pleasures bringeth forth Quippe nec ira Deüm tantum nec tela nec hostes Quantum sola noces animis illapsa voluptas Not the gods wrath steele nor the enemy can Doe so much hurt as only lust to man Many lewd devices have beene invented by them to effectuate their purpose that have given themselves to satisfie their lusts with the pleasures of the flesh In a village not farre from the mountaines of Savoy inhabited with a rude and ignorant kinde of people there was one chosen to bee their Parish Priest only because hee could reade more meete to drive the cart than to serve in the Ministerie This man grew in such favour with those rude people that almost all the women used to make him their gossip with whom by that means he became very familiar but especially above all the rest he was in favour with a poor mans wife called Lisetta This man was much troubled in minde to see his wife so great with the Parish Priest and being jealous not without cause hee forbade his wife all Priests companie Sir Morice for so hee was called being much out of quiet for lacke of his gossips companie sent an old Witch to consult with her how they might come together againe after their accustomed manner My daughter quoth she I see your minde is much troubled your friend is in the like perplexitic because hee cannot enjoy your companie as hee hath done and I my selfe having felt the like passions in my youth seeme to feele in my selfe the paines of your sorrow But now the matter standing upon these termes some remedy must be found Dare you faine that you are possessed with a spirit O my mother said the young woman I could willingly play that part artificially enough if I thought that could bring our purpose to passe When the old Witch had instructed her what to doe Lisetta at the time the Priest was at Masse began to stare with her eies to wring her hands to fome at the mouth and to howle like a wolfe The foolish people beholding this unwonted sight ranne to wonder at her supposing she had been possessed with a spirit Her husband likewise lamenting her miserable estate supposing her to suffer great torment laid aside all suspicion and ran like one that had beene out of his right minde to the Priests house desiring him to take the paines by his exorcismes to drive this wicked spirit out of his wife Sir Morice counterfeiting great sorrow for her torments and paine O my Gossip quoth he your over-much frowardnesse to your wife and jealousie without cause hath brought her to this the like whereof happeneth somtimes to women of greatest honesty and so taking his stole and other instruments for his conjuration with him to the sicke woman hee goeth and after hee had mumbled softly to himselfe many prayers he asked the spirit who he was Lisetta being sufficiently instructed by the old bawde answered with a low hoarse voyce I am the spirit of this young womans father condemned to this penance for ten yeares to passe out of one bodie into another The husband hearing him to bee the spirit of his father in law besought himearnestly to depart out of his wife to torment her no more The spirit answered him I wil go forth of this woman and I wil change my lodging and enter into thee Then the poore man terrified with this hard sentence embraceth the Priest about the neck and lamentably desired him to shew whether he knew any way how hee might avoyde this severe sentence by prayers by fasting by almes or by any other good deeds Lisetta being glad to see this matter frame so well to her purpose My friend said she your poverty will not suffer you to doe that were requisite to avoyd this sentence and therefore in place thereof you must visit forty Churches and say many prayers in every of them with good devotion by which meanes you shall obtaine pardon of God for your sins otherwise you can never escape Gods ordinance This penance Lisetta layd upon her husband that by reason of the farre distance of those Churches one from another in that pilgrimage there might bee time enough to quench the furie of the spirit But that all things might be done without feare and suspicion in her counterfeit voyce shee blameth him for the wrong hee hath done his gossip suspecting him without a cause a holy man whose prayers were greatly acceptable before God and advised him whilest he was in his pilgrimage to commit the charge of his wife to this holy man The poore fellow hoping in this sort to bee released from the paines of Purgatory desired forgivenesse upon his knees of the Priest which being without great difficultie obtained hee proceedeth on his pilgrimage lest some worse matter might happen to him In the meane time Sir Morice imployed all his diligence both day and night that this spirit being chased out of her another might supply his roome Which being turned into the forme of a young living childe her silly husband thought himselfe after his returne from his pilgrimage to bee thereof the naturall father that had least interest in it Thus are they carried away from all respects and duties both to God and men that give themselves to satisfie their lusts with fleshly pleasures Saint Gregorie saith Momentaneum est quod delectat aeternum quod cruciat That which delighteth is momentanie but that which tormenteth is eternall Aristotimus under the favour of King Antigonus exercised tyrannie over the Eleusiens and as hee was evill given such choyce hee made of his favorites Among the rest there was one Lucius extremely enamored upon a faire young maiden daughter to a man of good account and that hee might have his pleasure of her hee procured the tyrant to command her parents to send her to him The father fearing the displeasure of the tyrant he his wife used perswasions to his daughter to goe to him The young virgin that had bin vertuously brought up fell downe at her fathers feete and in lamentable wise embracing his legges besought him with teares that hee would not suffer her to bee dishonoured She would preferre her honour before her life and would rather chuse to suffer any kinde of death than to bee so shamefully dishonoured The father and mother being greatly moved with the lamentation of their daughter wept bitterly and made some stay of their resolution Lucius perceiving her not to come unpatient of any delay to fulfill his beastly lust went to her fathers house where hee found her upon her knees holding her fathers legges fast in her armes and with great threatnings he commanded her to arise and to follow him but the young maiden renewing her lamentable complaints and refusing to goe with him hee tare her clothes in pieces and stripped her naked and beat her cruelly The parents beholding this wofull sight besought him upon their knees that hee would have compassion
the care they have to maintaine themselves and their credit in their estate is greater than the pleasure they take in possessing them For every small matter they thinke detracteth much from their reputation when they lye dying disposing their goods gotten with such toyle of their bodies and care to their minds danger to their lives and hazzard many times to their soules there is such gaping for that they have that they have more trouble to please all than they took pleasure to possesse all But improperly untruly are riches called goods when they bring with them so many evils For greater is the number without comparison of such as being good become evill by riches than of them that being wicked are by riches made good Alexander the Great sent Ambassadours to Phocion of Athens with a Present of an hundred talents being in value almost twentie thousand pounds Phocion demanding the cause of this great gift seeing there were so many Athenians besides him Because quoth they our master esteemeth you among all the rest for a vertuous and good man Then quoth he let him suffer me both to seeme and to bee so indeed and carry his Present backe to him againe Diogenes in the like sort refused Alexanders offers of worldly goods For being visited on a time by him as he was in his tub I see quoth Alexander to Diogenes that thou art poore and hast neede of many things aske what thou wilt and I will give it thee In the meane time quoth Diogenes stand out of the Sunne Some of his nobilitie standing by and supposing that hee studied what he might aske urged him to aske something Whether of us two said Diogenes to Alexander seemeth to thee to have most neede and therfore poorest I that desire nothing but my tub and a little bread or thou that art King of Macedon and doest hazzard thy selfe to so many dangers to enlarge thy dominions so as the whole world seemeth too little to satisfie thy ambitious and covetous minde Alexander had Diogenes in such admiration for the contempt of worldly goods that he said with alowd voice If I were not Alexander I would be Diogenes He said further that there was no other felicitie in this world than either to bee King Alexander that commandeth all or to be Dâ—…ogenes that commandeth Alexander The like boldness of speech Diomedes the Pirate used to Alexander being taken and brought before him for Piracie For the King demanding of him how he durst presume so to molest the seas without authoritie Because quoth he I rob but with one ship and thou doest the same with a great navie I am accused and called a Pirate and thou a King But if I had a navie and thou but one ship I should be called a King and thou a Pirate But the iniquitie of my fortune and poore estate and thy intolerable pride and unsatiable avarice hath made us both theeves If my bare estate were something amended peradventure I should become better but the more thou hast the worse thou wilt be The King pardoned him and his libertie of speech considering with himselfe that a great navie which is prepared with riches maketh not the right difference between a King and a poore Pirate that hath but one ship if the end of their enterprise be one that is to take by violence that which is none of theirs But the justice and equitie of the cause maketh the true difference and is appropriate to the dignitie qualitie of a King The same Diogenes before named being taken for a spie and brought to King Philip Alexanders father when hee made warre upon the Grecians and examined said I am indeed an espie of thy covetousnesse and madnesse that commest hither to hazzard thy selfe and thy Kingdome Iulius Casar passing by a little village said that hee had rather bee the first in that little towne than second at Rome By which sayings of these men it may be gathered that they esteemed him not poore that was not endued with worldly goods and possessions and contented himselfe with that he had but that he rather was poore that had much and yet desired more which is a thing common to all rich men Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit seth The love of mony grows as the mony it selfe increa He is happy not that hath what he desireth but he who desireth not that which he hath not And where the greedy desire of riches hath taken roote there is no prohibited meanes neither by the lawes of God nor by the ordinances of men that can restraine them if all other means faile to feck for help of the Divell to findeit out There was a Priest but few yeares past in the yeare one thousand five hundred thirtie to whom the divell had shewed treasure in a chrystall glasse at Norimberg And when the Priest taking one of his friends with him went to seeke for it without the towne he saw in the hole where he digged a chest and a blacke dog lying upon it And as he went down into the hole the earth fell upon him and killed him and filled up the hole againe Like wise there was one that sought for money by Magicke neare Paris and as hee would have taken up the coffer where it was a whirle-winde carried it away and a peece of the wall fell upon him and made him lame all his life A just reward and good example for men to beware how they trust to the Divels helpe And this was a strange thing that happened of late in the yeare of grace one thousand five hundred ninetie one there was one Mark Bragadin that professed himselfe to bee an excellent Alcumist but indeed a notable Magician This man came from Venice into Baviere and there practised to make gold in such abundance that he would give his friends whole lumps of gold making no more estimation of gold than of brasse or iron he lived stately like a Prince kept a bountifull house and had servants of great account and was saluted with a title of dignitie and drew many Princes into admiration of him insomuch as he was accounted another Paracelsus And after hee had long exercised his art made himselfe knowne to all the Princes was desired of them all hee came at length into the Duke of Bavieres Court who finding after a while his fraud illusions committed him to prison And when the Duke had commanded him to bee examined and put to the torture he desired he might suffer no such paine promising that he would confesse of his own accord all the wickedness that ever he had câ—…mitted and exhibited accordingly to the Duke in writing the whole course of his lewd life desiring neverthelesse that it might not be published Hee confessed that hee was worthy to dye but yet made humble sute that his concubine Signora Caura and his whole familie might returne untouched into Italie Not long after
that povertie doth not cause unquietnesse but mens desires and that riches doe not deliver men from feare but reason And therefore hee that will use reason will not covet superfluous riches nor blame tolerable povertie Seneca was wont to say that a bull filleth himselfe with a little medow a wood is sufficient to feed many Elephants but man through his ambition cannot be satisfied with the whole earth neither yet with the sea And this is to bee noted that notwithstanding the goodly lessons and precepts that Seneca gave of the dangers and troubles which commonly accompanie great wealth and riches he had neverthelesse gathered together abundance of riches and possessions procuring thereby to himselfe much envie which was the chiefe cause of his destruction And the same may bee a document to others to bee very wary and circumspect that they be not carried away and overcome with the inordinate desire and love of riches and possessions when so wise and learned a man that could give so wholesome counsell and remedies to others was himselfe infected and overthrown by the same disease Seneca was schoole-master to the Emperour Nero in his youth and afterward in such authoritie and credit with him that for a time he managed all the affaires of the State and gathered great wealth which through envie procured him many enemies among which number was one Snillius who was highly in Nero's favour and spake thus unto Seneca in the Princes presence By what wisedome by what instructions and doctrine of Philosophie wherein thou takest upon thee to bee studious hast thou within lesse than foure yeares whilest the Emperour hath favoured thee and shewed thee signes of love gotten together three thousand times sesterties which value after the french mens account is seven millions and five hundred thousand crownes But though Seneca for that time escaped the accusations of his enemies yet perceiving foure years after his authoritie taken from him and his former favours diminished and that the Prince lent his eares to his enemies hee began to feare and to save his life and to prevent the Emperours cruelty he came to him and by way of oration spake thus It is fourteene yeares or thereabout O King sithence I came to you and eight yeares of this time have you beene Emperour in which space you have heaped upon mee such goods and honours as there wanteth nothing to my felicitie but a moderation thereof And after hee had reckoned up many benefits and great favours which hee had received of Nero and declared wherein consisted riches he beganne to accuse himselfe that hee had not kept the Lawes of written knowledge and lived onely by Philosophie which would have taught him to bee content with a little or that which is sufficient He told him that the riches and possessions which hee had bestowed upon him were so great that hee was not able to beare them but rather was ready to sinke under his own burthen And therefore hee desired Nero that hee would ease him of this charge and send his officers to seaze upon all to his use to whom it rightly appertained alledging it to bee a thing glorious to the Emperour that hee had advanced them to the highest dignities that could also beare meane fortune and be content with a little Nero answered him with great commendations of his service and worthinesse and exalted Seneca his merits farre above his rewards and that hee had bestowed greater benefits upon them that had much lesse deserved than Seneca had Hee told him that the delivering of his money the leaving his Prince would not bee imputed to his moderation nor to his desire of quietneste◅ but my co◅etousnesse quoth he and the feare of my crueltie will be in every mans mouth But admit that your continencie be commended yet it is not the part of a wise man there-hence to procure glorie to himself from whence springeth infamie to his friend To these faire words he added kisses and embracings and many courtesies to cover his hatred But not withstanding all these favours hee put Seneca not long after to death These be the fruits that covetousnesse bringeth forth with abundance of riches and possessions Which confirmeth his opinion that made choyce of this Poesie Medio◅ firma And he that will look into the manners of men in these dayes shall finde no doubt in divers Common-wealths even among the wisest their minds eclipsed with the vice of covetousnesse and greedy desire to augment their estate as Seneca's was as though it were mans felicitie and end for which he was borne to heape riches and poslessions together without end or measure to their owne scandall and to the evill example of others But Fabricius Emperour or rather Generall of the Romanes Armie carried a more upright minde and gave a notable example of contempt of riches For the Embadassours of the Samnites after they had reckoned up many great benefits which they had received by his meanes offered him a great summe of money and very importunately desired him to accept it alledging the cause why they presented him with this money to be that they saw him want many things to the honourable furniture of his house and provision agreeable with his estate Fabricius drawing his hands from his eares to his eyes and from them to his nose mouth and thence to his throat and downe to the lower part of his belly answered the Ambassadours that so long as he had the use of all these members which he had touched he should never lacke any thing And therefore he would not receive the money whereof he had no neede of them whom he knew could turne it to their benefit Whereby he plainely shewed that penurie proceedeth of greedy and covetous desires and not of nature As Seneca saith frugalitie is painfull to luxurious men that delight in excesse and superfluities but men given to temperance and sobrietie contenting themselves with a little feele no evill in penuric And it is no new thing to see wise men that have the meanes to enrich themselves to fall into the desire of riches and to be overcome with covetousnesse All ages have yeelded their examples even among the wisest Pertinax in the raigne of the Emperour Marcus Aurelius having the government of divers provinces and countries and passed through the greatest offices within the Romane Empire was found to be very wise very just severe and sincere so as sundry nations that misliked the governement of other Romane Magistrates would desire to have Pertinax for his wisedome and justice to bee sent in their places But after the good Emperour was dead he was so stricken with covetousnesse and desire of riches that frō thenceforth he rather imployed his industry to his infamy in gathering riches than in government of the common-wealth which was to his former vertues a great blemish and discre◅r and may serve for an example to all men to beware how they enter into the love of
are vexed there is no one that troubleth and disquieteth them more than ambition and desire of honour They never content themselves with that which they have gotten but their minds are alwayes imployed in devising how to get more It is a hard thing saith Saint Augustine for him that is placed in high estate not to desire great matters Alexander the Great when hee heard a Philosopher disputing of many worlds besides this fell into a weeping as though some great cause of griefe had happened to him and being asked why he wept Because quoth he I heare of many worlds and I have not yet conquered one whole world But he that hath felicity is content with that he hath and desireth no more He is free from all perturbations and unquietnesse of mind and thinketh no man in better estate than himselfe otherwise he cannot bee accounted happie Which thing was by Cineas a verie wise man aptly given to understand to King Pyrrhus that intended great warres to enâ—…ge his dominâ—… For considering with himselfe how peaceably and happily Pyrrhus might live if he could be content with his owne kingdome as they had conference 〈◊〉 about his intended enterprise to 〈◊〉 waâ—… upon Iâ—…ly If Sir quoth Cineas the gods shew us this favour to conquer Italy what good shall wee reape by the victorie Wee may afterward sayd Byâ—… with 〈◊〉 great difficultie subdue the Greciaâ—… and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that border upon that countrie When this quoth the other is done what shall we doe then Sâ—…ilia quoth Pyrrhus will not then stand against us Shall that be the end of our waâ—…res sayd 〈◊〉 Whâ—… will stay 〈◊〉 â—…ter quoth this Monarke from passing into Afriâ—… and Carthage and from the recovery of the Kingdome of Macedon that so we may command at 〈◊〉 pleasure all Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought all this to passe what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pyrrhus beginning to smile We will quoth hâ—… my friend give our selves to rest and live as pleatâ—…ntly and merrily as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he desired And what Sir quoth he letâ—… 〈◊〉 from rest at this present and from living in joy pleasure seeing wee have all things requiâ—… oâ—… seâ—…king it with so much effusion of bloud and an insâ—…ire number of perâ—… and dangers and 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it is uncertaine whether we shall find it These speeches rather offended Pyrrhus that was carried away with the vehement passion of ambition than any thing diffwaded him from his violâ—…t purâ—…â—…d 〈◊〉 which in the end 〈◊〉 his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by feeding of his ambitious humout in â—…ing 〈◊〉 hee was at last laine with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his head by a woman and so lost his life and his kingdome which hee might quietly have possessed And this is the common course of the world not onely among Princes and Potentates but also among men of meane estate alwayes to aspire and desire more according to the Emperour Charles the fifths word Plus ultra to whom sometime it happeneth as it did to Esops dogge that snatching at the shadow lost the peece of meat which he had in his mouth The ambitious humour of this King that aspired to a Monarchie of many countries and kingdomes putteth mee in mind of a pretty taunt given of late yeares to the Spaniards for the like ambition A Germane writeth a booke to his countrey-men wherein hee doth perswade them to beware they bee not entrapped by the Spaniards alledging many reasons that they aspire to the Monarchy of Germanie and that they let not openly to speake that the Monarchy of the world is due to them from God and by right One writeth in the margent Hispanis monarchia divinitâ—…s sed in Vtopia debetur A monarchy is due to the Spaniâ—…ds from above but in Vtopia There is not a more dangerous passion or affection nor that hath beene the cause of greater mischiefe than ambition and desire of honour which hath beene the utter ruine and subversion of many Kingdomes and Common-wealths and the destruction of them in whom this humour hath raigned And yet many times the worthiest men and those that are â—…ndued with excellent gifts are most subject to this passion For loftie mindes naturally have an earnest desire to excell others and to bring that to passe they forbeare not to attempt any thing whether it bee right or wrong for hee is easily â—…raen to unjust things that is deâ—…ous of glory As 〈◊〉 Casar had usually in his mouth this saying of To attâ—…ne to rule and principalitie which is as it were the subject of honour glorie there is no dutie respected nor naturall affection can beare any sway or restraine or bridle the unruly and violent passions neither betweene parents and their children betweene husband and wife nor betweene â—…thren or kinsfolke They that have suffered themselves to be overcome with this passion have made shipwrack of all godlinesse of modestie of honestie and of humanitie it selfe But meere madnesse it is to desire that honour and glory that neither contenteth the 〈◊〉 nor continueth with the possessor nor is voyd of great dangers both in this life and in the life to come and is thus threatned in the Scripture most severe judgement shal be used upon those over others The meane man shall obtaine mercie but the great and strong shall suffer torments strongly Adolphus Duke of Geldria did leade his father in the night when he was going to sleep five of their miles in the deep of Winter without shoes to a most vile prison where he kept him halfe a yeare in the end whereof for feare of the Emperour and the Pope hee let him forth And when reasonable conditions were offered by the Arbitrators which had the hearing of their cause he sayd rather than he would yeeld to those conditions hee would cast his father headlong into a well and throw himselfe after An undutifull saying of an unnatural sonne Selym the great Turke and first of that name usurped the Empire by favour of the â—…zaries upon his father Bajazet and caused him to bee poysoned and slue Aâ—…mat and Corcâ—…the his two elder brothers with all his Nephewes and others of Ottemans race saying that nothing was more pleasant than to raigne when all seare of kindred was taken away Henry the fifth deprived his father by force from the Empire and caused him to dye miserably in prison Frederiche the third after he had raigned thirty yeares was miâ—…rably slaine by Manfroy his bastard sonne who after he had committed this parricide he poysoned his brother Câ—… lawfull inheritour to â—…redericke that hee might make himselfe King of Naples salyâ—… King of the Turkes hearing the acclamations and cryes which the army made to Sultan 〈◊〉 his eldest son for joy of his 〈◊〉 from Persia jealous of his owne estate caused him to be strangled in his utter chamber and cast out to the army with these words to bee cryed aloud
become bound from liberalitie to fall into covetousnesse from truth to learne falshood shifts and of a quiet man to become a vexer of others so that I see no other difference betweene the tenne plagues that scourged Egypt and the miseries that afflict suitors then that the calamities of the one were inflicted by Gods providence and the torments of the other are invented by the malice of men who by their owne toyle make themselues very Martyrs Peter de la Primandaye thus noteth and reprehendeth the abuses of this time in suites of law in his country of France Cicero complaineth of his time that many notable decrees of law were corrupted and depraved by the curious heads of the lawyers what would he doe if he were now aliue and saw the great heapes and piles of bookes with our practice in the law If he saw that holy temple of lawes so shamefully polluted and miserably prophaned where a thousand cavils and quiddities are continually coyned by such writings according to the saying of the Comicall Poet that through craft and subtilty one mischiefe is begotten vpon an other But times have beene when there were but few lawes because men thought that good manners were the best lawes and that naturall sense holpen with an vpright conscience and ioyned with due experience was the right rule to iudge by But after that men became so skilfull in suites and that offices of iustice that were wont freely to be given to them that deserved them became to bee gainefull and free from yeelding any account of their doings and set forth to sale as marchandisc for them that offered most after that men began to spice their suites with great summes of money after that lawyers began so greatly to gaine and slightly to consider of their clyents causes because they would make hast to another that waited for them with gold in his hand after that they began to write with seuen or eight lines on a side and to disguise matters with frivolous answers after that Proctors and Atturneys who in former time were to be had for nothing and appointed for certaine causes became hirelings and perpetuall after that sollicitors were suffered in the middest of them all to be as it were the skum gatherers of suites with all that rabblement of practitioners who devoure the substance of poore men as drones eate vp the hony of Bees Lastly after that the Chauncery did let loose the bridle to all sorts of expeditions and went about to teach the Iudges After these things saith he began to be practised we fell into this miserie of long suites gainfull to the craftie and wicked and very preiudiciall to plaine meaning and good men who many times had rather lose their right then hazzard their vndoing by following a suite so long by way of iustice for that commonly wee see the rightest cause frustrated by delaies by affection or by corruption We see how suites are heaped vp one vpon another and made immortall that nothing is so certaine which is not made uncertaine that no controversie is so cleare which is not obscured no contract so sure that is not vndone no sentence or judgement so advisedly given which is not made voide all mens actions open to the slanders craft malice redemptions and pollings of Lawyers the Majestie and integritie of ancient justice lost last of all that in the dealings of men now-a-dayes no shew of upright justice but only a shadow thereof remaineth This evill is become so great and growne to such extremitie that it is unpossible but that according to the course of worldly things the ruine thereof must bee at hand or at the least it is to receive some notable change within some short space For as Plato saith In a corrupt Common-wealth defiled with many vices if a man should think to bring it back againe to his first brightnesse and dignitie by correcting small faults and by curing the contagion thereof by little and little it were all one as if he should cut off one of Hydraes heads in whose place seven more did spring up But that alteration disorder whereby all evill vice was brought into the Cōmon-wealth must be plucked up by the roots For an extreme evill must have an extreme remedy And true it is that there haue bin times when both Lawyers and Physicions have bin banished out of divers countries as men rather hurtfull then profitable to the Common-wealth which argueth the same to bee no happy estate And some reason they had to maintaine their opinion because men being more temperate in their life diet not so cōtentious malicious in those dayes countries as they have bin since they needed not so greatly Physicions nor Lawyers But since that time the luxuriousnesse and intemperancie commonly used and the contentious and malicious minds of men growne to extremity have brought forth a necessary vse of both their skils Of the one to cure the disease engendred by disordered life or some way to ease the paine Of the other to helpe minister matter of contention and at length to decide the controversie for such is the necessitie of our humane condition that in many things they are driven to seeke remedie there from whence their harme commeth As the oyle of a Scorpion is a present remedie for the stinging of the Scorpion Chilo said Comitem aeris alieni ac litis esse miseriam But why Lawyers and Physicions should be coupled together in such a cōgruence I see not except because they have one cōmon end that is gaine and the manner of both their proceedings in their faculties is by evacuation Sine Causidicis satis olim fuere futuraque su◅ urbes And may not we say to these men as Accius said to the Augures Nihil credo auguribus qui aures verb◅ ditant alienos suas ut auro locupletēt domos But Princes where the abuses of this profession begin to grow to an extremity that shall see their people impoverished and thereby the lesse able to doe them service have meanes ynough to reforme them and to reduce the professors to their first integritie There is no art or science facultie or profession that in processe of time be they of thē selves ever so good or necessary that may not be corrupted by abuses and neede reformation Humanum est errare Councels were ordained to reforme errors and abuses crept into the Church Parliaments to redresse the abuses slipt into the Cōmon-wealth the authority of Princes sufficeth to reduce their subjects into good order And Princes should foresee and beware lest their Cōmon-wealths that were founded upon lawes be not overthrowne by lawes Baldus a famous man an interpretor of the civil law noteth-that Lawyers oftentimes are oppressed with sudden death But though the abuses in that facultie make the professors subject to obloquy yet they that speak worst if they yeeld them their due must confesse them to be malum necessarium
great price by ouermuch vse lose their estimation The pride ambition vaine-glory and corruption of these latter dayes hath engendred a confusion of all things but those ambitious and vaine-glorious men that hunt after offices of rule and charge without due consideration of their owne insufficiency and vnworthinesse to beare rule euen in meane callings also are aptly reprehended by the Earle of Surrey thus For with indifferent eyes My selfe can well discerne How some in stormes to guide a ship Do seeke to take the sterne Whose practice if 't were proued In calme to guide a barge Assuredly beleeue it well It were too great a charge And some I see againe Sit still and say but small Who could doe ten times more then they That say they can doe all Whose goodly gifts are such The more they vnderstand The more they seeke to learne and know And take lesse charge in hand Septimius Seuerus after he had passed thorow many of the most principall and most honourable offices of the Romane Common-wealth and ended his Consulship he remained a whole yeere without any office after which time hee would often say that the best and merriest dayes in all his life he passed that yeere wherein he had no office in the Common-wealth Plato saith that Fortune is more contrary to that man whom shee suffereth not to enioy that hee hath then to him to whom she denieth that which he craueth for many we see by daily experience can attaine to honour fame reputation riches and quietnesse that haue not the meanes afterwards to enioy them some because they cannot others because they will not By this which hath beene said it appeareth that felicity in the greatest part proceedeth from the minde Of externe things a little is sufficient to bring contentment to him that hath a minde framed to the purpose and inclined to vertue so that we must haue a mind prepared and all things premeditate that may happen and not to vnquiet our selues with a desire to aduance or change our estate and thinke other mens fortune better then our owne but when such motions trouble vs to looke into the matter with a sound and vpright iudgement whether the cause of such vnquietnesse be within vs or without vs whether in the matter or in an euill affected mind whether there be cause indeed or in opinion The want of which consideration bringeth to many much vnquietnesse and discontentment imagining the cause to proceed from the matter when it commeth of an euill affected mind Thine owne passions are they that make warre vpon thee and when thou keepest thine enemies within thy house thou complainest of them that bee abroad Which inconstancy of mens variable mindes is well noted of the Poet when hee alleageth a contention betweene the countrey life and that of the towne Rure ego viuentem tu dicis in vrbe â—…eatum Cui placet alterius alterius nimirùm est odio sors Stultus vterque locum immeritum causatur iniquè In culpâ est animas qui se non eff ugit vnquam I pleas'd am with the Countries rest The belly life thou hold'st most blest He whom anothers lot doth please To him his owne is a disease Fooles both to blame the place when we In our owne minds the error see c. And many might liue more happily if they desired not rather to content others then themselues hauing more regard to that men say then to that is meet for them to doe Plato compareth our life to table play wherein the dice must chance well and the player must dispose well of his cast now of these two things what the chance of the dice shall bee is not in our power but to receiue patiently whatsoeuer shall chance and so to dispose euery thing in his right place as being good it may most profit vs or being bad doe least hurt is in the power of a skilfull player so hee that shall liue happily must not onely haue things chance well to him but hee must also dispose well of them But that things shall chance well is not in our power but in the power of God that giueth all things but so to dispose of them as either they may doe good or little harme is partly in our power if God withdrawe not his grace from vs. And in this sort to dispose of things is whether God blesse our life and labours with prosperous successe or intermingle it with some crosse and aduerse euents to bee thankefull and patient and thinke all to bee done for the best Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently for hee that can moderately vse prosperity and patiently beare aduersity hath a great aduantage to felicity Whilest wee liue in this world wee should take felicity for borrowed ware and aduersity for our naturall patrimonie So that whether a man be in high estate or lowe whether rich or poore if Gods graces bee ioyned to a minde endued with vertue hee may liue happily for no estate or calling is excluded from felicitie yet neuerthelesse some with more difficultie attaine to it then some others and neede GODS graces in greater measure then the râ—… and therefore Seâ—…ca his counsell is because men haue not sufficient force to make resistance to the diuersity of accidents that chance to great estates to straighten their possessions to a certaine measure that they may be the lesse subiect to fortune hee that beareth his sailes low goeth sure in a storme Quatiunt altas sapè procella Aut euertit fortuna domos Minus in paruis fortuna furit Raros patitur fulminis ictus humida vallis High houses oft by stormes are shaken Or else by Fortunes rage forsaken Lesse frownes shee vpon things kept vnder And Dales are seldome strooke with thunder Isocrates likened the life depending vpon Fortune to a great land-flood that is troublous swift roaring dirty hard to passe ouer and during but a short time but the life giuen to vertue he likened to a goodly fountaine whose water is cleare vntroubled sweete meâ—…te to be drunke to men well-affected apt for nourishment fruitfull and void of all corruption and filthinesse Dante was vsed to say that such as sought the way that leadeth to the soueraigne or greatest good are withstood with three principal impediments which to ouercome they ought to employ all their endeuour The first is The delights of the sences figured by the Lionesse faire and hot by nature and shee through luxuriousnesse accompanied with gluttony and sloth The second is The glory of the world expressed by the proud disdainfull Lyon to whose ambition and pride is ioyned anger The third is The getting of worldly wealth signified by the shee-wolfe malicious and hungry whose couetousnesse is followed hard at the heeles with enuy One saith that the false felicity of the world consisteth in these fiue things Lordship Riches Honour Fame and bodily pleasure the desire whereof he that can suppresse or
eare that wee doe no good thing but much evill and that good wee doe we doe it badly What felicity is in this knowledge when it Waâ—…th us continually of our wickednesse But hee that giveth himselfe to contemplation climbeth higher God is immortall immutable impassible that God dyeth not like a man nor is altered or moved And when he is come thither he is at the wall his minde can goe no further And what kind of knowledge is this What madnesse is it to take upon us to know a thing by that it is not Shall we perswade our selves that wee know what thing a Camell is because wee know it is not a Frogge So that our highest knowledge we must confesse to be meere ignorance And who will place mans end or soveraigne good and felicity in ignorance But those that climbe highest to search for knowledge fall into such errors and entangle themselves in such labyrinthes that they know not how to winde themselves out But as men that looke stedfastly upon the Sunne the more they behold the brightnesse thereof the more their eyes dazell untill they become starke blind so happeneth it to them that aspire to the knowledge of God and divine things thâ—…more they search the lesse they know by their owne wisedome which peradventure moved one to say Simple ignorance is better than arrogant knowledge We are forbidden by Saint Paul to be over curious in seeking the knowledge of things above our reach Nolt altum Sapere The want of ability in us to know the causes of naturall things here in earth the effects whereof we see daily before our eyes argueth plainely that God would not have us aspire too high in knowledge when he hath hidden these base things from us Who knoweth the cause why the Lodestone draweth iron to it which being there with rubbed pointeth toward the North pole and garlike and a Diamond hindereth his operation though some take upon them to draw reasons thereof from their owne conceit to feed their owne humors And who knoweth the cause why the fish called Echeneis or Remora no bigger than a Carpe will stay the greatest ship or galley that is if hee cleave to his side notwithstanding any force of wind or oâ—…res And who knoweth the cause why the fish called Tâ—…rpedo having touched one end of a pyke or speare casteth the man into a traunce that toucheth the other end The beast called Catoblepa killeth a man a mile from him with his sight onely A Wolfe seeing a man first maketh him unable to speake with an infinite number of like things which sheweth that God will not have us enter into his secrets of these base things much lesse of divine things further than he hath given us power Where of if his meaning had beene to have given us knowledge he would have given us another sense and a deeper reason by which we might have known these and the like hidden properties of his creatures Therefore our onely refuge is to attaine to that by faith which we cannot attaine by our mind and understanding that by a lively faith we may be lifted up above our mind that what by the sharpnesse thereof we cannot reach comprehend by faith we may pierce and see thorough And what is it to have faith in God but to looke for all our good from him to beleeve that all refterh with God And seeing that to have faith continually to hope to expect is to deâ—…re that we have not already it is evident that wee can never here see possesse the thing we looke for but the greater a mans faith is the more he despiseth worldly things the more fervent his desire is to heavenly things the greater is his mislike of himselfe and the more â—…hement is his love to God Plato saith that what course soever men take they cannot be happy or enjoy the soveraigne good in this life but in the other life without doubt saith he they that follow vertue shal be rewarded with beatitude And Pythagoras saith that man as it were banished from the face of God walketh as a stranger in this world And Hermes saith that the end of man is to live by his minde and the life of the mind is God Thus farre the Philosophers knowledge did reach that the end of man is to live by his minde that his soveraigne good or beatitude is not to be enjoyed in this life but is to be found in the other life with God But they wanted faith to carry them whither their wisedome could not reach For that knowledge of God we attaine unto in this life by naturall wisedome is ignorance by supernaturall faith In vaine therefore we seeke here either by action or contemplation the thing that is not here to be found For Plâ—…tinus alwaies affirmeth that beatiâ—…de and eternity goeth ever together which beatitude saith Platâ—… is that we be joyned and made like to God who is the top the boâ—…de and the end of all blessednesse In seeking then for this end and soveraigne good of man we finde that the world was made for man man for the soule the soule for the mind the mind for some higher cause which is God For the world was not of it selfe nor for it selfe bâ—…t was made of some and for some So man not having his being of himselfe cannot be the end of himselfe He that mâ—…eth any thing maketh it not for it but for himselfe so that he is the end thereof neither is the thing good in it selfe but to him that made it as touching that he made it to his own use He therefore is the good of that thing by whom and for whom it is called good And seeing man is made by God and for God he must needes be his end and the greatest good So saith Plâ—…tinus the soveraigne end of man is meere good that is God Other things appertaine to the end but they be not the end By this it appeareth that after the ancient wise men and better sort of Philosophers that were guided by reason onely the felicity or beatitude and soveraigne good of man must not be sought for in this life but in the other life And that man ought to employ his time in this life to the knowledge and worshipping of God as to his onely end that he may with God and in God have the fruition of all good things perpâ—…tually in the other world By the authority allâ—…grd of the leâ—…d Heathens and by the reasons and arguments and grnerall consent of the learned Divines among which number I account the Lord Pleâ—…s whom in this Part I chiefly follow it is manifest that as the body of 〈◊〉 is to the soule so is this morraâ—… life to the immâ—…ll And that the end of man in this world is the knowledge and worshipping of God and his foveraigne good 〈◊〉 to that end is the fruition and possession of God in heaven but by reason of our
The illustration to the Frontispice OF these two sorts all common-weales subâ—…st The Naturall man and the Tbeologist The pious good man vanitie forsakes The Fâ—…esh the World and Dâ—…vill his footstoole makes The Naturalist things heavenly doth disgust His Summum bonum Pleasure is and Lust. Observe The zealous mans supporters bee Firme Faith fixt Hope and liberall Cbaritie The Morall mans dejecters likewise three wone Woman and the love of Vanisie All worldly gaine the one doth count his losse Save Death the Decade Holy bookâ—… and Crosse. The other what 's Celestialldoth deryde His God's the Throate the Belly Gold and Pryde One both his hands to heaven uplifts the same Makes this his Motto Heaven not Earth's my aâ—…me Th' other with one poynts upward but his minde The pompe and frailties of this world doth bliâ—…de His Inscript is who terrene things doth love I see but understand not things above A burning â—…eave the one's zeale doth expresse The others by a bubile you may ghesse The Bleâ—…ed Sâ—…nt above denotcstruâ—… blâ—…ry The Stars and Pâ—…mets things meeâ—… transitory Those then that would 〈◊〉 sover 〈◊〉 attaine Must know allthings beneath the Moone are vaine THE FELICITIE OF MAN or His Summum Bonum Written by Sr R Barckley Kt In Caeli summum permanet arce bonum Boeth De Consol Philos Lib. 3 London Printed by R.Y. and are Sold by Rich Roystone at his shop in Ivie Lane Aº 1631. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE ROBERT Earle of Somerset Viscount Rochester Kt. of the most honourable Order of the Garter c. RIGHT HONOURABLE MOst requisite it is that all bookes should bee protected by such noble Patrones whose Dispositions and Indowments have a Sympathy Correspondence with the Arguments on which they intreate The Title of this is Summum bonum to the attaining of which those which best know you can give assured testimony that your Matutini and Lucubrationes i. your mornings meditations and night studies are devoutly intended What the true Felicitie of man is or at least ought to bee and the directest way to arrive unto it is in this worke learnedly and religiously discoursed and therefore desirous to bee shadowed under your wing who are as able to appcehâ—…nd as judicially to censure This Booke Right honourable at the request of divers noble and well disposed Gentlemen is brought to expresse it selfe after a long silence At whose importunity I have added unto the originall such needefull ornaments in the former edition omitted as best suit with the humour and fashion of the time selecting you the sole Mecanas of so weighty and worthy a worke whose serious contemplations are â—…ymed aâ—… Reality not Forme as studying to be actually that which others strive to seeme in appearance Accept I intreat your Honour the perusall and patronage as an humble Tender of his observance and service who as hee wisheth you the fruition of all the Felicities enjoyed by Man here on earth so hee implores for you all the eternall happinesse ordained for him in Heaven Your Honours humbly devâ—…ted H. T. TO THE READER A Philosopher having invited his friends to dinner and seeing them sit at the table looking about as though they lacked something forbearing to eate the meat that was set before them and perceiving at last they looked for bread which hee had forgotten to provide Yee may see quoth he how little the study of Philosophie serveth to the making of a feast Even so when I had taken occasion to write of the Felicitie of man and layd before me the goodly reasons and perswasions of the Philosophers I seemed to bee invited to their opinion as to a plentifull feast that wanted nothing to satisfie mine appetite But when I had more considerately perused their reasons and arguments whereby they would prove it to bee in the power of a wise man to attaine to Felicitie I perceived there wanted as it were bread to a Feast the chiefe thing that should make their dainty meat or plausible reasons savorie to their guests which is she grace of God from whom all good things commeth without which all that can bee produced and said in this matter hath no taste So that it is easily to be seenc how little the stndy of Philosophie serveth to the finding out or attaining of the Felicitie of man For though a man bee fortified with much wâ—…sdome and vertue yet he is in the whole oâ—…r of his lâ—…fe subject to so many infirmities of bodie and passions of minde and variable accidents of fortune as the Philosophers use to speak which draw men into calamity and 〈◊〉 that no mortall man hath in himselfe power sufficient to aâ—…aine to felicitie which must come by the enjoying of Gods graces and benefits whereunto the Philosophers for the most part as Heathens had no great regard which made them faâ—…le of the marke they shâ—…t at And to let thee know that I may not be mistaken the cause which moved mce to take this matter in hand after the experience of many years in which I have lived and runne a great part of my race at random with the multitude feeking for I know not what nor where to finde that I sought estimating things rather by a common custome than an upright judgement I beganne at length with more vigilancie to observes he states of life and condition of men And musing within my selfe to what end and purpose and whereof it should come to passe that men were so earnestly occupied in such varictic of labours and exdleâ—… travels to seeke after that they could never finde and the more they had gotten of that they saught the lesse they found of that they desired to have I compared learned mens opinions and precepts with worldly mens lives and manners whereby I perceived that an erroneous opinion and wrong estimation of things was the chiefe cause that bindered their attnining to the end of their desires For every man desireth an happy estate but because they doe not adâ—…sedly consider wherein felicitie or happinesse consisteth nor direct the course of their life the next way to it bâ—…t mistake some other thing for that they seeks after they never finde that they would have The consideration whereof joyned with the calamities and troubles with which men are arrested so soone as they enter into this world and the perils and alterations to which they are subject and with griefe suffer in this life both in bodie and minde in goods and possessions some by their owne fault others by Gods crosse whereof I have not onely beene in others oculatus testis but also in my selfe in some part a sensible witnesse brought forth such as it is this Discourse of mans Felicitie For being desirous to remove out of my head the cogitations that distempered my minde I could finde no better meanes than after Seneca his counsell to his friend Lucilius to write of something for my exercise simplicistilo that my head might be possessed with better matter And
assembly of people going backward of purpose and seeing euery one laughing him to scorne asked them alowd if they were not ashamed to mocke him for going backward when hee walked whereas they did so all the daies of their life As if hee should say that no man followed the right course of life but rather that all liued contrary to that they ought For all men desire to be in a happy estate Hecopus hic labor est But few take the right course to attaine to it It is commonly said that wise men differ from fooles in this that they set vp a marke to shoot at these shoot their arrows vp into the ayre at random without any certain marke And again that good men differ in this from the wicked that some propose to themselues a good end others an euill end some that which is good indeed others that which is good in shew only Many set vp no marke or end at all to which they should direct the course of their life but fall from one kinde of life into another as chance offereth without any certaine end or purpose Some direct the course of their life to some end as to a marke but because they mistake one thing for another they neuer attaine to that they desire Others though they see what the marke or end is to which they should direct the course of their life which is felicitie yet as men who vse to take vpon them blind-folded to finde out a post or hillocke or such like wander vp and down without finding that they secke so they being made blinde by their affections which as Plato saith bee very euill counsellers and clogged with worldly cares and carried away with vnsatiable desires bestow their labour in vaine and can neuer finde that they seeke for And though all men desire one thing that is a happy estate yet the great difference we see in the course of their liues argueth their mistaking some other thing for that they secke after by meane whereof they can neuer attaine to the end of their desires Let vs looke into mens labours and consider what the things bee for the obtaining whereof they imploy all their trauell and study for that seemeth the thing which they take for felicitie or a great meane to the attaining of it For euery man naturally desireth that which he thinketh to be good Three things I obserue that the most part of men greedily hunt after and leaue no stone vnturned as the prouerbe is to attaine to them Some desire to liue in pleasure many seeke for riches others labour for honour and glory in these things according to their seuerall inclinations they put their felicitie But how farre they are from the true felicitie shall hereafter if God will appeare rather by the common iudgment of men that will vse reason for their guide than by Logicall arguments and by examples of them whose miserable estate and vnfortunate end hath discouered the error of their disordered and licentious life that by seeking felicitie where it was not they found in felicitie where it was By whose example after Diogenes counsell wee may become wise by another mans harme for he is wise very late that is made wise by his own harme For as Seneca saith Longum iter per praecepta brene efficax per exempla The way by precepts is long by examples short and pithy And first to beginne with Pleasure wherein some learned men of account among the ancient Philosophers as Epicurus and others seeing how willingly men are drawne to pleasures held that felicitie or soueraigne good should consist They reasoned thus That action is the end or felicitie of man to which by nature of his own accord he is most willingly ledde But all men of their owne accord are most willingly led to pleasures Therefore Pleasure is the end or felicitie of man But the Epicures were in this greatly deceiued for man as in the substance of his body participateth with brute beasts so in his spirituall essence which is a reasonable soule hee participateth with Angels And though hee be by the worst part of his nature giuen to pleasure yet reason reprehendeth and blameth his brutish affections But the cause of this dissention in mans nature the Philosophers saw not only Christian Religion sheweth why his affections are repugnant to reason If felicitie as the Philosophers affirme bee the proper action of man then can it not bee in Pleasure for that is common with him and brute beasts but after them it must bee an action peculiar and proper to him alone And seeing that man is made of two distinct natures though by the great wisedome of the Creatour wonderfully vnited together it is more reason that his felicitie should bee agreeable with the best part of his nature which is a reasonable soule and resembleth the Angels that are made after the image of God than with the worst part of his nature which resembleth and is of the like substance to brute beasts But he that will enter into the due consideration of mans felicitie must haue respect to both his natures the body and the soule both which it must in a sort touch yet according to the proportion and difference of excellencie that is betweene them the one representing the image of God being immortall the other participating with brute beasts being subiect to death and corruption Such a felicitie as consisteth in the momentany pleasures of this life the Indian captiues may challenge The Indians haue a manner when they haue taken one of their enemies prisoner whom they meane not presently to cate not to imprison him as the vse is in these parts of the world but they bring him with great triumph into the village where hee dwelleth that hath taken him and there place him in a house of some man that was lately slaine in the warres as it were to re-celebrate his funerals and giue vnto him his wiues or sisters to attend vpon him and to vse at his pleasure They apparel him gorgeously after their manner and feede him with all the daintie meats that may be had and giue him all the pleasures that can be deuised When hee hath passed certaine moneths in all manner of pleasures like an Epicure and is made fat with daintie and delicate fare like a Capon they assemble themselues together at some festiuall day and in great pompe bring him to the place of execution where they kill him and eate him This is the end of this poore captiues pleasures and the beginning of his miseries whose case is nothing inferiour to theirs who enioying the pleasures of this life for a small time wherein they put their felicitie are rewarded with death and perpetuall torments For as he was taken prisoner by his enemies so are they captiued by the Diuell who feedeth their humours with variety of pleasures that he may at length deuoure and destroy them both body and soule Many examples are
to Rome and as we shal find our wiues imployed so wee shall have cause to judge of their disposition Every man allowed of the motion and taking their horses they forthwith galloped to Rome being dark-night and unawares to them went to visit their wiues whom they found feasting and passing the time in pleasures But when they came to Collatinos house they found the doores fast shut and Lucretia spinning in the middest of her maides Then was the sentence given by all their consents with Collatino they all commending the modestie of Lucretia Collatino then being victor invited them all to dinner the next day But after their returne to the campe the kings sonne being ravished with the beautie and modestie of Lucretia sought all meanes how to fulfill his lust And for that purpose comming to Rome on a time secretly in the evening he supped with Lucretia dissembling his intent lodged in her house When the d◅ad of the night was come he brake into her chamber and so craftily undermined her with threatnings of present death and perpetuall shame that abusing the simplicitie of the modest woman she suffered him to use his will When day was come and he gone she sent presently for her father her husband and kinsfolkes letting them to understand that a great misfortune had happened to her When they were come perceiving by her sad countenance that all was not well her husband asked whether all things were safe in the house shee like one in a trance stood silent unable to answere them a word But they urging still to know the cause of her heauinesse and what had befallen her after a little pause beeing come to her selfe her cheekes watered with abundance of teares What sayd she can bee accounted safe to a woman when her chastitie is lost Thy bedde my husband that hitherto hath been kept unspotted is now defiled by the kings sonne who comming to me yester-night to supper was curteously entertained of me as a guest lodged in my house as a friend altogether ignorant of his intent but when wee were all at rest he brake into my chamber and standing by my bed side with his dagger in his right hand and his left hand upon my brest hold thy peace quoth he Lucretia I am Tarquinius if thou speake any word this dagger shall be thy death Then began hee to discover his villanous minde and mingling threats with amorous words shewed me what paine and torment he had suffered for my sake But the Gods that never faile to strengthen them that carrie an honest mind gave me sufficient power to resist his treacherous temptations and by contempt of death to preferre an honest same before a shamefull life And when he perceived that I would neither bee enti◅ed with his amorous words nor terrified with his threats of death he altered his course and assured mee if I would not consent to his will hee would put a slave naked into my bedde and after he had killed us both he would make it knowne to the world that hee found us in adultery Then the feare of perpetuall shame and infamie to me and to all you my kinsfolkes prevailing more with me than the terror of death though my heart consented not my body yeelded to fulfill his lust And albeit I absolve my selfe of the fault yet I wil not remit to my selfe the paines of death lest any matron of Rome should hereafter take occasion by mine example to live when her honour is lost When shee had thus spoken and taken them all by the hand requiring them as they were men not to suffer this villany which reached also to them to passe unrevenged whilest they were cōforting of her and advising her not to take the matter so grievously seeing there was no fault where the heart consented not she tooke out a knife which shee had secretly hidden under her clothes and thrust it into her heart Then was there great cries lamentation by her husband and friends and Brutus one of them perceiving her dead drew the knife out of her body and kissing the same did solemnly sweare by the bloud of that modest woman he would not suffer that injurie to goe unrevenged nor that any king hereafter should reigne over the people of Rome whereunto when the rest condescended he carried the dead body into the market place and perswaded the yong men to joyne with him in revenge of this abhominable act and to expell their king wherunto they easily agreed armed themselves and would not suffer the king not any of his to enter any more into the citie and erected a new State translating the government from a Monarchy to a common wealth Thus by the incestuous act of this yong man Tarquinius lost his kingdome from himselfe and his posteritie By the like occasion of a libidinous desire after certaine yeares that the Romanes had changed their governement of two Consuls to ten principall men they returned it backe againe from them to two Consuls For Appius Claudius one of the ten governors was so extremely enamoured upon a yong virgin that was contracted to a yong Gentleman that when hee saw shee would not be enti◅ed with his faire promises and gifts he entered into a most odious wicked practice Hee caused a yong man that he had brought up as shee went forth of her fathers house into the towne who was then in the warres to challenge her for his slave and to bring her before him as hee sate in judgement that hee by adjudging her to him might by that meanes have his will of her This man according to his instructions claimed her openly in the Court and sayd that she was borne in his house and stolen from him and conveyed to the house of Virginius who falsely tooke upon him to be her father which hee offered to prove before him and desired justice that he might have his slave restored to him againe There was a great concourse of people to see the end of this tragedy and much murmuring against Appius whose wicked purpose they began to conjecture And as her friends desired him that for as much as her father was absent in service of the common-wealth the matter might bee stayed untill his returne Appius answered that he was contented to deferre judgement untill the next day yet so as he that challenged her might receive no prejudice which would be if he should lose the possession of her and therefore hee would take order that hee should put in sufficient suretie to bring the damsell in place againe when her father was come and then hee would judge her to him that should have best right At these words he that should be her husband pressed to come neare to lay hold upon his wife but beeing kept out by Appius commandement hee cried out upon his unjust sentence and told him hee would rather dye than suffer his wife to be taken from him and after many hot words Appius
perceiving the discontentment of the people set her at liberty untill the next day and sent secretly to the campe to some of his friends to stay her father there But Virginins friends having prevented him he came to Rome the same night The next day when Appius had sitten a while in the place of judgment before he that challenged the yong woman for his slave spake any word to demand her and before her father could come to answer for her hee adjudged her to the yong man that challenged her All men stood silent and astonished at his unjust sentence and the father exclaiming and railing upon Appius he that made the challenge offered to take her away as his slave but interrupted by the lamentable cryes of the women that were present Appius commandeth silence and a way to bee made for him to carry away his slave Then every one departed with great sorrow and anger and left the yong virgin alone with her master The father seeing his daughter left alone voyd of all foccour holdeth up his hands to Appius and desired pardon for his unreverent speech and that hee might have leave a little to speake with his wife and daughter apart to the end that if his wife would say that shee was not his owne daughter but that hee had hitherto falsly usurped the name of her father hee would be content to leave her Appius supposing he meant as he spake licensed them to goe aside Then the father taking a knife secretly in his hand There is no other meanrs my daughter sayd he to set thee at liberty but this and therewith hee thrust the knife to her heart And looking up to the judgement seate where Appius 〈◊〉 To thee Appius quoth hee and to thy heâ—… 〈◊〉 crate with this bloud Then was there great lamentatlon and outcryes among the people and the women crying Is this the comfort of bringing up our children Is this the reward of chasticie And though Appius commanded Virginius to be apprehended yet he escaped and went to the campe where the unjust sentence of Appius was so much detested and the necessitie of the fathers fact so much lamenred that they came armed to Rome deprived the ten Magistrates and altered the forme of government to two Consuls againe and cast Appius in prison where for sorrow and shame he ended his dayes Antonius a famous Captaine and one of the 〈◊〉 governours of the Roman Empire through the pleasure he tooke in the fond love of Cleopatra Queene of Egypt lost not onely his fame and rule which he had over divers kingdomes and countries but his life also and hers upon whom he was so much besotted This Antonius married with the sister of Octavian another principall governour of the Romane Empire that after was called Augustus Caesar. But the lascivious eatisements of Cleopatra made such an impression in the flexible disposition of Antonius that hee little regarding his owne wife gave himselfe wholly to the love of Cleopatra which was the chiefe cause of the ruine of them both and the advancement of Octavian to the Monarchy of the world For Octavian conceiving great displeasure against Antonius for his sisters cause gathered together a great navie to make warre upon him who had made the like provision to encounter with Octavian These two mightie potentates with two huge navies wherein were assembled the forces of all the Princes adjoyning to their aide met together with like will and power but not with like fortune For in the beginning of the fight Cleopatra who accompanied Antonius with the Egyptian 〈◊〉 fled backe againe to Alexandria from whence they came which when Antonius saw being overcome rather with the blind love of the Queene than with his enemies forces followed after her and left the victorie to Octavian who pursued them both to Alexandria where Antonius being arrived and perceiving his navie to joyne with his enemie at the same time also forsaken of his horsemen hee cryed out as hee went in the Citie that hee was betrayed to them by Cleopatra to whom for her sake hee became an enemy Which when Cleopatra heard fearing the furie of Antonius shee shut her selfe in her sepulchre which shee had before so artificially prepared that being once made fast no man could easily enter into it without the helpe of them that were within and sent word to Antonius that shee had slaine her selfe After Antonius was come to himselfe hearing and beleeving this evill newes Why stayest thou Antonie quoth he the onely cause that was left to thee to desire life fortune hath now taken from thee and so entring into his chamber and unarming himselfe O Cleopatra quoth hee I am not sorie for the lacke of thee for I will be by and by with thee but that so great an Emperour as I am should bee furmounted in fortitude by a woman Then Antonius turning to his man Eros whom hee had provided before to kill him if neede were required him to performe his promise Eros taking his sword in his hand and making as though he would strike his master suddenly turned the point to his own body and thrust himselfe through and fell downe dead at his masters feet Which when Antonius saw well done Eros quoth he thou hast aptly taught me by thine owne example that thou couldest not find in thy heart to do it thy selfe and there with he thrust the sword into his own belly cast himself upon his bed Antonius perceiving that his wound was not present death desired his servants to kill him but they refusing running forth of the chamber hee raged and cryed out like one that had beene mad untill one came that Cleopatra had sent to bring him to her When he heard that she was alive hee greatly rejoyced and was carried presently to her 〈◊〉 where the Queene with two other women which shee had â—…here enclosed with her let downe cords out of a window for the doore shee would not open and with great labour drew him up halfe dead into the sepulcher A more miserable and lamentable sight sayd they that were present was never seene When the women had drawn him into the sepulchre and layd him upon a bedde Cleopatra began to rend her garments to reare her hayâ—…e to scratch her face crying out upon her lover her Lord her Emperour and so imployed herselfe in bemoniug him that she seemed to forget her owne misery Antonius used all the meanes hee could to comfort her advising her to provide for her selfe and her own matters if she could doe it without dishonour not to mourne for these last calamities of his but rather to thinke him happy for his former felicitie that was of all other the most famous and mightiest man and that now it was no disgrace for a Romane to bee overcome of Romanes After which words Antonius began to yeeld up the ghost When Casar heard of Antonius death hee sent Proculeius presently to Cleopatra
Tholosanum when any thing is dangerous to bee taken away Leo of Africa reporteth that there is a Church in Marocke upon the top of whose tower three apples of Massie gold are thrust through with an iron speare by Necromancie of the value of one hundred thirtie thousand duckats which whosoever goeth about to take away as divers great states through a covetous desire have attempted it hath the like successe as Brennius and Xerxes had for attempting the spoile of the Temple of Apollo therfore taken to prefage evill successe to him that goeth about to take them away But what is it that the greedy desire of riches maketh men forbeare to attempt Pygmalion King of the Tyrians married his sister Dido to Sichaus his uncle a very rich man who afterward fearing Pygmalions unsatiable desire of riches knowing how dangerous it hath beene many times to those that possesse it hid his treasure under the ground But Pygmalion inflamed with the fame of his great wealth not respecting his owne bloud nor the nearenesse of alliance nor the comfort of his owne sister contrarie to all humanitie caused Sichaus to be slaine hoping thereby to become master of his riches But Dido though shee tooke her husbands death very grievously yet seeing her selfe in the like danger by means of her husbands goods which were then hers dissembled the matter and determined to steale away secretly with her goods and told her brother that her owne house brought the remembrance of her husband whom shee would willingly forget often into her minde and therefore shee was determined to dwell with him Pygmalion being well satisfied with his sisters resolution thinking by that means to bee possessed of her goods also expected the time of her comming But Dido having prepared shipping and all things ready conveyed her goods secretly into a ship and followeth after with her traine When she was in the middest of the sea she caused a great many bags which she had filled with sand to be cast into the sea as though it had been her treasure and told her companie that this was it that was the cause of her husbands death and lest it should bee also her destruction which was the thing her unnaturall brother sought after shee had throwne it into the sea fearing lest they would against her will carry her to him She discovered to them that her meaning was not to goe to her brother but fained this excuse to escape the danger which shee knew through his greedy deâ—… of her treasure hanged over her head but now that her goods were drowned in the sea it was as perillous for them to returne to him as it was for her and therefore if they would go with her and take such part as she did shee would take them for her companions and friends They fearing to returne to the King whose name was odious to them for the cruell murther of his owne uncle and sisters husband assented to go with her Her first arrival was at the â—…and of Cyprus where shee tooke into her ship fourescore young women meaning to marry them to those shee had carried with her to increase her Colonie where shee happened to settle her selfe The Cypriots had a custome to give libertie to their young maidens to get money by unhonest meanes to help to marry them Of this sort were the young maidens that Dido carried with her From thence shee sayled towards Africa and arrived upon the coast of Libia where shee bought of the people so much ground as shee could enclose with one oxe hide to build upon which she caused to be cut into small threeds where with she enclosed much more ground than they imagined and built a ciâ—…ic called Carthage where shee and her people â—…ourished so in wealth and riches that Iarbas King of the Moores sent Ambassage to her for marriage with threatning of war if she denied Dido perciving the imminent danger of her people and new Citie if shee refused the King and remembring the vow she had made never to marry againe caused a great pile of wood to bee made under her castle wall and fire to bee put to it and after shee had made a protestation to her people standing upon the wall that her intent was to keepe her vow inviolate and to deliver them and her new Citie from the danger of King Iarbas shee cast her selfe into the fire To these extremities riches brought this noble Queene first to forsake her Countrey and after to destroy her selfe The like happened to Venda Queene of Russia For the Princes her neighbours being importunate 〈◊〉 to her for marriage to increase their possessions and jealous one of anothers advancement after she perceived that no intreatie would mitigate their ambitious passions rather than shee would bee forced against her will to have any of them she drowned her selfe Helenc Queene of the same Countrie of Russia for the like cause used the like crueltie upon others that the other used to her selfe For being desired of her enemies that there might bee a truce to the end a talke of marriage might bee had betweene their King and her shee caused the Ambassadours to bee buried alive and before the matter should bee knowne shee used meanes to have other Ambassadours sent of greater estate Then came fiftie other Ambassadours of the principall men in all the Realme which she likwise caused to bee buried alive And under promise of marriage she caused five thousand to be slaine which she had made drunke When the Emperour Trajan made warre upon Decebal King of Dacia that was very rich in gold and silver this King being doubtfull to what destinie hee and his kingdome was subject buried all his treasure in a river which he removed out of his naturall channell and in the deepest place thereof he made sepulchres of stone to burie his treasure which being done hee returned the river into his right channell againe and to the end no man should discover what hee had done hee caused all them which were present at the hiding thereof to be murdered But all served not his turne for a fisher being at that time fishing in the river discovered the matter to Trajan These be the fruits that great riches and possessions bring forth not only to the possessours and those that seeke after them but to those also that intermeddle with them The Emperour Henrie the seventh a Prince endued with excellent vertues was poysoned with an Host which was given him by an Italian Monke corrupted with money There was a Citizen of Venice banished and a reward appointed by the Venetians to him that should bring his head His sonne that was also banished slew his father and brought his head to Venice and received the reward Iohn Magnus reporteth Vislar King of Gothland to be so insatiably desirous of riches that all the gold and silver in his Realme hee said was his and when hee had by all unlawfull and unhonest meanes gathered
cares determined to alter the course of his former life and give himselfe to contemplation Hee used often to goe alone up to the top of a hill that joyned to the Citie of Abderita where hee would kill dogs and calves rip them up make Anatomie of them ever as hee saw how aptly nature had compact the intrailes members together to serve the necessary uses of the creature he would fall into a great laughing Hee used this so often that the Senatours marvelling what he meant to goe so much up this hill sent one secretly after him to watch what he did This fellow beholding covertly his manner how he cut up dogs and calves and laughed at he knew not what brought word to the Senatours what hee had seene They supposing him to be mad or become foolish were very sorry and lamented his case to one of the Sages or Philosophers of Greece that was newly come to Towne They told him what a great losse they had of so grave and wise a Senatour that was now become a foole and desired him to examine the cause of his sudden alteration and to perswade him if he could to leave off those foolish manners to reduce him againe to his former gravitie and course of life This man watched when hee went up the hil and followed secretly after And when hee had beheld him a while quartering his dogs and laughing after his usuall manner he came to him reprehending him for his laughing admonished him to recall himselfe to his former gravitie Democritus after he had ended his perswasions leadeth him to the side of the hill where they might looke into the Citie and Countrey round about Now quoth he imagine that you see all things that are done within the Citie Look saith he what familiaritie is between that young man and the young woman you see which is yonder old mans wife there is a bargaine making to set a paire of hornes on the old mans head And doe you see yonder two fellowes how they watch for the plaine man 〈◊〉 travelleth about his businesse to kill him and to take his purse And look on the other side how that young man that married yonder old woman for her goods provideth a drink to dispatch her that he may marry a young woman At the end of everie of these questions Democritus after his usuall manner would fall into a great laughing When he had ministred divers of these kinde of questions whereby he noted the ordinarie vices and lewd behaviour of many which were too common in Cities and other places where is much concourse of people as though they had beheld them in action Is there any man quoth hee that seeth these things that can forbeare to laugh After this man that was sent by the Senatours had some farther discourse with Democritus hee returned to them who hoping that hee had perswaded him to bee of another minde made haste to meet him and were desirous to know what had passed between them You are deceived quoth he in Democritus that think him to be mad or foolish for he is only wise and all you be fooles He withdraweth not himselfe from the companie of you and others because hee is out of his right mind but hee looketh into the vanities of the world with a sound and upright judgment and hath in contempt this worldly wealth honours pompe esteeming those things as the frumps of fortune which ye exalt above the skies and take for felicitie and giveth himselfe to the studie of Philosophie and contemplation of the works of God wherein consisteth the true felicitie Diogenes after his accustomed scoffing manner which hee used to reprehend vice and to draw men from over-much care and estimation of worldly matters for there is no cause to let men from speaking the truth though in jest on a time as hee sate in his tub upon the side of the hill that looketh into the Citie of Syracusa which was situate at the foot of the hill beholding every man occupied in ramming up their gates and preparing things necessarie for defence of their Citie against their enemies that were comming to besiege it hee rolled his tub from the top of the hill to the bottome and from thence up to the top againe and then overthwart the hill from one side to another and being asked what he meant to labour so hard Look quoth he what a stir yonder is pointing downe to the towne it is no reason that I be idle when my Citizens are so occupied By which scoffe hee would give men to understand what advantage they had that conâ—…ed themselves with a meane estate that is voyd of all feare and danger and free from the uncertaine accidents of wavering fortune over them that live in abundance of worldly wealth honours alwaies subject to a world of misadventures not only of the losse of that they possesse esteem for their felicity but of their lives also of them that be most deare to them Of whom riches is greatly esteemed he is neither beloved of vertue nor of God neither can that man attaine to divine things that hath not rejected the delights of money and of the body Byas one of the Sages of Greece when the towne was wonne by their enemies and leave given to every man to carry his goods away with him Byas being met carrying nothing whereas all others were throughly laden and asked why he carried not his goods as all other men did theirs I carry quoth he all my goods with me accounting nothing appertaining to him but the goods and gifts of his minde as the Poet saith Divitias animi solas egojudico verâ—… Qui rebus pluris se facit ipse suis Those the true Riches of the minde I count When men thinke They their Riches far surmount The mention of this Byas bringeth to my remembrance a notable example of modestie and contempt of riches shewed by the seven Sages or wise men of Greece whereof Byas was one As certain Fishers were drawing their nets to land one bought their draught at adventure not yet knowne what was within them It chanced them to draw up enclosed within their nets a table of gold of great weight and value The Fishers desirous to reserve to themselves the golden table said that they sold only the fish the other affirmed he bought the fortune The contention grew so vehement that the matter was brought before the people of the Citie to give their censure They considering the strangenesse of the matter and the great value of the thing referred the judgement to their god Apollo at Delphos And when answer was made by the Oracle that he that excelled all others in wisdome should have the table they gave it with a general consent to Thales one of the Sages he sent it to Byas Byas sent it to Pittacus he to another and so passing through the hands of all the seven Sages it came
doest thou thinke I pitie thee it rather grieveth me to see such a slave as thou art who deservest to grow old and to dye like a Tyrant as thy father did than to live here among us so pleasantly and to passe thy time in securitie without feare Whereby the Philosophers meaning was that hee lived then more happily being a private man voyde of feare and perill than he did before in his kingdome which was full of feare and trouble The infelicitie which many times accompanieth great estates and frequenteth places of honour was well fore-scene of Tâ—…us the goâ—…d Emperour of Rome For as he made a feast one day to the contentment of everie man using a cheerefull countenance in the end of the banquet he strake himselfe upon the breast at the table and withall â—…tched a great sigh And when his favorites desired to know the cause I cannot quoth he refraine sighing when I call to minde that this great honour which I have dependeth upon the will of fortune that my estates and dignities are as it were in sequestration and my life as it were laide in pawne and pledge to me Words of like effect were uttered by 〈◊〉 to Nerva when hee was chosen Emperour For when all men came to doe reverence to him as their Lord and Emperour and to congratulate and rejoyce with him wishing him good successe and fortune as the manner is onely Arrius a very wise and grave man a faithfull friend to Nerva used another forme of speech considering with a more deepe meditation than the rest what a great charge and full of perill it was to reigne My friend Nerva sayd he that thou hast taken upon thee the governement of the Empire either it is some curse from thy predecessours or some vengeance that the gods will take of thee seeing they suffer thee to take the Empire and at the time thou hast most need of counsell they bereave thee of thy sound and good judgement And surely Nerva sayd Arrius that thou art exalted into this throne I attribute it to the good fortune of the Senate and the people of Rome and to all the Empire and not to thine For as thou hast through thy vertue and wisdome escaped with so great honour credit from the hands of so many evill Princes that went before thee so now the same hath made thee subject to an infinite number of cares and perills and above all the rest to the infamy and hatred of thine enemies and much more of thy friends For these thinking in their own judgement that they have deserved all things as due to them in respect of old friendship if any thing be denied them though unjust that they shall aske they will become more cruell enemies than those that have so disordered themselves And when Pertinax was to be elected Emperour and went up to the Capitoll he would in no wise sit in the chaire of estate but tooke the Consull Glabrion by the arme by strong hand would have placed him in the same as the worthier man But he refusing and perswading 〈◊〉 with all the Senate to accept the Empire which was so much against his wil and liking as appeared by the pitifull lamentation he made and abundance of teares hee shed that they placed him in a manner by force in the chaire And when hee saw no remedy nor resistance against their 〈◊〉 hee made an Oration to the Senate and amongst many other things spake thus When I began to hold offices in the Common-wealth I thought it most certaine that it was no humane matter but a divine dignitie to bee a Romane Emperour but after I had tasted of the travels of commandement and of authoritie and understood the peril to reigne I did cleerely see that amongst all the travels of men to bee an Emperour is the greatest Untill this day I have had some 〈◊〉 but from henceforth I shall bee constrained to live discontented because from the travell and 〈◊〉 of the â—…nce peace quietnesse proceedeth to the CoÌ„mon-wealth The office of a Prince is not to sleepe but to watch not to be idle but to travell for that every excessive recreation which his person taketh forthwith redoundeth to the prejudice of the Common-wealth Untill this day have I been well liked served and reverenced but from henceforth all men for the most part shall beare mee envie because the estate of Princes is so envied that thâ—…sea shall want sand to reckon his enemies but the number of his fingers of one hand shall exceed to point out his friends Hee used often to say that in all his life he never committed the like fault as when he accepted the Empire and many times hee moâ—…oned to leave the same and to returne unto his housâ—… and would thus recomfort 〈◊〉 That forasinuch as hee was of so great age he should not long live but bee delivered of this redious life Perâ—…nax had a son whom after he was Emperor he would not suffer to come to the Court nor yet to Rome but held him in his countrey following his owne affaires which moved the Consull to say to Pertinax that he seemed rather the sonne of a labourer than of an Emperour Whereupon he listup his eyes to heaven and with a great sigh sayd My mother Rome hath cause to be contented that I offer and put â—…y life in danger for her sake without venturing my sonne and house in like danger Whereby it appeareth he esteemed himselfe for most unhappy to be established in the Empire and his sonne to bee in great felicitie being free from the same CHAP. II. The Emperour Trajans opinion concerning Principalitie and Empire The like of Marcus Aurelius Emperour of the Empire Saturninus and his death The modesty of Sylla the Dictator and Carolus Martellus The History of Dioclesian The instabilitie of Fortune prâ—…ved by Iustinian the second The contention of Sergius and Formosus about the Pope-dome Of Pope Iohn the thirteenth and others Of Bajazet Emperour of the Turkes The historie of Darius and Alexander of Baltazar Cossa Pope and his miserable death Flattery rewarded by Antonius and Commodus Emperors The stories of divers Popes Of the Cardinal of Loreyne and of Martin Luther THe Emperour Trajane seemed to be of opinion that the greatest felicitie is not found in the greatest estate by a letter which hee wrote to the Senate of Rome being new chosen Emperour where among other things hee writeth thus Ye know that albeit I was nephew to our predecessor yet I never solicited him for the kingdome and much lesse occupied my thoughts to hope for it having learned of my master Plutarch that honour ought rather to bee deserved than purchased And as I will not denie but that a kingdome is a sweet prey that the present of so high and excellent dignity was welcome to mee with inward gladnesse so also I cannot but confesse that I find great difference between the travels of a kingdome and the
glorious estate but their counseller whose advice they use answereth them for the most part so cunningly that they are nothing the neerer of their purpose The Emperour Nero asked counsell of the Divell how long his reigne should continue hee willed him to beware of sixty foure Nero being then yong was glad to heare that answere thinking the meaning had bin hee should have reigned Emperour until he had bin sixtie foure yeares old But not long after Galba was chosen Emperour against him who was of the age of sixtie and foure and deposed him with losse of his life King Philip of Macedon moved with the like desire sent to Delphos to know his destinie answere was made him by the Oracle of Apollo that hee must take heed of a chariot The king commanded all the carres and chariots in his realme to bee plucked in peeces and such places that did beare that name he would alwayes avoyd and forbeare to come neere them But all that would not serve his turne for Pausanias slue him with a sword that had a chariot graven in the pummell Pope Paulus the third delighted much in Nicromancers being himselfe skilfull in the art and desirous to know his fortune a Necromancer told him that he should be Pope in the yeare one thousand five hundred thirty foure long before it happened in the time of Leo the tenth when there was no likelihood of any such matter and that he should be Pope foureteene yeares at which time hee should end his Popedome with his life which came to passe Whereby it should seeme that the Divell hath a voyce among the Cardinals in the election of the Popes and that God suffereth the Divell sometimes to make Popes and to take it from them againe at his pleasure life and all The humour of glory and desire to rule resteth not onely in the affections of great estates but also is many times found to be in men of base condition And when possibilitie faileth to attaine to honour by rule and authority they covet to win it by some singularitie wherin they would excell others And some feare not to run into a voluntary present death to win fame and glory after this life by some notorious fact without respect of the wickednesse thereof whereof these examples following shall serve for proofe Calanino understanding that the people of Capua a citie in Italy himselfe being a Tribune there were determined to kill the Senatours whom they hated deadly went with them as though he allowed of their enterprise but advertised the Senate before of the peoples resolution and what he would do to save their lives He shut them up fast in a close place as prisoners that they might not bee subject to the fury of the people And when they were assembled together to put their purpose in execution this Calanino told them that seeing they had determined to kill all the Senators they must first devise with themselves who were the worthiest men to supply their places And making as though hee would bring them forth to be killed one after another will yea have quoth he such a one killed first naming him that hee knew they most hated they all allowing it with great gladnesse commended him for his choyce Then sayd he who will ye have to supply his place Then stepped forth divers men of severall trades and occupations every one contending with other to have chosen one of their companie to supply his roome And thus naming all the Senators one after another to be killed and asking them the like questions for supply of their roomes there was such an earnest contention among themselves every one fearing lest one should bee preferred to a more honorable place than the other that they were all content rather to endure and submit themselves to the governement of the old Senatours than any of them should have more honour than others And thus by the wisedome of their Tribune and the envy and emulation of the common people the lives and honours of the Senatours were preserved whom they had determined through hatred and malice to have killed Scinditur incertum studia in contraria vulgus The uncertaine rabble is divided into contrarie opinions What was it but desire of vaine-glory that made Simon Magus that notable Necromancer labor to be singular in that art by doing strange things in the sight of the people he thought by helpe of the Divell to deifie himselfe For which cause his image was set up by Claudius Caesar with this inscription Simoni sancto Deo Which at last wrought his own destruction For as Saint Peter saw him lift himselfe up into the ayre in a great assembly of people making them beleeve hee would ascend up to heaven to the great admiration of them all hee desired God that hee would not suffer him any longer to seduce the world whereupon he fell presently downe head-long and brake his leg whereof he dyed shortly after The like happened to a Saraceo 〈◊〉 Constantinople for when there was at a triumph a great assembly of people beholding certaine justs this Saracen went up to the top of a high turret that stood in the Tilt-yard and bragging that he would flye in the ayre he had provided him a long white garment downe to the foot full of playtes and gatherings made for the purpose to hover in the ayre hee began to flitter with his hands in steede of wings and when hee thought he had soared enough he committed himselfe to the winde and weather and fell downe head-long to the ground and bruised his bones to peeces and like a vaineglorious Coxcombe there ended his life Saint Iohn the Evangelist being banished into the Isle of Pathmos by the Emperor Domitian because by calling upon the name of Iesus Christ he drave away a divell out of the Temple of Diana that seduced the people which had possessed an Idoll there two hundred fortie nine yeares into Ephesus in the which Island Saint Iohn found a notorious fellow called Cynops that by the helpe of the Divell did wonderous things before the people and bragged that hee would raise men that were knowne to bee dead who had gotten such a reputation among them that he was a great hinderance to the Gospell which Saint Iohn preached And as on a time hee had played many strange feats in a great assembly of people standing upon the sea coast Cynops seeing Saint Iohn comming towards them Come on good fellow quoth hee to Saint Iohn thou shalt see more strange things than hath beene yet shewed Saint Iohn standing among them and seeing three evill spirits which had taken upon them the forme and face of men raised out of the sea by Cinops which the people thought had beene men commanded them in the name of Iesus Christ that was crucified not to depart Then Cynops to shew more feats clapt his hands together and leapt into the sea as he had done divers times before where he would tarry
be dissolved wee repose great coÌ„fidence my welbeloved 〈◊〉 in your amity we rejoyce much in you because ye agree very well in opinion with us and that ye sâ—…eke and procure with diligence those things that bee ours alwayes defending and protecting whatsoever yee know to appertaine to our right Know ye therfore that ye are in great favour with our universality whose travell diligence we accept with many thankes because infinite number of soules by your service example and negligence in doing the work of God among the people are led away from the truth forsaken and broughtdaily captive to us by meanes whereof the power of our kingdome is greaâ—…ly increased Persever therefore in our friendship as faithfull and assured to us in the worke ye have begun we are ready for all things to recompence you with a reward worthy of you and agreeable to your service in the lowest parts of hell Fare ye well our blessing be with you for ever The Earle of Mascon not cóntenting himselfe with the title estate of his Earledome to increase his glory with some singularitie fell by Necromancy to be so familiarly acquainted with the Divell that as he sate at dinner with divers noblemen and others he was called by a man unknowne going downe he found a black horse which attended for him at his gate which carried him and the man suddenly up into the ayre three times very swiftly round about the city hee crying out most miserably helpe my Citizens helpe me in the sight and to the great admiration and terrour of all the people of whom he was never more seene This ambition and vaine-glory the Divell knoweth to be so offensive to God and enemy to the felicity of men that he leaveth nothing unpractised to stir up mens mindes to the desire thereof himselfe being alwayes ready at hand where he findeth a disposition meete for his purpose to assist them to work strange feats counterfeit miracles not to the destruction of them onely that are entred into his societie but to use theÌ„ as instruments to seduce many others and to divert them from the true service of God from whom onely commeth mans felicity to seeke helpe at his hands And to this purpose there is a strange historie of a Spanish woman of base parentage called Magdalen which happened in the yeare of grace one thousand five hundred forty five in the Citie of Cordube in Spaine When this Magdalen was yet scarcely five yeares old her friends made her a Nunne and though it was too rathe for those young yeares to know the wickednesse of the world yet such is the secret judgement of God it is reported that the Divell in the likenesse of a man blacke as an Ethiop appeared to this mayd who at the first being something affraid yet at last by flattering words and faire promises of such things as that old Serpent knew were meete to allure her tender yeares he found means to enter into familiar communication with her injoyning her straightly not to speake of this new acquaintance This yong mayden was of a singular capacitie and rare disposition by meanes whereof shee was greatly esteemed among the rest of the Nunnes both yong and old The divell having a meaning by her to deceive all Spaine seemed very provident by making choice of this towardly yong thing whom he thought so much the more meete for his purpose as she excelled the rest in sharpenesse of wit and ripenesse of judgement that by framing in her a 〈◊〉 of religion holinesse which hath beene alwayes accounted the onely meanes to deceive the world hee might at last bring his purpose to effect When she was come to twelve yeares old the Divell became a suter to her for marriage promising her that for the space of thirty yeares or I know not how many more he would advance her to such estimation of holinesse throughout all Spaine that shee should match or excell in glory reputation all that at any time have bin most famous in that kind of matter The desire of glory pierced so deepely into her tender affection that she seemed to consent And as they used to passe the time pleasantly together in secret the Divel would send his servant in her very likenesse to supply her roome in the Church and to do all things that was for her to do The Divell when shee was not imployed in attending upon divine service was accustomed to bring her news of all things that were done in the whole world Which when she declared to them that favoured her it greatly increased the opinion of her holinesse by meanes whereof shee was accounted a Prophetesse And rather than her yeares required shee was by a generall consent of the whole company of Nunnes chosen Abbesse It was commonly known that at such times as the Nunnes did usually receive the Sacrament the Priest should ever lacke one of the consecrated cakes which was secretly brought by her angell to Magdalen as she sate in the quire among the rest of the Nunnes which shee would shew as 〈◊〉 held it in her mouth to the standers by for a miracle It is also reported that in the time of Masse when the elevation was a wall that was betweene her and the quire would open that shee might see and be seene And likewise at such solemne festivall dayes as the Nunnes used to leade the Abbesse shee would by a strange miracle in the sight of all men somtime cause her selfe to be lifted up from the ground into the ayre three cubits or more sometime she would be seene to beare a naked young child representing Iesus newly borne with such other vaine devices to make the festivall day the more holy By these frvolous illusions and juggling casts of the Divell shee grew in such reputation that shee received letters from the Pope the Emperour and the nobility of Spaine wherein they commended themselves and their important affaires to her most holy prayers They would also use her advice in matters of very great weight as though she had beene a Prophetesse that could foresee things to come as it manifestly appeared afterward when her wickednesse was discovered by the letters of the greatest Princes of Christendome that were found about her written to that effect Divers noble women also would not have their children newly born wrapped in their swadling bands untill they had beene handled and consecrated by this womans hands In all this while among so many notable and learned men there was not one that could find these fraudulent toyes of the divell Such was the darkenesse and blindnesse of that time At last God of his unspeakable goodnes would suffer this treacherous hypocrisie no longer to be hidden For after she had thus abused the world neere about thirty yeers she began to fall into repentance and discovered her detestable practices to the visitours and contrary to all expectation confessed her wicked fact This news seemed wonderfull
his successor By the like policie he thrust the king of Darapt out of his kingdome All this while he would not take upon him the name of king but was called Seriph that is high Priest When he had left sufficient garrisons in the kingdoms he had gotten he goeth to the king of Tremissen who nothing suspecting that the murder of the king of Taphilletta came by this Prophets meanes suffered him to come into his town yet upon condition that he should leave his traine behind him being somwhat jealous of the because they were well appointed with their bowes and arrowes in their hands their cimyters by their sides contrarie to the accustomed simplicity and manner of going The Hermit to avoyd suspicion leaveth his traine â—…thing behind him goeth slenderly accoÌ„panied to the 〈◊〉 And after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewed him by the king his traine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the towne which they began presently to sacke to make open war and 〈◊〉 about an hundred thousand persons And in the end the king likewise and all his children were put to the sword and he made kong which title he would no Iocger refuse And pursuing his ambitious purpose under the colour of reforming the Alcoran he made war upon all the kings his neighbours destroying all things with fire and sword that was in his way Affrica was never so plagued not in Mahomets time that fought two and twenty battels as it was by this hypocrite It was a most pitifull spectacle to see the Princes murdered like beasts in the shambles the great estates spoyled of their goods and slaine or made slaves men women and children dayly put to the sword without mercy according to the Poets saying Libert 〈◊〉 scelerâ—… est regnainvâ—…a 〈◊〉 Then liberty to mischiefes is allowed When kingdomes are usurpt by Tyrants proud When 〈◊〉 reason they no place affoord But sentence all things by the cruell sword Fortune was so favorable to him that he became within the space of three yeares king of Tremissen Maroch Darapt Taphilletta Su and at length of Fez also So that the Turkes and Barbarians stood in great feare and admiration of him supposing that these things could not bee done without some divine power when they considered that such a poore simple Priest should so 〈◊〉 become a king of the goodliest and most 〈◊〉 kingdomes of all Africa But we will leave him in 〈◊〉 prosperity and draw towards his end The king of Algier doubting the greatnesse of this 〈◊〉 determined after the old proverbe when the Lions tayle is short to tye the Foxe tayle to him to make proofe seeing force would not prevaile what policy would doe He sent some twelve or thirteene hundred 〈◊〉 under the conduct of a valiant man whom he had instructed what to doe to this Hermite king 〈◊〉 themselves to have 〈◊〉 the king of 〈◊〉 and to depart as malcontents They found the king at 〈◊〉 rejoycing in his conquests but yet troubled in minde to see himselfe among a sort of people that loved him not greatly by reason of the injuries hee had done to them to their Princes for which cause he retained a strong guard of other nations And when he saw such a band of men he demanded the cause of their comming and of their departure froÌ„ their king They answered him that they were poore souldiers that had left the king of Algier because he had used them uncourteously and if it would please him to entertaine them they would bee faithfull to him even to death The king entertaineth them made them not long after his principall guard and favoured them more than his owne people Which procured them much envy and especially of the great estates of his Councell who advised him to beware of these Turkes who they suspected came to him for no good purpose alledging divers reasons that moved them so to thinke and that the Turke made none account of his life if he might doe his master any acceptable service The Hermite being as subtile as they said little but determined to find some occasion to put them all to the sword It chanced that news was brought about that time to the king of a rebellion in some of his countries wherupon he tooke occasion to raise a power to represse them but indeed to put the Turkes to the sword of whom he grew very suspicious The Turkes perceiving the preparation for this great journey and observing that the king had often conference with his Councell whom they knew to bee their capitall enemies began to doubt that this preparation was made for them To retyre they had no meanes and to refuse they should make themselves odious to all the armie and by that meanes they should put the king out of doubt of that which he did now but suspect Whilest they were debating these things they had certain intelligence of the kings intent and that the time of execution was at hand The Turkes seeing no way to escape resolved upon a most desperate enterprise watching for opportunity as the king sate in Councell with the Princes and captaines of his army in his pavillion deliberating how to put in execution his purpose against these Turkes at what time it chanced the principall men of his guard to be gone for forage and onely two hundred renegates left to attend the Turkes entred into the pavillion where they slue the King and his Councell with the captaines and sacked his tents of such treasure as there was the renegates in place of defending the king joyned with them in the spoyle Desinat elatis quisquam confidererebus Let no man put his confidence in things that succeed well The Turks after this murder without any resistance the army being amazed with the suddennesse and greatnesse of the matter departed with their spoyle towards a towne called Torodant which they easily surprised sacked they fearing no hostilitie and there stayed to refresh themselves hearing that the army stirred not for the space of fifteen dayes whereas if they had followed on their journey they had beene at Algier before the army had overtaken them But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hermit and his successour in his kingdome hearing of his fathers death hasteneth him with his forces after the Turkes who understanding of his comming trussed up their baggage upon Camels and departed toward Algier in very good order carrying certain 〈◊〉 of ordnance with them for their better defence When they had marched a few miles out of the town the king â—…aileth theÌ„ but being valiantly received by the Turks they marched forward in despite of the whole 〈◊〉 And being charged thus for the space of three or foure dayes as they marched in which time the Turkes had staine many of their enemies the king being moved that such a handful of men should be able to make 〈◊〉 a resistance caused a very hot charge to be given upon theÌ„ wherein the Turkes being overmatched and oppressed with the multitude of their
knew that body He answered that he knew him wel to be the body of his most deare brother and Lord with whom he wished presently to be in the same world he was Assure your selfe said the king I will bring it to passe that you shall have your desire and that shortly The next day the king caused the Cardinall to bee brought into the place where his brother lay and to be slaine When the death of the Duke his brother was knowne the Duchesse their mother and the late wife of the Duke made sute to the king for the bodies of the two brethren W th being denied the mother expostulates bitterly with the King accusing him of infidelitie chargeth him with the breach of his oath of his promise of his agreement pucceth him in minde of the benefits which hee and his realme had received of the Duke and also of his father for which so great ingratitude and barbarous crueltie shee asketh vengeance of God upon him and his The king being moved with her bold speech commandeth her to prison And as shee was going away Madame quoth he be of good comfort the same kinde of death is happened to your sonne the Duke that chanced in times past to Iulius Casar who was killed in the Senate But when the wife or widow of the Duke saw that shee could not obtaine her sute of the king shee lifting up her eyes and hands to heaven shedding abundance of reares complaineth with a lamentable voyce upon the uncertaintie and unconstancie of humane matters that nothing was to be found any where certaine but onely with God who I hope saith she as a most just Iudge will not suffer mee to dye though nothing would bee more pleasant to mee than to dye and to enjoy the company of my most deare husband untill I see so barbarous and beastly a butchery of my Lord and husband revenged the like example whereof was never heard before And when she had reckoned up his vertue and valour and the great service he had done to the king and his countrey Is this O king sayd she the crowne of Lawrell which is due to them that regard not the danger of their estate and of their life for the safetie of their king Is this the 〈◊〉 that ought to be granted to him who hath not only defended France from strangers but also hath often overthrown and destroyed whosoever were enemies to his country Then turning to her husband O my Lord sayd shee how happy and fortunate had I beene if after thy prayeâ—… offered to God thou haddest been slaine giving charge upon thine enemies thy death in that sort taken would have beene to me much more tolerable nor would have wounded my mind so greatly so should you also have taken away all emulation from them that envie that honour And after shee had reprehended his emulâ—…tors and set forth his merits yea sayth she he had so great confidence in the king but I would to God hee had not done so that he feared not to come unarmed to him being armed of whom in steede of reward he was slaine Oh how great a wickednesse is this that he who hath so often defended the kings life shold by the kings commandement have his life taken from himâ—… That he who with so great perill of his life all his goods 〈◊〉 possessions hath kept the crowne upon the kings 〈◊〉 should be falsly suspected to affect the crowne himâ—… and without any kind of law or justice without 〈◊〉 of the cause so great a Prince should be so cruelly murdered O how great an injury is this to him that hath bestowed all his care for the preservation of his countrey safety of the kingâ—… But why doe I call him king ought hee to bee called a king who commanded him to be murdered in whom all his felicity and safety consisted O my God the most just revenger of wicked acts I â—…ye unto thee it is thy part to judge justly 〈◊〉 not the wicked slanders devised of his enemies to darken the perpetuall glory of my husband nor let not that villanous act committed upon him remaine 〈◊〉 Then she speaketh to her kinsfolkes and friends will ye behold with equall eyes minds the glory and fame of so great a chiefetaine and an invincible souldiour to be extinguished so quickly Will ye that I as it were alwayes for saken dye at last without any hope of revenge will ye that the revenge of so foule an act be deferred untill these my children yet voyd of reason come to be men O my little sons and daughters how happy had ye been if so soone as ye had been borne ye had presently changed life with death O king do you thinke that they be slaine that be yet alive You have taken the bread out of the hands of the little ones you would have buried the remembrance of an excellent Prince in oblivion for ever ye have in some sort your desire but the vengeance of God you shall not escape neither shall so barbarous an act go unpunished which your enemies do detest your friends bewaile O king who will hereafter beleeve you who will put his trust in you to whom will not your fidelity be suspected Do you thinke that your friends do commend you for this your fact especially seeing they see your mouth speaketh one thing and your heart thinketh another As for my selfe O King I will not hereafter call you my King but ye shall be in that place with me as they upon whom the judgement of God will assuredly fall that whereas yâ—…e ought to have protected widowes and orphanes ye have made me a widow and my children orphanes by taking away the life of my most dearely beloved husband In this mourning lamentation of this sorrowfull Duchesse in place of two brethren that were slaine shee was delivered of two sonnes To these extreme passions and miserable estate ambition and desire of dominion brought the Duke of Guise and his friends which not long after cost the king also his life and great trouble to the kingdome of France These be the fruits of worldly glory Vaine glorious men are not only hurtfull to themselves but also to others Solon saith To name a vaine glorious man in right termeâ—… is to call him a foole Whosoever escapeth best that is desirous of honour and glory he is sure not to strike the 〈◊〉 he shooteth at any thing the rather by that meanes that is felicitie or Summum bonum or soveraigne good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Genua by treason or cowardlinesse let Mahâ—…met the great Turke enter into Constantinople upon his promise to make him king And when Mahomet was gotten into the towne he made him king according to his promise and after three dayes he put him to death A short reigne with no long glory yet worthy of such a wretch by whose meanes the Emperour the Pâ—…triark and almost all the Christians in the towne were cruelly
ignominious a servitude who being in the field with his army there commeth to joyne with him a company of noble and gentlewomen excellently well armed that either had suffered or else feared they should suffer injury The battel grew very hote and a great slaughter on both sides when the women charged the Tyrant with such vertue and valour that they slue him and by all mens confession were the onely cause of the victory In the warres betweene the Succians Gothes and Danes there were two notable women expert and valiant souldiers in the army called Hâ—…tha and Vâ—…sna one being the chiefe Captaine the other being Standerd bearer whose right hand was stâ—…ken off in the â—…ght by the Valiant Champion starâ—… And in sea matters also women have beene nothing inferiour to men Alvilda a virgin gathered together certaine young maydes and exercised piracie in the North parts where she atchieved great matters for the which shee is registred in Chronicles to perpetuall memorie Many of these examples may bee produced out of histories of the excellencie of women and among the rest of Amalasuenta daughter to Theodoricus king of the Gothes whose vertues are exalted above the skies About three yeares past there was a Gentlewoman slaine at the siege of a Castle in Gelderland who had served the States in the warres as a souldier in the habit of a man many yeares When there was any going abroad to doe some exploit none was more forward than shee nor more valiant and hardy in fight She was not knowne to be a woman of those that were most familiar with her untill she was dead And if wee should cite examples of learning wee shall finde them in this also nothing inferiour to men Among which number was Leoâ—…cia a woman of such excellent learning that she wrote against Theophrastus the greatest Philosopher of his time reproving him of many faults in Philosophy And Corinna was of such excellent learning that she contended often with Pindarus at Thebes in veâ—…ying five times wan the victory Aretha was so excellent well learned that shee read openly in the Schooles of Athens naturall and morall Philosophy five and twenty yeares She made forty bookes Shee had an hundred Philosophers to her schollers semiramis Queene of Assyria after the death of Ninus her husband by whom she had a sonne not then at mans estate fearing how so many nations should bee governed by a boy and doubting also how shee should be obeyed if she should take upon her the government being a woman shee feyned her selfe to bee her sonne who in lincaments of face and stature of person did so resemble one another that hardly any difference could be perceived She apparelled him like a woman and her selfe like a man that the one might be taken for the other And in this sort she governed the Monarchy of the Assyrians not onely defending the countries left by her husband but increasing by conquest more nations to them the space of many yeares But Theodosia nothing fearing to shew her selfe as she was without counterfeiting another sex after the death of her husband and brother handled the matter with such prudence that she became Empresse governed with great fame in peace and prosperitie during her life Zenobia Queen of Palmarynes a woman endued with singular vertue after the death of her husband governed the East parts of the Romane Empire many yeares in despight of Galienus Claudius his successor Emperours of Rome making warre at some one time upon the Persians on the one side and defending her territories from the Romane Emperours on the other side But forasmuch as justice is the proper office of a Prince whose end after Socrates is to bring his people to felicitie and seeing authority and majâ—…stie in a Prince of all other things is chiefely to be respected as a singular gift of God which is gotten especially by these foure things by wisedome vertue felicitie and love of the people what need wee seeke for examples so farre off when wee have at this present a virgin Queene not onely equal to any of them but comparable also to the most renowned kings that have been in any age whether ye respect her rare gifts of nature multiplied by industrie or her honourable reputation gotten among forreine Princes and nations by her singular vertue and wisedome or the long continuance of her flourishing reigne and of the peaceable and happy estate with the dutifull love and obedience of her subjects who by her wise and politicke government in so perillous a time that the fire burning round about yet by Gods goodnesse in her providence feele not so much as the heat of the flame such a Queene I say as performeth not onely the part of a good Pilot in the governement of her owne ship but standeth as a lanterne in the high tower of Pharos by whose light the Princes and afflicted people round about her in this tempestuous time escape the dangerous rockes that dayly threaten their subversion and direct their course to a safe port That hath not taken occasion by her neighbours dissention and troubles after the usuall manner of Princes to enlarge her territories and dominion which she might have done to her great advantage But contrariwise to her great charge and expence and to their great benefit shee hath assisted and protected the oppressed in their just causes whose forces have daunted the pride of mighty Princes her enemies whose fame hath beene carried round about the world and will no doubt bee registred to perpetuall memorie in strange countries as trophees of her vertue O â—…mium dilecte Deo cui militat at her Et conâ—…rati veniunt adclassica venti Oh of the Gods thou over-lov'd For whom the Heavens doe warre And to whose fleete the conjur'd winds Prest and assistant are To what Prince in the world could these verses bee more aâ—…ly applyed than to her Majestie that were writen by Clandian the Poâ—…t in commendation of the felicity of Theodosius the Empetour But lest in going about to particulate the praises of this noble Queen paragon of Princes my gracious Soveraigne according to the worthinesse of her talent I should do as they that offer to shew the light of the Sunne with a candle the brightnesse of her worthy and heroicall acts and vertues shining more cleare to the world than I am able with words to set them forth I will conclude her commendations with this Danish verse Vincit opus famam â—…serma suppetit actis The worke doth much outgoe the fame Nor can weake words the act proclaime And what cause have wee to glory in the nobility of our bloud when we come by it by the vertue of our parents For the first nobility had his beginning for some vertuous act or service done to his country who for his worthinesse excelling other men was by the people ennoblized had in estimation above the rest Which title for his sake descend to his
strange attyres please best The Emperour Alexander Severus would not suffer any of his servants to wear any silke cloth of gold or silver used often to say that open excesse of apparell secret vice were the destruction of Courtiers It is hapned well that Diogenes is dead who surely would give bitter taunts make some men to blush if hee lived in these daies For meeting an effeminate yong man on a time that had attir'd himself finely but undecently for a man as he thought Art not ashamed quoth Diogenes when nature hath made thee a man to make thy self a woman Nec mulâ—…ebri comptu lotuque poâ—…ta Vir quisquam No man with such effeminate dreâ—…ing and polisht washing would disgrace himselfe King Philip of Macedon deprived a Magistrate from his office which hee had given him whom hee loved well only because he heard hee was more occupied in combing his head and trimming his person than in studying his bookes Quintus Hortensius a Roman Confull is infamed by Historians because he looked into a glasse when he made him ready and was too curious in trimming up himselfe But to leave Magistrates and speak of inferiour callings what would they have said what will hereafter be said to the infamy of this age if vertue ever come againe to be in estimation that men should be so effeminate and nice to bestow a good part of the day in trimming up themselves by a glasse like women as though they would transforme themselves out of one sexe into another and had rather resemble women than men If Aristotle spake thus of women then what would he have spoken now not only of women but of men also Neither the gorgeousnesse of apparell nor the abundance of riches maketh so much to the praise of women as doth modesty with honest and sober behaviour But this metamorphosis being now more common and usuall than in those daies is not so much perceived nor taken for so great a fault and peradventure may be justifiable by authoritie and prescription from Sardanapalus and Heliogabalus two of the greatest Monarks of the world He that will looke into the abuses of these dayes shall finde cause sufficient to cry out with the Orator O tempora O mores And it is to be feared lest that happen unto us that the Prophet wrote against the women of Ierusalem who after hee had reproved their stately gate their wanton lookes their rowling eyes the immodest trimming of their heads their chaines rings bracelets girdles jewels hanging at their eares and other proud attires It will happen to you saith the Lord that in place of your sweet savour yee shall become a great stincke instead of your girdles you shall have an halter in place of your frizled haire a shaven head and the â—…rest men in the company shall passe by the edge of the sword and the valiant and hardie shall dye in the warres But let us leave this Veritas odium parit and conclude with the Prophet who saith Wee passe over our dayes in vanitie and doe not perceive our owne extreme folly And what a madnesse and fleshly minde hath possesled them that not onely wallow in filthy pleasures like swine in the durt but thinke there wanteth that fulnesse they looke for of them except they glory also in their wickednes make that knowne to others which should be unknowne to themselves Such there be that rejoyce not onely in the sweetnesse of pleasures but in the infamie it selfe Proculuâ—… a Romane Emperour was unmeasurably addicted to the lust of the flesh and yet he thought there wanted something of the fulnesse except he also bragged thereof And therefore when hee made warres upon the Sarmatians hee vaunted that in fifteene dayes he had gotten with child an hundred virgins of that countrey which he had there taken prisoners Sardanapalus king of the Assyrians gloried so much in the pleasures hee had taken of the flesh that he commanded to be written after his death in his sepulchre These things I have which I have eaten which with love and pleasure I have taken It is strange to see what joy and pleasure men take in banquetting and quaffing and lasclvious talke as though they would make podicemexore and what contention there is for the victorie in such an unseemely and unchristianlike pastime which is so common that there need no rehearsall of examples The wise-man sayth It is better to goe into the house of sorrow than into the house of feasting And Iob saith of such men That they solace themselves with all kinde of musicke and passe over their dayes in pleasure and in a very moment they goe downe into hell Which is affirmed with a grievous threatning in the Apocalyps Quantum in delitiis fuit tantum date illi â—…rmentum Looke how much hee hath taken of delights let so much torments be laid upon him The felicity therefore we seeke for must bee sought in some other thing than in pleasures in riches or in honour and glory For in them as appeareth by that hath been said felicity is not to be found But it happeneth many times to them that seeke felicity in any of those things as it did to the boyes and the asse in the fable A man had laden an asse with a sacke full of birch and drave him homeward staying behind about some other businesse As the asse came by a schoole-house which was in his way he cryed apples apples who will buy any apples The boyes that were within at schoole hearing of merchandise so fit for their purpose ranne forth to the asse took down the sack thinking to have found it full of apples But when they perceived there was nothing but birch they fell all upon the asse that had deceived them and beat him cruelly with his owne rods The like happeneth to them whom the faire shewes and flattering promises of pleasures riches or honour and glory allureth to the inordinate desire of them But when they make tryall and looke into them with the eyes of the mind clensed from the corruption of impure affections they see how much they are deceived of that they looke for And where they sought felicitie they find matter of infelicity And they that possesse pleasures riches or honour and glory and make shew to be laden with felicitie or happinesse are many times punished with the burden they bear and worthily beaten with their own roddes that deceive not onely themselves but others also by their example with the false shew of feâ—…rie or happinesse For how can ambition or honour be taken for mans felicity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or his greatest good when so few attaine to it in respect of the great number that be excluded from it And wherin are they happier that have honour than they that lacke it They are many waies tormented either by envying others or being envied themselves eyther they suffer hard things themselves or they offer such measure to others
to the world by the ornaments of their mind and to excell one another by vertue and knowledge as they now covet to glitter in gold and silver and to exceed in vanitie of attires and gestures and where old men would give example of godlinesse temperance and modestie and 〈◊〉 their desires from worldly superfluities If Noblemen and Gentlemen would follow the manners of kings in times past who had 〈◊〉 care of their 〈◊〉 not thinking themselves kings by their apparell but by their mind differing from the common sort within not without One of the praises that the Emperor Commodâ—… gave to his father Marcus Aâ—…relius after his death was and that worthâ—…ly that others had made the common-wealth rich but his father had mâ—…de it vertuous others repaired walls but he reformed manners and one of the praises given to the Emperour Severus was that hee never beheld any man in Rome apparelled in filke or purple But to what time could â—…cans verses be more aptly applyed than to this Non â—…ro tectisve modus mensasque priores Aspernata fames There is no meane in gold or buildings proud Our fables skorne what former times allowed After the famous champion Starchater had reckoâ—… up the old manners of the antiquity and reprehended the deliciousnesse of the latter ages he conchâ—… Nunc reâ—…ens 〈◊〉 facies 〈◊〉 â—…mnia pressit New men new manners But admit that the mâ—… of other Nations which we so greatly desire to imâ—… be more agreeable with civilitie and their knowleâ—… of vertue likewise greater than were those of our foâ—…faters surely their ignorance of strangers vices 〈◊〉 more profitable to them than is now the 〈◊〉 of their manners and vertues to us And what made these great Princes and wise men of former ages so carefull to continue the old manners and simplicitie of habits of their forefathers but onely habits by their excellency of wisedome and vertue they 〈◊〉 which we find by experience that whe the and habits of other coâ—… were brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their vices would also come with them and that when costlinesse and varietie of 〈◊〉 had gotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men would be easily drawn to such a delight to 〈◊〉 forth their bodies with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they would have small regard to the ornaments of their minds for proofe whereof we need not go far to seek for examples But to returne againe to friâ—…ship where we left Gaine now adayes contracteth frieâ—…p which is no sooner discontinued but friendship is also dissolved Vertue and honestie neither beginneth nor continueth friendship but as the Poet truly saith Vulgus 〈◊〉 as utilitate probat Cura quid expediat prior est 〈◊〉 quid sit 〈◊〉 Et cum fortâ—… statque caditque 〈◊〉 Friendship the vulgar doe no further prise Than for their profit we doe first devise What 's gainefull before honeâ—… profits all And faith with fortune doth both rise and fall 〈◊〉 writing to his friend Atticus restraineth one friend to wish to another more than these three things to enjoy health to poâ—… honour and not to suffer necessitie But if I had such authoritie over my friends I would make some alteration and forbid them to wish one to another more than these three things to feare God to enjoy health and not to suffer necessity which were sufficient to bring them to the felicitie of both worlds Friendship was wont to extend but now what is more common in every mans month than friendship and honestie and what thing more rare and lesse in use Plato saith that friendship is given us by nature for a helpe to vertue and not for a companion of vice Dicearchus adviseth to make all men our well-willers if it be possible but onely good men our friends who are not obtained but by vertue Plutarch warneth men to take heede how they seeke for a swarme of friends lest they fall into a waspe-neast of enemies Pythagoras disswadeth men from joyning hands with every one All which counsell tendeth to this end to make us wary what kinde of men wee make choice of to bee our friends and that no friendship can bee perfect but between a few and those vertuous and honest men such as was betweene Ionathan and David and some others but such counsell is needlesse in this latter age when vertue is in declination men bee noâ—… so hasty to enter into faithfull friendship nor so forwardly in performing that they need raynes to draw them backe but spurres rather to pricke them forward The fable of the Beare could not bee more aptly applyed to any time than to these latter ages for the reprehending and setting forth of false friendship As two men were walking together in the fields that had professed faithfull friendship each to other there commeth oâ—… of the woods by chance a Beare towards them the one perceiving the Beare at hand leaveth his friend and climbeth up a tree to save himselfe the other seeing himselfe forsaken and left alone fell downe to the ground as though hee had been dead the Beare came running to devoure him that lay upon the ground and muzling about his mouth and 〈◊〉 finding that he breathed not for hee held his breath knowing that the property of a Beare is not to prey upon a dead carkasse the Beare departed and after the man was risen againe I pray thee quoth hee that was come downe from the tree what was that the Beare whispered in thine â—…are he willed me said the other to beware hereafter how I trusted such a false friend as thou art There need no such tryall of friends in these dayes a lesse matter than the fear of a Bear wil discover mens infidelity dissimulation And if men would consider how farre they are surmounted by brute beasts in perfect love friendship they should finde cause to be ashamed to see themselves inferiour to unreasonable creatures in things that appertaine to vertue honesty Report is made by credible authours that as king Pyrrhus marched with his Army hee hapned to passe by a dog that guarded the body of his master who lay dead upon the high way after the king had beheld awhile this pitifull spectacle he was advertised by some of the countrimen that the same was the 3d. day that the poor creature had not departed out of the place nor forsaken the dead corps without meat or drinke which moved the king to command the body to bee buried and the dog for his fidelity to be kept cherished caused an inquisition to be made of the murder but nothing could bee found It chanced that not long after the king was disposed to take muster of his whole Army that hee might see how they were furnished the dogge alwayes followed the king sad mute untill such time as they that killed his master past by then he flyeth upon them with a wonderfull violence fury as though he would teare them in peeces turning this way
festivall time to make some pastime to the people in their Theatres among which this was one to cast slave and condemned men to wilde beasts to be devoured And as for this purpose they used to cause wilde beasts to be taken in the deserts so it chanced that this Lyon amongst others was taken by hunters and sent to Rome about that time that Titus the Emperour returned from the warres and had determined to shew some of these pastimes to the people of Rome and as the Emperour and the people sate beholding these matters in the Theatre this Lyon was brought in place and after he had cruelly rent in peeces certaine prisoners that were cast in to him this poore slave was also throwne into the place to be dismembred and devoured as the rest were but as the Lyon ran towards him to teare him in peeces he knew the man and laid downe his â—…ares and wagged his taile fawning upon him like a dog with all the kindnesâ—…e he could use Then the poor slave that looked to bee devoured and was almost dead for very feare at the fight of the Lyon gathered his spirits to him knowing him to be the same Lyon with whom he lived in the cave and renuing old acquaintance stroked the Lyon gently with his hand upon the backe and made as much of him as hee could After the slave and the Lyon had thus courteously entertained each other to the great admiration of the Emperor and all the people whose minds were diversly drawne to see so strange a thing some saying the Lyon was enchanted others alledging other causes according to the inclination of their conceits the Emperour called the man to him whom the Lyon followed like a dog asked him how this strange matter should come to passe the slave told him all the manner of it as hath been said whereupon 〈◊〉 the petition of all the people the Emperour pardoned him and gave him the Lyon who waited upon him whithersoever he went CHAP. IIII. The gratitude of an Eagle and of a Dolphin of a Roman Censâ—…r and his Host. The rare modesty of Cato sent to governe Spaine of Collatinus of Regulus of Cincinnatus the Dictator c. Pride derided in Teribarus the Peâ—…sian The Contemplative life preferred before the Civill Illustrated both by the authority of 〈◊〉 astiâ—…ns Philosophers and other later examples THe like examples of love and friendship hath beene found in fowles of the aire and that which is more strange in fishes of the sea Philarchus reporteth a historie of a boy that had a great pleasure in birds among the rest he tooke a singular delight in a young Eagle that was given him which he fed and cherished very carefully and cured him also being sicke and when the Eagle was fully growne and had lived a good time with this boy he shewed many signes of mutuall love to him for when the boy happened to fall sick the Eagle would continually sit by him when he slept the Eagle would also sleepe when he waked the Eagle would wake and when he would not â—…ate the Eagle would abstaine from meat And afterward when the boy was dead and carried forth upon a hearse the Eagle followed and when he was burned the Eagle flew into the fire Aelian writeth of a singular love of a Dolphin towards a boy this boy being very faire used with his companions to play by the sea side and to wash themselves in the water and practise to swim A Dolphin fell into great liking with this boy above the rest used very familiarly to swim by him side by side the boy though at the first he feared the Dolphin grew by custome so familiar with him that they would contend together in swimming each by other and sometimes the boy would get upon his backe and ride upon the fish as though hee had beene a horse insomuch that the Dolphin would carry him a great way into the sea and bring him to land againe in the sight of all the people of the citie adjoyning wherin they took great pleasure it chanced at last that the boy lying with his belly close to the Dolphins backe the sharpe pricke which those fishes have rising out of the middest of his backe ran into the boyes belly and killed him The Dolphin perceiving by the weight of the boy and by the bloud which stained the water that he was dead swam speedily with all his force to land and there laid down the dead boy and for sorrow died presently by him These examples may make many men seeme more brute than beasts that performe things appertaining to vertue more effectually by the instinct of nature onely than they do by nature and reason joyned together Many will use honesty so long as it serveth their turne to be honest but when to be honest will no longer serve their turne then farewell honesty In this generall confusion of things and depravation of manners wee may say with the wise man Quos fugiam scâ—…d quos sequar non video whom to avoyd I know but whom to follow I see not Examples of vertue in these corrupt dayes are so rare that he which will seeke for a faithfull friend or a man endued with vertue and honesty must bee dâ—…iven to seeke for him as one sought a good man by the report of Marcus Aurelius The Emperour Marcus Aurelius maketh report of a custome among the ancient Romans to send once or twice every yeare their Censors into the countries under their dominions to see how the lawes were executed and how justice was done One of these Censors comming to a towne in Italy commanded his host of the Inne where hee lodged to call the good men of the towne unto him that he might understand by them how justice was ministred This man being wiser peradventure than the Censor goeth with his message into the Churches to the graves and sepulchers of such as in their life time were of most estimation among the people for their vertue and were dead many yeares before and calling every man aloud by his name het old them the Censor commanded them to come to him and returned home againe The Censor looking long for their comming asked his hoste whether he had done as he commanded him who answering him that hee had done it the Censor willed him to goe againe and hasten them away and to shew them of his tarrying The hoste goeth againe to the Churches and to the tombes and graves and with a loud voyce calleth them as hee did before and returneth to his house againe the Censor waxing angry for their long tarrying sent for his hoste and enquired of him the cause and who they were to whom hee had spoken You commanded me saith he to warne the good men of the towneto come to you the pestilence and civill wars hath consumed long since all our good men so that I was driven to goe to the graves and sepulchers of the dead none
In Rome maids and wives were forbidden to drinke wine and men to buy muske amber or any perfuming smells where it was as ordinary to punish them that did use perfumes as women that were found drunkards The Emperour Vespasian having his pen in his hand ready to signe a dispatch which hee had given a Roman knight and feeling him smell of perfume he not only revoked his grant but with many threats banished him out of his presence Bene olet qui nihil olet Non bene â—…let qui bene samper â—…let Best she doth smell that sents of no perfume She worst that to smell sweetly doth presume But now wives and maides will not onely accompany men in their carowsing but men in perfumes labour to exceede women and be more carefull to smell sweet than to live well And what can be more lothsome than for a man to have his garments perfumed with sweete favours and himselfe polluted with stinking vices and foule conditions The luxuriousnesse used in feasts and garments is a signe of a sicke common-wealth and when men have wasted all their owne they seeke to bee master of other mens many of which things chiefely come to passe by evill examples worse followed brought from forreine countries and lache peradventure of sufficient reprehension by those whose charge is publikely to rebuke and cry out upon the generality of vices never more used But it happeneth to many of these men now adayes as it doth to him that commeth into the sight of a Wolfe whose propertie is to take away his voyce where of came a common proverbe Lupus est in fabula when some thing is spoken that every man may not heare But now it may be sayd of many of this sort LucruÌ„est in fabula for the desire of gaine and promotion maketh them hoâ—…rse and draw in their voyce when they should reprehend 〈◊〉 lest they offend And in truth the generality of all manner of vice is so crept into almost all estates that a man may more safely and with lesse blame live viciously than reprehend vice Among other vertues which the Heathens carefully observed they used great modestie and temperance in their manner of life and had worldly pompe and vanitie in contempt as things repugnant to felicity When the elder Catâ—… was sent by the Romanes to governe Spaine he was attended upon but with three servants the coverlet of his bed was goat-skinnes hee contented himselfe with the same wine and meat that the â—…riners provided for themselves which kind of life by his accustomed frugalitie was as pleasant unto him as all the pompe and delicates used by the great estates of other ages The Romanes sent messengers to Colatiâ—…s to come to Rome to take upon him the government of the Romane Empire whom they found sowing of corn in the fields this man after he had overthrown his enemies and wonne a great victory for which he triumphed after the manner of the Romanes yeelded up his office and returned to his plough againe This man saith Valerius Maximus may bee a comfort to poore men but much more hee may teach rich men how unnecessarie a thing the carefull getting of riches is to the obtaining of sound praise and felicity hee might also have said Regulus making wars in Affrica after he had won many victories upon the Carthaginians and understood that for his good service the Romanes prorogued his government for another yeare he wrote to the Consuls that his bailiffe of husbandry which was but of seven acres of ground that he had in the country was dead by meanes whereof his hired servant had taken away the things that belonged to his plough and was gone away and therefore hee desired them that one might bee sent to supply his place lest his husbandry being neglected hee should not have wherewith to maintaine his wife and children which when the Consuls had delivered to the Senate they appointed a new bay liffe to manure his land and provided for his wife children and caused those things which he had lost to be payd for out of the common treasure Cincinatus likewise being made by the Romanes Dictator which was the highest dignity in the Romane Empire an office never used but in great necessity was by them that were sent for him found at plough in the fields understanding the matter hee caused his wife to fetch his gowne and shaking off the dust from his garments he went with them presently into the city without any more curiosity where hee was received by the Senate with great honour Contempta tempore sape crescit gloria and after he had overthrowne his enemies and brought all things into good order which was done in twentie dayes he gave over his office This man likewise had but seven acres of ground to live by whereof three he lost which hee had laid in pledge for his friend and payde out of this little land a fine for his sonne for want of appearance at a day appointed and yet with the foure acres left he maintained himself and his familie and for his vertue and worthinesse was made Dictator Hee would now thinke saith valerius that hee wanted elbowe roome whose house should containe no greater circuit than Cincinnatus demaines These men set their felicitie in vertue and not in riches nor in honour and glorie and yet both followed them In this time the worthinesse of men was measured by their vertue and not by their riches and honourable estate which was the causes the Romanes made so many notable conquests of sundry nations to the great enlarging of their dominion They that follow vertue as their guide shall have fortune for their companion Anaxarchus the Philosopher shewed a notable example of magnanimity when by the commandement of Nerâ—… hee was taken prisoner that he might reveale a certaine conspiracie made against him as hee was ledde towards him for the same purpose hee bit off his tongue and spit it in the 〈◊〉 face knowing that by torture he should bee compelled to discover the rest These men though they beleeved as heathens they doe the workes of Christians but we beleeve as Christians and doe the works of heathens and if wee exceede them in curiositie of attyres and formalitie of manners they went beyond us in good life and conversation Let the brave men and jolly fellowes of these dayes that glister in gold and silver and thinke themselves graced by their tragicall habits and gestures as the onely paragons of the world and them that are wondered at and accounted happy by their great traines and troopes of followers and them that set their felicitie in dainty and delicate meates and spend whole dayes and nights in banquetting and quaffing let these men I say leave to â—…latter themselves and with an upright judgment indifferently examine themselves by these men and compare Catoes vertues and the rest with their vanities these mens frugalitie and modestie with their excesse and
luxuriousnesse these mens temperance with their licentiousnesse the simplicitie of habits and finglenesse of their life that governed kingdomes and triumphed over nations with the pompe and pride of this age and with their lascivious maners and effiminate attyres that passe their time in courting and carowsing These things duly considered our gallants must needes let fall their peacocks tayles and wish that some of Argus eyes were restored into their heads whereby they might bee more provident and better able to discerne betweene the others vertues and their vanities that diverteth them from felicitie who then would exclaim upon the iniquity of this time that will yeeld them no examples to follow And those men that bee so carefull to beautifie their bodies with brave attires leaving their minds soyled with foule vices and they that aspire to honourable places without vertue seeme to mee to bee like them that wash their face with faire water and wipe it with a dish-clout There was a Persian called Teribarus who so greatly delighted in brave attire that on a time having apparelled himselfe in very costly garments more meete for a Prince than for him set out with pearle and precious stones and divers kindes of jewels and furniture such as women use to attire themselves withall thinking thereby to encrease his reputation above the rest the King Artaâ—…erxes had no sooner espyed him but he fell into a great laughter and turning to him said Wee give thee leave as an effeminate man to use womens delights and as a mad-man to weare Princes apparel as if he should have said that to hunt ambiciously after honor and reputation after the custome of many is rather worthy of laughter than of anger and that it is a kinde of madnesse to aspire to honour and reputation by any other way than by vertue which rather flyeth away than followeth after them that seeke for it Divitum prapatentum feda mollities malorum â—…mnium fomes scaturigo Many 〈◊〉 advanced to estimation and honourable estate through their great riches and possessions and other by favour without merit that were but yesterday of no account and of base parentage but very few rise to honour by the worthinesse of their vertue And such men being so suddenly exalted doe many times as snailes do when winter is past who feeling the heate of the sunne thrust out their necke and hornes out of their shell in a stately sort and are fearefull to little children even so many of these new men that lurâ—…ed obscurely and lived without reputation and verâ—…e finding themselves advanced suddenly to high and unlooked for estate abusing the favour of the Prince carry up their heads aloft grow proud and look bigge as though they would be terrible to all the world Asperius nihil est humili cum surgit in altum None looke so bigge as beggars being rais'd One marvelleth that seeing men are called men and live by their mind and not by their outward forme that they are so carefull to decke their bodies and so negligent to adorne their mindes Where great care is had saith Cato to decke the body there is great carelesnesse and litle regard of vertue If Diogenes were now living he must have a torch to seeke for a man at noone dayes for he would hardly finde such a man as hee looked for with a candle But to returne from whence I digressed By the exercise of these and the like vertues the Heathen thought they might attaine to felicitie for to live according to nature they thought was sufficient to live happily because by nature wee have an inclination to vertue though not made perfect without exercise but they knew not how our nature was corrupted by the fall of our first parent by which wee can doe nothing that good is without Gods holy spirit neither can fortune give us any helpe to it avaine name among the Heathens given to those effects whereof they knew not the cause proceeding by the providence of God There was found engraven in a precious stone called Topaze these words in old Romane letters Natura deficit Nature fayles Fortuna mutatâ—… Fortune changes Deus omnia cernit God seeth all things Which words against the Philosophers that thought the way to felicity to bee to live according to nature whereto they would have the helpe of fortune may be thus applyed by the defect of nature by the muâ—…abilitie of fortune without the providence of God no man can attaine to felicitie For our nature being degenerate from his first perfection and estate to wickednesse and corruption and fortune as they call it being variable and uncertaine void of all constancy we have no means to come to felicitie without Gods providence grace and to thinke that a man may bee able to attaine to it by his wisedome is extreme arrogancie and meere folly Patrarke saith To beleeve that thou art wise is the first degree to foolishnesse the next is to professe it By this which hath beene said it appeareth that the felicitie of man consisteth not in the action of morall vertue as the Philosophers would for that is not his end but the end of man is the glory of God to know and worship him which is also his proper action for unstable and uncertaine are all humane matters not onely in the minds and actions of private men but in Monarchies also and kingdomes to day they flourish and seeme to be in great securitie to morrow they decline and fall into thraldome and miserie another time they returne againe to their former estate thus continually prosecuting their periods even as the heavens that goe round alwaies moving and in circular sort returning where they beganne so by vertue they are raised up on high and by vice following as it were by a necessary succession they are throwne downe againe Virtutum soboles pax est at copia pacis Vbertas luxum peperit luxuriabeâ—… Bello pauperies sata The off spring of vertues peace plenty and increase Which are the fertile issue of long peace Beget excesse excesse begets hostility And war the parent is of poverty And thus it fareth with the condition of men that adversitie springeth of poverty and prosperity of adversitie But though the Philosophers exalted so highly morall vertues and the actions and operations of a civill life as that wherein the felicitie of man consisteth yet they preferred a contemplative life before it as a thing wherein was a more perfect felicitie excelling all other operations and actions of man and bringing him to a most perfect and exact felicitie and beatitude for all operations or workes receive their perfection from the powers and faculties from whence they proceede and from the subject whereupon they worke so as the perfection of the power or faculty that worketh and of the subject upon which it worketh maketh the operation or worke more or lesse perfect as the power and subject hath in them more or lesse
almost aboue all other estates These be the lawyers that liue by other mens losse that become rich by making others poore whose felicity bringeth other men to misery These be they that can winne castles and townes to themselves with more ease and lesse perill with their tongues then men of warre can doe with their Cannons Lingua licet mollis frangere dura potest The tongue is soft by which we speake And yet a hard thing it can breake But what happinesse see wee in their faculty except gathering of riches is to be happy wherin it hath beene shewed before felicity doth not consist And yet how many yeeres labour they must bestow day and night in a painfull studie before they can come to the sweetnesse of the gaine they looke for themselves best know And when they come to that perfection of knowledge in the law to reape gaine as the fruites of their travell with what conscience they enrich themselves to the impoverishing and utter undoing of a great many God will be one day their Iudge but gaine is sweete which way soeuer it come Sophocles saith Susue est lucrum profectum etiam à mendacio The law as it is now vsed in some places is like a CamelioÌ„ that receiueth his colour from the colour it toucheth so the law receiueth his credit from his credit that deliuereth it for that which is law this yeere is the next yeere many times no law which peradventure commeth to passe by the reason that Ckanthes alleadged to one that asked him how it happened that men were better learned in elder time then now Because quoth he men then disputed vpon matter but now vpon words Vnhappie saith one is that Common-wealth where lawes be used like waxe plyable to the passions of men The abuses wherof Gerson complained in his time in the handling of holy Scriptures may haply be applyed to the handling of the law in these dayes All the vigour and efficacie saith he of sacred divinity is reduced to an ambitious contention and ostentation of mens wits and to meere sophistrie Ciâ—…ro said that he seemed to him in this to doe more evill that corrupted the Iudge with speech then he that did it with money for that no man can corrupt a wise man with money but with speech he may The old Romans esteemed the iudgements that were given before to be of great moment for they gaue to the iudgements that should follow of the like things as it were a most firme and sure example from which they thought it an vniâ—…st thing to diffâ—…nt And Plato saith That Common-wealth is like to go to wrack where Magistrates rule the lawes and not the lawes â—…ule Magistrates The number that be made rich by this faculty are few and yet peradveâ—… too many but infinite numbers be impoverished and vndone and that cannot be a happie estate by whose happinesse other men bee vnhappy and fall into miserie One hath lost his matter and evill spent his money and his time the other that is victor goeth away many times a loser having spent more in the suite then the matter is worth For as the number saith Tacitus and force of diseases bringeth gaine to the Phisicions so the corruption of the pleading courts bringeth money to the lawyers One thus noteth the abuses of certaine estates Causidicis Erebo fisco fas viuere rapto est Militibus medico tortori occidere ludo est Mentiri astrologis pictoribus atque poetis Lawyers Hell and the Exchecker liue by spoile Souldiers Physicions and Hangmen kill in sport Astrologers Painters and Poets lye by authority There was a plaine countrieman not long since in France that had retayned three famous Lawyers to be of his counsell whom after he had heard debating his cause together and receiued their opinions Truly my masters quoth he ye have laboured faire for ye have left me in a greater doubt then I was before And who takes in hand the controversie betweene brother and brother who animateth and exciteth to contention the sonne against his naturall father the wife against her husband and maintaineth their causes but these men And who serveth their turne best but they which of all sorts of men be the worst envious men malicious contentious covetous and vncharitable If it bee a true signe that the people be healthfull when the Phisicions be poore then is it also a true signe that men be contentious and vncharitable when the lawyers be rich There hath beene a common saying Serpens ni Serpentem edâ—… draco non fiet Vnhappy are they that make the miseriâ—… of others riches to themselues These seeme not to be the peace-makers to whom the kingdome of heauen promised they call them to whom they be counsellerâ—… their Clyents because according to the significatioâ—… of the word they pretend to receiue them into their defence But by such defenders happy is he that hath â—…o need to be defended If Platoes meaning be that â—…he multitude of Lawyers as well as Magistrates and Physicions be evident signes of an evil constituted Common-wealth then could it not to any age be more aptly applyed then to this because the one sort saith he sheweth the people to be malicious and ful of contention the other to be gluttonous and luxurious and given to ease and idlenesse Very many lawes are notes of a very corrupt common-wealth One saith Nimium altercando veritas amittitur And he that will looke into this age must confesse that as common-wealths heretofore were troubled and annoyed with wicked acts so are they now with lawes There is a common proverbe that neither Physition liueth wel nor a lawyer dieth wel procceding peradventure hereof that those haue bin accounted 〈◊〉 intemperate doing that themselues which they forbid others And these are noted diligeÌ„t observers of the laws of men many of them negligent enough in the lawes of God Gueuarra inveighing against the abuses of these daies in suites of law saith He that would giue himselfe faithfully to set forth the deceits the delaies the perphâ—…ities dangerous ends of suites should find it a 〈◊〉 not to be written with inke but with blood Seeing if euery suiter should suffer as much for the holy faith of Christ as he endureth about the travel of his suite 〈◊〉 would bee as many Martyrs in Chanceries and other Courts of Iustice and record of Princes as was at Rome in the times of persecution by the old Emperors For to begin a suit at this day is no other thing then to prepare sorrow to his heart complaints to his tongue teares to his eyes travell to his feete expenses to his purse toile to his men tryall of his friends and to all the rest of his body nothing but paine and travell So as the effects and conditions of a suite are no other then of a rich man to become poore of a pleasant disposition to fall into melancholy of a free mind to
things maketh wearinesse The last day he said was good because by the wiues death the husband was made free and deliuered from seruitude In consideration whereof they that hold this opinion produced an historie of a noble Roman who the next day after his marriage being very sad was asked of his friends the cause of his pensiuenes hauing matched with a wife that was faire rich and of noble parentage he shewed them his foot Why friends quoth he ye see that my shoo is new handsome and well made but ye know not in what part of my foote it pincheth me Is there any thing saith Plutarke more light then the tongue of an vnbridled woman more byting then her outrages more rash then her boldnesse more execrable then her spitefull disposition more perillous then her fury If thou haue children by her thou hast much trouble and charge by the care of their education if they proue vntowardly and giuen to lewdnesse what greater griefe can happen to a man It cannot be denied but the fathers felicitie is diminished by the childrens vntowardlinesse and how many are occasioned by the vntowardlinesse or vndutifulnesse of their children with deepe sighes to pronounce often within themselues this verse of Homer Coniuge non ductâ natis vtinam carâ—…ssem Not being married I would I had had no children If they be towardly and given to vertue the losse of them is as grieuous which affection is of such force that the wisest men many times are not able to bridle as appeareth by this example of Sâ—…lon one of the seuen Sages or wise men of Greece There was a disputation on a time betweene this Solon who was married and had one onely sonne a towardly young man and Thales another of the Sages that was vnmarried which estate was better Marriage or a single life Solon commended matrimony Thales preferred the other and when he perceiued that he could not perswade Solon by reason and argument to be of his opinion he practised this deuice When their talke was ended being both at Thales his house Thales went forth and caused one to faine an errand to him and say as he had instructed him as though hee came from Athens where Solons dwelling was this man like a stranger as these two wise men were talking together within the house knocketh at the doore Thales letteth him in the man faineth a message to him from a friend of his at Athens Solon hearing him say that hee came from Athens went foorth of the next roome to him and asked what newes at Athens Little newes quoth he but as I came forth of the city I saw the Senatours and principall men of Athens going to the buriall of a young man Solon going into the other roome againe and musing who this should bee being in some doubt lest peraduenture it should bee his sonne commeth forth to him againe and asked him whether he knew who it should be that was dead He answered that he had forgotten his name but it was the onely sonne of a notable man in Athens and that for the reverence and loue that they did beare to his father all the Nobilitie principal men of the city went to his buriall Then Solon greatly confused and troubled in minde goeth from him againe fearing his owne sonne and being farre 〈◊〉 of quiet returneth to aske him whether he could not call to remembrance the name of this young mans father if he heard it reckoned He answered that he thought he could remember his name if he might heare it againe And after Solon had reckoned vp the names of a great many of the principall men of the City and the other denying them to be the man he came at last to his owne name and asked whether he were not called Solon And when the other affirmed that to be the name of the father of this young man that was dead Solon cryeth out vpon his onely sonne and maketh great lamentation he teareth his haire and beateth his head against the wal and doth all things that men vse to do in calamitie When Thales had beheld him a while in this passion Be of good comfort Solon saith he thy sonne liueth but now yee see by your owne example what cuill things are incident to marriage A Philosopher being demanded why he married not Because quoth he if the woman whom I take to wife be good I shall spill her if she be euill I must support her if she be poore I must maintaine her if she be rich I must suffer her if she be foule I shall abhorre her if she be faire then I must watch her and that which is worst of all I giue my liberty for euer to her that will neuer shew her selfe gratefull Riches breeds care pouerty sorrow sayling feare eating heauinesse going wearinesse all which trauels we see deuided amongst many except amongst them that bee married where they ioyne all together for seldome we see the married man goe without care sorrow wearied heauy and comfortlesse as though he were alwaies in feare of some thing that may happen If thou shut thy wife within doore she neuer ceaseth to complaine if thou giue her leaue to walke at liberty she ministreth occasion for thy neighbour to talke and thy selfe to suspect if thou chide she will looke sowrely and if so be that thou say nothing then will she be more angry if thou stay much at home she will thinke thee suspitious if thou goe much abroad she will doubt all is not well when her feete be cold at home if thou shew thy selfe louing she will haue thee in contempt and if thou shew no signes of loue she will suspect thee to be in loue with some other if thou deny what she craueth she will lay to thy charge thou louest her not This Thales being asked in his youth why he married not answered that it was too rathe and afterward being asked the same question againe when he was old he said that it was too late With the like passion of Solâ—…n Euphrates a Philosopher seemed to be touched for wheâ—… his wife was dead whom he loued dearely O tyrannous Philosophie quoth he thou commandest to loue and if we lose the things beloued thou forbiddest vs to be sorry for them what should I then doe in this miserable estate When there chanced a tempest to arise on the sea and the Master of the ship commanded all men to cast the heauiest things into the sea a married man took his wife presently in his armes and cast her ouer the ship saying that he had nothing more heauy then she A man of Perugia wept bitterly because his wife had hanged her selfe vpon a fig-tree and being reprehended of one of his neighbours that wondered how in so great prosperity hee could finde teares to shead Giue me I pray thee quoth he a graffe of that fig-tree to plant in my garden that I may see whether it will bring foorth
some way to hinder the resolution for men to haue two wiues and to bring to passe rather that women might haue two husbands The matter was carried so speedily from one to 〈◊〉 that the next day when the Senators should enter into the Senate-house they found at the doore a great number of the principall Matrons of Rome vpon their knees who made a very earnest petition to them 〈◊〉 they would not make so vniust a law that a man should haue two wiues but rather that a woman might haue two husbands The Senators knowing nothing of the matter were not a little amazed and when they were entered into the Senate one asked another what this strange kinde of inciuilitie and shamelesnesse of their wiues should meane But no man being able to make any reason of the matter the little Boy seeing them so confused steppeth forth and told them openly how the matter had passed and that he was driuen for feare of stripes to deuise this answer to satisfie his mother The Senate commended the Boy and decreed that none of their sonnes should enter any more into the Senate-house but onely this Papyrius lest their secrets might be disclosed by the importunacie of their mothers Demosthenes gaue this counsell vnto Corinthus that asked him with what conditions a wife ought chiefly to be furnished Be sure saith he that thy wife be rich that the necessities of thy life may be supplied and the continuance of thine estate plentifully supported Let her be nobly descended the better to minister to thy reputation and bring honour to thy posteritie Let her be young that shee may the better delight thee and thou finde no occasion to thinke marriage lothsome Let her be faire the better to content thy desires and containe thee from others And let her bee vertuous and wise to the end thou maist safely commit thine estate to her gouernment For whosoeuer taketh a wife without these conditions is sure to finde that hee feareth and faile of that which should make the marriage happy For of all accidents ordained to trouble the life of man there cannot bee a greater infelicitie then to bee euill encountred in marriage Hee taketh small pleasure of all that euer hee hath besides that is wiued against his appetite One being asked who was a chaste wife answered She that is not bold that doth not cuill when her husband offends her that may and will not that hateth money the doore and the window that careth not for feasts and bankets for dancing nor to be curious in apparell that heareth no messages nor receiueth letters nor presents from louers that will not goe 〈◊〉 stand alone that esteemeth her husband whatsoeuer he be aboue all others that spinneth seweth feareth God and prayeth often and willingly to him that is the last that speaketh and the first that holdeth her peace which made Propertius commend women of the elder time thus Non illis studium vulgo conquirere amantes Illis ampla satis forma pudicitia They studied not to range abroad For Louers to inquire To be held chaste the beautie was Which they did most desire The old Romans seemed not to think marriage a happie estate by a speech vsed by Metellus the Oratour to perswade them to marriage If we could said he be without wiues we should then be all free froÌ„ that trouble but seeing nature hath so ordered the matter that we cannot commodiously liue with them nor by any meanes without them wee must haue respect rather to the perpetuall good then to the short pleasures And what doth more vnquiet a mans minde then to stand in doubt whether the children of whom he beareth the name of their father be his or not To this purpose I remember a pretie deuice reported by a credible Authour that a woman made to satisfie her husband This man was of the Nobilitie and of great possessions and married a wife of the like estate and beautifull withall but not of the best fame This woman was deliuered of a goodly boy and as shee held him on a day in her armes and perceiuing her husband sit very sadly as though his mind were greatly troubled fetching deepe sighes shee asked him what was the cause of this great pensiuenesse and sighes The husband sighing againe I would quoth he giue halfe my land that I were as certenly assured that this boy were mine as he is known to you to be yours There shall not need said the wife keeping her countenance with great sobrietie so great a price only giue mee an hundred acres of medow wherewith to feed my cattell and I will put you out of doubt of this matter and when he had told her it was vnpossible yet they agreed to call in certaine Noblemen and Gentlemen to heare the bargaine which in their presence being agreed vpon shee holding the boy in her armes said vnto her husband Is this boy in very deed mine When he affirmed it to be so shee held foorth the boy in her armes to her husband Take him said shee I giue him to you now hee is out of doubt yours Wherewith all that were present fell into a laughing and gaue sentence with the wife condemning the husband Alphonsus King of Arragon was accustomed to say that if a man will see a perfect and well sorted marriage the husband must be deafe and the wife blinde that hee may not heare her brawling nor shee see her husbands wanton toyes When one admoâ—…shed his friend that hee should stay the marriage of his sonne vntill he were wise Yee deceiue your selfe my friend quoth he for if he once grow to be wise hee will neuer marry One hearing this preached Whosoeuer will be saued must beare his Crosse ranne to his wife and laid her vpon his shoulders Pbilemâ—… said that a wife is a necessarie and perpetuall euill to her husband because there is nothing more hard to be found in all the world then a good wife following the old prouerbe That a good wife a good Mule and a good Goate are three naughtie beasts But ynough of this It shall bee good to be warned by old Homers counsell and not to touch this string too much lest we plucke the house vpon our head Talia nate loquens haud multo tempore viues Speaking these things oh sonne Thou hast not long to liue Thus may wee see how hard a matter it is to finde out any estate that is not subiect to infelicitie and miserie and if wee should peruse the estate of peace which is desired of all men and is a great blessing of God we shall finde that the long continuance of that happie estate is many times the cause of great infelicitie Such is the corruption of our nature to turne that good which God sendeth to the benefit of men to our owne euill and harme which is by the Poet truly affirmed Nunâ—… patimur longae pacis mala saeuior armis Luxuria incubuit victumque
sent from a Free State in Embassage to the Duke of Moscouia and as one of them kept his Cap vpon his head in the presence of the Duke he being therewith offended caused a nayle to be driuen thorow his Cap into his head Ludit in humanis diuina potentia rebus Et certam prasens vix habet hora fidem The Diuine power all humane things derides And scarce one certaine houre with vs abides The Emperour Marcus Aurelius meditating vpon the miserable condition of men spake in this sort I haue imagined with my selfe whether it were possible to find any estate any age any countrey any kingdome where any man might be found that durst vaunt he had not in his life tasted what manner of thing aduerse fortune is And if such a one might be found it would be such an ougly monster that both the quick and the dead would desire to see him Then he concludeth In the end of my reckoning I haue found that he which was yesterday rich is to day poore hee that was yesterday whole is to day sicke he that yesterday laughed to day I haue seene him weepe he that was yesterday in prosperitie to day I haue seene him in aduersitie he that yesterday liued I haue seene him by and by in his graue Saint Augustine entring deepely into the consideration of the miserable condition of men and wondering at their infelicitie maketh thus his complaint to God Lord after men haue suffered so many euill things mercilesse death followeth and carrieth them away in diuers manners some it oppresseth by feauers others by extreme griefe some by hunger others by thirst some by fire others by water some by the sword others by poyson some thorough feare others are stifled some are torne in pieces by the teeth of wild beasts others are peckt with the fowles of the ayre some are made meat for the fishes others for wormes and yet man knoweth not his end And when hee goeth about to aspire higher hee falleth downe and perisheth And this is the most fearefull thing of all fearefull things the most terrible of all terrible things when the soule must be separated from the body And what a miserable sight is it to see one lying in the pangs of death and how lothsome when he is dead And then followeth the dreadfull day of Iudgement when euery one must yeeld account of his life past This is the time when Monarkes and Princes must giue account whether they haue laid intolerable exactions vpon their subiects and beene the cause of the effusion of innocent blood to feede their ambitious humours This is the time when the Pastours and Prelates must giue vp a reckoning of their flocke and with what doctrine good or bad they haue fed them This is the time when Merchants must yeeld an account and all other Trades that stand vpon buying and selling for the falshood they haue vsed in vttering their Wares whose case is hard if it bee true the Poet saith Periurata sâ—…o postponit numina lucro Mercator Stygiis non nisi dignus aquis The periur'd Merchant will forsweare for gaine Worthy in Stygian waters to remaine This is the time when Lawyers will tremble how to answere the animating their poore Clyents to waste their goods to their great hinderance or vtter vndoing in continuing their suits in a wrong cause the end whereof is their owne gaine This is the time that Magistrates and Iudges must bee called to a reckning whether they haue administred iustice vprightly and indifferently without fauour or corruption This is the time when men of Warre must answer for their spoyles and rapines and intolerable outrages and cruelties vsed vpon euery sexe and age that Christ dyed for as well as for them This is the time that couetous men and vsurers must yeeld an account for their rapines and oppressions and for the vndoing of infinite numbers to enrich themselues with their excessiue and vnlawfull interest and gaines This is the time that Widowes and Orphanes and other afflicted people will cry out and present their complaints before God of the iniustice and wrongs they haue sustained and suffered This is the time when the wicked shall say quaking and trembling for feare and repenting too late Looke how yonder folkes which we had heretofore in contempt as base persons and of none account in respect of our selues are now exalted in the sight of God and are accounted among the Saints This is the time saith Saint Hierome when they that stut and stammer shall be more happie then the cloquent And many Sheepheards and Heardmen shall bee preferred before Philosophers many poore beggers before rich Princes and Monarkes many simple and grosse heads before the subtill and fine-witted Then shall the fooles and insensible persons saith Saint Augustine take hold vpon Heauen and the wise with their wisedome shall fall downe into hell where is the miserie of all miseries and such as the miseries of this world be pleasures and delights in respect of them This is the iudgement spoken of in Saint Matthew Goe yee cursed into hell fire where is nothing but lamenting and gnashing of teeth which is prepared for the Diuell and his angels before the beginning of the world where they shall bee tormented for euer and euer and shall wish for death but they shall not finde it they shall desire to die and death shall flie from them These miseries to which men are subiect made the Prophet Esay sorry that hee was not destroyed or styfled in his mothers wombe and murmured that his legges did hold him vp and complained vpon the paps that gaue him sucke â—…remie mooued with the like spirit considering that man is formed of the earth conceiued in sinne borne with paine and in the end made a prey for wormes and serpents wished that his mothers belly had serued him for a sepulchre and her wombe for a tombe The consideration of the miserable estate of this life brought in a custome to the people of Thracia to weepe and lament at the birth of their children and to reioyce when they dyed But the Philosopher Demosthenes discouered his conceit by a more particular passion For beeing demanded of the Tyrant Epymethes why he wept so bitterly for the death of a Philosopher being so strange a matter for a Philosopher to weepe To this Demosthenes answered I weepe not O Epymethes because the Philosopher dyed but because thou liuest being a custome in the Schooles of Athens to weepe more because the cuill doe liue then for the death of the good Seeing therefore wee haue perused the principall estates of life and can finde nothing in them worthy to be called Felicitie nor answerable to the thing which that word seemeth to purport but rather that they all defect so much from felicitie that they decline to infelicitie and miserie Let vs doe yet with a better minde as many now a dayes vse to doe
it Oh Mecenas that we see None with their owne estates contented be Whether their choice or chance hath giuen thē free But still in others praise the contrary He answereth himselfe afterward with an apt prouerbe Optat ephippia bos piger optat arare caballus The Oxe the saddle doth allure The Horse doth wish to prooue the plower But he that liueth contentedly desireth no more then that he hath nor would exchange his estate with any man but whether any such man may be found in this vale of miserie whose pleasing and contented life is not interrupted with some displeasures ouerthwart accidents may greatly be doubted Homer duly considering the miseries of this life and the instability of humane matters fained that there were two vessels at the entry of the great Olympus the one being full of honey the other full of gall of which two mingled together Iupiter causeth all men to drinke Whereby his meaning is to giue vs to vnderstand that there is no life so sweete or pleasant but hath in it some bitternesse which agreeth with his opinion that saith God doth mingle bitternesse with worldly felicity that we might seeke another felicity in whose sweetnesse there is no deceit And Plutark saith Men can neuer simply and sincerely enioy the quietnesse of any great prosperity but whether it be Fortune or the enuie of destiny or else the naturall necessity of worldly things their quietnesse is alwaies during their life intermingled with euill among the good yea and that which is worst the euill surmounteth the good for this life hath in it much aloes but very little honey The consideration whereof mooued Philip King of Macedon when he had three messengers brought him good newes at one time two of victories the third of the birth of his sonne to desire the gods that they would mitigate the enuie of Fortune with the moderation of some meane chance because he knew that some sorrow would alwayes follow good tydings The instability and vncertainty of worldly prosperity moued Amasis King of Egypt to giue this counsell to Policrates King of Samos This Policrates in all his actions was so fortunate and liued continually in such prosperity that Amasis with whom he was ioyned in a perfect league of friendship fearing some great euill hap according to the ordinary course of this world to hang ouer his head wrote thus vnto him Amasis saith thus to Policrates It pleaseth me well to heare that all things fall out so happily with my friend yet your great prosperity liketh me not knowing how enuious a name it is but for my part I had rather that both mine owne matters and also their 's that be deare to me should sometimes go prosperously sometime otherwise and to passe my time after the variety of fortune then in all things to haue good successe Follow therfore my counsell and doe thus against prosperity Consider with your selfe what thing ye haue that ye most esteeme and which being lost would most grieue you which when ye haue found cast it away so as it may neuer come to the hands of men againe and if then there shall be no alteration in your good fortune temper it sometime in this sort as I haue told you When Policrates had read this letter he determined to follow his friends counsell and examining with himselfe what thing he had that of all other was most deare to him which being lost would most grieue him he found that the same was a Ring of great value which he had in very great estimation he putteth this ring vpon his finger and goeth into a ship and after he was in the middest of the sea he let his ring fal as though it were vnawares thinking in that sort craftily to beguile fortune and returned home againe sorrowfull as it seemed for his great losse After fiue or sixe dayes it chanced a fisher to take a great fish which for the rarenesse of him he presented to Policrates and as the fish was opened to be dressed the ring was found in his belly and brought to the King Which when Amasis vnderstood perceiuing that it was not possible for one man to diuert from another the euill destiny that hangeth ouer him nor that Policrates could haue any good end whom Fortune had so exceedingly fauoured all his life he sent a Herald to Samos to signifie to him that he would breake the league of friendship with him lest Policrates falling into some great misfortune which he feared might be to him the cause of sorrow and griefe being his friend It chanced not long after that Policrates made warre vpon the Persians by whom he was taken and depriued of his kingdome and shamefully hanged vpon the top of an high hill this miserable end followed his great and long prosperitie A notable example of the instabilitie of mans estate whereunto he seemed to be strongly drawne by an ineuitable destinie for no intreatie of his friends nor cuill signes and tokens going before neither the dreame of his daughter that presaged his vnfortunate successe could disswade him from that iourney Shee dreamed that shee saw her father aloft in the aire and that hee was washed of Iupiter and anointed of the Sunne all which came to passe for as he hanged in the aire he was washed with raine that fell from aboue and was anointed with his owne grease by the heat of the Sun that drew out his sweat The prosperous life and miserable end of Policrates confirmeth the opinion of Solon that no man can be accounted happy before his death For to ◅udge them happie that are aliue among the dangers of so many alterations whereunto they are subiect is all one as if a man should appoint beforehand a reward of the victory to him that is yet fighting being vncertaine whether it will fall on his side Which agreeth with Pythagoras that said We ought to choose the best life and saue our selues from the blasts of Fortune as the Galley is safe from the winds in the Sea That riches in this mortall life are weake Ankers glorie weake and the strong body also feeble So offices honours and all such things saith he are weake and vnconstant and the sure and strong Ankers are Wisedome Magnanimitie Fortitude and Vertue which cannot bee ouerthrowne with any tempest all other things hee accounteth foolishnesse dreames and winde Seeing therefore there is no life in this world to be found that is voyd of calamities but pleasures and delights are intermingled with sorrow and griefe ease and quietnesse with paines and troubles so as no man leadeth continually a contented and pleasing life but either in the beginning or end of his race or in the midst thereof hee findeth some alteration and suffereth something that discontenteth him and desireth amendment of his estate wee must bee driuen to seeke felicitie in the midst among troubles and calamities and call him happie that feeleth least of
seeme to you happy or vnhappy I know not because I was neuer conuersant with him but what if you had had his company would you then know him Can you take knowledge of his felicity by no other meanes No truly Then it seemeth ô Socrates that you will say likewise I cannot tell whether the great King of Persia bee happy or not and so it is true for I know not how he is instructed with learning or with iustice Doth all felicity consists in this Truly by mine opinion for I account that man or woman that is honest and good to be happy and him that is vniust and vnhonest vnhappy Then according to your words Archelaus is vnhappy Yea surely if he be vniust and vnhonest Thus much of Socrates Yet negligence is to be auoided and prouidence without ouermuch care and possession without feare is necessary and requisite It is a wise mans part to put aside dangerous things before they come to do hurt for the losse or harme a man receiueth by his own fault is more grieuous then that which happeneth to him by another man Thucidides saith It is no shame for a man to confesse his pouerty but it is a shame to fall into it by his owne fault He must haue all things premeditate that happeneth to men and thinke the same may fall vpon him for the things that are foreseene before pierce not so deepely as that which commeth suddenly and taketh a man vnwares He that will make his life pleasant must not take ouermuch care to prouide for it neither can any man take full pleasure of any thing except he haue a minde prepared for the losse of it One proâ—…steth by long study to haue learned this to contemne mortall things and not to bee ignorant of his ignorance Death is to all men by nature terrible but to a Christian that knoweth with how great an aduantage hee changeth his estate it ought to bee had in contempt whereof the heathens that knew not God nor what should become of them made little account who for friuolous causes would offer themselues voluntarily to die whose examples though they be not to be followed but auoyded as an vnlawfull and vnnaturall act yet they may serue to perswade men the rather to discharge themselues of all feare of death that haue an assured hope certaine knowledge to possesse the vnspeakable ioyes of heauen when the Infidels through a vaine hope of a better life wherein neuerthelesse they were deceiued would often make choise of a voluntary death CleoÌ„brotus hauing read Plato his booke of the immortality of the Soule wherein he disswadeth men from the ouermuch loue of this life thinking he had found the ready way to deliuer his soule out of prison cast himselfe downe headlong from a high wall and brake his necke They haue a custome in Narsinga that when the men die their wiues be buried aliue with them that with great solemnity and ioy when the king is dead there is a pile of wood of a most pleasant sauour set on fire the kings carkeise carried into it and then all his concubines whereof he hath great store and all his familiar friends and fauourites and such of his seruants as were in estimation with him are likewise carried into that pile of wood to which place they go with such haste ioy to be burnt that to accompany their king in that kind of death they seeme to esteeme it the greatest honour and felicity that can happen to them The Indians by custome doe marry many wiues and when the husband is dead there is great contention among his wiues which of them he loued best that she may be buried with him then she that hath iudgement with her with great ioy merry countenance is led by her friends to the place and casting her selfe into the fire vpon her husband is burnt with him as a most happy woman the rest remaining leading a sorrowfull life There hath been a people dwelling by the mountaines called Rifei who hold this for a custome when they come to the age of 50 They make great piles of wood and put fire to them there burne themselues aliue and sacrifice to their gods and the same day the kinsfolke children make a great feast and do eate their flesh halfe burnt and drinke with wine the dust of their bones How much lesse then should Christians feare death when it pleaseth God to send for them that hope for a crowne of glory after this life They make a good bargaine that with the death of the body seeke the saluation of their Soule Plato saith All the life of wise men is the meditation vpon death that men ought not to be carefull to liue long but to liue well For the honourable age saith Saâ—…mon is not that which is of long time neither that which is measured by the number of yeeres but wisedome is the gray haire an vndefiled life is the old age And Euripides saith This life is life by name but in very deed labour Death is not a torment but a rest and end of all mans miseries and labours And Seneca Before old age come a man should learne to liue well and in old age to die well But the day of our death saith Gregory our Creator would not haue knowne to vs that the same being alwayes vnknown may be alwayes thought to be at hand and that euery man should be so much the more feruent in operation by how much hee is vncertaine of his vocation that whilest we be vncertaine when we shall die wee may alwayes come prepared to death And because that is so certaine a thing that no man can escape it shall bee good alwayes to thinke vpon death especially in the time of prosperity â—…or the thinking often thereof will bridle and restraine all other cuill thoughts and desires of worldly vanities for in prosperity we forget humane srailty It is reported that the Emperour Charles the fift fiue yeeres before he died euen when he was occupied in his greatest affaires caused a sepulcher to be made with all things appertaining to it that was necessary for his buriall being dead and that secretly lest it might be taken for ostentation or hypocrisie which things he had closely carried with him whithersoeuer he went fiue yeeres together some thinking there had been some great treasure in it some other that there had been bookes of old stories some thought one thing some another but the Emperour smiling said that he carried it about with him for the vse of a thing to him aboue all others most precious In that sort he seemed to set death alwayes before his eyes that the coÌ„tinuall remeÌ„brance therof might driue from his heart the vaine pompe pride of this world Let vs imagine that we see a maÌ„ of mean estate whose mind is cleansed from all perturbations vnquietnes that hath
part immortall all other creatures of the earth live according to their nature and kinde man only is seene to degenerate but if we lay aside the consideration from whence our corruption commeth by the fall of our first parent and account of our selves according to our present state among so many millions as replenisheth all the corners of the earth how many use their endeavours to live as they ought If things bee layd before us that differ in value every man will make choyce of the best But in our selves that are composed of a bodie which participateth with brute beasts and of a soule that is of an Angelicall nature and resembleth God himself who maketh choyce of the best that is to live after his best part which is immortall how many thousands live like brute beasts pleasing their senses feeding their belly and following the lusts of the flesh without any respect to the excellencie of their minde as though they would incorporate their soule to their body with an indivisible bond of brutish nature and how few hundreds contemne their mortall part which is the body to joyne their better part which is their immortall soule with the Angels and heavenly creatures whom they in that part resemble A third sort there are far exceeding born the other in number that neither give themselves wholly to live after the flesh with the one nor after the mind with the other but in a sort participating with them both imploy their greatest care labour to the attaining of the things that are in most estimation of the world They labour and aspire to excell others not in dignitie of vertue and knowledge but in estate and reputation and to the attaining of the things which leade to that end every one willingly bestoweth his labour and diligence for no man is content with his estate Hinc illa lachryme hereof ariseth all our complaints and griefe and the greatest part of the calamities and miseries that happen to men for mens desires be so unsatiable and their mindes so uncertaine and variable thâ—… no estate of life alwayes pleaseth any man because they seeme to want some things that bee incident to the estates opposite to theirs For they that bee in principilatie and honourable estate desire to have joyned to their rule and reputation the securitie and tranquility of a private life which they seeme to lacke And the private man affecteth to have joyned to those things which hee enjoyeth the dignity and authority to command of honourable estates The rich man wisheth to have added to his abundance of wealth the poore mans quietnesse of minde and freedome of worldly cares and safety of person and goods The poore man would have added to those things of his the rich mans plenty and credit The Citizen would have joyned to his civill and easie life the pleasures and delights of the fields and countrey The Couutrey man would have the civility and company and good fellowship of the towne joyned to the wholesome ayre of the Countrey and pleasant gathering of the fruits of the earth The souldier wisheth to his glorious title the safety of a peaceable life Hee that liveth in peace desireth to the security and safety of his estate the honourable reputation of a man of warre which he hath gotten by the continuall hazzard and perill of his person And so of all other estates of life some things are desired that seeme to be wanting to the fulnesse of their happinesse which are as unpossible to be joyned together as for heate and cold to be at one time both together in one subject being diametrally contrary in quality So hat the greatest hinderance to our attaining of felicity or happinesse of life proceedeth from our evill affected minds that desire unpossible things which also diverteth us from our proper action and true end or beatitude We passe our time in vaine hope of things never like to come to passe as Petrarke saith Bene sperando male habendo transit vita mortalium In hoping well and having evill the life of man passeth away Every good thing wee possesse is lesse the things hoped for seeme great And such is also the infirmitie of our common nature seldome or never so sully to enjoy prosperitie as in no respect to finde cause of complaint of the qualitie of our estate For many are raysed to great wealth that beare shame of their base linage some ennobled by birth and parentage and yet live in povertie many blessed with riches and nobilitie that want the delight of children and some made glad with procreation that feele great sorrow and discomfort by their childrens untowardlinesse No man is wont to be long and every way happy a worse fortune ever followeth the former But what estate or course of life soever thou follow have alwaies a speciall regard to these two things to live in the feare of God and to observe the rules of honesty among men from which what soever happen let nothing divert thee To God thou owest a good conscience and to thy neighbour a good example All things will happen well to thee if thou place God the beginning and the end For in this life thou shalt not finde greater comfort than by that which proceedeth of a good conscience of honest counsels of upright actions of contempt of casuall things and of a quiet and peaceable life But in these dayes many feare their fame but few their conscience and yet there is not saith Saint Augustine a more happy thing than the quietnesse of conscience And if any afflictions or crosses happen that thou canst not avoyde yet thou mayst overcome them with patience Fly unto God for succour he will give it thee that is the only way to make thee safe secure and happy Friendship was wont to bee accounted a helpe to happinesse of life but wee may now rightly say with the Poet Illud amicitia quondam venerabile nomen Prostat in questu pro meretrice sedet That name of friendship venerable of yore Is prostrate now complaining like a whore The time is so changed and mens manners with them so corrupted that the precepts heretofore given by wise men for the commoditie of life grounded upon vertue and honesty will not now serve the turne Friendshippe is growne cold faith is foolishnesse honesty is in exile and dissimulation hath gotten the upper hand That is effectually done which is commonly spoken he that cannot dissemble cannot live Machiavels rules are better followed in these dayes than those of Plato Aristotle or Cicero whose schollars have so well profited under him that many are able to teach their master Professe saith hee love and friendshippe to thine enemie and if hee fall into the water up to the knees give him thine hand to helpe him out And if he fall in up to the waste helpe him likewise but if hee fall into the water up to the chinne then
lay thy hand upon his head and ducke him under the water and never suffer him to rise againe Men have changed the inward habites of their mindes as they have done the outward habites of their bodies Every age nay rather every yeare bringeth forth new fashions so likewise that friendship and honesty which in our forefathers times was wont to bee performed with faith and plaine meaning is now out of the fashion and therefore not esteemed cunning dissimulation with faire words and large offers with little performance is now all the fashion Ioyne thy selfe therefore in friendship with very few and bee circumspect and curious in thy choyce and if it be possible bee beholding to no man more than hee is beholding to thee for a faithfull friend is hard to be found the bare name onely remaineth the thing is obsolet and growne out of use So long as thou hast no need thou shalt find friends ready to offertheeal mnner of courtesies but if fortune begin to frowne upon thee a tempest chance to arise they will find quarrels to leave thee and cover their infidelity with thy fault and give thee cause to say with Ovid In mediis lacerâ puppe relinquor aquis I am in a torne ship left in the midst of the Sea It is a hard matter for him that is in poverty to find out a kinsman or friend for no man will confesse that he appertaineth in any sort to him that needeth any helpe fearing lest hee will by and by aske something of him David calleth such men table friends And that is one coÌ„moditie which poverty bringeth that it sheweth who loveth thee But to him thou meanest to performe the part of a faithfull frieud thou must observe these two things to helpe his necessities and to comfort him in adversity But the manner of friends in these dayes is to deliver words by the pottle and deeds by the pinte They that call themselves thy friends will looke for performance of friendship at thy hands though they wil performe none to thee For every man looketh for honest dealing in another though he meane to use none himselfe To this declination the greatest comfort to the life of man is come by the generall depravation of manners for where can a man find greater comfort in adversitie than in faithfull friends who also double the joyes and pleasures of prosperitie That was never more commonly in use which Latimer spake in his Sermon to reprehend the want of love and charitie Yee have a common saying said hee every man for himselfe and God for us all but ye might more truly say every man for himselfe and the Divell for us all one for another and God for us all Martiall finding the infidelitie and inconstancie of love and friendship giveth this counsell Si vitare velis acerba quadam Et tristes animi cavere morsus Nulli te facias nimis sodalem Guadebis minus 〈◊〉 minus dolebis If thou wilt bitter accidents avoyde Nor let thy minde with sad things be annoyd No man too neare unto thy breast retaine So shalt thou more rejoyâ—…e and lesse complaine Prosperitie winneth friends but adversitie proveth them as the touch-stone tryeth Gold And over-great friendship not considerately united is many times the cause of great hatred Men cannot bee better warned to trust to themselves than by Aesops fable of a Lark which discovereth the common coldnesse of friendship in their friends causes A Larke saith hee that bred in the corne went forth to seeke meat for her yong birds that had feathers when the corne was ripe and willed them to hearken what was said in her absence and tell her at her returne The master of the corne perceiving it ripe willed his son to desire his friends the next day earely in the morning to come reape downe his corne The sonne did as hee was commanded and when the Larke returned her little ones trembling for feare told her what newes they had heard desiring to be removed to another place but shee bid them be quiet and feare nothing and went forth the next day againe to seeke for meat the master looketh for his friends and when hee saw that none came hee willed his sonne to goe to his kinsfolkes and desire their helpe to cut down his corne the next day when the Larke returned shee found her young ones in the like feare againe but understanding what they had heard she willed them to have no feare for kindred said she will not bee so hasty to helpe with their labour at the first call and departed from them againe The day following when the master had in vaine expected the performance of his kinsfolks promise also Away quoth hee with friends anâ—… kinne fetch two hooks to morrow early in the morning one for mee another for thee and we will reape the corne our selves Which when the Larke understood of her young Now it is time to bee gone said shee and removed her nest By which fable men are warned not to stay for their friends help in that they can do themselves And hereof springeth a common error that men consider not rightly of the nature of friendship which can be perfect but between two and those vertuous persons And where is no conformitie of manners there can bee no perfection of friendship for contraries can hold no consent nor unity together because their affections must be joyned together and his friend must bee preferred before all others as it were two bodies made one which moved Alexander the Great to say to Darius mother that desired pardon upon her knees for mistaking Ephestion for the king that he was also Alexander For if a man have many friends it may chance that one may have cause of joy by some great good fortune happened to him and another at the same time may have cause of sorrow by some evill accident or fortune Both which contrary passions cannot bee in him together and therefore hee cannot bee like friend to them both But one may be a friend to many by degrees according to the merit or estimation hee hath of them which he may also with honesty dissolve if by their demerites he shall find just cause and bee not bound to continue it by some good turne received and not requited Many by acquaintaÌ„ce only or by some courtesie shewed for civilities sake are more ready to challenge a further friendship never promised or professed as due to them by his voluntarie kindnesse than forwardly to requite that already received Yet neverthelesse true love and friendship hath respect onely to his friends necessitie without merchandize or feneration as one sayth Charitas non quaerit suum But seeing the affected name of a friend is so common and the act or matter so rare I wish thee to make choyce of a few companions with whom thou wilt passe thy time to avoyd the tediousnes of a solitary life such as bee inclined to honest
hee could have hindered it and did not because he ought not to hinder it lest hee should disturbe his apointed and settled order and destroy his owne worke God therefore is not the Authour of evill and sin for al things which he made are good It is no efficient but a deficient cause Evil is no substance nor nature but an accident that commeth to the substance when it is voyde of those good qualities that ought naturally to be in them and supplieth the others absence with his presence And that hee suffereth evill to be done agreeeth with his great justice and mercy For if God should suffer no evill to be done men could not finne which agreeth not with his nature the Creator of all things having given him in the beginning free-will And except there should bee sinners how should God shew mercy But because all men commit sinne many waies God findeth every where matter to forgive every whereupon whom to shew mercy Saint Augustine sayth If the disease were light the Physitian would bee contemned and not sought and if the Physitian should not be sought the disease would have no end Therefore where sinne abounded there also grace abounded which onely divideth the redeemed from the damned All which things are sufficient testimonie against us that God made all things good and the evill that is happened to us is come upon us by our owne fault that disobeied God to obey the Divell Wee must confesse therefore that God made man good and a divine creature after his owne image that he endued him with many goodly gifts and ornaments that hee made the world and all things therein to serve man as he made man to serve him and as man is the end of the world so God is the end of man that he esteemed him in place of his sonne and opened his mind to him But because man preferred his owne appetite before the will of his Creator and became as a bastard and degenerate not onely by breaking Gods commandement but by affecting an equality with him he fell out of his favour and lost those gifts hee first gave him and is justly punished by him that is most just with the alteration of his estate and condition as a rebell against his Sovereigne and Creator because he would not continue and rest in his felicitie wherein God had first placed him that is in the contemplation of his Creator but would needs seeke his felicity some other where For the end of man is to glorifie God having made him for his own glory and the end felicity beatitude and Sumâ—… bâ—…num of man is all one by the Philosophers confession as hath been shewed before Therfore God that hath made all things good and is most good and goodnesse it selfe is the felicitie or beatitude and Summum bonum of man And though man by his ungratefull revolting from God that had bestowed such innumerable benefits upon him deserved justly to bee utterly destroyed yet hee dealt mercisully with him that hee took not away all as his demerits required and left him a meanes to returne into his grace againe For by taking away the things he first gave us he would make us humble by the fall of our first parent lest by the like presumptuousnesse we should fall againe A King buildeth a new city and endoweth it as the manner is with many priviledges and liberties it happeneth the citizens to rebel the king taketh away from them many of their liberties and priviledges Which punishment of rebellion descendeth to all their posterity though the city was begun with a few families it groweth at length to bee very populous His giving those priviledges to the first inhabitants was to bee imputed to his bounteousnesse and liberality that he took them away was his justice that he denied restitution of them to their posterity was his clemency lest they being of the same disposition should procure againe their owne destruction So God gave unto man liberty a great priviledge and adorned him with many goodly gifts both of body mind for the which he ought to praise his goodness And because by abusing his gifts he hath taken them away or diminished them is to be attributed to his justice which hee hath done lest by example of the first man his posterity being of the same condition should commit againe the like offence and fall into the like punishment Thus it pleased God of his goodnesse to chastise his people and to suffer them to bee governed by his lawes but not utterly destroy them And that mankinde might feele and know how great miseries follow their sin and fall and thereby learn humility and godlines and to call for his great mercy apparent in the middest of his high justice that notwithstanding mans grievous offence ingratitude he would not utterly destroy his posterity whom he had made to his glory but raised up one out of that rebellious stocke that should satisfie his justice wherby they might live and bee received into grace againe hereby it is evident that mans nature is corrupted not so created at the first by God but by abusing his gifts and graces is fallen from goodnesse into wickednesse from his speciall favour into his just indignation And as we are of the nature of that man our first parent in whom humane nature was universally polluted so doe wee receive from him his nature and draw to us the corruption thereof from whence is derived by propagation the cause of our miserable estate and condition Now that we have shewed how by what meâ—…es wee fell out of Gods favour into this stinking pit and dunge on let us see how we may wade out of it againe God all men confesse to be Creator of all things and as he is good goodnesse it selfe all that he hath made must needs bee also good as proceeding from the fountaine of goodnesse And because God is wisedome all his creations we must needs acknowledge were made to some end For nature say the Philosophers doth nothing in vaine but all things well much more God the Creator of nature doth all things to an end And as God is the beginning middle and end of all things so hath he none other end of his workes but himselfe For he made all things to his own glorie and therefore we that be the creatures of God of whom we have our beginning and life can have no other end but God So that God is our Summum bonum or Soveraigne good our beatitude and felicity To that end therefore to the attaining of that good which is the proper action and true felicity of man all our studies and desires all our labours and diligence ought to be directed and employed If mans first nature had remained whole and uncorrupted there would not have needed any great search to bee made to find out his felicity For our end or felicity did then shine in our understanding and the same
fall our knowledge being turned into ignoâ—…nce though wee have some fight of our end and beatitude yet we are notable about selves to attaine to it And as the cause of our misery is our separation from God so our felicity is to be joyned with God againe And seeing the same which was the soveraigne good of the firstman is also 〈◊〉 which by his revolt from God he lost from himselfe and from his posterity and the way to recover the same is to reâ—… to God â—…ine Let us see whether God of his great meâ—…y hath not left us some meanes by which we may be 〈◊〉 the right way to him againe whether 〈◊〉 doth â—…each forth his fatherly hand to us thorough the clouds and 〈◊〉 to call and draw us to him though like bastards and rebels we be altogether unworthy of his favour and mercy All men acknowledge one God the parent and Creator of mankind that hee made the world for man of nothing and that he governeth both the world man by his providence Then must it needs follow that obedience is due to the Father faith and invocation and all manner of duty belongeth to so bountifull a Lord and governour And seeing man is by nature immortall hee ought with all his mind to aspire to immortall things And because by sinne he is fallen from God and from himselfe he ought to aske pardon that hee may pacifie the wrath of God which he purchased by his pride and love of himselfe It is requisite therefore that hee acknowledge his frailty and misery that hee may with all humility submit himselfe to God And what betoken all these things but that there is one God one man one religion that is a duty of man toward God a reconciliation of the degenerate children to their father of the rebellious subjects to their Lord whose favour we lost by our fall For all the exercises of religion proceed hereof that men know God made and ruleth the world that man is immortall that he fell by transgression out of Gods favour that created him to worship and glorifie God which is his end and soveragne good And 〈◊〉 commeth all our sacrifices our adorations our ceremonies our singing of Psalmes and â—…hankesgiving and such like So that religion which is a reconciliation to God is the way that 〈◊〉 us to out felicity and Summum bonum or sovâ—…raigne good But not every religion but the true religion by which God is rightly served as he himselfe hath appointed and not as is grounded upon the inventions and phantasticall devices of men For the Heathens and 〈◊〉 and barbarous people have their severall religion of their owne invention some adoring the Sunne some the Moone others the first thing they meet in the morning some a red cloth hanging at the end of a long staffe others images of men and other creatures For there is no people so brutish or voide of humanity but by instinct of nature he knoweth there is a divine power above man whereupon he grooâ—…deth some religion The ancient wise men and Philosophers highly exalted religion above all things as the onely way to lead them to the soveraigne good which is God Plato saith the beatitude of man is to be made like God that is if hee bee just and holy which must come by godlinesse and the love of God which is the greatest vertue among men And Aristotle saith that in godlinesse all our felicity consisteth And 〈◊〉 saith If wee be of any judgement what shall wee doe but continually worship God sing Psalmes and give thankes unto him whether we digge or plough the ground whether wee labour or rest Simplicius saith He can doe nothing diligently how necessary soever it bee that is â—…othfull and negligent in the service of God Religion saith Hierâ—…cles is the chiefe and leader of all vertues which is referred to Gods cause to which all other vertues have relation as to their end For vertues are not vertues if they swerve from religion and godlinesse Fortitude referred to any other thing than to godlinesse falleth into temerity or rashnesse prudence into fraud and subtilty and so like wise of the rest But all other religions saving the true religion doe lead men to the brinke of hell or at least shew them Paradise afarre off but betweene them and it is a great deepe gulfe over which no man is able to passe nor all the world is able to fill it up yet there must needs be a passage over somwhere for the end of man is certaine to bee joyned with God And that he may be joyned with him in heaven it is requisite that he be reconciled to him in earth And the onely way to be reconciled is that God pay our debts and untill they be payd he doth not absolve us That therefore is the onely true religion that leadeth us directly to that passage by whose conduction we find out the right way over it which onely leadeth us to the end of religion that is mans salvation for true religion is the right way to reconcile us to God whereof ensueth the salvation of man And that the true religion may be discerned from those that bee the inventions of men it hath three markes by which it is made apparent But first this foundation must be taken for certaine and immoveable as laid upon a rocke that true religion is a rule of the worshipping of God by which man is reconciled and tyed to God for his owne salvation This salvation of man is his beatitude his beatitude is to be joyned with God For neither the world nor any thing in it maketh a man happy or blessed but God onely that made man maketh him happy And seeing it is manifest that he and no other must bee worshipped in the earth that will make us happy or blessed in heaven what religion soever though it shew to be very singular and very holy diverteth and draweth our minds and prayers from the Creator to the creature is idolatry and wickednesse And what religion shall perswade us to seeke our soveraigne good and beatitude any other where than with him that is onely good and the only author of good is not only vanity and erroneous but it leadeth out of the way to kill and throweth down head long to destroy And though they have offerings and thankesgiving sacrifices prayers and other observances they are vaine and blasphemous if we attribute that to a creature how excellent soever he be which we received of God and desire pardon of creatures for the sinnes and offences wee commit against the Creator Let this therefore be the first marke of true religion that it doth direct us and our prayers and advocations to one God the Creator of heaven and earth who only searcheth mens hearts with which hee will bee chiefly worshipped But this is not sufficient to worship the true God but he must bee rightly worshipped But who is so
Their pride parallel'd with the 〈◊〉 of Peter and Iobn 89. Of Pope sixtus the fourth and a Friar 89. Of a 〈◊〉 husbandman and the Arch-bishop of Cullen 90. The great humility of Origen his entertainment by Alexander Severus 91. His learned Sermon 92. Contempt of riches oftner found amongst Heathen than Christians cap. 3.97 Of 〈◊〉 a Senator of Abderita ibid. His excellent apprehensions 98. Diogones against rich men and riches 99. Bias his contempt of riches 100. A golden table drawne out of the Sea by fishermen ibid. The modesty of the Sages 101. Ferdinando King of Spaine against Lawyers ibid. The modesty of Agasbooles King of Sicilia 102. Of Philip King of 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 her report of covetousnesse ibid. The covetousnesse of Cardinall Angelos 103. 〈◊〉 Maria Duke of Millaine and a Priest ibid. Of the envious and the covetous man 104. An excellent Law made by 〈◊〉 King of Egypt ibid. Alexander severms against usurie ibid. The story of an Advocate of Venice and his Father 106 Of money bestowed as it ought to be 107 How king 〈◊〉 dealt with a rich man ibid. A Caliph of Persia slaine in his treasure house 108 Renowne better than riches ibid. Wisedome the greatest riches and ignorance the worst poverty 109 A strange story of 〈◊〉 a covetous Emperour ibid. The first supremacy of the Church of Rome given by 〈◊〉 Emperour 110 Gonstantine first inriched the Church of Rome ibid. Riches first kindled the fire of purgatorie ibid. None can be truly good and very rich at one time 111 Riches and honesty seldome dwell together ibid. The Philosophers and Sages concerning povertie and riches 112 The great temperance of pbocionâ—… and Diogenes 113 The bold answer of Diomedes the Pyrate to king Alexander 114 Of 〈◊〉 and king philip 115. Magicians punished in seeking hidden gold 116 Of Mark 〈◊〉 his Concubin 〈◊〉 Caura and his death 117 CHAP. IIII. The bounty of one 〈◊〉 118 The 〈◊〉 against riches 119 A rich Cardinall of England His death ibid. Of men 〈◊〉 for their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cardinall c. 120 Examples of continent men 〈◊〉 the Philosopher 〈◊〉 a Theban A knight of Malta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 121 A character of Pope 〈◊〉 the fifth His Charity with the great 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 122 Charity liberally rewarded ibid. An Epigram of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 123 Observable Answers of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 124 A rich man compared to a Peacocke ibid. Contempt of riches in 〈◊〉 the Philosopher 〈◊〉 c. 125 〈◊〉 the cause of 〈◊〉 ruin ib. 〈◊〉 accuseth 〈◊〉 before 〈◊〉 126 〈◊〉 apology and submission to Nero 127 The admirable continence of Roman 〈◊〉 128 Of the Emperour 〈◊〉 the proverb verified in him Honours 〈◊〉 manners 129 〈◊〉 censure of the rich 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 the great Turkes justice upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 130 Vsurers compared to the fish fifth pag. 131 An excellent discourse drawn from Sir Thomas 〈◊〉 Vtopia reproving pride 132 The covetousnesse of the French and Portugall Nations reproved 133 The covertousnesse of the Spainard ibid. The great cruelty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Spaniard 134 His barbarous cruelty reproved by a Prince of Florida ibid. No felicitie can consist 〈◊〉 in riches 135 The Contents of the third Booke HOnour and glory no part of true felicity Cap. 1 pag. 137. Honour followeth those which fly it 138 Alexanders ambition being a child ibid. Cyncas excellently reproveth the ambition of King 〈◊〉 139 Ambition the ruine of king Pyrrbus 140 Ambition the subversion of Kingdomes and Common-weales ib. Ambition without limit 141 The unnaturalnesse of Adolphbus Duke of Geldria ibid. 〈◊〉 Henry the fifth Emperour Frederick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all bloudy murderers and parricides 142 A strange history betwixt 〈◊〉 K. of Denmarke and 〈◊〉 K. of Succia and Gothland 143 The inhumanities of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Queene of Naples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cardinall of Valentia c. 144 Examples in the same kinde of Richard the third 〈◊〉 of Egypt 〈◊〉 c. 145 â—…he nature of the water of the 〈◊〉 Styx ibid. The Church of Millaine opposed against Rome 200. yeares ibid. The aâ—…bition of Henry King of France after slaine by count Montgomery 146 Strange predictions before his death 147 Seventie Emperors of Rome came to untimely ends ibid. The rising of 〈◊〉 from a slave to the Empire 148 〈◊〉 slaine by 〈◊〉 150 The Empire set to sale by the 〈◊〉 souldiers ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 buyeth the Empire his wretched death 151 The noble 〈◊〉 of King 〈◊〉 of France being presented a Prisoner to King 〈◊〉 the third 152 The like of 〈◊〉 King of the 〈◊〉 presented before the Emperour 〈◊〉 pag. 153 The ambition of King 〈◊〉 modestly 〈◊〉 154 The modesty of 〈◊〉 in his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 life ibid. Men in great place rather to bee 〈◊〉 than envied 155 Of many miseries that seeme happy 156 〈◊〉 King of 〈◊〉 reproveth greatnesse ibid. 〈◊〉 doth the like to 〈◊〉 157 The 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tyrant ib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him in his poverty 158 The modesty of 〈◊〉 the Romane Emperour ibid A speech to the like purpose of 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 159 The modesty of 〈◊〉 ibid. The 〈◊〉 of a Prince 166 The Emperour Trajan concerning Empire and government Cap. 2 pag. 162 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his letter to a friend concerning the 〈◊〉 163 The Emperour 〈◊〉 slaine by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 the dictator and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 167 〈◊〉 being 〈◊〉 private 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 168 His retyred life 170 〈◊〉 the second deposed by 〈◊〉 172 〈◊〉 deposed by 〈◊〉 173 〈◊〉 deposed by the former 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 slaine by 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 deposed by 〈◊〉 174 〈◊〉 deposed by 〈◊〉 ibid. Contention betwixt 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 for the 〈◊〉 ib. The inhumane tyrannie of Pope 〈◊〉 the 13th His death 175 Three Popes at one time 〈◊〉 the Popedome equally together 176 Of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ibid. Of Alexander and King 〈◊〉 ibid. Of Alexander and k. 〈◊〉 178 The horrible treason of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ibid. The observable death of 〈◊〉 Alexanders 〈◊〉 over him 180 The horrible death of 〈◊〉 181 The horrid death of Abraham k. of Marocco with his wife ibid. Of 〈◊〉 Cossa Pope deposed and cast in prison 182 The 〈◊〉 ends of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 183 Of 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 Asia 184 〈◊〉 against flattery ibid. The ridiculous 〈◊〉 of king 〈◊〉 185 Of divers strange Tenents held by the Pope 186 Of Popes that have beene profest Magicians 188 Pope Clements Ball ibid. A parish Priests Sermon 189 A notable trick put upon the Cardinall of Lorreine 190 Of one 〈◊〉 a Necromancer 191 The speech of Erasmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 192 CHAP. III. Paulus Iovins of the Councell of Trent 194 The strange death of Benedict the ninth 195 The miserable end of Sylvester the second 196 A 〈◊〉 of Bonicasius the eighth to become Pope 197 Of Cornelius Agrippa concerning the Augustine 〈◊〉 198 Examples of insuffrable pride in the Clergie 199 The proud letters of Pope 〈◊〉 to Philip K. of France 201 The kings Answer 202 The witty answer of Henry
abundance yet hee is never satisfied So as his riches and over-great plentie breeds him extreme penurie and maketh him leade a miserable life A Knight of Malta despising riches and delighting in a solitarie life caused this to bee written before his garden He is rich enough that needeth not bread Of power enough that is not compelled to serve Ye civill cares get ye farre from hence Sabbas Cast a solitarie man being content with himselfe doth dwel in these little secure gardens Whether he be poore or rich if thou be of an upright judgment consider Farewell The greatest wisedome saith one and felicitie in this world is to live quietly and deale in his owne matters rather than in other mens Then in both fortunes whether thou must doe or suffer to have regard rather to God than men and upon him only to depend To despise the world to despise none to despise himselfe to despise that he is despised these foure things saith one maketh a man happie Celius saith it is a great gladnesse and rejoycing to the soule when thou dost not oncumber thy selfe with the care of many things but art perswaded that thou mayst live quietly with a little and hast cast under thy feete the world and all the pompe thereof Take away luxuriousnesse and excesse of earing and drinking and the lusts of the slesh no man will seeke for riches Pope Alexander the fifth was so liberall to the poore that hee left nothing to himselfe whereupon hee would often take occasion to say merrily That he was a rich Bishop a poore Cardinall and a beggerly Pope God will not suffer him to live in lacke that is bountifull to the poor and useth mony to that end for which it was ordained The Emperour Tiberius Constantine spent upon the poore and other good uses great store of treasure which his Predecessor Iustinian had hoorded up Insomuch that the Empresse seeing his povertie blamed him greatly and laughed him to scorne for his exceeding great expences that were imployed to so good uses It chanced him on a time as he walked in his Palace to see at his feet a marble stone in forme of a crosse and because he thought it unfit that men should tread upon that stone which had the figure and forme of that upon which our Saviour suffered hee caused the stone to bee taken up under which there was another of like forme and under the same a third which being taken up hee found under it great store of treasure for the which he gave God great thankes and imployed it as before to relieve the necessitie of them that had need and lacke A covetous man falling grievously sicke and perceiving hee must dye and that hee could carry nothing with him into another world turned to his friends and kinsfolkes that were about him and said Take you example by me my deare friends to the end that in heaping up of riches you trouble not your selves more than honestie requireth For I that have spent all my time in scraping goods and treasure together must now leave this life and of so much land and costly apparell that I have I shall possesse nothing else but five foote of ground and one old sheete To this purpose serveth Ausonius epigram wherein Diogenes is fained to see the rich King Croesus among the dead and thus to mocke him for his great riches that then profited him nothing being in no better estate than Diogenes himselfe Effigiem Rex Craesetuam ditissime Regum Vidit apud manes Diogenes Cynicus Constitit ut que procul solito majore cachinno Concussus dixit quid tibi divitiae Nunc prosunt Regum Rex O ditissime cum sis Sicut ego solus me quoque pauperior Nam quaecunque habuâ—… mecum feâ—…o cum nihilipse Ex tantis tecum Crase fer as opibus Amongst the ghosts Diogenes beheld Thee Cresus of all Kings with most wealth swel'd All which he said and finding thee lesse proud Than â—…arst hee call'd to thee laughing aloud And said O Cresus richest once of Kings Speake to this place below what profit brings All thy late pompâ—… for ought that I now 〈◊〉 We are alike and thou as poore as I. I that alive had nothing brought my store And thou of all thy wealth canst shew no more Hee that loveth money saith Ecclesiastes will never bee satisfied with money and who so delighteth in riches shall have no profit thereof And what pleasure more hath hee that possesseth them saving that hee may looke upon them with his eyes A labouring man sleepeth sweetly whether it be little or much that hee eateth but the abundance of riches will not suffer him to sleep I have scene saith he riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession For oftentimes they perish with his great miserie and trouble And it is a generall thing among men when God giveth man riches goods and honour so that hee wanteth nothing of all that his heart can desire and yet God giveth him not leave to enjoy the same but another spendeth them Vincentio Pestioni an Italian Gentleman being asked how old hee was answered that hee was in health And to another that asked how rich hee was he answered that he was not in debt As if hee should say that he is young enough that is in health and rich enough that is not in debt The rich man is compared to a Peacocke that climbeth up to the highest places as the rich man aspireth to honour and preheminence And as the Peacocke is decked with faire feathers and so delighteth to bee seene and to behold his taile that hee discovereth his filthy parts behinde So the rich man rejoyceth in his wealth and precious attire and delighteth in flatterie in pride and vaine glorie And whilest hee goeth about to shew his bodie well fed and set out with costly ornaments hee sheweth a brutish minde voyd of vertue and full of vice and vanitie The more saith Boccace that riches is had in estimation the more is vertue had in contempt This rule saith Plato will seldome faile that when the fathers have too much riches the sonnes have no vertue at all because betweene ease and superfluitie of riches vices and not vertue are wont to bee nourished A Philosopher said that the gods are so just in dividing their gifts that to whom they give contentation from them they take riches and to those they give riches they take from them contentation Anacâ—…con a Philosopher having received of King Polycrates the value of tenne thousand duckets for a gift entred into so many conceits and fantasies that hee passed three dayes and three nights without sleepe which sudden change and alteration put him in such a feare of some great evill to follow that hee carried forthwith the money to the King and told him that hee restored his gift to him againe because it did let him from sleepe Epictetus the Philosopher was wont to say