to be to passe his lyfe with honour and to take his deth with great vertue Ryght dere lorde I demande of you what prouffyte is it to the maryner to knowe the carde of the see and after to peryshe in a tourment or tempeste What prouffytte is it to a capitayne to speake moche of warre and after knowe not howe to gyue battayle What profyteth it to a knyght to haue a good horse and to falle in the strete What profyteth it one to teache an other the playne waye and hym selfe to wander asyde I saye what profyted it the force of your lyfe that you estemed soo lyttelle manye tymes seekynge your deathe And at this present howre that you haue founde deathe you wepe bycause it wyll take away your lyfe What thynges haue I written with myn owne hande beinge your Secretarye dyuysed by your hyghe and profounde vnderstandynge towchynge the stroke of deathe What thynge was it to se the letter that you sent Claudine vpon the deathe of her husbande what wrote you to Anthygone whan your sonne Verissimus dyed Wherin your vertue dydde consolate his heuynesse What highe thinges dyd I write in the boke that you sent to the Senate in the yere of the great pestylence comfortynge them after the great mortalitie passed therein you dydde shewe theym howe lyttell men shulde sette by deth what profyte foloweth therby And I haue seene and harde you blason dethe in your lyfe and nowe you wepe as thoughe you shulde lyue here styll Syth that the goddis cōmande it and your age requireth it your syckenes is the cause and nature permytteth it and fortune consenteth to it and is the fatall destenie of vs all than you muste nedes dye The trauayles that come of necessitie ought with a good courage to be abyden For the couragious feeleth not soo sore the harde strokes as the weake that falleth or he be foughten with You are but one man and nat two and ye ought to haue oone deathe and nat two Therfore why wolde ye for one lyfe haue two dethes enterrynge the body and sleinge the spirite with syghes After so many perylles of longe lyfe to take a sure porte wyll ye lyfte vp the sayles and entre ageyne into the swolowe of the see for to engloutte you In the see you haue chased the bulle and scaped his woodnes and nowe ye refuse to entre into the parke where you may surely slee hym You make assaute with vyctorie of your life and wyl dye atteynyng the deth you haue foughte .lxii. yeres in the campe of myserie and nowe you feare to entre into your sepulchre you haue got out of the busshes and thornes wherin you were closed and nowe at this howre you stomble in the faire way you haue had in certayne the domage of your death and now ye put in double the profyte of your death you ar entred into the campe of defyenge of the worlde and nowe you wolde tourne your backe whan it is tyme to putte your handes to armes Lxii. yere you haue foughte agaynste fortune and nowe you cloose your eies bycause fortune wyl strike you I say it bycause that willyngly you refuse this present dethe the whiche wyll cause vs to haue your lyfe passed suspect What do you high and mighty prince Why wepe you like a chyld why sigh you as one in dyspaire if you wepe bicause ye shal die why dyd you laugh so moche in your lyfetyme For of moche laughynge in the lyfe tyme cometh moche wepyng at the deth Wyl you do that you can not do and not be content with that you may do The grounde and pasture that is common you wolde ioyne to your owne the renowme of the common welthe you applyed to your owne heritage Of a subsidy or lone you wolde make your perpetuall ryghte I wylle shewe you who be deed All be deed and shall dye And amonge all other you wolde all onely lyue Wyll ye haue that of the goddis that they be goddis for That is bycause you are mortall that they make you immortall And you to haue that by priuilege which they haue by nature I that am but symple demaunde one thynge of you my lorde that are auncient and wyse whiche is the greattest or least welthe to dye well or lyue yll To lyue welle noo man can attayne certainely for hungre thirst solitarines persecution yll fortune sicknesses and disfauours This can be called no lyfe but rather a deth If an ancient man wolde make a shewe and booste of his lyfe from the tyme of his birthe to the layinge in his graue and the bodye to shewe all that it hath suffred by dolours and the harte to discouer all the strokes of fortune I thynke that the goddis wolde haue maruayle therof and men wolde be abashed therof that the body coude suffre soo moche and the harte beare it I holde the grekes wisest whiche wepe whan theyr children are borne and they synge whan an olde man dyeth but the Romaynes synge at the byrthe of theyr chyldren and wepe whan they dye olde Certaynly to laughe at the deth of them that die olde sith they dye to laugh and to wepe at the birth of chyldren sithe they are borne to wepe and that the lyfe abydeth the sentence of yl proueth well that the deathe is good Wyll you that I saye one veritie to you I haue alwayes seene that coūsell in the wysest man sonest faileth him Such as wolde gouerne al thinges by theyr opiniōs of necessitie in some or in the moste parte they do erre and fayle O Marc my dere lorde weene you that haue caused to burye soo many that some shulde not burye you in lykewise As you haue seene the ende of theyr dayes so other shal se the ende of your yeres Therfore me semeth it were better for you to dye and to go your waye to atteyne soo moche welthe than to scape and to lyue in so moche mysery If you fele deathe I haue no meruayle sythe you be a man But I meruayle that you do not dissimule it sythe you are dyscrete They that haue clere vnderstandynge feele many thynges at theyr harte that putteth them to peyne which they shewe not outwarde for the presumption of honour If al the poyson that is in a heuy hart were spred abrode in the weake flesshe by smalle greynes noo walles shulde suffyse vs to rubbe nor our nayles to scratche For certainly the deathe is but a playe wherin the player if he be apt aduentureth but lyttell to wynne moche and they that play may se wel that this is a wyly play and not a strōg And that also as well they lese that haue but a smal card not fearyng dethe as they that with a greatte carde loue long lyfe What thinge is deth but a trappe dore wherin the tent is closed in the whiche is solde all the miseries of our life This the goddis do change vs fro an olde filthy house
pray as men that all thing be forgiuen to them that be olde and broken and to them that be yonge and lusty to dissimule for a tyme nothing to be forgiuen to very yonge chyldren In good soth these were good wordes spoken of suche a persone and semeth reasone For it is reason that the hors that hathe runne and passed his course of cariage shoulde reste hym And who that hath passed rightousely it is Iustice that he be suffred in reste And the chylde that wyll passe reasonne ought to be reformed Cause hym to be alwayes occupied in vertuous actes For if the vnderstandynge be dulled and the bodye slouthfull in suche aege with greatte difficultie wylle they drawe to thynges that be straunge to their delectations bycause that the lyghtenesse is in the heed and reasonne vnder the eyes His youthe wylle demaunde you some recreation whiche ye shall consider so it be not often nor to seldome Fyrste that it be by reasonne Secondely that they be taken in noble exercyses Take hede For I gyue not my sonne vnto you that ye shoulde gyue hym recreation but onely for to teache hym The henne hauynge her egges vnder her wynges in that season gothe not abrode in the yardes and though the egges be not her owne yet she hatchethe theym as yf they were her owne For this cause at this tyme in Rome of a C. disciples lxxxx cometh forth withoute doctryne for yf theyr masters wast two houres in doctrine with them they lese with thē .xx. houres in mockerye And therof it is that of the smal grauitie of the mayster spryngeth great boldnes and lyttell shame in the disciple Beleue me frendes that the teachers to princis and maysters to disciples profite more in one day with good exaumples than in a yere with many lessons My sonne seynge you drawe to vertues wyll drawe to the same if he se you studie he wylle study if he se you peasible he wyll be styll he seinge you temperate in fedynge wyl eate but lyttel seing you shamfast he wyll feare you seinge you restefulle he wyll reste and if ye do contrary he wyll do contrarye This surelye is true for the auncient men onely with the euyll that they se eyther do they corrupte their bodyes or sclaunder theyr owne iugementes as chyldern do that can say nothynge but that they here nor do nothynge but that they se I wil also that the prince my sonne lerne the .vii. artes lyberalle For I haue taken many of you to thentent that ye shulde teache hym moche And if at the laste we shulde be sorowfull bycause he hath not lerned all we shal not be sorie yf he knowe moche nor thynke his tyme yll spent nor be begyled in saying that he knoweth inough of that so yōge a chylde shulde haue to gouerne and rule thempire A very philosopher after the lawe of lygnage ought to haue speche at place and tyme conuenient to fyght in the felde and to speke in the senate If myn owne remembrance begyle me not amonge myn antiquities I haue brought a stone out of Grece the whiche Pythagoras y e philosopher helde at the gates of his schole wherin was written with his owne handes these wordes He that knoweth not that he ought to know is a brute beaste amonge men He that knoweth no more than he hath nede of is a man amonge brute beastes He that knoweth all that may be knowen is a god amonge men O moste highe wordes Glorious is the hande that wrote them the whiche not at the gates as they were than oughte to be written but within mens breestes they shoulde be paynted and grauen Our forefathers toke the laste sentence of this philosopher and the fyrste rebuke abydeth to vs theyr last chyldren For certayne amonge the Grekes and Lacedemoniens was atteyned as moche fame by theyr philosophers and conquestes as by theyr writinges which they haue lefte vs. And our former emperours gatte no lesse loue in theyr empire by theyr profound eloquence thanne they feared all the worlde by their noble triumphes For a profe wherof beholde Iulius Cesar whiche beinge in the myddell of his campe with his lyfte hande wolde holde his speare and his penne in his righte hande Ne he neuer lefte of his armour but forthewith he toke his bokes We must not lay excuses sayinge with them that be ignorante that the lyberall artes are to hye and the tyme that we haue verye shorte For certayne the diligence of men in tymes paste reproueth our slouth at this day One thyng I do se that in a shorte whyle we lerne all yll but in a longe season we can not lerne goodnesse Wyll ye se what is our fortunes and destenyes and in what thoughte the goddes doo kepe vs that for to do one good dede we lacke tyme and for to do many shrewde tournes we haue to moche tyme. I wyll say no more but that I wolde my chylde shulde be nouryshed in suche wyse that he shoulde lerne the feare of god the science of philosophers the vertues of aunciente Romayns the quietnes of you his maysters and the goodnesse of all them that be good as he hathe taken of me to be the heire of the empire I protest to the immortal goddis to whom I truste for to go and protest to the high capitoll where my bones shall be brent that neyther Rome now in my lyfe nor the heuens in tyme to come shall curse me after my deth if by yll lyuynge my sonne shoulde lese the common welthe yf by your small chastisement ye shal be cause of the losse of the empire ¶ Howe themperour Marucs nourished the princesses his doughters Cap. x. MArcus Aurelius the emperour hadde but two sonnes that is to wytte the prince Comode and Verissime He hadde fowre doughters by Faustyne his wyfe legittimate and heyres of thempyre This emperour was excedyng diligent for to nourishe his daughters As soone as any of them were borne forthwith they were put to nours into some ferme without Rome He wolde neuer suffre any of his chyldren sonnes nor doughters to be nourysshed within the walles of Rome Nor consente that they shoulde sucke the breastes of delycate women He hated delycate and gaye nourses and they that were laborous homely and holsome he loued and to them and none other he betoke his chyldren to nouryshe and he wolde neuer agree that they shoulde be brought home to his howse He was wont to say in his sportynge I haue more adoo to contente these nourysses than to mary my doughters Homere shewethe that in Grece there dyed Arthemio that was kynge of Argiue withoute any sonne to inheryte and the nourse that hadde nourysshed hym with all her myght demanded the realme for a sonne of hers whyche hadde sucked of the same mylke that the sayde kynge had done allegynge that syth they were bothe nourysshed togyther and sucked one mylke that they bothe shuld enheryte one realme This sayde Homer to
not her folyshenes Herken to me and I shall tell you more All women wolde speake and haue all other to be stylle they wolde gouerne and be gouerned of none other One thyng they desyre that is to se and to be sene And suche as be lyghte in folowynge theyr lyghtnes they holde as theyr subiectes and sclaues and suche as be wyse and reproue theyr appetites they pursue as enemies In the annales Pompeyens I haue founde a thyng worthy for to be knowen and that is Whan Gnee Pompeie passed into the Orient on the mountaynes Rifees he founde a maner of people called Masagetes whiche had a lawe that euery inhabitaunt or dweller shuld haue two tonnes or fattes bycause there was lacke of houses in the sayde mountaynes In one was the housbande the sonnes and men seruauntes and in the other the wyfe the doughters and maydens On the holy dayes they dydde eate to gether and ones in the weke they laye together Whan great Pompeye had questioned the cause of theyr lyuynge in that maner for that he neuer sawe nor knewe a more extreme thynge in all the worlde One of them aunswered Pompey behold the goddis haue gyuen vs but a shorte lyfe for none of vs may lyue aboue .lx. yere at the moste and those yeres we trauayle to lyue in peace And in hauing our wyues with vs styll in companye we shulde lyue euer dyenge for we shulde passe the nyghtes in herynge their complayntes and the days in sufferynge their brawlynges and chydynges In kepynge them this wise from vs apart they nourishe their chyldren more peasibly eschewynge the noyses that sleeth the fathers ¶ I tell the Faustin that though we cal the Masagettes barbariens in this case they be wiser than the Romayns One thing I wyl tel you Faustin and I pray you marke it wel If the beastly mouynge of the flesshe enforced not the wyll of man to do his luste and that he wolde not desire women I doubte whether women wolde suffre it or loue it the lesse Of trouth if the goddis hadde made this loue voluntarie as it is naturall that is as we wolde we myght and not as we wold and may not with great peyn a man myghte be satisfied though he shuld lose him selfe for any woman It is a great secrete of the goddis and a great myserie to man that the faynt and weke fleshe doth force the herte whiche shulde be free to loue that it abhorreth and to alowe that that domageth This is a greatte secrete that men can fele hit euery houre as men and yet by discretion may not remedy it I enuie not the lyuynge goddis nor the menne that be deed but for two thynges and they ben these The goddis lyue without feare of thē that be malycious and they that be deed are in peace with out nede of women The ayre is so corrupt that it corrupteth euery man with two pestilent plages so deadely tha the fleshe and the harte endeth O Faustine is the loue of the fleshe so naturall that whā the fleshe fleeth scornefully we shulde leue the true harte as captiue And the resonne as reason put her to flyght the fleshe as fleshe forthewith yeldeth her to you as ouercome ¶ The emperour reherseth the perylles of them that haunt women excessiuely Cap. xx THemperour folowynge his purpose declareth the vniuersall domages that come to man by ouermoche conuersacyon and hauntynge of women And after he had tolde some particular cases that he had suffred with Faustin his wyfe he sayd I am well remembred y t in my yong age I folowed the fleshe to moch with purpose neuer to returne And therfore I cōfesse y t if I had good desires in one day in stede therof a. M. dayes I wrought yll It is reson that ye women flee from them that flee from you to hyde you from them that hyde them fro you to leue them that leaue you to seperate you fro them that separate them fro you to forgette them that forget you For some scape fro your handes yll famed and effeminate and other are hurt with your tonges many ben persecuted with your werkes and the better to scape free they come awaye abhorred of your hartes and bounde to your lyghtnesses Than who that feleth this what getteth he by the attaynynge therof O to howe many perylles offerethe he hym selfe that with women is greatly conuersant If a man loue theym not they count hym as a villeyne if he loue them they thinke hym lyghte yf he leaue theym they repute hym for a cowarde if he folowe them he is loste if he serue theym he is not regarded if he serue theym not he shall be hated of them yf he wylle haue theym they wylle not haue hym yf he desyre theym not they wylle seeke on hym yf he haunte theym he is ylle named if he haunte theym not they recken hym no man What shall the vnhappye man do Let men take this for certayne that thoughe the husbande do for his wyfe all that he can do as a mā and that he ought to do as a husbande and with his weakenes do the beste that he can for to fynde remedy agaynste pouertie with his trauayle and put hym selfe in danger for her euerye houre al this shall not please his wyfe nor make her the better but she wyll say that the traytour louethe other and that all that he dothe is onely to accomplysshe his pleasure on them Many dayes ago Faustyne I haue wylled to tell the this but I haue differred it tyll now hopynge that thou woldest gyue me occasion to telle it the the whiche longe agoo thou haste caused me to feele It is no poynte of wyse men that for euerye tyme they are annoyed with theyr wyues forthewith to hurte theym with wordes For amonge wise men the sayd wordes are moste estemed whan they are well appropried and sayd to good purpose I do bethynke me that it is .vi. yere sith Anthony Pie thy father dyd chuse me to be his sonne in law and thou me to be thy husbande and I the for my wyfe this my fatall destenie dyd permytte at the commaundemente of Adrian my lorde My father in lawe gaue the his fayre doughter to me for wyfe and the very sadde and ponderous empyre in maryage I trowe we were all begyled He to take me for his sonne and I to chuse the for my wyfe He was named Anthony Pius bycause he was pitiefull in all thynges saue vnto me to whom he was cruell for in a lyttell flesshe he gaue me many bones and to say the trouthe I haue no tethe to gnawe it nor no heate in my stomacke to dygeste hit and manye tymes I haue thoughte my selfe loste with it For thy beautie thou were desyred of many but for thyn yuell condicions thou were abhorred of all O howe vnhappy ben thy destenies Faustyne and howe yuell haue the goddis prouided for the. They haue giuen the beautie and
that Panutius spake wept with depe sighes fro his harte And bycause he was so sore greued he coude not forthwith giue hym an answere At the laste he commanded Panutius to giue him in writyng al that he had sayd to thentent that he myght studye theron For he said it was no reson to forget thinges so well said So all the rest of that night the Secretarie occupied hym selfe to put in writing the same sayinge and the next day he delyuered it to themperour whiche toke it and looked theron all the day and kept it styll in his handes and oftē times redde theron And the next nyght themperour sente for the Secretarie in open audience he said as foloweth The answere of themperour to Panutius ca. xlii HAppy was the mylke that thou suckedst in Dacie the bread y t thou diddest eate at Rome the lernyng that thou haddest in Athenes and thy bringyng vp in my hous For in my lyfe thou haste wel serued me and at my dethe thou hast well counsayled me I commande Commodus my sonne to rewarde the for thy good seruice And I pray the goddis to recompence the for thy councel The reward for diuers seruices a mā may make but y e rewarde for good coūcel all the goddis had nede to do The gretist reward that one frend may do to an other is in a great weightie matter to succour him with good councel Al the trauailes of the worlde are weightie but the trauaylle of dethe is the weightiest all be perillous but that is moste perillous al ben great but this is the grettest al thingis haue an ende at last by deth saufe only deth whose ende is vnknowē He that is hurte with deth is as he y t is sicke of the sleping euill hauing a quicke vnderstandyng yet he knoweth no man many thinges beinge offered to hym he can determine vpon none Yet againe I say he is a true and faithfull frende that in such time wil giue good coūsel to his frend All they that here this that I say wyl say that it is true But I sweare that noo man can knowe it perfitely but he that is in case that I am in redye to dye Lxii. yere hath ben the cours of my lyfe and nowe deathe commaundeth me to close myn eies to folowe the cours of deth Moreouer as thou knowest not the infirmitie so thou approchest not to the cure and helthe The dolour is not there as thou hast made defensiues it is not the fistula where against thou hast giuen cautere it is not ageinst opilations that thou hast giuen siropes it is not in y e veines y t thou hast giuen me incision Thou hast not wel heled the wounde that thou hast stitched me I say that thou must entre further in me to knowe perfitely myne accesse The sighes that procede fro the botom of my hert can not be vnderstanden with heringe of them the goddis alonly know y e thoughtes of y e hart Also diuers thingis ar in me that I knowe not of my selfe noo more than that is without me O Panutius thou accusest me that I feare death To feare it greatly I deny it but I confesse to feare it as a man Of trouth if I shuld say that I feare not death I muste deny that I am not made of fleshe We se that the Olyphant feareth the lyon and the beare feareth the olyphant and the wolfe fearethe the beare and the shepe fearethe the wolfe and the ratte the catte and the catte the dogge and the dogge the man and all onely theyr feare is that they drede to be slayne Than if these brute bestes refuse deth not fearynge the fyghtynge with furious spirites nor the enioyenge with the goddes Howe moche rather oughte we to feare the deathe For we are in feare to be torne in pieces with the furies in theyr peynes or to be receyued in pleasure with the goddes Therfore I say that the naturall feare of deathe I haue ouer come with the bridell and lyberties of reason Thinkeste thou Panutius that I see not my grasse wasted and my grapes gathered that my house breaketh and that I haue nothyng left but the stocke of the grapes the skynne of the flesshe and but one onely blaste of all my lyfe Thou seeste well that by the tokens the exercise is sene And nettes be caste in the riuers and in the parkes bulles bene chased I saye that the rumour of deathe holdeth in sauetie the lyfe that is in me at this houre redy armed agaynst dethe I make batayle with deathe at this houre barayne and naked of lyfe and so redy to entre into the sepulchre at this houre I shall entre in to the campe where as I shall not be gored with bulles but shall be eaten with wormes and fynally I shal go from whens I can not flee Thus I hope abydyng deth And this I say bycause thou shalt knowe that I knowe it and that thou shalt fele that I fele And to the entent thou lyue vnbegiled I wyll tell the a secrete secrete The nouelties that thou hast sene in me as in abhorrynge of meate bereuynge of slepe liuynge alone werynes of company drownynge in syghes and pastyme in wepynge Thou mayste wel thinke what turment ought to be in the see of my harte whan suche tremblynges and motions of erthe and reynes are set in the erthe of my body Shal I shew y e wherfore my body is in this thought and my herte in suche trouble The cause why I suffre dethe soo greuousely is that I leaue my sonne Commode in this lyfe in a perillous age for him and suspecious for thempire By the floures the fruites are knowen and the viues in burgenyng by the colt the hors is knowen whether he shall be meke or stubborne for labour or cariage in the youthe the yonge man is knowen and by the lytell that I se in my lyfe by my sonne Commode I feare me it wyll be lesse after my deth Thou knowest not why I say thus And I say it not without cause for my sonne Commode is very yonge and yet yonger in wytte He is of an yll inclination but he be forced he gouerneth hym selfe by his owne wytte and vnderstandyng as thoughe he were a man of experince he knoweth but lyttelle and carethe for nothynge Of the tyme passed he hath no knowledge all onely he occupieth hym selfe with the tyme present Fynally by that I se with myn eies and thynke in my harte I feare me the personne of my sonne shall be in peryll and the memorie of his fathers howse perysshe Faustyne his mother hath fostred hym to delycately and by a harde stony grounde he hath a great way to go He entreth as now alone into the pathe of youth without any guyde I feare me he shall goo out of the ryght waye and wander in the bushes and thornes of vices O Panutius harken what I say I
made a face in the worlde .xxxiii yere thou hast ben in the grace of the world nowe it is tyme fro hensforth to fall at some discorde therwith Abell kyng of the Assiriens hoped to haue but seuē yeres of good prosperitie Queene Simiramis but onely syxe Abell kynge of the Lacedemoniens fyue Eutrete kynge of the Caldeens .iiii. Alexander kynge of the grekes .iii. Amylcar the great of Carthage but two and our Gayus Cesar Romayne but one onely and many before and sythe not one yere And sith thou were the mooste vnknowen of lynage the grosseste of vnderstandynge and the leaste of power the darkest of fame and the most weke in merites wherfore than complayneste thou on fortune If thou haddest ben vertuous in all these .xxx. yeres thou haddest neuer eaten without thoughte nor neuer spoken without suspection nor slepte without stertyng thinking what thou haddest to do and wherin fortune myghte begyle the. He that is so longe besette aboute with soo many enemies I can not tell howe he shuld take any sure slepe Ah Torcate Torcate the worlde hath so many falles and we knowe so yll howe to continue amonge theym that be worldly that scantly we are fallen whan our handes and fete lyke sclaues be so faste tyed that we can not lose them It fylleth our persons full of vices strengtheth our sinewes to wickednes weaketh our hartes in vertues and fynally rendreth our spirites in a traunce and masethe our vnderstandynge and chaungeth our taste and sufferethe vs as beastes to shewe our euylles that we fele with waylynges all though as men we durst not shew it And that this is true it appereth that whanne we see that we lose we lament and complayne and none can helpe hym selfe This smal lesson I writte to the to the ende thou shuldest lyue in lesse thoughte The horse colte that thou dyddeste sende me leapeth very well The spanyell that thou sente to me is well but he is wylde the calfe was verye fatte and I wolde haue eaten it forthwith but my wyfe Faustyn besily prayed me to kepe it and thynketh that it was stolen in a gardeyne I sende to the .ii. M. sexters for to succour the in thy trauayles And as touchinge thy banyshement at tyme conuenient I shal dispatch thy matters with the senate The consolation of the goddis and the loue of man be with the Torcate The sodeynnes of euils and the yre of the furies be seperate froo me Marcus Aurelius Faustyn my wyfe greteth the and in lyke wise fro her parte and ours to thy mother in lawe and thy wyfe haue vs recommended Marc of Rome sendeth this writynge to Torcate of Gayette ¶ A letter sent to Domitius of Capue to comforte hym in his banisshemente The fourth letter MArke oratour Romayn borne on mount Celio to the Domitian of Capue salute and consolation of the goddis consolatours In this right colde wynter there arose in this lande a myghty gret wynd and by reason of the great wynde arose great quantitie of waters and the waters haue caused great humidites and great humidities brede dyuers maladies and diseases and amonge all the infirmities of this lande I haue the goute in my hande and the ciatica in my legge For the helth of my wyfe Faustine I can neyther go nor write I saye it bycause I can not write to the so longe as the case wolde require and as thy thankes meryteth and my desyre coueteth It is shewed me that by occasion of a hors thou hast had strif with Patricio thy neyghbour that thou art banished fro Capue and set in the prison Mamartyn Thy goodis are cōfisked and thy chyldren banished thy house caste downe and thy neuewe is putte out of the senate and banysshed the senate for .x. yeres It is tolde me that all the daye thou wepest and wakest by nyght in company thou diest and doest loue to reste solytarilye Thou hateste pleasure and louest pensyuenes And I haue no meruayle for the sorowefull hartes lyue with teares and wepynge and be mery laugh in dienge I am ryght sory to se the lost but moche more that for so smalle a thynge thou shuld be cast away as for a hors to lese al thyn estate O howe variable is fortune and howe soone a mysaduenture falleth before our eies Fortune gyueth these euyls we see it not with her handes she toucheth vs and we fele it not she tredeth vs vnder fete and we knowe hit not she speaketh in our eares and we here her not she crieth alowde vnto vs and we vnderstande her not and this is bycause we wyll not knowe her and finally whan we thynke we are moste surest than are we in moste peryll Trouth it is that with a lyttell wynde the fruyte falleth fro the tree and with a lyttell sparcle the house is sette a fyre a small rocke breaketh a greatte shyppe and with a lyttell stone the legge is hurte I saye that oftentyme of that we feare not cometh greatte peryll In a close Fistula rather than in an open the surgiens doubte the peryll In depe styll waters the pilote feareth more than in the great hye wawes Of secret enbushement rather than of open armies the warriour doubteth I wyll not onely say of straungers but of hys owne propre not of ennemyes but of frendes not of crewelle warre but of peace not of open domage or sclaunder but of secrete peryll and myschiefe a wyse man ought to beware Howe many haue we sene that the chances of Fortune coulde not abate and yet within a shorte whyle after vnwarenes with great ignomynious shame hath ouerthrowen them I wolde witte of the what reste can a persone haue that trusteth euer vpon the prosperitie of fortune syth for so lyght a cause we haue sene so great a stryfe in Rome and suche a losse to thy howse Seynge that I see I wyll not feare the wyndes of her trauayles nor beleue in the clerenesse of her pleasures nor her thunders shal not feare me nor wil trust vpon her flatteringes nor thanke her for that she leueth with me nor be sorye for that she taketh froo me nor wake for any trouthe that she sayth to me nor ryse for any of her leasynges nor lawghe for any thyng that she desyreth of me nor wepe for gyuing me leaue If thou knowest not the cause of this I shal tel the. Our lyfe is so doubtefull and fortune so way warde that she dothe not alway threate in strykynge nor striketh in thretnynge The wyse man gothe not soo temperately that he thynketh at euery steppe to falle nor lyue with so smalle athought to thynke to ouerthrowe in euery playn pathe For oftentymes false fortune shaketh her weapon and striketh not and an other tyme stryketh without shakynge Beleue me of one thynge Domitius That parte of the lyfe is in moste perylle whan with lyttell thoughte or care men thynke them selfe moost sure Wylt thou se the trouthe therof Cal to thy minde Hercules
that though he scaped the pestylence yet he was vexed with hote feuers Wherfore he was fayn to leue Rome and went into Champayne and fynally in the citie of Naples he made his abode durynge the tyme that the pestilence was in Rome ¶ How Mar. answered his phisitions that wold haue him leaue his studie Cap. xxix THe emperour beinge in the sayde citie of Naples where as other soughte pastyme to conserue their lyues this emperour occupied him selfe in his bokes to augment science A man coude do hym no better seruice than to seke to gette hym a newe boke not suche as was written in his tyme but suche as were forgotten for age This emperour was not onely a louer of olde and antike bookes but also of auncient stories and set very great stoore by theym And he thus beinge in the cytie sycke and very yll at ease there was brought to hym out of a citie of Asia called Helia by certayne Hebrewes a boke writen in Hebrew he toke suche pleasure in that boke that ofte tymes he wolde leaue his meate and goo to study and for all that he was in his hote feuer he wolde not leaue to reede for all that his phisitiens warned him and his frendes prayde hym and they that were about hym counsaylled hym and demanded hym why he lefte to procure the helth of his persone in so moche redynge He aunswered By the goddis that we honour I coniure you and for the frendshyp that is betwene vs I pray you lette me alone Ye knowe well that suche as are of a delycate bloode haue not soo moche solicytude as the rusticall people that haue hard synewes and be of a more harder complexion Lyke maner they of clere vnderstandynge haue nede of other medicynes and to be heled with other syropes thā they of grosse vnderstādyng This is the differēce that I haue of eyther of them The ydeote kepeth dyete from bookes and resteth on his meate and the wyse man abhorreth meate and draweth hym to his bokes If they knewe that knowe not what thynge knowlege is I sweare to you they shuld see what auayleth more the lyttell knowlege that a wyse man hath than the greatte ryches of the ryche man For the myserable ryche persone the more that he encreaseth in rychesse the more he diminisheth in frendes and groweth in ennemyes to his domage And he that is wyttie the wiser that he is the better he is beloued of theym that be good and feared of them that be yll for his profite One of the thinges wherin I holde my selfe moste bounde to the goddis is this that they haue caused me to compas the tyme as I haue done the whiche is no lyttel gift for a man to lyue in this worlde I say it is bycause I haue had great compassion of the poore that be verye poore of wydowes of them that be sorowfull and vnhappy and of Orphelins But without comparison I haue had greattest compassiō of them that lacke knowlege For the goddis making menne ignoraunt by naturalitie myghte haue made them goddis by connynge and knowledge and as the slouthefull men are tamed and made lesse than men by their negligence so certainly blessed he is that is not contente to be a man but if he procure to be more than a man by his vertue And cursed is that man that knoweth not to be a man but maketh hym selfe lesse than a man by his vyce By the iugement of al philosophers there is but one that is the fyrste cause which is one god immortal and if there be dyuers goddis in the heuens it is bycause there are diuers vertues in the erthe And in the worlde that is paste whan the symple men were seruauntes and bonde menne and the good men rulers and gouernours they were then so estemed bycause they were knowen and renowmed for theyr good werkes in theyr lyfe Soo that they were holden and reputed as goddis after theyr deathe This is the ryghte rewarde that commeth of vertue It is a thynge consonaunt to reason that they that be good amonge soo many yll in this lyfe shulde be greattely honoured among the goddis after theyr deathe Ye are not wel content with me bycause I am alwaye redynge ▪ but I am worse content with you bycause I neuer se boke in your handes ye thynke it great trauayle to a sycke man to rede and I repute it a very peryllous thynge for a hole manne to reste and be idell Ye say my redyng is cause of my feuer quartayne in my flesshe and I saye that ydelnes engendreth great pestilence Syth I may profite by my bokes let no man haue compassion of my trauayle For I desire rather to dye as a wise person amonge wise men than to lyue ignorantly amonge men I demaunde one thynge of you A man presuming to be a man and is not lerned what difference is betwene hym and other beastes Certaynly the beastes are more profitable to labour the erthe than symple persons be to serue the common welthe A pore oxe giueth his skynne to make shone his fleshe to be eaten and his strength to labour and a poore symple shepe doth profite his flece and wol to make clothe his mylke to make chese But what profiteth a folishe ideote man Nothing but offendeth the goddis sclaundereth innocentes eateth the breade of other and is chiefe heed of vacabundes Of trouth if it lay in my handes to do I had rather giue lyfe to a simple oxe than to a malycious ideot For the beast liueth for the vtilitie of dyuers without doing domage to any other and the simple ideot man liueth to the domage of all other and without profite to any person Therfore thinke well why I am not pleased with theym that be ignoraunt and loue them that be lerned Harke syrs what I shall shewe you That man semeth good that is meke and gentyll of condition softe in wordes and restefull in his persone and gracious in conuersation And contrary wise that personne soore displeaseth me that is sharpe of wordes soore moued in his warkes riottous in his condicion and double of his promys and harde harted Also I say that if any thing wante in a wise man by nature he supplyeth it by science and he that is ignorant and folyshe if he want discretion he supplyethe it with his malice And trust surely that a worthy vertuous man therby becomethe wise and he is to be trusted and he that is of an other maner beware of hym for he goeth aboute to sell his malice He that wyll begile an other the first thing that he doth is he sheweth hym selfe to be symple and ignoraunt For a man beinge in credence may soone sprede abrode his malyce The mothes and softe wormes freete freate the clothe and the canker worme perseth the bone and flatterynge men begyle all the worlde ¶ Howe science ought to be in princis Cap. xxx THe said emperour folowing his purpose said Frendes