practize with malice two daughters of tyranny neuer séene but hidden in the hartes of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowisse feared their policie commended their knowledge knowen their fame spread ouer the whole worlde but when enuie began to soiorne in Gréece and malice to builde her bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grimme Gorgons oppressed Castles destroyed Countreys subdued kingdomes depopulated cities in fine triumphed ouer all Gréece and Italie Hanibal of Carthage Iugurth of Numidia Pirrhus of Epire most valiaunt puissaunt and mighty Princes with long warres and great slaughter withall Their force and powers might not then hurt Rome halfe so much as hidden hatred betwéene them selues in Rome Againe Alexander the great valiaunt Cirus famous Zerxes most mightie conquerours with all their strength of warres coulde not annoy Gréece halfe so much as inwarde enuy betwéene the cities of Gréece What caused Iulius Caesar to war against his son in law Pompeius Enuie What made Adrian the Emperor to despise y e worthy fame of Traian Enuie What mooued Cato surnamed Vtica to kil him self Enuie vnto Caesar hidden hatred working for priuate gaine and rash counsell of flatterye which is harde most often in the enuious mouth haue destroyed kingdomes Enuie entred firste into the heartes of Princes arrested the worthyest conqueror of the world waded the bowels of the wyse blusht not to attaint the learned Philosophers in the mydst of Athens Hercules in killing the great Dragon Priapus that watched in the garden of Hesperides in destroying the rauening birdes Stimphalides in conquering the raging and furious Centaures in vanquishing terrible monsters as Gereon Cerberus and Diomedes in ouercomming the Lion the Boore and the Bull in ouertaking the gilded Hart and last for his conquest of the huge and prodigious Hidra in the seruice of Lerna won no lesse enuie of some than iustly hée deserued fame of others Theseus to imitate the hauty attempts of Hercules ouercame Thebes slue Minotaurus in the dennes of Labirinthus subdued Creon the tiraunt with diuers other large enterprises as one more wyllyng to enuie the fame of Hercules then desirous to deserue fame by lenity and quietnesse So might I speake of Iulius Caesar that enuied Alexander the great and Alexander likewise that enuied Achilles And thus alwayes enuie was fostered with Princes With the wise and learned enuie bare great sway as betwixt Plato and Zenophon the best and grauest Philosophers in their time betwixt Demosthenes and Aeschines betwixt Aristotle and Isocrates one despising the other Such slaughter grew of enuie that one brother kylled another the sonne the father and the father likewise the sonne as Romulus slue his brother Remus of enuie lest he might hée king in Rome Cambises King of Persea killed his brother Mergides as Herodotus doth write of enuie Enuie caused Anacharsis the Philosopher to bée slaine of his own brother Caduidus King Iugurth murthered both his brethren Hiempsalis Adherbales that he only might raigne King in Numidia Cain did kyll his brother Abel the scripture doth testifie that his sacrifice was once accepted Thus enuie was séene and known to bée betwixt brethren betwixt the parentes and their childreÌ„ the like we reade that enuy committed horrible and terrible murther aswell betwixt the husbande and the wife as the children towarde their Parentes as in short examples verified Clitemnestra slue hir owne husbande Agamemnon and shée againe slaine by hyr sonne Orestes Quéene Semiramis kilde likewise hir husbande king Minus and shée kilde euen so by hir son called Minus Agrippina murthered hir husbande Tiberius and shée was euen so murthered of hir sonne Nero. O cruell tiranny that enuie shoulde euer cause such vnnatural murther as one brother to kill another the Father to destroy his sonne the sonne to slea hys father the husbande to murther his wife the wife to make awaye hir husbande Wée reade in Plini of a certen king in Thebes named Athamas that gaue both his sonnes the one named Learchus the other Euriclea to be deuoured of ramping Lions So many monsterous tirauntes brought vp in the schoole of enuy so many deformed Centaures that all countries haue béene full of them When Antiphiles sawe Apelles in great fauour with King Ptholeme hée so enuied the matter that hée tolde the king of spite vnto Apelles that Apelles was the verie cause of the long warres betwéene the Tirians and Egypt to discredite Apelles for verye enuie that hée was great with the King but the matter being knowne and his enuie wayed Appelles was rewarded of the King with a hundred Talentes and Antiphiles for his enuie commaunded afterwarde all the dayes of his life to be the slaue and bondeman of Appelles Themistocles was so gréeued to sée Miltiades so honored for his great conquest and triumph in Marathea that being demaunded why hée was so sadde hée aunswered Miltiades triumphes will not suffer Themistocles to be ioyfull There was no countrie but enuie bare swaye there was neuer no great vertue but it was accompapanied with enuie Caesar was enuied in Rome by Cato Turnus was enuied in Rutil by Drances Vlisses was enuied in Gréece by Aiax Demetrius was enuied in Macedonia after king Cassander dyed what enuie bare M. Crassus towarde Pompeius it is knowne what hidden hatred hadde Pollio towarde Cicero it is read in Brusonius the third booke the 7. chapter where Pollio saith to Messala that hée might not abide Ciceros voice The like we reade of Aristotle who enuied Isocrates so much that hée was woont to saye it were a shame vnto Aristole to holde his peace and lette Isocrates speake For as thereis no light sayth Plini without shadowe so is there no vertue or glory without enuie The wauering state of the vulgar which ruled alwayes Rome and Athens was so mutable and so vncertaine that after wise and sage Socrates was condemned to die bâ—ing deade the Athenians repented his accusers were banished and Socrates now being deade had his pictures erected which being aliue the rude and vncertaine people estéemed nothing â–ª Euen so was Aristides and Themistocles banished vnto Persea Iphicrates vnto Thracia Conon vnto the prouince of Corporos Chabrias vnto Egypt and Cares vnto Sigeum men of excelent vertues of noble seruice of renowmed fame yet by the enuious people banished their owne countries to raunge abrode the worlde Againe Homer was enuied by Zoilus Pindarus by Amphimanes Simonides by Timocreon yea learned Maro and Horas were most enuied and backe-byted by Maeuius and Suffenus What doe I to speak of enuie why waste I time to write of enuie wherefore séeme I so sounde to touch a speciall matter being so common with all men being so nourished in all countries being knowne from the beginning of the worlde and being first practized by the Diuell who enuying mans state
a pilgrimage for fortune I remember of a worthy Historie of one Rhodope a faire and a gorgeous strumpet in Egypt which fortune so fauoured for her beautie that she being a washing her selfe in a well an Eagle fled with one of her shoes vnto the famous City of Memphis where then the king of Egypt kept his Courte named Psamnetichus before whom the Eagle let the shoe fall The king dismaide at the beautie of the shoe amazed of the working thereof musing muche howe nature myght frame so fine a foote made open proclamation throughout all Egypt to séeke suche a woman whose foote serued that shoe and being found to bring her to the king and being brought to the king she was maryed vnto the king Thus from a cōmon woman fortune appointed an Eagle to make her a Quéene in Egypt If fortune fauoured suche that was naught of life slaunderous of report ignominious and infamous in all Egypt to be a Quéene in that kingdome where she was a queane who should make much of suche a dame in whom neither constancie was euer founde or trueth euer tryed I iudge that man most fortunate that is of all least fortunate and sith fortune is deceitfull to her owne friendes she can not be true vnto her foes therefore very learnedly did wise Bion aunswere being demaunded what was most daungerous in the worlde to be most fortunate Phocion that learned Athenian was woont to say that better it were to lie carelesse vpon the grounde safe and sounde then to lie carefully vnder cloth of states in daunger and perill A certen wise prince before he should be crowned king tooke the Crowne firste as Valerius saieth in his hande saying after looking musing a while O Crowne more noble than happy whose peryll to enioye if men knew no man woulde take thée vp from the grounde though thou diddest offer thy selfe What felicitie happened vnto Alexander the great which fortune so aduaunced to be a King of kinges a conquerour of conquerours yea to be worshipped as a god and to be called the sonne of Iupiter whose fame compassed the whole earth in so muche that Thalestris Quéene of the Amazons came from Sythia vnto Hircania with thrée hundred thousand women to lye with Alexander thirtie dayes to be with childe by him and yet in Babylon that fortune that so exalted him did likewise oppresse him being in his chief fame but thirtie two yeres poysoned by his kinsmen and friendes left and forsaken of all men that he was thirtie dayes vnburied as a begger not as a king as a beast not like Iupiters sonne The lyke fortune serued Iulius Caesar whiche after thundring clang of the lyke fame was in his owne Citie of Rome and in the Senate house amiddest his Councellours slayne and murthered so tyrannouslye with Bodkins and Daggers of his most trustie friendes Brutus and Cassius that he had twentie and thrée woundes in his body Thus was the misfortunate end of so fortunate a beginning How did fortune deale with famous Zerxes whose huge armies dryed vp riuers whose infinite numbers of Nauayes couered ouer the Ocean Seas whose power and force all Gréece trembled at fortune that promised al Gréece vnto him at a becke she I saye gaue him ouer to the handes of Pericles his enimie to bée vanquished vnto the force of Artabanus to bée slaine A litle better she vsed Mithridates King of Pontus after many victories in diuers countreyes noble tryumphes sundry times which fortie yeres and moe she mainteyned against the inuincible Romanes to the great detriment and losse of Rome and at length to his great discomfort after he had lost wife children and all his friendes lefte him in his olde age a pray vnto Pompeius This is the friendship of fortune to plague to punish those which oftentimes she sheweth her selfe most curteous vnto Therfore was Plato woont to thank God that he was borne a man not a beast in Gréece not in Barbary thanked fortune that he was a scholler vnto Socrates which wayes despised fortune and her force for fortune neuer doth a good déede but she requiteth y e same with an euill turne Pyrrhus that valiant king of Epyres whom so famously fortune guided that he was counted by Hanibal the seconde souldier and Prince for his magnanitie and courage vnto Alexander the great whose ende by fortune was such that a siely simple argiue woman kilde hym with a litle Tilestone Hanibal whose name was so terrible vnto Rome by fortune .xvj. yeres was by the same driuen to exile a banished abiect from his coūtrey and wéery of his life ended his dayes with poyson in Bithinia Alcibiades which fortune so fauoured one way that hée excelled all men in personage and birth in wisdome and honour in strength and wealth and in all kinde of vertues surmounting all Gréece againe was brought to suche banishment and penurie to suche infamie and reproche that hée was compassed and taken of his enimies burned in his bed with his whore called Timandra Cambises and Nero whose cruell and vnhappy dayes both Rome and Persia long time felt their fawning fortune after much tyranny bloodshed of others was such that beyng wéery in murtheryng others they siue them selues that was the ende of their fortune Polycrates who euer sayled with prosperous windes of fortune that hée was taken and named fortunate Polycrates at length so serued of fortune as other Princes were he was hanged by one Orontes an officer of king Darius in open sight of Samos where he a long time florished and in the ende hanged on a high hyll named Mycalensis mount These euyls happen by fortune yet wée sée them not she gripes vs with her handes yet we féele not she treadeth vs downe vnder her féete and yet we wyll not know it Happy is he that accompanieth not with fortune though diuers thinke them selues happy that be fortunate as Giges Cressus two Kinges of Lydia so wealthy that they iudged no man as happye as they were and yet was Aglaus the poorest in all Arcadie Byton the simplest of all Gréece the one by the sentence of Solon the other by the oracle of Apollo iudged farre more happy then they The very tyraunt Dionisius being banished from his kingdome of Corinth woulde often say in his miserie that happy twise were they that neuer knew fortune whose fawning face in the beginning doth purchase cruell death in y ◠end◠Wherfore a certaine Lacedemonian saide Diagoras who being in the games of Olimpia in Gréece hauing his children his childrens children crowned with Garlandes of fame for their vertuous actes and qualities that time that it were great happe vnto him to dye presently at such a sight of his childrens fortune and being asked the cause he sayde that fortune neuer pleased that man so much with fame but she woulde in time displease the same as muche
with another much more might be spoken I meane not those fonde foolishe and fantasticall fables fostered by women and olde men sitting at the fire where often the ydle braâ—â—e is occupied but those wise and prudent fables of Poets which containe wisedome in sence though they séeme light in wordes which durst not be opened playne in those daies for the tyranny of Princes which then woulde not haue theyr faultes toucht in anye but that learnedly with fables poeticall As the fable of Sphinx of Cirses of Tantalus of Acteon and of others ¶ Of Eloquence PYrrhus King of the Epire and defender long of the Tarentines was woont to say of Cineas his Oratour that hée wanne more victories thorowe the eloquence of Cyneas then he through the force and puissaunce of all his Epirotes besides for through eloquence woulde Cyneas make the stout enemies to yéelde and by eloquence woulde Cyneas mooue the cowardly souldiers to victorie Valerius a noble and an eloquent Romane at what tyme the Kinges of Rome were expelled and their names quite banished and nowe the populer state hauyng such liberty thereby that the whole Citie through sedition and late sprong libertie was like to come to ciuile warres betwéene them selues had not I say Valerius appeased the furie of the people being redie in heartes to become enemies vnto their countrey finding them triumphing much and reioysyng within them selues deuiding one from another to maintaine discorde He reduced them not onely through his eloquence vnto peace and quietnesse but also vnto such state brought them that where Rome was like then to fall to ruine Rome at that time beganne to florish prosper Great was the force of eloquence in Marcus Antonius which with his sugred and swéete perswasions turned the furious rage and tyranny of the souldiers of Marius and Cinnanus beyng sent of these two cruell Captaynes to kyll him vnto such lenitie and mercie that hauing their swordes naked drawen redie to accomplishe promise with Marius hauing hearde Antonius his eloquence as men conuicted with wordes coulde neuer kéepe promise with Marius though they had great rewardes appointed nor coulde of them selues though enimies they were vnto Antonius finde in their heart to kyll hym Pericles wanne such renowme in Athence by his eloquence which sometime was scholler vnto Anaxagoras that he had the gouernment and rule of Athence commited vnto him as vnto one the people reposed more credite or trust in Pericles wordes then they had in the force and strength of Athence beside Insomuch that when he woulde speake any thing vnto the people such mellifluous wordes and sugred sentences procéeded foorth of his mouth that they were amazed or astonied to heare him willyng alwayes neuer wéery of his counsel We reade that the eies did water to sée him the eares allured to heare him y e hart conuicted to yéelde vnto him Cowardes are made couragious stout tyrauntes are made gentle and mercifull Cities preserued victories gotten and all by eloquence What is it but man is able through comely gesture and apt pronunciation bring to passe What coulde escape Cicero in Rome What might haue auoyded Demosthenes in Athence whose knowen eloquence whose learned perswasions whose swéete and sugred wordes coulde aswel mooue enimitie in Athence towarde King Philip as it coulde kindle loue in Rome towarde Pompeius Such is the excellencie of eloquence that it mooueth aswell men to the sight for the gesture countenaunce and pronunciation as it doth enforce men to heare for the maiestie and swéetnesse of wordes For Hortensius was not so eloquent in wordes but he was as comely in gesture and so excâ—llent in either of them that when he spake before the people Senatours and Citizens of Rome they were no lesse enamored with his sight then they were allured and entised with his wordes for he laboured no lesse outwardly to please night became very darcke all the souldiours of Paulus yea Paulus himselfe being their Generall and Captain were dismayde and quite discomfited thinking it had bene some prodigious showe to prognosticate mishappe to come and readie to yéelde in heart and courage vntyll Sulpitius began to perswade the rude Souldiours with reason opening the causes vnto the souldiours and declaring the effectes of the superiour bodies so eloquently that then being readie to yéelde for feare they were readie to fight valiauntly by eloquence of Sulpitius and where through feare of that sodaine sight and chaunge of the Moone they were readye to yéelde as Captiues to King Perseus they were stirred mooued by the eloquence of Sulpitius to become conquerours and victours ouer King Perseus in the same selfe night The lyke Pericles sometime amongst his souldiours of Athens at what time the Sunne so darckened that great terror and feare came vpon the souldiours hée eloquently perswaded his souldiours and toulde them euen as he hearde of his Maister Anaxagoras the cause thereof and quight expelled feare from the souldiours by reason and made them boulde againe through hys eloquencie In Africke there was in the time of Anascarimis a philosopher named Afranio being demaunded what he did learne all the dayes of hys life aunswered to speake well the seconde time being asked what hée taught vnto others aunswered likewise to speake well at the last he was demaunded what he knewe in anye science he sayde I knowe nothing but to speake well so that this olde Philosopher Afranio learned nothing taught nothing nor knew any thing but to speake well and most certaine it is that he that consumeth all the dayes of his life to learne to speake well and knoweth nothing else but to speake well spendeth his time very well ¶ Of those that had their pictures and Images for a shovv of their deserued fame erected THE greatest honour that both Gréekes Gentiles vse towarde those that deserued well in the coÌ„mon wealth was to aduaunce them by pictures painted images gorgeously grauen thinkyng thereby either to enflame them further to do good or else to discourage them againe in doing euyll by banishing and neglecting their pictures which wheÌ„ Fauorinus the Philosopher hearde that the Citie of Athence had reiected his picture because Adrian the Emperour was angry with him sayde I am right glad therof for better sayd he had it béene for Socrates to haue had his brasen picture broken and throwen away for some shewe of displeasure by the Athenians then to be depriued of his lyfe for nothing by the Athenians for the surest state of all is not to be knowen Agesilaus therefore King of the Lacedemonians vnderstanding that the inhabitants of euery countrey in all Gréece had decréed to put vp the picture of Agesilaus for a memorial of his vertuous and noble actes to be as monumentes of his life after death Returnyng then from Egipt vnto Gréece beyng verye sicke a little before hée dyed wrote letters vnto Gréece that they shoulde make no pictures no Images
Suetonius that hée suffred in frée Cities townes frée tongues Philippe King of Macedonia when certaine Embassadours of Athens came to him he requiring them if he might stande in any stéede to Athens to certefie him of the same to whome Demochares one of the Ambassadours aunswered that the greatest pleasure that he coulde do to Athens was to hange himselfe The King most pacient in such skoffes and tauntes sayde The reprochefull sclaunder of the Athenians doe make King Phillippe better able to reuenge theyr malice by warres then to mooue him to aunswere theyr backebiting in wordes A Prince not onely pacient in hearing but also wise in aunswering As sometime the Emperour Alexander Seuerus in Rome when it was signified vnto him after Antonius was dead that the barbarous nations were ready to enter the Citie of Rome and that he was muche rebuked of the people and blamed of the Senators for the slender care he had vnto the Citie hée as Herodianus affirmeth aunswered that it belongeth to Princes to reuenge the good and not to aunswere the euill for wisemen will speake euill of no man in the beginning least they shoulde be iudged fooles in the ende where into all thinges are directed and whereby all thinges are prooued So pacient was Anaxagoras when it was toulde him that his sonne was deade to aunswere merily I knowe my sonne was mortall So pacient was King Antigonus being certefied of his sonne Alcionus death to aunswere I lookt no other than for his death So pacient was Pericles when he hearde that both his sonnes dyed in one daye to kéepe his countenaunce merrie his chéere vnchaunged and his businesse about the state of his countrie not delayed But Harpalê° was of passing patience being bydden of Astiages King of Persea to supper where he had two sonnes of his readye drest and laye in a siluer dishe before him on the table to be eaten of their owne father The king nay the tyraunt marked the countenaunce of Harpalus perceyuing him not to be mooued much at the matter asked him howe hée liked his supper he without alteration of colour chaunge of countenaunce framed himselfe to aunswere the King merily commending much the supper as one that knewe that patience was the onely remedy in tirannie A second Iobe in pacience he passed Iobe for Iobe knewe how his God did suffer Satan to punish him for loue he had to Iobe but Harpalus perceyued that this tyraunt did this to him of tyrannye and euill will farre from christianitie for in this vale of misery wée count him wise and certayne we may call him most wise that can in prosperitie be gentle and in aduersitie be pacient Both these examples were séene in one man in one daye at Rome Paulus Aemilius hauing his two sonnes the hope of Rome and comfort of the father the one deade foure dayes before the triumphs of Macedonia the other thrée daies after y e triumph returning from Macedonia with that noble victory with such triumphes vnto Rome that no man coulde finde in his heart to tell this noble Romane of the heauinesse in Rome and of the death of his childreÌ„ a ruthfull thing it was to ioyne to such great ioyes victories and triumphes such wofull chaunce sadnesse and mourning but fortune accompanieth the one with the other This noble Romane perceyuing the people of Rome to be so sadde and he so merrye they so heauy with sobbes and sighes hée so glad of his triumphes and victories demaunded the cause but being at length knowne he then comforted them that shoulde comfort him saying I thanke the Goddes more to gyue me victories ouer my enimies to the glorye and fame of Rome then I accuse fortune to spoyle me of my children which by nature were borne to dye though much it be to my gréefe yet wish I the gods to tender y e like to the father as they did to the sonne so that the like conquest and glorie happen to Rome In this was both magnamitie and patience Some men are pacient in thinges as in a corporall paine some in tormentes another is pacient of iniuries done I commende them both but to be pacieÌ„t in al kind of afflictions aduersitie heauen earth commendeth him That is a kinde of pacience which Plini applyed to Anarchus saying Of all men one man Anarchus Augustus most patient in tormentes Of all women Laena to kéepe silence So were the Egyptians people of great patience they had rather die in tormentes with patience than to betraye any man The Gimnosophistes of India were so patient that from Sunne rising vntill night vpon the hote sande without meate and drinke sayth Plini from one seate to another to beholde the heauens the Sunne the Moone c. The Lacedemonians most pacient in trauayle payne winde weather and warres The people of Sparta at what time certaine men of Chios come to pilgrimage vnderstanding the wise men of Sparta called Ephori to be in all things most pacient to mooue them to anger they vomited before them and then went where Ephori sat in iudgement and vsed it as a coÌ„mon stoole to discharge and â—ase nature When they came to Chios againe they sayde that the wise men of Sparta were fooles and blockes that they could not mooue them to be angry but not so angrie as they were beastly In this kinde of patience was Mithridates King of Pontus was Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians was Masinissa king of Numidia most pacient So pacient was that Emperour Augustus that he suffered a younge man of Sicilia to aunswere him as bouldly as he had demaunded merily that where the Emperour asked him being lyke in countenaunce and preportion whether euer his mother had béene in Rome meaning thereby that he might be his father if she had bene there but the younge man perceyuing the sleight of Augustus aunswered boldely and sayde My mother was neuer in Rome but my father hath béene diuers times in Rome meaning that the Emperour might be his brother rather that way then he to be his sonne the other way by his mother Bicause pacience is better knowne by reading of diuers Princes anger and wrath I will them to reade the chapter of anger where they shall sée what hurt was done what wickednesse was committed by impaciencie which might haue béene redressed and saued by patience wherefore auoyding prolixitie it shall be spoken in the one what wanteth in the other reade sayde he that seueritie waxed vnto tyranny and tyranny in a Prince worketh his destruction and that lenitie is the most soundest state in a Prince who séeth not the experience thereof Certenly Nero Caligula and Heliogabolus were neuer so cruell as these thrée noble Emperours Augustus Trâ—ian and Seuerus were gentle and méeke Alphonsus the great king of Aragon geuyng care a long wâ—ile to his fréendes to finde fault with his often pardonyng and forgeuyng those that offended much his owne person
also a water called Albula that healed gréene woundes In Sicilia the riuer called Cydnus was a present remedy vnto any swelling of the legges Not farre from Neapolis there was a Well whose water healed any sicknesses of the eyes The lake Amphion taketh all scurâ—es and sores from the body of any man What shoulde I declare the natures of the foure famous floods that issue out of Paradice the one named Euphrates whom the Babylonians and Mesopotamians haue iust occasion to commende The seconde is called Ganges which the Indians haue great cause to praise The thirde called Nilus which the countrey of Egypt can best speake of And the fourth is called Tigris which the Assyrians haue most commodity by Here might I be long occupied if I shoulde orderly but touch the natures of all waters The alteration of the Seas and the woonders that therof appeare as ebbing and flowing as saltenesse swéetenesse and all things incident by nature vnto the Seas which were it not that men sée it dayly practiseth the same hourelye and marke thinges therein continuallye more woonders woulde appeare by the seas then skant reason might be aleaged for sauing that God as the Prophet sayth is woonderfull in all his workes The fiue golden Riuers which learned and auncient writers affirme that the sandes thereof are all glistering gemmes of golde as Tagus in Ispaigne Hermus in Lydia Pactolus in Asia Idaspes in India and Arimaspus in Scythia these I say are no lesse famous through their golden Sandes which their weltering waues bring vnto lande in these foresayde countreys then Permessus in Boetia where the Muses long were honoured or Simois in Phrygia where Venus was conceyued by Anchises To coequat the number of these fiue last and pleasaunt riuers there are fiue as ougly and painfull as Styx in Arcadia whose property is to kil any that will touch it and therfore founde of the Poets to be consecrated vnto Pluto for there is nothing so harde but this water wyll consume so colde is the water thereof Againe the riuer of Phlegeton is contrary vnto this for the one is not so colde but the other is as whâ—t and therfore called Phlegeton which is in English fiery or smoky for the Poets faine likewise that it burneth out in flashing flames of fire Lethes and Acheron two riuers the one in Affrica the other in Epire the one called the riuer of forgetfulnesse the other the riuer of sadnesse The fift called Cocytus a place where mourning neuer ceaseth These fiue riuers for their horror and terrour that procéeded from them for the straunge and woonderous effectes therof are called infernall lakes consecrated and attributed vnto King Pluto which Virgil at large describeth Diuers welles for the straungenesse of the waters and for the pleasauntnesse thereof were sacrificed vnto the gods as Cissusa a Well where the nources of Bacchus vsed to wash him and therfore consecrated vnto Bacchus so Melas vnto Pallas Aganippe vnto the Muses so foorth not molesting the reader further with natures of water but briefely I meane to touch the straunge nature of the earth Plini affirmeth that there was neuer man sicke in Locris nor in Croton neyther any earthquake euer hearde in Licia after an earthquake they had fourtie fayre dayes By Rome in the fieldes called Gabiensis a certaine plotte of ground almost two hundred akers would tremble and quake as men rode vpon him There are two hilles of straunge natures by the floudde called Indus the nature of the one is to drawe any yron vnto it insomuch as Plini saith that if nailes be in any shooes the ground of that place draweth the sole of There is a piece of grounde in the Citie Characena in the countrey of Taurica where if anye come wounded hée shall bée straight healed And if any enter vnto diuers places as in a place called Hirpinis where the temple of Mephis is builded or in Asia by Iheropolis they shall incontinently die Againe there are places by the vertue of grounde in that place that men may prophesie Diuers where we reade that one péece of grounde deuoured another as the hill Ciborus and the Citie harde by called Curites were choked vp of the earth Phaegium a great mountaine in Aethiopia and Sipilis a hie hill in Magnesia with the Cities named Tantalis and Galanis There is a great rocke by the Citie Harpasa in Asia which may be moued easie with one finger and yet if any man put all his strength therevnto it will not stirre To speake of mount Aetna in Sicilia of Lypara in Aeolia of Chimaera in Lycia of Vesbius and Aenocauma fiue fierie mountaines which daye and night bourne so terrible that the flame therof neuer reasteth If anye man will sée more of these merueylous and woonderous effectes of Elementes let him reade the seconde booke of Plini where he shall haue aboundance of the like examples There he shall sée that in some places it neuer rayned as in Paphos vpon the temple of Venus In Nea a towne in Phrigia vpon the Temple of Minerua and in diuers places else which is the nature of the grounde About Babilon a fielde burneth daye and night In Aethiopia certaine fieldes about mount Hesperius shine all night like stars as for earthquakes and woonders that thereby happened I will not speake for that it is forced of matter but of those strange groundes that neuer alter from such effectes afore mentioned beside the mettalles the stones the hearbes the trées and all other thinges are so miraculous and straunge that Plini in diuers places doth speake of And as for fire it is to great a woonder that the whole worlde is not burned thereby sith the Sunne the Starres the Elementarie fire excell all miracles in kéeping the same from damage and hurt vnto manne if God had not preuented yea appoynted that the heate of the Sunne should not kindle strawes stubbles trées and such like which the heate thereof as we dayly sée burneth stones leade and the moste hardest substaunce out sith speciallye that fire is in all places and is able to kindle all thinges insomuch that the water Thrasimenos burneth out in flames which is vnnaturall and straunge that fire kindleth in water And likewise in Egnatia a Cittie of Salentine there is a stone which if any woode touche it will kindle fire In the Well called Nympheus there is a stone likewise whence flames of fire from the stone it selfe burneth the water A greater woonder it is that the fire should be kindled by water and extinguished by winde Fire flashed about the heade of Seruius Tullius being then a boye in sléepe which did prognosticate that hée shoulde be a king of the Romanes Fire shined about the head of L. Marcius in Spaine when he encouraged his souldiours to reuenge manfullye the deathes of those noble and famous Romanes
Euboians euen so let their heares growe behinde vpon their backes very long and yet enforced of necessitie to cut it before for feare of the enimies It séemed that eyther Barbers were skant or not known in those dayes or else heares much set by and estéemed of all men for Suetonius that writ the liues of Emperours doth report that the Emperour Caligula was woont for enuie to those he met to shaue their heares of behinde knowing wel that nothing might molest them so much as to haue their heares of for he was so enuious that if he sawe anye that had fayre golden heares hée woulde haue it of streight with his owne handes Beards were so set by and so estéemed were heares in those dayes that women kinde were so forbidden by the lawe of the twelue tables to shaue anye part of the face to prooue whether heares might growe or no. Occasions were ministed vnto them sayde they by their long heares and beardes to knowe them selues and the state of their body for of an olde man in the citie of Sparta being asked why he ware his bearde so long hée aunswered that in behoulding the graye heares in my bearde I maye doe nothing vnséemely nor vnworthy of such graye heares for a good man is alwayes prickt with stinges to lyue verteously Demonax was known by his beard to be some graue Philosopher of him that demaunded him what kind of Philosophie he professed not knowing him otherwise than by his bearde The tyraunt Dionisius to spite the Citizens of Epidaurus tooke the goulden beard of Aesculapius away out of the temple to mooue them to greater displeasure At what tyme Aristippus was brought vnto Sinius house the Phrigian which was so dressed with cloth of Arras and precious hangings that the very flowers so gorgiously shined that he coulde not finde in the house a place to spitte without some offence he spit in his handenapkin and thrue it into Simus face who was all bearded hée being angrie therewith demaunded the cause why hée so little estéemed him for that sayde Aristippus that I sawe not in all the house so foule a place as that which shoulde haue béene most cleane meaning hys bearde and though it was merilye done of Aristippus yet it was not so merily thought of Simus which more estéemed his bearde than Aristippus estéemed all his precious clothes and goulden hangings The like dyd Ieronimus surnamed Rhetus make of his bearde for when I sée sayd hée my beard than I know right well that I am a man and not a woman and then knowing my selfe to bée a man I am ashamed to doe any thing lyke a woman eyther in word or déede Much more might bée héere alleaged for the actorities of beardes and for estéeming of long heares for there is no country be it euer so ciuyll but it is addicted vnto some peculiar qualities neither is there any man be hée euer so wise but doth glory in one thing more then in another as the wise man in his wisedome the learned man in his knowledge the ignoraunt man in his folly the proude man in his person the selfe louer in some place more than in other either in his face body legge middle foote yea in hande and héere and specially many do make much account of their beards kembing decking handlyng and settyng it in order alwayes But bicause people are mutable full of chaunge and that time altereth all things we wyll no further procéede in this though menne maye misiudge of others concerning their long héere 's and beardes yet I say iudgement is not safe in this poynt for it may bée that they preferre the rustye rude countrey Poet Hesiodus before the warlike and eloquent Homer as Panis king of Calcides or as Midas did iudge Pan the Piper before Apollo the god of Musicke Harde it is to iudge of men whether the bearded man or the beardlesse man is to be preferred the long heare or the short heare to bée estéemed for vnder straunge habite lurcke hidden qualities for vnder a ragged cloake as the Gréeke prouerbe is lyeth wisedome secretely as vnder a Ueluet Gowne ¶ Of diuers kindes and sundry fashions of buriall amongst the Gentiles THE aunciente Egyptians waying the shortnes of mans life litle estéeming the time doth prouide such sepulchrées against they die that they account their graues an euerlasting habitation Wherfore in life time they studied howe to make them such gorgeous graues as shoulde bée perpetuall monumentes after death In so much that thrée hundred and thréescore thousande workmen were twentie yeres in building a huge and a monstruous worke to bury their bodies which for the bignesse thereof was counted one of the seuen woonders named at this day the Pyramides of Egypt Plini saith that thrée Piramides were made in Egypt betwixt the Citie of Memphis and Delta which king Ceopes as Herodotus affirmeth began to make the first and as Diodorus saith his brother Cephus began the seconde and the thirde by king Mycerinus as both Herodotus and Diodorus agrée Some say that Rhodope a harlot and a strumpet but being married vnto king Psamnetichus and left a widowe shée made as Strabo saith the thirde Pyramides but to this effect they were made as common sepulchrées to receaue dead men as gestes to dwell alwayes therein with such ceremonies first that being dead they fyll the scull of his head with swéete odours and then they rip his body with a sharpe stone of Aethiop which the Egyptians haue for the purpose and pourge his bodie and then being stopt with fragrant odours and sweete spices they sewe vp the body which being done they put him in fine sindon cloth hauyng his likenesse made vpon a holow worke wherein they put the body with many other such ceremonies onely to saue the bodye from any putrifaction for they thinke as the Stoicks do So long say they shall the soule florish and liue as the body is vnputrified for as the bodyes perish so doth the Egyptians beléeue that the soules decay The Aethiopians haue such care of the dead that being dressed with all kinde of odours they put them in such sumptuous tombes and gorgeous graues that the sepulchrées are compassed and made ouer with fine glasse The Scythians when their kings noble men die they must haue to beare them company vnto the graue one of their concubines one of their chiéefe seruauntes and one of their frends that loued them best aliue they I say must accompany and folow them vnto the graue being dead The Romanes had this custome that if any man of countenaunce and credite shoulde die his sonnes and daughters his nigh kinsmen and best beloued fréendes as Cicero doth write of Metellus shoulde put him in the fire made for that effect and purpose vnlesse hée were one of the Emperours whose funerall pompe was much more sumptuous for then his body shoulde bée caryed by
black garments at the buriall of their fréendes but I burne candle in the day time to write of such infinite ceremonies that the Gentiles had at their burials Therfore better to ende with few examples then to wéery the reader with too many histories for this cause sith all men knowe that all people haue their seuerall maners as well liuyng as dying for coÌ„tinuaunce of time and distaunce of ground alter the same ¶ Of Spirites and visions SUndrye and many thinges happen by courses of nature which timorous and fearfull men for want of perfection in their sences suppose to bée spirites Some so féeble of sight that they iudge shadowes beastes bushes and such like to bée spirites Some so fearefull of hearing that they thinke any sounde noyse whistlings and so foorth to bée some bugges or deuyls Hereby first spread so many fables of spirites of gobblins of bugges of hagges and of so many monstrous visions that olde women and aged men schooled their families to beléeue such things who iudged it sufficient aucthorities to aleadge the olde tales tolde by their parentes in their aged yeres The Gentiles because they were giuen much vnto idolatry and superstition did credite vaine and foolish visions which oftentimes by suggestion of deuils and by fonde fantasies conceaued did leade their liues by perswasion of spirites either in attemptyng any thing or in auoyding any thing for Suetonius doth write that when Iulius Caesar stayed in a maze at the riuer Rubico in Italy with waueryng mind musing what were best to passe the water or no there appeared a comely tall man piping on a Réede vnto whome the souldiours of Caesar flocked about to heare him and specially the trumpetters of whom hée sodainely snatched one of their trumpettes and leapt foorthwith into the riuer Rubico and straight sounded out with a lustie blast a larum wherewith Caesar was mooued and sayde good lucke mates let vs go where the Goddes doe warne vs. It is written in Plutarch where Brutus was determined to transport his armie out of Asia vnto Europe being in his tent about midnight he saw a terrible monster standing fast by him without anye wordes wherewith he being sore afrayde ventured bouldelye and demaunded of hym what hée was vnto whome he aunswered and sayde I am thy euill ghost which at Philippos thou shalt sée againe where when Brutus came being vanquished by Augustus Caesar remembring the wordes of his forséene vision to auoyde the hands of his enimies slue himselfe to verifie the same The like happened vnto C. Cassius which by the like sight was enforced to kill himselfe for he was warned that the murther of Caesar shoulde bée reuenged by Augustus his Nephew Sightes were so séene amongst the Gentiles and so feared and estéemed that all the actions of their liues were thereby ordered Tacitus as Fla. Vapiscus reporteth when it was tolde him that his fathers grâ—â—e opened of it selfe and seing as he thought his mother appering vnto him as though she had bene aliue knew well that he should shortly after die made himselfe redy thervnto There appeared vnto one Pertinax as I. Capitolinê° â–ª reporteth thrée dayes before hée was slaine by a thrust a certen shadow in one of his fishepondes with a naked sword in hand thretning to kill him Neyther may we so little estéeme the authoritie of graue and learned men in diuers of their assertions concerning sightes and visions though diuers fables be aleaged aduouched for truth with simple and ignorant men We reade in the sacred scriptures diuers sights séene diuers visions appearing and sundrie voyces hearde Wée reade that King Balthasar being in his princely banquettes sawe a hande writing vpon the wall ouer against where he sat at table what his ende shoulde be It is reade in the thirde chapter of the seconde of the Machabes that a horse appeared vnto Heliodorus which was seruaunt vnto Seloucus king of Assyria as hée was about to destroye the temple at Ierusalem and vpon the horse séemed to bée a terrible man which made towards him to ouercome hym and on eche side of him were two young men of excellent beautie which with whippes scourged Heliodorus The like appeared vnto Machabeus a horseman in shining armoure all of golde shaking his speare to signifie the famous victorye that Macabeus shoulde obtain Many such like visions in scriptures we reade of but lette vs returne vnto the Athenians who thought when Miltiades addressed his people against y e Perseans hearing terrible noyse with sight of certen spirites before the battayle to haue victorie ouer the Perseans iudging those sightes and visions to be the shadowe of Par. Likewise the Lacedemonians before they were vanquished in the battayle at Leuctris their armour mooued and made excéeding great noyse in the Temple of Hector so that at that time the doores of the Temple of Hercules being faste shutte with barres opened sodaynely of theyr owne accorde and the armour which hong fastened on the wall were founde lying vppon the grounde Plini writeth in the warres of the Danes and Appianus affirmeth in the warres at Rome what signes and woonders what miserable cryes of men clashing of armour running of horses were harde in so much that the same day that Caesar fought this battayle with Cn. Pompeius the crye of armie the sounde of trumpets were hearde at Antioch in Syria but I wyll omit to speake of such things and take in hande to entreate of spirites which were both séene and hearde of wise and learned men and of visions supposed of the wisest to be the soules of dead men for Plutarch writeth in the life of Theseus that diuers and sundry men which were in the battayle of Marathonia against the Medians affirmed that they saw the soule of Theseus armed before the host of Gréekes as chéefe generall and captaine running and setting on the barbarous Medians which the Athenias afterward for that cause onely honoured him as a God It is reported by historiographers that Castor and Pollux haue béene séene often in battayles after death ridyng on white Horses and fightyng against their enemies in campe in so much Plutarch testifieth that they were séene of manye in the battayle againste Torquinius Hector besought Achilles after hée was slaine by him not to throw his carkasse to bée deuoured of dogges but rather to deliuer his body to bée buried vnto his olde father Priamus and his mother Hecuba Euen so King Patroclus appearing in like maner after death vnto Achilles desired him to bestow vpon his body all funeral solemnities Virgil testifieth how Palinurus and Deiphobus appeared vnto Aeneas the one being his shipman the other his brother in law There wandryng ghostes neuer ceassed vntyll suche exequies were done vnto them as Aeneas had promised It is thought that the Witch Phetonissa of Endor raised the soule of Samuel at the commaundement of King Saul to foreshew the successe
ought to bée ruled by the parentes sith one part is the father the seconde is the mother and the thirde and last is in the childe The solemnitie in matrimonie in diuers places imported vnto vs wise morals and did as it were presage a duetie and an obedience vnto things as both Plutarch and Plini write of the Venetians that when a mariage was solemnized in Venice the Bride after that day bringeth her distaffe and her spindle and Flaxe redie as one after that day neuer to bée idle but occupied alwayes in the affaires of her house The Gréekes and the Romanes also had this custome they girded the loynes of their daughters alwaies vntil the day of their maryages and then that night her husbande shoulde loose the knot and vnbinde that which of long time the Uirgines of Gréece kept fast bonde Amongst diuers countreys where sundry solemnities in matrimonie is vsed I reade not in any historye so solemne a state and so worthy ceremonies as wée do sée in Englande which if you marke in all pointes you must néedes confesse that outwarde ceremonies do import a great Maiestie and dignitie of Matrimonie Againe they had lawes in diuers places that none should mary without some reuerence shewed vnto their gods before as the Athenians suffered no maryage without sacrifice first done vnto Diana In Rome a lawe there was that she that shoulde bée maryed shoulde sit in the seate of Faunus before she might sée the Bridegrome her husbande The like was obserued in Boetia and Locresia that before their youth shoulde marry they shoulde drinke one vnto another at the alter consecrated vnto Euclia In Hetruria they vsed to kyll a Hogge to sacrifice their gods and to call vppon Iuno for good successe to come In Lucitania the Bride goeth to the Church with a distaffe and a spindle in her hande and one of her kinsmen going before her with a firebrande of Pine trée In Sparta by the law of Licurgus the maydes that shoulde mary shoulde shaue the héere 's of their heades and weare mans apparell and by the same law they were forbidden to geue any substaunce with their daughters but that loue and good wyl should be the whole cause of mariage Moreouer they vsed these ceremonies to deuide a péece of bread in Macedonia and in the most part of Greece for the Bride and Bridegrome to eate before they shoulde bée maryed The like in Rome in Romulus time was vsed so that they had water more to their bread then the Gréekes had In Galatia they shoulde drinke first of one Cuppe appointed for that purpose only and so foorth in diuers countreys they vsed diuers ceremonies as in Carmenia no man might mary without he brought the head of some enemie or other to the King as a proofe of his loue toward his countrey In Maeotis no mayde might mary without she had subuerted one enimie or other of her countrey but in some countrey they maried not as Esseni people much geuen to abstaine aswell from Wine as from women Wherfore Socrates being demaunded what was best to mary or no aunswered To mary you shall suffer brawling and chiding to bée single you shall be solitary and comfortlesse Therefore Pompeiê° the great comming amoÌ„g the Massagets who vsed once a wéeke to company their wiues demaunded the cause thereof they aunswering saide bicause wée shoulde not heare their chidings in the daye time nor their complayntes in the night time But to ende lette euery man haue his owne wife if he cannot liue chaste for better it is to marry than to burne ¶ Of likenesse and similitudes BYcause comparisons are odious amongst diuers men yet for that Plini and Plutarch doe vse them chiefely for necessaries I shall shewe how like diuers princes were one vnto another not in countenaunce and outwarde proportion onely but in life and conuersation Also by comparing the auncient Gréekes and the latter Romanes one with another as most certaine the Romanes imitated the Gréekes in all poynts wée shall sée and perceyue by their actes doinges and life who were most like one vnto an other And first begin with Romulus the first king of Rome how hée in all his dooings imitated that valiaunt Gréeke Theseus King Aegeus sonne of Athens that Plutarch in hys first booke declareth that by comparing their liues one with an other a man may easilie iudge how like in state and fortune they liued the one hauing occasion to warre with the Sabins the other with the Centaures the one in augmenting the state of Italy and building of Rome the other in deliuering all Greece from tirannye and bondage of equall trauell both and of like state for then Italy was in Romulus time as Gréece was in Theseus dayes The next was in Rome Numa Pompilius which for his pittie vnto the poore his loue towarde his countrie his grauitie and seueritie in lawe making his zeale and religion to the seruice of theyr temples In fine for all vertuous doings in all respects like vnto Licurgus that famous lawe maker amongst the Lacedemonians the care that these two princes had for their friends and countries cleane contrarie vnto Theseus and Romulus before mentioned It is set foorth by Plutarch in his fourth booke Licurgus was not so studious to call the Lacedemonians from vice and sin But Numa was as carefull to instruct the Romanes in all goodnesse and vertue so that Rome bare witnesse of Numa and Sparta of Licurgê° which for their seuerall and sundrie lawes their vertuous liues and dooings compared by Plutarch they may wel for their contempt and neglecting the honors and dignities due vnto them and for care they had eyther of them for their people be like one vnto an other and euen as Publicola did not onely imitate Solon in all poyntes but also translated Solons lawes in Rome so that one was counted most sage and wise in Gréece the other thought to be most happie in Rome So did Numa likewise followe Licurgus in all doings imitating his lawes and orders in Rome What comparison is made betwéene noble Scipio Haniball the one defending the state of Rome the other Carthage and eyther of them in open warre with the other that to reade their liues and fortunes about the affayres of their countries what is it else but to sée two noble Capitaines one like vnto an other in magnanimitie and courage whose fortune after strong and stout seruice towardes their countries was suche that they both were banished Rome Carthage And as they in life were most like of Plutarch compared so did they embrace their death likewise Euen so was that stoute Gréeke Alcibiades which Thucydedes most worthyly prayseth and Macoriolanê° that famous Romane compared for the like magnanimity and state of fortune Pericles that renowmed Gréeke and Fabius Maximus the Romane whose doings Athens Rome did long rule were likewise noted one to be like an
the Lacedemonians and the Thracians people though they were much giuen to warres seuere in dealing hardie in all trauayles and in learning most rude yet woulde they acquaint themselues with musicke vntill they were thirtie yeres olde The people of Créete brought vp their youth in all kinde of melodye and harmony The most part of the worlde dyd learne musicke saue in Egypt as Diodorus in his second booke affirmeth that musicke was forbidden least the tender and soft mindes of their youth shoulde bée intised to too much pleasure And though some contemne musicke with Diogines and saye that it were more profitable to mende maners than to learne musicke And some that will with Alcibiades taunt musicke who was woont to say that the Thebans were méete men to learne musicke for that they coulde not speake but that the Athenians should hate such wanton tunes for that thei spake without instrument Likewise King Pirrhus being demaunded which was the best musition Python or Charisius he despising them and their musicke preferred a great warrior according to his owne mind named Polysperches Though these I say with diuers others despised musicke sometime yet wée reade againe as wise as they as stout as they vsed much musick as Achilles Alexander the great Nero Silla M. Cato Socrates Cimon To many might I repeate that were as wise as they were merie as learned Ioppas whose songues in Virgill are expressed as Salij whose pleasaunt pamphletes Rome a long while embraced and much estéemed For as musicke is dolefull pleasaunt full of harmony and melodie so is musick terrible and fearefull full of life and courage For wée reade in the olde age while yet the worlde was rawe that Aliates King of Lidia â–ª in his warres against the Milesios hadde musitions for his Trumpetters Pipers and Fidlers as Herodotê° in his first booke affirmeth to mooue the people with musicke vnto warres The people of Créete as Gellius writeth had Gitternes and Cithrones playing before them as they went vnto the fielde to fight The Parthians vsed as Plutarchus in the life of Crassus reporteth the ringing of belles at theyr going vnto field The Ethiopians vsed songes of diuers tunes and dauncing before they went to warres The Sirians before they mette their enimies woulde sing Balades to honour the same with all kind of dauncing to solace them selues The Cimbrians did make melodye with drie skinnes beating the skinnes with stickes at the very entraunce vnto the enimies Cirus the great King dyd with his souldiours sing vnto Castor and Pollux before he tooke his voyage to the enimies The Athenians woulde sing Hymnes vnto Iupiter before they woulde go to the féelde The first noyse and sounde that the Lacedemonians had as Thucidides saith in stéede of TruÌ„pettes were Flutes vntil by an oracle they were warned of Apollo that if they thought to haue victory euer Messena they should appoynt a man of Athens for their Capitaine the Athenians being right glad of the oracle for that the Lacedemonians Athenians were alwayes enimies one vnto another they sent vnto Athens for a Captaine where they appointed vnto them a lame and a deformed man named Dircaeus in reproche a mock of the Lacedemonians This Dircaeus being appointed and made a Capitaine ouer all the people of Sparta he first then inuented the trumpe and taught all the Lacedemonians to sounde the trumpe which was such a terror vnto the enemies the people of Messaena that at the first sounde of the trumpets they fledde and so the Lacedemonians got the victory Thus was the auncient musicke in the beginning so necessary that euery countrey endeuoured to haue skyll in musicke then Mars claimed musicke in the féelde nowe Venus occupieth musicke in Chaumbers that kinde of gentle and softe musicke the Egyptians forbad the youth to bée taught therein lest from men they woulde become againe women But shall wée ioyne the olde auncient games the mirth the solace and the playes that they vsed in those dayes together with their musicke to prooue the agilitie of that time and the actiuities of that age to bée much estéemed amoÌ„gst the Gréekes and Gentiles The Gréekes at some time had foure great games appointed the first in mount Olimpia in Arcadia harde by the Citie Pisa which Hercules inuented first to honour Iupiter This was so famous amonst the Gréekes that euen as the Romanes vsed to accompt the â—ime by their Consuls so did the Gréekes vse to number by the games of Olimpia which was appointed euerye first yere Unto this game came all the youth of the worlde both on horsebacke and on foote to do maisteries the reward was appointed for the victors a Garland made of Oliue leaues for they came not there for money but for mirth and exercise in so much that when Tigranes King Artabanus sonne harde of the fame therof and of the Garlandes of Oliue hée sayde Well worthy were the Gréekes to be spoken of that so litle estéemed money that Oliue was preferred for the chéefe reward in Olimpia This same mooued first King Zerxes to warre against the Gréekes to his losse and decaye The seconde games were called Pithij and inuented of Apollo in memory that hée killed the great Serpent Python which was of Iuno sent to kyll Latona Apollo his mother Here was appointed for the victories eyther a foote or a horsebacke a Garlande made of Oken leaues Here likewise all the youth of Gréece exercised feates practized policies vsed maisteries and prooued them selues in any thing that they felt them apt to do as in running leaping wrastling riding swimming or such like as then wée vsed The thirde was called Isthmia inuented of Theseus in the honour of Neptune In this play was appointed for y e victors certen garlands made of Pine leaues hauyng the name of Isthmos a place in Achaia where Neptune is worshipped where the Temple of Neptune is compassed The fourth game is called Nemea which the Argiues make in memory of Hercules for that hée killed a great and a fearce Lion in the woods of Nemea according vnto the name of the play Here do likewise the Argiues come to exercise youth practize feates as the rest do These foure playes were long in Gréece obserued as causes and occasions for men to come together to shewe feates and to trye qualities The first in Olimpus for Iupiter the seconde in Delos for Apollo the thirde in Isthmos a place in Achaia for Neptune the fourth amongst the Argiues to Hercules In the first play the Garlande of victory was of Oliue in the seconde play the Garlande of victory was of Oke in the thirde play they had their Garlandes of Pine the fourth play of Poply and thus then they triumphed in their mirth they bragged of their victories they gloried in their garlandes while yet Lawrel as Ouid sayde was not knowen Besides these foure famous playes there were diuers others as Pirrhus play which hée
which his predicessor had hidde made his prayer vnto God that he might neuer die before he hadde spent all that money which he founde The Couetous gathereth not for him selfe but for an other which he knoweth not A Couetous man musing and studying alwaies how he might liue being constrayned to mooue from one bedde vnto another for payne and toyle hée tooke in mind his wife demaunding the cause of his restlesse state to whome he sayd Wife I studie how I maye ende this yeare and I sée that I haue sufficient for all the yeare sauing for one daye and for that daye onely I vexe and molest my selfe to know how I may discharge that day his wife comforted him with all meanes shée coulde but he coulde not be at reste At length he founde this sleight calling his wife vp vnto him priuily sayde what I haue determined to doe thou shalt vnderstande wife that daye which I haue tolde you of I will take vpon mée to die that thereby with wéeping and sadnesse without meate and drinke we will escape the charges thereof which being done of his wife and layde vnder the Table the seruauntes and the familie comming fro the fielde astonied at the sodaine chaunce saying their Pater noster after long sadnesse at length called for meate the wife wéeping aunswered them that they shoulde mourne that daye for their mayster but hungrie seruauntes gréedie of vittayles woulde néedes haue meate the man heauing his heade vp and putting by the Carpet to sée whether they were at meate one of the seruauntes espied him and supposing him to be the Deuill that was with his Maysters corpes hée tooke a great staffe and brainde his Mayster in stéede of the Diuell the good wife cryed and sayde that he had killed hir husbande he denied and saide it was the diuell The matter being brought before the Iudge who vnderstanding the life of that couetous man was perswaded that the Diuell watcht with the bodie and that the good wife was deceyued ANother being sicke of the palsey and like to die was admonished of his kinsmen and fréendes to receyue the sacrament and to thinke of his soule the sicke man being so weake coulde not speake nor make no signes vnto his freendes for all that they could do At length one of the house which well knew his nature sayde that if any life were in him hée woulde make him either speake or geue signes tooke the Keye from his beddes head and went about to open his Coffer which stoode at his beddes foote full of money the couetous sicke man with head féete and with all his body made tokens and signes that his soule was there and that if his money shoulde be taken away hée shoulde presently dye THe like examples of another couetous man whiche when the priest according vnto the custome in those dayes woulde annoint him being sicke and like to dye he perceyuing scant that hee was touched for his imbecilitie and weaknesse his minde more occupied on his purse then on his sicknesse was woont to say féeling the Priestes hande Who toucheth my purse ANother great Prince was so couetous that being besieged in a certen Citie called Baldac of a strong King hauing money sufficient wealth substaunce abundant within the Cittie for very desire hée had to kéepe the money he lost the Citie and being taken captiue was demaunded of the King why he suffred his citie to be subdued his souldiours slaine and himselfe to be taken hauing so much wealth within the Citie as might defende the Cittie saue the men and kéepe himselfe from Captiuitie he being not able to aunswere the cause helde his peace The King perceyuing hys couetous minde to be the cause of all destruction sayde Come tell me where thy money is and being brought to a huge tower where he caried his money to saue shewed the King where the money was The King tooke the keye and lockt him fast with his money in the hie Tower saying I will neuer do thée that iniurie to take thée away from that which thou louest better than thy life commaunding no man vppon paine of death to beare him eyther meate or drinke and so most wretchedly suffred him to die for hunger hauing golde and siluer ynough lying by him Examples of hearing VAlerius reciteth a History of a certen young man of Athens named Polemus giuen much to â—anqueting and drinking being allured vnto all pleasures hauing his felicitie in eating and drinking and fine clothing comming vnto the schoole of Anaxagoras being so well charged with Wine and so braue in apparell that the schollers of Anaxagoras stomaked him for his dronkennesse to come there but Anaxagoras perceyuing the case of Polemus left to speake of that which he then hadde in hande and turned his talke to speake of that temperancie and sobrietie which when Polemus hearde so learnedly and skilfullye hée threwe downe his Garlande from his heade hée chaunged hys countenaunce wayled his former life and from that time forewarde Polemus liued honestly VLisses willing to auoyde the swéete songs of flattering Cirses fearing lest the like shoulde happen vnto him as it did vnto diuers others stopt his eares and his seruauntes with waxe and so auoyded the danger thereof So to heare good and holsome things with Polemus it is fruitefull and to heare flatterie lette all men stoppe their eares with Vlisses ¶ Examples of discorde IN a certen I le there dwelt some Hermettes which for discorde and inwarde contention the Mise of the I le consumed their victualles that they were enforced to make agréement of them selues in so much Apollonius willing to trauell in making some friendes that were foes one of the parties sayde that hée had rather die than to be made friendes Well sayde Apollonius and die thou shalt and thy graue shall be the bellies of wilde beastes and flying foules and euen that night hée died sodainely and was deuoured of beastes as Apollonius sayde for his Tigrishe and cruell minde ¶ Examples of friendshippe THere were two friendes the one an Egyptian the other a Citizen of Baldac this Egyptian making much of his friende and so well loued him that nothing which he hadde wanted him By fortune this Egiptian waxed poore and so néedie that he was enforced to come vnto the Cittie Baldac to knowe what his friende woulde doe for him and being ashamed of his poore estate watching a conuenient time to present him vnto his friende went all night vnto a Barne to sléepe that night a murther was committed and a man slaine caried by chaunce into the Barne where being founde in the morning this poore Egyptian was accused before the Iudges that hée murthered the man and being iudged to die his friende being on the bench calling to minde that it was hée that made much of him in Egypt forthwith rose and sayde that it was not that man that slue the man but euen hée himselfe The other denayed affirming that he was iustly condemned and that
Hectors harnesse quite was of supposing none so nie When great Achilles watcht in place in Hectors face to flie And with his speare hée thrust him through from Hectors side to side Thus famous man and Phrigian Prince thus Troyan Hector died ¶ Thimistocles death THat noble Gréeke Themistocles by Artaxerxes forcde To fight agaynst his natiue soyle in harnesse braue was horsde But marke a valiaunt minde beholde a famous déede To hurt his soyle this noble Gréeke did féele his heart to bléede To voyde this wrath of Perseans Prince hée bloode with poyson dranke And so to die that so did liue hée gladly God did thanke ¶ Marcellus death MArcellus in his glorie great triumphant Uictor oft The Spurre of Rome and Romane guyde in state aduaunced loft Who by the Senate sage was sent to Massinissa King And charged that from Africk fieldes an aunswere he shoulde bring On surging Seas of wambling waues vnto his busines bent Dame Fortune doth with flattering feates such loftie mates preuent ¶ Nero his death IN lust who leadeth life with Tyraunt Nero here Must with Nero ende his life as did in Rome appere Who slue his Mayster Seneca who did his mother kill Who spoyled all who spared none who last him selfe did spill Whose death as ioyfull was to Rome as Rome his life detest That into Tiber he being deade the Romans threwe this beast ¶ Hercules death WHich Dragons Lions Tigers wilde which beastes so fierce did tame Which Castles Countries Townes and Towres loe death subdued the same What Hercules hadde at Nessus hande the same with flames did frie Wherein that ofspring great of Goddes and impe of Ioue did die ¶ Herods death WHen Herode raigned in Iuda King his lothsome life to ledde On sucking babes and infantes bloode this cruell tyraunt fedde To séeke our Sauiour Christ he kilde the babes of Iuda lande And thought our God coulde not escape his fomie blodie hande Of Wormes this Herode was deuourde of vermin loe and mise His bones his fleshe was all consumde and eaten vp of Life Seleucus king of Siria his death SEleucus King of Siria lo Antiochus sonne the great To whome in middest of ioyfull state did fortune vse this feate That mounted high on stately stéede with princely port to ride From pompe from pride from horse he fell and there Seleucus died That earst in Siria had such fame and liued long in mirth With crawling créeping wormes hée lieth starcke naked in the earth Traians death WHen twentie yeares had Traian rainde in Romane Empire lo In Citie called Seleucia died from Persea comming fro Whose noble dayes and happy yeres while yet in Rome hée dwelt Both Rome and Romanes then reioycde no griefe in Rome was felt He rightly ruled Rome by lawe he Romane safegarde sought To punish vice and hate eche sinne Plutarchus him hath taught King Anceus death WHo thinkes to ioye shall hap to wo who thinkes to liue shall die Who thinkes to spéede shall often misse thus fortune friendes doth trie As Anceus King of Samos sought to slea a sauage Bore Was by the Bore he thought to kill constraynde to die before ¶ Heliogabalus Emperour of Rome his death BEholde another Gorgon grim a monster Cyclop lo Whose lothsome life and wicked wayes all Rome did feare I know The sincke of sinne the shape of shame the beast of Rome was calde The cruelst scourge the sorest plague that euer Rome haue stalde This monster murthered in a iakes and halde through Rome in stéetes And after throwne to Tibers streames shut in his shrowding shéetes FINIS ¶ Of Memorie and Obliuion SOme hold that opinion that in the auncient tyme whiles yet the worlde florished not in learnyng that memorie then was moste sette by and esteamed for what so euer was seen or heard was then committed vnto Memorie and not recorded in bookes whiche Socrates saied after the vse of letters were had the vertue of Memorie decaied for the care whiche then was in harte and memorie with feare and diligence to obserue is of all now put in bookes that now our memorie is put in writyng and then was it fixed in minde in so muche that noble Athenian Themistocles passyng by Simonides schoole who as some suppose taught firste the arte of Memorie beyng demaunded whether he would learne the arte and facultie of Memorie answered that he had rather learne how to forgette thynges then to keepe thynges in Memorie for I can not saied he forgette what I would and I haue thynges in Memorie whiche faine I would thei were out of Memorie Seneca doeth so report of hymself that he was of suche perfect Memorie that he could reherse after one by hearing twoo huÌ„dred verses yea a greater maruaile of Memorie he could recite twoo thousande names of men beyng repeated once before hym with as good a Memorie as he that firste named them The like we read of Aelius Adrianus a capitain that hauing a greate armie vnder hym of soldiours if any were absent in any place about any businesse he had in Memorie the name of the persone the name of the place and the cause of his businesse Of this excellent Memorie to their perpetuall fame was kyng Cirus and Scipio the one a Persian the other a Romain whiche had this fame by Memorie that either of theim could seuerally call their soldiours by name euery one after an other whiche is moste rare yea moste maruailous hauyng so many alwaies vnder them as both Rome and Persia were chiefly in their daies by them defended to be able to name so many soldiours as either of them both had in armie Their Memorie was suche thâ—n that thei maie not be forgotten now Iulius Caesar was as muche renowmed for that Plinie reported that he could dooe suche thynges by Memorie as in readyng in talkyng in hearyng and in aunsweryng at one tyme that no fault could be founde in either of these fower qualities at one tyme practised whereby he deserueth no lesse praise by his Memorie then fame by his actes Diuers excelled in tyme paste in Memorie as Horâ—ensius a noble Oratour of Rome was able to speake in any place any thing which he premidated priuatly without studie openly he had more truste in his Memorie then in bookes Carmides of Grece was so famous for this facultie that he neuer heard any readyng but he could repeate it worde by worde without writyng were the writyng or readyng neuer so long he would not misse a sillable Cyneas a noble and a famous Oratour one of the counsailours of kyng Pirrhus beyng sente from Epire vnto the Senatours of Rome as an Ambassadour he but once hearyng the names of the Senates before he came vnto the Senate house where when he came he named them orderly by name euery one after an other that all the Senatours were in a greate admiration of his Memorie in repeatyng so many names in openyng so many matters in coÌ„cludyng so
as by experience we see all things to haue a care of his owne life The Lion when he feeleth hym self sicke he neuer ceaseth vntil he féedeth vpon an Ape whereby he maie recouer former health The Gotes of Creet féedyng on high vpon the mountaines when any of them is shot through with an Arrowe as the people of that countrey are most excellent archers they seeke Dictamum and hearbe assone as they eate any thyng of the same the arrowe faleth downe and the wound waxeth whole incontinent There are certen kyndes of Frogges in Aegypt about the floud of Nilus that haue this perseueraunce that when by chaunce they happen to come where a fishe called Varus is whiche is a greate mourtherer and a spoyler of Frogges they vse to beare in their mouthes ouerthwart a long réede which groweth about the bankes at Nilus whiche when this fishe doth gape thinkyng to feede vpon the Frog the réede is so long that by no meanes can he swallowe vp the Frogge and so saue their liues If the Gotes of Creet If the frogges of Aegypt haue this vnderstanding to auoide their enemies how muche more ought men to be circumspect of his life which hath I saie millions of enemies nether séen nor knowen We reade in the first boke of Aelian that the rude swine if at any tyme by chaunce they eate of that hearbe called Hioscyamus which draweth by by the vaines together that skant thei can stirre yet they striue for remedie sake to goe vnto the water where they feede vppon yong Crabbes to recouer health In the same booke ye maie reede of a Sea Snaill whiche from the water doth come vnto lande to breede and after she hath egged she diggeth the yearth and hideth her egges and retourneth vnto the sea again and there continueth .xl. daies and after .xl. daies she commeth vnto the same self place where she hidde her egges and perceiueth that thei are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her yong ones with her vnto the sea And thus haue they care charge not onely of their owne states and liues but also of others and by some shewe of sence thei amende that which is most daungerous and hurtfull for the sely and simple mise haue this kynde of fore knowledge that when any howse waxeth olde and ruinous they forsake their olde dwellyng and creepyng holes they flee and seeke refuge in an other place The little Antes haue foresightes that when penury and want of relife draweth nier they waxe so painefull and laborious toilyng and trauailyng in gatheryng together victualles as maie serue them duryng the tyme of famine If these smale crepyng wormes seely and simple beastes prouide for them selues what shall wee saie of man the kyng and ruler ouer all beastes who hath not onely a bodie to prouide for but also a soule to saue More happie are these wormes and beastes in their kinde then a nomber of Princes are For that they by nature onely are taught their foes to auoide neither we by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnes can loue our frendes Therefore verie well it is saide of the wise man that either not to be borne or els beyng borne streight to die is the happiest state that can chaunce vnto man For liuyng in this vale of miserie wee sée the Pilgrimages and trauell of life to be such that better farre it were be a poore quiet man then a busie proude Prince And sith death is the last line of life aswell appointed for princes as for poore men who in reading the liues of Emperours Kinges and Princes the nobles of the worlde seeth not their vnhappie states whiche commyng vnto the worlde naked and departyng from the same naked yet like proude pilgrimes busie one to destroye another not coÌ„tented with countries and kingdomes go from one place vnto another from one couÌ„trie vnto another like Pilgrimes to bee acquainted with miserie and to seeke death Alexander the great conquerour takyng his voiage from his kyngdome of Macedonia vnto India to destroie all the worlde hee was in the citie of Babilon preueÌ„ted by Antipater and Iola his taster and kinsman with poison and there he died Philopomen a greate Emperour sometyme in Greece beyng in prison in Messena taken in the warres and beyng so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates whiche then was Prince of that countrie and conquerour ouer hym one draught of poison he coulde not be coÌ„tent to be Emperour and ruler of Greece but moued to seeke death in a straunge countrie amongest his foes Ladislaus kyng of Apulia endeuouryng to subdue the Florentines and séekyng to bee kyng ouer the Florentines he loste the kingdome of Apulia For by them was hee at length poisoned and so berefte from his owne kingdome and life with this vnhappie kinde of death wer many princes preuented no lesse thretened are these princes of their owne houshold frendes then of foren foes no lesse do their childreÌ„ their wiues brethren and kinsmen studie to destroie them sometyme for the kingdomes sake some tyme for hatered hidden and most ofteÌ„ prouoked of these to spoile them as it is written that Claudius Caesar an Emperour of Rome was poisoned of his owne wife Agrippina Antiochus king of Siria was poisoned of his Queene Laodice for that hee was in loue with Berenices Kynge Ptholomeus sister Constantine the Emperour the soonne of Heraclius beeyng but one yere a ruler of his empire was poisoned by his mother in lawe named Martina The verie cause of the Emperour Conradus death whiche was Frederikes soonne was the Empire and rule of Rome whiche Manfredus his successour made the phisicions for money to poison him that then hee beyng the successour of the empire might beare rule O vnhappie state of Princes whose liues are desired of frende and foe How sore was L. Vectius set on of Caesar to betraie Pompeius the greate whiche for the loue and zeale that Pompeius had in Rome Caesar began to malice Lucullus Curio Cato and Cicero for their priuate loue towarde Pompeius no lesse daunger it is to be in fauour with princes sometime then perilous to bee princes wee reade of a Quéene named Rosimunda the doughter of kyng Cunimunda of Gepida after that she poisoned Albonius king of Longobardes hir first housebande she maried a prince of Rauenâ—a named Helinges which likewise she thought to poison but beyng warned in y e middest of his draught he caused his wife to drinke the reste whiche drinke was the cause of both their death howe manie noble Princes in the middest of their Pilgrimages died that death as Diocletian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius kyng of France Carolus the eight of that name with diuers others as Hanibal prince of Carthage Aristobolus king of Iuda and Lucullus Emperour of Rome Princes and noble men doe sometyme poyson theimselues lest they should
reuenged her old loue and requited his seruice then after this sorte She threwe a greate stone after hym and there killed hym and straight for sorowe callyng to minde the old amitie and hidden loue betwene them hāged her self The reuengement y t Cleonimus that noble famous Lacedemonian who hauing his owne wife in suche admiration of impacient loue that he was as muche hated of her as she of hym was honoured and estemed for she loued onely kyng Acrotatus sonne so deare that her housebande Cleonimus vnderstandyng the same went to Epire to kyng Pirrhus perswadyng hym earnestly to come to Peloponesus and to moue warres against kyng Acrotatus wherby he might reuenge the spite doen of his wife in killyng hym whom she loued beste a greate reuengemente as he thought vnto her then to reuenge vpon her owne persone to spoile hym whom she loue better then her self Valerius Torquatus for that he might haue Tuscus doughter in mariage moued warres out of hande and reuenged the same with bloud For what cause did Progne king Pandions doughter of Athens kill her owne sonne Itis and gaue hym to bee eaten vnto his father and her housebande kyng Tereus of Thrace nothyng but to reuenge her sister Philomela whom her housebande defloured her Why did Nero that cruell Emperour kille Seneca his maister and teacher in all his youth for nothyng but to reuenge olde stripes whiche he receiued at his maister beyng a boie For what purpose did Cateline Silla Damasippus Marius and other take quarelles to plage Rome to punishe all Italie to destroie the coūtrey for nothyng but for that thei could not abide one aboue an other Darius after that he had taken the Citie of Babilon he reuenged his old malice after this sort as Herodot in his third booke affirmeth He made thre thousande of the beste within the Citie bee hanged Attila Kyng of Pannonia slue a leuen thousande virgines at the besiegyng of Colonia So diuers wer reuengemēt emongest menne so cruell yea so foolishe that Xerxes and Cirus twoo greate kynges of Persia that when the water of Hellespont molested Xerxes and troubled his soldiours he forth with commaunded that the sea Helespont should haue three hundred stripes and willed three hundred paire of Featters to bee throwen vnto Hellespont to binde the sea Euen so did Cirus for that the riuer Gindes did droune one of Cirus beste geldynges he made his souldiours to deuide the riuer vnto a hundred and fower score small partes to reuenge Gindes rage towarde Cirus thinkyng that by breaking of the greate rage of so greate a streame that he well and worthely requited the iniuries of Gindes These are cruell reuengers too many are of these in so muche that women reuenge their malice after this sorte As Tomiris Queene of Scithia who to reuenge her soonne Mergabites death slue kyng Cirus and twoo thousandes of his soldiours Too great a slaughter for one mannes death and not yet satisfied vntill she bathed Cirus heade in a greate vessell full of bloudde This Beronice Pollia and diuers cruell women beside could dooe the one is dooen with anger and synne the other is dooen with vertue and aduisemente For princes muste vse aduisement in reuenging must vse wisedome in sufferaunce For as Frederick the Emperour was often wonte to saie that Princes that reuenge hastely and specially wrongfully are like faire markes for good archers to shoote at High towers and loftie buildynges are soner fiered with lightenynges then lowe houses and small cottages For Tiberius Caesar Emperoure of Rome beyng in the Senate house to punishe those euills and to reuenge those harmes that were by some of the citie threatened toward his estate God forbidde saied he that Tiberius should haue so muche idle tyme to heare euill spoken muche lesse to reuēge euill doen. Antigonus kyng of Macedonia besiegyng a Castle in Grece wherein a nomber of bolde Greekes vsed for their pastyme and sporte to scoffe this kyng knowyng the situation of the Castle to bee in suche a place that might not bee subdued Thei therefore laughyng hym to scorne as well for his enterprice therein ▪ as also for his slender persone and croked nose whiche kyng Antigonus had saied he would reuenge all their doynges with sufferaunce and hoped thereby to moleste the enemies double Diuers Heathen princes wer acquainted with this reuengement as Lisander Agesilaus and others for vnto God onely belongeth vengeaunce I will not speake here of suche reuengyng of Princes of Countreis of frendes that al men knowe But of rare reuengement whiche Philosophie taught vnto Socrates towarde Xantippe who beyng at supper hauyng a straunge geste named Enthidemum his wife Xantippe beganne to take her housbande vp with tauntyng and opprobrious wordes whiche because he would not auswere and be moued by her chidinges she ouerthrewe the table with all the meate and the Cuppes whiche whē Enthidemum sawe he was amazed at the ragyng of Xantippe beholdyng Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter but Socrates vnderstandyng that his geste did maruaile at his wife saied haue not you sometyme at home a Henne that will after longe clockyng with a sodaine flight throwe doune your cuppes with her wyng wherewith Enthidemum was fully satisfied with the wise aunswere of Socrates in reuengyng so greate a faulte Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to saie that he had rather suffer iniurie wrongfully then to reuenge iniurie sometyme rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what tyme he was putte to death moste wrongfully of the Athenians euen a little before he should die beyng demaunded whether he would commaunde any thyng vnto his soonne standyng thereby to see his father ende Spake vnto his sonne after this sorte My sonne saied he this I charge and require thée and moreouer beseche that thou will neuer reuenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion vpon the Athenians Solon a noble learned Athenian was wont to reuenge his wronges with these wordes If the fissherman suffer the salte water of the Sea to sprinkle vpon his face and vpon his clothes to weate hym for to take Fishe how muche more ought Solon suffer to speake to winne thē to be frendes Surely these three Philosophers deserue more praise and commendation I meane Socrates Phocion and Solon for the reuengyng of the euill with goodnes and vertue Then euer Alexander the Greate or Iulius Caesar or Theseus whiche reuenged euill with euill Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian beyng one of the officers called Ephori in the Citie of Sparta his brother demaundyng why he might not bee likewise one of the fiue Ephori as well as his brother saied vnto his brother because I can suffer wronge and thou canste not Therefore princes ought not to doe wrong nor yet reuenge wrōg with wrong but with paciente sufferaunce and goodnesse and doyng good for euill thei shall
hauyng the examinyng of a subtile Théefe demaunded whether he could blusshe or no to the whiche the theefe aunswered that he could not for he neede not to blushe in a true matter Therefore saieth Theophrastus thou arte the liker to be a Théefe for truthe alwaies beareth before a shamefaste and a blushfull countenaunce Wherefore the wise Cato the Senior was wonte to saie that yongmen that waxed redd were better to bée trusted then those that would waxe pale for the one signifieth shamfastnes and thother deceipt For Pithias Aristotles doughter beyng demaunded what colour was best in man or womaÌ„ she answered that colour that shamefastnes bringeth whiche is a bluffull countenaunce But to speake of Pirates Sextus Pompeius the sonne of Pompeius the Gâ—eate kepte vnder hym diuers and sondery Pirates about the borders of Italy and Cicilia to robbe and spoile vpon the Seas vnto his greate infamie and reproche beyng the soonne of so famous a Romaine whom Rome a longe tyme so estemed that Caesar skante might haue the like To write of Kyng Pirrhus and Caius Verres whom Cicero for his sondery theftes and spoile and by diuers sacrileges by Verres committed compared vnto Dionisius the aforesaid tiraunt it were but superfluous To speake of infinite Pirates and diuers Sacrileges it were to none effecte for that it is a common practise in all countreis Therfore as Diogines the Philosopher saied when he sawe a poore manne leade betwene the Magistrates to the place of execution beholde saied he a little Théefe betwene a greate nomber of Theeues God graunt that it maie truly be spoken of diuers magistrates in sondry places ¶ Of luste THE spoyle and slaughter of lust did alwaies farre passe all other vices it hath suppressed Castles countreis it hath vanquished Kynges and Kesars ouerthrown the poÌ„pe of Asia Africa and Europe and almoste depopulated the whole worlde This vice of all vices is to be abhorred detested for there is no vice but it is addicted of it self to applie those which it doeth beste fancie as pride chiefly hath her seate appoincted in puisant Princes and Noble menne Coueteousnes with old menne that be magistrates and officers Enuie with men of sciences and faculties Usurie with Citizens Symonie with Bishops and Priestes Hipocrisie with religious men Deceipt with Marchauntes but lust common vnto all men aswell to the subiect as to the Prince to the learned as to the ignoraunt tâ— the wise as to the foolishe For Dauid and his sonne Salamon vnto whom God gaue singularitie of wisdome dexteritie of witte to gouerne the Isralites yet the sacred scriptures doeth witnes of their horrible luste Dauid lusted for Bersaba and that so wickedly that he appointed awaie to spoile her housbande Vrias Salamon lusted so muche that he did forget his GOD that did guide his steaps all the while hee ruled iustlie and liued godly in Israell Aristotle and Socrates in spit of their Philosophie and greate knowledge then became a slaue to Hermia the other a subiect vnto Aspasia Samson and Hercules for al other strength and conquest of Giauntes and Monsters the one yealded his Clob at Dianiras foot the other commited his strength vnto the beautie of Dalida The renoumed and sugred Oratours Demosthenes and Hortentius the one from Athens came vnto Corinth to compounde for a nights lodgyng with Lais the other in Rome with nicenes and wantonnes was iudged more subiect vnto luste then lorde ouer himself If then wittie and wise men if learned and discréet men if eloquent and subtil men if strong and mightie conquerours haue been ruled by lust deceiued by bewtie ouercome with women what should I speake of Heliogabalus not well named Emperour but worthely called the beast of Rome What should I recite that monster and tyraunt Nero what should I rehearse that filthie and vile Emperour Caligula the onely stincke of synne and shape of shame not Emperours but monsters not Princes but Tyrauntes not men but beastes whiche defile their own sisters kepte open stewes and brothell houses maintained Hoores and harlottes made lawes at their banquettes euery man to his woman first and then to his meate and at the change of euerie dishe euery man againe commaunded by lawe to go to his woman and thus from meate to women from women to meate beastly and brutishly consumed their Epicuriall luste wherin these GorgoÌ„s reposed their chief felicitie Certenly if Quéene Semiramis of Babilon had been matched with Heliogobalus Emperour of Rome it had been as méete a matche if time had serued as one beast should be for another for hee was not so filthie but she was as shameles not onely in procuryng diuers to lye with her but in alluryng her owne soonne Ninus to lust and as writers reporte beyng a beast matched hir self with a beast a horse Had Phasiphae quene of Crete béen well matched she had forsaken kyng Minoes and come to the emperour Caligula where she might been as boulde with others as she was with Mynotaurus father had the Empresse Messalina been worthely accordyng vnto hir lief maried she had been more meete for Nero then for Claudius for his life and hir life did well agree together for she past all the Courtezaunce of Corinth all the Strumpets of Athens and all the hoores of Babilon for she was onely mistris and ruler of all the stewes and brothell houses in Rome what wickednesse procéeded from lust what vngodly incest is brought to passe by lust what secret vengeaunce coÌ„meth by luste luste allured quéene Cleopatra to vse hir brother Ptholomeus as hir housband Luste deceiued Kyng Cynare to lie with his daughter Mirrha luste brought Macareus vnto his sisters Canaces bedde by luk did Menephron Defile his owne mother O wicked monster O beastly rage O fearce feinde thus to bewitche wise men to deceiue learned men to subdue strong men and to ouercome all men luste staieth the purpose of all men hindereth and hurteth all kinde of persones lust staied kyng Antiochus of Siria in Chalcidea a whole winter for one maide he fancied there lust staied Hanniball in Capua a longe season to his greate hurte Luste staied Iulius Caesar in Alexandria a longe tyme vnto his infamie lust was the first cause of warres betwene the Romaines and the Sabines For Romulus skant builded Rome but he lusted to rauish the women and to steale the Sabine maides vnto Rome wherby war first began The greate warres betwene kyng Cambises of Persea and kyng Amasis of Aegipt wherein a greate slaughter and morther of men were growen of luste vnto one woman The tennne yeares betwixt the Thebans and the Phoceans was for the lust of one yong man in Phoca toward a yong woman in Thebes The cruell conflictes betweene the Troian prince Aeneas and stoute Turnus was luste that either of theim bare vnto Lauinia kynge Latinus doughter What blood what tyrannie was
betwene the Aegiptians and the Assirians betwene Ptholomeo and Alexander the one kyng of Aegipte the other kyng of Assiria and all for one woman Cleopatra ▪ Augustus the Emperour kepte longe warres for Octauia his sister whiche Anthonius through luste defiled to the spoyle and murther of manie Romaines had Ixiona Kynge Priamus sister not lusted to go with Thelamonius frō Troie vnto Gréece had likewise Helē Menelaus wife not lusted to come with Paris from Gréece vnto Troy the bloody warres and ten yeares siedge betwene the Greekes and the Troians had neuer been written of Homer Had not lust ruled the fiue cities called Pentapolis where Sodome and Gomer were the earth had not swallowed theym vp to the destruction of all the people sauyng Lot and his children If lust had not ruled all the worlde the deluge of Noach had not drouned the whole yearth and all liuyng creatures sauyng Noach his wife and his children Thus lust from tyme to tyme was the onely Monster and Scourge of the worlde And in this oure age luste is nothyng diminished but muche encreased and though not to bee plagued with water accordyng vnto promise yet to bee punished with fire most sure we be vnlesse we detest and abhorre this vice There is a historie worthy to be noted of Princes in Iustine that will not punishe these offences Pausanias a noble gentleman of Macedonia beyng a verie faire yong man whiche Attalus for lust muche abused and not contented wickedly and vngodly to handle the yong man so brought hym vnto a banquet where in his winkyng Attalus would haue vsed hym as before makyng all men priuie how Pausanias was kynge Attalus paramour as a woman thus the young manne beyng ashamed often complained vnto Philip kyng of Macedonia whiche Philip had maried then of late the suster of Attalus and had diuorsed and put awaie Olimpias the mother of Alexander the greate for some suspicion Pausanias I saie after many and diuers complaintes made vnto kyng Philippe hauyng no redresse thereof but rather was flouted and scoft at Philippes hand Pausanias tooke it so greuously that Attalus was so estemed with the kyng beyng the cause of his complaintes and he so neglected that was so mynded he after this sorte requited his shame and iniuries At the mariage of Cleopatra kyng Philippes doughter and Alexander Kyng of Epire in greate triumphes and pompes Kyng Philippe in the middeste of ioyes walkyng betwene his owne sonne Alexander the Greate who then was but younge and Alexander kyng of Epire his soonne in lawe beyng married then vnto his daughter Cleopatra Pausanias thruste hym vnto the harte saiyng minister Iustice and punishe luste Thus died that mightie Prince as well for the bearyng of Attalus faulte as also for his owne wickednesse vsyng the same somtyme with a brother in lawe of his naturall brother vnto his firste wife Olimpias Luste and intemperancie are neuer escaped without iuste punishemente and due vengeaunce Ammon the soonne of kyng Dauid for that he misused his owne sister Thamar was afterwarde slaine Absalon for that he did lye with his fathers Concubine died for it Dauid was plagued for Urias wife The twoo Elders that would rauishe Susanna were put to death This synne is the onely enemie of man For all synnes saith sainct Paule is without the bodie but vncleanesse and luste synneth againste the bodie Therefore to auoide sight oftentimes is to auoide lust Had not Holofernus seen the beautie of Iudith yea marked the comlines of her slepeares he had not loste his heade by it Had not Herode seen Herodias daughter dauncyng he had not so rashely graunted her Ihon Baptiste heade Had not Eua seen the beautie of the Aple she had not eaten thereof We reade in the Genesis that when the sonnes of men viewed the beautie of women many euils happened thereby By sight was Pharaos wife moued in lust toward Ioseph her seruaunt By sight and beautie was Salomon allured to committe Idolatrie with false Gods By sight was Dina the doughter of Iacob rauished of Sichem These euills procede from sodaine sightes Therefore doeth the Prophete saie tourne awaie thine eyes lest thei se vanities The Philosopher likewise saieth that the firste offer or motion is in the eye from sight proceadeth motions from motion election from election consent from consente synne from synne death Wherefore with the Poet I saie resiste the violence of the first assaulte I meane the eyes the euill that happened thereby too long it were to write Luste againe hath an entraunce by hearyng as Iustine in his .xij. booke dooeth testifie of Thalestris Queene sometyme of the Amazones whiche hauyng heard the greate commendations the fame and renowme of Alexander the Greate ventered her life to hazarde to come from Scithia vnto Hircania whiche was as Iustine saieth xxv daies iourneis in greate daunger and perill of life as well by wilde beastes waters as also by forein foes She had thrée hundred thousandes women of Scithia in companie with her I saie for the fame she heard of this great Prince she came from her countrey where she was a Quene to lie with a stranger by luste And whē she had accomplished her minde and satisfied her luste after thirtie nightes liyng with hym she thought she was spead of some ofspryng of Alexander she returned vnto her owne countrie again For as Cicero doeth write we are more moued by reporte oftentymes to loue then by sighte For as by reporte Quéene Thalestris came to lye with Alexander for children sake from Scitha vnto Hercania for his magnanimitie victories and courage So by report came Quéene Saba from Ethiope vnto Salomon to heare and to learne wisedome O golden worlde Oh happie age when either for simplicitie men could not speake or for temperauncie menne would not speake the innocencie of thē then and the subtiltie of vs now the temperancie of their age and the luste of our age beyng well waighed and throughly examined it is easily to be seen how vertuously thei liued in ignorauncie and how viciously wee liue in knowledge For before Aruntius proude Torquinius soonne was by luste moued toward Collatinus wife There was no alteration of states nor chaunge of Common wealthes no banishement of princes in Rome and beyng chaunged for that purpose onely from a Monarchie vnto an other state called Aristocratia it continued so longe in that forme whiche was the firste chaunge vntill Appius rauished Virginius doughter which banished the order called Decemuiri whiche was the second change And thus the popular state whiche had chief rule alwaies of Rome chaunged states of the Citie diuers times for that luste so raigned Thus might I speake of diuers other countries whiche luste was the iust cause of the subuersion therof For of one Venus a strūpet in Cipres al Cipria was full of hores Of one Semiramis in Babilon all Persia lengthe grewe
eyes was deceiued Iuno therby was so furious and so angrie with Argos that she translated his hundred eyes vnto a Pecockes taile and transformed Iola vnto a white Cowe There is no suche rage nor anger in Ielowsie as there is wilines and craft in loue so that the streight pinning and kepyng of Danaes kyng Acrisius doughter in Towres and Castels cold neuer kepe hir from valiant Perseus neither the hundred eies of Argos might spie the craft of Iupiter vnto Iola We reade of a womanne named Procris who was in suche Ielowsie of her housbande whiche was called Cephalus and hauyng hym in suspition for his often goyng a huntyng on a certaine tyme she folowed hym priuely vnto the woddes thinkyng there to finde hir housbande at his praie and hiding hir self in a thicke bush to see the ende of thinges hir housband passyng by the bush perceiuyng somthyng there to stéer thinkyng it had been some wilde beast thrust his wife vnto the hart with his darte and thus Procris was slain of hir owne housbande for hir importunate Ielowsie The like happened vnto Aemilius wife whiche for hir suspicious minde and ragyng ielowsie neuer quiet but busie alwaies to finde some faulte in hir housband folowyng hym euery where and watchyng still in euerie secrette seate and spiyng in priuie places thinking to finde him with the maner vntil she spead of the like chaunce as Procris did she could neuer rest Cyampus wife named Leuconoa was deuoured of dogges in stead of a wilde beast hidyng them self in the woddes to folowe marke hir housbandes viage Ielowsie this moued hir that she could no otherwise A straunge kind of sicknes that so infecteth the mind that vexeth the spirites and molesteth the hearte that the head is ful of inuention the minde full of thought and the hearte full of reuengement So Ielows was Phanius that inuented this in his head and thought this in his minde that the doores beyng shut the windowes cloase all priuie and secret places preuented euery where as he thought stopte his wife could not deceiue hym neuer thought that loue could pearce Tile stones to come vnto his wife but he was deceiued for the lurkyng dennes of loue the Lion caues of fancies the secrete searche of affection haue more priuie pathes wherby that Cupide maie come to his mother Venus then Labiranthus had chambers for Minotaurus kyng Acrisius thoughte he was so sure of his doughter Danaes when that she was close bulwarkt with a greate castell Iuno thought to preuent Iupiter by the hundred eies of Argos Phanius thought that his wife was sure when the doores were shut and the windowes cloase But sith the ielowsie of Iuno might not preuent it nether the eies of Argos spie it neither the streight pinning of Danaes auoid it neither the narow stopping of Phanius defende it I must nedes commende one called Cippius that woulde oftentymes take vppon hym to sleape when he did wake and he would bee ignoraunt though he knewe it I wishe wise men to sleape with Cippus and to saie with Cicero Non omnibus dormio I sleape not vnto all menne and to be ignoraunt though they know thinges And likewise I wish wise women to imitat Aemilia y e wife of noble Scipio who although she knewe thinges euident by hir housbande Scipio made asmuche of his Paramour as she made of hir housband and al for Scipios sake For thei saie ielowsie proceadeth from loue and loue from God but I saie it commeth from hatered and hatered commeth from the Deuill And because we reade in the sacred scripture that Abraham was in ielowsie of his wife Sara saiyng thus vnto his wife I know that thou art faire and that they will kill mée to haue thy loue the maners of the Parthiās were to kepe their wiues in pruie places of their houses ouer whom thei were so ielouse that their wiues might not go abroad but with couered faces The Perseans were so suspicious of their wiues that thei had no libertie to go in sight thei durst not go a foote but in Wagons couered ouer lest thei should see or be seen The Thracians with suche care and studie keepe their wiues that as Herodotus affirmeth thei trust no manne with them in companie but their parentes The olde and auncient Romaines in tymes past kept their wiues so streight that their wiues as Valerius Maximus saieth did after kill poison or with some snare or other destroie their housbandes diuers tymes and by a yong manne of the Citie of Rome all thinges beyng discloased there was a hundred three score and tenne that so killed and destroied their housbandes for that their housbandes were so ielous ouer theim but bicause it is a common disesse in all places I néede not further to write wishyng my frende neuer to be encombred therwith but rather with silence to passe it with Cippius and so he shal finde ease thereby ¶ Of Idlenesse AS nothyng can be more difficult vnto a willing minde so is any thyng a burthē vnto the Idle member For as labour and exercise of bodie in one manne industrie and diligence of minde in an other man are sure fortes and stronge Bulwarckes of Countreis so Idlenesse and negligence the cause of all euill Wee reade that Alexander the Greate least he should be acquainted with Idlenes at any tyme euen in the night tyme vsed this feate to holde a siluer balle when he went vnto bedde in his hande hauyng a siluer basen vpon the grounde straight vnder his stretched arme that when the batle should fall he beyng fast a slepe the shrill sounde therof should wake hym and make hym mindfull of his enemies so fearfull was this noble prince of Idlenesse that to shake of sleepe and slothfulnesse he studied and trauailed how he might auoide it For in twoo thinges Alexander the Greate beyng called the sonne of Iupiter and fully perswaded with hym self that he was of linage of the Gods yet in slepe and venerie where to he was muche subiecte he knewe hym self to be a man wherefore he oftentymes wrasteled with Nature in that behalfe In the self same place of Marcellinus it is reade that Iulius Caesar the greate and moste renowmed Emperoure that euer raigned in Rome to haue followed this order and to haue practized this policie least he should bee idle at any tyme Firste when this Emperour went to bedde he to suffice nature slepte a certaine tyme appoincted Secondarely hee woulde bee occupied in the affaires of his countrey Thirdly to trauaile in his priuate studie Thus leste he shoulde be idle naie rather leste he should lose any tyme he deuided euery nighte in thrée partes euen as you heard firste vnto nature secondly to his countrey thirdly about his owne busines That mightie prince Philip of Macedon as wée reade in Brusonius was of suche care and diligēce when his souldiors slept he alwaies watched Againe he neuer slept before his frende
the King in talke at his returne hée was beheaded â–ª Euen so Euagoras for that hée called Alexander the sonne of Iupiter was punished vnto death The Lacedemonians feared flattery so much that they banished Archilogus onlye for his eloquence in a Booke that he made Flatterie was so odious in Rome that Cato the Censor gaue coÌ„maundement to expell certen fine Oratours of Athens out of Rome least with fayre speache and flattery they might annoy the state of Rome what is it but flatterie can compasse what may not sugred Oratours mooue what coulde not Demosthenes doe in Athens what might not Cicero perswade in Rome King Pirrhus was woont to saye of Cineas his Philosopher that hée won more Citties Townes and countries through the flattering stile of Cineas than he euer subdued with the strength and force of all the kingdome of Epire. But to auoyd two much iarring of one string which as Plutarch sayth is tedious to the reader for nature is desirous sayth Plantus of nouelties Leauing flatterye as counsaylour vnto Princes hayle fâ—llowe with noble men chamberlaine with Ladies chiefe gouernour of the common people To speake a little of those that fledde flatterie it was the onely cause that Pithagoras that noble Philosopher forsooke his countrie Samos the whole occasion that worthy and learned Solon fledde from Athens the chiefe matter that made Licurgus to renounce Lacedemonia and the onely cause that made Scipio Nasica forsake Rome for where flattery is estéemed there truth is banished where flatterie is aduanced and honored there truth is oppressed and vanquished In fine flatterie findeth frindeshippe when truth getteth hatred as prooued in the histories of Senica and Calisthenes two famous Philosophers the one Maister vnto Nero Emperour of Rome â–ª the other appoynted by Aristotle to attende vppon Alexander the great King of Macedonia which Philosophers bycause they would not féede the corrupt natures insolent mindes of these prowde Princes with adulation and flatterye they were both put to death Seneca by Nero for his paine and trauell taken with the Emperour in reading him philosophie while Nero was young Calisthenes by Alexander for that he inueyed against the Meedes and Perseans who vsed suche flatterie that Alexander commaunded all men to call him the sonne of Iupiter Euen so of Cicero and Demosthenes the one the soueraigne Orator and Phaenix of Rome the onelye bulwarke of all Italie the other the sugred Anker the patron of Athens and protector of all Gréece After they hadde sundrie and diuers times saued these two famous Cities Rome and Athens the one from the pernicious coniurations and priuie conspiracie of that wicked Catelin and his adherentes the other from the prowde attemptes and long warres of that most renowned warriour Phillip King of Macedonia yet were they after many vertuous actes done in their countries and for their countries from their countries quite banished and exiled Cicero for Clodius sake Demosthenes for Harpalus which the Romans tooke so heauily that twentie thousande ware mourning apparell with no lesse heauinesse in Rome than teares for Demostenes in Athens Flatterye then was of some so hated that noble Phoceon and learned Athinian was woont to say to his fréende Antipater that he woulde take no man to be his fréende that hée knew to bée a flatterer And most certen it is that hée at this day that can not flatter can get no fréendship according vnto that saying of Terence obsequium amicos c. For euen as Aristides of Athens for his manifolde benefitâ—s vnto the Athenians was by flattery preuented and for trueth banished so likewise was Thucidides being sent as an Embassadour from Athens vnto Amphipolis a Cittie betwixt Thracia and Macedonia whiche King Philip kept by force by flattery preuented and exiled True seruice is often rewarded with anger and wrath of Princes as Thrasibulus a noble captaine and famous for his truth was banished out of Athens Lentulus the defender of Italy exiled from Rome Dion of Siracusa hunted out of his countrey by Dionisius euen that renowmed Hanibal the long protector of Carthage compelled after long seruice to range abrode like a pilgrime euery where to séeke some safegarde of his life Too many examples might be brought of Gréeke and Latin histories for the proofe hereof The chéefest Ancker and the strongest bulwark of common wealth saith Demosthenes is assured faith without flattery and good wyll tryed in the Commons plainnesse without deceit boldnesse and trust in the nobles Flattery is the only snare that wisemen are deceyued withall and that the Pharisées knew well when that they woulde take our Sauiour Christe tardie in his talke they began to flatter him with faire wordes saying Maister wée know that thou art iust and true and that thou camest from God Euen so Herode willyng to please the Iewes in kyllyng Iames the brother of Iohn in prisoning Peter in pleasing the people with flatterie that when Herode spake any flattering phrase the people straight cryed out saying this is the voyce of God and not the voyce of man so swéete was flatterie amongst the Iewes The flattering frindes of Ammon knowing the wickednesse of his minde and his peruerse dealing toward Mardocheus did not perswade Ammon from his tiranny but flattered with fayre wordes and made him prepare a huge Gallowes for Mardocheus where Ammon and hys children were hanged Likewise the young man that came to flatter king Dauid saying Saul and his children are deade was by Dauid for his flatterie commaunded to die Tertullius wheÌ„ he was brought to dispute with Paul first he flattered Faelix the President of the Iewes because with flatterie he thought to win the heartes of the hearers In fine flatteres will as the false prophetes sometime that did perswade Achab king of Israell of great fame and luck in the warres to come I saye they euen so will flatter their friendes of all good successe to come and passe with silence the truth present ¶ Of Pride PRide is the roote of all euill the sinke of all sinne the cause of all wickednesse the auncient enemy to the seate of GOD before man was made it did attempt the angels The outwarde pompe and vaine ostentations of shiftyng shewes from tyme to tyme from age to age maie be a suffient profe how prone howe bent and howe willyng we bee to honour pride Eusebius doth reporte that Domitianus the Emperour by an order of lawe charged al men to call him Dominum Deum Domitianum That is to name hym Lorde and GOD Domitian certenlie to heigh a stile though he was an Emperour to be called a God Likewise wee reade of a certen king in India named Sapor whiche would be called kyng of kynges brother vnto the Sunne and Moone felowe vnto the starres Aelianus a Gréeke historiographer in his 14. boke entituled of diuers histories doeth write of one Hanno borne in
deuill he could chaunge hym selfe to what forme and frame he would so the proude women likewise vsyng as many names of vertues vnto vices I might well thinke them to be of the broode of Metra the doughter of Erisithon whiche the Poetes faine she would alter hir self sometime vnto an Oxe sometime vnto a Mare somtyme vnto a Harte and sometime vnto a fliyng foule but the true shewe the naturall Metamorphosis of Pride is to chaunge vnto a deuill the father and grand aucthour of pride Pride would faine climbe vnto the skies the nature of the proude manne is to bee exalted though he neuer be so simple for poore Temison a Gardiner would bee called Hercules and Menecrates the proude Phisition would be called Iupiter we ought to reioice in nothyng but the Crosse of Christe But wee reioice of the disguised shewes of this wicked worlde So proude was Cressus kyng of Lidia of his wealthe that he went to Delphos to know of Apollo whether any man were so happie as hee was in all the worlde but for al his pride and wealth pore and simple Aglaus of Arcadia was preferred before kyng Cressus by Apollo and in the middest of his pride destroied he was by Cirus kyng of Persea So proude was king Caudales of the bewtie of his wife that he to whom he shewed his Queene naked and bragged of hir bewtie I meane Giges the same spoiled hym from his wife and from his pride slue hym and maried his wife afterwarde euen so Alexander Phaereus for the pride he had in tyrannie was slaine of his owne wife whom often vnto all he bragged of hir bewtie Fabia a woman sometime of Rome waxed so proud of a yong man that loued hir named Petronis that she slue hir owne housbande Fabritianus Pride in any thyng prouoketh vengeaunce in all men The Pride that Alexander the greate had after his tyrannie in Persea kyng Darius beeyng vanquished was seen and proued in the Mariages of the nobles of Macedonia vnto the women of Persea wher he maried firste Stratonica the doughter of kyng Darius and made .lxxx. and ten mariages in the same daie when he was maried hymself where suche pride was vsed that hundred tables wrought with Golde of Arabia with engins of Barbary and euery table hauing siluer Trestles and Alexanders table had Trestles of golde This the wealth of Darius caused first pride and then tyrannie in Alexander What is it but the proud man thinketh he maie doe Antiochus was so proude that he had that admiration of hymselfe that he iudged hym able to saile on the yearth and to go on the Seas Nicanor likewise saide of his insolente and arrogante pride that as God was mightie in heauen so Nicanor was mightie on yearth pride is neuer seen long vnreuenged for Nabuchodonosor that mightie and proude prince commaunding hym self to be called a God was made a beaste to eate grasse seuen yeres for his pride he would ascende vp vnto heauen and bee made like the height and he was thrust doune vnto Hell moste like a beaste Herod shinyng in his roiall Robes preached with suche pride vnto the people claimyng vnto hym the due honour and glorie belongyng vnto God in the middest of his pride while yet the people saide this is the voice of God and not man beholde the Angell of the Lorde stroke hym that with wormes he was consumed and with lice eaten to death Chore Dathan and Abiron for their proude insurrection against Moises were swalowed vp vnto the bothom of the yearth The proude Philistian Golias bragging out his owne strength trustyng in his owne power was conuicted by little Dauid a boie at that tyme kepyng shepe God doeth detest pride that by the mouthe of his Prophete Esaie he treadeth doune the pride of the doughters of Syon for that they walke in their owne waies for hee hath no pleasure in mans legges nor in anie outward painted shewe but in the roote of the humble mennes harte is his dwellyng Atchidemus the sonne of Agesilaus beyng conuicted by Philip kyng of Macedonia vnderstandyng that he waxed proude thereof and gloried muche of the victorie wrote an Epistle vnto Philippe saiyng If thou measure thy shadowe now being a victour with thy shadowe in tyme paste when thou waste conuicted thou shalte finde no lenger nowe then in those daies this Prince was wonte alwaies to taunte Pride in so muche he estemed a proude manne as a Gorgon or a Ciclop or deformed Monster who perceiuyng an olde man named Ceus commyng vnto Lacedemonia to bee verie proude in his apparell gesture countenaunce aidyng Nature and settyng foorthe hym self vnto the vttermoste his heade beyng white he could not tell how to help it but to satisfie his proude desire he died his heares yellowe vnto whom Archedamus said O Ceus art thou not contented that thy mynde is infected with false colours but thou must haue the heares of thy heade also ¶ Gf Coueteousnesse COuetousnesse the priuie searcher of hidden gaines the gredie gulfe of ill gotten goodes moste painfull in sekyng and mooste carefull in keepyng whose one daie of death is better thā al the daies of his life The onely misers and wretches of the worlde are thei whom neither shame can reproue for that thei are impudent neither reason rule in that thei are vnsatiate neither death maie feare in that thei thinke to liue for euer For euen as the infected member of man is vexed with an itche is alwaies clawyng so saieth Plutarche is the couetous mynde restlesse in seekyng As fire is neuer sufficed with woode nor yearth with water so the auarous is neuer satisfied with money Like as the graue is open to receiue dead Carkases euen as helle is neuer ful so is the coffer of the couetous neuer contented After that Alexander the Greate had conquered all Persia Grece India Scithia all Asia almoste all the worlde broughte vnto subiection And hauyng a cause to come to the Schoole of Anaxarchus the Philosopher who affirmed by the aucthoritie of Democritus that there were diuers worldes whiche when Alexander heard he began to wéepe beyng demaunded the cause thereof of his counsailers answered O Anaxarchus are ther so many worldes to be had I skant haue half one worlde yet O vnsatiate desire that could not suffice him with all the kyngdomes of Macedonia nor satisfied with all the worlde but wepte and cried out because he might not possesse more worldes then one The like historie of Pirrhus kyng of Epire after diuers good successe of fortune could not suffice his gredie desire with a kyngdom This prince had an excellēt orator named Cineas which for his eloquence and wit kyng Pirrhus did often vse to sende as Embassadour to the Romaines to the Macedonians and to other countreis with whom he had then warres By this Orator the kyng was wont to speake that he
weepyng and sobbyng before Antonius requiryng on his knees one graunt at Antonius hand to sende his Souldiours to kyll hym vpon the graue of his frende Lucullus and beyng dead to open Lucullus graue and to laie hym by his frend Which beyng denied of the emperour then went and wrote vpon a little peece of paper caried it in his hande vntill he came wher Lucullus was buried and there holdyng fast the paper in one hand and with his dagger in the other hande slue hym self vpon the graue holdyng the paper close beyng dead where this sentence he wrote Thou that kneweste the faithefull freÌ„dship betwixt Volumnius Lucullus ioyne our bodies together being dead as our mindes were alwaies one beyng a liue The like historie is written of Nisus when his faithfull frende Eurialus was slaine in the warres betwixt Turnus and Aeneas he hauyng vnderstandyng therof vnknowen vnto Aeneas and vnto the reste of the Troians wente vp and doune the fielde tomblyng and tossyng dead carkeses vntill he founde out Eurialus bodie whiche after longe lookyng and embrasyng of his deade frende drewe out his swearde and heald it in his hande a little while saiyng as my bodie shall neuer departe from thy bodie so shall I neuer feare to folowe thy ghoost and laiyng the Pommel of his swearde on the grounde fell vpon his swearde hauyng the bodie of his frende Eurialus betwixt his armes This loue was greate betwixt Princes whiche might liue honorably to die willingly A strange thing for men that so loue their frendes to waie their deaths more then their one liues Orestes faithe and frendship towarde Pylades was suche that beeyng come vnto a straunge Region named Taurica to diminishe the dolors to asswage the grief and to mitigate the furious flames of Orestes bicause he slue his mother Clitemnestra and beyng suspected that they came only to take awaie the Image of Pallas their goddesse in that countrey The kyng vnderstandyng the matter made Orestes to be sente for to be brought before hym to haue iudgement of death For Pylades was not mencioned nor spoken of but onely Orestes he it was that should steale their Goddes awaie vnto Gréece Orestes therefore beyng brought and his felowe Pylades with him The king demaunded whiche of theÌ„ both was Orestes Pylades that knewe his frende Orestes should die sodainly steapt forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied that and saide that it was euen hee that was accused vnto the kyng thus the one deniyng and the prouyng either of theim moste willyng to die for the other The kynge dismaide at their greate amitie loue pardoned their faultes muche extemed their companie and greatlye honoured their naturall loue and faithe so many like histories vnto this there be that then Princes woulde die for their frendes euen that greate conquerour Alexander would haue died then presently with his frend Haephaestion had not his counsell letted hym he loued aliue so well that he was called of all men an other Axander in so muche so estemed his frende when SisigaÌ„bis king Darius mother had saluted HaephaestioÌ„ in stede of Alex. being therewith angrie with her error he said blushe not to honour Haephaestion as an other Alexander What was it that Anaxogoras waÌ„ted that prince Pericles could get for him Whether went Aeneas that Troian duke at any tyme without Achates with him was ther nothing that Pomponius had but Cicero had part of it Scipios freÌ„dship neuer wanted vnto Cloelius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honor yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faithe or chaunge frendes After the Senators had iudged Tib. Gracchus for diuers seditions in the citie to die his frend Blosius hauyng knowledge thereof came and kneled before the Senators besought Laelius whose counsaill the Senators in all thinges folowed to be his frende saiyng vnto the reste after this sorte O sacred Senate and noble counsailers if yet remaine in the citie of Rome any sparcle of iustice if there be regard vnto equitie let me craue that by lawe which you iniuriously applie vnto an other and sithe I haue committed the offences and factes of Gracchus whose coÌ„maundement I neuer resisted whose will to accomplish I will duryng life obaie lette me die for Gracchus worthely whiche am moste willyng so to do let him liue iustly whiche so ought moste truly Thus with vehement inuectiues against him self crauing death most earnestly vnto Blosius and life worthely vnto Gracchus made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saiyng the Capitoll had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commaunded but I knowe that Grachus thought nothyng in harte but that whiche he spake by tongue vnto Blosius and that which hée spake by tongue vnto Blosius that Blosius neuer doubted to doe and therefore I deserue rather death than hée The faith and loue betwixt Damon and Pythyas was so woondered at of King Dionisius that though hée was a cruell Tiraunt in appoynting Damon to die yet was he most amazed to sée the desire of Pithias the constant fayth the loue and friendeship professed in Damons behalfe striuing one with an other to die enforced in spite of tiranny to pardon Damon for Pythyas sake Theseus and Perithous became such faythfull friendes that they made seuerall othes one vnto an other neuer during life to be departed neyther in affliction paine punishement plague toyle or trauayle to be disseuered insomuch the Poetes faine that they went vnto the kindome and region of Pluto togither I will not speake of the great loue of that noble Gréeke Achilles toward King Patroâ—lusâ— Neyther will I recite the Historie of that worthy Romane Titus towarde Gisippus In fine I will not report Palemon and Arceit Alexander and Lodowicke whose ende and conclusion in loue were such as are worthy of memorie famous in writing ¶ Of enuie and malice and so of tiranny AS malice drinketh the most part of her owne poyson so enuie saith Aristotle hurteth more the enuious it selfe than the thing that it enuieth Like as the slouthfull in warre or Darnell amongst Wheate so is the enuious in a Cittie not so sad of his owne miseries and calamities as hée lamenteth the hap and felicitie of others Wherfore the wise Philosopher Socrates calleth enuie serram animae the sawce of the soule for that it cutteth the hart of the enuious to see the prosperitie of others For as it is a greefe to the good and vertuous man to see euyll men rule so contrarily to the euil most harme is it to sée the goodman liue Therfore the first disturber of common wealth and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorowes the ende of all ioyes the cause of all euyll and the onely let of all goodnesse is enuie How prospered Gréece how florished Rome how quiet was the whole world before enuie began to