extreme couetousnesse to endure al pain and to entreate more than miserably his noble familie and finally passing al measure to be brought to eate but one meale a day and the same naught cryed out with these wordes Auaritia crudel poi che conuiene Ch'io ti laceri sgridi tutia via Dimeni onde ha meritata tante pene L'anima che t'è data in signoria Perch sei tu nimica d'ogni bene Perche guasti l'humana compagnia Anzi la compagnia pur naturale Perche sei tu radice d'ogni male that is Fell auarice sith that it doth behoue That I thee rente and still at thee cryt out Tell mee wherefore the Soule deserued hath So muche paine which is vassall to thy raigne Why art thou foe of euery good thing Why doste thou marre the companie of man Naye rather the companie naturall Wherefore arte thou the roote of euery yll And Dante describing this plague sayth Et ha natura sì maluagia ria Che mai non empie la bramosa voglio Et doppo l'pasto ha piu fame che prima that is And hath a nature so wicked and so naught That she doth neuer fill hir greedie desire And after meate hath more hunger than before That it is a foule and damnable thing to bee loued vvith dishonest and vvanton loue A Faire yong man but yll mannered iniuried Aristotle saying to him among other things If I were hated of my countreymen as thou art I would hang mée by the necke To whome Aristotle answered And I wold hang mée by the neck if I were loued as thou art meanyng that hee for his wanton beautie and not for other his merites was loued or rather dishonestly desired Of hovve many kindes and of vvhat qualities dreames are DReames after Macrobius are of fiue kindes thrée true and two false the true hée termeth a dreame a vision and an Oracle The false Insomnium and Phantasma A dreame is when we dreame the truth but is obscure so that it néedeth an interpretoure as when he that was in prison with Ioseph dreamed that he pressed out the wine of thrée Grapes into Pharaos cup and Ioseph interpreted it that he within thrée dayes shoulde bée delyuered and afterwardes shoulde become the Kings cupbearer euen as it fell out And Policrates the tyrant of Samia dreamed that Iupiter washed him and that Phoebus anoynted him Wherefore not long after Orontes Darius his captain taking him prisoner caused him to be crucified and remayned so long vpon the crosse til Iupiter to wit the ayre did rain vpon him and washed him and Phoebus that is to wit the sunne melted him and fryed out the greace of his body wherby he was anointed An oracle is when in our sleep one séemeth to speak to vs that he telleth falleth out true A vision is when in our sléep it séemeth vs to sée something which is afterwarde true as wée haue séene Insomnium is when wée dreame false things and procéedeth of too muche or to little meate or else of thoughts or of sicknesse Phantasma is a false imagination whereof man is the author in effect and cause the sister of Insomniū That hope doth sometyme deceyue more than dreaming AMilcar Captayn of the Carthaginensians when he had layd siege to Syracusis dreamed vpon a night that he supped the next day in the Citie and herevpon awaking tooke so great hope as though the victorie had ben promised him from aboue for he assoon as the day appeared prepared to giue the assaulte But when in setting the souldiers in order there arose a dissention and gréeuous commotion betwéene the Carthaginenses the Scicilians they within taking occasion issued oute and setting vpon the scattered camp among other tooke hym prisoner and hauing hym in sure hold they caryed him into the citie So Amilcar was more deceyued with the hope than with the dreame Hovv muche vvise and pleasant vvords do preuayle vvith greate men LEon of Bizance hearer of Plato and a verie famous Sophist wente to méete king Philip of Macedonia who with a great hoste came against his countrey and shewing himselfe before him sayd Tell king I pray you for what cause come you to assaulte our citie Bycause I am in loue with hir aunswered Philip boording and come to obtaine hir To whome Leon readily aunswered agayn and sayd Consider this most victorious king that louers goe not to deale with loue with instrumentes of warre but with instrumentes of musike This wittie and pleasant saying so muche liked Philip that he withdrewe himselfe from that enterprise and so leauing Bizance vntouched went further of In vvhat degree Aristotle putteth fayned frendship ARistotle blaming greately dissimulation counterfaiting sayth that he which maketh as though he were a frende and is not in déede doth worse than he which forgeth false money bicause in taking a péece of false money for good one may haue small losse but in taking a fayned frende for a true a man may receyue excéeding great damage A true and trimme sentence CAstruccio of Luce he which was so famous and notable a Captayn when vppon a nighte one of his gentlemen was at his house where many women were bidden too make merrie hée dauncyng and reuelling more than it was thoughte agréeable to hys qualityes was warned thereof by a deare frende of his To whome Castruccio readily sayd Holde thy peace for he whiche is accompted wyse in the daye shall neuer be accompted a foole in the nyght VVhat thing Fortune is and hovve she tourneth about hir vvheele CHristopher Landine sayth that fortune is an influence whiche procéedeth from the reuolution of the heauens and that she as they doth continually turne rounde aboute hir whéele Bycause that riches sayeth he causeth pryde pride impacience impatience warre warre pouertie pouertie humilitie humilitie pacience pacience peace peace riches Dant described fortune with lerning and great elegancie in this wyse saying Colui lo cui sauer tutto trascende Fece li cieli diè lor chi conâuce Sì ch'ogni parte ad ogni parte splende Distribuendo vgualmente la luce Similmente à li splendor mondani Ordinò general ministra Duce Chi permutasse a tempo li ben vani Di gente ingente d'uno in altro sangue Oltre la defension de'senni humani Perch'una parte impera l'altra langue Sequendo lo giudicio di costei Che é occulto com' in herbal'Angue Vostro sauer non hae contrastata à lei Ella prouede giudica persegue Suo Regno come il loro gli altri Dei Le sue permutation non hanno triegue Nccessita fa esser veloce Si spesso vien chi vincenda consegue Quest ' è colui che è tanto posto in croce Pur de color che le dourian dar lode Dandole biasmo atterno mala voce Ma ella s'è beata cio non ode Tra l'alire prime creature lieta Volue sua sfera beata si gode that
daye thorowe a clefte bare naked withoute hir knowledge to his dearest fréend Ligus Who séeing so fayre a thing was so farre in loue with hir that hée thought of nothing else but howe he mighte obtayne hir eyther by loue or force The woman on the other syde perceyuing hir husbands dooings by his spéeche and that he had lastly shewed hir to Ligus in that sort thought that shée was betrayde and that the Kyng woulde participate with other his delightes whervpon she tooke so great anger that forthwith she was at the commaundement of Ligus and consented to the death of hir husbaÌ„d and gaue hir selfe to the murdring adulterer togither with the kingdome That three thyngs chaunge the nature of man ARistotle sayde that thou shalte sée thrée things if thou doe marke them well that cause the Nature and condytion of a man to chaunge that is Lordship a woman and wyne That the â—uttleties and deceytes of Cortizans or rather vvhoores are great and not to seeke A French gentleman béeing in Rome went on an euening to lye wyth a Cortizan the whiche in the nyght taking occasion vntyed a piece of a chaine of golde which he had The next mornyng he putting it about his necke he founde that where it was woonte to come foure tymes aboute it would nowe come but thrée and a halfe Then the Cortizan comming before hym looked vppon hym wyth shewe and countenaunce of meruayle and sayde thus Sir doo you féele any griefe as me thinkes you doo and the woman sayde moreouer I can not tell whether you haue taken any colde bycause your head is waxed great and your face swolne and in speaking this she put a glasse in his hand of that sorte whiche maketh things appeare greater and larger than they are The Frencheman lookyng in a glasse and séeing so greate an alteration of his heade he stedfastely beléeued that his head was swoln and had taken some straunge disease wherevpon being very sorowful and maruelling no more at his chain wore it on that fashion afterwarde wofully telling his fréends of that swelling of his hed That businesse requireth the ovvners countenance and not deputiship CAto oftentimes said that the countenance of the owner helpeth much more than deputiship meaning that euery man ought to be presente in dooing of his things and not absent to commit them to other So a Persian béeing demaunded what was the best thyng to fatten a horsse he aunswered the owners eye And an Africane being demauÌ„ded what doong was the beste to fatten the grounde he aunswered the owners footsteps both signifying the presence Likewise the Poet Ennius to this purpose sayd If thou bee wyse weygh still in mynde This precept not to looke that friende Or kinsman doo for thee any way When thou thy selfe mayst do and say That beautie is a heauenly gift and grace of the auncients in diuers sorts praised and esteemed SOcrates called beautie a tyrannie of shorte tyme Plato a priuiledge of nature Theophrastus a secrete decayte Theocritus a delectable damage Carneades a solitarie kingdom Domitius sayd that there was nothing more acceptable Aristotle affirmeth that beautie is more woorthe than all the letters of commendation Homere sayd that it was a glorious gifte of nature and Ouide alluding to him calleth it a grace of God That the vvickednesse of gouernours doth oftentymes cause that the people rebell against the prince BAttus of Dalmatia béeing demaunded of Tyberius for what cause he rebelled so many tymes and had made so great a slaughter of the Romains he answered You your self Cesar be the cause for you appoynte not for your flocke shepherdes for kéepers but rauenous wolues Wherfore Plato diuinely sayeth that we ought to be very circumspect and take great héed how the gouernors and commissaries or Lieutenants of cities and countreyes be broughte vp and accustomed to the ende that lyke hungrie dogs they become not wolues and deuoure the flocke A notable vvay to knovv the qualitie of a man PAlingenius sayeth that who so euer will knowe of what qualitie a man is let him consider what maner frends he hath for nature doth willingly accompanie hir lyke the Florentine sayeth for a prouerbe Jddio fa gli huomini s'appaiouo that is GOD maketh men and they be séen And Cicero in the person of Cato sayth Pares cum paribus facillimè congregantur And in an other place he writeth Mores dispares disparia studia sequuntur That stoute men and true Christians dye for the faith vvith incredible constancie MAcedonius Theodolus and Tatianus béeing both Bishops and martyrs were in the tyme of Iuliane the Emperoure rosted for the faith vppon a grediron So they hauing fire vnderneth them that burned cruelly Macedonius turned to the iudge smyling sayd Oh if thou take pleasure to eate maus fleshe turne the other side to to the end thou mayst finde vs well broyled and seasoned That in this life are tvvo states to be desired the one of Princes the other of fooles SEneca sayd that in this worlde there must néedes be borne a king or a foole A king to be able to reuenge wrongs and to be able to correcte and chastise mens vices A foole for not to acknowlege offences and not to thinke of any thing To breake faith and promise is a thing detestable and greuously to be punished MErcurie delighting among other things in thefte in strife and robberies had stollen Apollos kine whiche none sawe but one man called Battus to whome Mercurie gaue one with condition that he shuld conceale the thefte Afterward to make triall of his fayth he turning himselfe into the lykenesse of Apollo came vnto hym and promysed hym a Bull yf he coulde tell hym of his kyne Battus blynded with the gayne discouered them Whervppon Mercurie being displeased turned him into a stone which of the ancients is called Index lapis parius lapis Heraclius lapis Lydius and Coticula in Englishe a touchestone Hovve ill fortune may be more easily endured THales Milesius béeing asked in what maner a man might more easily abide aduersitie he answered he shall endure it if he sée his enimies in worse estate than himself And the noble Alamanno sayth to this purpose The man vnhappie hath two coÌ„forts true laid vp in store The one is to recall to minde the tyme he liued before In greeater griefe the other is also to haue in mynde If in the vvorlde in worse estate he doth an other finde VVith vvhat suttletie greate princes ought to reigne after the opinion of Homer LEvves the eleuenth King of Fraunce had as it is very well knowne great warre and muche to do with the lordes and barons of his realme among whiche the Constable was also his aduersarie albeit secretly But afterwarde when that the king had ouercome all these lordes the Constable who as I say was not manifestly discouered sent to excuse him selfe to the King shewing that he had ben always loyall and trustie to him and to haue doone his
and worthie that vneth a man dareth to loke hir ful in the face That mans ambition cannot abyde any fellovve in rule WHen Alexander the great hadde ouercome Darius in two greate battayles Darius knowing the valiantnesse of his enimie offered him halfe his kingdome and one of his Daughters in mariage with infinite treasure if he woulde make peace with him Whiche offer Parmeno the chiefest man about him vnderstanding sayde If I were Alexander I would do it And I would doe it aunswered Alexander if I were Parmeno So refusing the offer he quickely conquered the countrie and obteyned the whole victory That the presence and svveete speache of the Prince is very profitable in daungerous and troublous times WHen the Emperoure Charles the fifte in the yere of our Lorde a thousand fine hundred and foure was entred into Fraunce through Campania with a huge armie he marched onward apace So lastely hauing taken Soisson he thought good to go toward the royal Cittie of Paris Wherfore the Parisians notwithstanding that they knewe that their King was with no lesse armie at hande did not onelye murmur and repine but the people also made many signes of mutinie and rebellion Wherfore king Frauncis wente forthwith in his owne person to Paris where setting al things in very good order for the suretie and safegard of the people and seeing them for all thus in great feare vsed to them among other these notable words saying I cannot keepe you men of Paris from feare but I will surely kéepe you from hurte assuring you that I had rather to dye valiantly than to liue vilely in forsaking you That it belongeth to euery man but especially to Princes to keepe faith and promise THe same king Fraunces was wont sometimes to say that when faith should fayle in all other meÌ„ yet it should remayne amoÌ„g Princes bycause their power is such as they cannot be coÌ„strayned neyther by iudgemeÌ„ts nor by lawes And the wise king Alphonsus of Aragon sayd that the word of a Prince ought to be so much worth as the oth of priuate men Ariosto meaning no lesse of priuate men than of Princes wrote wisely and generally vpon the kéeping of faith and promise after this sorte Faith vndefiled thou oughtest aie to haue To one alone as to a thousand giuen So in a wood and in a secrete caue Far of from citties tounes and mens fight hidden As at the barre before the iudges gâ—â—ue In courte of record and witnesses written Without oth or other signe more expresse That once is inough which thou didste promesis That vvise men liue in suche vvise that they feare not forged crimes WHen it was told Plato that some spake amisse of him he aunswered I passe not for my liuing is suche that they shall not be beléeued And Aristotle sayde of one that had spoken amisse of him I giue him leaue to correcte me euen in my absence And of late yeares the Emperoure Charles the fifte token it was reported vnto him that some did backbite him said let them talke for meÌ„ will accoumpte them fooles That vvomen do rather obey sense than reason WHen the Emperoure Sigismunde was dead a curiouse kinsman of his exhorâ—ed his wife to remayne a widdowe and followe the turtle shewing hir at large howe that birde when hir make is dead liueth chast euer after But the woman smyling aunswered him Sith that you counsell me to followe an vnreasonable birde why doe not you rather sette before me the doue or the sparrowe which haue a more pleasaunte nature for women That men ought to do good euen to the dead SYmonides the Philosopher sayde that men ought to do good eueÌ„ to the dead recompting that he going a iorney found a dead man layd out to be deuoured of wilde beasts and birds wherfore taking pittie caused him forthwith to be buried And when he was minded the nexte day to take shipping there appeared to him béeing a sléepe in the night the soule of that dead man whiche warned hym that he shoulde not enter into that appointed shippe saying that the same should perrishe without doubte Wherfore he tolde in the morning this dreame to his fellowes willing them in no wise to enter that shippe and to stay for an other passage but they laughing him to scorne lefte him and embarked themselues in hir So it fell out that not long after suche a greate tempest rose that the shippe was drowned and his companions fainting dyd all perishe That the life of priuate men is more pleasaunt and quiet than that of Princes THe Emperoure Maximiane and Diocletiane béeing wearie of rule the one and the other willingly resigned their Empire this man to Nicomedia and that man to Milanuâ— notwithstaÌ„ding Maximiane afterward repenting himselfe and hauing intelligence that Maxentius his sonne was chosen Emperoure came to Rome with desire and hope which at the end was vaine to take eftsoons rule in hand and to this effecte he procured and lay instantly vpon Diocietiane But Diocletiane aunswered him thus oh brother if you sawe the faire coleworts and goodly onions that I haue planted and sowen with my owne hande certes you woulde neuer thinke more vppon rule VVith vvhat gentlenesse and mildnesse valiaunt Princes auoide the misreports of their subiects against them WHen King Antigonus hadde broughte his armie to winter in barraine and deserte places hys souldiers wanted many things necessarie wherfore some presumpteous fellowes not knowing that he was thereby blamed him and spake very ill of him But he hearing them lyke a mylde and gentle prince as he was came out of his teÌ„t sayde Oh if you will speake amisse of the king go further off for if you felt the payne I doo you could not abide it That the remembrance of our short life doth muche abate mans loftinesse of mynde XErxes king of Persia gooing a warfarâ— agaynst the Gréekes and séeing all Hellesponte full of his shippes and men of warre cryed with a loude voyce I am a happy man A little whyle after chaunging his countenaunce he beganne to wéepe wherefore his vncle Artabanus séeing so great a chaunge asked him the cause To whom Xerxes altogither grieued pitifully answered in this maner I doo lament bicause I call to mynde the great miserie and shortnesse of mans life considering that in lesse than a hundreth yeres wée shall without doubte all bée dead and rotten He that knovveth much speaketh little DEmosthenes séeing in a company a prating fellowe sayd vnto him if thou were wise inough thou wouldest speake lesse and adding moreouer this sentence he that is wise doth little speake and thinketh much That syncere friendship is knovvne in aduersitie VAlerius Maximus sayth that the sincere fayth of a friende is knowne in aduersitie in the whiche all that gentlenesse and curtesye whiche is shewed to a man procéedeth of founde and constant good will The friendlye déedes that are shewed in prosperitie saith he may procede of flatterie at the least they are suspected to
constantly to endure that which chauÌ„ceth vnto thée and to dissemble many thinges And Boiardo with his wonted elegancie sayth Se miseri mortal suffer prudenti In pensare aspettare antiuedere J vari casi li praui accidenti Che in questa vita possono accadere Sarebben sempre mat lieti contenti Et non harebbon tanto Dispiacere Quando fortuna auuersa glisaetta All'improuiso quando men s' aspettae that is If wretched mortall man were still prudent To thinke forecast and see on euery side The diuers chaunces and eche accident That in this lyfe may dayly men betide They should be euer merie and content And should also displeasure all abide When Fortune fell hir arrowe doth direct To them vnwareÌ„s when nothing they suspect That Vserers and false accusers are vvilde beasts that vvander in the ciuill life THeocritus and after Erasmus Diogenes the Cinicke béeing asked which were the cruellest beasts in the worlde sayde in the mountayns and woods the Lions Beares in Cities and Townes Vsurers and vniust accusers VVhat great vnquietnesse is in man SAinct Basill saith that men are wicked and vnthankfull neuer content with that they haue alwayes séeking for that they haue not sadde and sorrowfull for not obtayning the slaue his libertie the vnnoble man nobilitie the noble ryches the ryche Lordship the Lorde a Kingdome the King a Monarchie and the Empire of all the whole worlde That the ioy of this vvorlde dothe not long endure WHen Domenico da Cigoli was gone to Rome he had newes within few dayes after that his wife was dead wherefore he béeing excéeding ioyfull became foorthwith a Priest and obteyned the cure of his parishe but after he came home the first person that he sawe was his wife That vvisedome valiauntnesse of courage and other vertues are the sure and strong ankers of mans life PPythagoras the Philosopher sayd that we ought to choose the beste life and saue our selues from the blastes of Fortune as the galley is safe from the windes of the sea and that the riches in this mortall life are weake ankers glory weake and the strong body likewise weake so offices honours and all suche things sayth he are weake and without stabilitie and that the sure and strong ankers are wisedome valiantnesse of courage fortitude and vertue the which he affirmeth cannot be destroyed with any tempest al other things he accouÌ„teth follies dreames and winds That pouertie doth not giue anoye but mans insatiable greedinesse EPictetus the Philosopher sayd that pouertie dothe not cause disquietnesse but mans 〈…〉 and that riches doth not deliuer vs froÌ„ feare but reason and therefore added he moreouer if thou shalte vse reason thou shalte not couet superfluous ryches nor blame tollerable pouertie That vnexpert and ignorant men are vvorthily laughed to scorne BArnardo a Gentleman of Venice passing thorowe Padua lodged in an Inne and when he hadde well supped he went awaye without paying any money Wherevppon the Host asked him payment and the Gentleman waxed very angrie and sayde what payment askeste thou is not Padua ours yea sir answered the Host but the substance is ours That husbandes ought to beare muche vvith their vviues by reason of children ALcibiades asked Socraâ—es why he suffered so many quarrels and so many brawles whiche his wife made continually with him at home Why doste thou suffer aunswered Socrates so much keckling and annoy which thy hennes make at home bycause they sayd Alcibiades lay me Egges and hatch me chickens and my wife sayde Socrates doth bear me Children That the erroures caused of loue if they be not criminall are to be excused and pardoned PIsistratus the Tiranne of Athens shewed vpon a tyme a great token of humanitie bycause that a certaine yong man béeing in loue with a daughter of his and méeting hir in the streate coulde not refraine but kissed hir openly Wherevppon the mother being in a great furie incensed and prayed Pisistratus to put him to death But he smiling answered If we put him to deathe that loueth vs what shal we do to him that hateth vs Hovve muche Prognostications and foretellings proceeding of iudicial Astrologie are to be scorned is declared by this Prognostication of Pasquine of Rome THis nexte yeare the blinde shall sée little or nothing the deafe shall not heare the Sommer shall be hote and drye there shal be much Sunne it shal rayne somtime other while it shall thunder and lighten and also we shall haue tempest the spring shall be cold and moyst there shall be great wynds it shall rayne much and more in the nyghte than in the day There shall be great warre betwene birders and byrdes and greater betwene Fyshers and Fishes The water of ryuers shall runne foorthwarde and not goe backe and the greater shal fall into the Sea Many Oxen Shéepe Hogges Hartes and innumerable Pulleyn shall dye Death shal not make so great slaughter amoÌ„g Wolues Asses Horses and Mules This same yeare olde age by reason of yeares past shall be incurable there shal be many néedle persons many sicke and some shal dye before they be olde Ther shal be a diuers change of worldly matters it shall be dangerous to sayle on the west and north sea chiefly when ther is tempest The King and other Princes shall haue more than their part notwithstanding they shall not be content The people shall haue sometime good and sometime naughtie and other while meane fortune The ryche shall be in better case than the poore and the whole ordinarily shall be better than the sicke Eating and drinking shall be verie necessarie Golde shall be more sette by than Syluer and Leade shall be at a reasonable pryee The Plague and other diseases shall be in some places thorowe the resolution of Saturne in other places by reason of the aspect of Mars there shall ensue mortalitie and murders There shall be many yong men in loue by reason of Venus It shall be good to eate Capons Partriges and Quailes and to drinke the best wines shall be best The Moone shall be full in March or in Aprill when she shal be opposite to the Sunne but as she commeth to the heade oâ— taile of the Dragon she shall be darkened vntill she goe out from the shaddowe of the earth There shal be great brightnesse about the sphere of the Sunne there shall be great told in the vttermost Zones and vpon high Mountaines There shall be great heat and drynesse vnder the Equinoctiall About the Tuscane and Ionicke Sea there shall be great plentie of moysture and more also shal be about the Oceane Sea So many Stars shall be séene in the skye in the cleare night that no man nor woman shall be able to number them That the vice of anger is most hurtfull ARistotle sayth that anger is a perturbation of a cruel violent and dishonest mind the cause of strife the companion of calamitie the losse of honour the spoyle of ryches and the originall
long youth It helpeth he addeth hereto sometime to vse bathes other while cold water to day to annoint himself to morrowe not passe vppon himselfe and finally to refuse no meate nor drinke which the common people doth vse That it is follye to looke for more of things then nature doth affourde them A Shepharde which had a flocke of shepe séeing that the wolfe did daily take and consume them assembled together vppon a daye the whole flocke and with a trim and long oration he put them in comfort not to feare the wolues for so muche as they were many in number and for the most parte had hornes which the wolues haue not wherefore he wold haue them to be of good courage and with one assent valiauntly to giue ayde one to another and that he would not sayle them at anye time The shéepe taking good hart at these worde ioyned with such effectuall reasons promised and sware that they woulde no more flie from the wolfe Notwithstanding a while after when the rumour was raised to the wolfe to the wolfe those poore beastes were surprised with so great feare that the words and the reasons of the shepherd were not able to holde them from flying awaye Whereuppon he afterward sorrowing with them one of the wisest francklye spake Whilest to make white the blacke thou dost assay Thou sekest that dark night shuld become cleare day That the fruite and safetie of mony consisteth in occuping and not in keping A Couetous man hauyng solde all that hée had and tourned it into ready money buried it in a place where he went daily to see it in suche wise that a man of the countrey watching what he did went thether in the night and digged it out and caryed it away And when the miser another daye came againe to sée his treasure he not finding it was minded desperately to gyue himselfe to the Deuill But a fréend of his being at hand and vnderstanding the cause said vnto him quiet thy self my felow for thou diddest not occupy this monie at all so that thou maiste put stones in place thereof and perswade with thy self that it is golde for these stones will stande thée in as good stéede as monie and added hereto these verses of Petrarcha Oh mente vaga al fin sempre digiuna A che tante pensieris vn'hora sgombra Quel ch' en molti anni a pena si ragana that is Oh greâ—dy mind still hungry to the ende Wherto are so great cares one houre doth spoyle That which long time hath hardly won with toyle That the counsayles of youth are rashe and vnaduised and of age considered and perfecte WHEN Paulus Emilius was generall Captaine in Greece for the Romans against king Perseus he had with him Scipio being a very yong man but famous for hys great beginnings of vertue The which Scipio when vpon some occasion he thought the time conuenient to giue battaile to the enimie said Dost thou not sée Emilius to whom the old expert captaine perceiuing some damage that mighte arise thereby whych the vnskillfull yong man knewe not of sayde Nasica when I was of thy yeares I was so minded as thou arte nowe and when thou shalte come to my yeares thou shalte be of that mind which I am now of That the state of vvorldly things is very full of chaunge and therefore that it is meete for vs to prepare to endure both fortunes THE same Emilius when hée had ouercome and taken prisoner the foresaide Perseus and sawe him fall prostrate to hys féete wéeping and ouer cowardlye yelding himself saide vnto him alasse for me stande vp for thou shamest my victorye I thought that I had ouercome some greate king but now I finde that I haue subdued a cowardly woman doutlesse thou arte worthy of greater misfortune And turning to his men of warre he said to them beholde there an example moste notable of worldly things to you yong men chiefly I speake to the ende that you may lerne not to puffe your selues ouer much with pride in prosperitie neither to truste happie fortune to much forasmuch as he is dead in the morning which is borne in the euening And he is a man in déede that in prosperitie is not proude and in aduersitie is not vnpacient A Philosophicall opinion touching the iudging of friendes causes BIas the Philosopher saith that he was neuer willyng to be iudge betwéene hys friendes but betwene his enemies Bycause euen as saith he it is to be feared that one of thy friends shall become thine enemye so is it to be hoped that one of thyne enemies shal be made thy friende That none can liue in this vvorlde vvithoute trouble SOcrates beyng asked of a friende of hys how mannes life maye be passed wythout trouble answered by no meanes for it is not possible said he to dwell in Cities castles and houses without trouble That loue entreth the bodye by the eyes and ouercommeth both Gods and men ARaspa beyng warned of Cirus that he shuld not bée conuersaunte wyth women saying that through his eyes loue by litle wold enter into him answered that if he dyd alwayes take héede of him he should neuer be ouercome But when he was not long after fallen into the flames of loue and for feare and shame durst not come in the presence of his Lord Cirus sent for him as for one whoÌ„ he loued and smiling saide Araspa I knowe that thou arte greatly afeard of me peradueÌ„ture more ashamed but be of good chéere for I maruaile not at thy errour knowing well that euen Gods themselues haue byn deceyued manye times and ouercome by loue That vvomen sometymes doe vvorthy deedes IN the warre betwéene the Emperoure Curradus the third surnamed Ghibellinus Guelfus Duke of Berne of whom in tyme paste the partes taking of the Ghibellines and the Guelfins toke name there chaÌ„unced a déede of women as Paulus Emilius the Historigrapher witnesseth no lesse worthy than pleasaunt And this it was that when the Emperoure had ouercome by force Monake the heade Citie of Berne and appointed for muche hatred conceyued all the men to be cut in péeces notwithstanding he fauorablie graunted the women that they should departe safe with all that they coulde carrie vppon their backes Wherevppon those valiaunte women furthered wyth excéeding great loue and true affection toke counsaile and strength to carrye with them the men for their burden With whych worthy acte the Emperoure not onely accompted hymselfe deluded but it pleased him so muche that throughe their loue he receyued afterwarde the Duke his aduersarye into fauour also That valiaunte and vertuous men vvill not be corrupted PHocion of Athens a verye good Citizen when Alexander the great had sent him a great summe of money to win him vnto him asked the messanger what he brought hym and for what cause Alexander had sent money rather to hym than to other citizens Because he thinketh you aunswered he honester and better than
the Lacedemonians Furthermore I beleue that thorow this deliueraÌ„ce of the Captiues he won so greate fauoure among the ennimyes that thys was the chiefest cause that Asia afterwarde fell so muche to him So Cymon by this trimme polycie prouided for hys owne profite and got double thankes of the Lacedemonians for his liberalitie and of the captiues for his clemencie When the Lantgraue had taken a certaine Dukes Secretarye the Duke obiected to hym that it was not lawfull to take Embassadours The Lantgraue contrarywyse had an exception bycause he had founde an example in Liuie where the Romains tooke on the waye the Athenian Embassadours and it was iudged to bée well done The like example is in Herodotus where the Athenians tooke the Embassadours of the Lacedemonians going to the king of Persia to make league and by request to obtaine helpe against them and by and by they slewe them That vertue can doe more than crueltye and that mens mindes are more turned vvith clemencye than vvith outrage and fiercenesse ALphonsus king of Neaples liuing in the time of oure auncesters was one of the wisest kings that euer raigned he was very well learned and did greate things wyth great admiration he was expelled and banished and retourned eftsoones into his kyngdom When he beseiged Caieta the Caietans sent out of the Citie a great number of olde men women boyes and girles that the residewe mighte a longer time haue during the siege corne and other thinges necessarye Then certaine counsellours aduised the kyng to commaund that this miserable multitude or at least wyse some part of it might be slain in the sight of the citie which the inhabitantes beholding might the sooner yelde And he that wrote the historie sayeth God forgiue me the same counsell I gaue the King too Then the king being astonied stood musing and at length after long silence brake out into these words The whole kingdom of Neaples is not somuche worth to mee that I shold violeÌ„tly inuade this miserable companie and he gaue forthwith a moste seuere commaundement that all should be distributed safe into the townes and places néere adioyning When the inhabitantes of the citie sawe this from the walles and towers the matter béeing knowen they immediatly yelded béeing moued by the vertue and clemencie of the king in the victorie welnéere woonne Scipio sayde notably that he had lÃeffer saue one of hys countrymen than vanquishe a whole legion of his enimies ¶ Certayne Italian Prouerbes and sentences done into Englishe by I. Sanf A. A Buon hora in pescaria e tardi in Beccaria Betyme in the Fishe shambles and late in the Butcherie A buon intenditore mezze parola basta To a good vnderstander halfe a woorde is inough A caualli magri vanno le mosche The Flyes goe to leane horsses A chi l'ha va bene par sauio He that hath the world at will séemeth wise Al amico cura il fico Al nimico il persico Prouide a Figge for thy frende and a peache for thy enimie Allegrezzo di cuore fà bella pelladure di viso The merynesse of the heart causeth a fayre colour in the face Alle nozze alla morte si conoscono gli amici e parenti At mariages and burials frendes and kinsfolke be knowne Al nial mortal ne medice ne medicina val A deadelye disease neyther Physition nor Physike can ease Amor di putana e vin de fiasco Da mattina buono da sera guasto The loue of a harlot and wyne of a flagon or bottle is good in the morning and naught in the euening Asino ponto bisogna che trotti An asse pricked must néedes trot Asperta luoco e tempo a far vendettà Che non fece mai ben infretta Awayte tyme and place to be reuenged For it is neuer well done in haste A ssai ben balla a chi fortana sâ—ona Hée daunceth well inough to whom Fortune pipeth Assai gnadagna chi fortuna perde He gayneth inough whom fortune looseth Aue morai non fa mele A dead Bée maketh no honie A vn a vno si fanno gli fusi By one and one the spyndles are made B. Belle parole e cattino fatti Ingannone i saui i matti Fayre wordes and wicked deedes deceyue wyse men and fooles Ben faremo ben diremo Mal va la barca senza remo Doe wée well speake wée well Ill goeth the Barcke without oares Bandiera vecchia honor di capitano An olde bande is the honour of a captaine C. Cane che baia non vuol nuocer A barking Dogge will doe no hurt Can vecchio non baia indanno An olde dogge barketh not in vayne Caual corrente sepultura aperta A running horsse an open burying Cera tela e fustiano Bella bottega e poco guadagno Waxe linnen cloath and Fustaine A fayre shoppe and little gayne Chi compara caro e toglie a credenza Consum ' il corpo e perde la semenza He that buyeth déere and taketh vppon credite consumeth the bodie looseth the séed Chi di paglia fuoca fà molto fimo altri non ha He that makes a fire of strawe hathe store of smoke and nothing else Chi duo lepori cazzia vno perde l'altro lascia He that hunteth two Hares looseth one and leaueth the other Chi è in diffetto è in sospetto He that is in pouertie is in suspition Chi ha buona lancia la proui nel muro He that hath a good spoar proueth him against the wall Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo He that hath tyme looketh not for tyme. Chi non fa non falla Chi falla s'amenda He that doth nothing doth not amisse He that doth amisse is amended Chi fa male â—dia il lume He that doth yll hateth the lyght Chi non ha cuori habbi gambe He that hath no heart hath legges Châ— non ha moglie spesso la batte He that hath no wyfe beateth hir often Chi non figliuoli ben gli pasâ—e He that hath no children doth bring them vp well Chi non ha seruito non fa commandare He that hath not serued knoweth not howe to commaunde Chi non nauiga non sa che sia timore di Dio. He that hath not ben on the sea knoweth not what the feare of God is Chi non puo batter il cauallo batta la silla He that can not beate the Horsse beateth the saddâ—e Chi non robba non fa robe He that doth not robbe maketh not a roabe or a gowne Chi nuoce altrui nuoce se stesso He that hurteth an other hurteth him selfe Chi serue al communo seru ' a nessuno He that serueth the Common wealthe serueth none Chi serue il puttane il tempo perde He that serueth harlots loseth his tyme. Chi tardi arriua mal allogia He that commeth late hath yll lodging Chi ti vede di giorno non ti
of destruction And addeth moreouer that as the smoke which shadoweth the eyes letteth one to sée that whiche a man hath before his féete so anger darkneth reason in the heade and that goodnesse which the mynde with the wit shall easly obtayne being obscured thorow anger it can not in any wise obtayne Chilo sayd that one ought to ouercome anger aboue all things for that she hurteth more than any ennimie adding moreouer that it is more manhoode to vanquish hir than any ennimie Wherefore the diuine Petrarcha to this purpose sayth Jra è brieue furor chi no'l frena E furor luago che'l suo possessore Spesso à vergogna tal'hur mena à morte Ire is furie short and vnto him a furie long Which letteth hir the bridle haue that now and then among The angrie man to shame she brings and sometimes vnto death And Ariosto héere vpon sayth Quando vincer da l'impeto da la ira Si lascia la ragion nè si defende Et che'l cieco furor sì inuanzi ira O mano o lingua che gli amici offende Se beu dipoi si piange fospira Non è per questo che l'erro s'emende Whan reason by rage and yre is suffred Vanquisht to be and is not defended And that the blynde fury rules the top sayle O hande O tongue that friendes hath offended And although afterwarde thou weepe and wayle Yet for all this the fault is not mended That Princes commonly vvil haue no admonition WHat a daungerous thing it is to admonishe certaine Princes of their vices shall be declared by the example following Vpon a tyme Cambyses king of Scithiae Persia asked Presaspius his Secretarie what the Persians sayde of him The Secretarie answered that they gretly commended him notwithstanding that he séemed to them to be ouermuche giuen to wine Wherewith Cambyses béeing cruelly angrie sayde I wil Presaspius that we sée whether they lye or tell truth thou séest there thy Sonne at the gate if I hitte him in the heart with this arrowe it shal appeare without doubt that the Persians do lye if I hit him not they may be beléeued And he leusing the bowe that he had in his hande did strike the yong man in the breast and the arrowe passed ful thorow the myddle of his heart Whiche when that cruell Prince had séene being very ioyful in iest sayde What sayst thou now Presaspius dost not thou thinke that these thy Persians haue made a lye But tel me also I pray thée who euer sawest thou better than I To whom that poore man fore abashed and now extremely doubting of himselfe answered God is not able to make one better than you That through crafte and vvarinesse a man is othervvhile deliuered out of danger A French man challenged a Geneuaise into the fielde bycause he did beare his recognisaunce in his shielde But the Geneuoise hauing readily bethought him of a iest sayde And for what cause finally dost thou cal me hyther to fight bycause I pretend answered the Frenche man that this cognisaunce discendeth from my auncestours and that thou hast vsurped it The Geneuoise asked what his cognisance was the French man answered that it was an Oxe head then said the Geneuoise we néed not fight for this bycause that my armes is a Cowes heade Hovve mans life is encombred and full of trouble and hovv pleasant and quiet ISocrates the Oratoure sayde that our life entangled with fortune is like to a greate violent floude to wit troublous myrie hard to passe ouer swift roaring during but for a while Contrariwise the life giuen to vertue saithe he is like to a noble fountaine whose water is cleare pure and vntroubled méete to be dronke swéete to folkes agréeable apte for nourishment frutefull and void of all corruption and naughtinesse That the sight of friends doth chear vp them that are in heauinesse as the sight of the Phisitions the diseased PHilomenes the Philosopher sayde that as the diseased séeing the Phisition come be cheared vp and comforted so they that are in heauinesse seing their friende come recouer courage and take comfort but that the frieÌ„d is muche more for the sadnesse of his neighbour than the Phisition is for sicknesse and therefore addeth moreouer that men in aduersitie ought to haue recourse of their friendes And Ausonius worthily confirmeth it saying Tristia cuncta exuperans aut animo aut amico In sadnesse all things ouercome with courage or thy friende That couetousnesse blindeth men HErmon was to couetous as Lucilius testifieth that when he dreamed that he had spent certaine money he strangled himselfe through excéeding sorrowe Dimarchus Phidon was like wise so couetous that being desperate for a certain losse receyued he would not hang himselfe for spending of thrée halfe pence to buy himselfe a halter seeking death better cheap And Hermocrates was through extreme auarice accompanied with so greate follie that dying lefte himself heire of al his goods Wherefore wisely sayth Bias that couetousnesse is the Metropolis that is the mother citie or chiefe Sea of mannes follie and wickednesse A vvarie ansvvere impertinent to the demaunde A Iewe béeing asked whether he woulde take vp a thousand Ducates if he founde them on the Saboth daye aunswered This is not the Saboth day and the money is not heere That mans doings on the one side are vvorthy of laughter and on the other of vveeping HEraclitus and Democritus were two most famous Philosophers the one considering the follies of meÌ„ did euer laugh the other coÌ„sidering their miseries did always wéepe Wherevpon one in the Gréeke tong made this Epigramme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The which that great learned man Alciate desirous to shewe that mans lyfe still waxed worse and worse hath playnely and pleasantly translated into his Italian tong after this manner Piu dell'vsato Heraclito ti veggio Pianger gli affanni dell'humana vita Perche ella se ne va di mal in peggio E la miseria homai fatta è infimâ—ae Te Democrito ancor piu rider veggio Che non soleui la tua man in'additta Che le pazzie son maggiori in tanto Che non è pari il riso meno il pianto that is Thee Herachte I see more than thy wont is The troubles of this humane life bewaile Bycause shee goes from yll to worse amisse And endlesse nowe doth miserie not faile Thee Democrite also laugh I more to see Than thou arte wont thy hande doth point to mee That follies are farre greater in so much That laughter failes and eyes their teares do grutch That a vvife to some is a very heauie burtheÌ„ WHen there was risen a great tempest on the Sea the master of the ship commaunded all men to caste the heauiest things into the water Wherefore a maried man incontinently cast in his wife saying that he had nothing more heauie than shée That vvith vvittie
saying hereafter we will speake more of this matter That soone pricketh vvhich vvill be a thorne IT is written of the Lacedemonians that they put to death the kings sonne being a boy when they sawe him pull out litle birds eyes For hereby the Lacedemonians iudged that he would be tyrannous by nature and if he should rule that he woulde be cruell to his countrymen and subiectes A briefe summe of the nevve and olde testament MOyses in the beginning speaketh of the essence or beyng of God secondly of the creation thirdly of the making of man and of the promisse set foorth by the which man was restored and began agayne to build the Churche Afterward there followe excellent promisses Furthermore in Exodus the law is set out which is the euerlasting worde of God requiring obedience and condemning the disobedient In the bookes of the kyngs examples of obedience and disobedience are set forth Dauid is receyued afterwarde the promise is renewed fynally the prophetes make the same more manifest and plain In the new testament all the articles of christian doctrine are expessely declared VVhat things breede all mischiefe THese fiue things chiefly bring the coÌ„mon wealth far out of frame as one affirmed to wéete A false iudge in the consistory a deceiptful marchant in the market a couetous Prieste in the Church a faire whoore in the stewes and flatterie in Princes Courtes VVho are notable fooles A Faithfull louer of maides a faire gamster and a mercifull souldiour are sayde to be too foolishe VVhat housholde is vnprofitable THis familie of all other is said to be most vnprofitable and vnpleasaunt a henne withoute egges a sowe withoute pigges a cowe withoute milke a daughter that wandreth abroade in the nighte a sonne a gamster a wife priuily spending hir husbandes goods and a maide seruant with childe VVhosoeuer vvanteth money is nothing set by MOney can bring all things to passe and without money the good estimation of a man is nothing worth For except one haue money neither nobilitie nor knowledge or anye vertue is auailable Pallade saying is not muche vnlike this Golde openeth all things and the gates of hell A certaine man saide vnwisely Although my father were a hangman my mother a common harlot yet if I haue money I am well liked of and honored Wherfore it is said moreouer in a prouerbe Much wisedome is lost in the poore mans purse that is poore men are despised in whom oftentimes is much wisedome bicause pouertie is not regarded neither now a dayes is exercised in exployting of things and except one be riche he is neuer thought wise and of vnderstanding neyther is vsed in weightie matters whiche require wysedome Wherevnto Iuuenall alludeth in his seuenth Satire Rara in tenui facundia panno that is A poore mans speech but seldome pleasant is That three things displease both God and men A Poore man proude a riche man a lyer and an olde man a louer Foure things do corrupt all iudgements FAtte gyftes Hatred Fauoure and feare Foure things cannot be kept close Loue the cough fyre and sorowe Foure things kill a man before his time A Fayre wyfe an vnquiet housholde vnmeasurable meate and drinke and a corrupte aire Foure deedes of a Tyranne THe propertie of a Tyranne is to destroy the good to hate the poore to aduaunce the wicked and to abolishe vertue Foure sortes of men get friends THE liberall the gentle the myghtye or ryche and they that are easye to bée spoken vnto That a man is not to be iudged by his face A Man oughte not to be iudged by his face for we cannot know a man only by outward things and by the face bycause we be ignorant what lieth hidden in his mind for many hiding their wickednesse do faynedly shew in face great honestie The very which Iuuenal in his seconde Satyre sayeth Fronti nulla fides that is Trust not the face That vve oughte to take heede of flatterers as of poyson ALphonsus saide that flatterers are not vnlyke Wolues for euen as Wolues by tickling and clawing are wont to deuour Asses so flatterers vse their flatterye and lyes to the destruction of Princes Of Vsurers SAinct Bernard affirmed that onely by this meanes vsurie mighte be exercised wythout sinne if money were lent them whych could not restore the principall Of Hunting HVnting as Albert the Emperour sayde is a manly exercise and dauncing a womans exercise and that he could be wythout any other pleasure sauing Hunting Tvvo things necessary for him that vvill lyue quietly in matrimonie ANthony Panormita a very pleasant man béeyng asked what things be thoughte most necessarye to the leadyng of ones lyfe pleasantlye and merily in mariage taking an argument of the manyfolde great troubles which happened in the maried life answered that two things only were néedeful the husbande to be deafe and the wife blind least that she should sée very manye things which were vntemperately done of hir husband and least he should heare his wife continually chatting at home Pollicies of VVarre IT is very much vsed in Jtaly that the best Captaines haue manye volumes of pollicies wise counsels of warre aswel of their auncientes as of them of latter time The French men are saide to haue vsed in tyme paste this pollicie againste the Emperours souldioures They sent before carters laden with Silkes other clothes which the Emperours souldiours fearing nothing gréedily laide handes vpon In the meane season the FrenchmeÌ„ inuaded toke them sodenly vnawares with their host of horsmen whilest they striued among themselues for the pray Cymon a most wise and valiant Captaine was indued with so greate a modestie that when he broughte with him oute of â—onia a Poet which had set forth his prayses ouer large he was nothing delighted therewith but toke it verye grieuouslye For he said that of nothing that euer he did he sought anye praise but only of one stratageme or policy And this was such a one as he vsed towards the Lacedemonians his countrey men wythout the offence or hurt of any For when he had ouercom the Persians in a great conflict and had brought manye prisoners a huge praye from that battaile all which togither were to be deuided by him among his countrimen Cymon beyng not ignorant of the Lacedemonians couetousnesse commaunded that al the Gold and Siluer should be set on one side the bodies of the Captiues clad in vile apparell shuld be placed on the other and gaue afterward the choise to the Lacedemonians But they being deceyued throughe couetousnes gréedily chose that side wherein the Gold and Siluer was placed moreouer gaue Cymon thankes for so liberall a deuision sufferance of choise But Cymon got no lesse praye togither with praise For there were among the Captiues manye moste noble and ryche men which when he suffered to raunsome themselues gathered also with thankes a great summe of money by their raunsome and deliuerance much greater than