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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20028	The defence of contraries Paradoxes against common opinion, debated in forme of declamations in place of publike censure: only to exercise yong wittes in difficult matters. Wherein is no offence to Gods honour, the estate of princes, or priuate mens honest actions: but pleasant recreation to beguile the iniquity of time. Translated out of French by A.M. one of the messengers of her Maiesties Chamber.; Paradoxes, ce sont propos contre la commune opinion. English. Selections	Estienne, Charles, 1504-ca. 1564.; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633.; Landi, Ortensio, ca. 1512-ca. 1553. Paradossi.; Duval, Jean-Baptiste, d. 1632, attributed name.	1593 (1593)	STC 6467; ESTC S105222	52,873	110

The Defence of Contraries Paradoxes against common opinion debated in forme of declamations in place of publike censure only to exercise yong wittes in difficult matters Wherein is no offence to Gods honour the estate of Princes or priuate mens honest actions but pleasant recreation to beguile the iniquity of time Translated out of French by A. M. one of the Messengers of her Maiesties Chamber Patere aut abstine Imprinted at London by Iohn Winde● for Simon Waterson 1593. To the King SIr after you had heard the censures of diuers learned Gentlemen on the seuerall Paradoxes which you pleased to propound and were therein as I imagined fully satisfied yet you would needes make triall of my meane iudgement in such matters and thervpon commanded me to set down mine opinion How simple soeuer they be doone they are and now in all humblenes presented to your Maiestie who doubtlesse will allow them gratious countenance because it was a taske imposed by your selfe and beside requireth labour and good wit to defend such contraries Let no manne thinke then that I or any other would be so sencelesse as to holde directly any of these vaine reasons but what for argumentes sake may be said that set I downe and no otherwise Your Highnesse knowes that the simplest conceit can maintaine It is better to be rich then poore better for a Woman to be faire then foule better for a man to be wise then a foole c. But to defend the contraries to these so farre as modestie and reason wil allow deserueth no hard coniecture among the learned because they are onely but exercise of wit to make proofe of a mans habilitie in such difficult occasions Cornelius Agrippa deserued good report for his Vanitas Scientiarum and I hope to passe the pikes with my Paradox'apologia how euer it fall out so your Maiesty buckler me with wonted fauour I am of Caesars mind Iactaest alea. Your Maiesties most humble subiect and seruaunt R. G. S. D. M. To the friendly Reader GEntle Reader euen as contrarie thinges compared one with another do giue the better euidence of their value and vertue so the truth of any matter whatsoeuer appeareth most cleerely when the different reasons against the same is equalled or neighboured therewith Beside whosoeuer woulde prepare a Knight to the field must first exercise himselfe in the most common and vulgare actes of Armes that cunning stratagems may seeme the lesse laboursome to him In like manner for him that woulde be a good Lawyer after he hath long listened at the barre he must aduenture to defend such a cause as they that are most imployed refuse to maintaine therby to make himselfe more apt and ready against common pleaders in ordinarie causes of processe For this intent I haue vndertaken in this book to debate on certaine matters which our Elders were wont to cal Paradoxes that is to say things contrary to most mens present opinions to the end that by such discourse as is helde in them opposed truth might appeare more cleere and apparant Likewise to exercise thy witte in proofe of such occasions as shall enforce thee to seeke diligentlie and laboriously for sound reasons proofes authorities histories and very darke or hidden memories Notwithstanding in this conceits I would not haue thee so much deceiued as that eyther my sayings or conclusions should make thee credit otherwise then common and sensible iudgement requireth and yet withall remember that diuersitie of things doth more comfort mens spirites then daily and continually to behold whatsoeuer is common and frequent to our iudgements Farewell For Pouertie Declamation 1. That it is better to be poore than Rich. COnsidering for what and against whome I am to speake in your presence I haue great occasion to feare and withal to request that credit and fauour shoulde haue no more meanes to blemish and obscure truth on your partes then may innocencie and simplicitie on my behalfe by bringing and conducting ye into the apparant light For minding to commend such things as are blamed and hated by most part of men it will be almost impossible for me to escape displeasure in the matters themselues which of each one and at all times haue beene loued esteemed and cherished aboued all other things But one thing that heerin giueth me some comfort is that among the wise and vertuous the number whereof are dailye without comparison farre lesse albeit much more esteemed then the bad and ignorant I shall escape vnblamed Wherefore I need not be dismaied if I find few protectors and friends for praising matters so good and honest when my aduersarie findeth greater aduantage for extolling such things as are euill and pernitious Nowe because the principall point of my cause consisteth in letting ye vnderstand the estate and valew of such matters as I stand for I desire ye to wish him who would turne ye from the knowledge heerof as pretending not to know that the well skilde in letters haue for the most part been poore and needie persons To cal to memorie the life of Valerius Publicola Menenius Agrippa as also the good Aristi●es who died all so poore as they were faine by almes to be buried Hee may remember likewise Epaminondas king of Thebes in whose rich houses Pallaces after so many faire victories and noble deedes of armes by him perfourmed was found but one poore straw-bed or base mattresse for to put in his Inuentory He may bee mindfull also of Paulus Aemillius Attillius Regulus Quintus Cincinnatus Cato Elius and Marcus Manlius whose noble hartes were more cōmanded by want then the height of worldly fortunes And who knowes not that loue of pouertie had such power ouer the good Abdolominus that to be ruled thereby hee refused the most riche and abounding kingdome of Sydonia he being elected by the people of the Countrey to be gouernor thereof Heerein appeareth sufficiently the great number of molestations and trauailes hidden vnder the vaine splendor of riches and the aboundance of honours hidden in the beautiful bosome of pouertie honors well knowne and vnderstood by the Poet Anacreon to whom it happened that hauing been two whole nights togither without any rest troubled with continuall deuisings how he might keepe from theeues and imploy the fiue talents of golde which Polycrates had giuen him at length to deliuer himselfe from this perpetuall molestation and returne to his former happinesse he brought backe the faire Talentes to the Tyrant with such wordes as one of his sorte might very well vse and notwithstanding hee was poore and indigent yet he refused those thinges so highly accounted on It is certaine that hee whoe hath alwaies liued poor in this world hath no greefe or sorrowe when he departeth from it for it is to bee considered that hee leaueth this earthlie life more contented and ioyfullie then he that by the meanes of riches hath therin endured long time of pleasure As for my selfe I neuer saw one that was poore indeed who

cheekes which seemed before like roses or shining Carbuncles conteyned nothing at all of their former and naturall beawty Like act did many wise well learned Damosels and holy virgines of the Primitiue church of whom especiall memory is made among Christians at this day What say ye of our Courtezans whom God by his especiall grace hauing not giuen the gift to bee the fairest of all other howe daily they cease not to inuent newe and strange manners of paintinges to counterfeit and disguise their age and first naturall shape with false haires Spanish white Pom●des Targon distilled waters braied drugs Oyles Powders and others follies too long to be recounted Oftentimes they shaue or burne their artificiall haire and then againe rub slick chafe and washe themselues only to seeme faire yet notwithstanding looke on them at night or in the morning and ye shall finde them more deformed than before but what ensueth soone after vppon this goodly industry Sinne Death and the anger of God Now then desire this feigned faire beawty whoe will and such as best thinke themselues worthy of it for I hold most firmely that it is better to hate flie it then to wish or affect it seeing nothing procedeth thereof but pride ouer-weening and vaine-glorie as also the moste mishapen horned creatures of the world Neuer was I of any other minde since the time I had power of reason to discerne and knowe truth from falshood but that deformed people deserued more praise then the beawtifull nor is it without cause or disagreeing with best sense considering such as are hard fauoured are commonly chast humble ingenious holy and haue euer some sweete appearance of most commendable grace But for them that boast of beautie I leaue to you the consideration of their behauiour which is often times so counterfeit as nothing can be saide to agree lesse with nature You shall see them of lofty countenance inconstant demeanour wandring lookes bold pace and like language nowe iudge at your pleasure what ye conceiue of them Conclude then will I that it is much better to be fowle than faire let no aduersary party intrude himselfe to replie against my speeches for I am both stoutlie determined and sufficientlie furnished to make him answer Had I no more but the testimony of Theophrastus who hath left vs in writing that bodily beawtye is nothing else but secret deceit And he that will not heere with content himselfe to him let me produce the aduise of Theocritus that beawty is an vnknown detriment Shall we then be so vnwise and sottish that euen at the first sight wee will pursue our owne euils and misfortunes more easilie embracing most perillous and damageable beawtie then deformitie ten times more auailing and profitable Would God that foolish minde might not abide in any one but rather that we all would hate what is so vnfit for vs from which commeth no goodnes or felicitie For the ignorant Declamation 3. That ignorance is better than knowledge THe more I thinke heereon the more I resolue and rest in this opinion that it is better to haue no knowledge in letters then to be expert or skilfull therein considering that such as haue consumed the more part of their age in the study of sciences haue in the ende repented themselues thereof and haue oftentimes found very euill successe thereby Valerius the great writing of Cicero who by good right deserued to be called not only the father of eloquence but euen the fountaine of all excellent lerning saith that in his latter years he conceiued such an hatred against letters as if they had beene the cause of his so many greefes and trauailes The Emperour Licinius Valentinianus Heraclides Licianus and Philonides of Malta haue openlie tearmed the skill in letters sometime to be a publique plague sometime a common poison to men And I haue found written in many good Authors that hee which couets knowledge couets vexation that from great experience ensueth oftentimes the greatest daunger Likewise it is certaine that all heresies as well ancient as moderne came from men of knowledge cōtrariwise that in people esteemed idiots or men of little knowledge haue beene vsuallye noted expresse signes of vertuous workes and good examples I highly commend the order among the Lucanes that no one professing capacity of letters or esteemed learned may obtaine any office or sit as a Magistrate in their parlement for they stande in feare least these lettered men by their great knowledge which makes them presume so much on their persons should trouble the good order and tranquillity of their common wealth Nor may this be reckoned but to very good purpose if we would well consider their insolencie who vnder shaddow of probation in a colledge would haue euery one stand bounden or be holding to them and thinke vnder colour of their faire allegations with interpretations God wots crooked enough sometime to ouerthrow the best naturall sence in the worlde and they of dutie ought to be aboue all onely heard and listened to Some of them there be that like to Mydas confound in their obstinate opinions and stiffe-necked conceits all things whatsoeuer they take in hand I cannot imagine to what ende are auaileable these men so highly learned who in honor of their followers are called fine polished curious and ingenious wits For if they might serue to gouerne any publique cause how many nations are seene without the knowledge of lawes imperiall or of Stoical or Peripatetical philosophy so to gouerne entertaine themselues that they out-goe al auncient Cōmon weales To thinke that they may serue for the art military I dare boldly witnesse thus much vnto ye that I haue knowne more then one or two Gentlemen and captains wel lettered who by the helpe of their books haue laboured and busied themselues to point out a field leuy an armie put men in arraie and furnishe their squadrons which practise neuer returned them any honor For in truth in matter of warre we daily behold to happen incident nouelties and vnaccustomed stratagems which neuer before were registred or put in vse by the very skilfullest writers in times past Howe can wee then with reason affirme the bookes of Frontinus or Vegetius to be profitable for the art of warre In my conceit the good iudgment of a Captaine ioyned with his long vse and experience in these matters is sufficient enough for him without troubling him to turne ouer bookes of the Art militarie That these lettered people are meet to guide a house or gouerne a houshold which the Philosophers called Oeconomia howe can I agree thereto when at this day is to be noted both heere and elsewhere how many good and honest mothers of families who neuer in their liues studied in any Vniuersitie yet both haue and doe well order their houses guide their houshold yea aboue one or two hundred women for example whoe no displeasure to Aristotle or Xenophon may learnedly reade them

to affirme that this worlde is a very Cage or mine of such people And if all they which holde of that race would suffer themselues to be written in the rowle or paper belonging to the Prince of fooles or bee registred in the Abbey of these happy people there should not neede so much strife and lawe for calling one another sot or foole For in sooth it is a name that may beseeme the very greatest and wisest in the worlde yea were it to the great king Salomon who albeit he only among the Hebrewes bare the title of wise yet beside that hee well deserued the name of a foole when he sacrifised to Idols and entertained so long such a great number of Concubines Also of this name were capable the seuen Sages whom ambitious and lying Greece vaunted to bring forth and nourish their actions and behauior Cicero affirmeth that whosoeuer will lightly runne ouer and cull them out shall finde them to be more full of follie then wit How many haue beene seene since the Creation of the worlde that haue escaped infinite daungers only by counterfeiting folly What might they more haue doone if they had beene fooles indeed when the onlye shaddowe was to them the cause of such good How many haue we knowne and heard of that haue beene absolued of theftes murders and other misdeeds by supposition that they indeed were fooles Thinke yee that heauen dooth customablye giue so faire and excellent priuiledges to others as to people diuine and celestiall The farther I wade in contemplation of follie the more pleasing I finde it and garnished with all faire commodities See howe a foole troubles him selfe with a kingdomes affaires or fortifiyng of a Cittye See what paine he puts himselfe to in gouerning an housholde or pertaking with one Prince or other yet notwithstanding we see such as are esteemed the wisest to iniury themselues heereby and wexe very olde with such molestations of the minde May it please ye to vnderstand the difference which I finde betweene the foole and wise man Regard the passions and affections in them both First of all the foole is not any thing curious in his meate or drinke neyther cares for fine decking and clothing himselfe they whom we call wise neuer haue enough and neuer are satisfied with the goods of this world neither can all humane industry or the very goddesse aboūdance with hir great Cornet suffice their insatiable desires Now iudge hereby which of these two come neerest the obseruation of Gods commandement who forbiddeth vs in his Gospell not to be carefull for our food or raiment Beside the foole makes no esteeme of honours and worldly dignities he contemns great preheminences refusing the places and seates honourable in magnificent companies Contrariwise they that holde themselues so wise seeke nothing at this day but worldly honour And to attaine superiour dignities they feare not to endure heat or cold they forget the discommoditie of great trauaile as also losse of rest by day and night to the hazard oftentimes of their liues so deerely beloued and by them held in such pretious account The foole feeles not himselfe prouoked with so many pricks of Fortune he meddles not with sights or combats he hath no Lawe-pleadings nor quarrels wherby to get or defend his goods he hath not such paine in attending on the Court as others haue to be entertained by one or other he yeelds not him self for the miserable requital of two or thre crowns a buckler to ten thousand bullets of shot musquets or harguebuzes he breaks not his neck in riding post after offices benefices or confiscations he languishes not in pursuing the loue or fauour of Ladies hee paies no taxe or tribute lastly he is not subiect to any one but liueth in perfect franchise and liberty He is permitted and licensed to speake what himselfe thinks good touching the dealings of Princes priuate persons without encurring thereby any danger of imprisonment or corporall punishment He hath no need of Rhethoricall cunning to make him selfe attentiuely listened vnto but bestowes on each one the ioyous pastimes of his meriments I stand in need of a whole sourse of eloquence wherewith I might thorowlie paint foorth and discipher the honest vertues of most pretious follie the contrary whereof hath beene cause of the punishing of an hundred thousand iniuries and of ouerthrowing the intelligence and actions of many great personages I find that Fortune hath euermore beene very carefull in bestowing perticular aide vpon fooles and defended them as her most deere children frō infinite perils and dangers Likewise wee see by experience that the greater part of fooles liue longer and more happily then the wise doe Wherefore should we thinke this to be so but because they giue not themselues to any melancholie neuer meddle with Lawe-causes debates or quarrels neither mollest themselues with matters publique or priuate which makes me say and affirm vnto ye that folly euen as Poesie is somewhat celestiall and filleth the hartes of her children with a certaine spirite of prophesie and diuine furie by meanes wherof they seeme agreeable to euery one and purchase very great esteeme and fauour in the eies of Princes You shall finde by experience that many great wealthy Lords turne their faces from company and conference with wise men yea such as are saide to haue the greatest learning that they may intertaine pleasure with a foole and commune familiarlie with him yea sometimes they will leaue their best and most auncient seruantes or fauorites to delight and bestow countenance on the first foole that comes before them Is it not maruellous that we shall neuer see a man of great knowledge indeede but hath some part of this pretious folly in him Though ye woulde produce neuer so many learned men or of what profession else so euerye please be they Philosophers Orators Painters Statuaries Musitians Builders yet they haue some tast heereof and generally all people of learning whatsoeuer Where shall yee finde one singular Poet at this day that doth not participate in this folly Euery one knoweth that the Poet deepest skild therein is accounted most excellent And if the greate Philosopher Plato had not had more then a reasonable portion of this diuine folly thinke yee that he had deliuered so many faire excellent matters which we haue at this day after his maner And yet you are ashamed to be accounted or called fools The inuenter of the Italian Cardes whereat they haue a play or pastime called Tarault did in my cōceit very ingeniouslie when he put the Deniers or monyes and Bastons or clubs in combate togither as the very encountring of force and iustice But yet he deserued more praise for giuing in this play the most honourable place to the foole as we do to the Ace which we should rather call Nars that in dutch signifieth a Foole. This deuiser well noted the great seruitude whereto they most commonly are subiect that couet a place

conclusion great folly in any Lord to be displeased or offended at the losse of his honors and liuings but rather with such fortunes he ought to reioice and be glad as being by so good occasion discharged of a burden so greeuous and heauy For this is my opinion that it were better for him to lose his worldly estate and dignitie then himselfe to be thereby lost and destroied for euer For Drinkers Declamation 7. That Drunkennesse is better than Sobrietie I Did heeretofore so breefely as I could deliuer vnto ye the great excellence and noble nature of wine that I might afterward inferre in what great honour reputation he ought to bee that especiallie loues it and longest continueth in delight thereof And albeit it seemeth to many a verie hard and laborious enterprise by reason of the abundance of good wordes and well conuaied language wherewith it is necessary they should bee thorowlie furnished in such a cause yet neuerthelesse will I boldly deliuer my opinion though I am vnfurnished of that diuine furie which ordinarilie worketh maruellous matters in our spirits whereof in this need might I receiue neuer so little fauour I should farre better satisfie your desires that are bent with attention to heare what I can say in this matter To proceed in our discourse I finde that the great vertue and excellence of wine hath beene of our elders so intirely known and approued that the highly esteemed Asclepiades did it so much honour as to couple the faculties and vertues thereof with them of the very cheefest Gods Which is agreeable with the consent of holy scripture whereby was autenticallie pronounced that wine was sent to men as by the especiall grace and immortall gift of God therewith oftentimes to refresh and recreate their spirites ouer much weakened and trauailed with long cares which they suffer continuallie in this worlde And heerewith altogither agreeth the opinion of good Homer in many places of his diuine Poesie And whosoeuer shal require of me greater proofe assurance I pray them to consider how that truth it selfe which is the thing that hath and yet at this day doth ouer-rule the greatest case in the world from all antiquitie holdeth principall consent with wine This is it which made place for the auncient prouerbe knowne sufficiently of euery one that in Wine is truth to be found wherein fooles children and drunken men are most accustomed to display it Wherefore I cannot sufficiently maruell at the great fault of learned Democritus who would sometimes maintaine that truth lodgeth her selfe in the bottome of a well this is greatly against the aduise and opinion of all the Greekes which euermore defended that her lodging continually was in VVine VVhereto very well consenteth Horace one of the most excellent Latine Poets who so soundly confirmed this matter in his learned verses made and composed by the helpe of this sweet liquor wherewith his stomach so plentifully abounded as hee coulde deliuer it backe againe forth at his eies To the same purpose the great Philosopher Plato would prooue and maintaine that wine was a very firme and sure foundation of mens spirites by the fauour and vertue whereof I may easilie coniecture that he founde the inuention of his goodly Ideas of his numbers and of his lawes so magnificent also that with the aide of this sweet drinke he spake so deepelie on the gratious argument of loue and likewise disposed his so well ordered Common-wealth VVithall he defended that the Muses flourished farre and neere in the very smell of Bacchus liquor and the Poet that drunke not profoundly therof could frame no verse excellent high-reaching or of good measure But leauing verse and Poesie let vs come to the kind drinkers of cleere water I would willingly demaund of them what good they can receiue in this world by vsing such an vnsauorie drinke In the first place how can a drinker of water well accomplishe housholde dutie when the naturall seede is more moist then any thing else and lesse strong for the procreation of children VVhich is the cause such people are alwaies weake feeble sicke and colour-lesse Likewise ye neuer sawe a drinker of water but was depriued of the true strength of all his members and hardie courage of hart He hath so little stomach so weake an appetite to digest his meates as commonly his life is short or else vnhealthfull For this cause it was that Saint Paule knowing Timothie albeit he was very yong in the strength of his age to take delight in drinking nothing but water admonished him to vse therewith a little wine if it were but for the onely health of his stomach and preuention of such diseases whereto by his complexion he was ouermuch subiect I await vpon this point the reply of some opiniatiue person who will tell me that such was not the aduise of Cistus Bullengerus nor yet of Nouellus Tricongius who dranke three measures of wine daily called Congii which contained three gallons and three pintes of our measure for which the Emperour Tiberius promoted him to honour and at the last made him Consull of Rome I againe replie on the contrarie that such was the opinion of the most wise and prudent king of all auncient memorie who saide in his Prouerbes that wine comforteth and refresheth the hartes of men likewise it is witnessed by the cōsent and testimonie of all Phisitians as the most singular remedy to chase greefe from the mind of man But if peraduenture some misbeleeuing humanist will not giue so much credit to the worde of so great a wise man as to the precepts of auncient Phisitians let him then consider and note well what at this day is to be found written by Hippocrates Galen Oribasus that wine serueth for a medicine to the cold and dulled sinewes giueth comfort to the weary and trauailed eies bestoweth an appetite on the tast-lesse stomach reioyceth the sad and afflicted spirites banisheth the imbecillity of the members giueth warmth to the body prouoketh vrine restraineth casting moueth sleepe taketh away ill digestion consumeth moist humors and maketh a kindly consent in the bodie Galen saith moreouer that wine greatly auaileth against wearisome complexion of age moueth the harts of men to force and prowesse recreateth naturall heate and giueth vigor to the spirits O how well did that good Lady Hecuba of whom Homer speaketh so honourablie knowe the pretious nature of wine when aboue all things she exhorted her valiant sonne Hector to cheere vp and reuiue his members wearied by continuall trauaile he endured in Armes with drinking of this diuine liquor The vertue whereof learned Pindarus knew well enough which made him a peerelesse heroycall Poet neuer could he haue accomplished his so highe and excellent Poeme by the vertue and goodnes of water but changing his stile into the great praise noble description of the vertue of wine the chiefest most notable men in the worlde made likewise such price and

companion to her husband only but indeed Ladye and mistresse ouer her house and familie And if for example the reports of fundry places might serue I would aboue all other willinglie perswade ye to this one That I being one day at Lions deuising priuately with a very faire and young woman as is the manner in this Citty heere we entred into talke concerning the braue fashion of a garment which one of his neighbours ware and hadde caused newly to be made When I gaue her councell to haue such another she began to sigh maruelouslie Now I knew her husband to be rich inough able to content her in a greater desire and not to giue her one but a doozen farre better wherefore Lady quoth I why speake ye not to your husband who can and will heerein satisfie ye She answered she durst not neither would she require it bicause she had not yet as so wel deserued but if it pleased God to fauour her so much as to sende her one or twoe sweet yong babes she shoulde haue the meanes to aske of him other thinges then a new gowne It happened according to her wishe that a yeere after she was deliuered of two male children at one burthen so soone as she saw her desire accomplished she who before had beene so kind and louing to her husband began to holde all her housholde in such subiection as the poore Gentleman had no better helpe but euen to forsake his house now beholde what fruite comes by this kind of domesticall increase As for the aduantages that ensue by barrennesse I finde so great a number of them as it is impossible for me to acquaint yee with them all First of all if thou haue a barren wife consider thou shalt not need to doe as many doe nursse other folks childrē It shall not displease thee to heare the stir she makes when thy wife is sicke with childe nor shalt thou abide the painefull trouble during the month of her downe-liyng nor shalt thou heare the cryinges and cradle-noise to waken thee out of thy first sleepe Thou shalt bee free from the strifes and perpetuall molestations of iniurious and vnnaturall nursses And to conclude thou shalt not feele that yikesome anguish in seeing them die by thee or in thy presence Witnesse heereof let serue the wise Solon who being one day gone to visite his friend Thales that then for more quietnes of studie was gone not far off frō the Citty of Myletum And seeing no children goe vp and downe before his house he maruelled greatlie thereat and conceiued but rudely of Thales that hee hadde no care of linage to ensue him Thales within few daies after would returne the like to his companion and came to visite him euen in his lodging And while they discoursed on many thinges there entred to them a yong Lad who before hadde beene instructed for the purpose by Thales he said that he was come from Athens to see the Phylosopher and to enquire if he would command him any thing thither for which cause only came nowe to salute him Solon dilligentlie enquired of him if hee knew any matter of newes and how all things fared at Athens The yong youth answered he knewe no other thing but the death of an honest wise yong man for whom all the Cittie mourned and lamented at his departing because he was saide to be the son of a wise Philosopher of that Cyttie who as then was absent and euery one accounted well of him but his name he had then vtterlie forgotten O poor and vnhappie father cried out Solon being mooued with feare and trembling Then afterwarde cariyng suspition of his owne sonne in his minde he could not forbeare from demaunding if perhaps the name of the dead childes father was not Solon he answered that it was Solon for so he heard him called Then the poore Philosopher began to weepe and to beate his head against the faire walles so that if he had not swouned in the place he was in danger had the doores beene open to haue runne into the fieldes and there haue raunged vp and downe as madde or frantike Thales seeing himselfe reuenged and that he had preuailed enough against him after he had dawned him to remembrance by the helpe of vinager and colde water he saide Now thou seest Solon the cause which hath with-held me so carefully from listening to the desire of children in that it can so easily offend the sence of such a man as thou art whome I esteemed the firmest and most constant in the worlde Afterward he let him vnderstand the fallacie to shew him whence proceeded his slender affection to haue any linage I would faine learne of him that is so earnestlie this way addicted how doth a woman knowe what her children will be when shee hath brought them foorth For but by the issue of women had euer the Romaine Empire beene tormented with such horrible monsters as were Caligula Nero Commodus and Bascianus Had they euer liued vppon the earth if Marcus Antonius Domitian and Septimius had not byn married or at least had met with barren women Augustus would often wish that of his wiues hee might neuer haue children and woulde many times call his daughter and Neece two horse-leaches that destroied and eate vppe his daies with great and extreame greefes The selfe-same words might poor Agripina haue vsed who was mother to the cruel and hated Nero. Likewise the good father to Phraates K. of Parthia when he beheld his sonne so cruelly slain and at length without any remorse of conscience the homicidiall sworde to be sheathed in his owne poore and ouer-wearied aged bodie Epaminondas a king of so high spirit and most noble wisedome liued a long time without marriyng when being one day reproched and bearded by Pelops as in the way of reprehension for making no regard of procreation of children for aide of the common wealth which already declined and fell to ruine he returned him this quicke answer Take heed that thou hast not doone worse than I for the Common wealth by such seed as thou shalt leaue behind thee Heereon they elected one of his sonnes who was of such an infamous and wicked disposition as he hoped for nothing more then to bring all thinges to confusion What shall I say of Mithridates who by desire to succeede in the kingdome of Pontus seeing the ambushes he hadde secretly prepared against his father sorted to none effect made open warre against him assailed him very dishonorably for to depose him And what may be said of Lotharius sonne to K. Lewes who hauing suspition that he was not so well beloued as his brother Charles found the meanes to imprison his father I might in this place produce the deede of C. Thuranius Antipater of Gal●en sonne to the Emperour Valerian and of infinite other homicides or rather paricides But I will not trouble yee with multitude of examples in a matter not to bee any way

gaine-said Beleeue mee that will but I holde as a matter doubtlesse that barrennesse is a most singular remedie against the piersing thornes of housholde life which by better meanes then this onely cannot be escaped or preuented And I beleeue for certainety that this would be a souereigne medicine against the priuate mallice of children except by good hap the diuine plant called Hermetiae could be gotten which whosoeuer vseth if Democritus be not a lyar not only shall engender honest children and well disposed but likewise very faire and gratious But I stand in doubt that this hearbe is lost for which of the skilfullest and moste dilligent herballists of our time that euer knewe it Or where is the hande that euer planted or gathered it If nothing can be found in Dioscorides in Crescentius or in Plateairus all good Apothecaries I thinke assuredly that this plant is altogither loste for our time seeing by good proofe we now beholde children so disobedient being lyars Tauerne hunters Gamesters swearers and for conclusion capitall enimies to all vertue Then doubt not but that good Democritus imagined this hearbe or dreamed on some other thing or else that he sawe and knew it after he had put out his owne eies to become therby the better Phylosopher I thus conclude then that a barren woman is much better then a fruitfull and let vs not bee carefull to haue such store of children seeing they haue doone harme to so manye persons As for my selfe I was sometime of contrary opinion but soone after I began to repent my selfe seeing that howe many children soeuer a man hath if they bee strong they are but so many seruants to princes if they be of spirite and knowe ought then make they slender account of their parents Some giue themselues to lawe and estate of Iustice others to lay holde on benefices others to followe new opinions which makes them oftentimes fall from aloft to a hotter place then willingly they would but if voluptuous pleasures once catch hold on them God knowes what honor they doe then to their linage It was my chance sometime to be in a Countrey thicke beset with barren mountaines where ordinarily was to be seene an infinite throng of Potters or drudging penny-getters whereof daily resorted to Venice a very great number so that when any child happened to be borne in that countrey the inhabitants woulde say as a common Prouerbe this is a young Asse for the Venetian If I should recite the latest comforts that children bring vs I must borrowe the words vsed in Fraunce that in their youth they befo● their fathers and mothers and when they are great they serue for nothing but to vexethem Consider what pleasure they bring to their parents when newes is heard of them that they haue beene abroad all night keeping il rule and then come home with their heades broken their armes shiuered in peeces their eares cut off Or if worde bee brought their fathers that they are in prison for some batterie or carried to the Gallies for some theft or that they haue gotten the soule discase or to make amends for their misbehauiour they haue beaten the seruants of the house broken perforce their fathers counting houses and then fledde away with all the money Then when they are returned againe if the good man but shewe himselfe agreeued answere is made he may be ashamed in so dooing I haue at the tongues ende an infinite number more of troubles to recount which issue from this goodly increase but for the present time I am content to omit them and now to vse silence to shunne offence as well of you as my selfe who with very ill will doe speake of such matters For the Exiled Declamation 9. That it is better to be banished than continue in Libertie IF such as are mightie and vertuous take no displeasure by being banished or sent into exile what need they feare that haue not so much to loose their harts not reaching so high nor their mindes addicted to so great enterprises A Philisopher a man of councell and prudence execised in affaires for the weale publique a Captaine or ruler of a Cittye may with some reason finde himselfe agreeued and sorry to bee sent away thorow report mallice or otherwise in that he exercised his authoritie to the benefite of euerie one and notwithstanding whatsoeuer paines he tooke yet he had therein delight and pleasure Neuerthelesse we finde left by the most expert and auncientest that they reputed exile to be an honour and contentment of their mindes Witnesse heereof is the honest answere of good Diogenes to him that reprooued him as with a matter ignominious because the Sinopians had banished him their countrey Quoth he this rather ought to returne far greater shame to thee that thou hast neuer byn forth of thy countrey resembling Oysters heerein that neuer dare come forth of their shelles but are continually beaten against stones and rocks As hurtfull in my opinion is the want of courage heerein and such as are ignorant of the great number of priuiledges which the banished haue in their exile whereof I will make some bre●fe recitall to deliuer yee from occasion of maruel why many of our elders with good will made choise of exile and did so patiently endure the same First of all I may say that the banished giue no cause to others of falling into the sinne of enuie and during the time of their flight or absence very fewe are so bolde as to aske them mony for interest for each one knowes wel enough that poore exiles haue rather more neede of their helpe then hinderance Wherefore they may without blushing or vsing any other conscience borrowe the more easilie importuning disquieting them they haue to deale withall for vnder this aduantage of beeing out of theyr countrey and giuen to vnderstand that their goods are confiscated they may without any other oration require the aide and succour of euery one The banished finds himselfe not troubled with lodging strangers nor is indebted or bound to making of banquets to attire himselfe sumptuouslie beare Armes day and night to goe honourably accompanied companied for the credit of his house to shew himselfe braue and magnificent But he may well vaunt if so he thinke it good that when he was in his countrey he kept a table for all commers did wonders was rich and honourablie attired and had the traine of a braue Caualier after him Beside it will bee no dishonour to the man exiled if hee keepe not alwaies his promise or make deliuerie of that hee standes bounde for at the time by him prefixed And so it happens that many seeme satisfied by acknowledging their good turnes or promise of paiyng all if euer they may returne into their long desired Countrey And doubt not but many desire to pertake with this goodly priuiledge for sparing of expences and to deliuer themselues from very great troubles For the banished are not bound to keepe a