if I should no stand too myne owne perill without him seing he would hazard himself for my sake Hecaton putteth this fond and tryfling example of Arkesilaus whom he reporteth too haue refuzed monnye that was offered him by a mannes sonne yit vnder yeeres of discretion least the chyld might haue ronne in the dspleasure of his nigardly father What thing did he woorthie of prayse That he receiued not stolne goodes and that he had rather not too receyue than too bee driuen too restitution Not too receyue other mennes goodes was a poynt of stayednesse But if wee want an example of a noble mynd let vs looke vppon that woorthie wyght Graecinus Iulius whom Caius Caesar slew for none other offence but bycause he was a better man than it is expedient that anie should bee too a Tyrant At such tyme as this Graecinus tooke monye of his freendes that made a contribution towardes his charges of certein gaminges one Fabius Persicus sent him a greate somme of monnie but he would in no wyse receiue it And when his freendes hauing respect too the gift and not too the giuer found fault with him for refusing it shall I quoth he take a benefyte at the hand of him whoÌ„ I would not voutsafe too pledge in a cup of drinke Likewise when one Rebilus a Consulles peere but yet of thesame stampe that Fabius was had sent him a greater summe and was verie importunate vppon him too receiue it I praye you pardon mee ê™ he for I haue taken none of Persicus ¶ The .xxii. Chapter WHither was this a receiuyng of giftes or a choozing of Senators When wée thinke it méete to receiue lette vs receiue cheerfully with apparaunce of gladnesse and let thesame bee manifest too the giuer that he maie reape present frute thereof For it is a iust cause of gladnesse too see a mannes fréend glad but it is a iuster cause too haue made him glad Let vs shew that wee accept the thing thankfully by powryng out our affections and let vs witnesse it not onely in his heeryng but also euerywhere He that hath taken a good turne thankefully hath payed the first paiment of it ¶ The .xxiii. Chapiter SOmme will not receiue a good turne but in secret shunnyng too haue any manne as witnesse or priuie of it You maye bee sure suche men meene no good Like as the bestower must bring his benefite so farfoorth too knowledge as it maye delight him on whom it is bestowed so he that receiues it must make others priuie to it Looke what thou art ashamed too owe â–ª that receiue thou not Somme giue thankes by stelth and in a corner and in ones eare This is not shamefastnesse but a lothnesse too bee acknowen of it That man is vnthankfull whiche giueth thankes in hudther mudther Some men would borowe monnie and yet neither make the Brokers nor the publik â–ª Notaries priuie too it nor yet giue bill of their hande In like sort deale they whiche indeuer too keepe from all mennes knowledge the good turne that is bestowed vpon them They bee loth too blaze it abrode beeause they would bee sayd to haue compassed it by their owne connyng rather than by any other mannes helpe They seldomme make any countenaâ—nce too those that they are indetted too for life or preferment and while they shunne too bee counted hangers vppon other mennes sleeues they ronne intoo the reproche of vnthankfulnesse whiche is woorse ¶ The .xxiiii. Chapiter OThersomme speake woorst of them that deserue beste A manne may more safely dooe somme men a displeasure theÌ„ a good turne For they seeke too proue themselues nothing beholden too men by hating them But wee ought too labour for nothing more than that the remembraunce of good turnes may alwayes sticke fast in our myndes which must bée newe burnished from tyme to tyme because none can requite a good turne but he that beareth it in mynde and the verie bearing of it in mynde is a requitall A man must receiue neither squeimishly nor vnderling like and bacely For he that is negligent in the first taking when all good turnes like men best because of their newnesse what will he doo when the first pleasure of it is ouerpast One takes a good turne skornefully as though he would say In good faithe I haue no neede of it but séeyng thou art so greatly desirous I am coÌ„tent thou shalt vse my pacience Another takes it reckelesly so as he leaues the bestower in doutte whither he perceiued it or no. The third scarce openeth his lippes and plaâ—es the churle more than if he had hild his peace A man must speake out earnestly according to the greatnesse of the matter and he must knit it vp with suche woordes as theis You haue made mée beholden too you more than you are awareof For there is noma but he is glad too haue his good turne extend with the furthest you knowe not how much you haue doone for mee but I assure you it is much more than you take it too bee He requyteth out of haÌ„d which chargeth himself thus I shal neuer bee able too requyte your freendlienesse But surely I will neuer cease too report euerywhere that I am not able too requite it ¶ The .xxv. Chapiter FVrnius did not in any thing more purchace himself the fauour of the Emperour Augustus and win him easie too grauâ—t him other thynges than that when he had gotten his fathers pardon who had takeÌ„ part with Antonie ageinst Augustus he saied This one wrong doo I receiue at thy hand O Caesar that thou haste dealt in suche wise with me as I must liue and dye vnthankfull What so greace signe of a â—â—thankfull mynde can bee as by no meanes to satisfie a mannes self no nor yet too conceiue any hope that euer he shal bee able too come neere the requityng of a good turne By this and suche other kynde of speeches let vs so deale as our good will maye not lye hidden but bee disclosed and come too light Yea and though woordes cease yet if wee bee mynded as wee ought too bee the conscience will bewraye it self in our countenance He that purposeth too bee thankfull myndeth requityng as soone as he receiueth Chrysippus saieth he ought too bee disposed like one that hath put himself in a redinesse too ronne for a wager and standeth within the listes waityng for his tyme to step forward at the sounde of the Trumpet And surely he had néede of greate swiftnesse and greate inforcing of himself that should ouertake him that is gone afore him ¶ The .xxvi. Chapiter NOw is it too bée seene what thing maketh men vnthaÌ„kful most It is either the ouerweenyng and ouerlikyng of themselues and of their owne thinges a fault ingreffed in mannes Nature or it is couetousnesse or els it is Enuie Let vs beginne at the first There is no man but he is a fauorable Iudge in his owne cace Herevppon it commes to passe
good as my woord Otherwyse whatsoeuer is altered settes mée frée too take deliberation new agein and dischargeth mee of discredit I promis you too bee your aduocate and afterward it appeereth that the same cace tendeth too the preiudice of my Father I promis to go a iourney with you and wooâ—d is brought mâ—e that the waye is layd with Thâ—eues I should haue come too some presente buisinesse of youres but my â—â—ildes â—â—â—â—nesse â—r my Wyues labour kéepe mee at home If yee will bynd the credit of him that promiseth al thinges must continewe in the same state as they were at the promismaking But what greater alteration can there bée than if I haue found thee an euill and vnthankfull man Looke what I promised thee as too a woorthie that will I withhold from thee as from an vnwoorthie yea and I shall haue good cause too bee angrie with thee for deceyuing mée ¶ The .xxxvi. Chapiter NEuerthelesse I will looke vppon the thing that thou claymest and see how greate it is The maner of the thing promised shall counsell mee If it bee but a small thing I will let thée haue it not because thou art woorthie but for my promis sake And yet will I not doo it as too pleasure thée but as too redeeme my woord and I will wring myself by the Eare. My rashnesse in promising I will punish with my losse Lo say I too my self too the intent it may gréeue thee and that thou mayst bee better aduysed ere â—hou speake hereafter I will giue thee a Barnaâ—â—e as wee â—erme it But if it bee too greate a thing I wil not bee so costly as Mecoenas sayeth as too buye myne owne blame with a â—undred Sestertiâ—sses For I will compare the oddes of both toogether It is somewhat woorth too bee as good as a mans promis agein it is muche woorth not too bee too precyse in pleasuring an vnwoorthie Persone So greate a matter as this must bee considered accordingly If it bee a lyght thing weâ— may wincke at it But if it may bee eyther greatly too my losse or greatly to my shame I had leuer blame myself once for denying it than conâ—inually for performing it All the whole wâ—ight of the matter reâ—teth I say vppon this point namely at how muche I am woorthie too bee amerced for my woords For if it hee muche I shalnot onely withhold the thing that I promised rashly but also I shall call that barke agein which I haue bestowed amisse He is out of his wittes whiche performeth for his errour sake ¶ The .xxxvii. Chapter PHilip King of Macidonie had a tall souldier and a stoute man of his handes whose seruice hee had founde profitable in many voyages He had diuerse tymes rewarded him with parte of the booties for his hardinesse And because hee was a man that had his soule too sell he euermore kindled his corage with often payes This man suffering shipwreck was cast a land on the Mannor of a certein Macedonian Who hauing woord thereof came running to him out of hand and recoueryng life of him conueyed him home too his saied Manour and laied him in his owne bedde refreshed him ill at ease and halfe deade tended him thirtie daies at his owne charges recouered him and at his departure gaue him wherewith too beare his charges by the waye And the other said oftentymes vntoo him I will requite thy kyndenesse if euer I maye comme where I maye see my King and Capitein He told Philip of his Shipwrecke but he spake not a woorde of his succour but by and by desired him too giue him a certeine mannes Landes The manne was euen he that had bin his hoste euen he that had taken him vp and recouered him Yee maye see by the waye how Kinges now and theÌ„ and specially in warre giue many thinges with their eyes shet One iuste manne is not of power enough ageinst so many armed lustes A man cannot doo the dueties of a good man and of a good Capitein bothe at once How shall so many thousandes of vnsatiable men bee satisfied What should they haue if euery man maye keepe his owne So did Philip saye too himself when he gaue commaundement for the putting of him in possession of the gooddes that he had craued The manne that was violently thrust from his possessions did not putte vp the wrong with silence like a cloyne and holde him well appaied that he himself had not bin giuen awaie toâ— But wrate a letter vntoo Philip bothe râ—ugh and full of libertie At the receite whereof Philip was in suche a chafe that without delaye he commaâ—â—ded Pausanias too restore the first owner to his goodes agein and too imprint vppon that leawde Souldier that vnkinde guest and that couetous seabeaten wretch suche markes as might witnesse him too bee an vnthankfull Gueste Beleeue me he that could finde in his harte too strip his hoste out of all that euer he had and too driue him like one that had suffered Shipwrecke too the same shore where he him self had lyen was worthie too haue had those Letters not Imprinted but ingrauen vppon his face But let vs see what measure had bin too bee kepte in his punishement In deede the thing that he had moste wickedly intruded vppon was too bée taken from him ageine And who would haue bin sorie for the punishemeÌ„t of him whose facte was so heinous as no manne could haue pitied him had he bin neuer so pitifull ¶ The .xxxviii. Chapiter MUste Philip bee as good tâ—o thee as his promise Euen though there bee cause too the contrary Though he should doo wrong Though he should doo a wicked deede Though by that one facte of his he should barre all Shipwreckes from the shore It is no point of lightnesse for a maÌ„ to forsake a knowen and condemned error â— man ought rather too confesse plainly and too saye I missâ—â—â—â—ke the caâ—e I am deceiued For it is a point of wilfull pride and folie too bee so heddie as too say Looke what I haue once spoken bee what it bee maie I will abide by â—t and make good my woorde It is no dishonestie too alter a mannes mynde â—hen the matter requireth Goe too if Philip had mainteined the Sâ—â—ldier iâ— possessioâ— of those groundes whiche he had gotten by his Shipwrâ—cke had he not barred all out castâ—s froÌ„ succour and â—eleef Nay saieth Philip yet were it better that thou shouldest beare aboute these Letters printed in thy moste shamelesse forheade for all menne to gaze vppon throughout the boundes of my kingdome Shewe thou how sacred a thing the table of hospitalitie is Let euery man â—eade this dâ—erée of myne in thy face for a waâ—â—aÌ„t y â— it shall not bee preiudiciall for any manne too succour afflicted persones in his house So shal this constitution of myne bée more auailable than if I had ingraâ—ed it in Brasse ¶ The .xxxix. Chapiter WHat thinke you â—hen sayeth he by our fouÌ„der Zeno for
for thy sake If I had ment too set myself too sale this woork should haue gowen by little and little â–ª and that part of it should haue bin reserued too come last whiche euery man would haue desyred euen though he had bin glutted Whatsoeuer was most needefull that haue I conueyed intoo the firste beginning If anie thing haue escaped mee that doo I now gather vppe And in good faith seeing that the thinges which direct mennes manners are spoken of already If yee should examine mee vppon my conscience I thinâ—ke it not greatly too the purpose too pursew the rest whiche are inuented not for amendment of lyfe but for exercyse of wit For 〈◊〉 was excellently sayd of doggâ—sh Demetrius a man in myne opinion right excellent euen though he were â—ompared to the excellenteâ—â— that it is more woorth for a man too knowe a few Rules of Wisdomme so he beare them in rememberance and practize them than if he lerne neuer so manie and haue them not redy at hand For sayeth he lyke as that man is a greate Wrestler not whiche hath lerned all â—â—â—ckes and â—â—eyghtes whiche hee shall seldome haue occasion too put in â—re ageinst his 〈◊〉 but whiche hath well and diligently practized himself in some one or twoo and watcheth earnestly too take the aduauntage of them for it skilles not how feawe thinges he knowe so he knowe inough too get the maystrie Euen so in this kynd of studie there bee manie thinges that delyght but feawe that profit Although thou know not the reason why the mayne Sea dooth ebbe and flowe or why euery seuenth yeere imprinteth a sigâ—e vppon mannes age or why the wydenesse of a Churche keepeth not his full proportion in the vewe of them that behold it a far of but gathereth his endes or sydes intoo a narownesse so as the toppes of the Pillars and Pinacles grow intoo one or what it is that separateth the conception of Twinnes and ioyneth their birth whither one companying of the Parentes bee dispersed intoo twayne or whither the twoo bee begotten at twoo seuerall tymes or why those that bee borne at one burthen haue sundry destinies and whereas there is small distance or none betwixt their birthes yet they haue as greate difference as may bee in their lyues It is no great harme too thee too let such thinges passe which are neyther possible nor profitable too bee knowen Tee truth lyeth wrapped vp toogither aloft Yet haue wee no cause too blame Nature of vnkyndnesse for nothing is vneasie too bee found saue suche as when they bee found yeeld vs no further frute than the onely fynding of them But whatsoeuer may make vs both better and more blissed that hath nature set eyther open too vs or neere at haâ—d too vs. If the mynd can despyse casualties if it rauÌ„dge not into endlesse desyres through couetous hope but haue lerned too seeke hir riches in hirself if it haue shaken of the slauishe feare of Gods and menne and knowe that menne are not too bee feared muche and GOD nothing at all if it despyse all those thinges wherewith the lyfe is Racked whyle it is decked with them and bee come too that point that hee manifestly perceiueth death too bee the cause of no euill but the end of manie euilles if a man haue vâ—wed his mynd vnto vertue and count the way playne whithersoeuer she calleth if he bée a fellowly wyght and as one borne too the behoof of all men esteeme the whole world but as one household if he lay his coÌ„science open before the Gods liue continually as if all men behild him standing more in awe of himself than of othermen Hee hath withdrawen himself from all Stormes and is harbroughed in the calme and sewer Hauen he hath atteyned too the necessarie and profitable knowledge The residue bee but pleasures too passe away idle tyme. For when a man hath once withdrawen his mynd intoo safety he may then also start out intoo these thinges whiche garnish mennes wittes but strengthen them not ¶ The second Chapter THese are the thinges whiche our fréend Demetrius willeth him that myndeth his owne profite too take holde on with both his handes and neuer too let them go but rather too fasten them too him and too make them part of himself and too procéede so farre by dayly mynding of them that wholsomme thinges may meete him of their owne accorde and euerywhere bee streyght redy at hand with a wishe and that the distinction of honest â–ª and shamefull may come too his mynde without taryaunce assuring himselfe that nothing is euill but that whiche is vnhonest nor any thing good but that whiche is honest Let this bée his Rule too order his dooinges by let this bee his Lawe too doo and demaund all thinges by â–ª and let him count those too bee the miserablest of all men glister they neuer so muche in riches whiche are giuen too the belly and the bedde whose mynd is sotâ—ed in lazie idlenesse Let him say too himself Pleasure is frayle and short soone weerie of the thinges whereon it woorketh the gredilyer it is haled in the sooner it turneth too greef it is alwayes of necessitie accompanyed either with repentance or with shame and there is nothing in it either noble or beseeming the nature of man which resembleth the Goddes It is a baâ—e thing procéeding from the seruis of the shamefull and vyle members and in the ende filthy The pleasure that is méete for a man yea and for a manly man is not the examining and pampering of the bodie nor the stirring vp of the lustes whiche doo least harme when they bee moste at rest but too bee voyd of vnquietnesse of mynd as well of that sort whiche the ambitiousenesse of men prouoketh when they quarell among themselues as of that sort whiche cometh of inâ—olerable loftinesse when wee deeme of the Gods by report of fame and esteeme them as sinfull as our selues This pleasure which is alwayes alike alwayes voyd of feare and shall neuer bee weerie of itself doth the man inioy whom wee frame who being as yee would say most skilfull both of Gods Lawe and mannes Lawe taketh fruâ—tion of the thinges present and hangeth not vppon that whiche is too come For he that yeeldeth too vncerteinties hath neuer auie firmenesse Therefore being ridde of greate cares and suche as racke the mynd in peeces he hopeth for nothing hee coueteth nothing neither putteth he himselfe vppon vncerteinties but is content with his owne And thou must not imagin that he is contented with a little for all thinges are his Howbéeit not so as they were Alexanders who euen when hee was come too the Shore of the Red Sea wanted more than he left behynd hâ—m from whence he came Surely they were not his no not euen the thinges that he possessed and had conquered When Onesicritus the Admirall of his Fléete was sent before him to roue abrode in the Ocean lyke a Pyrate too
The woorke of the excellent Philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca concerning Benefyting that is too say the dooing receyuing and requyting of good Turstes Translated out of Latin by Arthur Golding ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate 1578. ¶ To the right honorable Sir Christopher Hatton Knight Capiteine of the Queenes Maiesties Gard Uicechamberlaine too her highnesse and one of her Maiesties moste honourable priuie Counsell Arthur Golding wissheth health and prosperitie with increase in honour VNder hope of your honorable fauor good likyng I prâ—ace now intoo the Court ageine after long discontinewaunce attendyng as an interpreter vpon the worthy Phlosopher Seneca sometyme a Courtyer and also a Counseller of the greatest state in the worlde The matter whiche he is too speake of is the true maner of benefityng or doyng of good turnes a thing of all others most profitable for mans life and whiche maketh men like vntoo God In the declaration whereof he sheweth what a Benefite is why how when too what ende and on whom it is too bee bestowed what reward is too bee looked for in the dooing of it and what frute it yeeldeth again Likewise at whose hande with what mynde and when a benefite is too bee receiued how and when wee should requite it or remaine still detters for it and by what meanes a man maie bee either beneficiall or thankfull euen without cost or peine His principles and preceptes are in substaunce Diuine in forme Philosophicall in effect frutefull His sentences are short quick and full of matter his wordes sharpe piththie and vnaffected his whole order of writyng graue deepe and seuere fitted altogether to the reforming of mennes myndes and not too the delyghting of their eares But great is the libertie of truthe emong wise menne and yet greater is the prerogatiue therof emoÌ„g good men For wise men knowe that the wholsemost meates are not alwaies best in tast nor the moste souerein medcines alwaies pleasauntest And good menne being desirous too haue their faultes rather cured than couered doo finde as well in infirmities of mynde as of bodie that the first step to helth is too discerne the diseaze and the next is too receiue the right Medicine for it Onely too the vnwise and wicked sorte truthe is troublesome and odious because they cannot abyde the bryghtnesse of her countenance nor the power and maiestie of her presence I haue therefore thought this woorke not vnmeete too bee put intoo our Moothertung that the mo myght take benefyte by it nor yet vnexpedient too comme in Courtyers handes who shal be so muche the greater Ornament too themselues and too the place whereof they take their name as their Courtesies and Benefytes bee mo and greater towardes others And how woorthie it is too bee embrased of Counsellers I referre mee too the iudgement of suche as shall voutsafe too read it Of this I am fully perswaded that you will thinke it a verie fit present for mee too offer vnto you in respect of the place wherintoo you are called and a sufficient Argument and Witnesse of my duetyfull good will towards you And thus recommending this my trauell too your good and honourable protection I humbly take my leaue Written at my House in the Parish of all Hallowes in the Wall in London the .xvii. day of Marche 1577. Most humbly at your commaundement Arthur Golding The firste booke of Lucius Annaeus Seneca concerning Benefyting or the dooing of Good turnes written too his freend EBVTIVS LIBERALIS ¶ The first Chapiter MY deere freend Liberalis among the many and sundrie errours of our vndiscreete and vnaduised lyfe I may well saie there is in a maner nothyng more hurtfull than that wee knowe not either how too bestow or how too take good turnes For it foloweth of consequeÌ„ce that the good turnes which are ill bestowed should bée iâ— owed And therefore if thei bée not requited it is too late for vs too complayn forasmucheas thei were lost in the verie bestowing of them And it is no maruell that among so many and so greate vyces there is none more ryfe than vnthankfulnesse I see many causes thereof The first is that wee choose not worthie persones too bestowe vpon But if wee mynde too put out money too interest wée make diligent inquirie of the landes and substaunce of our detter Wee cast no seede intoo huÌ„grie and barreine soile But as for our benefites without any choycemaking wee rather throwe them away than besâ—owe them And I can not easely say whether it bée more shame too deny a man a benefite or too claime it ageine For this is suche a kynde of credit as a man must receiue no more of it that is frankly offered hym Wherof too mislike truely it is the foulest shame that caÌ„ bee euen in this respect that too the discharge of this â—â—edit there needeâ—h not welth but will For he requiteth a good turne that oweth it willingly But whereas those are too blame that caÌ„not find in their hart so â–ª muche as too acknowledge it there is a faulte in vs also Wée fynde many vnthaÌ„kfull â–ª but wée make mo For one whyle wee bee bitter in vpbraiding and chalenging an other whyle wee bee â—â—ckle and suche as anon after repent vs of our weldooing and other whyles through our waywardnesse and fynding fault at euery trifle wee vtterly disgrace all courtesie not onely after wee haue doon good turnes but also euen in the verie dooing of them For whiche of vs is coÌ„tented with lyght intreataunce or with once intreataunce What is he whiche suspecting that somewhat should bee requested of him hath not knit the browes turned awaie his face feyned buzinesse with long and endlesse bytalke purposely cut of occasion of sute and by sundrie deuises dalied out the necessitie that required speede Or if he were taken at aduauntage either he hath made delaies or flatly saied nay too it Or if he graunted it was hardly it was with a sowre looke it was with murmuryng wordes scarce vttered from the lippes But no man will gladly bee in ones daunger for that whiche he getteth by importunatenesse and not by gentlenesse Can any manne bee beholden too suche a â—ne as either fastened a good turne vppon hym for a glorie or forced it vppon hym in a furie or did it too bee rid of trouble because he was weerie of hym He mistakes his markes whiche thinkes that partie bounde vnto hym whom he hath weeried with long delaye or tormented with long lingeryng Looke with what mynde a good turne is doon with the same it is due ageine And therefore it must not bee doon vnaduisedly for a man oweth no thanke for the thing whiche he hath gotten at suche a ones hande as wiste not what he did Nor â—â—owely for sith the estimation of all tourtisie dependeth chéefly vpon the will of the dooer he that is â—low in dooing may seme too haue bin vnwilling No nor yet disdeinfully for inasmucheas Nature
that he thinkes he hath deserued al thinges and taketh himself too bee bounde to noman sopposing himself not too bee esteemed according too his woorthinesse He gaue mee this saieth he but how late and after how muche trauess How many mo thinges might I haue obteined in the while if I had faâ—â—ed vppon suche a man or suche a man or if I had sought myne owne profit I looked not for this I am made a rascall Could he beteeme mee no more than this It had bin more honestie too haue quite ouerslipt mee ¶ The .xxvii. Chapter CNeus Lenâ—ulus the Soothsaier the greatest example of riches that euer was seene before suche tyme as his Franklinges mâ—de him poore for he sawe * Fower thousande Sestertia of his own I spake properly inâ—â— saying for he did no more but sée them was as dul of wit as weake of courage For although he was exceeding couetous yet did he vtter his monnie faster than his woordes so farre was he too séeke what too say Whereas this man owed all his aduauncement too the Emperour Augustus vntoo whom he had brought nothing but beggerie distressed vnder the title of Nobilitie being now becoÌ„me cheef of the Citée bothe in monnie and fauour he was woont oftentymes too make his moane too the Emperor that he was drawen awaye from his studie and that all that euer the Emperor had bestowed vppon him was nothing in comparison of his losse by giuing vp his studie of Eloquence And yet emong other thinges the Emperor Augustus had doon this for hym also that he had deliuered him from being mocked and from his vaine labour Couetousnesse suffereth not any manne too bee thankfull For whatsoeuer is giuen is neuer enough too him that gapeth for more The more wee haue â–ª the more wee couet and much more eagre is the couetousnesse that is béezied in the raking togither of greate riches like as the force of a flame is a thousande tymes feercer according as the fire is the greater that it blazeth out of Also after the same sorte Ambition suffereth not any manne too rest within the measure of that honour whiche heretoofore he would haue bin ashamed too haue wisshed Noman giueth thankes for a Tribuneship but grudgeth that he is not aduaunced too a Pretorship Neither thinketh he the Pretorship woorth gramercie if he comme not too the CoÌ„sulship Neither will the Consulship suffize him if he haue it not more than once Ambition stalketh still foreward and neuer perceiueth when he is well because he neuer looketh froÌ„ wheÌ„ce he came but alwaies whither he would A more vehement and persing maladie than all these is Enuie whiche vexeth vs with making of comparisons He bestoweth this vppon mee sayeth Enuie but he bestowed more vppon him and more spéedily vppon that man Thus weyeth he no mannes cace but his owne and fauoureth himself ageinst all men ¶ The .xxviii. Chapiter HOw much playner dealing and how much more wisdomme were it too aduaunce a good turne receiued â–ª and to consider that noman settes so much by â—nother as euery man settes by himselsef I ought too haue had more at his hand but it was not for his ease toâ— forbeare any more There were many other too bee rewaâ—ded at his hanâ—â— as well as I. This is a beginning Let vs take it in good woorth and toll him forewarde by accepting his good will thankfully He hath doone but a little at once he will doo it the oftener He hath preferred that man before mee and mee before many others That man is not able too matche mee in vertue courtly behauior but yet hath he his peculiar grace By grudging â–ª I shal neuer make myself woorthy of greater benefites but I may make myself vnwoorthy of those y â— I haue alredie There was more giuen too those lewde vnthrifter What is that too mee how sildome dooth fortune vse discretion Wée dayly complayne that euill men bee luckie Oftentymes the Hayle that ouerpassed the groundes of the woorst folke hath striken the Corne of the best Euery man must hold him to his Lot as well in receyuing of freendshippe as in other thinges There is no benefyte so perfect whiche enuy can not nip nor no benefite so skant whiche a good accepter may not inlarge Thee shal neuer want causes of coâ—plaint if a man looke vppon benefites on the woorse syde ¶ The .xxix. Chapter SEE howe vnindifferentlye Gods giftes are esteemed euen of some that professe wisdomme They fynd faulte that wee bée not as bigge bodyed as Elephantes as swifte of foote as Hertes as light as Birdes as strong as Bulles that beastes haue substancialler hydes than wée that the falow Déere hath a fairer heare the Beare a thicker the Beuer a softer that Dogges excell vs in smelling Aegles in seeing Rauens in long liuing and diuers beastes in easie and happie swimming And whereas nature suffereth not certein thinges to ioyne toogither in one as that swiftnesse of bodye should bee matched with equall strength they call it an iniurie that man is not compounded of diuerse and disagreable properties and they blame the Gods of neglecting vs bycause they haue not giuen vs perfect health inuincible strength and corage and knowledge what is too comme Yea and they scarce refreyne themselues from russhing into so shamelesse impudencie as too hate nature for making vs inferiour too the Goddes and not felowes with them and full as good as they How much more meete were it for vs too returne backe too the beholding of their so many and so great benefites and too yeeld them thankes that it hat pleased them too allot vs the second roome in this moâ—t beautiful house and too make vs Lords of all earthly thinges Is there any comparison betweene vs and those beastes wherof wee haue the souereintie Whatsoeuer is denyed vs could not be giuen vnto vs. And therefore whosoeuer thou art that doost so vnderualew mannes Lot bethinke thee how greate thinges our souerein Parent hath giuen vs how much stronger creatures wee bring in subiection how muche swifter creatures wee ouertake and how there is no mortall thing exempted from our power Consider how many vertues wee haue receiued how many artes and what a mynd whiche perceth through all thinges euen in the same instaunt that it setteth itself vntoo them being more swift than the planettes whose courses it foreseeth many hundred yeeres before they come too passe Finally marke what plentie of frutes what abundance of riches what store of all thinges heaped one vpon another bee bestowed vppon vs. Well Take the vew of all thinges and bycause thou canst fynd no one whole thing that thou haddest leuer bee picke out suche seuerall thinges as thou wouldest wish too bée giuen thée out of them al. So when thou hast wellweyed the louing kyndnesse of nature thou shalt be forced too confesse that thou wart hir Dealing And so it is in deede The Gods immortall haue loued vs and doo loue vs
with thee Honourably did the Emperour deale with him both in pardoning him and also in matching liberalitâ—e with his gentlenesse Whosoeuer shall heere of this example must needes prayse the Emperour but yet hee must prayse the Bondman firste Doo ye not looke I should tell yee that he was made free for dooing this deede He was so but not for nought for the Emperour payed for his manumission ¶ The .xxviii. Chapter AFter so many examples there is no dout but a Maister maye receyue a freendly turne at his Bondmannes hand Why should the persone rather imbace the thing than the thing innoble the persone All men haue one beginning and all spring out of one Roote â–ª Noman is more Gentleman than other sauing he that hath a better disposed nature and more apt too good artes They that setfoorth their Pedegrees their aunceters on a long rowe interlyned with many braunches of Collateralll descentes on the foreâ—â—unt of their houses are rather notorious than noble There is but one parent of all men euen the world Whither it bée by famous or bace desceÌ„t euery man conueyes his 〈◊〉 Pedegree from him There is no cause why these that keepe 〈…〉 their aunceters should beguile thee Whersoeuer the 〈◊〉 hath made any man reâ—owmed byandby they feyne him too bee a God Dâ—spize no man though his Pedegree bee worne out of remembraunce and smally furthered by vnfrendly fortune Whither your aunceters were freemen or bondmen or Aleanâ—es bee of good corage hardily and whatsoeuer bacenesse lieth in your way leape ouer it Greate noblenesse abydeth for you alost Why should Pryde puffe vs vp into so great fondnesse that wee should disdeyne too take a good turne at our Bondmennes handes and looke so much at their degree that wee should forget their desertes Callest thou any man Slaue being thyself the bondslaue of Lecherie and Gluttonie and the comon kickhorâ—e not of one Strumpet but of manye Callest thou any man â—â—aue Whither a Gods name doo these Colecariers iaunce thée carying this thy Couch vp doune Whither doo these Clokemen like a sort of braue Soldadoes whither I say doo they conuey thee Too the doore of some doorekéeper or else too the Garden of some Rascall that hath not so much as an ordinarie office And yet denyest thou thyself too bee beholden too thyne owne Seruant which thinkest it too bée a greate frendship too get a kisse of an other mans Seruaunt How happeneth it that thou art so at oddes with thyself At one instaunt thou both despysest and honourest slaues Within doores thou art Lordly and full of commaundementes and without doores Loutlyke and as muche skorned as skornfull For none are sooner out of countenance than they that take most stoutly vppon them in all naughtinesse Neither are any folke buzyer too tread others vnder foote than suche as haue learned too ryde vppon others by putting vp reproche at other mennes handes themselues ¶ The .xxix. Chapiter THese thinges were too bee spoken to pull downe the pryde of men that hang vppon fortune and too recouer vntoo bondmeÌ„ the ryght of benefiting in likewyse as it is too bee yeelded vntoo children For it is a question whether children can by anie meanes bée more beneficiall too their pareÌ„tes than their parentes haue been vntoo them This is a playne cace that manie sonnes haue become greater and of more abilitie than their fathers and in that respect haue bin better than their fathers which thing being admitted it may also fall out that they haue doone more for them considering that bothe their abilitie was greater and their will better Uerely will some man say whatsoeuer it bee that the sonne dooth for his father it is lesse than his father hath doone for him bycause he had not bin in case too haue dooâ— it if it had not bin for his father So can no benefiting surmount him that is the ground of the surmounting of itself First it is too bee considered that some thinges take their beginning of other and yet are greater than their beginninges Neither is any thing therefore lesse than that froÌ„ whence it hath his beginning for that it could not haue growen too that greatnesse excepte it had had a beginning There is almoste nothing but it farre exceedeth his first originall Seedes are the causes of all thinges and yet are they the least part of the thinges that growe of them Looke vppon Rhyne looke vppon Euphrates too be short looke vppon all noble Riuers and what are they if you measure them by their heades from wheÌ„ce they spring whatsoeuer they bee fearedfor whatsoeuer they bee renowmed for they haue purchaced it in their far going Take away rootes and there shal bee no woodes neither shall the greate Mountaynes bee clad with Trees Looke vppon the growing timbertrees If ye regard the great heighth and hougenesse of their Bodies or the greate thiknesse and brode spreddingout of their Boughes how small a thing in comparison of these is that whiche is conteined in the Roote with his fyne little stringes Temples stand vpon their foundacions and so doo the Walles of this famous Citie and yet the thinges that beare vp the whole woorke lye hidden in the ground The same cometh too passe in all other thinges The greatnesse that groweth out dooth alwayes ouerspred his owne originall I could not atteyne too any thing except my Parentes had first begotten mee Yet is not euery thing that I haue atteined too lesse therfore than the thing without which I had not atteyned vntoo it If my Nurce had not cherished mee when I was a Baâ—e I could haue compassed none of the thinges which I now doo both with head and hande neyther should I haue comâ—â—â—â—his renowme and honour whiche I haue earned with my traâ—ell both in peace and warre Wilt thou therefore preferre my Nurâ—â—s dooinges before my greatest deedes And what differâ—â—de is there seeing I could nomore haâ—e â—omâ—â—â—â—â—â—o any thing without the benefyte of my Nurce than without the benefyce of my father ¶ The .xxx. Chapiter BUt if all that euer I am now able too doo ought too bee imputed too my firste originall You must consider that my Father is not my beginner no nor my Grandfather nother For alwaies the further yee go there shal be still some other beginning of the beginning that went last afore But no man will saye I am more beholde too myne Aunceâ—ers whom I neuer knewe and whiche are passed the reache of remembraunce than too my Father But I should bee more beholden too them than too my Father if I bée beholden too myne aunceters that I had a Father to beget mee Whatsoeuer I haue doone for my Father though it bée neuerso much yet sayest thou it is nothing in respect of my Fathers desertes bycause I had not bin if he had not begotten mee After this maner of reasoning if any man haue healed my Father when he was sicke and at deathes doore there is nothing that
inricheth him with the spoile of enemies If all this bee too little putte too further that he contineweth him in extraordinarie offices and in the gouernement of Prouinces ad also that by ouerthrowing of moste mightie 〈…〉 without fellowe being the founder and mainteiner of the Romaine Empire that was too comme from Easte too West aduaunceth the noblenesse of his noble Father Shewe mee the matche of this Scipio and there is 〈…〉 of begetting shal bee 〈…〉 and vertewe of suche a one I am not able too saye whither too thâ— greater welfare or too the greater honour of his countrie ¶ The .xxxiiii. Chapiter MOreouer if all this bee too little admitte that somme man haue discharged his Father from tormentes and taken them too himself For you maye inlarge the weldooinges of a sonne as farre as you list considering that the benefiting of the Father is simple and easie yea and also delightfull to the dooer What neede wee many woordes The father giueth life he knowes not too whom And in dooyng of it he hath a Copartner he hath an eye too the Lawe of fatherhod too the reward of fathers too the continewance of his house and familie and vntoo all thinges rather than him too whom he did it What if a man hauing obteined wisedome doo teache thesame too his father For wée wil reason vpon that point also whither hath he doone more for his Father in teaching him too liue a blessed life or his Father more for him in giuing him life onely Whatsoeuer thou dooest will somme menne saye and whatsoeuer thou art able too bestowe it is by the benefite of thy father As well maye my Schoolemaâ—ster claime it for his benefite that I haue profited in the liberall Sciences vnder him and yet wée excell those that haue taught vs such thinges at leastwise those that haue taught vs our first principles And although no manne can atteine any thing without them yet is not all that a manne hath atteined inferiour to them There is greate difference betweene the firste thinges and the greatest thinges The firste thinges are not by and by comparable too the greatest thinges because the greatest can not bee atteined â—ntoâ—â—â—ithout the first thinges ¶ The .xxxv. Chapter NOw it is tyme for me to bring somewhat out of myne owne store if I maie so terme it He that bestoweth suche a benefite as may bee bettered may bee surmounted The father hath giuen his sonne lyfe but there are thinges better than lyfe Ergo the father maie be surmounted bycause there is some better thing than the benefite that he hath bestowed Yea if one that hath giuen a man lyfe bee once or twyce deliuered from perill of death for it he hath receyued a greater benefyte than he gaue Ergo if the Sonne saue his father oftentymes from daunger of death the father receyueth a better turne than he bestowed He that receiueth a good turne receiueth so much the greater good turne as he hath more neede of it But he that liueth hath more neede of lyfe than he that is not yet borne as who can finde no waÌ„t at all of it Ergo the father receiueth a greater benefite in his sonnes sauing of his life than the sonne receyueth in his fathers begetting of him But thou sayest still that the fathers benefites cannot bee ouermatched by the sonnes benefites Why so Bycause he hath receyued lyfe of his father whiche if he had not receyued he could haue doon no good turnes at all This care of the father is comon too all menne that haue preserued anie bodyes life for they could not haue requyted if they had not receyued lyfe By the same reason it is not possible too reward a Phisician aboue his desert for a Phisician is woont too giue life nor a mariner if he haue saued a man from shipwrecke But the benefytes as well of these men as of all others that by anie meanes haue giuen vs lyfe may bee surmounted Ergo the benefites of parentes may bee surmounted also If a man haue bestowed suche a benefite vppon mee as hath neede too bee furthered by the benefytes of manie men and I bestowe suche a benefite vppon him as should neede the help of noman I haue bestowed a greater than I haue receiued The father giueth his chyld suche a life as should haue perished out of hand if there had not folowed manie thinges too mainteine it But if the sonne saue his Fathers life he giueth him suche a life as wanteth the helpe of no man as too the continewance of it Ergo the Father that hath receiued life at his sonnes hande hath receiued a greater benefite than he gaue ¶ The .xxxvi. Chapiter THese thinges diminishe not the reuerence towardes Parentes ne make their Children woorse too them but rather better For by Nature Uertewe is desirous of praise and preaceth too outgo the formest The childs loue wil be the more chereful if it goe on too requite benefites with hope of surmounting If this may comme too passe by the mutuall consent of the Fathers and the Children for asmuche as there bee many thinges wherein wee maye bee vanquished too our owne behoofe what luckier incounter what greater felicitie can there bee to Parentes than too bee driuen too confesse theÌ„ selues ouermatched by their Children in weldooyng If wêe bée not of this opinion wee giue our Children cause of excuse and make them the â—lower too render thankfulnesse whereas wee ought rather to spurre them foreward and too say Gotoo good sonnes there is an honorable wager layed betweene the Fathers and the Sonnes whither they shall haue giuen or receiued greater benefites They haue not therefore wonne the wager because they haue begunne firste Onely plucke vp a good harte as becommes you and faint not that ye may ouercomme them that would bee glad of it In so goodly an enterprise you cannot want Capiteines too incorage you too doo as they haue doone afore you and too haste you foreward in their owne footesteppes too the victorie whiche they haue often heretofore gotten of their Parentes ¶ The .xxxvii. Chapiter AEnaeas ouermatched his father For wheras his father had borne him a Babe when he was a light and safe cariage he tooke vp his father heauie with age and caried him through the thickest preace of his enemies and through the ruines of the Citie falling doune about him at what tyme the deuout old man holding his holie Relikes and housholdgods in in his armes loded him with another burthen heuyer than himself Yet bare he him in the fyre yea and what is not naturall loue able too doo he bare him thorough and shryned him too be woorshipped among the Founders of the Romaine Empyre The yoongmen of Sicilie ouermatched their Father For when Mount Aetna bursting foorth with greater force than was accustomed had cast foorth his fyre intoo the Townes intoo the Feeldes and into the greatest parte of the Ilande they caught vp their Parentes and men beléeue that the â—â—ames
Like as he maye hinder himself so may he also further himself For an ill turne and a good turne are contraries If wee may say hee â—ath doone himself harme wee may also say he hath doone himâ—â—lf good By nature sayest thou he hath doone it Nature requireth that a manne should first owe before he can requyte A Detter is not without a Creditor nomore than a huseband is without a wife or a father without a childe ¶ The .viii. Chapiter TOO the intent there may bee a receyuer there must first bee a giuer Too conuey out of the left hand intoo the right is neyther giuing nor receyuing Like as noman caryeth himself although hee moue and remoue his bodie froÌ„ place too place Like as noman is couÌ„ted his owne Aduocate though hee haue pleaded his owne cace Like as noman settes vp an Image too himself as his owne founder and like as a sicke man demaundeth nâ—t reward of himself for recouering himself by his owne cunning So in all other matters although a man haue doone neuer so well yet can he not requyte his owne kyndnesse because he hath not towardes whom too requyte it But admit that it bee a bestowing of a good turne when a man is both the giuer and receyuer thereof himself And admit it bee a receyuing of a good turne when he is both the taker and the giuer The returne as men terme it is made at his owne doore and it passeth away foorthwith as a name of dalyance For he that giueth is none other than hee that receyueth but they bee both one This woord Owe hath no place but betweene twoo seuerall parties How then continueth not he still in one which dischargeth himself by bynding himself Euen as in a Bowle or a Ball nothing is nethermost nothing is vppermost nothing last nor nothing first because the order of it is shifted by mouing so as the thinges go before that came behinde and the thinges come vp that went doune and all thinges howsoeuer they go returne intoo one euen so must thou thinke it falles out in man Chaunge thou him intoo neuerso manie thinges and yet is he the same partie still He hath beaten himself hée hath no man too sewe for dooing him wrong Hee hath tyed or shut vp himself he can haue no action of false imprisonment He hath done himself a good turne hee requyted it euen with the dooing of it The nature of the thing cannot bee sayd too haue forgone aught because that whatsoeuer is plucked from it returneth intoo it agein neither can anie thing bee loste whiche hath not whereoutof too passe but wyndeth backe agein intoo whence it came What lykenesse sayeth hee hath this example too the question propounded I will tell thee Put the cace thou bee vnthankfull too thyself yet is not this good turne lost for the bestower of it hath it still Put the cace thou wilt not recâ—iue it thou hast it with thee before it bee deliuered thee Thou canst not forgo aught for whatsoeuer is taken from thee is gotten too thee The Whéele is turned within â—hyself In taâ—ing thou giâ—est in giuing thou takest ¶ The .ix. Chapiter A Man sayeth hee muste doo himsef a good turne ergo he must also requyte it The Antecedent is false whervpon the consequent hangeth For noman dooeth good turnes too himself but he followeth his owne Nature whiche hath framed him toâ— a certein selfloue by meanes whâ—rof he hath a singular regarde too eschew thinges hurtfull and too seeke after thinges that may doe him good Therfore neither is he liberall that giueth too himself nor mercifull that forgiueth himself nor pitifull that reweth his owne miseries That whiche were liberalitie Mercie and Pitie if it were doone too another man is but nature being doone too a mannes self A good turne is a free thing but too doe good too ones self is of naturall necessitie The moe good turnes a man dooeth the more 〈◊〉 is he But who was euer praysed for helping himselfâ— or for defending himself from robbers Noman bestoweth a benefite vppon himself nomore than he bestoweth interteinement vppon himself Noman giueth too himself nomore than he lendeth too himself If a man befreend himself he doeth it alway and without ceassing He cannot keepe a iust reckening of his freendships and how shall he then requyte them sith that by his requyring he benefiteth himself ageine for how should a man discerne whither he doe himself a good turne or requyte one seeing the matter is wrought all in one persone I haue deliuered myself out of some daunger haue I now bestowed a benefite vppon myself I deliuer myself ageine from daunger now whither doe I bestowe or requyte Moreouer although I should graunt thee the first part namely that wée bestowe benefites vppon our selues Yet will I not graunt thee that whiche foloweth For althouge wee bestowe yet doe wee not owe. Whyso Bycause wee receiue ageine out of hande In benefiting it behoueth vs first too receiue then too owe and afterward too requyte But heere is no tyme of owing inasmuche as wee receiue ageine without taryaunce There is no giuing but too another man there is no requyring but too anotherman This thing whiche so oftentymes requyreth twoo properties is not possible too bee done still in one ¶ The .x. Chapiter TOO haue doone a thing too a mannes behoof is a benefite Yea so the woorde doo haue respect too an other man For wilnot men thinke him too hée out of his wittes that shall say hée hath sold a thing too himself For selling is an alienatio of a thing that is a mannes owne and a conueying ouer of his right in the same too another man And like as too sell so also too giue is too passe away a thing from thyself and too make anotherman owner of that whiche was thyne afore Now if benefiting bee of the same forte then can 〈◊〉 benefite himsef because noman can giue aught to himself For then should twoo contraries cloze in one so as giuing and taking should bee al one thing But there is great difference betwixt giuing and taking And good cause why considering how those woordes are matched fullbutte one ageinste another I sayd a little afore how some woordes haue relation too otherfolkes and are of suche nature that the whole signification of them departeth from ourselues I am a brother howbeeit too anotherman for noman is brother too himself I am a peere but too anotherman for noman is peere too himselfe The thing that is compared is not vnderstoode without his match and the thing that is cuppled is not without a felowe So also the thing that is giuen is not without a receyuer neither is a Benefite without another too bee benefited by it The same thing appeereth by the verie Terme wherein this benefiting is coÌ„teined But noman benefiteth himself nomore than hee fauoureth himself or taketh part with himself Wee may prosecute this matter yet longer and with mo examples And
Collina 〈…〉 was of rype yeeres rendered this thancke too the Common weale that he put others in possession of it also as though he might haue made his owne preheminence the lesse enuyed by making the thing lawfull for many men whiche was lawfull for many men whiche was lawfull for noman For whyle hee sought extraordinarie gouernementes whyle hee distributed Prouinces to take the choyce of them to himself whyle he deuided the common weale too the Thréemen so as two partes of it remayned in his owne House hee brought the People of Rome too fuche an afterdéele as they could not continue in safetie but by the benefite of bondage Unkind was the verie enemie and vanquisher of Pompei Caius Iulius Caesar who for all his tendering of the Comon weale and for all his fawning vppon the Comonaltie led the Warres about from Fraunce and Germanie intoo the Citie and pitched his Campe in the Circle of Flaminius neerer than Porsenna had doone In déede right did temper the rigour of his victorie and he performed his ordinarie saying whiche was that he slew noman but if he were in Armes What fault had he then Whereas the residue vsed their weapons more bluddily yet at length they were satisfied layd them doune agein But this man did soone put vp his Sworde but he neuer layd it away Unthankfull was Antodie too his owne preferrer in that hee auowed him too hee lawfully slayne and admitted his murtherers too Prouinces and gouernement And when hee had torne his Countrie with proscriptions inuasions and battelles after all these mischeeues he gaue it ouer intoo bondage and that not vntoo Romane Kinges but after suche a sorte as the same Comon weale whiche had fullie restored right libertie and fréedome too the Achayas Rhodians and many other noble Cities should it self pay tribute too gelded men ¶ The .xvii. Chapiter TYme would fayle me if I should recken vp all that haue bin vnthankfull euen with the vtter destruction of their countries And as endlesse a matter would it bee too ronne ouer the excellent and weldispozed men too whom the Comon we ale itself hath bin vnthanckefull and â—oo shewe how shée hath oftentymes offâ—â—ded no lesse ageinst others than others haue offended ageinst her It baâ—ished Camillus it sent Scipio out of the waie and it outlawed Cicero euen after he â—ad suppressed Catiline beating doune his house spoyling his goodes and dooing whatsoeuer Catiline himself would haue done too him if he had gotten the victorie Rutilius was rewarded for his innocencie too goe hyde his head in Asia The people of Rome sayed Cato nay of the Pretorship and vtterly denyed him the consulship Wée bée comonly vnthankfull all of vs. Let euery man aske his owne conscience Eche man complaynes of others vnthankfulnesse But it could not fall out that all should complayne vnlesse there were cause too complayne of all Are all men then but only vnthankfull Yis they bee also all couetouse all maliciouse and all fearfull specially those that seeme too bee most hardie Yea I say further they bee all ambitiouse and all vngodly But there is no cause why yee should bee angrie with them rather beare with theÌ„ for they bee all out of their wittes I wilnot call thée backe too vncerteinties I prey thée see how vnthankfull youth is Who is he bee he neuer so innocent meeke and kyndharted that doeth not wish wayt and long for his fathers death Where is there one among a nomber that would be loth his wyfe should dye and not rather maketh reckening vppon her death bee shee neuer so good a wyfe I pray you what man being intangled in the Lawe and rid out of it by somme other mannes helpe will beare so greate a benefite in minde anie longer than till the next matter that commes may put it out of his head This wee bee sure of there is noman dyeth without gurdging there is noman that at his last hour dares saie Now welcom death whiche endes the race That fortune gaue mee heere too trace Who departeth not vnwillingly who departeth not sighing â–ª But it is the point of an vnthankfull persone not too bee contented with the tyme forepast Alwayes the daies of a mannes life wilbée fewe if he fall too numbering them Consider how the souâ—â—ein good consisteth not in tyme. How long or short so euer thy tyme bee take it in good woorth The prolonging of thy deathes day auayleth thee nothing too blissednesse because that by coÌ„tinewance the life is not made the blisfuller but the longer How muche better were it too bee thankfull for the pleasures that a man hath receiued and not too stand counting of other mennes yeeres but too esteeme his owne gently and too take them for a vauntage This hath God voutsaued vppon mee this is ynough he could haue giuen mee more but euen this also is his benefite Let vs bee thankfull too the Goddes thankfull too men thankfull too suche as haue besâ—owed aught vppon vs and thankfull too those also whiche haue doone good too anie of ours The .xviii. Chapiter THou byndest mee out of measure sayest thou when thou sayest Ours Therefore set mee somme â—ad By your saying he that doeth a good turne too the chyld doeth it also too the father First I would haue thee too set mee somme bound and afterwarde too tell mee if a good turne bee doone too the father â–ª 〈◊〉 the same extend also too the brother too the vncle too 〈…〉 father too the wyfe and too the father inlawe Tell 〈…〉 I may stop and how farr I shall pursew thee pedegree of persones If I till thy Lande for thee I shall doe thee a good turne and if I quenche thy house that is on a 〈…〉 in reparacions that it derâ—â— not shall 〈…〉 If thou saue â—ut my slaue I shall thinke myself 〈◊〉 too thee and wilt not thou count it a â—enefite if I 〈…〉 ¶ The .xix. Chapiter THâ—◠〈…〉 vnlike examples For he that 〈…〉 benefiteth 〈◊〉 my Lande but mee And he that shoreth vp my house that it fall not doeth the pleasure too mee for the house iâ—self is senslesse I am his dâ—tter for it or other wyse he hath none Also he that 〈…〉 it not too deserue well of my grounde but of mee The same doe I saye of my Bondman for he is a part of my chatteiles is saued for mee and therfore I am detter for him But my sonne is himself capable of a good turne Therfore it is he that receiueth it and I am glad of his weâ—speeding I am touched with him â—ut not bound with him Well then I would fayâ—e that thou whiche thinkest not thyself bound shouldest answer mee whither the helth welfare and prosperitie of the soâ—â—e perteyne noâ—â—oo the father He shal bee the happyer if hee haue his sonne safe and the vnhappyer if he forgoe him Now then if by 〈◊〉 meanes he bee made the more happier and deliuered from the daunger of extreme miserie receiueth he no benefite
deuide them but bring as well the wronges as the benefites both before one Iudge Otherwise thou wouldest haue mee both too loue and too hate and to giue thankes all at once which is an impossibilitie in nature Nay rather by comparing the benefite and wrong toogither â–ª I shal see who is most in others det For like as if a man should write other lyâ—es aloft vppon my wrytinges he should deface the first letters but not take them away Euen the displeasure that foloweth vppon a good turne doth but blemishe the good turne ¶ The .vii. Chapiter THy countenance too the gouerâ—ement wherof I haue submitted myself gathereth wrincles and frowneth vppon mee as though I ran at randon Mee thinkes I heere thée say whither raungest thou mée out so farre on the Right hande drawe more hitherward and keepe thee too the shore I can keepe no neerer Therefore if thou thincke I haue satisfied thee in this poynt let vs passe to the other namely whither wee bee anie thing beholden too him that hath doone vs good ageinst his will I could haue spoken this more plainly but that the proposition must bee somewhat confuzed too the ende that the distinction immediatly insewing may shewe how I demaund both whither wee bee beholden too him that hath doone vs good and ment it not and also whither wee bee beholding too him that hath doone vs good and wist it not For if a man bée forced too doo vs good it is more manifest that he byndeth vs not than that any woordes should bee spent in the proofe of it This question and all other that may bee moued like vnto it is easely discussed if wee beare this principle continually in mynd namely that it is no benefite at all which is not first by some meane ment towardes vs and therewithall also both frendly and courteouse And therefore wee thancke not the Riuers although they beare greate Shippes and râ—n in large continuall streames too conuey home store of welth nor for their roÌ„ning full of fish and with pleasure through batling groundes Noman thinketh himself more bound too Nilus for the good hee receiueth by it than hee hateth him for his swelling ouer high or for his falling away too slowly Neyther doth the wynd bestowe a benefite though it blowe gentle and prosperous nor our meate because it nourisheth and is wholsome For he that shall benefite mee muste not onely doo mee good but also haue an intent too doo it Therefore men bee not indetted too the dumb beastes and yet what a nomber haue bin deliuered from daunger by the swiftnes of their horses nor yet too the Trees and yet how many haue bin succored with the shadowe of their boughes in extremitie of heate What skilles it mee whither hee that dooth mee good knowe not that he doth it or bee not able too knowe it sith that both of them wanted will too doo it And what difference is there whither you would haue mee too owe a good turne too a ship or a Charyot or a Speare or too suche a man as no whit more purposed too benefite mee than anie of those thinges did but did mee good by hap only ¶ The .viii. Chapiter A Man may receiue a benefite vnwitting but he cannot bestowe it vnwitting For like as manie men bee healed by mischaunces and yet the same mischaunces are no medicines as for example the falling intoo a riuer with greate rush hath vntoo some men bin a cause of health and somme haue bin rid of a quartane by whipping so as the sodein feare hath disappointed the fit by turning the minde too another thought and yet are none of these thinges helthfull though they haue wrought helth for the tyme Euen so somme men doo vs good when they meene it not or rather by meening the contrarie and yet wee are not their detters of a good turne What if fortune haue turned their hurtfull intentes too my good Suppose you I am anie whit beholding too him whose hand strake at mée and hit myne enemie and had hurt me if it had not swarued Oftentymes the periurie of a mannes enemie hath discredited him vppon trew allegations and witnesses and made the defendant too bee pitied as intrapped by conspiracie The mayne force that oppressed somme man hath bin the cause of his deliuerance and the iudges would not condemne him for pitie whom they would haue condemned for his cace Yet haue none of these benefited mee though they haue saued mee For the question is wherat the dart was throwen and not what it did hit and the thing that putteth the difference betweene a benefite and a wrong is not the falling out but the intent Myne aduer sarie offendeth the iudge with his pryde and furthereth my cace by speaking contraries and by putting himself rashly vppon one witnesse I ask not whither he misbehaued himself too pleasure mee or no for his will was bent ageinst mee ¶ The .ix. Chapiter VErely too the end I maie bée thankfull I must haue a will too doo as he hath doone too mee like as it behoued him too haue an intent too doo mee good too the end too benefite mee For what greater wrong can there bee than too hate a man for treading on his foote in a throng or for spitting vppon him or for thrustiâ—g him whither he would not And yet forasmuch as there is misusage in the deede what other thing is it that can excuse him from blame than that he will not what he did The same thing that exempteth the one from being thought too haue doone wrong exempteth the other also from being thought too haue doone a pleasure It is the intent that maketh fréend or foe Manie haue bin excused from warfare by sicknesse Somme haue bin held from meeting with the fall of their owne house by keeping their daie of appeerance at the sute of their enemies And some by shâ—pwrâ—cke haue scaped the handes of Pyrates Yet owe wee none of these a good turne bycause chaunce is without the compasse of curtesie Neyther am I anie thing beholden too myne enemie whose sute saued mee whyle he trubled mee and hild mee awaie It is no good turne except it proceede from a good will and except the partie that did it wist it Hath a man profited mee and knewe not of it I am nothing in his det for it Did he mee good when he would haue hurt mee I will folowe his example ¶ The .x. Chapter LET vs turne ageine too the first poynt That too the end I should bee thankfull thou wilt haue mee too doo sommewhat and yet the other too benefite mee hath doone nothing at all Secondly thou wilt haue mee too bee so kyndharted that I must requyte that thing willingly whiche I receiued of him ageinst his will For what should I speake of the third whose harme turned too my benefite If thou wilt haue mee too owe thee a good turne it is not inough for thee too bee onely willing too doo
sake howbeeit that there is another greater and former cause than these ¶ The .xxiii. Chapiter AD further that outward thinges compell not the Goddes but their owne euerlasting will is as a Lawe too themselues The thinges that they haue decreed are such as they ment not too alter Therfore they cannot seeme to doo any thing ageinst their will For whatsoeuer they cannot cease too doo that was it their will too continew Neither dooth it euer repent the Goddes of their firste determination Doutlesse they can not both bee stable and starting too the contrarie Notwithstanding albeeit that their owne power hold them in their determination yet is not their coÌ„tineweing in it of weaknesse but because it is not for them too step asyde from the best thinges and because they haue determined so too go At that firste determination of theirs when they disposed all things they sawe our affaires also and had regard of man Therefore they cannot seeme too keepe their â—ourses and too lay out their woorkes for their sakes alone for euen wee also are a part of the woork Then are wee indetted to the Sonne and the Moone and the other heauenly powers for their benefites because that although they bee better than the thinges whereintoo they shine yet they helpe vs too the atteinement of greater thinges And also that they helpe vs of set purpose And therefore wee bee the more bound vntoo them For wee stumble not vppon their benefites without their knowledge but they wist well wee should receyue these thinges which wee receyue And although they haue somme greater purpose and somme greater frute of their woorke than the preseruation of mortall thinges yet notwithstanding euen for our wealesake also there was a prouidence sent before at the first beginning of thinges and there was suche order stablished in the world as it may appeere there was no small regard had of vs. Wee owe deutifulnesse too our Parentes and yet manie of them matched not toogither too beget Children The Gods cannot séeme too haue doone they wist not what considering how they haue prouyded foode and all other thinges aforehande for all men neyther begate they vs vnwares for whom they haue created so many thinges For nature mynded vs before shee made vs and wee are not so slyght a woorke that wee could slip from hir vnwares See how muche shee hath permitted vs and how farre mannes dominion firâ—tâ—heth further than ouer man onely Sée how farre our bodyes may raundge and how Nature hath not restrayned them within the boundes of any Landes but hath giuen them frée scope into euery part of hirself See how muche mennes myndes dare aduenture and how they onely eyther knowe or seeke the Goddes aspyring too heauenly thinges by the mynd whiche is giuen too mount alost You may perceyue how man is not an vnaduysed peece of worke clumpered vp in hast Among the greatest woorkes of nature there is nothing wherein nature more gloryeth or at leastwyse wherein shee may more glorie How great a madnesse is it too quarell with the Goddes for their owne giftes How will he bee thankfull towardes those that cannot bee requyted without cost who denyeth himself too haue receyued aught at their handes which will euer giue and neuer reciue And what a frowardnesse is it for a man not too think himself beholden too one euen because he is good to him that denyes it and too say that the verie continuance and holding on of his goodnesse is but a token that hee could not otherwyse doo though he would Say thou I will none of it let him keepe it too himself who craued it at his hand and packe thou toogither all the woordes of a thanklesse mynd yet shall thou not therefore fynd the lesse goodnesse in him whose bounteousnes commeth vntoo thee euen whyle thou deâ—yest it and of whose benefites euen this is one of the greatest that he will giue vnto thee euen though thou grudgest ageinst him ¶ The .xxiiii. Chapter SEEst thou not how parentes inforce the tender chyldhode of their children too the inuraÌ„ce of good wholsom things With heedfull care doo they cherish their bodies though the children wéepe stryue ageinst it And least vntymely loocenesse might make them growe awrye they hynd them streyt too make them growe right and anon after instruct them in liberall sciences restreyning them with feare if they bee vnwilling Moreouer they frame and apply their headie youth vntoo Thrist shamefastnesse and good manners if they folowe them not of themselues Also wheÌ„ they be men growen and haue somme staye of themselues if then they reiect their remedies through sheepishnesse or vnrulinesse they vse force streyt kéeping vnder Therfore the greatest benefites that wée receiue of our parentes are those that wee receiue eyther vnwittingly or else vnwillingly ¶ The .xxv. Chapiter VNtoo these vnthankfull folk which refuze good turnes not bycause they cannot find in their hartes too haue them but bycause they cannot finde in their hartes too bee beholden for them they be like on the contrarie parte whiche through ouermuche kyndnesse are woont too wish somme inconuenience or aduersitie vntoo those too whom they bee moste beholden therby too shewe how myndfull affection they beare them for their benefite receiued Whither they doo this thing aright and of a good will it is a question sith their mynd is like too theirs who burning in 〈◊〉 loue doo wish their louer banishment too the ende they might accompanie her in her distresse and departure or pouertie too the ende they might releeue her want or siknesse too the end they myght sit by her too tend her and finally whiche vnder profession of Loue doo wish whatsoeuer her enemie would haue wisshed vntoo her Therefore the ende of â—atred and of Frentike loue is welneere all one The like thing also betydeth too those that wish their fréendes harme too the intent that they maierid them of it and make waâ—e too benefiting by dooing them wrong wheras it were muche better euen vtterly too leaue of than too seeke occasion of benefiting by meanes of wickednesse What if a master of a ship should praye the Goddes too sende cruell stormes and tempestes too the intent too make his conning the better liked for the daunger What if the generall of a féeld should desire the Goddes that a greate multitude of enemies myght beseege his Camp and with soodein violence fill vp the trenches and pulldoune the rampyre and to the greate torror of his armie aduaunce their antesignes in at the verie gates too the intent that when thinges were vnder foote and at the last cast he himself mightmake all safe ageine too his owne greater glorie All these conuey their benefites by a cursed waie when they call the Goddes ageinst him whom they themselues would succor and desyre too haue him first throwen doune that they themselues might rayse him vp It is an vnnaturall and vntowarde maner of kyndnesse too wish misfortune too
paynes is payd but the reward of their good willes is owing still ¶ The .xviii. Chapiter WHen a certein Ferriman had caried Plato ouer a Riuer and demaunded nothing of him for his fare Plato beleeuing he had doone it for courtesie too himward sayd he would keepe his coursie in store for him Within a whyle after when Plato sawe him ferrye ouer others with like diligence and of freâ— cost he denyed that he kept any curtesie of his in store for him For if a man will haue meâ— too bee a detter for the thing that he dooeth too mee it behoueth him too doo it not only too mee bâ—t also for my sake Thou 〈…〉 any one man for that whiche thou laâ—â—hest out among a multitude What then is there nothing owing for this No nothing as at anye one maâ—â—â—s hand For I will pay with all men that whiche I owe 〈…〉 men ¶ The .xix. Chapiter DEnyest thou sayeth hee that that manne hath befreended mee at all whiche hath brought mée vp the Riuer Po in his Ship for nothing I deny it He dooth mee somme good but hee befreendeth mee not For he dooeth it for his owne sake oâ— at leastwyse not for myne Too bee short not euen hee himself deemeth himself too bestowe a benefite vppon mee but he dooeth it either for the comon weale or for the next towneship or for his owne vayneglorie or else in lew thereof he tooketh for somme further commoditie than he should haue had by taking euerie mans fare But what if the Emperour should make al frenchmen Fréedenizens or set all Spanyarâ—es free from subiection should none of them seuerally owe aught in this cace yes why should they not Notwithstanding â–ª they shall owe not as for a peculiar benefite but as for a peece of a publik benefite He neuer thought on mee at all sayeth he at the tyme that he did good too vs all Hee ment not precysely too make mee free of the Citie neyther did hee set his mynd vppon mee And so why should I bee in Dette too him who purposed not vppon mee when he intended the thing that he did First when hee purpose too doo good too all Frenchemen he purposed too doo good too mee also for I was a Frencheman and although hee marked mée not out by name yet hee comprehended mee vnder the generall mark And therefore I shal bee his Detter not as a peculiar persone butas one of the whole multitude And I shall not requyte it as in myne owne behalf but I shal be contributarie too it as in the behalf of my Country The .xx. Chapiter IF a man lend Monny too my countrie I shall not account myselfe his detter neither shall I acknowledge it as my Det either too sewe or too bee sewed and yet â–ª shall I giue my portion too the payment of it Euen so I denye myself too be Detter for the benefite that is bestowed vppon all in comon because that althongh he bestowed it yea and vppon mee also yet did he it not for my sake neither knewe he whither he did it too mee or no. Neuerthelesse I ought too knowe that my part must bee in the paying of it bycause it came by a long circumstaunce euen vntoo mee also The thing that should bynd mee should bee doone peculiarly for myne owne sake By this reckening â—ayth he thou art not beholden too the Moone nor too the Sonne For they moue not peculiarly for thy sake No and yet notwithstanding forasmuchas their mouing is too preserue all thinges in generall they moue for mee too For I am a part of the whole Moreouer the state of these thinges of vs is vnlike For he that dooth mée good only to profit himself therby hath not benefited mée because he made mee but the instrument of his owne profite But asfor the Sonne and the Moone although they doo vs good for their owne sakes yet the intent of their dooing good vnto vs is not too profite themselues thereby For what can wee bestowe vppon them ¶ The .xxi. Chapiter I Myght bee sure sayeth he that the Sonne and â–ª the Moone are willing too doo vs good if it laie in their power too bee vnwilling But they cannot but moâ—e Let them stand still a little and rest from their woork Sée how manie 〈…〉 A man is not therefore the lesse willing bycause he cannot bee vnwilling But it is a greate proof of a stedfast will that it cannot bee altered A good man cannot doo otherwyse than well for he should not bee a good man if he did not well Ergo a good man bestoweth no benefite bycause he dooth but as he ought too doo and he caâ—not doo otherwyse than as he ought too doo Besides this there is greate difference whither you saie he cannot but doo this thing bycause he is compelled too doo it and whither you saâ—e he cannot bee vnwilling too doo it For if he must needes doo it whither he will or no then am I not beholden vntoo him for my good turne but too the partie that compelled him But 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of his willingnesse proceede of this that he cannot will but well then compelleth he himself And so looke for what thing I should not haue bin beholden too him as compelled by others for the same shall I bee beholden too him as too the compeller Yea but let them cease too bee vnwilling sayeth he Consider thou heere who is so farre out of his 〈◊〉 as too denye that too bee willingnesse whiche is not in perill of ceassing or of altering itself too the contratie seeing that on the other side noman maye of ryght seeme so willing as he whose will is so vtterly certeine that it is euer lasâ—ing If he bee willing whiche maie anon after bee vnwilling 〈◊〉 he bee thought too bee willing who is of that nature that he cannot bee vnwilling ¶ The .xxii. Chapter GO too sayeth he let them doo otherwyse if they can This is it that thou méenest namely that all these thinges whiche are seuerâ—◠〈◊〉 waie asunder and settled 〈◊〉 places for the preseruation of the whole should forsake their standinges that the Starres should rushtogither through â—oodein confusion that the heauenly things should braste their concord and ronne to decay that the exceeding violent swiftnesse of the Skyes should stande still in the middes of their race and disapoint the interchaunges behighted for so many ages yet to come and that the thinges whithe nowe go and comme interchaungeably in seasonable course guyding the world by indifferent sway should bee burned vp with sodein fyre and bee quyte let looce from so greate varietle and be confounded all intoo one Let fyre consume all thinges and afterward let droopy night ouerwhelme the fyre and consequently let the deepe Gulf of confusion swallowe vp so manie Gods And let all this cost bee bestowed onely too disproue thée They can yeeld thee these things euen ageinst thy will and kéepe on their course for thy