that name doth most properly belonge to that onely which doth farre passe all the reste Nowe the name of vertue is deryued of the name of man whiche in latine is vir To whoÌ„ the vertue that doth most properlie belong and appertayne is fortitude and stoute courage The two chiefest poyntes of the which are the contempte of death and despysyng of griefe These therfore we must vse if we wil be counted the obtayners of vertue or rather thoughte worthye of the name of men because of this worde vir whiche in latine sygnifyeth this worde man the name of vertue is taken But perchaunce thou wilt aske me howe shoulde I beare griefe And not without good cause For philosophye professeth also a medecine for the same But nowe comes Epicurus a man not very euel or rather good and giueth counsell according to his wyt Passe not for gryefe sayeth he Who sayeth so euen he which coâ—â—eth griefe to be the chiefest euel Fayntly inough god wot Howe be it let vs gyue him the hearyng If it be the greatest griefe that may be quod he then muste it nedes be shorte Hea. I pray you rehearse the same agayne that I maye vnderstande what he meaneth by greatest and what by shortest Mar. The greatâ—st is that then the whyche there is none greater And the shortest is that more short then the which none can be In deede I despyse the greatnes of such griefe â–ª from which the shortnes of the time shall deliuer me well nie afore it come But if it be such as the payne of Philocteâ—â— was â–ª it seemes to me to be great ynoughe althoughe it be not the greatest For when no part of my body alâ—es but my foote yet mine eyes may so may my head sides lightes and other partes of my bodye And although this be not the greatest gryefe because I feele not gryefe in all those partes in the whyche I mighte is it therefore no payne But continual gryefe sayes he hath more mirth then sorowe Nowe trulye I can not well 〈◊〉 that so learned a man wantes wit But assuredlye I thinke he speakes it in derision of vs. I cal it the greatest griefe althoughe some other be ten moates more then it And thinke not because that some other is greater then it that for that cause it should be foorthwyth small light I can name manye good men which these manye yeares haue bene troubled wyth extreame paynes of the goute And shall we thinke theyr paynes small because they might haue some greater But he like a suttel man appoyntes neyther any measure of the quantitie or greatnes ne yet of y e leÌ„gth of griefe So that I caÌ„ not know what he thinketh to be greatest in gryefe or what to be short in time Wherfore let vs ouerpasse him whose wordes are to none effecte and let vs playnelye confesse that we ought not to seke remedy of our payne at his handes which sayd that gryefe was the greatest of all euels althoughe he him selfe in his dysease of straÌ„gurye seemes to shewe him selfe some what stoute We must then seeke helpe otherwhere but chiefely if we desyre to know what is most mete for vs to doe at their handes whyche thinke that whiche is honest to be the chiefest good and contrarywyse that whych is dishonest to be the principall euell In theyr presence trulye thou durste not syghe nor yet to bragge of such trifles For vertue it selfe by their voyce will commen with the in this sort Wilt thou seeing children in Lacedemon yonge men in the games of the mounte Olimpus and barbarous bondmen in the liftes abidinge moste bitter strokes yea and that wythout anye noyse of crye If any lyghte griefe chaunce to touch the schriche out forthwyth like a woman Wilt thou not abide it constantly quietely thou wilt saye it can not be suffered my nature wil not beare it I heare the. Children beare it some for prayse some to auoyd shame and some for feare and are we afrayd least that which so many men in so many diuers places haue suffered our nature wil not beare But it truly wil not only beare it but also requires it For there is nothinge that it dothe more esteeme neyther yet anye thynge that it doth more coueyt then honesty then prayse then dignitie then worship By these diuers names I meane but one thinge But I vse theÌ„ to shewe the thing more euidently by many names But my meaninge is this that that thing is farre aboue al other most conuenient for eche man whiche is to be desyred for it selfe as a thing eyther issuynge out of vertue or els beynge it selfe placed amonges some one of the vertues and of his owne nature praise worthy Which trulie I would rather terme the singuler and onelye then the chiefest or greatest good And as these thinges may be truly verified of honesâ—ye so may the contrary aswell be spoken of dishonesty then the which there is nothing more filthye nothing more to dâ— abhorred nothing more vnmeete or vnsemely for a man Whiche if you be alreadye persuaded for you sayde at the beginning that you thought there was more euell in shame and dishonestye then in any gryefe then you maye well ynough be your owne mayster Howbeit I do not well knowe howe a man maye vnderstande that phrase of speache of beinge your owne mayster as though one part should rule thother obeye Yet neuerthelesse it is not spoken vnaduisedly For our minde is diuided into two partes of the which the one is endued with reason and the other is wholy voyd of y e same Wherfore when we are coÌ„maunded to rule oure selues this is the effecte thereof y â— we ought by reason to rule rashenes There is in all mennes mindes some softnes wantonnes and faintnes and truly if there were nothinge els there were nothinge worse then man But euen with the samâ— we haue reasoÌ„ the mistresse quene of all thinges geuen vnto vs which by her owne endeuour â—arder encrease is made perfecte vertue That this may gouerne that part of the minde which ought to be subiect obedient vnto it that is the charge dutye of euerye good man Perchaunce thou wilt saye howe shall it rule the other euen as the mayster doth his seruaunt the captaine his souldioure or the father his sonne For if that frayle part of our mind behaue it selfe dishonestly if it geue it selfe effeminately to teares and mourninge let it be faste bounde and committed to the ward of his neighbour reason For often times we see some afrayd of shame whom otherwise reason could not moue Such therfore as seruauÌ„tes ought to be kept within the bandes of feare But suche as are somewhat stroÌ„ger yet not fully fortified those we ought by often admonicion to put in remembraunce of theyr owne good name See howe the wisest man in Greece being wounded lamenteth not vnreasonably but moderately rather sayeng Go softely sirs least otherwise you cause my
certayne kynde of misery chiefely sorowe is the very torment of a troubled mind Lust bryngeth heate ouermuche gladnes causeth lightnes and feare breedeth a basenes of courage But sorowe causeth farre greater thynges then all these as pynynge veration affliction and filthinesse It teares eates and murders the minde It vnlesse we laye aparte that we vtterlye shake it from vs we can neuer wante miserye And this trulye is playne and euidente that the cause of gryefe of the minde is when any thynge whych we account to be some marueylous euell seemeth to be euen at hande and presentelye to pricke vs. But Epicurus thinketh that the opinion and thought of anye euell causeth sorowe so that whosoeuer beholdeth anye great euell yf he thinke that the same hath at anye time chaunced vnto him he by his opinion must needes be troubled wyth sorowe The folowers of Aristippus called Cyrenaikes thinke that gryefe of minde ryseth not of euerye gryefe but onelye of suche as commeth vnlooked for and vnprouided And assuredlye that is of no small force to encrease the gryefe for all sodayne chaunces seeme to be more greeuous then other And for that cause are these verses worthelye commended as the sayenges of a stablyshed minde When firste of all I them begot I knewe that they must dye To bring them vp that well to do I did my whole dutye And eke when I to Troy them sent theyr countrey to defend I knewe I did to deadly warre and not to feastes them send This foreknoweledge of euels whych are to come doth make the fall of those thinges more tolerable whose cummynge a man hathe longe time afore foreseene and for that cause these sayenges of Theseus in Euripides are commended For I may lawefully after my wonted fashion turne the same into latine Recounting oft wyth me the wordes of that wyse father old In minde the mischieues that might come I did alwayes behold Some cruell deathe or exile els and nowe and then among Of euerye other mischiefe straunge I did forethinke a throng So that if any storme should fall by fortunes bitternes Like as a thinge foreseene before it should me grieue the lesse Whereas Theseus sayeth that he learned it of a wyse olde man Euripides meaneth that by him selfe For he was the scoler of Anaxagoras who when newes were brought him of the death of his childe sayde I knewe that I begot him subiect to mortality whiche sayeng declareth that suche chaunces are greuous to theym whiche looke not for them Therefore herein trulye is litle doubte that all such thinges as are counted euell are then moste greeuous when they faâ—l sodaynelye Wherfore although this thinge onely doth not cause sorow yet neuerthelesse because the setlyng and preparynge of the minde is of great force to asswage the gryefe let euerye man forethynke such inasmuch as they may happen to a man And trulye it is a great poynt of wysedome for a man to looke for all such casualties as customably happen to men not to meruayle at any thynge when it doth chaunce and not to doubt but anye mischyefe whyche is not chaunced maye well ynoughe happen Wherefore let euerye man in hys prosperitye Muse with him selfe by what meanes he may beare aduersitye Some peryll losse or cruell exyle when he returneth home His childes offence or his wiues death let him aye thinke vpon And these as commen let him take besydes some straunger payne If some good chaunce befall to him let him take that as gayne ¶ Inasmuche as Terence hath spoken this so wyselye whyche he borowed of philosophye shall not we out of whose store it was taken bothe saye the same better and also thinke it more constantlye For this is the same countenaunce whyche neuer chaungeth Which Xantippe was wonte to prayse in her husband Socrates sayeng that he alwayes shewed the same looke at his commyng home that he dyd at hys goynge oute Neyther was he in this poynte lyke to Marcus Crassus who as Lucilius sayeth neuer laughed but once in all his life But as farre as I coulde learne he was fayre and cleare â—ysaged And trulye there was good cause whye his countenaunce shoulde be alwayes alyke inasmuche as his mynde whyche causeth the diuersitye of al lookes dyd neuer varye Wherefore bothe I will take of the Cyrenaikes these weapons agaynst chaunces that is to breake theyr force with long forethinkynge of the same and also I iudge that that euel which is in griefe consysteth in mens opinion and not in the thinges them selues For if it were in the thinges that chaunce vnto vs wherefore shoulde the foresyghte of them make them y e lighter But there may be more suttle reasoninge of these matters yf fyrste we see the opinion of Epycurus Who thinkes it necessary that euerye man to whom any euell is chaunced shoulde foorthwith lyue in gryefe and sorowe aswell although he did foresee and prouide for those chaunces afore hand as also when they waxe olde For neyther doeth the lengthe of tyme make the euels the lesse sayeth he neither yet the foresyghte of theym make vs to beare them more lightly He sayeth also that suche forethinkynge of euels is very fond Because it maye be that they shall not chaunce at all Euerye gryefe sayeth he is odious ynoughe when it doeth chaunce but he that alwayes lookes for some aduersitye makes it to him a continuall and euerlastinge miserye And if it shoulde chaunce not to come in vayne then should a man voluntarilye sorowe So he thinketh that a man is alwaies vexed eyther wyth the chaunce or els wyth the thought of some euell But the ease of sorowe he placeth in thinkinge of gryefe the other in drawyngâ— it to the contemplacion of pleasure For he thinketh that our minde may aselye obeye reason and folowe her guyde Reason sayeth he dothe forbyd vs to thinke on gryefe It drawth our dull wittes from the sharpe thoughtes of sorowe to beholde the miserye of the same from the whiche when she hath once wythdrawen vs she then moues and stirres vs to beholde and handle sundrye sortes of pleasure the whyche both to remember when they are past and also to hope for when they are comming he thinketh to be the perfect lyfe of a wyse man Thus I haue vttered his opinion according to my fashioÌ„ But the Epicureans do it after an other sorte of theyr owne But nowe let vs consider howe lightelye we esteme theyr wordes in this poynct Fyrste of all they do without cause reproue the forethinking of euels to come For there is nothinge that maye so much dul or lighten the force of griefe as a continuall thought and perswasion through out all our lyfe that there is no miserye whych maye not happen vnto vs as the ponderynge of the condition and estate of man as the lawe of our life and study to obeye Whiche causeth vs not to mourne alwaies but neuer For who so pondereth with him selfe the state of euery thing the inconstancie
so is feare alwayes caused of some griefe that is to come And for that cause some sayde that feare was a certayne braunche of gryefe other some sayd it was the forerunner and guyd of gryefe Wherfore by the same meanes that we maye beare gryefe when it is presente by the same also we maye despyse it that is likelye to â—omâ— For we must take great heede that in them both we do nothing more humblye lowelye wantonlye effeminately or abiect like theÌ„ it becometh a man But although we must treat of the inconstancie weakenes lyghtnes of feare yet it is good to despyse those thinges whiche most men feare And for that cause whether it were by chaunce or els of set purpose it hapned very wel that the first and second daye we reasoned of those thinges whych men most of all feare namelye of death and of payne Our reasons of the whyche who so euer doth like and beare away well he may easelye be rid of feare And hitherto we haue treated of those perturbations whych procede of the opinion of some euell Nowe let vs consider those which are styrred by the opinion of some goodnes Whyche are ioy and desyre And I thinke trulye that of all perturbations of the minde there is one onely cause and that they are al in our power and that we suffer them to enter vpon vs of oure owne voluntarye free will This erroure therefore and fayned opinion must be taken awaye as by reason we make those thinges which seeme to be euell more tollerable so we muste in those thinges also which are thoughte to be greate and notable goodes make oure minde more quiete and peasible And this truly is commen as well to those thinges which are counted euell as also to those whyche are counted good that if there be anye difficultie to perswade that those thinges which trouble his mind are not good or that they are not euell yet neuerthelesse we must haue a seuerall remedye for euery â—ynde of motion For there is one way to helpe an enuious person another to â—elpe a louer One meane to ease a soâ—owefull man and an other to helpe a â—earefull person And truly it were eaâ—ye for such a one as foloweth the true opinion of good and euel to deny that â—â—oole could at anye time be troubled wyth mirthe Because nothinge that â—ood were could happen vnto hym But nowe we speake after the comen â—â—rte Admit that those thinges which 〈◊〉 thoughte in this worlde to be the â—â—â—efest goodes were so in deede I â—eane honour riches pleasure such 〈◊〉 Yet neuerthelesse if we had obteyned anye of the same fonde lyghte â—irth were to be dispraysed As although it be lawful to laugh yet light â—aughter is discommendable For the same faulte is vayne ioye of the minde in mirth that shrinkinge and abatinge â—f courage is in sorowe And euen as lyght and fonde is desyre in coueting as ioye is in obtayninge And as veâ—aâ—â—on in an afflicted so in a ioyful mind vayne mirthe is counted lyghte and whereas to enuye is a braunche of gryefe but to be delighted with other mens mischaunce is a parte of lyghte mirth both sortes are wonte to be reproued by settinge afore theym theyr owne crueltie and fiercenes And as it becometh vs to be bolde but to feare it doth not beseeme vs so we lawefullye maye reioyce but not be drowned in vaine mirth For for to teache more playnely we will at this time disseueâ— ioye and mirth We haue sayd already that the shrynkyng of the minde could neuer be wythout fault But the raysinge or exaltinge of the same mighte well be For otherwyse Hector in Neâ—ius doth reioyce It glads me father that you who were well estâ—emd alwayes Did not disdayn w t blameles toung my simple factes to prayse ¶ And otherwise Cherea in Trabea A baude being greased with money shall be ready at my call My fingers pushe shall cause the doares and gates abrode to fall And forthwyth Chrisis as soone as she shall me there espye Wil merely come to mete me then reioycing me to see What a commoditye and pleasure he thinketh this to be his owne wordes may well declare Thus my good chaunce shall passe the lucke of fortune loe it selfe What a filthy mirth this is it is sufficient that who so euer lyst beholde it maye sufficiently see and looke howe â—eastlye they be that do then reioyce when thei haue obtained the pleasures of the fleshe alyke fylthy are they also which feruently desyre the same But all that which is called loue and truly I can fynde no other name that it hath is of such lyghtnes that I knowe not whereunto I might compare it Of whom Cecilius wryteth Who would not count him now for god and that ryght worthylye Who makes some fooles and other still in ignoraunce lets lye In whose hand madnes is and wit who some meÌ„s hartes hath fierd Some makes beloued some hated eke and some to be desierd O notable poetrye the amender of our liues whiche thinkes that the loue of sinne and the ancthoure of all lyghtenes oughte to be placed emonges the immortall Goddes But hitherto I speake of a comedye Which consisteth of nothing els but such mischieues But what sayeth the prince of the saylers in the ship Argo in a tragedie Thou sauedst me but for my loue and not mine honoures sake This loue of Medea what flames of miserye did it kyndle And yet neuerthelesse she in an other poete dares to saye to her father that she had a husband Whom loue her gaue whose force did passe the dutie she ought him ¶ But let vs geue the Poetes leaue to trifle in whose tales we see this vyce attributed to Iupiter him selfe And let vs come to the Philosophers the maysters of all vertue Whyche denye that thereaboute contend muche with Epicurus Who therein in my opinion lyeth nothinge For what is this loue that men terme frendshippe Or why doth no man loue a foule yonge man or a fayre olde man Trulye I thinke this custome began fyrst in the vniuersities of Greece in the whyche such loue is permitted But well sayde Ennius It is the cause of muche mischyefe and vyce as I suppose That men should vse in open syght theyr bodies to disclose Which sort of meÌ„ if they be honest as I think they may yet is it not wythout great paine and trouble Yea and that so much the more for that they do in maner constrayne theym selues to refrayne And that I maye ouâ—rpasse the loue of women whiche is farre more naturall then the other who doubtes what the Poetes ment by the rape of Ganimedes Or who knoweth not what Laius in Eâ—ripides doth bothe speake and wyshe Furthermore who seeth not what songes and balades the most chiefest and best learned Poetes set forth of theyr owne loues Alceus beynge a man of good reputation in the common wealth yet what toyes wrote he of the loue of yonge
religion What shall we thinke of so manye and so notable men in thys our comen wealth whiche willinglye toke theyr deathe for theyr countreyes sake Did they think you suppose that their memorye shoulde be extended no lenger then the terme of theyr lyfe Trulye no man at anye time was so madde as without hope of immortalitie to offer him selfe to deathe for his countrey For otherwise it had bene lawefull for Themistocles to haue lyued in ease it had bene lawefull for Epaminundas It had bene also that we enquire no farder of old and forren matters lawfull for me But I knowe not howe there sticketh in mens mindes a certayne gesse of life to come yea and that doth most commōly happen in the most stoute and harty courages and in them appeares most lightlye Whiche hope taken away who is there so mad that would continually liue in laboure and daunger and hitherto we haue spokē of princes But do we not se the like of Poetes will not they be remembred after theyr death Uppon what cause then was this writen Behold ye Citisens here the shape of Ennius image old Who hathe descriued youre fathers factes eke their gestes hath told Lo he requireth the report of fame and renowne at theyr handes whose forefathers he had caused by his writynge to be famous And the same Ennius wryteth in another place thus Let no man me bemoane nor wayle me when I dye For whye aliue my good reporte in mouthes of men shal flye But what doubte we of Poetes yea suche as liue by handcraftes desyre after death to be remembred For what other cause dydde Phydias graue hys shape in the tergat of Minerua where it was not lawefull for him to wryte What the Philosophers thēselues do they not in those bookes whych they write of the despising of glory imprint their owne names Certes if the consent of all men be the voice of nature al men in al places do agree that there is some thing that doth pertaine to thē which are departed out of this life we also must nedes thīke y e same And since we know y e they whose mind passeth either in wit or vertue because their wit is best do se most clearely the power of nature It is most likely forasmuch as euery good man taketh care for his posterity that he supposeth that there is some thing the sense and feeling of the which he shal haue after death But as we knowe by nature that there be gods But what they be we gather by wyt and reason so we thinke because of the consent and agrement of all nations that our soules do remayne after death But in what place they be or what maner thinges they are we must gather by reason The ignoraūce of the whiche hath fayned and inuented hell and such terroures as you seemed somewhat afore not without iuste cause to despyse For our bodyes being layd in the grounde and couered wyth earth whereof also suche as are buryed are sayd to be earthed they thought the reste of our life should be led vnder the ground Which opinion hath bene the cause of great errours Whyche haue bene augmented and encreased by Poetes For the thicke companye of the Theater in the which there are many women and children is muche moued hearing so terrible a verse as this I here am come from hell by wayes full hye and steepe By dennes ybuylte with stoanes by caues ful darke and deepe Where lothly darknes dwels where cralling furies creepe Yea and that errour was of such force which nowe I truste is nye extinguished that whereas they sawe mennes bodyes burne afore yet neuerthelesse they would fayne them doing such thinges in hell as withoute bodyes coulde neyther be done in deede neyther yet ymagined For they could not wel conceyue howe the soule might liue withoute the bodye and for that cause they ymagined that they liued vnder some certayne shape and figure Uppon this occasion Homere wrote his booke whiche he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereof spronge that Necromancie whiche my friende Appius was wont to use For this cause also was the lake that standeth not farre from mi house called the lake of hell Whence soules are stireed vp in darke and grisely shapes Whyche when hell gates are opened once out at the doores escapes Yet neuerthelesse these shapes and shadowes they fayne to speake Whyche can not be wythout the tounge iawes sydes and lyghtes For they conceyued very litle in theyr mindes but referred all to theyr bodelye eyes But it is a great point of wyt for a man to reuoke his minde from the iudgement of his outward senses and to withdrawe the consent of his thoughtes from thinges that haue bene alowed by custome And I beleue trulye that there haue bene manye other whiche in all ages haue reasoned of the immortalitye of the soules But of those whyche haue left any writinges behinde them Pherecides a Sirian taught firste that the soules of men were euerlasting A man surely of great antiquitye For he liued in the time of my kinsman Tullus Hostilius This opinion his scoler Pythagoras did chiefely confyrme who when he came into Italye in the raygne of Tarquinius the proude amased all great Greece with his estimation learning and authoritye Yea and manye yeares after the name of the Pythagoreans was so highely esteemed that in comparyson of them no other Philosophers seemed to be learned But let vs retourne to those aunciente Philosophers Commenly they would geue no reason of anye thinge that they spake vnlesse it were same such thing as they should declare by numbers or descriptions It is sayde that Plato to thintent that he myghte knowe the Pythagoreans came into Italye and there was acquaynted both with manye other but chyefelye wyth Archytas and Timeus of whome he learned all the opinion of Pithagoras and that at the fyrst he not onelye thought as Pythagoras did as concerninge the eternitye of the soule but also confyrmed the same wyth reason Whych vnlesse you be otherwyse minded let vs ouerpasse and leaue of all this reasonynge of the immortalytye of the soules He. What wil you now leaue me wh◠you haue broughte me into so great expectacion I had rather to erre wyth Plato whom I knowe howe much you esteeme and I wonder at the more because of your prayse then to thinke wel wyth other Mar. Worthelye spoken For I my selfe assuredly would not be aggrieued to erre with him And is there anye doubte but that as he hathe handled al other thinges very learnedlie and profoundly so he hath done this also although this hathe leaste nede of cunning handeling For the Mathematicians do well proue it sayeng that the earthe whiche is placed in the middest of the world in comparison of the whole heauen hath but the proportion of a small poynt whych they call a centre And such is the nature of those four bodyes of the whyche all thinges take theyr beginning that they haue
manifeste daunger of death Spayne should not theÌ„ haue sene the .ii. ScipioÌ„s sâ—aine both in one battayle wheÌ„ they stoutely stoode in defeÌ„ce of their countrey nor y e towne of Cannas Paulus Aemilius Ueâ—â—sia Marcellus y e Latines Albinus nor the Lucanes Gracchus Is there any of these counted at this day miserable No trulye not after theyr happye lyfe For no man can be a wretche his sence beyng once paste Hearer But it is a hatefull thynge to be wythout sence Mar. A hatefull thing in dede if we did feele y e lacke of it But inasmuche as it is euident that nothynge can be in it which is not what can there be hateful in it which neither doth lacke neither feele anye thynge Howbeit we haue talked of this to ofte But I do it because that herein consisteth all the feare that we conceyue of deathe For when we see that our soules and bodies being spent and all oure partes beynge brought to fynall destruction that whyche was a lyuynge creature is nowe become nothinge we muste nedes perceiue also that betwyxt a thyng that neuer was and kyng Agamemnon there is no difference And in like sorte that Camillus dead long since doth now no more force for the ciuill warre which is kept at this present then I toke thought for the takyng of Rome at suche tyme as he lyued Why should Camillus then be sorye if he had knowen in his lyfe time that .350 yeares after him suche thynges should happeÌ„ or I yf I should imagine that ten thousaÌ„d yeres hence some straunge nation should race oure city Yet such is the loue that we owe to our countrey that we take thought for it for the good wil we beare it and not for any harme that we beynge buryed may haue by the destruction of it Wherefore deathe can not so feare a man which because of thincertainty of our lyfe doth continuallye hange ouer our heades also because of the shortnes of oure age can neuer be farre of but that he ought continuallye to haue more respect to the commen welth theÌ„ to his life And that he oughte also to thinke that those which shall come after him whose commodities or discommodities he shall neuer feele do in like wise pertayne vnto him therfore euen those that iudge our soule to be mortal may attempte thinges whose remembraunce shall long endure not for anye desyre of glory whyche they shal neuer feele but for the good wyll they bare to vertue whom glory of necessitie dothe folowe albeit you looke not for it But the nature of al things is such y â— as our byrth is the originall cause and beginnynge of all those thynges whyche we haue so in likewyse oure deathe is the ende of the same the payne of which as it did nothinge pertayne vnto vs afore our lyfe so neyther shal it after our death Wherfore what euel can there be in death whych pertayneth neyther to such as liue neyther yet to those that are deade For suche as are deade are not at all and suche as are alyue it can not come to Wherefore they which wil speake truly of the nature of death do terme it a sleepe as thoughe a man shoulde passe the course of his lyfe for the space of .90 yeares and then sleepe oute the reste I thynke assuredlye that a swyne woulde not couâ—yte to sleepe so longe But Endimâ—on if we gyue anye credyte to tales a great whyle synce slepte in Latmos whyche is a hyll of Caria He is not as yet awaked as I thynke Thynke you that he careth what paynes the Moone taketh of whome the tale goeth that he was there brought a slepe to the intente that she myghte kysse hym as he slepte What care should he take that feeles not So here you haue sâ—epe the ymage of our deathe whyche you do daylye put vppon you and do you doubte whether there be anye feelynge in death since in the ymage and pycture of the same there is none at al Leaue of then this olde wyues tale that it is a wretched thynge to dye afore thy tyme. What tyme I beseche you the tyme that nature hathe appoyneted But she hathe lente vs oure lyfe to vsurye as it were appoyntynge no certayne daye when we shall repaye the same What cause haste thou then to complayne yf she requyre it of thee when she lyffe For thou hadst it vnder such condicion The same men thinke it a heauye case for one to dye beynge but a boye but yf he dye beynge an enfante in his cradell they thynke that then he hath no cause of complaynte Yet neuerthelesse of hym dyd nature more sooner requyre that whyche she had lent O whyles he was a boye say they he had not smatched the swetenes of lyfe But he was in lykelyhoode to attayne to greate worshippe whyche euen at the time of his deathe he beganne to come to But I meruayle muche synce that in all other thynges it is counted better to attayne to to some what then nothyng at all why then it should be otherwyse in our lyfe Howebeit Callimachus said very wel that Priamus had wept farre oftener then euer did Troylus But now they prayse muche theyr chaunce which dye in theyr age and why so Because as I thinke if they might liue loÌ„ger their life could be no pleasanter then it hath bene But assuredlye there is nothing that a man may take more pleasure of then of wysedome the whych if we graunt that it taketh away other commodityes Yet that assuredlye olde age dothe brynge But what is this longe age or what is the loÌ„g time of a man Do we not see that age hath ouertakeÌ„ them which were euen now but boyes stripelinges when they least thought of it But yet beause we can lyue no loÌ„ger we call it longe And so euery thinges lyfe according to the ende that nature hathe appoynted it maye well be termed eyther longe or shorte For about the riuer Hypanis which ruÌ„neth through a part of Europa into the sea Pontus Arystotle sayeth that there are bredde certaine beastes which liue but one day Of them then she that liueth .viii. houres is counted aged But she that liueth till the sonne set is as one euen spent wyth age and so muche more if it be the longest day in the yere Compare our age wyth immortalyry and we shall be found to liue in maner as shorte a space as those foolishe beastes Let vs then set asyde all this trifelinge for howe maye I better terme it and let vs frame our selues to a perfect lyfe despysyng all vanitie and trading our selues in vertue For nowe we are euen puffed vp wyth wanton thoughtes so that if deathe ouertake vs afore such time as we haue obtayned the promisses of the sothsayers we seeme ther by to haue bene mocked and defrauded of many notable commodityes And if at the time of our death we hang in desires and wishes lord how we are vexed and tormented
whereas that iourney o god howe pleasaunt ought it to be vnto vs whyche beinge once paste there shall be no care nor trouble lefte O howe muche Theramenes doth delyghte me what a stoute courage seemeth he to haue For albeit I weepe as ofte as I reade the storye of him yet neuerthelesse it reioyceth me to see howe stoutelye he dyed lyke a noble man Who lyenge in the pryson after he hadde there dronke vp the poyson whych the thyrtye tyrannes had sente hym wyth suche an earnest desyre as if he had thyrsted after it he caste that was lefte wyth suche a force out of the cuppe that it sounded on the flooreâ— whyche sounde he hearynge smyled and sayde I begynne thys to Critias who was one of hys deadlyest enemyes For the Grecians in their bankets were wont to drinke to some maÌ„ namelye to him that should pledge theÌ„ So it pleased that noble man to ieste at the time of his death when he had that within him whych should be his bane And he trulye prophecied death to hym y t sent him the poison which shortly after ensued Who would commeÌ„d suche securitye in death if he thoughte death to be an euell thing Into the same pryson and the same kynd of death came a fewe yeares after Socrates condemned so vniustlye of his iudges as Theramenes of the tyrauntes Let vs heare the what maner of wordes Plato sayes he spake to the iudges when he was condemned to death I am in good hope my lordes quod he that I am happye for that I am thus put to deathe For one of these two muste needes folowe that eyther thys death wyll take awaye all sence from me or els if my soule do continue it shall depart into an other place of rest Wherefore yf my sense shall be ertyncte and my death resemble sleepe whyche often wythout anye trouble of dreames doth brynge a man most quiete reste O Lorde what pleasure shal deathe be to me or what daye should I preferre afore such a nyght the whych wythout varyaunce or chaunge shall kepe a continuall estate and staye for euer And so who shuld be more happy then I But if those thynges be true whiche are wryten namely that death is a departure into those regioÌ„s which all they inhabite that are departed out of this life then do I accoumpte my chauÌ„ce farre better for that after that I haue escaped the handes of you whiche syt here in place and name of iudges I shall then come to them whiche are the true iudges Minos RhadamaÌ„ thus Aecus and Triptolemus shall there haue the companye and communication of them whych haue liued vpryghtly in the faythe and feare of god This oughte to seeme a sweete pilgrymage But to talke wyth those worthy men Orpheus Museus Homere Hesiodus or suche other learned sages lord howe much I do esteeme Assuredlye if it mighte be I would often dye inespecially if I thought I should find those thinges which I nowe speake of What pleasure shall it be to me when I shall commen wyth Palamedes or Aiar which were of vnrightuous iudges wrongfully put to death I should there see the wyt of the chyefe prynce which led the power of Grece to Troy walles and in lykewyse the wysedome of Ulisses and Sisyphâ—s neyther yet should I for the searche of such thinges as I here am so there also wrongfully be put to death And ye O iust iudges whyche haue heretofore quitted me feare ye not deathe For no harme can happen to a good man neyther in thys lyfe nor after For the gods aboue wil not ceasse alwaies to haue him and his in theyr protection For this selfe same death comes not to me by chaunce but by the iust iudgement and appoyntmeÌ„t of god And for that cause I am not angrye wyth my accusers but onelye for that they thoughte that thereby they dyd hurte me whereas I do esteme nothinge more then it But nowe it is tyme quod he that I departe hence to dye and you to liue Of the whych two which is the better the immortal gods knowe no mortall man as I thinke Now truly I had farre rather to haue so stoute a stomake and well disposed minde then all theyr worship welth that gaue sentence of his life death Albeit that whyche he sayeth that no man but onely the gods knowe yet he him selfe doth knowe that is to wit which is better of lyfe or death For he had vttered it in his former wordes But he kepeth his olde wonte euen to the death whyche was to affyrme no certayntye of any thinge But let vs stand stiffely herein that nothinge can be euell whyche nature hath prouided for all men and therwithall consider that if death be an euell it is a contynuall and euerlasting euell For it seemeth that deathe is the ende of euerye wretched and carefull lyfe Nowe if death it selfe be myserable what ende can there be of miserye But what do I here rehearce Socrates and Theramenes men of notable constantye and wysedome synce a certayne Lacedemonian a man of no reporte or fame dyd so muche despyse death that when he beynge condemned and ledde to his death dyd smyle and laughe And one of his accusers seeinge it sayde vnto him doest then mocke and despyse the lawes of Lycurgus No quod he but I geue him ryght hartye thankes that he appoincted me such a fine as I may paye wythout anye chaunge or lone of money A man assuredlye worthye of the name of the ryghte famous countreye of Sparta whose stoute courage doth well declare as me seemeth that he was vnryghtfullye put to death Suche men had our ciâ—ye more then anye man maye noumber But what should I here recken vp our captaynes or nobles of our citie that haue so done since Cato wrytes that whole armies of men haue merelye gone into those places from whence they thought they should neuer retourne So were the Lacedemonians slayne at Thermopilas amonges the whyche on Symonydes tombe these Uerses were wrytten Thou stranger that hereby dost passe saye here thou sawest vs lye Whiles we defende oure countrey lawes or els desyre to dye ¶ What sayeth the stoute Capitayne Leonidas go to be you of â—â—oute courage oâ—ye lacedemonians quod he for thys nyghte perhaps we shall sup with God This was a stout nation as long as they had Licurgus lawes in reputacioÌ„ For on a time wheÌ„ a Persyan one of theyr enemies boastyng of his empâ—rours power sayd to one of them that the company of theyr dartes arowes shoulde darcken the sonne so that they should not see it why then quod the other we shall fyghte in the shade I haue hytherto talked of men But what thinke you of a woman of Lacedemon Who when she vnderstoode that her sonne was slayne in the field I bore him quod she to that ende that he should be suche a one as shoulde not styeke to die in the defence of his countrey God continue you
in the defence of Plato his secte called Academia we haue expressed in our .iiii. bookes entitled Academikes But yet neuertheles so much it lackes y â— I would be angry or displeased if any man should write against the same y â— I wishe it euen with all my hert For philosophy in Greece it selfe had neuer come to suche perfection vnlesse there had bene suche contention and diuersytye amonges the best learned men as concerninge the same Wherfore I desyre all suche as are able to do it that they woulde helpe to take this prayse also from Greece that is already faynted and bring it into this our citye as our auncesters haue already done by al the rest that were worth any payne or trauayle And truly the prayse of Oratoures encreased from a lowe to suche perfectioÌ„ that nowe as natures course doth worke in all thinges it beginneth to waxe aged and within this shorte space is lykely to come to nought Wherfore nowe let philosophy begin to be spred in the latine tongue and let vs helpe the encrease thereof althoâ—gh that for the same we be reproued and refuted Which trulye they can not abyde which bynde them selues to aâ—ye certayne opinion as men wholye gyuen to the same so that sumtimes they are constrayned to get theym opinion of constancie to maynteyne such thynges as otherwyse they woulde not allowe But I who in al thinges folowe probabilitie and can go no farther theÌ„ likelyhode am readye both to wryte agaynst others without any stubbernes and also to be writen agaynst without anye anger If so we maye brynge this kinde of exercise from the Grecians to our countreymen we shall not wante the helpe of the Greke libraries which are stuffed with an iufinite company of bookes wryten of the same matter For manye haue wrytten the same in effect that some others haue done afore them So that the noumber of bookes is infinite The which shal in likewise happen to vs when many geue theym selues to wrytynge But I will assaye chiefelye to prouoke theÌ„ to write who being wel learned and instructed with perfect eloquence can endyte philosophye with a good trade and order For there is a certayne sort of men whych wyll needes be counted philosophers that are reported to haue wryten manye latine bookes whiche surelye I do not despise because I neuer redde theÌ„ but inasmuche as the aucthours them selues do playnely confesse y â— they can wryte neyther distinctlye orderlye eloquently nor trimlye I assuredlye neglect the readyng of that which shoulde nothynge at all delyght me inasmuche as they care not what they wryte I knowe not why anye man shoulde be bounde to reade theÌ„ but suche as arâ— of the same opinion that they be For as all men reade Plato and the workes of other scolers of Socrates so likewyse of others that were taughte of them although they agree not in opinion wyth them or at the least wise do not greatly alowe them but Epicurus and Metrodorus none almost handles but suche as be of theyr owne secte so these late latine wryters they onelye reade which thinke the same to be wel and wysely wryten But me semeth that whatsoeuer any man would set abrode ought afore to be commended by the iudgement of suche as are learned And for that cause the auncieÌ„t custome peripatecian and academias to reason on eyther parte of euery question doth maruaylously well like me not onelye for that by no other meanes the truthâ— of euerye doubtefull question might be tryed but also because there is in it a greate exercyse and practyse of Rhetorique whych Aristotle chiefly vsed and all they that folowed him But in this our time Philâ— whom we haue herd appoynted one tyme to teache the preceptes of Rhetorique and an other to declare the rules of philosophy To the whyche order I beynge lykewyse moued of my familyar fryendes spente there in suche leasure as I had in my maner of Tusculanum Wherfore when I had spent the morninge in the studye of Rhetoryke after noone we came downe to our scoole in the which such reasoninge as we had I do nowe expresse not as if I tolde it but euen in maner wyth the selfe same wordes as it was done Therfore whyles we walked we fell into this talke Hea. I can not well expresse howe muche I was delyghted or rather strengthened with your yesterdayes reasonynge For although I am assured that I was at no time to muche desyrous of my lyfe yet neuerthelesse there woulde come come sometime both feare and gryefe to my heart when I thoughte that I should one day lose the fruition of this pleasaunt light and eke of all the commodities of this life Of this trouble assuredly I am nowe so eased that I care for nothinge lesse Mar. It is no maruayle truly For such is the effecte of philosophye it helpeth the minde it taketh a way all vayne care riddes the mind of desyre and driues away feare but this her power is not of like force wyth all men But then it worketh most when it chaunceth on a good nature For stoute men not onely fortune doth helpe as the olde prouerbe is but much more reason Whiche in maner wyth certayne preceptes confyrmeth the strengh of fortitude Nature fyrste made you hye minded and meete to despise all earthlye thinges and for that cause in your stoute stomake ' the perswasion of sufferynge death is lyghtly rooted But thinke you that these selfe same perswasions do so much preuaile wyth them except very fewe of whom they were first inuented reasoned and written No truly For howe manye philosophers shall you finde whose life and behauiâ—ur is such as reason requireth Or that doth vse theyr teachynge not as a brag and boastinge of knoweledge but as the law and order of good life Or howe manye of theym shall ye fynde that are ruled by theym selues or obeye theyr owne decrees you shall see some of such lyghtnes and arrogaÌ„cie that it had bene better for them neuer to haue learned Some other couetous men many verye desyrous of glorye and moste of them sâ—aues of pleasure So that theyr talke and their life seemes meruaylously to differ whiche assuredlye seemes to me a thyng worthye great reproche For like as if one that did professe graÌ„mer should speake false latine or one that would be counted a musician should sing out of tune his fault were so muche the worse because it is in that kynde of knowledge which he professeth so lykewyse a philosopher shewing yll example of liuing is so muche the more to be blamed as he offeÌ„deth in that thing of the which he professeth him selfe a teacher and professinge the arte of lyfe offendeth in his liuinge Hea. Is it not then to be feared least you commend philosophyâ— wythout a cause For what can be a greater proofe that it is not auaylable then that diuers notable philosophers do lyue abhominably Mar. Truly it is no proofe at all For as all fieldes that
of his lyfe and the weakenes of mankynd he doth not then mourne but rather then chiefelye doth the part of a wyse man For hereby he getteth two commodityes The one that in wayghynge the frayletye of man he doth execute the duty of a philosopher the other for that agaynst aduersity he hath gotten three confortes The first for that he thought longe afore that it might happen Which onely thought doth most of all other swage and wipe away all sorowe The second for that he thinketh that all chaunces whyche may happen to a man are paciently to be borne And last of all because he seeth that there is no euell but where is some faulte And it is no faulte of his inasmuche as that which a man could not withstande is chaunced For that reuoking of our mind froÌ„ the thought of grefe which Epicurus would haue is to no poynct at all For it is not in our power when we are prycked with miserye or mischaunce to dissemble or forget it For suche chaunces teare vexe pricke and enflame vs. And fynallye suffer vs not to take anye quyete rest And yet neuerthelesse thou Epicurus wyllest me to forget that whyche is agaynst nature But nowe to the helpe whyche thou shewest of an olde rooted gryefe Trulye althoughe it be somewhat sâ—owe yet great is the remedye that length of time and space of yeares doth bring But thou willest me to propose to my selfe the hope of good thynges and forget the euell Nowe trulye thy sayinge were somewhat yea and worthy a notable philosopher yf thou thoughâ—est those thinges to be good whyche in deede are most worthy a mans trauayle and paines If Pythagoras Socrates or Plato should saye thus vnto me Why lyest thou sadde Wherfore â—â—â—urnest thou or why doest thou thus faynt and yeld to the stroke of fortune Which as perhaps she maye pull and pricke the so she can not wholy daunte thy couragious force Uertues are of great power to resyst and wythstande the same Them if perhaps they slepe in the rayse quicken Then will the valyaunte fortitude forthwith be at hande whiche will cause the to be of so good courage that thou shalt despise and esteme as nothinge all chaunces whych may happen to a man Then shall stand by the temperaunce which is also moderance and by me termed somewhat afore frugalitye whych wil suffer the to do nothinge shamefullye or dishonestlye But what is worse or shamefuller theÌ„ an effeminate person Nowe trulye iustice will not suffer the so to do whych seemes to haue least to doe in this matter She wil saye that thou art two wayes iniurious Thone in that thou desyrest that whych is not thine who being borne mortall doest looke for the estate of the immortall gods thother for that it greeueth the to restore that whyche was lente thee onelye to vse for a space But to prudence what wylt thou aunswere wheÌ„ she shall saye that vertue is sufficente of her selfe to make a good and happye life The excellency of the whych if it hange vpon outward chaunce and be not contâ—nted wyth his owne force and power but lacketh the ornamente of forren goodes I see no cause whye it should be so muche eyther commended in wordes or coueted in deedes To these goodes O Epicurus yf thou cal me I obey the I folowe the I take the as my guyde I blot also as thou wyllest me out of my memory al euels and that also so muche the gladlyer because I count theym not worthye the name of euels But thou drawest my thoughtes to pleasures and delightes Of what sort I pray the Of the body I thinke or at the least wise suche as we do eyther remember that oure bodye hath enioyed or at the leaste wyse â—hope that it shal Is it any otherwyse Do I trulye interprete thy meanynge For they are wonte to saye that we do not vnderstand what Epicurus meaneth Euen this truly he meaneth And this the olde Zeno the Grecian at Athenes in my hearynge was wont very earnestlye to affyrme that happy was he whyche dyd eyther presentlye enioye pleasure or els did hope he should enioye it eyther throughout all his lyfe or at the least wyse throughe the greatest parte withoute anye entercourse of gryefe Or if there were any if it were extreame that it should be shorte Or if it were somewhat long that it should haue more pleasure then myserye He that did so thinke he sayd should be blessed especially if he were contented wyth the pleasure that he had before taken and also feared not god Thus here you see the happye life appoynted by Epicurus descrybed so playnelye wyth the wordes of Zeno that therein is nothing that he can denye Maye the proposyng and thought of suche a lyfe then ease eyther Thyâ—stes or Aeta of whom I spake before or Telamon a poore exyle banyshed from his natiue countrey Of whom this wonder was made Is this that Telamon whom late frayle glory raysde on hye On whom the Greekes of late dyd gase with many an enuious eye ¶ Trulye if anye man with his substaunce hath loste his courage also he must seeke his remedye of those graue and auncient philosophers and not of those slaues of pleasure For what companie of goodes is it that they meane Admit trulye that it were the chiefest good that mighte be to feele no griefe Howbeit that can not well be called pleasure But is that such a thinge as the syghte or minding thereof myghte ease our sorowe Admit that gryefe be the greatest euell that may be Shall he then that feeleth not it foorthwyth enioye the chiefest felicitye But why dalyest thou Epicurus And will not graunte that thou meanest that pleasure whyche thou thy selfe in other places doest expresse Be these whiche I will rehearse thy wordes or no In that booke whyche contayneth thy whole doctryne for I wyll nowe playe the parte of an interpreter leaste anye man thinke I lye thou spakest in this wyse Neyther trulye do I perceyue what good thing I may imagine voyde of those pleasures that consist in taste or voyde of those which consist in the hearynge of swete noyses or wantynge those pleasaâ—nâ—e syghtes whych the eyes do gather of fayre beautyes or lackinge the pleasures requysite to any of the foure senses in man Neyther maye we trulye saye that the delight of the minde is onelye in suche goodnes as wante all these For I knowe that the minde will so reioyce euen wyth the onely hope of those pleasures which I haue afore named that when it hath once attayned them it is voyde of all griefe These be the wordes of Epicurus By the which euerye man maye righte well perceyue what pleasure Epicurus ment For somewhat after Right oft I haue demaunded of theym that were counted wyse sayeth he what they would accompte good if they take away those pleasures by me afore named But I could get nothing of them but onelye bare wordes Who if they will name
I did therefore aske of you whether I should at the fyrst hoyse the sayles of my talke or els at the beginning rowe the same forwardes wyth the ores or logyke Hea. I thinke it best euen so For by that meanes best shall my question be discussed Mar. Truly it is the wysest waye For hereafter you may asâ—e of me if any thing seeme some what darke vnto you Hea. I will do so in deede But you neuerthelesse after your accustomed wonte shall expresse these darke reasons more plainelye then the Greekes dâ— vtter them Mar. I wil do my endeuoure But you had neede to heare attentiuelye leaste yf you chaunce to forget some one smal thinge all the reste also maye chaunce to slippe from you Because those motions which the Greekes terme Pathae we call perturbations rather then diseases in describing of them I wil first fâ—lowe the auncient order of Pythagoras then the trade of Plato Who deuideth the minde into two poynctes oâ— the which the one they say is endewed with reason the other is wholy voide of the same In that part which is partaker of reason they place quietnesse with an assured constaÌ„cy In the other they say are al the troublous motions as well of anger as desyre whiche are all enemyes and contrary to reason Let this therfore be oure foundacyon but in describyng these perturbations we wyll vse theâ— definitions and diuysions of the Stoykes which in my opinion handle this questioÌ„ more wittely then all the rest This therefore is the definitioÌ„ of Zeno that that whych we terme perturbation he Pathos is a turning from the rule of reason contraryâ— to the nature of the minde Some describe it more shortly to be a vehement appetite By vehemeÌ„t thei meane such a lust as hath swarued farre from the constancye of nature But the sundrye kyndes of perturbatioÌ„s they say haue their beginninge of the two sortes of goodes and two sortes of euels And so there are in noumber foure Two that are stirred by the opinion of some good thing whych are desyre and gladnes For gladnes proceedeth of ioye for some good thinge that is present desire of some good that is to come And two that are caused of the opinion of some euell whyche are feare and griefe of minde Feare of euel to comâ— and sorowe for some present euell For those thinges whiche we feare when they are coming those put vs to griefe when they are come But mirthe and desyre proceede alwaies of the opinion of some good thinges â–ª Desyre feruentlye coâ—eytinge some thing that seemes good vnto iâ— and mirth reioyâ—inge for the obtayning of some thynge which it had long time before câ—ueted For naturalli euery man coueites that which sâ—emeth to be good and flyes the contrarye wherefore wheresoeuer there is any thing whych hath in it anye apparaunce or shewe of goodnes forthwith naâ—â—re it selfe prouokes vs to desire the same Suche a desyre or luste the Stoykes name Voylâ—sâ— and we terme willinge It they thynke to be in a wyse man onelye and defyne it thus Willynge is that whyche desyreth any thyng according to reason But it whych coueytes agaynst reason is called lust or immoderate desyre whyche is in all fooles Also when we haue attayned anye good thynge oure minde is moued two maner wayes For eyther it is quyetelye moued vnto mirth according vnto reason and then it is called iâ—ye or els it reioiceth vaynlye wythout measure and then it may wel be called light or ouermuch mirth Whyche they defyne to be the ioye of the minde wythoute reason And as we do naturally coueyte such thinges as seeme in oure eye to be good so doe we naturallye flye from those thinges which seeme to be euell Whych if we do according vnto reason we may wel call it warynes and saye that it is in none but onely such as are wyse But yf it be wyth an humble submission wythout reason then may it be called feare So feare is wearynes agaynst reason But as for anye affection that should be in a wyse man because of some presente euell there is none at all But that wherwith fooles are combred is sorowe whych procedeth of the opinion of some present euell and causeth theym to abate theyr courage and faynt contrary to reason For the whiche cause it is defyned to be a faynting of the minde contrary to reason So there are foure kindes of perturbatioÌ„s and but three sortes of good motions because there is no good motion contrary to sorowe But they thinke that all these perturbations are stirred of our owne iudgement and free wyll And for that cause they defyne theyâ— yet more strayghtly that men may not â—nelye perceyue howe yll they be but also that they are in our owne power Sorowe therfore is a freshe opinion of sâ—â—e present euel In the whych it seemeth ryghte that the minde shoulde â—â—mble and submitte it selfe to gryefe â—yrth is a fresh opinion of some good that iâ— presente wherein it seemeth â—yght to reioyce Feare is the opynyon 〈◊〉 sâ—me euel hangyng ouer vs whyche we thinke our selues scarse able to suffer Desyre is the opinion of some good likely to come vnto vs whych it were for our profyte presently to haue But in these opinions they do not onelye place the perturbations theym selues but also those thinges whych are done by them As gryefe of minde causeth a certayne nippinge of sorowe and feare a fayntinge submission of the minde and ioye an vnreasonable mirthe and lust an immoderate desyre And this worde opinion which we haue put into euery one of the former definitions they interprete to be a lyght agreemeÌ„t But of euerye perturbation there are many partes of the same sorte As of gryefe of minde inuyenge for we must vse at this time that word albeit it be not much in vse For enuye is not properly sayd to be in him onely which dothe enuye another but also in hym whych is enuied emulation obtraction pitye anguyshe waylynge mourninge gryefe sadnesse lamentacion carefulnesse trouble somenes afflictioÌ„ desperation and such like The sundry sortes of feare are slouthfulnes shame terrour fâ—are dread extreame feare examination trouble fearefulnesse Of ioye there is maleuolence reioycing at other mens losse vaine delgâ—htes boastinge and others like Of luste or desyre there are anger shaking hatred enmity indigence desyre wyth others of the same sorte And all these partes they defyne after this sorte Enuienge is a sorowe taken for some other mans prosperity which nothinge hurtes the â—â—â—your For yf anye man be aggreeued with the prosperitye of anye man that is noysome to him he can not be well sayde to enuye him As no man would saye that Agamemnon did enuye Hector But he whiche is grieued wyth the prosperity of some other man whyche is nothing hurteful to him is sayde to enuye But emulation is taken two maner wayes the one prayse worthy thother discommendable For the desyre to excell in vertue is
tâ— be sicke But it in good thinges because some are more apte to goodnes â–ª than other may be termed aptenes And in euell thinges it may signifye a â—â—adines tâ—â—all And in such thynges â—s are neyther good nor bad it maye â—aue his former name But as there â—re diseases and sickenesses in the 〈◊〉 so like wise there are in the minde A disease they call the infection of the whole bodyâ— but a syckenes they name â— faynte disease A faulte is when the limmes of the bodye are not â—quallye proporcâ—oâ—â—ed but some missâ— placed and yll fauoured to see So a disease and sickenesse are when the whole bâ—â—dye is disquiete or out of tempeâ— â–ª 〈…〉 maye be oftentimes perâ—â—yue◠〈◊〉 â—odye beyng of perfect health But in the â—â—nde we can not separaâ—â—e ◠〈◊〉 from a disease but onelyâ— by thoughte And in it that whiche we 〈◊〉 a faulte in the bodye maye well 〈◊〉 called viciousnes Whyche is an inâ—â—staunt and waueringe dssposition 〈◊〉 all the life tyme. So it 〈◊〉 to passe that the corrupâ—â—on 〈◊〉 maners â–ª breedeth a syckenesse and disease and the other causeth inconstancy â—nd repugnaunce Neyther yet doth eâ—â—ry imperfection cause discordaunce in the mind As they who are not farre from wisedome yet whiles they are in that imperfectioÌ„ haue some iarring in thâ—yr mindes but no such contrarietye or repugnance But syckenesses and diseases are partes of viciousnes But whether perturbations be partes of the same it is in doubt For vices be permanente affectionâ— but perturbations are continuallye in motion so that they can be no partes of suche affections as vse to coÌ„tinue in the mind â—nd as in the proportion of euels the minde maye well be resembled to the body so it maye likewyse in good thinges For the chyefe partes in the body are beautye myght health and swiftnes The same likewyse there are in the minde The bodye is in healthe when those principles of the which we consist agree among them selues and iarre not So the mynde is sayde to be in good healthe when it agreeth in ryght iudgemeÌ„tes and true opinions â—nd that is that vertue of the mynde whyche some â—all temperaunce â–ª And other some name 〈◊〉 be a vertue folowing and obeyeng temperauncâ— â–ª hauing no certayne name But whyche of them so euer it be they do all agree that it is in a wyse man onely But there is a certayne healthe of minde whyche a â—oole also maye haue Which is when by the helpe of philosophye the perturbations of his minde are cured And is there is a certayne proportion of the â—â—â—mes of the bodye wyth a pleasaunt shape whych is called beautye so likewyse teh equalitye and consente of the mynde in opinions and iudgementes â–ª with a certayne stoutenes and coâ—â—tanâ—ye folowynge vertue or rather conâ—â—ynyng the whole power and force of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 named the beautye of the minde Nowe as for the strengthe â—â—yntes and styffenes of the bodye there are like partes also in the minde But whereas there is a certaine quickâ—esse in the body otherwise called swiftnes neither doth the mynd want that prayse also whyche in shorte tyme can runne ouer the remembraunce of thinges in number infinite But these differences there are betwyxte the bodyâ— and the mynde that the mynde beynge in good health maye in no parte feele anye griefe but the bodye maye Also the diseases of the body may sometime come wythout oure faulte But so can not the diseases of the minde The lyghtest troubles of the whyche can not happen wythout the despysyng of râ—â—son And for that cause they be in meâ— onâ—lye For beastes maye haue some such like chaunces â–ª but they haue no â—â—rturbations and betwixt quicke and dulle witted men this difference there is â–ª that wyse men like as the brasse 〈◊〉 Coriâ—â—he will â—eeldoâ—◠〈◊〉 rowsâ—ye so will they likewyse eyther hardly fall into aâ—ye disease or els yâ— they chaunce to fall into anye lightlyâ—â—e cured And so it is not with dul witted men Besides that the minde of â— wyse man is not subiect to euerye perturbation For he doth none of those thinges whych are beastlye and cruell Yea and those perturbations whyche sometimes chaunce vnto him haue a certayne shewe of gentlenes as pitye sorowe and feare But those sickenesses and diseases of the minde are more harde to be rooted oute then those extreme vices whyche are contrarye to vertues For those olde rooted dyseases remayning vices can not be taken awaye Because they are not so lyghtlye healed as the other rooted out And thus you haue so much as the Stoikes subtelye reason of perturbations Which they call logicall because they are profoundlye wrytten From the which since our talke is now escaped as it were from cragged rockes nowe let vs go to the other part of our disputations if you thynke that we haue spoken playnely ynoughe respectinge the darkenesse of the matter Hea. Yea truly playnely ynough Therfore now we looke that you shoulde spreade the sayles of your talke whyche whyâ—ome you spake of Mar. Forasmuche as â—â—th at other times hertofore we haue spoken muche of vertue and must also hereafter do the same In manye othâ—r places for moste of those questions whych pertayne to the trade of life and maners are grounded vppon vertue for that cause we wil nowe define vertue Whych is a constante and laudable affection of the minde bothe makynge them in whom it is commendable and also it selfe euen wythoute the name of profyte worthy of prayse From it do procede all honest desyres wordes and deedes And to be shorte the whole rule of reason Howebeit vertue it selfe may in the bryefest maner well be termed the rule of reason To this vertue vyce is contrarye for so I thinke better to terme it then malyce whych the Greekes call Kakiâ— For malice is the name of some one certayne vyce But vice is the name of all From whiche also proceede al perturbations Whiche be as I sayde afore the troubled and stirred motions of the minde strayed from reason enemyes of the mynde and also of a quyete lyfe For they brynge wyth theyâ— carefull and bitter gryeues they afflycte and weaken the minde wyth feare They inflame it also wyth a greedy appetite Whych we terme eyther desyre or luste Whiche is an impotencye of the minde swaruing from temperaunce and moderatioÌ„ Whiche if it chaunce to obtayne that whyche it did desyre then it falleth into excessiâ—e myrth So that then nothynge whyche he dothe is to anye purpose at all Lyke as he whyche thynketh ioyâ— and pleasure of the minde to be thâ— chyefest erroure The helpe of all these euels consysteth in vertue onely But what is there not onelye more miserable but also more fylthye or yll â—auoured then to see a man afflycted or ouercome wyth gryefe To whyche â—iserye he trulye is verye nyghe who â—eareth anye euell when it it is comming and standes coÌ„tinually in dread of the same The power whereof the Poetes myndinge to
his face had reckened vp a great number of vices in the presence of some of the frendes of Socrates who knewe that he was not faulty in theym they laughed him to scorne But Socrates defended him Sayeng that those sygnes and coniectures were in him in deede But that he did ouercome them wyth reason Wherefore as men beinge in good health may seeme yet some more then other to be giuen to this or that disease so likewyse some mans mynde is more prone to vice then some others But their vices who are not of nature but onely be theyr owne fault vicious consiste of the false opinions of those thinges which they count eyther good or euell And a disease once rooted like as in the bodye so in the minde also is hardly holpen For easier it is to heale a sodayne swellinge of the eyes then a continuall blearynesse So the cause of al perturbations being once knowen whyche take theyr beginninge of the sundrye iudgementes of opinions we will here finishe this dayes disputation For the endes of good and euell beynge knowen as muche as a man may knowe them nothynge more profitable maye be wyshed or desyred of all Philosophye then those thynges which in these foure daies we haue discussed For to the despysynge of death and bearynge of all bodilye payne we ioyned the ease of sorowe Then the whiche there is nothinge more troublous to man For although euerye perturbation be greuous vnto vs and doth not muche differ frome madnes yet when men are in anye of the other perturbations as feare myrth or desyre we saye that they are but troubled or disquieted But those that are subiecte vnto sorowe we terme wretched afflycted and full of calamitye And for that cause it was not by chaunce but well and aduisedlyâ— appoynted by you that we made a seuerall discourse of sorowe from all the other perturbations For in it is the sprynge and fountayne of all miserye But there is one waye to helpe bothe it and also al the other diseases of the minde Namely by the shewynge that they are caused onelye by oure owne fond opinion and will because we thinke it ryght and dutye to take them on vs. This erroure as the roote of all euell philosophye promiseth to pull vppe euen by the rootes Let vs therefore yelde our selues to it and suffer it to heale vs. For as long as these â—uels are wythin vs we shall neyther be happye nor whole Eyther let vs therefore playnelye denye that reason can do any thing whereas in dede nothynge can well be done without it or els inasmuch as philosophie consisteth of the conference of reasons of her yf we wil be eyther good or blessed let vs learne the helpes to attayne to a happye and a blessed lyfe Finis THE FYFT AND LAST booke of M. Tullie Cicero contayning his reasoninge of the last and fifte question which he disputed in his manor of Tusculanum being this in effecte whether vertue onely be sufficient to make a man leade a happye lyfe THis fyfte daye fryende Brutus shal make an ende of our disputations holden in our manor or TusculanuÌ„ in the whiche we reasoned of that Question which you most of all others are wont to allowe For I perceiued both by y â— boke which you wrote vnto me also bi your talk at manye other times that you like this opinion very well Namelye that vertue is sufficiente of it selfe to the mayntayning of a happy and a blessed life Which although it be verye harde to proue because of so manye and sundrye strokes of fortune yet neuerthelesse suche it is that we oughte to trauayle and take paynes for the proofe thereof For there is nothing in al philosophye more grauely or more wisely spoken For inasmuch as it moued all those that first gaue them selues to the studye of philosophye despysynge all other thinges to setle theÌ„ selues wholye to the searchinge of the happyest state of lyfe trulye they tooke so great trauayle and paynes onely in hope to attayne a blessed life And truly if such men haue eyther found out or accomplyshed vertue and if they found sufficient ayde in onelye vertue for the attayninge of a blessed lyfe who woulde not iudge that well and worthelye both they did fyrst inuent and we also haue folowed the studie of philosophy But if vertue beinge subiecte to sundrye and vncertayne chaunces is the slaue of fortune and not of sufficiente ability to mayntayne her selfe I feare muche then least it be all one to truste to the ayde of vertue for the obtaining of a blessed life to sit still aâ—d wishe after the same In deede remembring manye times the chaunces wyth the whyche fortune hath galled me I beginne to mistruste this opinion and to feare the weakenes and frayletye of mankynde For I am wonte to feare least inasmuch as nature hath geuen vs weake bodyes to the whyche also she hath fastned sundrye sortes of incurable diseases intollerable grieues least she I say hath likewise geuen vs mindes agreable to the diseases greues of our body And also of theÌ„ selues wrapped in other seuerall cares troubles But in this poynct I correct my selfe For that I iudge of the strength of vertue according to the wantonnes and weakenes of other yea and perchaunce of my selfe and not by vertue it selfe For vertue trulye if there be anye such thing at all whyche doubt if there were any your fathers brother O Brutus hath already taken away hath vndoubtedly all chaunces whych may happen to man in subiection vnder it and despysyng theym contempneth all worldly casualtye and beyng it selfe voyde of all blame thinketh that nothing besides it it selfe is requisite vnto it But we encreasing all aduersitie while it is comminge wyth feare and wheÌ„ it comes wyth sorowe will condemne rather those thinges whyche naturalâ—ye are good then oure owne pernicious erroure But as well of this faulte as also of all the rest we must seeke the redresse in philosophye Into whose bosome beinge in the very beginninge of my age led by myne owne will and earneste desyre nowe after that I was tost wyth most troublesome stormes I haue euen fled to the same as to the hauen from the whych I once departed O philosophy the guyde of our lyfe the searcher of vertue the expeller of vice what were not we onely but generally all the life of man able to do wythout thee Thou foundedst cityes thou reclaymedst men whiles they were yet wylde and wanderers to a commen societye and feloweshippe of life thou bredst loue betwyxt theym fyrste by neyghbourhoode nexte by mariage and laste of all by communicatinge of talke and wrytinge Thou wast the inuenter of lawes the mistres of maners and of all good order To the we flye of the we aske succour To the euen as afore for some part so nowe I geue my selfe wholye to be ruled and gouerned For one daye wel spent accordinge to thy preceptes is to be preferred wel night
of birth solitarines the losse of fryendes greuous infyrmities of the bodye the losse of health weakenes blyndnes the captiuitie of our countrey banishemente and bondage In these and such lyke a man may be good and wyse For these thinges casualtie and chaunce bryng vpon vs whych may happen euen to a wyse man But if these thynges be euel who caÌ„ iustly affirme that a wise man is alwayes happye since euen in all these he may be at one instant Wherfore I wyll not gladly graunt neyther to bothe our maysters nor yet to those auncient philosophers Aristotle Speusippus Xenocrates and Polemon that inasmuch as they count al those thinges which I haue afore rehersed to be euel thei may wel affirme that a wyse man shoulde be alwayes blessed But if this fayre and glorious sayeng doth delyght theÌ„ being in deede most worthy of Pithagoras Socrates and Plato then let them finde in their heartes to despyse those thinges with the whych they are nowe so muche delighted namely strength health beautye ryches honour and substaunce And to set at noughte those thinges whych are contrary to that which they â—ayne they do desyre Then maye they playnly professe that they are nothing moued neyther wyth the force of fortune neyther with the opinion of the people neyther with gryefe nor pouertye But that all theyr ayde consisteth in theym selues and that there is nothing wythout theyr power that they esteeme to be good For it can not be by any meanes that any should speake these wordes whych belong to a stout and hie minded man and yet shoulde think those thinges to be good or euel which the common people so counteth With the whych glory Epicurus beinge moued firste rose vp who if god will thinkes that a wyse man may be alwayes blessed He is delyghted with the worthines of this sayeng But trulie he woulde neuer saye it if he did agree to his owne wordes For what is there lesse agreable then that he whych thinketh griefe to be the greatest euell or els that it onelye is euell that he I saye shoulde thinke that a wyse man euen in his tormeÌ„tes should saye O howe pleasaunte is this We must not therfore iudge philosophers by euery perticuler saieng but by their continuall and constant asseueration in all their assertions Hea. You moue me somewhat to agree vnto you But beware lest you also may seme to lacke a poynt of constancie Mar. Why so Hea. Because I did of late read youre booke of the endes of good and euell In the whyche me thoughte that reasoninge agaynste Cato you assayed to proue this which liked me very well I meane that betwyxte Zeno and the Peripatetikes there is no more difference theÌ„ the straungenes of certaine termes Whiche if it be true what cause is there whye yf Zeno thinke that vertue is of it selfe sufficiente to leade an honest life the Peripatetikes also do not thinke the same For I thinke we oughte to haue regarde to theyr meaninge and not to theyr wordes Mar. You trulye worke strayghtly wtth me For you reporte whatsoeuer I haue sayd or wrytten But I reason wyth other men which wel nie of necessity maintaine the opinioÌ„ of any one sect after this sort We liue but a shorte time whatsoeuer seemeth probable vnto vs that we do affirme Wherfore we onely of al other are free But forasmuche as I spake somewhat afore of constanry and stedfastenes I minde not in this place to dispute whether it were true that Zeno liked best and his folower Aristo I meane that that onely is good whych is honeste but that if it be so then he should place blessed and happy lyfe in onely vertue wherfore let vs graunte to my frend Brutus that according to his opinion a wise man shoulde be alwayes happye For who is more worthy to haue the glorye of that sayenge then he But yet howe well it doth agree wyth his owne opinion let hym selfe consider But let vs holde that a wise man is alwayes most happye And although Zeno a straunger born in Citium a towne of Cypres an obscure caruer of wordes woulde gladly creepe into the name of an aunciente philosopher Yet the grauitie of this opinion ought fyrst to be deriued from the authority of Plato In whom this is verye often repeated that nothynge ought to be called good but onely vertue As in his booke which he entituled Gorgias when one demaunded of Socrates whether he did not thinke that Archelaus who theÌ„ was counted most fortunate of all other was happy blessed He answered y â— he knew not For he neuer talked with him in all his life What sayest thou so canst thou not knowe it otherwise No trulye Doest thou doubte then whether the myghtye kynge of the Persians be happye yea or no Whye should I not since I knowe not howe learned he is or whether he be a good man or no Whye thynkest thou that happy lyfe consysteth therein I truly thinke that all good men are happye and that all noughty men are wretched Is Archelaus then a wretche Yea trulye if he be a vicious lyuer Doth not this man thinke you place happy lyfe in vertue onely He also in his booke whiche is entituled Epitaphium hath these wordes For that man quod he who wythin him selfe hath all thinges necessarye for a happy life and wauereth not depending vpon the good or euel chaunce of anye other thinge he hath euen gotten the trade of a perfect life He is a modest stoute and a wyse man He although all other forrayne commodities eyther ryse or fall will alwayes obey the olde precept neyther reioyce neyther sorowe ouer much because all his hope is fixed onely in him selfe Out of this holy and sacred sprynge of Plato shall flowe all our talke that foloweth From whence therefore maye we better take our beginninge then from nature the common parent and authour of all thinges Who what so euer she made not onelye beinge a liuing creature but also either any such thing as springeth out of the ground made it euerye thinge perfecte in his owne kynde And for that cause both trees vines also the lowe floures whiche can not springe hie from the ground some of theÌ„ are alwaies grene And some of them being made bare in the winter yet reuiuing in the spring beginne to bud out agayne For there is none of theym that is not so nouryshed eyther wyth some inwarde motion or els some power enclosed in it that it dothe not at certayne times of the yeare yelde eyther floures fruites or beries And all thinges as much as partayneth to theyr nature are perfect wythin them selues vnlesse they be hurt by the iniury of some forrayne force But we may much more plainelye perceyue this power of nature in beastes Because there are by nature senses geuen to theym For some beastes nature would to be swimmynge and abiding in the waters whiche are called fishes To other some she gaue the open
aer to inhabite which are called birdes Some she made crepers some goers and of theym all some she made solitarye and some flockers together some wylde some tame some hidden and couered with the ground And of all these euery one folowynge his dutye and being not able to turne into the nature of any other liuing creature abydes still within that lawe which nature hath appoynted it And likeas there is naturallye geuen to euery beast some especial property from al the rest which it doth alwayes kepe and neuer parte from so is there lyke wyse to man But it is much more excellent then the other Howe be it excellent is not properlye spoken but of thâ—se thinges betwyxte the whiche there is some comparyson But the mynde of man proceedinge fyrst euen from the spyryte of God oughte to be compared wyth no other thynge then God him selfe It therefore if it be well garnished and his sighte so cleared that it be not blynded with errours then it becomes a perfect mind which is as much to saye as absolute reasoÌ„ Which is eueÌ„ the same y â— vertue is And if that be happy which lacketh nothing but is perfect of it selfe in his owne kinde and that properlye belongeth onelye to vertue then nedes must all suche as haue attayned vertue be happye And herein trulye both Brutus Aristoteles Xenocrates Speusippus and Polemon do agree with me But I thinke further that suche as are partakers of vertue are also moste happye For what doth he lacke to a happye life whyche trusteth on no other goodes theÌ„ his owne Or he that doth mistrust his goodes howe can he be happie But he must nedes mistrust them who makes thre sortes of goods For howe can he assure him selfe eyther of the good estate of his bodye or els of any staye in fortune But truly no man can be made happy wyth anye good vnlesse the same be stable and sure And what certayntye is there of any of those goodes None at all To the whych that mery sayenge of a citesin of Lacedemon may in my opinion be wel applied To whom when a certayne marchaunt man made his bragges that he had set forthe a great companye of shippes to sundrye realmes laden with marchaundise nowe trulye quod he I lyke not thys wealth that hangs all on gable endes And is it any doubte that those thynges whyche maye be loste are not of that sorte of goodes whyche make a hapyye and a blessed life For none of those thynges of the whyche such a lyfe doth consyst can eyther waxe aged peryshe or moult and fall away For he that standeth in feare of the losse of anye suche thynges can not be happye For we wyll that he whom we counte happye shall be quyete inuincible and troubled I saye not with a litle feare but wyth none at all For as he is called innocent which not onelye hurteth no man lyghtlye but also hurteth no man at all so he is to be counted voyde feare not whyche feareth smallye but who feareth nothinge at all For what is fortitude otherwyse then a pacient affection of the minde as well in attempting perillous affayres as also in abidinge trauayle and griefe farre from all feare And trulye thys were not so vnlesse all good did consist in honestye onely But howe might he obtayne quietnes of minde whyche euery man so greatly wysheth and desyreth by quietnes I meane the lacke of all sorowe in the whych happy lyfe doth consist who eyther presentlye had or els myght haue a great number of euels fall on him Also howe maye he be stoute and hye minded despysing al chaunces which may happen to man as trifles as a wise man must vnlesse he think that he nedeth no more helpe then that which is within him selfe The Lacedemonians when kynge Philip threatned them that he would barre al their enterprises asked of him whether he wold forbid theÌ„ also to die And shal we notsoner find out this one man whoÌ„ we nowe treate of of such a stomacke then a whole citie Furthermore when to this stoutenes of the which we nowe talke temperaunce is once adioyned whyche is the cooler of all motions What then may he lacke of a blessed lyfe whom fortitude shall defend from gryefe sorowe and feare and temperance shal reuoke from gredy desyre and vayne mirth And that these thinges are wrought by vertue I would now proue if I had not more largely shewed the same afore And in asmuche as the perturbations troubles of the minde do make a wretched life and contrarywise the quietnes of the same causeth a happye life And there are two sortes of perturbations the one proceedinge out of the opinion of euel whych are sorowe and feare the other caused of the opinion of good which are desyre and lyght mirth inasmuche as all these striue with reason and councell will you doubte to saye that he whyche is quyete and rydde from such troublous motions repugnant and contrarye the one to the other is blessed But a wyse man is alwayes so A wyse man therefore is alwayes blessed Also we oughte to reioyce of all thynge that good is But that whych we ought to reioyce of is worthy prayse and what so euer is suche it also is glorious If it be glorious it is also commendable But whatsoeuer is commendable the same is honest also Therfore whatsoeuer is good the same is honest But those thinges whych these men call goods they them selues trulye will not saye that they are honest But that onelye is good whyche is honest It foloweth therfore that in honestye onelye consiâ—teth a happye lyfe And those are neyther to be counted neither yet to be named goodes with the which although a man do abound yet he may be moste miserable But who doubteth but a man beynge in good healthe perfecte strength seemely beautye hauyng his senses also as quicke and as cleare aâ— they myghte be Adde thereunto also swyftnes and lyghtenes let him haue riches honour rule wealth and glorye if he that hath all these thynges be an vnryghtuous man a ryotter a fearefull person or a man of slender wyt or none at all wyll you doubte I saye to call him wretched Wherefore what maner goodes be these which he that hath neuerthelesse may be wretched We must remember that like as a heape of corne is made of a number of graynes of one sorte so lykewyse happye life doth consist of many partes in nature lyke to it selfe Whych if it be so then must we frame a happy life of those goodes onelye whyche are honest For if there be a mixtion of vnlyke and contrarye partes then can there be no honestye made thereof Whych being taken awaye what can there be happye For whatsoeuer is good that oughte to be desyred And whatsoeuer ought to be desyred ought to be allowable whatsoeuer oughte to â—e allowed the same oughte well and fully to be accepted And for that cause it must be had in
worshippe and reuerence also Whych if it be so theÌ„ must it needes be laudable All good therefore is laudable Whereof I do conclude that whatsoeuer is honeste the same onely is good Which assertion vnlesse we holde fast we shall make an infinite number of goodes For that I ouerpasse ryches whiche inasmuch as euery man be he neuer so vnworthye may haue I wil neuer couÌ„t for goods For that which is good no noughtye person may haue That I maye ouerpasse also nobilitie the brute of the people raysed by the consent of fooles and vicious persons Yet these tryfles whyche I will rehearse will be counted goodes White teethe rollyng eyes a beautiful complexion and that which Euriala praysed when she washed the feete of Ulires namelye gentle speache and tender fleshe And these thinges if we do once cal goods what more wyt shall there be accompted in the graue wysedome of philosophers then in the rashe brute of the â—ascall people These thynges whych those men terme goodes the Stoykes call additions Withoute the whyche they thinke a happy life can not be fullye furnished But these men thinke that wythout them there is no happy life at all Or if it be happye that it is not the happiest life of all But we wil haue it to be the happyest of all And that we confyrme by a conclusion of Socrates For in this sorte that prince and founder of philosophy dyd reason Suche as the affection of man is such is his talke To his talke his deedes be like To his deedes his lyfe But there is no affection in the minde of a good man but good and commendable Then it must needes be honest also if it be commendable Whereof it is necessarilye concluded that all good men leade a happye life For haue we done nothing wyth our former disputations Haue we made a vayne speake onely for pleasure and to spende the time when we reasoned that a wyse man was alwayes free from all motions of the minde whych I terme perturbations And that there is alwaies nothing but quiete peace within hys heart Therfore a temperate and constant man wythout any feare wythout any gryefe wythout anye excessiue mirth or desyre is not he I saye happye But a wyse man is alwayes so He is therfore alwayes happye Furthermore howe can a good man do any thing els then referre al his deedes and thoughtes to that whych is commendable But he referres them al to a happy life A happie life then is commendable but nothing is commendable wythouâ—e vertue A happye and a blessed life therefore is attayned by vertue The same also is concluded after this sort There is nothing praise worthye eyther in a miserable life or els in suche as is neyther miserable nor blessed But there is some kinde of life in the whych there is some thinge prayse worthy and to be desyred As Epaminundas sayeth Our wittye counsels haue debased the Lacedemonians prayse And Africanus sayeth From farthest East where sonne doth ryse vnto Meaotis marshe He liueth not whose feates my deedes or famous factes may passe Whiche if it be so then a happye lyfe ought to be desyred For there is nothinge els that ought to be praysed or desyred Which being once concluded you knowe what foloweth And truly vnlesse that lyfe be happy which is also honeste there shoulde be somewhat better then a blessed life For if honestye and it myght be separated euerye man would graunt that honesty were better And so there shoulde be somethynge better then a blessed life Then the whyche what could be sayde more fondly Also when they confesse that vice is sufficiente to make vs leade a miserable life do they not then graunt that vertue is of the lyke power to make a happye life For of contraries the conclusions also are contrarye And in this place I woulde fayne knowe what Critolaus ment by his balance Who when into the one scale he had put the goods of the mind and into the other the goods of the bodye and of fortune makes that scale of goods of the minde so farre to wey downe the other as the heauen doth the earth and seas What lets hym then or Xenocrates that moste graue philosopher who doth so much amplyfie the power of vertue and debase and depsise al the rest that he can not finde in his hearte to place the happyest lyfe of all others in onely vertue Whych truly vnlesse it be so there must nedes ensue the decaye of all vertues For to whom sorowe maye come to hym also maye feare For fearinge is a carefull wayting for sorowe that is comming And whosoeuer is subiecte to feare he must needes be combred also with all the mates of the same fearefulnes dreade and quakynge And for that cause he must not thinke him selfe inuincible neyther that that sayenge of Atreus was spoken to him Let no man in this wretched lyfe him selfe so ill behaue That vnto fortunes cruell stroke he shewe him selfe a slaue But suche a man will strayght ways be ouercome and not onely be vanquished but become euen a slaue And we will haue vertue alwayes free and inuincible For otherwyse it is no vertue But if there be sufficient helpe in vertue it selfe to liue well there shalbe sufficient also to liue blessedlye For truly vertue is able enough of it selfe to make vs liue stoutelye If it be able enough of it selfe thereto it is able also to make vs to be of a stout courage So that we shal neither be feared neither yet ouercome of any other thing And thereof it must nedes folow that nothing maye make vs to repent that we may lacke nothynge nor nothinge can withstand vs. So we shal haue all thinges abundantlye fullye and prosperouslye And for that cause blessedly also Furthermore vertue is able enoughe to make vs liue stoutelye and for that cause happely also For as follye althoughe it hathe obtayned that whiche it did desyre yet neuerthelesse neuer thinkes it selfe satisfied so wisedome contraryewyse is alwayes contented wyth that whyche it hath and neuer repenteth her owne estate Thinke you that it was not al one to Caius Lelius to be once chosen consull and another time to take a repulse Althoughe when a wyse and a good man as he was lacketh voyces the people ought rather to be deemed to haue the repulse from a good Consull then that he hath anye repulse of the vayne multitude But whether would you if you might choose be consull once as Lelius was or foure tymes as Cinna I do litle doubte what you will aunswere For I knowe to whom I speake I would not so boldly aske the same of some other For I knowe that some there be that would aunswere me that thei would preferre not onely the foure Consulshippes of Cinna but euen one day of his raigne afore the liues of many notable men But Cinna commaunded the heades of his felowe consul Caius Octauius of Publius Crassus and Lucius Cesar thre most
woulde hurte the beast called Ibis or the serpent called Aspis or a Cat or a Dogge or a Crocodyle But if they chaunce to hurt any of them vnwares they wil refuse no punishemēte for the same Hitherto I haue spoken of men But what shall I saye of beastes Do not they suffer cold and hunger runne both vp hill and downe hill when they be coursed Do not they fyghte so for theyr whelpes that they are oft wounded fearing no blowes nor strokes I ouerpasse here what paynes ambitious men take to obtayne honour And vaine glorious men to get that which they thinke to be glory Or such as are enflamed wyth loue to accomplyshe theyr desyre Our life is full of examples But I will measure my talke and retourne thither from whence I first strayed Happye life I saye will offer it selfe into tormentes And wyll not inasmuch as it hath alwaies afore folowed iustice temperance fortitude stoutenes of stomake and patience as soone as it shall see the face of the tormentoure then turne backe and slip awaye And inasmuch as al the vertues wythout any feare shall hasarde them selues in the payne of tormente she onely shall not stand wythout the dore and entry of the prison For what may be more filthy or ill fauoured then happye lyfe when it is destitute and separated from the fayre traine of vertues Which neuerthelesse can by no meanes be For neyther can a man haue all the vertues without a happye lyfe neyther yet may there be a happy lyfe wythout vertue And for that cause they will not suffer it to tary behinde But wil alwayes take her with them to what so euer griefe or torment they shall go For it is the poynct of a wyse man to do nothiuge that may repente him nor anye thinge agaynst his will But to do al things comely constantlye grauelye and honestlye To looke for nothinge as thoughe it were certayne And also to thynke nothynge straunge or vnaccustomed when it is happened To referre all thinges to his owne discrecion and stande to hys owne iudgement Then the which truly I can see nothing that may be moe happye The Stoykes conclude this question lyghtlye Sayenge that inasmuch as the chiefe ende of all good is to agree vnto nature and to lyue accordyng vnto her preceptes and it is in the power of a wyse man It must needes folowe that in whose power it is to attayne the chiefest good in his power also it lyeth to leade a quyete life So euery wise man doth leade a blessed life Thus you haue that whyche I thynke to be moost stoutelye spoken of a blessed and happy life And as the case standeth vnlesse you can bryng any proofe that also which is as trulye spoken as it may be Hea. Trulye I haue nothing better to saye But I would gladlye entreate you if it were not troublesome vnto you because you are not bound to any one feet but onely borowe of euerye one that whyche seemeth to you to be moste true For that somewhat afore you seemed to exhort the Peripatetikes and the auncient Academikes that wythoute anye feare they would boldelye saye that a wise man is alwayes most happy that I saye I woulde gladlye heare howe you could make agreable to theyr opinion For you haue spoken very muche against this opinion Yea and concluded it with the reason of the Stoykes Mar. Let vs then vse our liberty The fruition of the which we chiefely of al other philosophers do feele Whose talke iudgeth nothinge but is applyed agaynst all opiniōs That it may by it selfe wythout any other authoritye be iudged And that the gladlyer because you seme to be well pleased that what soeuer of the same sondry sortes of opinions be true yet vertue should be sufficient to make vs leade a happy lyfe whych also Carneades was wonte to dispute and that very sharply against the Stoykes whom he did alwayes gladly reproue and agaynst whose doctrine his minde was in maner enflamed But we wil do the same quietly For if the Stoikes haue well appointed the endes of good and euel then is the matter dispatched For then must a wyse man nedes be happye But let vs examine the opinions of all the rest that this so notable a decree of a blessed and happy lyfe may be confyrmed wyth all theyr verdites The opinions which yet continue and are openly defended as cōcerning the endes of good and euell as farre as I knowe are these Firste foure generall or simple opinions Namely that nothinge is good but that whych is honest As the Stoykes say Or that nothing is good but pleasure As Epicurus affyrmeth Or that nothinge is good excepte the lacke of payne As Hierome thinketh Or that nothing is good but to enioye and encrease those most excellente and principall goodes whych are geuen vs of nature These are the generall or simple opinions But the mixt or compound are these Fyrst the three sortes of goodes The chiefest of the minde the next of the body and the last of fortune As the Peripatetikes saye Neyther do the aūcient Academikes much dyffer from them But Clitomachus and Calipho ioyned pleasure with honestye and Diodorus the Peripatetike ioyned the want of gryefe with honestye These are all the opinions which haue any certayntie in them For the opinions of Aristo Pirrho Herillus and manye others are euen worne away What would folowe of all these opinions ouerpassinge the Stoykes whose authoritye we haue alreadye sufficiently defended and the Peripatetikes whose cause is alreadye debated exceptinge Theophrastus who wyth his folowers feared griefe more then he neded let vs nowe se. For trulye as for all thother they maye do as they commonly are wont namelye to amplifye the grauitye and dignitye of vertue which when they haue extolde euen to the skyes as eloquente men should in all the rest of theyr talke they treade it vnder feete and despyse it But they which think that we ought euen with gryefe to labour for praise must not they nedes confesse that they are happye which haue attayned it For although they be in some euel yet this name of a blessed and happye lyfe extendeth farre For like as tillage is counted a gaynefull profytable trade although some yeare tempest or some other chaunce doth let the successe yet it is counted profitable because it is so most commonlye Euen so our lyfe not onely if it be replenished with al goods but also if it haue more goodes then euels is to be counted happy Wherefore by theyr owne reason happy life must needes accompanye vertue euen to punishement And shall go with her into tormentes Yea Aristotle Xenocrates Speusippus Polemon wytnessing the same And shall neuer forsake it at the entysemēt of a fewe flattering pleasures To the same ende shall come the opinions of Caliphon and Diodorus both the which so embrace honesty that they thinke that al such thinges as are wythout the same ought vtterly to be despysed and
man gaue a house hold loafe in a poore cotage he sayde that he neuer eat sweter bred in al his life They say that Socrates walkyng earnestly towardes the eueninge and beinge demaunded for what cause he did so aunswered that to thintent he might suppe the better he dyd hunt for hunger What see we not the dyet of the Lacedemonians in their bankets whych they call Philitia In the which when the tyran Dionisius â—n a tyme supped he sayed that their blacke porridge whiche was the best parte of the supper liked not him Then the cooke which made them aunswered It is no meruaile since you lacke sauce What sauce quod he Mary quod he the laboure in huntinge sweate runninge from the riuer Eurotas hunger and thirst For these be the sauces of the Lacedemonians meat And this truly may well be perceyued not onelye by the custome of men but also by beastes The which as soone as any thinge is set afore them which is not contrarye to nature contentinge theym selues therewyth seke no further Yea whole cities taught by custome are sometimes delyghted wyth thinne dyet As we haue alreadye shewed of the Lacedemonians Xenophon describeth the liuing of the Persians Who as he sayeth eate nothing with their bread but onely water cresses Although if theyr nature should desyre anye pleasaunter meate there are manye fruytes there both springing out of the ground and also growyng on the trees whych excell both in pleasure and plentye Ioyne hereunto the teÌ„peratenes that commeth of this continencie in liuing and the conseruacion of health Compare herewith those that sweate and belche with eating lyke fatte Oxen. Then shall you perceyue that they whiche moste desire pleasure do moost seeldome obtayne it And that the pleasure of meate consisteth in a hungrye and empty stomake and not in fulnes and sacietie They saye that Timotheus a noble man in Athenes and chiefe of the citie when on a time he supped with Plato and was very well pleased wyth his cheare seeinge hym the next daye after sayde Your supper trulye is not onelye for the time presente but also for manye dayes after pleasauÌ„t Also what a thinge is it that beinge muche stuffed with meate and drynke we can not vse our wit at libertye There is a notable Epistle of Plato written to the kynsemen of Dion In the whyche in maner worde for worde this is wrytten Thither when I came that which the Italians and Siracusaâ—s count a happye life Namelye to be fed with a great number of daynty dishes liked me no whit Neyther yet to be filled twise in a day nor sit vppe all nighte And suche lyke thinges whych do necessarilye solowe that kynde of life litle pleased me By the whych no man may be made wise and much lesse moderate For what nature maye keepe so wonderfull a temperature Wherefore howe mayâ— that lyfe be pleasaunt in the whyche there lacketh prudence or moderation And herein I remember the errour of that most welthy kinge of Siria Sarâ—anapalus Who commannded this to be grauen on his tombe Those thinges onelye I thinke I haue whych while I liue I eate And contrary those I count lost which I behind me lefte What more meete thing quod Aristotle could a man chose out to graue on the tombe of an Oxe not of a kynge He being dead sayeth he hath all those thinges whiche euen whiles he liued he had no longer then whiles he vsed them Wherfore then should we feele any misse of richesse Or where wyll not pouerty suffer vs to be happy perhaps in fayre tables playes painted signes Do not pore meÌ„ enioy the same better than they y e are pleÌ„tifully stored with them For there is great store of all suche thinges in the common buyldinges of our citye Whiche they that haue priuatelye in theyr owne houses see neither so manye neyther yet so often onely wheÌ„ they go downe to their manours in the countrey Whom also many times their consciece prickes when they remember howe or from whence they came by them A whole day would be to litle for me if I should here pleade the cause of pouerty Both it is playne enough of it selfe and also daylye experience sets before our eyes howe fewe thinges howe small and howe base those are whych the nature man requireth Shall pouertye therefore or basenes of birth yea or the anger and grudge of the people let a wise man to be happye Beware that you proue not that this prayse of the people and glory that euery man so much desyreth doth bring more trouble then pleasure And therefore truly Demosthenes was to lyght who sayde that it delyghted him to heare a woman as she wente to fetche water as the maner is in Greece saye vnto her felowe when he passed by This is that same Demosthenes What coulde be more â—ondly said Yet howe famous an oratour was he But it appeareth that he was woÌ„te to talke much afore other men not to commen with his owne conscience We must therefore knowe this that neyther hye place or glorye are for theym selues to be desired neyther pouertie and basenes to be feared For Democritus sayd Come to Athenes there no man knoweth me A constante man and a graue trulye whych gloryeth that he was withoute glorye Shall trumpetters and other musicians playe and blowe accordyng as it shall seeme good to theÌ„ And shall a wyse man whose arte is farre more excellent seeke out and folowe not that that is truest but what the people lyketh Is there any thing more foolysh theÌ„ that those whom takyng one and one you despise as slaues and fooles to thinke I saye that those altogither are any better But a wise man truly will despise al our ambition and lyghtnes Yea he will despise all honoure though it be profered vnto him But we can not despise them afore repentaunce driue vs to it In the bookes Hermodorus a wryter of naturall philosophye there is such a sayenge He would that all the Ephesians should be put to death For that when they banyshed Hermodorus theyr king out of the citie they spake in this wise Let there no man emonges vs be aboue the rest Or if there be any that would be so let him go to some other place and amonges other men Is it not so in the common people euerye where likewise Doth it not spite them to see any man passe all the reste in vertue What Aristides for I had rather to bryng forth the examples of the Grecians then our owne was not he banished from his couÌ„trey because he was iust aboue al measure as they thought What troubles therefore want they whyche haue nothinge to do with the people Or what is more pleasaunt theÌ„ leasure bestowed on learninge Suche learninge I meane as teacheth vs the knoweledge of all nature the heauen the earth the seas and all the rest Despising therefore honoure and riches What is there that a maÌ„ should feare Exile perhaps which is