the care they have to maintaine themselves and their credit in their estate is greater than the pleasure they take in possessing them For every small matter they thinke detracteth much from their reputation when they lye dying disposing their goods gotten with such toyle of their bodies and care to their minds danger to their lives and hazzard many times to their soules there is such gaping for that they have that they have more trouble to please all than they took pleasure to possesse all But improperly untruly are riches called goods when they bring with them so many evils For greater is the number without comparison of such as being good become evill by riches than of them that being wicked are by riches made good Alexander the Great sent Ambassadours to Phocion of Athens with a Present of an hundred talents being in value almost twentie thousand pounds Phocion demanding the cause of this great gift seeing there were so many Athenians besides him Because quoth they our master esteemeth you among all the rest for a vertuous and good man Then quoth he let him suffer me both to seeme and to bee so indeed and carry his Present backe to him againe Diogenes in the like sort refused Alexanders offers of worldly goods For being visited on a time by him as he was in his tub I see quoth Alexander to Diogenes that thou art poore and hast neede of many things aske what thou wilt and I will give it thee In the meane time quoth Diogenes stand out of the Sunne Some of his nobilitie standing by and supposing that hee studied what he might aske urged him to aske something Whether of us two said Diogenes to Alexander seemeth to thee to have most neede and therfore poorest I that desire nothing but my tub and a little bread or thou that art King of Macedon and doest hazzard thy selfe to so many dangers to enlarge thy dominions so as the whole world seemeth too little to satisfie thy ambitious and covetous minde Alexander had Diogenes in such admiration for the contempt of worldly goods that he said with alowd voice If I were not Alexander I would be Diogenes He said further that there was no other felicitie in this world than either to bee King Alexander that commandeth all or to be Dâ—…ogenes that commandeth Alexander The like boldness of speech Diomedes the Pirate used to Alexander being taken and brought before him for Piracie For the King demanding of him how he durst presume so to molest the seas without authoritie Because quoth he I rob but with one ship and thou doest the same with a great navie I am accused and called a Pirate and thou a King But if I had a navie and thou but one ship I should be called a King and thou a Pirate But the iniquitie of my fortune and poore estate and thy intolerable pride and unsatiable avarice hath made us both theeves If my bare estate were something amended peradventure I should become better but the more thou hast the worse thou wilt be The King pardoned him and his libertie of speech considering with himselfe that a great navie which is prepared with riches maketh not the right difference between a King and a poore Pirate that hath but one ship if the end of their enterprise be one that is to take by violence that which is none of theirs But the justice and equitie of the cause maketh the true difference and is appropriate to the dignitie qualitie of a King The same Diogenes before named being taken for a spie and brought to King Philip Alexanders father when hee made warre upon the Grecians and examined said I am indeed an espie of thy covetousnesse and madnesse that commest hither to hazzard thy selfe and thy Kingdome Iulius Casar passing by a little village said that hee had rather bee the first in that little towne than second at Rome By which sayings of these men it may be gathered that they esteemed him not poore that was not endued with worldly goods and possessions and contented himselfe with that he had but that he rather was poore that had much and yet desired more which is a thing common to all rich men Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit seth The love of mony grows as the mony it selfe increa He is happy not that hath what he desireth but he who desireth not that which he hath not And where the greedy desire of riches hath taken roote there is no prohibited meanes neither by the lawes of God nor by the ordinances of men that can restraine them if all other means faile to feck for help of the Divell to findeit out There was a Priest but few yeares past in the yeare one thousand five hundred thirtie to whom the divell had shewed treasure in a chrystall glasse at Norimberg And when the Priest taking one of his friends with him went to seeke for it without the towne he saw in the hole where he digged a chest and a blacke dog lying upon it And as he went down into the hole the earth fell upon him and killed him and filled up the hole againe Like wise there was one that sought for money by Magicke neare Paris and as hee would have taken up the coffer where it was a whirle-winde carried it away and a peece of the wall fell upon him and made him lame all his life A just reward and good example for men to beware how they trust to the Divels helpe And this was a strange thing that happened of late in the yeare of grace one thousand five hundred ninetie one there was one Mark Bragadin that professed himselfe to bee an excellent Alcumist but indeed a notable Magician This man came from Venice into Baviere and there practised to make gold in such abundance that he would give his friends whole lumps of gold making no more estimation of gold than of brasse or iron he lived stately like a Prince kept a bountifull house and had servants of great account and was saluted with a title of dignitie and drew many Princes into admiration of him insomuch as he was accounted another Paracelsus And after hee had long exercised his art made himselfe knowne to all the Princes was desired of them all hee came at length into the Duke of Bavieres Court who finding after a while his fraud illusions committed him to prison And when the Duke had commanded him to bee examined and put to the torture he desired he might suffer no such paine promising that he would confesse of his own accord all the wickedness that ever he had câ—…mitted and exhibited accordingly to the Duke in writing the whole course of his lewd life desiring neverthelesse that it might not be published Hee confessed that hee was worthy to dye but yet made humble sute that his concubine Signora Caura and his whole familie might returne untouched into Italie Not long after
necessary members for our corrupt nature by whose skill mens malicious contentious humors are many times especially in these daies so artificially fed maintained that they who at the first were ordained as instruments to defend men from injury seeme now to be imployed as whips to the punishment of mens sins The elder Cato was wont to say that pleading Courts were strawed with Caltrops Pope Pius the 2d. compareth the Sutors to Birds the place of pleading to the Field the Iudge to a Net the Atturneys and Lawyers to Fowlers Pope Nicholas the third a man well learned banished out of Rome Advocates Proctors Notaries the rest of that Society saying that they lived by poore mens blood But Pope Martin his successor caused them to return againe saying they were good men to draw water to his mill One reporteth that if Lewes the eleventh had lived a few yeers more he had reformed in France the abuses of the Law Lawyers Of these meÌ„ one speaketh thus Dicere sepeforo turpique inhiare lucello Gaudet hoc studio vitam solatur inertem Vaenali celebrans commissa negotia lingua To plead of gaping for dishonest gaine Fattens the Lawyer studying to maintaine A slothfull life And be they right or wrong Opening mens Causes with a servile tongue Thus much of this estate as it is used in other couÌ„tries written by their owne Authors much more which I forbeare to recite because I take this sufficient to prove that felicitie is as hard to be found in this estate as in others though some countries be free from these faults for the generalâ—…y maketh the matter the use or abuse of every state of life bringeth to their professors felicity or infelicity For the law is necessary in euery CoÌ„mon-wealth Plato saith principatus sine lege grave molestus subjectâ—…s another calleth it prasiaem bonu malis and that in the lawes consisteth the safegard of a Common-wealth And how great infelicitie happeneth to the ludges who when they are old and should reape the fruit of all their travell in their youth that is rest and quietnesse then must they begin to travell about their Circuits in heate and cold durt and dust frost snow wind and raine as it were a penance for their life past which they must continue untill they be ready to fall into their graves Alexander Alexandrins an excellent Doctor and Advocate when hee had lost at Rome against all right and reason a matter of great importance gave over his practice and betooke himselfe to the studie of humanity saying That the greatest part of them that in these dayes sit in judgement either as ignorant mâ—…n doe not understand the lawes or as naughtie men doe corrupt the lawes And Augustine saith That the ignorance of the Iudge is often the calamitie of the innocent Onâ—… said These five things bring chiefely the Common wealth farre out of square A 〈◊〉 Iudge in the Consistorie a deceitfull merchant in the market a coverous Priest in the Church a faire whoore in the Stewes and 〈◊〉 in Princes Courts One likeneth the law to the web of a Spyder that taketh little Flies but gâ—…eater things breake their way thorow which seemeth to point at some thing that maketh nothing for the felicitie of Iudges and Magistrates CHAP. II. The estate of Iudges and Magistrates Of Bellizarius A Villaine reprehends the Senate of Rome An excellent Oration of a Iew A Dialogue betwixt a Philosopher and Iustice The estate of a Courtier A Courtiers description The manner of the Court The Courtiers life The estate of Princes The Hystory of Cleander and of plantianns LET vs leaue these men pleading their Clients causes and looke further into the estate of Iudges and other Magistrates which is an honourable estate and necessary for our humane nature And though these men command and iudge and are honoured aboue the rest yet haue they their part in those troubles and vnquietnesse whereunto other men are subiect Their charge is great and care without end to preserue the people committed to their gouernment in peace and concord at home and to defend them from their enemies abroad They must wake when others sleepe and howsoeuer they behaue themselues yet are they in danger of their Princes displeasure or the peoples obloquy whereof ensueth many times their vtter ouerthrowe A great number of examples may bee produced of good Magistrates and honourable Personages that by the ingratitude of the Prince or people in recompence of their good seruice haue beene bereaued of their liues and goods pellizarians a noble Gentleman and Generall vnder the Emperour Iustinian ouercame the Vandals triumphed ouer the Persians deliuered Italy many times of the Barbares in recompence of so notable seruice the Emperour through enuie and suspition caused his eyes to be plucked out of his head insomuch that he was driuen to get his liuing by begging And standing in a little cottage that was placed in one of the most frequented streetes in Rome asked almes in this sort Yee that passe by giue poore Bellizarians a farthing for Gods sake who for his vertue was famous and through enuie is made blind so that it is truly said A great good turne is often rewarded with great ingratitude and the vncertainty of the peoples fauour Petrarke taxeth thus Faire weather of the Spring the mornings sweet winde of Summer calmes of the Sea the estate of the Moone the loue of the people if they be compared together the palme and price of mutabilitie shall be giuen to the last But of Magistrates that bee euill after the corruption of our flesh grieuous curses be threatned vpon them Cursed bee ye that be corrupted with money and by prayers by hate or loue iudge euill to be good and good euill making of light darkenesse and of darkenesse light Cursed bee ye that haue not regard to the goodnesse of the cause but to the fauour of the person that haue not regard to equity but to the Presents that are giuen you that regard not iustice but money that haue not regard to that which reason sheweth you but to that onely which your affection or desire leadeth you yee are diligent in rich mens causes but yee delay poore mens suites to them ye are sterne and rigorous but to the rich pleasant and affable which agreeeth with this saying of Aristotle Amor odium proprium commodum 〈◊〉 faciunt indicem non cognoscere verum Loue and hate and his owne commodity oftentimes maketh a ludge not to know the truth The wise man pursuing this matter saith The poore man cryeth out and no man harkneth to him but they aske what he is the rich man speaketh and every man clappeth his hands and exalteth his words with admiration above the skies yet this sufficeth them not that are advanced to honourable estate there is another worme that gnaweth upon them they doe by their children as did the mother
part immortall all other creatures of the earth live according to their nature and kinde man only is seene to degenerate but if we lay aside the consideration from whence our corruption commeth by the fall of our first parent and account of our selves according to our present state among so many millions as replenisheth all the corners of the earth how many use their endeavours to live as they ought If things bee layd before us that differ in value every man will make choyce of the best But in our selves that are composed of a bodie which participateth with brute beasts and of a soule that is of an Angelicall nature and resembleth God himself who maketh choyce of the best that is to live after his best part which is immortall how many thousands live like brute beasts pleasing their senses feeding their belly and following the lusts of the flesh without any respect to the excellencie of their minde as though they would incorporate their soule to their body with an indivisible bond of brutish nature and how few hundreds contemne their mortall part which is the body to joyne their better part which is their immortall soule with the Angels and heavenly creatures whom they in that part resemble A third sort there are far exceeding born the other in number that neither give themselves wholly to live after the flesh with the one nor after the mind with the other but in a sort participating with them both imploy their greatest care labour to the attaining of the things that are in most estimation of the world They labour and aspire to excell others not in dignitie of vertue and knowledge but in estate and reputation and to the attaining of the things which leade to that end every one willingly bestoweth his labour and diligence for no man is content with his estate Hinc illa lachryme hereof ariseth all our complaints and griefe and the greatest part of the calamities and miseries that happen to men for mens desires be so unsatiable and their mindes so uncertaine and variable thâ—… no estate of life alwayes pleaseth any man because they seeme to want some things that bee incident to the estates opposite to theirs For they that bee in principilatie and honourable estate desire to have joyned to their rule and reputation the securitie and tranquility of a private life which they seeme to lacke And the private man affecteth to have joyned to those things which hee enjoyeth the dignity and authority to command of honourable estates The rich man wisheth to have added to his abundance of wealth the poore mans quietnesse of minde and freedome of worldly cares and safety of person and goods The poore man would have added to those things of his the rich mans plenty and credit The Citizen would have joyned to his civill and easie life the pleasures and delights of the fields and countrey The Couutrey man would have the civility and company and good fellowship of the towne joyned to the wholesome ayre of the Countrey and pleasant gathering of the fruits of the earth The souldier wisheth to his glorious title the safety of a peaceable life Hee that liveth in peace desireth to the security and safety of his estate the honourable reputation of a man of warre which he hath gotten by the continuall hazzard and perill of his person And so of all other estates of life some things are desired that seeme to be wanting to the fulnesse of their happinesse which are as unpossible to be joyned together as for heate and cold to be at one time both together in one subject being diametrally contrary in quality So hat the greatest hinderance to our attaining of felicity or happinesse of life proceedeth from our evill affected minds that desire unpossible things which also diverteth us from our proper action and true end or beatitude We passe our time in vaine hope of things never like to come to passe as Petrarke saith Bene sperando male habendo transit vita mortalium In hoping well and having evill the life of man passeth away Every good thing wee possesse is lesse the things hoped for seeme great And such is also the infirmitie of our common nature seldome or never so sully to enjoy prosperitie as in no respect to finde cause of complaint of the qualitie of our estate For many are raysed to great wealth that beare shame of their base linage some ennobled by birth and parentage and yet live in povertie many blessed with riches and nobilitie that want the delight of children and some made glad with procreation that feele great sorrow and discomfort by their childrens untowardlinesse No man is wont to be long and every way happy a worse fortune ever followeth the former But what estate or course of life soever thou follow have alwaies a speciall regard to these two things to live in the feare of God and to observe the rules of honesty among men from which what soever happen let nothing divert thee To God thou owest a good conscience and to thy neighbour a good example All things will happen well to thee if thou place God the beginning and the end For in this life thou shalt not finde greater comfort than by that which proceedeth of a good conscience of honest counsels of upright actions of contempt of casuall things and of a quiet and peaceable life But in these dayes many feare their fame but few their conscience and yet there is not saith Saint Augustine a more happy thing than the quietnesse of conscience And if any afflictions or crosses happen that thou canst not avoyde yet thou mayst overcome them with patience Fly unto God for succour he will give it thee that is the only way to make thee safe secure and happy Friendship was wont to bee accounted a helpe to happinesse of life but wee may now rightly say with the Poet Illud amicitia quondam venerabile nomen Prostat in questu pro meretrice sedet That name of friendship venerable of yore Is prostrate now complaining like a whore The time is so changed and mens manners with them so corrupted that the precepts heretofore given by wise men for the commoditie of life grounded upon vertue and honesty will not now serve the turne Friendshippe is growne cold faith is foolishnesse honesty is in exile and dissimulation hath gotten the upper hand That is effectually done which is commonly spoken he that cannot dissemble cannot live Machiavels rules are better followed in these dayes than those of Plato Aristotle or Cicero whose schollars have so well profited under him that many are able to teach their master Professe saith hee love and friendshippe to thine enemie and if hee fall into the water up to the knees give him thine hand to helpe him out And if he fall in up to the waste helpe him likewise but if hee fall into the water up to the chinne then
hee could have hindered it and did not because he ought not to hinder it lest hee should disturbe his apointed and settled order and destroy his owne worke God therefore is not the Authour of evill and sin for al things which he made are good It is no efficient but a deficient cause Evil is no substance nor nature but an accident that commeth to the substance when it is voyde of those good qualities that ought naturally to be in them and supplieth the others absence with his presence And that hee suffereth evill to be done agreeeth with his great justice and mercy For if God should suffer no evill to be done men could not finne which agreeth not with his nature the Creator of all things having given him in the beginning free-will And except there should bee sinners how should God shew mercy But because all men commit sinne many waies God findeth every where matter to forgive every whereupon whom to shew mercy Saint Augustine sayth If the disease were light the Physitian would bee contemned and not sought and if the Physitian should not be sought the disease would have no end Therefore where sinne abounded there also grace abounded which onely divideth the redeemed from the damned All which things are sufficient testimonie against us that God made all things good and the evill that is happened to us is come upon us by our owne fault that disobeied God to obey the Divell Wee must confesse therefore that God made man good and a divine creature after his owne image that he endued him with many goodly gifts and ornaments that hee made the world and all things therein to serve man as he made man to serve him and as man is the end of the world so God is the end of man that he esteemed him in place of his sonne and opened his mind to him But because man preferred his owne appetite before the will of his Creator and became as a bastard and degenerate not onely by breaking Gods commandement but by affecting an equality with him he fell out of his favour and lost those gifts hee first gave him and is justly punished by him that is most just with the alteration of his estate and condition as a rebell against his Sovereigne and Creator because he would not continue and rest in his felicitie wherein God had first placed him that is in the contemplation of his Creator but would needs seeke his felicity some other where For the end of man is to glorifie God having made him for his own glory and the end felicity beatitude and Sumâ—… bâ—…num of man is all one by the Philosophers confession as hath been shewed before Therfore God that hath made all things good and is most good and goodnesse it selfe is the felicitie or beatitude and Summum bonum of man And though man by his ungratefull revolting from God that had bestowed such innumerable benefits upon him deserved justly to bee utterly destroyed yet hee dealt mercisully with him that hee took not away all as his demerits required and left him a meanes to returne into his grace againe For by taking away the things he first gave us he would make us humble by the fall of our first parent lest by the like presumptuousnesse we should fall againe A King buildeth a new city and endoweth it as the manner is with many priviledges and liberties it happeneth the citizens to rebel the king taketh away from them many of their liberties and priviledges Which punishment of rebellion descendeth to all their posterity though the city was begun with a few families it groweth at length to bee very populous His giving those priviledges to the first inhabitants was to bee imputed to his bounteousnesse and liberality that he took them away was his justice that he denied restitution of them to their posterity was his clemency lest they being of the same disposition should procure againe their owne destruction So God gave unto man liberty a great priviledge and adorned him with many goodly gifts both of body mind for the which he ought to praise his goodness And because by abusing his gifts he hath taken them away or diminished them is to be attributed to his justice which hee hath done lest by example of the first man his posterity being of the same condition should commit againe the like offence and fall into the like punishment Thus it pleased God of his goodnesse to chastise his people and to suffer them to bee governed by his lawes but not utterly destroy them And that mankinde might feele and know how great miseries follow their sin and fall and thereby learn humility and godlines and to call for his great mercy apparent in the middest of his high justice that notwithstanding mans grievous offence ingratitude he would not utterly destroy his posterity whom he had made to his glory but raised up one out of that rebellious stocke that should satisfie his justice wherby they might live and bee received into grace againe hereby it is evident that mans nature is corrupted not so created at the first by God but by abusing his gifts and graces is fallen from goodnesse into wickednesse from his speciall favour into his just indignation And as we are of the nature of that man our first parent in whom humane nature was universally polluted so doe wee receive from him his nature and draw to us the corruption thereof from whence is derived by propagation the cause of our miserable estate and condition Now that we have shewed how by what meâ—…es wee fell out of Gods favour into this stinking pit and dunge on let us see how we may wade out of it againe God all men confesse to be Creator of all things and as he is good goodnesse it selfe all that he hath made must needs bee also good as proceeding from the fountaine of goodnesse And because God is wisedome all his creations we must needs acknowledge were made to some end For nature say the Philosophers doth nothing in vaine but all things well much more God the Creator of nature doth all things to an end And as God is the beginning middle and end of all things so hath he none other end of his workes but himselfe For he made all things to his own glorie and therefore we that be the creatures of God of whom we have our beginning and life can have no other end but God So that God is our Summum bonum or Soveraigne good our beatitude and felicity To that end therefore to the attaining of that good which is the proper action and true felicity of man all our studies and desires all our labours and diligence ought to be directed and employed If mans first nature had remained whole and uncorrupted there would not have needed any great search to bee made to find out his felicity For our end or felicity did then shine in our understanding and the same
perceiving the discontentment of the people set her at liberty untill the next day and sent secretly to the campe to some of his friends to stay her father there But Virginins friends having prevented him he came to Rome the same night The next day when Appius had sitten a while in the place of judgment before he that challenged the yong woman for his slave spake any word to demand her and before her father could come to answer for her hee adjudged her to the yong man that challenged her All men stood silent and astonished at his unjust sentence and the father exclaiming and railing upon Appius he that made the challenge offered to take her away as his slave but interrupted by the lamentable cryes of the women that were present Appius commandeth silence and a way to bee made for him to carry away his slave Then every one departed with great sorrow and anger and left the yong virgin alone with her master The father seeing his daughter left alone voyd of all foccour holdeth up his hands to Appius and desired pardon for his unreverent speech and that hee might have leave a little to speake with his wife and daughter apart to the end that if his wife would say that shee was not his owne daughter but that hee had hitherto falsly usurped the name of her father hee would be content to leave her Appius supposing he meant as he spake licensed them to goe aside Then the father taking a knife secretly in his hand There is no other meanrs my daughter sayd he to set thee at liberty but this and therewith hee thrust the knife to her heart And looking up to the judgement seate where Appius 〈◊〉 To thee Appius quoth hee and to thy heâ—… 〈◊〉 crate with this bloud Then was there great lamentatlon and outcryes among the people and the women crying Is this the comfort of bringing up our children Is this the reward of chasticie And though Appius commanded Virginius to be apprehended yet he escaped and went to the campe where the unjust sentence of Appius was so much detested and the necessitie of the fathers fact so much lamenred that they came armed to Rome deprived the ten Magistrates and altered the forme of government to two Consuls againe and cast Appius in prison where for sorrow and shame he ended his dayes Antonius a famous Captaine and one of the 〈◊〉 governours of the Roman Empire through the pleasure he tooke in the fond love of Cleopatra Queene of Egypt lost not onely his fame and rule which he had over divers kingdomes and countries but his life also and hers upon whom he was so much besotted This Antonius married with the sister of Octavian another principall governour of the Romane Empire that after was called Augustus Caesar. But the lascivious eatisements of Cleopatra made such an impression in the flexible disposition of Antonius that hee little regarding his owne wife gave himselfe wholly to the love of Cleopatra which was the chiefe cause of the ruine of them both and the advancement of Octavian to the Monarchy of the world For Octavian conceiving great displeasure against Antonius for his sisters cause gathered together a great navie to make warre upon him who had made the like provision to encounter with Octavian These two mightie potentates with two huge navies wherein were assembled the forces of all the Princes adjoyning to their aide met together with like will and power but not with like fortune For in the beginning of the fight Cleopatra who accompanied Antonius with the Egyptian 〈◊〉 fled backe againe to Alexandria from whence they came which when Antonius saw being overcome rather with the blind love of the Queene than with his enemies forces followed after her and left the victorie to Octavian who pursued them both to Alexandria where Antonius being arrived and perceiving his navie to joyne with his enemie at the same time also forsaken of his horsemen hee cryed out as hee went in the Citie that hee was betrayed to them by Cleopatra to whom for her sake hee became an enemy Which when Cleopatra heard fearing the furie of Antonius shee shut her selfe in her sepulchre which shee had before so artificially prepared that being once made fast no man could easily enter into it without the helpe of them that were within and sent word to Antonius that shee had slaine her selfe After Antonius was come to himselfe hearing and beleeving this evill newes Why stayest thou Antonie quoth he the onely cause that was left to thee to desire life fortune hath now taken from thee and so entring into his chamber and unarming himselfe O Cleopatra quoth hee I am not sorie for the lacke of thee for I will be by and by with thee but that so great an Emperour as I am should bee furmounted in fortitude by a woman Then Antonius turning to his man Eros whom hee had provided before to kill him if neede were required him to performe his promise Eros taking his sword in his hand and making as though he would strike his master suddenly turned the point to his own body and thrust himselfe through and fell downe dead at his masters feet Which when Antonius saw well done Eros quoth he thou hast aptly taught me by thine owne example that thou couldest not find in thy heart to do it thy selfe and there with he thrust the sword into his own belly cast himself upon his bed Antonius perceiving that his wound was not present death desired his servants to kill him but they refusing running forth of the chamber hee raged and cryed out like one that had beene mad untill one came that Cleopatra had sent to bring him to her When he heard that she was alive hee greatly rejoyced and was carried presently to her 〈◊〉 where the Queene with two other women which shee had â—…here enclosed with her let downe cords out of a window for the doore shee would not open and with great labour drew him up halfe dead into the sepulcher A more miserable and lamentable sight sayd they that were present was never seene When the women had drawn him into the sepulchre and layd him upon a bedde Cleopatra began to rend her garments to reare her hayâ—…e to scratch her face crying out upon her lover her Lord her Emperour and so imployed herselfe in bemoniug him that she seemed to forget her owne misery Antonius used all the meanes hee could to comfort her advising her to provide for her selfe and her own matters if she could doe it without dishonour not to mourne for these last calamities of his but rather to thinke him happy for his former felicitie that was of all other the most famous and mightiest man and that now it was no disgrace for a Romane to bee overcome of Romanes After which words Antonius began to yeeld up the ghost When Casar heard of Antonius death hee sent Proculeius presently to Cleopatra
for widowes a plaister for the grieved a staste for the blinde and a father to all Marcus Aurclius finding fault with the evill choice that is made many times of Magistrats and Iudges demandeth whereof springeth the scandall of the people and infamy of the Prince and the danger to Iustice The cause is sayth hee the order now adayes by which all things goe out of order the favourites importuning the Prince and the Prince not refusing they deceiving him and he suffering himselfe to be deceived They preferre their friends to offices in recompence of their friendship sometime their servants in recompence of their service as though they provided offices for men not men for offices So that few offices remaine for the vertuous that are given him onely because he is vertuous But the office of Iustice ought not to be given to him that procureth it but to him that best deserveth it And Hurault saith that a Prince shold take heed that hee bestow not two offices or moe upon one man for in so doing he bereaveth himselfe of the means to recompence many and is not so well served as otherwise he should be for as Alexander Severus was wont to say it is a hard matter that he which hath two charges at once should be able to use them to his owne honour and his masters profit The way likewise to attaine to honour is stopped to others that are meete men and sufficient when one occupieth the place and honour of many The like care a Prince should take that the offices which he giveth may come ◅eely to him upon whom hee bestoweth them and that no persons take any money or gift for their helpes or furtherance to the obtaining of those offices for hee that buyeth an office must sell the administration of it and this discommodity also commeth of it that men will be discouraged to seeke and follow vertue when they sh◅l see that advancement is not obtained by vertue but by money And a Prince should foresee that hee place very good men in offices for such men as Princes place in authority such they are taken themselves to be therfore a Prince should informe himselfe by secret intelligence as also by common fame of sufficient men upon whom to bestow his offices and rather make his owne choice than preferre men at the suite of his favorites It is an ancient pestilence saith one in the Courts of Princes that when the Prince is disposed to beare affection or to honour any person forthwith they murmur and joyne together to disgrace and persecute him for up steps envie on the one side and detraction on the other two old Courtiers and sworne enemies to vertue who never leave to sollicite and importune the Prince untill they have wrought him out of his favour And yet were it more commendable and behoovefull for a Prince saith one after good deliberation and advised resolution to be constant in his determination and not to be removed nor altered with words Gregorie Tholos saith that Princes commit a fault when they give offices of rule for favour love or recompence unadvisedly without due examination of their sufficiencie for they should remember that they are called to the government of the common-wealth not for themselves or for their friends or favorites but rather for the profit of others that bee committed to their governement and therefore in an evill choice they are in danger of a double punishment when they shall come to answere their doings before God both for that they of whom they made choice have behaved themselves evilly and for that they gave them power to do evill Yet they may neverthelesse bestow honour and riches upon their friends and favorites but so farre forth as the right of the common-wealth remaine whole and take no harme thereby S. Lewes the French King by his testament ordained that his son should see good lawes observed and to make choice of wise Counsellers and of ripe yeares and that no money should be taken to make Officers for men should not obtaine offices by money by ambition nor by favour that he do justice indifferently to all by which kings do reigne and not beleeve too soone That his sevrants be wise peaceable not covetous backbiters nor quarrellers Q. Curtius saith a Prince ought to bestow more care cost in getting a wise Counsellor than in conquests Alexander Severus Adriā others Emperors of Rome would cal to their councell not their favorites but men learned grave experienced of a good conscience Princes should not esteeme men by their riches state but by their vertue and conversation One asked Trajan the Emperour how hee made so good a choice of counsellers friends he answered that his good hap came hereof that he chose them neither covetous men nor lyers for they in whom covetousnes or lying hath any place cannot love perfectly And the French king Charles 8 would often say to his friends or favorits that he made choice of them for the opinion hee had that they were of the honester sort and such as in whom he might put his trust fearing but one fault in thē that they will suffer themselves to be overcome with covetousnes wherunto they may be easily allured tempted by means of the credit they have with him but if he should understand that for gaine they should command any unjust thing or not honest they should lose his favor for ever They that be in favor saith one with Princes abuse the Prince when they name or prefer to offices and dignities and government such as be of their faction and at their command not such as be worthy but such as will be instruments to serve their turne such as they may freely cōmand as their creatures dependants dare not gainesay them wherof ensueth often many inconveniences And therefore Princes ought to be very circumspect and so to handle the matter that they who be chosen to offices of government dignities depend immediatly upon them not upon others that they may have free men to their officers and magistrates that are bound beholding to none but to them A Prince sayth one should bee sure to make choice of very good counsellers of approved life māners such as God commanded Moses to make choice of and they shold be saith he faithful wise true speakers not flatterers constāt godly secret such as know the minds of the subjects state of the country of good yeres that have tasted of both fortunes and are more apt to execute than to innovate matters chosen not by sute nor by private but by publike commendation and such as bee not headstrong and obstinate in defence of their opinion free from passions and affections and not desirous of gaine Good Counsellors make a good and happie principalitie and wisedome and counsell is better than force as it was sayd in times past of the Romanes Romanus sedendo
friends which agreeth with Plinie that in the courts of Princes the idle and vaine name of friendship onely remamth In the courts of Princes I do confesse there is a conuersation of persons but no confederation of will For enmitie is holden for naturall and amitie for a stranger In Court the manner is whom they deprave in secret the better to deceive to praise them openly The Court is of such nature that they that doe most visit them the worse they intreat them and such as speake best to them the more evill they wish them They which haunt the Courts of Princes if they will be curious and no fooles shall finde many things whereat to wonder and much more whereof to beware And to another question whether the Court be deare or good cheape he answered Some things in the Court are at a good price or to say it better very good cheape that is cruell lies false newes unhonest women fained friendship continuall enmities double malice vaine words and false hopes of which eight things we have such abundance in this Court that they may set out Boothes and proclaime Faires In the Court saith he there be few that liue contented and many that be abhorred In the Court none hath desire there to die and yet wee see not any that will depart from thence In the Court we see many doe what they list but very few what is meete In the Court all dispraise the Court and yet all follow the Court and the fashion of the Court is if a man be in fauour he knoweth not himselfe and if the same man be out of fauour no man will know him This life at Court is no other thing then a languishing death a certaine vnquiet life without peace and principally without money and a certaine purchase of dammage and offence to the body and of hell to the soule which mooued one to say Excat aula qui vult esse pius It may be wished that the Spanish Court which he meaneth had a priviledge or speciall prerogatiue to vse these manners alone An Italian compareth the life of Courtiers with that of Sea-faring men saving that there is in them this difference that the Sea-man commeth to the end of his purpose by sayling well and the Courtier to his by doing ill Zenobia the noble Queene of Palmerines is reported to haue had a well ordered Court as appeared also by her answer made to the Emperour Marcus Aurelius who making warre vpon her offered her conditions of peace and demaunded her sonne to bee sent to him for a pledge I meane not to satisfie thy request said she for I heare thy Court is replenished with many vices where my Palace is furnished with sundrie Philosophers from whom my children draw doctrine one part of the day and erercife the knowledge of Armes the other part Of such men one thus noteth their nicenesse Horum aliquis vest is operosa tegmine cultus Molliter alivedem flectit sparsamque renodat Casariem laxos patitur flaitare capillos If these men would haue more respect to inward vertue and lesse to externe vanity and not be so curious in decking their bodies that they neglect to adome their minds nor to effeminate themselues to the delicitenesse of tender women but rather to foâ—…me themselues to the comelinesse of manly men for the outward habit of the body for the most part discouereth the inward disposition of the mind they might better find the way to felicity To him that slike is as cloth and gold as brasse it is no matter what vesture he hath so as accoram be observed for it is the minde and not the habite that giveth grace to a man and yet there may be betweene them and others a difference in habite and a respect had to the dignitie of the place and person pride and vaine-glory may be as well covered with base apparell as with gorgeous attire as appeared by the taunt which Socrates gave to Antisthenes the Philosopher for this man used to weare bare apparell as it were in contempt of the vanitie of gay garments and when he walked in the streets as he chanced to meete men hee would set out to the shew a hole in his cloke whose manner when Socrates had observed I see quoth he thy pride and vanitie thorow the hole of thy cloke Let us leave Courtiers entertaining their Ladies and follow other mens pathes in examining a little the estate of Princes for whom only in the judgement of men it seemeth Felicitie was created for he that considereth what the things be that bring a man to a quiet contented and happie life will thinke that fortune hath provided for them above all others most plentifully What maketh a man more had in admiration in this world then riches dignities dominions libertie to doe well or evill without controlment abilitie to exercise liberality to have the fruition of all manner of pleasures both of body and mind They have all things that may be desired for a mans contentment whether it be in sumptuous apparell and ornaments of the body or in the varfelicitie and happinesse which whosoever will onely consider superficially must needs confesse that they alone triumph ouer all those things which are the cause of other mens sorrow and trouble But if we will behold the matter neere hand weigh it in equall ballance we shall find that the same things which we think to be the meanes to attaine to felicity and to make them happie is the cause to many of their infelicitie and unhappinesse The danger they are in by the greatnesse of their estate and malice of their enemies seemeth to detract from their felicitie and giueth them just cause of suspition and feare It appeareth by histories that there were Emperours that durst not goe to bed untill they first caused their beds corners of their chamber to be searched for feare lest they should be slaine when they were asleep Were it not better said Inlius Caesar to die once then to liue in such continuall feare and suspition They command all and yet many of them seeme as though they were gouerned by one or two which is much disallowed of diuers State men And it is said in the Prouerbs that safetie commeth of many Counsellers and that good counsell commeth of God And the Philosopher aduiseth Princes not to commit all their matters to any one Counseller alone for no man can alwaies of himselfe rightly consider and know all things and in reasons that are contrary one to another discerne which is best and therefore he that followeth his owne opinion alone is rather accounted proud then wise Through such an opinion of his owne wisedome Lautrec is reported to haue lost the kingdome of Naples from the King his Master and all that he had in Italie because he would not aske nor follow the aduice of them that were wiser then himselfe The ordinary guard of
great price by ouermuch vse lose their estimation The pride ambition vaine-glory and corruption of these latter dayes hath engendred a confusion of all things but those ambitious and vaine-glorious men that hunt after offices of rule and charge without due consideration of their owne insufficiency and vnworthinesse to beare rule euen in meane callings also are aptly reprehended by the Earle of Surrey thus For with indifferent eyes My selfe can well discerne How some in stormes to guide a ship Do seeke to take the sterne Whose practice if 't were proued In calme to guide a barge Assuredly beleeue it well It were too great a charge And some I see againe Sit still and say but small Who could doe ten times more then they That say they can doe all Whose goodly gifts are such The more they vnderstand The more they seeke to learne and know And take lesse charge in hand Septimius Seuerus after he had passed thorow many of the most principall and most honourable offices of the Romane Common-wealth and ended his Consulship he remained a whole yeere without any office after which time hee would often say that the best and merriest dayes in all his life he passed that yeere wherein he had no office in the Common-wealth Plato saith that Fortune is more contrary to that man whom shee suffereth not to enioy that hee hath then to him to whom she denieth that which he craueth for many we see by daily experience can attaine to honour fame reputation riches and quietnesse that haue not the meanes afterwards to enioy them some because they cannot others because they will not By this which hath beene said it appeareth that felicity in the greatest part proceedeth from the minde Of externe things a little is sufficient to bring contentment to him that hath a minde framed to the purpose and inclined to vertue so that we must haue a mind prepared and all things premeditate that may happen and not to vnquiet our selues with a desire to aduance or change our estate and thinke other mens fortune better then our owne but when such motions trouble vs to looke into the matter with a sound and vpright iudgement whether the cause of such vnquietnesse be within vs or without vs whether in the matter or in an euill affected mind whether there be cause indeed or in opinion The want of which consideration bringeth to many much vnquietnesse and discontentment imagining the cause to proceed from the matter when it commeth of an euill affected mind Thine owne passions are they that make warre vpon thee and when thou keepest thine enemies within thy house thou complainest of them that bee abroad Which inconstancy of mens variable mindes is well noted of the Poet when hee alleageth a contention betweene the countrey life and that of the towne Rure ego viuentem tu dicis in vrbe â—…eatum Cui placet alterius alterius nimirùm est odio sors Stultus vterque locum immeritum causatur iniquè In culpâ est animas qui se non eff ugit vnquam I pleas'd am with the Countries rest The belly life thou hold'st most blest He whom anothers lot doth please To him his owne is a disease Fooles both to blame the place when we In our owne minds the error see c. And many might liue more happily if they desired not rather to content others then themselues hauing more regard to that men say then to that is meet for them to doe Plato compareth our life to table play wherein the dice must chance well and the player must dispose well of his cast now of these two things what the chance of the dice shall bee is not in our power but to receiue patiently whatsoeuer shall chance and so to dispose euery thing in his right place as being good it may most profit vs or being bad doe least hurt is in the power of a skilfull player so hee that shall liue happily must not onely haue things chance well to him but hee must also dispose well of them But that things shall chance well is not in our power but in the power of God that giueth all things but so to dispose of them as either they may doe good or little harme is partly in our power if God withdrawe not his grace from vs. And in this sort to dispose of things is whether God blesse our life and labours with prosperous successe or intermingle it with some crosse and aduerse euents to bee thankefull and patient and thinke all to bee done for the best Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently for hee that can moderately vse prosperity and patiently beare aduersity hath a great aduantage to felicity Whilest wee liue in this world wee should take felicity for borrowed ware and aduersity for our naturall patrimonie So that whether a man be in high estate or lowe whether rich or poore if Gods graces bee ioyned to a minde endued with vertue hee may liue happily for no estate or calling is excluded from felicitie yet neuerthelesse some with more difficultie attaine to it then some others and neede GODS graces in greater measure then the râ—… and therefore Seâ—…ca his counsell is because men haue not sufficient force to make resistance to the diuersity of accidents that chance to great estates to straighten their possessions to a certaine measure that they may be the lesse subiect to fortune hee that beareth his sailes low goeth sure in a storme Quatiunt altas sapè procella Aut euertit fortuna domos Minus in paruis fortuna furit Raros patitur fulminis ictus humida vallis High houses oft by stormes are shaken Or else by Fortunes rage forsaken Lesse frownes shee vpon things kept vnder And Dales are seldome strooke with thunder Isocrates likened the life depending vpon Fortune to a great land-flood that is troublous swift roaring dirty hard to passe ouer and during but a short time but the life giuen to vertue he likened to a goodly fountaine whose water is cleare vntroubled sweete meâ—…te to be drunke to men well-affected apt for nourishment fruitfull and void of all corruption and filthinesse Dante was vsed to say that such as sought the way that leadeth to the soueraigne or greatest good are withstood with three principal impediments which to ouercome they ought to employ all their endeuour The first is The delights of the sences figured by the Lionesse faire and hot by nature and shee through luxuriousnesse accompanied with gluttony and sloth The second is The glory of the world expressed by the proud disdainfull Lyon to whose ambition and pride is ioyned anger The third is The getting of worldly wealth signified by the shee-wolfe malicious and hungry whose couetousnesse is followed hard at the heeles with enuy One saith that the false felicity of the world consisteth in these fiue things Lordship Riches Honour Fame and bodily pleasure the desire whereof he that can suppresse or
abundance yet hee is never satisfied So as his riches and over-great plentie breeds him extreme penurie and maketh him leade a miserable life A Knight of Malta despising riches and delighting in a solitarie life caused this to bee written before his garden He is rich enough that needeth not bread Of power enough that is not compelled to serve Ye civill cares get ye farre from hence Sabbas Cast a solitarie man being content with himselfe doth dwel in these little secure gardens Whether he be poore or rich if thou be of an upright judgment consider Farewell The greatest wisedome saith one and felicitie in this world is to live quietly and deale in his owne matters rather than in other mens Then in both fortunes whether thou must doe or suffer to have regard rather to God than men and upon him only to depend To despise the world to despise none to despise himselfe to despise that he is despised these foure things saith one maketh a man happie Celius saith it is a great gladnesse and rejoycing to the soule when thou dost not oncumber thy selfe with the care of many things but art perswaded that thou mayst live quietly with a little and hast cast under thy feete the world and all the pompe thereof Take away luxuriousnesse and excesse of earing and drinking and the lusts of the slesh no man will seeke for riches Pope Alexander the fifth was so liberall to the poore that hee left nothing to himselfe whereupon hee would often take occasion to say merrily That he was a rich Bishop a poore Cardinall and a beggerly Pope God will not suffer him to live in lacke that is bountifull to the poor and useth mony to that end for which it was ordained The Emperour Tiberius Constantine spent upon the poore and other good uses great store of treasure which his Predecessor Iustinian had hoorded up Insomuch that the Empresse seeing his povertie blamed him greatly and laughed him to scorne for his exceeding great expences that were imployed to so good uses It chanced him on a time as he walked in his Palace to see at his feet a marble stone in forme of a crosse and because he thought it unfit that men should tread upon that stone which had the figure and forme of that upon which our Saviour suffered hee caused the stone to bee taken up under which there was another of like forme and under the same a third which being taken up hee found under it great store of treasure for the which he gave God great thankes and imployed it as before to relieve the necessitie of them that had need and lacke A covetous man falling grievously sicke and perceiving hee must dye and that hee could carry nothing with him into another world turned to his friends and kinsfolkes that were about him and said Take you example by me my deare friends to the end that in heaping up of riches you trouble not your selves more than honestie requireth For I that have spent all my time in scraping goods and treasure together must now leave this life and of so much land and costly apparell that I have I shall possesse nothing else but five foote of ground and one old sheete To this purpose serveth Ausonius epigram wherein Diogenes is fained to see the rich King Croesus among the dead and thus to mocke him for his great riches that then profited him nothing being in no better estate than Diogenes himselfe Effigiem Rex Craesetuam ditissime Regum Vidit apud manes Diogenes Cynicus Constitit ut que procul solito majore cachinno Concussus dixit quid tibi divitiae Nunc prosunt Regum Rex O ditissime cum sis Sicut ego solus me quoque pauperior Nam quaecunque habuâ—… mecum feâ—…o cum nihilipse Ex tantis tecum Crase fer as opibus Amongst the ghosts Diogenes beheld Thee Cresus of all Kings with most wealth swel'd All which he said and finding thee lesse proud Than â—…arst hee call'd to thee laughing aloud And said O Cresus richest once of Kings Speake to this place below what profit brings All thy late pompâ—… for ought that I now 〈◊〉 We are alike and thou as poore as I. I that alive had nothing brought my store And thou of all thy wealth canst shew no more Hee that loveth money saith Ecclesiastes will never bee satisfied with money and who so delighteth in riches shall have no profit thereof And what pleasure more hath hee that possesseth them saving that hee may looke upon them with his eyes A labouring man sleepeth sweetly whether it be little or much that hee eateth but the abundance of riches will not suffer him to sleep I have scene saith he riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession For oftentimes they perish with his great miserie and trouble And it is a generall thing among men when God giveth man riches goods and honour so that hee wanteth nothing of all that his heart can desire and yet God giveth him not leave to enjoy the same but another spendeth them Vincentio Pestioni an Italian Gentleman being asked how old hee was answered that hee was in health And to another that asked how rich hee was he answered that he was not in debt As if hee should say that he is young enough that is in health and rich enough that is not in debt The rich man is compared to a Peacocke that climbeth up to the highest places as the rich man aspireth to honour and preheminence And as the Peacocke is decked with faire feathers and so delighteth to bee seene and to behold his taile that hee discovereth his filthy parts behinde So the rich man rejoyceth in his wealth and precious attire and delighteth in flatterie in pride and vaine glorie And whilest hee goeth about to shew his bodie well fed and set out with costly ornaments hee sheweth a brutish minde voyd of vertue and full of vice and vanitie The more saith Boccace that riches is had in estimation the more is vertue had in contempt This rule saith Plato will seldome faile that when the fathers have too much riches the sonnes have no vertue at all because betweene ease and superfluitie of riches vices and not vertue are wont to bee nourished A Philosopher said that the gods are so just in dividing their gifts that to whom they give contentation from them they take riches and to those they give riches they take from them contentation Anacâ—…con a Philosopher having received of King Polycrates the value of tenne thousand duckets for a gift entred into so many conceits and fantasies that hee passed three dayes and three nights without sleepe which sudden change and alteration put him in such a feare of some great evill to follow that hee carried forthwith the money to the King and told him that hee restored his gift to him againe because it did let him from sleepe Epictetus the Philosopher was wont to say
that povertie doth not cause unquietnesse but mens desires and that riches doe not deliver men from feare but reason And therefore hee that will use reason will not covet superfluous riches nor blame tolerable povertie Seneca was wont to say that a bull filleth himselfe with a little medow a wood is sufficient to feed many Elephants but man through his ambition cannot be satisfied with the whole earth neither yet with the sea And this is to bee noted that notwithstanding the goodly lessons and precepts that Seneca gave of the dangers and troubles which commonly accompanie great wealth and riches he had neverthelesse gathered together abundance of riches and possessions procuring thereby to himselfe much envie which was the chiefe cause of his destruction And the same may bee a document to others to bee very wary and circumspect that they be not carried away and overcome with the inordinate desire and love of riches and possessions when so wise and learned a man that could give so wholesome counsell and remedies to others was himselfe infected and overthrown by the same disease Seneca was schoole-master to the Emperour Nero in his youth and afterward in such authoritie and credit with him that for a time he managed all the affaires of the State and gathered great wealth which through envie procured him many enemies among which number was one Snillius who was highly in Nero's favour and spake thus unto Seneca in the Princes presence By what wisedome by what instructions and doctrine of Philosophie wherein thou takest upon thee to bee studious hast thou within lesse than foure yeares whilest the Emperour hath favoured thee and shewed thee signes of love gotten together three thousand times sesterties which value after the french mens account is seven millions and five hundred thousand crownes But though Seneca for that time escaped the accusations of his enemies yet perceiving foure years after his authoritie taken from him and his former favours diminished and that the Prince lent his eares to his enemies hee began to feare and to save his life and to prevent the Emperours cruelty he came to him and by way of oration spake thus It is fourteene yeares or thereabout O King sithence I came to you and eight yeares of this time have you beene Emperour in which space you have heaped upon mee such goods and honours as there wanteth nothing to my felicitie but a moderation thereof And after hee had reckoned up many benefits and great favours which hee had received of Nero and declared wherein consisted riches he beganne to accuse himselfe that hee had not kept the Lawes of written knowledge and lived onely by Philosophie which would have taught him to bee content with a little or that which is sufficient He told him that the riches and possessions which hee had bestowed upon him were so great that hee was not able to beare them but rather was ready to sinke under his own burthen And therefore hee desired Nero that hee would ease him of this charge and send his officers to seaze upon all to his use to whom it rightly appertained alledging it to bee a thing glorious to the Emperour that hee had advanced them to the highest dignities that could also beare meane fortune and be content with a little Nero answered him with great commendations of his service and worthinesse and exalted Seneca his merits farre above his rewards and that hee had bestowed greater benefits upon them that had much lesse deserved than Seneca had Hee told him that the delivering of his money the leaving his Prince would not bee imputed to his moderation nor to his desire of quietneste◅ but my co◅etousnesse quoth he and the feare of my crueltie will be in every mans mouth But admit that your continencie be commended yet it is not the part of a wise man there-hence to procure glorie to himself from whence springeth infamie to his friend To these faire words he added kisses and embracings and many courtesies to cover his hatred But not withstanding all these favours hee put Seneca not long after to death These be the fruits that covetousnesse bringeth forth with abundance of riches and possessions Which confirmeth his opinion that made choyce of this Poesie Medio◅ firma And he that will look into the manners of men in these dayes shall finde no doubt in divers Common-wealths even among the wisest their minds eclipsed with the vice of covetousnesse and greedy desire to augment their estate as Seneca's was as though it were mans felicitie and end for which he was borne to heape riches and poslessions together without end or measure to their owne scandall and to the evill example of others But Fabricius Emperour or rather Generall of the Romanes Armie carried a more upright minde and gave a notable example of contempt of riches For the Embadassours of the Samnites after they had reckoned up many great benefits which they had received by his meanes offered him a great summe of money and very importunately desired him to accept it alledging the cause why they presented him with this money to be that they saw him want many things to the honourable furniture of his house and provision agreeable with his estate Fabricius drawing his hands from his eares to his eyes and from them to his nose mouth and thence to his throat and downe to the lower part of his belly answered the Ambassadours that so long as he had the use of all these members which he had touched he should never lacke any thing And therefore he would not receive the money whereof he had no neede of them whom he knew could turne it to their benefit Whereby he plainely shewed that penurie proceedeth of greedy and covetous desires and not of nature As Seneca saith frugalitie is painfull to luxurious men that delight in excesse and superfluities but men given to temperance and sobrietie contenting themselves with a little feele no evill in penuric And it is no new thing to see wise men that have the meanes to enrich themselves to fall into the desire of riches and to be overcome with covetousnesse All ages have yeelded their examples even among the wisest Pertinax in the raigne of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius having the government of divers provinces and countries and passed through the greatest offices within the Romane Empire was found to be very wise very just severe and sincere so as sundry nations that misliked the governement of other Romane Magistrates would desire to have Pertinax for his wisedome and justice to bee sent in their places But after the good Emperour was dead he was so stricken with covetousnesse and desire of riches that frō thenceforth he rather imployed his industry to his infamy in gathering riches than in government of the common-wealth which was to his former vertues a great blemish and discre◅r and may serve for an example to all men to beware how they enter into the love of