned grimme My frends soone left me in the flouds to sinke or els to swimme In like manner we daylie sée that the friendship of many men continueth so long as fortune remaineth and are as companions and friends to fortune folowing the table of the rich proffering déere friendship where gaine is to be hoped after Insomuch that it is aparantly perceiued they are friends to fortune and folowers of welth and not sure ayders of distressed persons so that it may be rightlie saide Donec eris felix multos numerabis amicos Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes Which I English in this sorte When riches rise of friends be sure to haue at neede great store But welth once lost such friends passe bie as faund on thee before For where goods are be sure there friendship cannot be wanting and where substance is decayed there no longer is friendship to be hoped for but as the olde saying is No longer penie no longer paternoster Againe when such hunters after fortune chance to passe bie either towne or villedge spying some house of account they straight way demand who dwelleth there saying What is he rich what store of possessions hath he will hée play the good fellowe and spend franckelie amongst good companions But verie fewe will aske how hee came by his goods whether by good meanes or no not demanding whether he be wise learned or what good gouernement hee hath to order or gouerne his possessions with all Vnde habeas nemo quaerit sed oportet habere From whence he had it or how hee came by it no man enquires but that if he haue it it suffiseth saying further Quantum quisque sua nummorum seruat in arca tantum habet fidei Euen so much money as euerie man keepeth in his chest or coffer euen so much credit he shall be sure to purchase at all times being thorowly perswaded that what so euer is wanting by money it may bee obtained in so much that they are not ashamed to say Et genus formam regina pecunia donat Ladie money dooth giue both noble birth and comlie shape and also it maketh the browne and hardfauored maide to be a tricksie and penie white wench Which blinde error being sufficiently perceiued by the wise philosophers who were wont after a flouting and scoffing manner to deride and mock them saying O ciues ciues quaerenda pecunia primum virtus post nūmos O ye Citizens first of all money is to be sought for vertue is to be folowed after money is gotten Yet notwithstanding Sir although I manifest the common custome and vsiall tradition of men in these our dayes yet doo I not forget your examples which of late shewed the great vnquietnes that dayly hapned to the possessors of such superfluous welth and treasure by daylie disturbing and molesting their quiet state and peaceable life which otherwise without such worldly muck would be frée at libertie from such care and trouble as often hapneth thereby wherefore it is saide Pauca licet portes argenti vascula puri Nocte iter ingressus gladium contumque timebis Et motae ad lunam trepidabis arundinis vmbram Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator Which I English thus Although of coyne small store you beare yet traueling in the night Both sworde and speare you feare and think each bush is prest to fight And starting at a shaking reede by feare doo stop and stay But he that wants the coyne dooth sing before the chiefe all way Who can sing so merie a note As he that cannot change a grote But now sir cōming to your last conclusion Is it possible that by any quantitie of worldly goods or by any honour and duety done to man or by any felicitie or happie successe in this world so to eleuate the minde of man with such stately pride that he will not acknowledge himselfe to be a mortall man but commaund himselfe to be honoured as an immortall God Truely I had thought the mettall whereof man is made coulde not haue yeelded foorth that minde but surely in mine opinion they haue neither the gift of temperance nor of any other vertue that so farre runne beyond the bounds of reason clyming for that which their mortall carkases shall neuer attaine vnto Truely I am hardly perswaded but that the very nature of man it selfe would abhorre and detest such a mightie error and most monstrous sinne Wherefore my request is that you especially would vnfould and relate this at large as the most necessariest note to man of all the rest Fame Doubt not my friend but that the proud minde of man hath aspired as high as the heauens coueting the place of a God Nay haue thought themselues in the very place of the highest commaunding themselues accordingly to be adored and worshipped Neither could diuers proud kings of y e earth abide to heare of their mortalitie For the Lacedemonian king Pausanias being bidden to a banquet Simonides a learned Poet of Gréece being at the same time thether also inuited who was requested by Pausanias the king that he shoulde speake somewhat which sauoured of wisdome wherein he might take pleasure Whereat the good old man laughed and said Tunc memento te hominem esse Then remember thou art a man But Pausanias tooke it in very hard part that he saucily woulde vndertake to tell him of his mortalitie accounted Simonides but a foole for his labour thinking him to be drunke or not well in his wittes But not long after this proud king was taken prisoner in a great battaile and was committed to a strong
life by no meanes he coulde saue or preserue Now was Darius ouercome when his power was most strongest with the benefites and friendlinesse of his foe so honouring in his heart his aduersarie that for loue he bare him he could not arange his battaile against him reioysing greatly in himselfe and also saying to his friends If I am ouercome in this warre yet notwithstāding I haue great cause to reioyse that I shall be conquered by so noble a minded prince Wherefore againe he sent his letters to Alexander offering him the greater part of his kingdome to the riuer of Euphrates with his other daughter and for the other captiues he offered three hundred thousand talents But Alexander returned this answere refusing the compositiō saying It was need lessethankes of his enemie for he alwaies had vsed to reuenge himselfe on armed men and on his fighting foe and not vpon hurtlesse women Thus by the hautie courage of Alexander Darius was forced and drawen into the fielde vnwillinglie to fight against his enemie whom he estéemed as a friendly foe notwithstanding there was fought betwixt them a fierce and cruell battaile the Persians in the end being ouerthrowen with great slaughter for that Darius their Captaine could not encourage or stirre them vp to fight against his friend In which conflict certaine of the friends and alliance of Darius séeing the battaile vtterly lost and that Alexander was like presently to be Lord of the field sought to betray their king into the hands of Alexander thereby to pick a thanke or as they say to currie fauour In accōplishing of which thing Darius was sore wounded by his allies notwithstanding he escaped preuented their purpose But Alexander not hearing of Darius sent out seuen thousand horsmen to prosecute after him whō when they could not finde they requested leaue to rest themselues and their ouer wearied horses then one of the souldiers going to water his horse at a certaine riuer thereby by chaunce found out Darius lying in a coach or chariot being mortally wounded with many gréeuous hurtes ready to yéeld vp his life comming néere to the coach he did plainly perceiue that it was Darius and Darius did well knowe that he was one of the crewe or bande of Alexander wherefore he called him to his coache saying My good friend I greatly reioyce that it is my good fortune before I die to haue so fitte a messenger as yourselfe to carrie these my last words not to my enemie but to my good frend Alexander at whose handes I haue founde great fauour say thou my friende that I confesse I die greatly indebted vnto him being altogether vnable to requite the very least of his courtesies shewed to my mother wife and children and that I haue of him a more happier enemie than my kinsmen are frendly For my mother wife and children haue found both fauour and life at the hand of mine enemie and I my selfe am depriued of life by my kinsmen and allies to whom I gaue both life and land Wherefore I wish as great happines to fall on him as he being victor can wish or desire and that I euen now dying doe wholy committe and betake both myself my landes and goods into the hands of so noble a minded prince praying both to the high Gods and also to the infernall powers that he may be victor against whomsoeuer he wageth warre and that all blessings may happen to him according to his owne hartes desire And for the further acknowledging of my vnfeined loue and well wishing desire towardes Alexander my approued friend take here of me this my right hande which thou seest me cut of willingly being aliue and carrie it to thy Lord and master my good friend as a sure seale and firme pledge of my vnfeyned good will and hartie well wishing towards him Thus died Darius when hee coulde no otherwise gratifie and recompence his friendly foe for the great fauoures and courtesies shewed to his familie than by the acknowledging of his clemencie and and gentlenes This friendly fauour of Alexander was soone spred thorow the world and more often repeated to his high praise and commendation than the great and famous victorie which he had against the Persians which was a most wonderfull conquest and remayneth at this day the very chiefe and most principall praise and merite to Alexander Was there not likewise singular courtesie and wonderful gentlenes in King Darius which Alexander conquered For at such time as certaine of his noble men sought to entangle and take him by treason which were of no small account amongst the Persians Darius the King hauing intelligence of their wicked practise thus considered with himselfe and brake it vnto his secrete friend saying Here are diuers noble men which traiterously haue conspired my death if now I shoulde put them all to the sworde there is no doubt but that I should stirre vp against me many of their friends and allies and so be forced to make great effusion of bloud which truely is contrarie and repugnant to my nature The cause surely to me is vnknowen why they should thus wickedly worke my hurt It may be they would be better cōtent with another king to raign ouer them than with me now their present prince yet truely I rather chuse to haue it registred of their disloyaltie toward their Prince by my death than to purchase to my selfe the name of a cruell tyrant by their bloudy slaughters With these considerations he concealed the matter making a shew as though he nothing mistrusted any such thing on a time riding foorth a hunting these noblemen which had conspired against him flocked together hoping now to get some conuenient time and place for their purpose riding with the king to the forrest making a shewe of great ioy and gladnes to the end the king should suspect no euill but he full well knew their intent though he dissembled the matter Thus following their game they trouped together hoping that the king would come that way which they had laide and stauled for him which indéede he did The King séeing their intent and spying their order singled himself from the rest of his companie going directly to the traytors who stoode in ambush redy to fulfill and accomplish that for which cause they came The king boldly rushed into the middest of them saying Now ye traytors dispatch and committe that which ye are determined to doe I haue long time knowē your intent for because I would not be counted a bloudy prince I haue spared you all rather chusing that your handes should be unbrued in the bloud of your giltlesse Prince to your euerlasting infamie and dishonor than my sworde should be stayned with the slaughter of so many Subiectes wishing rather here to die and free your troubled mindes than to liue and remaine such an eyesore to so many noble estates though traytors to their Prince Therefore said he Quid igitur non exequimini id cuius
pronounce and declare in his owne behalfe saying Plus ego togatus quà m armati decem I did saith he more by my counsell in the Senat than ten armed men in the field And in maintaining of his argument he further said Dux Agamemnon Greciae nunquam optat vt Aiacis similes decem habeat at vt Nestoris quandoque We neuer reade saith he that Agamemnon the chiefe ringleader and Captaine of the Greekes did euer wish that he had ten strong and forcible men like to Aiax but sometime hee would wish that he had ten prudent and wise Counsellers like to prouident Nestor And according to the opinion of learned Cicero prouident wisdome and circumspect carefulnesse is rather to be expected in graue and aged yeares than in greene and youthfull heads For in his booke de Senectute he doeth alleadge these authorities Apud Lacedemonios quidem ij qui amplissimum magistratum gerunt vt sunt sic etiam nominantur senes Amongst the auncient Lacedemonians saith he those which did beare any high authoritie were called aged Fathers as indeede they were otherwise they coulde not bee admitted to such offices And againe vpon the same occasion he saith thus Quod silegere aut audire voletis externa maximas respublicas ab adolescentibus labefactatas a senibus sustentatas reperietis If saith he either ye will reade or heare outward and forraine examples ye shall finde that great Common-wealthes and mightie Kingdomes haue fallen and decayed thorow young mens gouernment and againe how they haue bene vpholden and maintained by the graue gouernement of olde men When the Romanes were thorowly wearied by the wilfull rawnes of their youthfull Captaines buying experience by their dayly sufferance with extreame losses and lamentable slaughters of their people then in the ende for redres thereof they al with one consent constituted and made a decrée that if any Captaine or Leader in time of warre should vnadvisedly or sodainly set on the enemie without the consent or appointment of the Centurion or Captaine generall yea although he vtterly vanquished and ouerthrewe the aduersarie yet notwithstanding his ouer rash attempt and wilful boldnes should as gréeuously be punished as if he had bene enemie to his countrey for that Fortune might as well haue caught their folly as fauoured their rash enterprise Pap. Curtius being Dictator commanded that F. Rutilius master of his horsmen should be beaten with rods after beheaded for fighting against his commandement though he had the victory Neither would Papirius forgeue the punishment at the intercession of the Souldiers and when as he Hed to Rome he also pursued him neither would he there remit the dreadfull punishment vntill that Fabius and his father fell down on their knees and that also the Senat and people made intercession for him Manlius caused his sonne which against his commandement had fought with his enemy that had chalenged him though he got the victorie to be beaten with rods and haue his head stricken of Thus the Romans preuented many miseries which otherwise might haue hapned to their cōmō sorow heauines I would not it should be thought I altogether disalow yong captains condenming them al with vnaduised iudgement as the Emperor of Greece did the young ambassadors of Athens to be either rash wilful or foolish hardy or voyd of any good gouernment for then should I speak fondly and vnaduisedly in ouer rashly condemning their secrete vnknowen qualities When diuers of the aged Consuls graue leaders with other worthie Captaines of great experience of Rome were slaine in the Carthaginian war and that the whole Romane Empire did shake for feare hauing none left aliue vnto whom they might trust in this perilous warre to fight against so subtile and craftie a foe as Hanniball was who before had slaine such a mightie number of their worthy men Thus being in such perplexitie lamenting sore their distressed state and fearing the present subuersiō of their Citie then in this their great extremitie yong P. Cornelius Scipio the sonne of that Scipio which before was slaine in Spaine in the same warre by the Carthaginians being but three and twenty yeares olde earnestlie craued of the Senate that he might haue the office and authoritie to fight against wily Hanniball who had done them such high displeasure and made their whole state so pensiue and sad not doubting but to be reuenged on their enemies for their forepassed crueltie But the distressed Romanes seeing the tender yeares of the young Gentleman were doubtfull to committe such a waighty cause into his hande some of them speaking against his yeares as a man not alowable in such extremitie and againe some for that his father and uncle were both slaine in the same warre wherefore said they it is greatly to be feared considering his youthfull yeares and also the death of his Father least that he should be ouer rash in seeking speedy reuenge to his owne perill and their losse Notwithstanding the graue Senators wisely considering on the cause seeing the willingnes of the young man and his wittie Oration vttered there before them all at the same time committed their whole state into his hande who gouerned it with such wise policie and carefull foresight that he did not onely match the worthy Hannibal but also draue him out of Italie Spaine who before had viewed the Roman walles minding foorthwith to haue taken their citie forcing him also to flie into his countrey of Affrica and at the last home to the very walles of Carthage where he vtterly vanquished him seising on the whole Empire of Carthage to the vse of the Romanes Thus when the graue and valiant captaines were some slaine some put to flight and other some not daring to incounter with such a victorious Captaine as Hanniball was the yong Scipio by his manly valour wise policie and circumspect leading of his army both fréeed his Countrie from such a perillous enemie and also made the stately Empire of Carthage subiect to the Romanes to the great glorie and renowne of his Countrie and to the euerlasting remembrance of his name In like sorte Alexander the great the most famous Captaine and leader that euer liued was but twentie yeares olde when he ouerthrewe most mightie Kings and strong Princes with a very small number therefore wisedome and pollicie consisteth not in gray haires nor victorie altogether dependeth in olde age notwithstanding youth ought to haue a speciall care to ground all their actions vpon temperance with an open eare to sage aduise and wise counsaile and then no doubt victorie will not altogether consist and depend on fickle fortune But before I proceede any further to shewe the calamities and miseries of ruinous warre it shall not séeme amisse to shew what subtile sleights wise policies and cunning Stratagems haue beene in ancient time vsed to delude and mocke the enemie withall being also things very necessarie diligently to be noted in these our troublesome dayes
most excellent things in the worlde that euer were séene or heard of Now when all these ordinances of Alexander were red by Perdicas heard by the Macedonian Princes although they loued their master maruellously yet when they saw his enterprices to be such and of so great charge they all agreed with one consent that nothing should be done therin departing euery man to his Prouince whereunto he was appoynted by the gouernor Perdicas Shortly after they were all departed and seperated one from another Perdicas thought good hauing so fit oportunity to reuenge himselfe on those that first hindered him from being king And for because that Meleager now prince of Lydia whē he was sent ambassador to the footmē did earnestly stād against his desire altogether preuented his intent therefore Perdicas in reuenge first of all other most cruelly slew him with 30. of the most principall souldiers that were against his proceedings The other princes soon had intelligence of the things Perdicas had done fearing he would shew the like crueltie on them hearing also what their master Alexander had said on his deathbed which was that his kingdomes possessions should be possessed of the most worthy wherfore euery of them enioying so large prouinces and territories thought themselues as worthy personages as either Aride the king or Perdicas his gouernor insomuch that the most part of them would be subiect to neither but seniorized their Prouinces to their owne vses chalenging the name and title of kings deuiding themselues taking part one against the other euery one striuing who should bee worthiest Which words of Alexander together with their stately pride was the originall cause that the whole number of Princes and captaines successors to Alexander perished and were vtterly destroyed for they earnestly coueted each others kingdome raising among themselues bloudy war and cruell strife snatching after the most worthy place not forcing of cruell murthers or lamētable slaughters but with eger minds būted after y e goods life of ech other vntil they had vtterly rooted out consumed themselues for Perdicas hauing slaine Meleager and other of his fellow seruitors in Alexanders warres toke vpō him to go into Egypt to dispossesse Ptolome whom before he had placed in that Prouince But there because he behaued himselfe so proudly dismissing his captains vpon small occasions at his pleasure his souldiers set vpon him most fiercely slew him the greatest part of his army being gone to Ptolome King Philip Euridice his wife wer most cruelly murthered by Olympias Alexanders mother Craterus cōming against Eumenes in opē battail was by him slaine Eumenes also was slain in fight by Antigonus Antigonus likewise put to death Python and gaue his prouince to another Antigonus going to batel against Antioch the sonne of Seleucus was himselfe slain by default of his sonne Demetrius It was credebly reported that the night before Antigonus was slaine his son Demetrius dreamed that Alexander who before was dead came stood before him with his sword drawne saying I wil take part with thy enemies against thy father and thee in the morning also when Antigonus aranged his phalange or square battell of footmen comming foorth of his Tent to fight he stumbled and sell downe flat to the groūd and after he was lifted vp againe holding vp his hands to heauen he said I know hard fortune and euill successe drawethny but I pray the immortall Gods rather suffer me to be slaine in this battel than shamefully before mine enemie to flie Also old Antipater falling sick on a surfet which he had takē in these warres deceased and left the kingdome of Macedon to Polispercon his frend and not to Cassander his owne sonne which also caused great controuersie to arise betwixt his sonne Cassander and his friend Polispercon But in the end Cassander expelled Polispercon his fathers kingdome Not long after he himselfe came to vntimely death leauing behind him two sonnes the eldest hight Alexander the other Antipater which Antipater after he had slaine his owne mother sought meanes to driue his brother Alexander out of Macedon For which cause Alexander sent for ayde to king Pirrhus in Cyprus to Demetrius Antigone his sonne in Peloponnesus howbeit Demetrius being so occupied about the estate and affaires of Pelopōnesus whē the Ambassadors of Alexander came that hee coulde by no means help him In the mean time Pirrhus with a great armie came thether and in recompence of his ayde charge took possession of so large a peece of Macedon laying it to his owne countrey of Epyre that Alexander greatly dreaded him And while he abode in this feare he was aduertised that Demetrius was with his whole power comming to his ayde Wherupon he considering the authoritie great renowne of Demetrius and also the worthines of his déedes for which causes he was highly honoured through the whole world did now more than before feare his estate if he entered his realm wherfore he foorthwith went to méet him whom at their first méeting he right courteously and honorably entreated greatly thanking him for his courtesie and trauell in that he would leaue his own affaires of great importance and with so mightie an army come to his ayde further telling him that he already had wel quieted and established his estate so that he should not néede any further to trauell Neuertheles he thought himselfe so much bounde as if he had come at his first sending for or that all things had béen by his meanes quieted To these words Demetrius answered that he was right glad of his quietnes and that he had now no néed of his helpe besides many other louing and gentle words which gréeting ended either of thē for that night returned into his tent During which time there arose such matters betwixt thē that the one greatly suspected the other for as Demetrius was bid to supper with Alexander he was willed to take heede to himselfe for Alexander had practised by treason to slay him notwithstanding he by no mean shewed any countenance of mistrust but meant to go to the banquet to whose lodging Alexander was comming to bring him on his way But Demetrius diuersly detracted the time went a soft easie pace to y e ende his souldiers might haue leisure to arme them and cōmāded his garde being a greater number than Alexanders to enter with him also to waite neer his person but when Alexanders souldiers saw themselues the weaker part they durst not attempt it at that time And after supper because Demetrius would haue some honest cause to depart he fayned he was some what ill in his body therfore foorthwith took leaue of Alexander went thence The next day Demetrius feined that he had receiued letters out of his countrey of great importance so that he with his army must presently return into Peloponnese frō whēce he came praying Alexander to haue him excused offering him
had slaine with the fained loue of Polixena her daughter for causing doating Achilles to come to Pallas Temple after a subtle and treacherous sort where hee was traiterously slaine by Paris her sonne also In like case Neoptolemus otherwise called Pirrhus for his fierce and stearne visage the sonne of the most worthie Achilles after he had slaine aged Priamus King of the Troyans and murdred his sonne Polites at the Altar in the presence of Hecuba his tender mother and sacrificed his Daughter Polixena on the toomb of Achilles sharply reuenging his Fathers death wrought by Hecuba her daughter Thus when hee had both reuenged Menelaus wrongs and the traitrous murder of his Father Achilles was himselfe slaine by Orestes for certayne occasions about Hermione which happened in his absence Aiax a most renowmed Greeke being companion to Achilles alwaies accounted of the Grecians the next in force strength to noble Achilles therefore Aiax claimed the armor of his slain companion for that his strength farre surpassed al the Greeks and also in consideration of his good seruice done at that ùege notwithstanding Vlisses earnestly contended for the armour of slaine Achilles encountring Aiax with eloquence pleading also before the Greekes that he had conuayed the slaine bodie of Achilles to Thetis his mother on his backe which otherwise might haue lost the honour of his funeral Thus in the end Vlysses by his eloquent tongue obtained the armour for which cause Aiax fel mad chasing after wilde beasts threatning them by reason of his frantick moode to be the person of Vlisses and in this sort he died Vlisses also sonne to Laertes after hee had done many notable exploits at the same siege for that as the report goeth when he had conuated the sacred relique Palladium and fatall destinie of the towne away was himself driuen to sea by the displeasure of Pallas from whose temple he had conuaied the relique where he wandred the space of ten years losing in his perillous iourney the armor of Achilles for which he had so mightely contended leauing in that voyage his companion Achemenides in the dangerous den of the Ciclops where he lost other of his fellowes and mates by Poliphemus the cruell giant at the last hauing lost al both that which he brought from Greece and also that which he had gotten at the subuertion of Troy he chanced home againe where he remained for a time vnknown suffering many spitefull displeasures by the suters of Penelope his chast wife whom after he had vanquished by the helpe of Telemacus his sonne was finally in the same quarrell slaine himself by his bastard sonne Telogonus In like manner Palamedes was slaine at the siege of Troy by his countrimen which happened through the craft of Vlisses for when first the Gretians began to prouide for the Troyan war Vlisses being newly maried to fayre Penelope would willingly haue staid at home in Greece with his daintie loue insomuch that he fayned himselfe mad cupling dayes togeather fondly plowing frantickly in y t field but Palamedes loath to lose so fit a companion smelling also out the matter laide Telemacus the young Sonne of Vlisses in the furrow where his father came with the plough to proue his madnes Vlisses was not so mad but perceiued his sonne lifted his plough from the furrow to misse his child then cried Palamedes with a loud voyce saying Thy craft Vlisses is perceiued therefore lay aside thy plough and take in hand thy weapons so by the meanes of Palamedes the suttle craft of Vlisses was found out notwithstanding Palamedes scaped not unreuēged for as Dictis Cretensis whose person was there present and also whose works at this day remaine extant reporteth on this sort Igitur simulato quod thesaurum repertum in puteo cum eo partiri vellent remotis procul omnibus persuadent vt ipse potius descenderet Eumque nihil insidiose metuentem adminiculo funis vsum deponunt ac properè arreptis saxis quae circum erāt desuper orbuunt Vlisses with the help of Diomedes fayned that they had found secretly hidden in a well a certaine masse of money which they would willingly part with Palamedes if it shuld so please him perswading him to goe downe into the well which thing he vnaduisedly did by the help of a cord suspecting no euil at al but Vlisses and Diomedes flinging downe stones violently which lay there about ready for the purpose stoned Palamedes to death who mistrusted no such matter In this sort saieth Dictis Vlisses reuenged himself on Palamedes but other authors otherwise affirme saying that when Vlisses lay before Troy to work reuengment on him who was the cause of his being there he vsed this suttle policie he counterfeited letters from Priamus directed to Palamedes wherin he made mention of certaine money which he before had sent him giuing him hartie thanks for diuerse treasons which he before had condescended vnto also which money Vlisses had caused to bee hid in his tent by corrupting of his seruants now when these fayned letters were found Palamedes called in question about the matter Vlisses earnestly tooke part with him saying that he verily thought Palamedes had wrong and that these letters were fayned by the enemie which thing saith he may easilie be found for if you can finde any such money either about him or els where secretly hid by his meanes then no doubt he is gilty of this treason but if not as I am fully perswaded then ye must think that the man hath mightily béen iniured by some dispitfull foe then was search made in his tent where the same money was found closely digged in the groūd which y e counterfeit letters made mentiō of for which cause the whole hoast of the Gretians cried out for spéedie reuengement wherefore he forthwith was cōdemned by the péers of Grece to be stoned to death which iudgement presently was executed so died Palamedes who alwaies had been true to his countrimen Anticlus a noble peer of Greece in like sort at the same siege died in vntimely death for being in the huge horse which the Gretians had framed before Troy to be the fatall destruction of the Troyans with a number of other Gretian Lords secretlie hidden in his hollow paunch or woomb the rest of the Armie of Greece flying to Tenedos as if they would haue returned home to Greece againe Anticlus now remaining behinde in the holow horse which stood before Troy being accōpanied with these worthy Princes Thoas Vlysses Menelaus Neoptolemus Achilles brother with manie other noble states The Troians hearing that the Grecians had consecrated that horse to Pallas to appease her wrath now in the absence of the Greciās thronged and wonderfully clustred about the horse some of them wishing to burne it saying it was a false frame inuented of Vlysses to betray their Citie namely Lacon who cried out Breake downe or burne this hollow horse wherein
tooke land at new built Carthage where Dido otherwise called Elisa was Quéene gouernesse there being by her right friendly receiued willing both him and his companie to vse her Countrey as their owne possessions repairing his shaken shippes giuing freely al necessaries to the whole number of his wandring companions commaunding that nothing should be wanting that might pleasure the distressed Troians her selfe oftentimes vsing to welcome her wearied guest whereby she fel in loue with the comely parsonage of beautifull Aeneas euen so farre as plighted vowe on both partes could assure them Aeneas faithfully promising continuall stay and abode in her Countrey but being a Troian he could not digresse from his vnfaithfull progenitors for thorow his disloyal heart and wandring minde he priuily by night stole away from Carthage leauing the pensiue and sorrowfull Queene in the lurch and to holde herselfe to her owne harmes for which vnfriendly part seeing herselfe so deluded and mocked by the vnfaithfull Phrygian presently slewe herselfe for very griefe which she had conceiued thorowe his vnstedfast promise Notwithstanding the Romans still fauoring their predecessor do affirme to hide that vnfaithfull part that Aeneas was warned in his sleepe to depart from thence and seeke out a land which the gods themselues had predestinated to him and his issue meaning by Italie which he after won by force Thus when he was departed from Carthage and had spoyled and robbed diuers other coastes and Countries at the last landed in Italie where thorow corruption by gifts cruel threats by menacing meanes and also by faire promises and allurements he made such discord and dissention in the Countrey of Italie whereby great slaughters of people were horribly committed insomuch that in the ende he attained vnto the Diademe and Crowne of the whole Countrey firmely establishing himselfe in the kingdome which he by force had taken from the quiet Princes thereof there raigning king vntill hee died whose death the Romans seeming to hide for that as they say hee descended from the goddesse Venus wherefore hee was taken vp into Heauen and there placed amongest the Starres for euer to raigne immortall Then after the death of this vnfaithfull fugitiue his sonne Ascanius raigned also after whose decease Siluius Posthumus his sonne succeeded who as both the Romans and Englishmen do affirme begat Brutus who slew Posthumus his father for which cause being vanished Italie when he had troubled diuers other quiet countries at the last tooke lande in the Ile which then was called Albion of one of the thirty daughters of Dioclesian which landed heere by chaunce and named it Britanie staying the huge and mighty Giants whom the deuills themselues had begotten on Dioclesians daughters as the English histories at this day reporteth a foolish toy for the inhabitants of this noble Ile to deriue themselues and fetch their pedegrée from deuills and then after from the gods First to cōfute this foolish error It is most certainely knowne that there was no such king in Syria who was called by the name of Dioclesian for that no ancient Authour of the Syrians make mention of any such name neither of his daughters which as the English Chronicles at this day affirme were put into a small vessell or boat by their father Dioclesian and committed to Sea without either pilote or guide chauncing to land in this Ile naming it after one of their names who was called Albion as the fond saying goeth and then forsooth this Ile being inhabited with deuills at their first arriuing the sisters were carnallie knowne by the deuills themselues and thereof did spring mightie and huge Giants which afterwardes were slaine by Brutus who descended from the gods as they also affirme Which vaine opinion in like sort is both ridiculous and foolish for that neyther the Commentaries of Iulius Caesar the works of Cornelius Tacitus nor the Histories of Diodorus Siculus who did write of this noble Ile made anie mention at all of any such Brutus being descended from the Troyans neither doo the Romans themselues nor the Greekes write of any one called Brutus before Iulius Brutus who did expell Tarquinius out of Rome which was long since the time of Siluius Posthumus It is also to be considered that if Iulius Caesar who made a conquest of this Ile a thousand and fiue hundred yeares since had then knowne that the people thereof had discended from the Troyans as both himselfe and all the other Romans did no doubt he would not haue made warre against this land but rather haue sought to ayd and succour it But the vanity of the English nation is such to deriue their genealogie from the Troians for that as I haue saide before they sprang and descended from the gods or els to fetch their original from Albion who brought forth huge giants by the helpe of diuells so that they must there is no remedy either descend from the gods or else from the diuells themselues this follie first sprang vp amongst the Romans who chalenged their pedegrée from the Troians which as they say descended from the gods and in like sorte the Englishemen to the intent they would spring from the gods as well as the Romans faine that Brutus sonne to Posthumus one of the Troian stocke arriued in this Ile and named it after his owne name Brytannia which truely in mine opinion can not bee true for that his name was Brutus which if you marke it is altogether vnlike vnto Britannia and to mend the matter also they affirme that first they sprang of deuills a goodly commendation to this noble Ile But for that the proude Romans thorow their vaunting vanity did deriue themselues from the gods which they right well knewe were but earthly kinges for that the heathen kinges in those dayes were called gods notwithstanding since the corruption of the time both the Romans and the Englishmen thinke that they are linially descended from the gods themselues for otherwise the Romans would not be so proude and stately as at this day they are wellknowne to be nor the Englishmen so vaine to challenge their pedegrée or recount their genealogie from the most wicked Troians vnlesse they were fully perswaded that the Troians came from the immortal gods which foolish opinion first sprang from the Romans by ouermuch esteming their progenitors Which fond and vaine errours to confute diuers learned men are of this opinion by studious seeking out of the workes of ancient historiographers that the Greekes when first their Cities became populous waxing rich and puissant after they knewe the cunning Art of Sailing first of al other people found out this Ile naming it Olbion which in Greeke is happie for the abundance of all thinges necessarie that they founde there therefore no doubt but that in so long a time as hath bene since Olbion by the corruption of the continuaunce might well he called Albion or else they at that time finding this land by the white rockes and
house I higher stept to highest place of state For Pryamus the king of Troy did take me for his mate Who was the stately Emperour of Asia and there Amongst the hautie Phrygians the diademe did weare Then Queene was I of flaunting Troy The Troyans all reioyce That Priamus their Lord and king had made of me his choice There many noble sonnes had I the world doeth witnes beare No Nation vnder heauen that day with me durst once compare In valure with so many sonnes by one brought foorth to sight Each people on the earth as yet will yeeld to them their right That for so many bretheren as I brought foorth poore Queene I say againe that neuer since by any hath beene seene And that I meane to prophesie wherefore I dare be bold To say the like will neuer be while heauen and earth dooth hold But for because I would not wish thou shouldst my name mistake Whom Greekes and Romanes long agoe in dolefull verse did make The world to know and now my selfe shall verefie the same Who called me olde Hecuba so truely was my name A wretched wight too olde indeede for that I liude so long To scape the fire that burned Troy to suffer further wrong O would to God I then had died when Pryamus my mate By Pyrrhus sword receiude the wound but now I wish too late Fell destinie denide me that and sparde me for the nonce To plague me with a thousand woes ten thousand all at once But first to tell my fatall hap and orderly proceede To shew howe that the angry gods against me had decreede And vowed I thinke by one consent to worke me double woe Or else I neuer so had died to please my spitefull foe As after thou shalt knowe but first I wish to ease my minde In shewing how that destinie and haplesse fate assignde To me poore wretch such mischiefe vile as none did euer taste Before nor since though long agoe my miseries were past For first within my body I to my great paine did beare And nourish vp the fruit which was the cause of all my care With childe I was but then vnknowne what fruit I foorth should bring To ioy my selfe or else to please olde Pryam Troyan king My louing mate who vsde me well wherefore I wisht to please His quiet minde by my good will that we might liue at ease But see how froward fortune frownd a dreame did me molest And fearefull fright did trouble me when I was layd to rest Me thought I was deliuered of such a fearefull sight For all was fire which I brought forth and flamde as fire bright With furie great the fire waxt with flames the aire did streame Thus doubtfull dumpe by fright did pierse my breast in dreadfull dreame When that I wakde I tolde the king how Morpheus had delt With me in sleepe and further how what agonie I felt Who presently to oracle would haue no nay but sent To know what by this fierie flame and dreadfull dreame was ment The dreame resolude the Oracle for answere did returne That I a sonne should beare and he should cause strong Troy to burne With fire bright and for his cause olde Pryamus his sire And I his mother should behold our towne to burne with fire And all our people slaine downe right in fighting for his sake A mightie foe for his abuse should sharpe reuengement take Which to preuent the father sought to slay his harmelesse boy For that he thought some mischiefe might by his meanes hap to Troy And for because the Oracle on him vnborne did giue Such sentence which did fright his sire wherefore he might not liue That when his sonne was borne foorthwith the father did betake The childe vnto a trusty friend that he away might make The boy which well I loude but yet such pity did remaine Within my breast that I reserude my sonne which should be slaine And closly spake vnto the man that he my childe shoulde spare And tell the king at his returne that cruell beasts did teare The tender limmes of his yong sonn wherefore he now was free From such suspect as erst before the Oracle did see The aged King was then content and thought all things were well He feared not the prophesie which these things first did tell Thus did I breede and foster vp euen him that did destroy Both parents friends and countrey kinde and sought our great annoy The lad did liue with heard in field and shortly vp was growen So that he for King Pryams sonne by secret signes was knowen Then was the youth callde home againe and Pryam was content To take him for his sonne and did his former acte repent But when sir Paris came to Court for so we callde his name The doting boy began to loue and follow Venus game Enquiring oft when fame would bring newes of a peerelesse peece And passing dame which that ere long had tidings thus from Greece That there the flower of all the world six Menelaus helde The like to her on all the earth no Nation then could yelde For whom vnknowne my sonne did dote in such exceeding sort That he to Greece by sea would passe to see if that report Had blazde a truth but first before to Grecian soile he went He craude of me and Priamus to yeelde him our consent Then shippes were built on seas to saile king Pryam willd it so And mates for him were picked out and hence to Greece they go At Lacedemon he at length a place of Greece so calld Ariude and in their safest rodes his wearie shippes in halld By Menelaus his consent who foorthwith did inuite The Troyans all vnto his court suspecting no such spite As after did betide for that sir Paris did conuay Faire Helen thence his louing wife and so without delay Did hoase vp saile and speedie windes did send him soone to Troy Where many of his friends did wait to welcome his newe ioy But Helen thus conuaide from Greece the angry Greekes waxe mad To see how Paris plaid his prankes when Menelaus had Receiued his guest in frankest sort and did him friendly vse Whose courtesie to recompence the letcher did abuse His honest host by spitefull rape in stealing of his wife Which hatefull cause did soone procure sharpe warre and deadly strife Yet first the Greekes I must confesse like honest minded men Did send to Troy to haue againe faire Helena which then Was brought to Troy and their demaund to end the bloody iaerre Which likely were to followe fast and turne to deadly warre But Priam he with his fierce sonnes their lawfull sute denide For which the Greekes to take reuenge to Pryams Kingdomes hied From Greece they saile to Phrygia land which haughty Pryam held And there arriude in dreadfull sort well armed with speare and sheld The warre began great slaughter was for mightie Mars did raigne Full fierce they fought for ten yeares space yet neither party gaine Such losse
of such cruell hate Was by Patroclus haplesse death who was his louing mate Whom Hector slewe in open fight with many a Greeke that day And spoylde him of his armor bright that naked there he lay Which armor was the chiefest canse that brought him to his end The angry gods displeasde with vs such haplesse hap did send All things thus done my other sonnes reuenge did vowe to take On vile Achylles for this deede and for slaine Hectors sake That presently vpon the Greekes with mightie force they went And thousands on ech part that day to dreadfull death were sent Thus dayly they did still contend by force of cruell warre And Princes fell on eyther side that thither came from farre The Greekes did waxe the Troyans grew as desperat men in fielde To daunt eche others haughty minde and make eche other yeelde At last againe as fortune woulde Achylles fierce did slay My other sonne sir Troylus who was our chiefest stay A valiant youth the Greekes can tell although he thus did die For that before the proudest Greekes he forced had to flie In turrets tall from toppe of towne my hap was still so bad To see my louing sonne to die a wofull sight most sad For mothers eie still to beholde her louing children so To end their dayes and be abusde by such a spitefull so From loftie walls I then beheld sir Troylus my sonne To course the Greekes on euery side and made them fast to run Vntill that fierce Achylles came who sure I thinke was borne To breede my woe and that the gods against me wretch had sworne To plague with hellish torments vile the plagues of furthest hell Should hap to me and greater paines than any tongue can tell For that what time soeuer I on walls did see the fight Some childe of mine was sure to die within his mothers sight When nowe to turrets top I climde with many Ladies more Whereto I did not once ascend since Hector dide before But then too soone such was my chaunce I thinke the gods decreede That while I did behold the fight no better they should speede Achylles braue on horse did mount whom Troylus had spide To brag amongst the Greekes his mates well mande on euery side But when my sonne had found his foe and thought on Hectors foile Like mighty Mars he layd on lode and made that day great spoile He thrust amongst the thicest throng Achylles out to finde That he might knowe his brothers death as yet he had in mind With couched launce and courage good my sonne did run amaine In hope to haue by manly force his cruell foe there slaine He mist the marke but yet he strake Achylles from his steede And if the Greekes had not giuen ayde he then had done the deede And yet for all the Greekes could do he gaue his foe a wound Thorowe plated thigh he thrust his launce a handful in the ground Achylles horsde by helpe of Greekes and mounted vp anew And then with troupe of armed Knights my sonne he did pursue The wounded Greeke that folowed fast sir Troylus had spide Who turnd his horse and willd his mates his fury to abide With monstrous force the Greekes did fight the Troyans did not flie On either side to lay it on the people fiercely cry At last the Greekes had giuen the horse that then my sonne did beare A mortall wound that paind him so the iade did fiercely fare In plunging sort the horse did play with mighty gyrds at last From setled seate my haplesse sonne the winsing iade had cast In falling downe ah heauy chance his foote the stirrop helde The wounded horse so scard before ran raging in the field And dragd my childe before my face vpon the bloody ground For blood did flow that day ful fresh from many a mortal wound Achylles hauing spide my sonne in such a woful case With piercing speare to him halfe dead he hied him then apace Through backe and side his launce he sent and cride I now am quit With this my wound receiude before and therewithal did hit The staggring horse that downe he fel and there together lay Both man and horse thus fortune vile her froward pranks did play Sir Troylus by chance thus slaine the Greekes from armour stript Whose bowels hung about his feete for they his body ript And naked on a gibe they hang for Troyans there to see Their champion stout whom earst before had made the Greekes to flee Olde Pryamus and I beheld our louing sonne so kinde In vgly sort to hang on high starke naked in the winde Whose corps did waue in swinging-sort which way each wind did blowe And as he hung the angry Greekes at him great stones did throwe Their speares did passe through senselesse corps before him slaine they vaunt So fierce the fooles his carkasse dead with bitter words did taunt Hang here quoth they thou wicked wretch and rue thy brothers deede If he by Grecian fist be caught no better shall he speede For causing of this bloody warre that many thousands rue Their haplesse chance but he himselfe we trust shall haue his due And that ere long wherefore till then feele thou his earned smart We Greekes do hope that Paris proude shal rue his wilful part These words we heard this sight we see the Greekes like mad men rage They threaten stil for Paris deede sharp war with vs to wage A sight ful strange yet not so rare for fortune did present More harder haps to me than this to plague me she was bent A messenger we sent to craue the carkasse of our childe Whose bones were broke and skin from flesh with blows the Greeks had hilde Achylles straight did send my sonne which something pleasde my minde I did not thinke such curtesie at his handes then to finde But with my sonne to comfort me these louing words did send My friend quoth hee tel Hecuba that oft I do intend Such gifts on her for to bestow to breed her further ioy Til such time serue wish her to take of me this mangled boy Thus Troylus was brought to Troy a heauie sight God knows His body foule disfigured with many bloody blows They layde him downe before my face that mothers eies might see Her sonne whom fierce Achylles vsde with such extremitie His martyrde corps I did intoombe though part were left behinde Which Grecian iades did tread to dirt yet al that I could finde To graue was sent the funerals and al things else wel done The Troyans al in woful wise do much lament my sonne That al the towne with houlings sound ech one did waile his fil Him dead I know it was in vaine but that did shew good will Now did the Greekes afresh begin the Troyans to suppresse And they as fierce did fight it out in hope to haue redresse Of former wrongs but al in vaine for Hector now was gone And Troylus my other sonne wherefore there was not one Aliue
our City great did vtterly destroy Fierce was the flame on euery side downe falls the buildings faire The temples of our sacred gods the fier did not spare Till all things flat vpon the ground did lie like desart plaine For memorie of this our tovvne the vvalls did not remaine Dovvne to the earth it smoking lay defaced so vvith fire To ruine novv all things vvere come vvhich vvas the Greekes desire The bodies of the Troyans slaine in Zanthus floud did svvimme Eche channell deepe vvith crimson blood stoode floting to the brimme The members of our martred men in barren fields they flung In fertile sort to fat the earth in steade of other dung That where the towne of Troy did stand in little space was seene Where houses stoode there grasse did growe in sprouting sort full greene And where the Temples of our gods in stately maner stoode The dockes and weedes were cherished by losse of Troyans bloode No place of Troy vntoucht did stand but all for waste was layde The Greekes cride quit with that vile part that Paris first had playde When that mine eies had seene all this the sorrowes which were past Eche wofull hap once callde to minde starke mad I fell at last And raging in the fieldes I ran where lately Troy did stand From thence when I had raylde my fill I passde to Thracia land Where Polymnestor that vile wretch and traytor bad did raigne Who had betrayde yong Polidore my sonne for filthie gaine Which cruell acte though then starke mad in minde I still did beare That for reuenge on him I fell and out his eies did teare To worke him woe for this his deede my frantike minde was fierce The cheekes of this disloyall wretch my nayles did soundly pierce That he foorthwith had lost his sight for this his former deede O would to God all traitours thus for treacherie might speede This deede once done my troubled minde somewhat I did appease For wel I wist the wretch was blinde which did my sorrow ease And also to my further ioy proude Pyrrhus lost his life When he returned home to Greece by reason of the strife That stout Orestes had with him for Hermion that wench That nothing else but present death could this their quarrell quench Achylles sonne at last was slaine Orestes had his ioy And Pyrrhus might repent the time that first he came to Troy Where he imbrewde himselfe with blood and slewe the aged King Which was the cause of his mishap and sure no other thing The gods that knew his cruell minde and saw his wilfull fact Could not lesse do than make the Greeke repent his bloudy act Orestes slue Achylles sonne thus Pyrrhus being dead Like hearbes to pot his flesh was chopt no otherwise he sped This newes to me some comfort was in this my wofull state To heare what hard mishap befell to him that slue my mate And well I wist his father first for vsing me so ill Was slaine himselfe by my consent for Paris did him kill And also how that Thracian King that Polymnestor hight For so betraying of my sonne and doing me that spite Receiude a guerdon for his fact his lumen lights he lost Wherefore the traytor of his gaines I thinke could scarcely bost Of all the rest it did me good for that my hands had done Such due reuenge on that vile wretch that so betrayde my sonne I ioyde a while at this my deede my sorrow wel did flake For that I knew they dide the death of whom before I spake But when againe I callde to minde my children that were gone And deere alies of whom the Greekes aliue had left not one And how olde Pryamus my mate before my face did die On Pyrrhus blade that Grecian grim while I in vaine did crie For helpe to free him from the hand of this his spitefull fo In vaine I cride for that the gods decreede it should be so And then when that I thought on Troy on Troy our stately towne Which was the eie of all the world but now by Greekes throwne downe And like a desart place did lie no signe of Troy did stand The empire stout of Asia great so wrested from our hand That I the greatest Queene on earth so was my stately stile In time forepast and now to be a helplesse wretch most vile So base and humbly was I vsde farre from my former state That harborlesse I rangde about this was my haplesse fate Despisde of all receiude of none refusde of those that faund On me before when I their Queene did euery thing commaund But now although I vsde them well in elder time before They to requite my courtesie did shut me foorth of dore And let me lie without reliefe this kindnesse they did showe In Princes place to me they sude but now they would not knowe Their haplesse Queene in miserie but let me raging runne In euery corner where I would eche wight me wretch did shunne Not Greekes I meane but subiects mine who sometime did professe In Asia soile me for their Queene and now in this distresse The Greekes had awde their minds so far they durst not on me looke But as a thing that venyme was eche liuing wight forsooke Which when I spide and callde to minde my former stately place And now againe did see my selfe to liue in such disgrace In frantike sort my heart was vext the anguish of my minde Like bedlam beast did make me run the spitefull Greekes to finde That were the causers of my woe that I reuenge might take On all the wrongs that they had done and for my husbands sake Whom they had slaine before my face and for my children deare For whose sweete sakes amongst the Greekes I went without al feare With eger fist I laide on loade with nayles and feete at length But slender hurt a womans hand could do to men of strength Yet notwithstanding my good will was seene by this my force And theirs againe O wretched me by vsing such remorce For when that I had done my worst and shewed my vtter might And breathlesse stoode for want of breath by this my feeble fight The Greekes with stones did compasse me whose force I stil defide Till they with stones did strike me downe where presently I dide Lo thus when that all vile mishaps had chaunced vnto me Whome fortune followed to the death with such extremitie And that mine eies to my great griefe such wofull things had seene But would to God before the warre long time I dead had beene When all such haps of hatefull dome that fortune could assigne Did chaunce to me by haplesse hap such luckelesse lot was mine To ende my dayes in great disgrace I dide among my foes They stoned me to death poore wretch a heauy end God knowes Had euer any such mishap since first the world begunne Or any one did know such woe that liued vnder sunne As I my selfe poore wretched Queene though bootelesse now
I mourne For remedlesse the cause remaines when Planets all had sworne And haughty gods to worke me woe for Paris filthie sinne Who would to God had dide the death when life did first begin Or would to God I wish too late the waues had beene his graue When he to Lacedemon went faire Helen for to haue O Neptune fierce couldst thou not frowne and Eolus out call With whirling windes to drench his ship his company and all But safely so to suffer him to swimme with gale at will The doting youth in prime of yeres his fancie to fulfill In Simois and Zanthus flood his ships did seeme to saile So quiet was the seas as then because he should preuaile What did ye seaish Gods decree together with consent To plague the Troian state so farre as angrie Pallas ment Ye Gods that rule both land and sea why did ye thus decree That Neptunes towne at first so cald to Greekes a pray should bee If otherwise ye ment at all his ship should not haue past So quietlie through surging seas by helpe of Boreas blast For Triton mild did shewe his face so happilie that day That Paris past with sprouting sailes into the Gretian bay What was become of Palemon did Glaucus hide his head Their swift recourse far from his ship in partiall sort was fled The Strencoucht Antiphates Parthenope was gone That wonted were to keep their course but novv there vvas not one Not Circe nor Calipso vvould their vvonted magike vse Although they knevv the lecher meant Atrides to abuse So Zephirus and Eurus fell with Aquilo did lurke And hid themselues while Boreas with frendly gale did work Nereides were past away Latonas imps did shine Ech thing did smoothly smile that day by help of Gods diuine And all was for the Troyan wracke to plague my sonnes offence For Paris needs to Greece would goe and soon returnd from thence But would to God the brinish seas with raging waues so wild Had drownd that baud that Theseus first in filthy sort defilde And that my sonne had dide with her before he came to shore Then Troy had stood and flourisht still as long it did before But Helen Menelaus wife that was Sir Paris ioy VVas first occasion of our woe and latest fate to Troy O would the tygers first had torne the lims of this my sonne VVhen aged Priam sentence gaue on that which was not done The cause wherof was mine own deed which act I now repent For that the Oracle did shew before the boyes intent But now I know I wish too late the angry Gods had sworn To plague our state for some offence For Paris being born VVhose desteny the Oracle did openly declare And yet to see my hap was such that wicked babe to spare VVho was the cause of this mischaunce and breeder of our woe His death had been to vs a life and life to thousands mo Yet I for pitie sake would not consent that this my boy The tygers brood his tender lims should vtterly destroy VVhat power diuine did hinder me or what infernall fiend VVhat did both heauen and earth to this their vtter forces bend O what offence did we commit that all the Gods should frowne And thus decree with one consent to pluck our Empire downe Did they appoint that I should breed and foster in my lap A scourge to plague the parents sinne and cause of their mishap VVas it king Priams fathers fault that Laomedon bad That builded Troy vvith borovved coyne for he receiued had Of Neptune and Apollos Priests a summe of money great And when the day appoynted came the wretch forsware the debt With mighty vowes the periurde man at altar side did say He borrowed none to buyld his walles and therfore none would pay But whether twere for periurie or for my sonnes offence I cannot tell but well I know it was a recompence For double and for treble sinne so many thousand dide From Nations far the world dooth know the people thether hide In hope of pay to either side great troupes of men did run But what was gaind saue deadly fight or what but death was won Did euer any feel such woe as I poore wretch did tast Did euer Fortune yeeld such lookes as she on me did cast O hauty Gods what hap was mine to feel such bitter paine Did destiny assigne me that to make me thus complaine I would that I had been vnborn or borne I dead had been For then these wofull miseries I wretch had neuer seen Why did the Gods cause me to liue why did they thus decree Was this their will that I should liue with present eyes to see My louing mate and children slaine and Troy to burn with fire If they did will it should be so then they had their desire But fie on that vile destinie O fie on that hard curse The Gods themselues could not deuise how they should plague me worse And then with wringing hands she wept with wayling voice she cride Which griende me sore about I turnd where presently I spide An aged man both graue and grim for that he seemed sad Right father like for grayish haires with Princely robes be clad Vnto the wofull Queen he marchd and thus in modest sort Began to quip her frantike mood as I shall geue report What madnes now hath mooude thy mind quoth he O louing mate That thus thou fretst against the Gods and frantikelie doost prate Can this thy fuming mind redresse or cause the things vndone To be againe No if we liude againe we could not shun The Gods decree wherfore be still shake off such heauines In vaine it is to vexe thy selfe where cause is remedles VVhat shall thy ghost that now should rest in worldly cares still dwell And thinke on things that carst were past O plague far worse than hell Then suffer thou thy ghost to take her quiet ease at last And call thou not to mind againe that vvhich is gone and past Thou knovvest our destinie vvas so vve could it not preuent For that the Gods to plague our sinne for some abusesment What should we kick against the spur or swim against the tide Or striue for that to haue at will which angry Gods denide When I had sent my sonne to death and that he should be kild His life thou sauedst wherfore thou seest that destenie it wild But I to shun Simphlegades on Hebrus lake did light And coasting from Charibdis gulfe on Scilla rock did smite Thus seeking how all dangers great by counsell I might shun Did vnawares ere that I wist to present perils run Was I the cause that Helen faire with Paris came to Troy No sure it was fell destenie or fickle Fortune coy For when the Oracle had told what hap in time should fall I wild to take away the cause For witnes now I call The sacred Gods who knew my mind my sonne I would haue slaine I was content my flesh and bloud the tygers
childe his tender limmes to teare He would by no meanes do the deede but did the infant spare And yet he thought how that ere long the boy must needes be dead But by that meanes he sought to free his hands from vile bloodshed He killde a pig and tooke the heart and brought it to the King And blooded certaine linnen clothes in token of the thing And tolde him that his childe was dead and there he might behold The heart and heart blood of his sonne wherefore he might be bolde To banish feare for this his childe should neuer him molest For he was dead and dead againe and therefore he might rest Now see the hap that to this man did afterward betide For Phorbas king of Corinth soile by chaunce that way did ride VVho spide the child as then aliue which wofully did cry VVith sprauling hands it reachd about full near at poynt to dy He causde his man to take it downe to saue the infants life Right glad he was wherfore foorthwith he brought it to his wife VVho barren was and had no child then this as for her own She did receiue from whence it came to them it was not knowne The child did grow they loude it well and then in course of yeares Of noble linage comes the boy quoth Phorbas it appeares For that the lad vvas dayly geuen to Martiall exercise And did delight to take in hand some noble enterprise At last king Phorbas sends his sonne vvith mighty men of vvar To fight against the Thebane King twixt vvhom there was a iar Sir Oedipus in battell strong did vtterly confound The Thebanes and to their king he gaue a mortall vvound VVherof he presently did die thus Laius had his end The Gods that knew hovv all things vvent such fate to him did send And Oedipus his mother takes and maries her in hast No thing vvas knovven to him as yet that earst vvas done and past Thus Laius dide by his ovvne sonne no botter could he speede It is no striuing with the gods if once they haue decreed Wherefore vexe not O Hecuba let not thy ghost so fret Against the gods for this their doome and further do not three Fell destinie or fortunes frowne for this that they haue done Was for some mighty sinne of ours which fate we could not shunne Or for the sinne of periurie a vile and hatefull deede Which first my father did commit and now vpon his seede The plague did fall deseruedly for such his bad abuse The gods themselues wil not accept for periurie excuse And I likewise a wilfull man as al my deedes did showe My wofull folly was the cause of this our ouerthrowe For when the Greekes did send to haue faire Helena againe I would not hearken to their sute but pufft with deepe disdaine Did flowt and mocke at their request and openly denide Their iust demaund which great abuse the sacred gods had spide When that my sonne had tane away sir Menelaus wife A filthy part the letcher plaid yet they to end all strife Would willingly digest that wrong so that I would restore The Gretian dame that Paris stole from Greece not long before And that no warre should once arise betwixt our Empires stout So gently they did intreat but if I went about To holde her stil they threaten warre and vowed by gods aboue That they would fight to haue againe sir Menelaus loue Whom I perforce vniustly held and stoutly did maintaine So vile a part that would in time cause thousands to be slaine But I did giue them answere thus I minde to holde her still Not Greece nor all the Princes there in this shall breake my will Let Agamemnon do his worst I passe it not a straw Let Menelaus fret his fill my will shall be a law And let them both with all their force against my power fight I mind to holde dame Helen still against all law and right I haue her now and here with me I minde she shall remaine Let them not spare but fall to warre and see what they shall gaine The walls of Troy are strong enough my power is not small I ready am to sight the field when Grecian trumpets call This will of mine was chiefest cause that did procure my smart For I contrary to a lawe maintainde so hard a part No reason would perswade my minde true iustice was away And wilfull follie helde the sword selfe-will did beare the sway The want of iustice was the cause that this our ruine wrought What was the cause that Troy did fall and so consume to naught So many thousand men to die was not my wilfull fact The chiefest cause that Asia by Grecian power was sackt What Empires great and kingdoms wide hath ruine ouer runne For want of iustice and good lawes Or what hath Princes wonne By such default but present death The world doth witnesse well What mortall man that wilfull was but so to him befel The mighty Caesar ruling Rome true iustice was debarde His will was taken for a law and iustice was refarde His gouernement the Roman crew did priuily disdaine They hate him so that he ere long by subiects hand was slaine Could Nero liue when he began to cleaue vnto his will When Rome mislikt his gouernement and found his deedes so ill With one consent the Roman state decreede that he should die Vnworthy for to raigne in Rome his subiects all did crie And he that hated was durst not vnto their mercy stand But slewe himselfe because he would not fall into their hand And Philip King Amyntas sonne true iustice did neglect And how to remed wrong with right the man had no respect He partiall vvas for fauors sake not passing vvhat vvas right For vvhile he liud all Macedon gaue place to vvilfull might The vvrongd might crie for remedy vvhilst he did stop his eare For vvhom he loude vvho durst accuse as plainly did appeare Pausanias vvhen he had sude vnto the King for grace And found in vaine he did complaine his suite could haue no place He turnde his malice from the man that first had done him spite And causde reuenge deseruedly vpon the King to light For vvith his svvord he stabd the King his folly to repres Himselfe vvas cause of this his fall the dooer did confes VVhat vvas the cause that Carthage fell and subiect vvas at last The Empire great of Affrica of Romane force to tast Did not their vvilfull folly first their vvofull state procure The vvant of iustice made the vvar a long time to indure Vntill their Empire cleane vvas lost their chiefest forces spent That Carthage fell for such a fault the vvorld did much lament Did Rome not fall for such offence vvas she not ouerthrovven By Brennus Captain of the Gauls vvhose force each vvhere vvas knovven For Allia brook can vvitnes yet vvhere thousand Romans dide The want of iustice was the cause it will not be denide If Empires thus and Princes fell what
makes thee thus to mone O Hecuba and vex thyselfe thus walking all alone Let them that liue in latter time example by vs take Fret thou no more from sobbing brest all wofull wayling shake Thy troubled ghost dooth cry for ease tis time yea time to rest Of Lethe floud now take thy fill all things forepast digest What furious fiend dooth vex thee now to double this thy paine In life thou knewest all kind of woe VVhat will the Gods againe Cause thee to see another world a world I meane of woes When thou hast felt such miserie in elder time God knowes Tis past with vs and remedles wherfore no longer mourn Shall we reuenge the thing againe that long time since was worne No let it passe and greeue no more thy griefe dooth come too late Be now content with this mishap sith Gods assignde such fate And yet quoth he to angry Gods an humble suite I make That they vpon the Troyan race will not reuengement take There lies an Ile enuironde within the Ocean sea Which Troyans woon in time forepast and holds it at this day For Brutus he of Troyan race made conquest of that land The Giants then that there did dwell could not against him stand The people that inhabit there and in the Iland dwell Doe fetch their pedigree from Troy each Nation knowes it well A homely brag for Englishmen to them a foule disgrace To graft themselues on such a stock as was the Troyan race But yet if they descend from vs as they doe witnes still I pray the Gods to keep from them the desperat Troyans will And that they may not follow vs but far from that digresse To purchase them eternall fame and for their quietnesse Let this our death be life to them that they may die with fame Let Troyan wrack example be vnlesse they tast the same As we haue done in elder time therfore let them take heed Lest that if wilfull folly raigne accordingly they speed And now quoth he O Hecuba leaue off and doo not waile Can vexing here in wofull sort for sorrow past preuaile Let sorrow passe and banish griefe the time is past and gone VVhen once a thing is remedles then bootles tis to mone If that I liude on earth againe in time I would preuent But time did passe without regard too late I doo repent And therwithall the graue old man in bitter sort did weep He sighed sore from sobbing soule his teares he could not keep Thus Morpheus my fancie fed that from mine eyes a streame Of teares did flow which causde me soon to wake out of my dreame And lying broad awake at last still musing in my mind Me thought I saw dame Hecuba that had such fate assignde And Priamus that aged sire me thought was still in vew Their fauour and their faces both as if before I knew What they had been and now againe to memorie did call Things done before in drowsie dreame as often doeth befall And therwithall I tooke my pen to note what fancie vewde And orderly did set it downe Loe thus I doe conclude FINIS Seneca Cicero Cato In vita Philosopho Elianus in lib. 6. Laertius in lib. 7. Diogenes Lacitius lib. 2. Horace Homer de morte Elianus liber 5. In vita Platonis Eli. lib. 7. Eli lib. 9. Croesus Solon Dictum Platonis Amasius king of Iudea M. Antonius in gesta Romano Liuius lib. 5. Prouerbium Caesar in comment The English chronicle Cicero in offi Mors Caesaris Distum Catonis Alexander magnus vt Plutarchus scripsit Democrites ita dixit Iustinus in lib. 12. Diodorus Siculus in lib 8. Eli. lib. 10. Diodorus Siculus de morte Alexand Carmina Ennij Iustinus lib. 1. Digressio Plu. de vita Cyri. Actum terribile Ad causam Mors Cyri. Dictum Thomiris Pompeius magnus Vt Liuius scripsit li. 3. Mors Pom. Mar. Cato 〈◊〉 fo 215. Bias Prienaeus Ehanus l. 6. Dictum Agesilai Dictum Anthe Sextus Aurelius so 54 Liuius lib. 2 Ouidius de tristibus Eli. lib. 4. Plutarchus de vita Craesi Plut. de vita Alex. Dictum Anaxarchi Plu de vita Agrippae Dictum Agrippae mors eius Eli. lib 4. Epist. Menecratis responsio Philippi Eli. lib. 7. Herod Actum Herostrati De ebrietaâ—e Sextus Aurelius de vita Bonosij Aur. de Tiberio Dictum Philippi Eli. lib. 3. Ebrietas Alexandri Iustin. li. 12 Alex. se valdè penitet Iustin. l. 15. Actum horribile Aphthoni us de castigatione ebriorum Seneca Diodorus Siculus fol. 253 Iustin. li. 14 Plu. de vita Neronia Aurelius fol. 153. Vt ait Cicero pro Roscio Amerino Pena parricidij Vetus Prouerbium Eli. li. 6. Laer. f. 586. Plu. de vita Mausoli Aristotle Iuuenal Plu. in uita Demetrij Polib li. 10 Aurel. li. 7. Eli. li. 6. Laer. li. 6. Plu devita Hipp. Aureli. li. 7. Plu. de vita Diomed. Plu. de vita Phale Mors Phalaris Aurelius de vita moribus imperatorum Dictum Ciceronis Valer. li Liuius in prelatione belloium punicorum Plu. devita Codri Diogenes Laer. li. 4 Plu. in vita Darij Li. in bello Punico Q Curtius fo 280. Iustin. li. 15 Plu. de Themistocle Valer. li. 9. Liui. li. 3. Polib in bello Roma norum coÌ„tra Carthaginenses Hesiodus Parmenides Euripides Ouid de Amore Quidius de Meta. Homerus Lacon Plu. de vita Semiramis Et Iust. â—lu de vita Candauli Eli. li. 10. Iustin. li. 1. Salustius libro 2. Liu. li. 5. Polib li. 6. Iust. li. 1. Valer. f. 345 Eli. lib. 5. Responsio Dionysij Pol. li. 7. Poli. lib 5. Semâ—ronius Q Fabius Dictys Cretensis lib. 3. Dares Phrigius li. 1. Pol. lib. 2. Diodorus Siculus libro 7 Pol. lib. 2. Responsio Hannibalis Antiocho Iustinus libro 10. Ordines quoque nemo nisi sexagenarius duxit Diodorus resert Sic Quintus Curtius scribit Iustin. lib. 2 Plu. de Antiocho Laertius lib. 7. Plus menti quam mentis Poli. lib. 6. Furti poena in castris Roman Liu li 7. Val. li. 3 Cicero in Offic. Cicero de Senectute Val. li. 5. Poll. li. 7. Vt Diodorus resert Poli. lib. 8 * Falernia Stratagema contra Romanos Stratagema Hannibalis in Fabi. Strategem contra Ap. Poli. Iustin. li. â— Plu. de 〈◊〉 Agesi Valer. sol 257. Dictum Philippi Vt Diodorus relert Determinatio Alexandriâ— Mors Meleag Discordia inter successores Alexandri Mors Perd. Mors Philippi Euridicae vxor eius Craterus ce ciditur ab Eumene Mors quoque Eume. Mors Anti. Interitus Alex. Mors Demetriâ— Mors Lysima vt lustinus scribit Mors quoque Seleuchi Factum terribile Lamentabile actum Discordia inter fratres Interitus O lympij mater Alex. Extinctus vniuersales successores Alex. Dictum Hannibalis vt Pol. refert Submissio Paeni Poli 14. Sic scribit Poli. Vt Dictys Cretâ—nsis affirmat Sic Dares Phrigius recordat l. 1 Hi Graij ca dunt ab Hectore Interitus Agamemnonis occasione bell TroianoruÌ„ Mors Achylli Pirrhus occiditur per eadem causam testis Dyctis li. 6. Mors Vlissi vt scribit Dares in reditu Grecorum Mors Palame Dictis Cretensis Sic Dares Phrigeus autumat Vide Tertellum Vide Gel. lib 7. Vt dictum Cornelio Nepote interprete Fol. 149. Hercules was also called Heracles Dares Phri sic resert Libido Paridis Vxor Menelai rapta Dares Phrigius lib. 1. Et Dictis Crentensis lib. 5. Virgilius lib. 3. lib. 6. lib. 7. Virgilius lib. 1. sed ficta romanorum Dictis Dares ita affirmunt Troia tradita Aenea Dares lib. 1 Inconstantia Aeneae Vt Romani ipsi confirmant Ficta à Romanis Vetus Proâ—erbium Malicorui malum ouum