to take if ther by hee think hee may bee healed I pray thee I exhort thee I aduise thee my soÌ„ne that thy youth beeleue mine age thy ignorancy beeleue my knowledge thy sleepe beeleue my watch the dimnes of thy eyes beeleue the clearnes of my sight thy imaginacioÌ„ beeleue my vertue thy suspicion beeleue my experieÌ„ce For otherwise one day thou shalt see thy selfe in soÌ„e distresse where smal time thou shalt haue to repent none to find remedy Thou maist say vnto mee my sonne that sins I haue beene yong I let thee to bee yong that when thou shall bee aged thou wilt ameÌ„d I answer thee that if thou wilt liue as yong yet at the least gouerne thy self as old In a prince which gouerneth his common wealth wel mani myseries are dissembled of his parson Euen as for mighty affaires ripe couÌ„sayles are necessary so to endure the troubles of the empire the person needeth some recreacion For the bowe string which always is stretched either it lengthneth or it breaketh Whether princes bee yong or old there can bee nothing more iust then for the recreacioÌ„ of them selues to seeke some honest pastimes And not without a cause I say that they bee honest For sometimes they accompany with so dishonest persons and so vnthrifty that they spend their goods they loose their honor weary their persons more than if they were occupied in the affaires of the common wealth For thy youth I leaue thee children of great lords with whom thou maist past the tyme away And not without cause I haue prouided that with thee they haue beene brought vp from thy infancy For after thou camest to mannes estate enheriting my goods if perchauÌ„ce thou wooldst accompany thy selfe with yong men thou shouldst find them well learned For thy warres I leaue thee valiaunt captaines though indeede things of war are beegoon by wisdome yet in the end the issue faleth out by fortune For stuards of thy treasures I leaue thee faithful men And not wtout cause I say they are faythfull For oftentimes greater are the theeues which are receyuers tresorers then are they that doo robbe among the people I leaue thee my sonne expert auncieÌ„t men of whome thou maist take couÌ„saile with whome the maist coÌ„municat thy trobles For there can bee fourmed no honest thing in a prince vnlesse hee hath in his coÌ„pany auncieÌ„t men for such geeue grauity to his parsoÌ„ auctority to his pallace To inueÌ„t theaters to fish ponds to chase wild beasts in the forrests to renne in the fyelds to let thy haukes fly to exercise weapoÌ„s al these things wee can deny thee as to a yong maÌ„ the beeing yong mayst reioyce thy self in al these Thou oughtst also to haue respect that to ordeine armies inueÌ„t warrs folow victories accept truces coÌ„firm peace raise brutes to make laws to promote the one put downe the others to punish the euill first to reward the good the counsaile of al these things ought to bee taken of cleare iudgements of persons of experience of white heads Thinkest thou not that it is possible to passe the time with the yong to counsail with the old The wise and discreete princes for all things haue time inough if they know well how to measure it Bee ware my sonne that they note thee not to vse great extremities For the end occasion why I speake it is beecause thou shouldst know if thou knowest not that it is as vndecent a thing for a prince vnder the colour of grauity to bee ruled gouerned wholy by old men as vnder semblaunce of pastime alwayes to accompany hym selfe with the yong It is no general rule that all yong men are light nor all old men sage And thou must according to my aduise in such case vse it thus if ani old man lose the grauity of his age expulse him from the if that find any yong men sage dispise not their counsaile For the bees doo draw more hony out of the tender flowers then of the hard leaues I doo not condemne the aged nor I doo commend the yong but it shal bee wel doone that alwayes thou choose of both the most vertuous For of troth there is no company in the world so euil ordered but that there is meane to liue with it without any suspicion so that if the yong are euil with folly the old are worse through couetousnes On s againe I retourne to aduertise thee my sonne that in no wise thou vse extremity For if thou beeleeue none but yong they will corrupt thy maners with lightnes if thou beeleeue none but the old they will depraue thy iustice through couetousnes What thing can bee more monstruous then that the prince which commaundeth all should suffer him to bee commaunded of one alone Beeleeue mee sonne in this case that the gouernments of many are seldome times gouerned wel by the head of one alone The prince which hath to rule gouerne many ought to take the aduise and counsaile of many It is a great inconuenience that thou beeing lord of many realmes shouldst haue but one gate wherin all doo enter into to doo their busines with thee For if perchauÌ„ce hee which shall bee thy familiar bee of his owne nature good and bee not mine enemy yet I would bee afraid of him beecause hee is a freend of mine enemies And though for hate they doo mee no euil yet I am afraid that for the loue of an other hee will cease to doo mee good I remember that in the annalles of Pompeius I found a litle booke of memoryes which the great Pompeiê° bare about him wherin were many things that hee had read other good counsayles which in diuers parts of the world hee had learned and among other words there were these The gouernour of the common wealth which committeth al the gouernment to old men deserueth very litle hee that trusteth al yong is light Hee that gouerneth it by him selfe alone is beeyonde him self hee which by him self others doo gouerne it is a wise prince I know not whither these sentences are of the same Pompeius or that hee gathered them out of soome booke or that any philosopher had told him them or some freend of his had geeuen him them I meane that I had them writteÌ„ with his hands and truely they deserued to bee written in letters of gold When thy affaires shal bee weighty see thou dispatche theym alwayes by counsayle For when the affaires bee determined by the counsaile of many the fault shal bee deuided among them all Thou shalt find it for a truth my sonne that if thou take counsaile of many the one wil tel the inconuenience the other the peril other the feare the other the domage the other the profit the other the remedy finally they will so debate thy affaires that playnly thou shalt know the good see the daunger therof I
here engraued rest That only was Camillus daughter deere Twyse twentie yeres and fixe she hath possest A couert lyfe vn touchte of any feere The king of Trinacry could not her moue To tast the swete delight of wedlockes bande Nor trayne by sute her sacred mind to loue â—nclosde in breest so deepe did chastnes stand But oh greate wrong the crawling wormes her do To gnawe on that vnspotted senceles corse That rage of youth spent vndefiled so VVyth sober life in spite of Cupides force And this was written in heroycal verse in the Greeke tongue with a maruelouse haughtie stile But to our mater ye shal vnderstand that the Romaynes kepte a certayne Lawe in the 12. tables the woordes wherof were these We ordeyne and commaund that al the Romaynes shal for euer haue specyall priuiledge in euery such place where theyr auncestoures haue done to the Romayne people any notable seruice For it is reason that where the citizen aduentureth hys lyfe there the citie should do him some honor after hys death By vertue of this lawe all the familie of Camilli euer enioyed the keping of the hyghe Capitoll for that by hys force and pollicye he chased the french men from the siege Truely it is not vnknoweÌ„ that this noble knight and valyant captayne Camille dyd other thynges as great and greater than this but because it was done within the circuite of Rome it was estemed aboue all hys other actes and prowes And herein the Romaynes swarued not farre from reason for that amongest all princelye vertues is estemed to be the chiefest and worthyest whych is employed to the profyt of the comon wealth The Romayne Croniclers wyth teares cease not to lameÌ„t the ruine of their countrye seynge that varietie of tyme the multytude of tyrauntes the crueltye of cyuill warres were occasion that the aunciente state of the Romayn gouernment came to vtter destruction and in steede therof a new and euyl trade of lyfe to be placed And hereof no man ought to maruaile for it chaunseth throughout al realmes and nacions by oft chaunging gouernours that among the people dayly spryngeth sondry new vices Pulio sayth that for no alteracion whych befell to the common weale for no calamitye that euer Rome suffred that priuiledge was taken away from the Image of Camilli I meane the gouernment of the high Capitol except it were in the time of Silla the consul when this familye was soore persecuted for none other cause but for that they fauoured the consull Marius Thys cruel Silla beinge deade and the piteful Iulius Cesar preuailinge al the banyshed men frome Rome returned home agayne to the commonne wealthe As touchinge the auncestours of the Emperoure Marcus Aurelius what hath bene their trade of lyfe estate pouertye or riches standinge infauour or displeasoure what prosperitie or aduersitie they haue had or suffred we fynde not in wrytinges thoughe with greate dilygence they haue bene serched for And the cause hereof was for that the auncient writers of the Romaine histories touched the lyues of the emperours fathers specially when they were made princes more for the good merites that were in the children then for the great estimacioÌ„ that came from the fathers Iulius Capitolinus saith that Annius Verus father of Marcus Aurelius was Pretor of the Rhodian armies and also wardein in other frontiers in the time of Traian the good Adrian the wyse and Antonye the mercifull Whiche Emperours trusted none with theyr armies but discrete and valiaunt men For good princes chose alway suche captaines as can with wisedome guide the armye and with valiauntnes giue the battaile Thoughe the Romaynes had sondrye warres in diuerse places yet chefelye they kept great garrisons alwayes in foure partes of the world That is to saye in Bizance which now is Constantinople to resist the Parthiens in Gades whiche now is called Galiz to withstand the Portugales in the riuer of Rein to defend them selues from the Germaines and at Colosses whiche now is called the I le of Rhodes for to subdue the Barbariens In the moneth of Ianuary when the Senate distributed their offices the dictatoure being appointed for 6. monethes and the. 2. Consulles chosen for one yere incontinently in the .3 place they chose 4. of the most renowmed personnes to defende the sayd 4 daungerous froÌ„tiers For the Romaynes neither feared the paynes of hell nor trusted for reward in heauen but sought by all occasions possible in their life to leaue some notable memory of them after their deathe And that Romaine was counted most valiante of the Senate best fauoured to whom they committed the charge of the moste cruell and daungerous warres For their strife was not to beare rule and to be in office to get mony but to be in the frontiers to ouercome their enemies In what estimacion these 4. frontiers wer we may easely perceiue by that we see the most noble Romaines haue passed som part of their youth in those places as captaines vntill such time that for more weyghtie affaires they were appointed from thense to some other places For at that time there was no worde so greauous and iniurious to a citezin as to saye go thou hast neuer ben brought vp in the warres and to proue the same by examples the great Pompey passed the winter season in Constantinople the aduenturous Scipio in Colonges the couragious Caesar in Gades and the renowmed Marius in Rhodes And these 4. wer not only in the frontiers afore sayde in their youthe but ther they dyd such valiaunt actes that the memory of them remayned euermore after their death These thynges I haue spoken to proue sythe wee fynde that Marcus Aurelius father was captaine of one of those .4 frontiers it followeth that he was a man of singuler wisedome and prowesse For as Scipio sayde to his frende Masinissa in affrike it is not possible for a Romaine captayne to want eyther wisedome or courage for thereunto they were predestined at their birthe We haue no autentike authorities that showeth vs from whence when or howe in what countreis and with what personnes this captaine passed his youth And the cause is for that the Romain Croniclers wer not accustomed to write the thynges done by their prince before they were created but only the actes of yonge men whiche from their youth had their hartes stoutlye bent to great aduenturs And in my opinion it is wel done For it is greater honor to obteine an empire by policie wisedom then to haue it by discent so that ther be no tirannie Suetonius Tranquillus in his first boke of Emperours counteth at large the aduenturous enterprises taken in hand by Iulius Caesar in his yong age how farre vnlikely they wer from thought that he should euer obtayne the Roman Empiree writing this to shew vnto princes how earnestlye Iulius Cesars harte was bent to winne the Romayne Monarchie and likewise how wisdom fayled him in behauing him selfe therein A philosopher of Rome wrote to Phalaris
are pardoned in tyme which by reason could neuer take end Others sayd that for to appease the enemyes it was good to offer money because moneye doth not only breake the feminate and tender hartes but also the hard and craggy rockes Others saied that the best remedie was to set good men to be mediatours betwene them in especially if they were sage and wise men for the honest faces stout hartes are ashamed when they are proferred money and the good do humble them selues by intreaty These meanes well considered and the remydies wel soughte out to make frendes there are none so ready so true as mariage for the mariage done sacramentally is of such so great excellency that betwene some it causeth perfite frendship betwene others it appeaseth great iniuries During the time that Iulius Cesar kept him selfe as father in law to the great Pompeius that Pompeius helde himselfe his sonne in law ther was neuer euil wil nor quarels betwene thē but after that Pompeius was deuorced from the house of Cesar hatred enuy enimities engendered betwene them in such sort that they contended in suche so cruell warres that Pompeius against his wil lost his head also Iulius Cesar shortned his life When those that dwelled in Rome rauished robbed the doughters of the Sabines if after they had not chaunged their counsel of theues to become husbandes without doubt the Romaines had bene all destroyed for the Sabines had made an othe to aduenture both their goodes and their lyues for to reueng the iniuries done vnto them their doughters and wiues but by the meanes of mariage they were conferred in great amity and loue For the Romaines receued in mariage the doughters of the Sabines whom before they had rauished Greater enimity ther cānot be then that of god towards men through the sinne of Adam notwithstanding ther neuer was nor neuer shal be greater frendship then that which was made by the godly maryage and for greater aucthority to confirme mariage the sonne of god woulde that his mother should be maried and afterward he himselfe was present at a mariage where he turned the water into wine though now a days the euil maried men do turne the wine into water He doth not speake here of religious personnes nor men of the Church neither of those which are closed in deuout places for those fleing the occasions of the world and chosing the wayes lesse daungerous haue offered their soules to god with their bodyes haue done him acceptable sacrifices For ther is difference betwene the relygion of Christ and the sinfull Sinagoge of the Iewes for they offered kyddes and muttons but here are not offered but teares and sighes Leauyng therfore all those secretes apart which men ought to leaue to God I say and affirme that it is a holy and commendable counsel to vse his profite with the Sacrament of mariage the which though it be taken of al voluntaryly yet Princes great lordes ought to take it necessarily For the prynce that hath no wife nor chyldren shal haue in his realme much grudgyng and displeasure Plutarche in the booke he made of mariage sayth that amongest the Lidiens ther was a law wel obserued and kept that of necessity their kings and gouernours should be maried they had such respect to this thing and were so circumspect in this matter that if a prince dyed and left his heire an infant they would not suffer him to gouerne the realme vntil he were maried And they greatly lamented the day of the departing of their Quene out of this lyfe for with her death the gouermente ceased the royal aucthorytie remained voyd and the common wealth with out gouernment so long tyme as the king deferred to take another wyfe so they were some times without kyng or gouernment For princes are or ought to be the mirrour and example of al to lyue honest and temperate the which cannot welbe done vnlesse they be maried or that they se themselues to be conquerers of the flesh being so they are satisfyed but if they be not maried and the flesh doth assault them then they lyue immedyatly conquered Wherfore of necessity they must go by their neighbours houses or els by some other dishonest places scattered abrode to the reproch and dyshonour of them and their kindredes and oftentymes to the great peryl and daunger of their parsonnes ¶ Of sundry and diuerse lawes which the auncientes had in contractinge matrimony not only in the choise of women but also in the maner of celebrating mariage Cap. iii. IN al nacions and in al the Realmes of the world mariage hath alwayes bene accepted and maruailously commended for other wyse the world had not ben peopled nor yet the nomber of men multyplyed The auncientes neuer disagreed one from another in the approbation and acception of mariage but ther was amongest them great difference strife vpon the contractes ceremonies and vsages of the same For they vsed as muche difference in contractinge matrimony and chosinge their wyues as these Epicures doe desire the varietie of sundry delicate meates The deuine Plato in his booke he made of the common wealth did councel that al things should be common and that not onely in brute beastes in mouables and heritages but also that women should be commen for he saide that if these twoo wordes thine and mine were abolisshed and out of vse there shoulde not be debates nor quarelles in this worlde They call Plato deuine for many good thinges whiche he spake but nowe they may call him worldly for the councell profane whiche he gaue I can not tell what beaste lines it may be called nor what greater rewdenes may be thought that the apparrell shuld be proper and the wyues commen The brute beaste doth not knowe that whiche came out of her belly longer then it sucketh of her breastes And in this sorte it would chaunce to men yea and worse to if women were commen in the common wealth For though one shoulde knowe the mother whiche hath borne him he should not knowe the father that hath begotten him The Tharentines whiche were well renowmed amongest the auncientes and not a litle feared of the Romaines had in their citie of Tharente a lawe and custome to marie them selues with a legittimate wife and to begette children but besides her a man might yet chose twoo others for his secret pleasures Spartianus saide that the Emperour Hellus Verus as thouching women was very dissolute and since his wife was younge and faire and that she did complaine of hym because he ledde no honest lyfe with her he spake these wordes vnto her My wyfe thou haste no cause to complayne of me synce I remayne with thee vntill suche tyme as thou arte quicke with chylde For the residue of the tyme we husbandes haue licence and priuilege to seke our pastimes with other women For this name of a wyfe conteyneth in it honour
but also before them he did dishonour hym and shame him to his power whiche thinge made him vtterly to dispaire For there is nothing that spiteth a man more then to haue before hys enemies any iniurie or dishonoure done vnto him of his superiour The empresse Sophia therfore deserued great reproche for speakinge suche dishonest wordes to Narsetes to send him to thread the nedels in that occupacion where the damsels wrought For it is the duty of a noble princesse to mitigate the ire of Princes when they are angry and not to prouoke them further to anger Narsetes then alwaies dowting the empresse Sophia neuer after retourned into Naples where she was but rather came from Naples to Rome a yeare before the Lumbardes came into Italy where he receiued all the sacramentes and like a deuout ChristiaÌ„ dyed His body was caried to Alexandria in a coffine of siluer al sette with precious stones and ther was buried And a man cannot tel whither the displeasour were greater that all Asia had not to see Narsetes aliue or the pleasour that Sophia had to see him deade For the vnpacient hart especially of a woman hath no rest vntill she see her enemye dead ¶ Of a letter the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sente to the Kynge of Scicile in which he recordeth the trauailes they endured togethers in their youth and reproueth him of his small reuerence towardes the temples Chapter xvii MArcus Aurelius sole Emperour of Rome borne in mouÌ„te Celio called the old tribune wisheth health and long lyfe to the Gorbin Lord kynge of Sicile As it is the custome of the Romaine Emperoures the firste yeare of my reigne I wrate generallye to all that I le the seconde yeare I wrate generallye vnto thy courte and palace and at this presente I write more particulerlye to thy parsone And although that Princes haue greate Realmes yet they ought not therfore to cease to coÌ„municate with their old frendes Since I toke my penne to write vnto the I stayed my hande a great while from writing and it was not for that I was slouthfull but because I was a shamed to see all Rome offended with the. I let the to weâ—e most excellent prince that in this I say I am thy true frend for in my hart I fele thy trouble and so sayd Euripides that whiche with the harte is loued with the hart is lamented But before I shew thee the cause of my writing I will reduce into thy memory some thinges past of our youth and therby we shall see what we were then and what we are now for no man dothe so muche reioyce of his prosperitie present as he whiche calleth to minde his miseries past Thou shalt call to minde most excellent Prince that we two togethers did learne to reade in Capua and after we studyed a litle in Tarentum and from thense we went to Rhodes where I redde Rhethorike and thou hardest philosophie And afterwardes in the ende of x. yeres we went to the warres of Pannonia where I gaue my selfe to musike for the affectioÌ„s of yong men is so variable that daily they would know straunge realmes and chaunge offices And in all those iourneis with the forse of youth the swete company with the pleasaunte communicacion of sciences and with a vaine hope we did dissemble our extreme pouerty which was so great that many times and ofte we desired not that whiche manye had but that litle which to few abounded Doest thou remember that when we sayled by the goulfe Arpin to goe into Helesponte a long and tempestuous torment came vpon vs wherin we were taken of a pirate and for our raunsome he made vs rowe about .ix. monethes in a gally wheras I cannot tell whiche was greater either the wante of bread or the abundaunce of stripes whiche we alwaies endured Hast thou forgotten also that in the citie of Rhodes when we were beseged of Bruerdus puissaunt kyng of Epirotes for the space of fourtene monethes we were tenne withoute eatyng fleshe saue onely .ii. cattes the one whiche we stole and the other whiche we bought remember that thou and I being in Tarent were desired of our host to go to the feast of the great goddesse Diana into the whiche temple none coulde enter that day but those which were new apparelled And to say the trouthe we determined not to go thither thou because thy garmentes were torne and I because my shoes were broken and that bothe the tymes we were sicke in Capua they neuer cured vs by dyet for our dyseases neuer proceded of excesse but of extreame hunger An often times Retropus the phisician for his pleasour spake to vs in the vniuersitie and sayd Alas children you dye not through surfeting and muche eatinge And truly he sayde trouth for the contrey was so dere and our mony so scarse that we did neuer eate vntyl the time we could endure no lenger for famine Dost thou not remember the great famine that was in Capua for the which cause we were in the warre of Alexandria wherin my fleshe dyd tremble remembring the great perilles whiche we passed in the goulfe of Theberynthe What snowes all wynter what extreme heate all sommer what general famine in the fieldes what outragious pestilence amongest the people and worste of all what persecution of straungers and what euill will we had of ours remember also that in the citie of Naples when we made our prayer to the profetesse Flauia she told vs what shoulde become of vs after we lefte our studies She tolde me that I should be an Emperour and sayde that thou shouldest be a kynge To the whiche aunswere we gaue suche credite that we toke it not onelye for a mocke but also for a manifest iniurye And nowe I doe not merueile in that then we bothe marueled wonderfull muche For enuyous fortune practised her power more in pluckyng downe the ryche then in setting vp the poore Beholde excellente Prince the greate power of the goddesse the whele of fortune the variety of times who would haue thought when I hadde my handes all rough and scuruy with rowing in the galley that betwene those handes the scepter of the Romayne Empire should haue ben put who would haue thoughte when I was so sicke for lacke of meat I should euer haue surfited by to muche eating who would haue thought when I could not be satisfied with cattes fleshe that I shoulde haue then glutted with to moch dainty meates who wold haue thought at that time when I left going into the temple because my shoes were broken that another tyme should come when I shoulde ryde triumphyng in chariotes and vppon the shoulders of other menne who woulde haue thought that that which with my eares I hard of the prophetesse in Campagnia I should see here with my eyes in Rome O how many dyd hope at the time we were in Asia to be gouernours of Rome and lords of Sicille which not only fayled of the honour that they desired
she goeth out of the house she ought to thinke that her maydens will stray abrode the children wil ronne out to play the varlettes and seruaunts wil be out of order the neighbours wil take occasions to speake euill and that which is worst of al some will steale the goodes out of the house and the others wil speake euyl of the renowne of the wife Oh god giueth a goodly gift grace to that man which hath such and so good a wife that of her owne nature loueth to kepe her selfe within the house And truly I say that such one doth excuse many griefes saueth much money For she spendeth not the goodes in apparel nor giueth occasion to men to iudge euil of her personne The greatest debate that is betwene man and wife is for that he desireth to get and kepe his goodes to bringe vp his chyldren and to maintaine his family and on the other part that she desireth to spend all vppon apparell For women in this case are so curious in louinge of themselues that they would absteine from meates that should mainteyne their life onlye to bye a new gowne to set out their pride Women naturally do loue to keape and wil not spend any thinge except it be in apparell For euery houre that is in the day and the night they desire to haue a new gowne to chaunge My entencyon is not to speake of apparell only but to perswade Princesses and great Ladyes that they would kepe themselues in their houses and in so doing they should excuse these superfluous wastes expenses For her neighbour seing her better apparelled then she is loketh vpon her husband as she were a Lyon It chaunceth oftentymes I would to god I had no cause to speake it that if by chaunce there commeth anye great or solempne feast or mariage she wil neuer loke louyngly on his face before he hath geuen her a new gowne to her backe and when the poore gentleman hath no money to paye of necessity he must runne in credit And when the vanytie of the woman is past then the time of payment draweth nere and they come to arest all his goodes so that they haue cause to lament one hole yeare for that whych they haue spent in one houre Women seldome contende for that one is fairer more nobler of lynage better maried or more vertuous then an other but onely for that an other goeth better apparailed then she For touching apparell there is no woman cā endure that an other meaner woman shoulde make comparison with her nor that in like maner her equal should excell her Lycurgus in the lawes that he gaue to the Lacedemonians commaunded that their wiues should not goe out of their houses but at dyuers solempne feastes in the yere For he sayde that the women ought to be makinge their prayers in the Temples to the gods or els in their houses bringing vp their children For it is not honest nor commendable that the wife shold passe her time abroade trotting from strete to strete as common women I say that the Princesses and great Ladies are much more bound to kepe them selues at home in their houses then other women of meaner degre without a cause I speake it not for therby they shal get them more reputacion For ther is no vertue wherby the woman winneth more reputacion in the common wealth then alwayes to be sene resident in her house I say also that a wife ought the most part of her time to keape her house bycause she hath lesse occasion then other haue to go abroade For if the poore wife the Plebian go out of her house she goeth for no other cause but for to seke meate but if the riche and noble woman goeth out of her house it is for nothing but to take her pleasure Let not princesses maruel nor let not great ladies wonder if they dispose their feete to trotte occupye their eyes to behold though their ennemyes and neighbours with cankered hartes doth iudge them and with euil tongues defame them for the fond dedes that women do maketh men to be rash of iudgement I like it wel that the husbands should loue their wiues that they should comfort them and make much of them and that they should put their trust in them but I do discommend that the women should go gadding abroad in visitacion from house to house that their husbands dare not gaine say them For admyt that they be good in their personnes yet in this doing they giue occasion for men to esteme them vaine and light Seneca saieth in an epistel that the great Romaine Cato the censor ordeyned that no woman shold go out of her house being alone if perhappes it were in the night she should not go alone without company that the company shold not be such as she would chose but such as her husband or parent would assigne so that with the same coūtenaunce we behold now a comen woman with the selfe same lookes then we beheld her that went oft out of her house Noble ladies which loue their honour ought greatly to consider way the great incōueniences that may ensue by often gadding abroad for they spend much to apparel them they lose much time in trimming them they kepe gentlewomen to wait vpon them they wil striue with their husbands to goe whiles she is out of the dores the house shal be euil kept and al the enemyes frendes therby haue matter wherupon to talke finally I say that the woman that goeth out of her house doth not wey the losse of her honour so much as she doth the pleasure she taketh abroad Presuming as I presume to write with grauitie I say that I am ashamed to speake it yet for al that I wil not refraine to write of the walkes of these dames that visite desire to be visited amongest whom ther is moued oftentimes such vaine cōmunication that it causeth their husbands to become ennemyes and on the other parte they remember more the gossippinges that they haue to go then their sinnes which they ought to lament ¶ Of the commodities and discommodities which folowe Princesses and great Ladyes that go abroade to vysite or abyde in the house Cap. viii LUcretia by the consent of all was counted the cheafest of all other Matrones of Rome and not for that that she was more faire more wise of greater parentage or more noble But because she did withdrawe her selfe from company and abode solitary For she was such a one that in the heroical vertues there could be nothing more desired nor in womens weakenes there was nothinge in her to be amended The historye of the chast Lucretia is euident in Titus Liuius that when the husbandes of diuers Romaines came home from the warres to their houses they founde their wiues in such sort that some were gasing out of the windowes others devising vainely at their doores others in the field wandering others
these and many others which ye left aliue ful high in rome are now become wormes meat ful low vnder the yearth death also doth summon me vnto the graue If you my childreÌ„ did consider what shal become of you herafter truly you will thinke it better to weape .1000 yeares with the dead then to laugh one houre with those that be aliue Remembryng that I baâ—e ye in great payne and haue nourished you in great trauell that ye came of my proper intrailles I would haue you as children about me for the confort consolation of my paines But in the end beholdyng the prowesses of those that are paste that bindeth their heires I am coÌ„tent to suffer so long absence your persons only to the end you may get honour in chiualrye For I had rather here tell you should liue like knightes in Afrik theÌ„ to se you vtterly lost here in Rome My childreÌ„ as you are in the warres of Afrike so I doubt not but that you desire to se the pleasurs of rome for ther is no man in this world so happy but at his neyghbours prosperity had som enuy enuie not the vitious nether desier to be amoÌ„g vices for truly vices ar of such a coÌ„dition that they bring not with theÌ„ so much plesure wheÌ„ they com as they leaue sorow behind theÌ„ wheÌ„ they depart for that true delight is not in the pleasure which sodeÌ„ly vanisheth but in the truth which euermore remaineth I thank the immortal gods for all these thinges first for that they made me wise not folish for to a woman it is a small mater to be called so fraile that in dede she be not folish The secoÌ„d I thank the gods bicause in al times of my troubles they haue geueÌ„ me pacieÌ„ce to endure theÌ„ for the maÌ„ only in this lif may be called vnhappy to whom the gods in his troubles hath not giueÌ„ pacience The third I thank the gods for that those .lxv. yeares which I haue liued I neuer hytherto was defamed for the woman by no reason can coÌ„plaine of her fortune if in none of her troubles she hath loste her honour The fourthe I thanke the Gods that in this forty yeres I haue lyued in Rome remained widow ther was neuer man nor woman the contended with me for since we women profite litle the commoÌ„ wealth it is but reason that she whych with euill demeanoures hath passed her lyfe shoulde by iustice receaue her death The fift I giue the gods tankes that they gaue me children the whych are better contented to suffer the trauailes of Affrik theÌ„ to inioy the pleasurs of Rome Do not counte me my childreÌ„ for so vnlouing a mother that I wold not haue you alwayes before my eyes but considering that many good meÌ„s children haue bene lost only for being brought vp in the excessiue pleasures of Rome I do content my selfe with your absence For that man that desireth perpetuall renowne thoughe he be not banished he ought to absent him self froÌ„ his natiue countrey My deare children I most earnestly desire you that always you accoÌ„panie your selues with the good with the most auncientes and with those which ar graue most expert in councel and with those that haue most sene the world and do not vnderstand most of the world by those that haue sene most countreis For the rype councel proceadeth not from the man that hath traueiled in many contreis but from him that hath felte him selfe in many daungers Since the nature of the countrey my children dothe knocke with the haÌ„mer at the gate of the hart of man I feare that if you come and se your frendes parentes you shal always lyue in care pensifnes and being pensife you shal always lyue euil coÌ„tented you shal not do that whiche becommeth Romain knights to do And you not beyng valiaunt knightes your enemies shal alwayes reioice ouer you your desires shall neuer take effect for of those men which are careful heauy proceadeth always seruices vnworthy I desire you hartely by this present letter I counsell you that you wil not in any wise seke to come to rome for as I haue saied you shal know few of those that did know you for eyther they are dead or banished poore or sicke aged or coÌ„me to nought sad or euil coÌ„tented so that sithens you are not able to remedy their grefes it is best you should not come hyther to se their troubles For no man coÌ„meth to Rome but to weape with the liuing and to sigh for theÌ„ that be dead Truly my children I know not what pleasure is in Rome that should cause any good man to come hyther and to forsake Affrik for if there you haue enemies here you shall want frendes If you haue the sworde that perceth the body we haue that tong here that destroyeth the renowme If you be vexed with the theues of Affrike we are wounded with the traitours Flatterers and liers of Italy If you lack rest we haue here to much trouble Finallye seyng that that I doe se in Rome and hearynge that which I heare of Affrik I commende your warre and abhorre our peace If you do greatly esteme that which I haue sayd esteme much more that whiche I shall say which is that we alwayes here that you are conquerours of the Africkans you shall here always that we are conquered by vyces Therfore if I am a true mother I had rather se you winne a perpetuall memory amonge straungers theÌ„ to liue with infamy at home in your couÌ„trey Peraduenture with hope that you shal enherit some goodes you wil take occasioÌ„ to come to Rome When this thing shall come to your mindes remember my children that your father being aliue had not much and that vnto your mother being a widow many thinges wanted And remember that your father bequethed you nothing but weapons and know that from me you shall enherite nothing but bookes For I had rather leaue my children good doctrine wherby they may liue them euil riches wherby they may perysh I am not riche nor I neuer trauailed to be rich and the cause was that I saw many mens children vndone only through the hope they had to enherite their pareÌ„tes goods and afterward went a huntinge after vices For they seldome times do any worthy feates which in their youth enherit great treasurs This thing therfore being true as it is in dead I do not say only that I would watche and toile as many do to get riches and treasurs but also if I had treasour before I would gyue them vnto you I would as the philosopher did cast theÌ„ into the fyre For I had rather haue my children pore and vertuous in Affrike theÌ„ riche and vitious in Rome You know very wel my children that there was amongest the Tharentins a law wel obserued that the sonnes shoulde not inherit any other thyng of their fathers but weapons to fight and
to moch aboundaunce and libertie of youth is no other but a prophesie manifest token of disobedience in age I knowe not why princes and great lordes do toile and oppresse so much and scratche to leaue their children great estates and on the other syde we see that in teachyng them they are and shew theim selues to negligent for princes great lordes ought to make account that all that whych they leaue of their substaunce to a wicked heyre is vtterly lost The wise men and those which in their coÌ„sciences are vpright and of their honours carefull oughte to be very diligent to bring vp their children chiefly that they consyder whether they be mete to inherite their estates And if perchaunce the fathers se that their children be more giueÌ„ to follie then to noblenes and wysdome then should I be ashamed to se a father that is wise trauaile al the dayes of his life to leaue much substaunce to an euill brought vp child after his death It is a griefe to declare and a monstrous thyng to se the cares whych the fathers take to gather ryches and the diligence that children haue to spende them And in this case I saye the sonne is fortunate for that he doeth inherite and the Father a foole for that he doth bequeth In my opinion Fathers ar bound to enstructe theyr Children well for two causes the one for that they are nearest to them and also bycause they ought to be theyr heyres For truely with great greyfe and sorow I suppose he doth take his death which leaueth to a foole or an vnthrifte the toile of all his life Hyzearcus the Greeke hystorien in the booke of his antiquities and Sabellyquus in his generall history sayeth that a father and a sonne came to complaine to the famous phylosopher and auncient Solon Solinon the sonne complayned of the father and the father of the sonne First the son informed the quarel to the Phylosopher sayeng these wordes I complayne of my father bycause he beyng ryche hath dysheryted me and made me poore and in my steade hath adopted another heyre the whyche thyng my father oughte not nor cannot doe For sence he gaue me so frayle flesh it is reason he geue me hys goods to maintayne my feblenes To these wordes aunswered the father I complayne of my sonne bycause he hathe not bene as a gentle sonne but rather as a cruell enemye for in all thynges since he was borne he hath bene disobedient to my will wherfore I thought it good to dysheryte hym before my death I woulde I weâ—e quite of all my substaunce so that the goddes hadde quyte hym of hys lyfe for the earthe is very cruell that swalloweth not the chyld alyue whyche to hys father is dysobedyent In that he sayeth I haue adopted another chyld for myne heyre I confesse it is true and for somuche as he sayeth that I haue dysinheryted hym and abiected hym from my herytage he beynge begotten of my owne bodye hereunto I aunswere That I haue not disinheryted my sonne but I haue disinheryted his pleasure tothentent he shal not enioy my trauaile for there can be nothing more vniust then that the yonge and vitious sonne should take his pleasure of the swette and droppes of the aged father The sonne replyed to his father and sayd I confesse I haue offended my father and also I confesse that I haue lyued in pleasures yet if I maye speake the trueth thoughe I were disobedient and euill my father oughte to beare the blame and if for this cause he doeth dysherite me I thynke he doth me great iniurye For the father that enstructed not hys sonne in vertue in hys youthe wrongfullye dysheryteth hym though he be disobedient in hys age The father agayne replyeth and saieth It is true my sonne that I brought the vp to wantonly in thy youth but thou knowest well that I haue taughte the sondrye tymes and besydes that I dyd correcte the when thou camest to some discretion And if in thy youth I dyd not instructe the in learnyng it was for that thou in thy tender age dydest wante vnderstandyng but after that thou haddest age to vnderstand discrecion to receiue and strength to exercyse it I began to punyshe the to teache the and to instructe the. For where no vnderstandyng is in the chyld there in vaine they teache doctrine Sence thou arte old quoth the sonne and I yong sence thou arte my father and I thy sonne for that thou hast whyte heres of thy bearde and I none at all it is but reason that thou be beleued I condemned For in this world we se oftetimes that the smal aucthoryty of the parson maketh hym to lose hys great iustyce I grauÌ„t the my father that when I was a childe thou dydst cause me to learne to reade but thou wylte not denye that if I dyd coÌ„mit any faulte thou wouldest neauer agree I should be punyshed And hereof it came that thou sufferyng me to doe what I woulde in my youth haue bene dysobedient to the euer since in my age And I saye to the further that if in this case I haue offended trulye me thinketh thou canst not be excused for the fathers in the youthe of their children oughte not onely to teache them to dispute of vertues and what vertue is but they ought to inforce them to be vertuous in dede For it is a good token when youth before they know vyces hath bene accustomed to practice vertues Both parties thou diligentlie hard the good Philosopher Solon Solinon spake these wordes I geue iudgement that the father of thys child be not buried after hys death and I commaunde that the sonne bycause in hys youth he hath not obeyed his father who is olde should be dysinheryted whiles the father lyueth from all hys substaunce on suche condition that after hys death hys sonnes should inheryte the heritage and so returne to the heires of the sonne and line of the father For it were vniust that the innocencie of the sonne should be condempned for the offence of the father I doe commaunde also that all the goods be committed vnto some faithful parson to th end they may geue the father meate and drinke durynge hys lyfe and to make a graue for the sonne after hys death I haue not with out a cause geuen suche iudgement the which comprehendeth lyfe and death for the Gods wyll not that for one pleasure the punyshement be double but that we chastyse and punyshe the one in the lyfe takynge from hym hys honour and goods and that we punyshe others after there death takyng from them memorye and buriall Truly the sentence which the Philosopher gaue was graue and would to God we had him for a iudge of this world presentlye for I sweare that he should finde many children now a dayes for to disheryte and mo fathers to punishe For I cannot tell which is greater the shame of the children to disobey their fathers or
wealthe where the gouernours and iudges thereof doe not cast theire eyes but vnto them whâ—e they ought to chastise where they doe not thynke in theire harte but howe they maye enryche theire coffers where they doe not occupye theire handes but to take brybes and doe not passe the tyme but in bankettes And I sayde not wythout a cause bankettes For there are manye iudges whyche imploye they re studye more to geate frindes to mayntayne theire state proudlye then for to read bookes to iudge mennes causes vprightly The iudge which neuer readeth the iudge whiche neuer studieth the iudge whiche neuer openeth boke the iudge which is neuer in his house the iudge which day night robbeth howe is it possible that he execute one true iustice There can bee no greater feare in a man nor sclaunder more greate in the common welth then when the iudge who ought to iudge and chastise the offences of others is alwaies ouerwhelmed with vices him selfe The iudge which presumeth to be good and wil be good and desireth to be good a manne shoulde finde him no where vnlesse he be studying in his house or sitting in the place of iustice Let not princes trust vppon this when they prouyde iudges and gouernours for to iudge saieng that if they fynde any euill they wil soone cut him of for suche are so euil that if they want to meanes to get to those offices they shal want no cautils nor corrupt frindes to suborne them therein When princes great lordes shall finde anye iudge euill I counsaile them to auoide him immediatlye or that they shewe them selues not contented with his dooinges for suche one shal forthwith enforce him selfe to doe iustice with intencion that those of the common wealth myght desire him to be theire iudge Although my penne doth reproue these Iudges whiche are negligent and carelesse the whiche neither by knowledge can iudge nor with stoutnes punishe The iudges whiche iudge and gouerne ought not to be with all so familiar that all dare take vppon them to aske him for in this case if some commend his gentle coÌ„uersacion others will blame his parciall iustice I counsaile admonishe and require Princes that they content them selues not only to be true pitifull honeste and vertuous nor yet to be iuste but that it is as well necessarie they be obseruers of iustice For let them knowe that there is great difference betwene him that is iust and an other that doth minister iustice for to the prince that is good commeth honour to his parsonne but from him that ministreth iustice commeth profite to his common wealth Peraduenture it is no wonder to see the Prince that will tell no lye and to see his ministers not to speak one truthe peraduenture I do not thinke my self sclaundered to se the prince temperate in eatinge and to see all his seruauntes distempered bothe wythe eating and drinkinge peraduenture and it is no cause to muse vppon to see the princes chaste and honeste and to see theire seruauntes in fleshe filthye and dissolute peraduenture it is no cause to meruaile to see the prince iuste and to loue iustice and that verye fewe of hys ministers doe minister it The ende why all these thinges are spoken is to aduertise Princes that they bee not so carefull to bee chaste sober true and iust but that they know whether theire gouernoures and iudges are corrupted couetous gredy vnshame faste lyers or brybers For if it toucheth vs much that oure Princes be good so much more it toucheth vs that the ministers be not euil One of the things wherein princes ought to prouyde with their iudges and gouernours is that by no meanes they suffer theire lawes and auncient customes to bee broken in theire common wealthe and that in theire steedes straunge customes bee not introduced For the comminaltye is so variable in that they saye and so light in that they aske that they woulde daylye see a newe kinge and hourely chaunge a newe lawe Plinie in an epistle that he writeth to Escario saieth Optime apud Persas capitalem per legem fuit prohibitum nouos aut peregrinos mores inducere As if he spake more plainelye Amongest the Perses it was a lawe inuiolable that no man shoulde bringe into the common wealth anye straunge custome for suche an offence they shoulde paye none other raunsome but the losse of theire heades As menne dayly doe diminishe in vertue vnlesse by force they bee witholden and augment in vanitie so they woulde inuent newe deuyses and straunge customes wherewith men shoulde be decayed and the common wealthe destroyed For straunge meates doe alter mennes stomackes When those of Creta were vngentlye vsed of the Rhodiens they did not praye to theire godes to sende them pestylence warre famin or sedition amonge theire enemies but that they woulde suffer some euil maners to bee brought in amongest theire people Let not those thinke that shall reade this that it was a small curse those of Creta desired and that it was a small reuenge whiche God gaue them of theire enemyes if he gaue them that whiche they dyd requyre For from warres famin and pestylence some maye escape but with the newe and straunge deuyses we see all perishe Of manye thinges the Historians doe reproue the Emperour Sergius Galba and for one alone they doe praise him whiche is that he neuer consented that in Rome anye newe lawe shoulde bee made nor anye olde custome broken And hee commaunded that those shoulde bee greuouslye punished whiche brought in anye newe lawe and hee rewarded those whiche put hym in mynde of anye olde custome the whiche he commaunded to bee obserued It is a mockerye yea better to saye a sclaunder to see that some younge iudges will doe that of the common wealthe whiche a Taylour dothe of a gowne that is to saye to tourne hym within and without before and behynde whiche they ought not to doe nor the people to consent thereunto For the Prince dothe not sende them to make lawes nor to bringe in newe orders but to the ende that they doe onelye preserue the common wealthe in theire good customes Princes ought also to take greate care that vnto lyttle and greate riche and poore they minister equall iustice sithe there is no dyuyne nor humayne lawe that geueth them power and aucthoritie to corrupt it for if a Prince cannot wythout reason dispose his owne goods much lesse he can make lawes and sell iustice We doe not denye a Prince but that he is lorde of beastes of fysh of byrdes of mynes of mountaines of seruaunts and of fyeldes finallye that hee is lorde of the sea and lande but therefore we will not graunt hym that he is lorde of iustice For there is none other true Lorde of iustice but God whiche is the selfe same iustice When a Prince dyeth and maketh his will hee saieth I leaue all my realmes seignories to the prince my sonne and legittimate heire and doe leaue vnto
beeholdynge thye persone then in gouerninge well my common wealthe whyche thou oughtest not to consent vnto and muche lesse doe in dede For the iudge oughte to be so occupyed in the administracion of the common wealth that he shoulde haue noe leysure at anye tyme to keame his heade These wordes the good king Phillip spake vnto the iudge whom he dysplaced of his office for beeynge to fyne and dylygent in keamynge hys heade and trymmynge his persone It is not onelye decent for ministers of iustice to be graue and honest but allso it behouethe them to be true and faithefull For to a iudge whose offyce is to iudge the truethe there can be noe greater infamye then to be counted a lyer When two Plebeians be at variaunce togethers for one thinge they come beefore the iudge for noughte els but that hee shoulde iudge whoe hathe righte and iustice thereunto Therefore if suche a iudge bee not counted true but a lyer all take his iudgement for false so that if the plainetife hathe noe more power he wyll obeye iustice yet at the leaste he wyll blaspheme hym that gaue sentence There are some iudges that presentlye to gette more moneye to drawe vnto them moe friendes and to contynewe allso in their offyces vse suche shamefull shiftes with the poore plainetifes and take so large brybes of the defēdaunt that bothe parties are by hym selfe assured of the sentence in their fauoure before he come vnto the barre Manye goe to the houses of iudges some to demaunde others to geue instructions other to woorke deceite others to importune them others to wynne them but fewe goe to vysyte them so that for those such sēblables I do aduise and admonishe offycers that theye be iuste in theire sentences and vprighte in theire woordes The mynysters of iustice oughte to be suche and so good that in theire lyfe nothynge be woorthye of rebuke neyther in their wordes anye thinge worthye of reproche For if herein theye be not verye circumspect oftentymes that shal happen whiche the goddes woulde not whiche is that to the preiudice of the iustice of another he shall denye the worde of hym selfe It suffysethe not iudges to bee true in theire wordes butte it is verye necessarye that theye bee vpryghte in theire sentences That is to wete that for loue theye bee not to large neither for couetuousnesse theye shoulde be corrupted nor for feare drawen backe nor wythe prayours to be flattered nor withe promysses blynded for otherwise it were a greate shame and inconuenience that the yarde whiche theye carye in theire handes shoulde be streyghte and the lyfe whyche theye leade shoulde bee verye crooked To the ende iustices be vprighte they oughte muche to trauaile to be lyberall I meane in thinges wherein theye ought to geeue sentence It is vnpossible that those whiche haue respecte in theire sentence to fauoure their friendes shoulde not accustomablye vse to be reuenged of their enemies Trulye suche a iudge ought not to be counted iust but a pryuate Tiraunte He that withe affeccion iudgethe and passyon punisheth is greatlye deceyued Those inlyke manner whyche haue aucthoritie to gouerne and doe thynke that for borrowynge a lytle of iustice theye shoulde therebye encrease and multyplye frendes in the common wealthe are muche abused for thys acte beefore menne is so heinous and beefore godde so detestable that thoughe for a space he refrayne hys handes yet in the ende he will extende his power For the redemer of the worlde onelye father of trueth will not permit that suche doe take vppon them the title of iustice which in their offices do shew so extreme wrōg Helius Spartianus in the lyfe of Antonius sayethe that the good Emperoure going to vysite hys Empyre as he was in Capua and there demaūding of the state of the Censours whether they were vniust or rightful a man of Capua sayed in this wise by the immortal gods most noble Prince I sweare that this iudge who presently gouerneth here is neither iust nor honest and therefore me thinke it necessarye that we depriue him of his dignitie and I will accompte vnto thee what befel betwene him and me I besought him that for my sake he would graūt me .4 thinges which were al vniust he willingly condescended thereunto wherof I had no lesse meruel in my harte then vexacion in my body For when I dyd desire him I thought nothing lesse then to obtein thē but onely for the cōtentacion of those whiche instauntlye desired me to do it And further this Capuan sayed By the GOD Genius I swere likewise that I was not the more fryndely vnto him for that hee sayde he did it for mye sake more then for another for he that to me would graunt these foure it is to be beleued that to others he would graunt foure hundreth For the whiche thou oughtest to prouyde most noble Prince because good iudges oughte to be pacient to heare iust to determine By this notable example iudges ought to haue a great respecte not to those which do desire them but to that which theye demaund For in doing their dutie their enemies will proclaime them iust and contrarywise if they doe that they shoulde not doe theire nerest freendes wil count them tirantes Iudges which pretend fauour to the common wealth to be carefull of their consciences oughte not to content them selues simply to do iustice but that of them selues they should haue suche an oppinion that none durst presume to come and require at their hands any vile or dishonest thing For otherwise if we note the demander to be vnshamefast we muste nedes somewhat suspecte the iudge in his iustice Princes ought also to be very circumspect that the iudges be not only contented to bee iust honest and true but also in them there ought to remaine no auarice nor couetousnes For iustice auarice can seldome dwell in one house Those that haue the charge of the gouernement of the people to iudge causes ought to take great hede that with bribes and presētes they be not corrupted for it is vnpossible but that the same day that riches treasoures in the houses of iudges begin to encrease that the selfe same day the administration of iustice should not decay Licurgus Prometheus Numa Pompilius did prohibite nothing in their law so muche neither for anye other cause theye ordeyned so greauous punishments but to thintent iudges should not be couetous nor yet theues And of trueth they had great cōsideracion to fore see forbyd it for the iudge that hath receaued parte of the theft wil not geue sentence against the stealers thereof Let not iudges be credyted for saying they receiue no siluer nor golde neyther silkes nor iewels but that they take onely small presentes as fruites foule and other trifles For oftentimes it chaunseth that the iudges doe eate the fruite and the poore suter doth fele the morsell Cicero in the booke of lawes sayethe that Cato the
I would not dye For life is so troublesome that it weareth vs death is so doubtfull that it feareth vs. If the gods deferred my death I doubt whyther I should reforme my life And if I doo not amend my lyfe nor serue the Gods better nor profit the common wealth more if that euery tyme I am sick it should greeue me to die I say it is much better for mee now to accept death then to wysh the lengthning of my life I say the life is so troublesome so fyckle so suspicious so vncertayne so importunat finally I say it is a life whithout lyfe that hee is an obstinat foole which so much desireth it Come that that may come for finally not withstanding that I haue spoken I willingly commit my selfe into the hands of the Gods since of necessity I am thereunto constreined For it proceedeth not of a lytle wisedom to receiue that willingly which to doo wee are constrayned of necessity I will not recommend my self to the priests nor cause the oracles to bee visited nor promise any thing to the temples nor offer sacrifices to the gods to the end they should warrant mee from death and restore mee to lyfe but I will demaund and require them that if they haue created mee for any good thing I may not loose it for my euyll lyfe So wise and sage are the gods in that they say so iust true in that they promise that if they geeue vs not that which wee others would it is not for that they wil not but beecause wee deserue it not For wee are so euyl and woorth so litel and wee may doo so lytel that for many good woorks wee deserue no meryt and yet with an euil worke wee bee made vnworthy of al. Since therfore I haue put my selfe in to the hands of the Gods let them doo with mee what they wil for their seruice for in the ende the woorst that they will doo is much better then the world wil doo For all that the world hath geeuen mee hath beene but mockry and deceyte but that which the gods haue geeuen mee I haue gouerned and possessed without suspicion For this last houre my sonne I haue kept the best the most noble and riches iewell that I haue possessed in my life tyme. And I doo protest vnto the immortal gods that if as they doo commaūd mee to dye they would geeue mee lycence to rede in the graue I would commaund it to bee buryed with mee Thou shalt know my sonn that in the .x. yeare of my Empire a great warr arose agaynst the vnruly people of Persia where by euyll luck it was appoynted for mee in person to geeue the battayle the which wonne and al their country destroyed I returned by the old city of Thebes in Aegipte to see if I could finde any antiquity of those in times past In the house of an Egiptian pryest I found a litel table which they hāged at the gate of the kynges pallace the day of his coronatiō And this poore pristes told mee that that which was in this table was writen by a king of Egypt named Ptholomeus Arsasides I beeseech the immortal Gods my sonne that such bee thy woorks as the woords of this table require As emperor I leaue thee heire of many realmes and as a father I geeue thee this table of counsayles The woords which the fathers doo teach vnto the chyldren at the last houre the children ought to keepe continually in their memorye Let this therefore bee my last woord with the Empire thou shalt bee feared through out all the world and with the counsayles of this table thou shalt bee loued of al nations This talk beeing ended and the table geeuen the Emperor turned his eyes lost his senses and for the space of a quarter of an houre lay languishing in extreame payne within a while after yelded vp the ghost In this table weare certain greeke letters which were in meeter and in our tonge signify thus ON honours stall I doo no tirant heaue nor yet the poore suppresse if hee weare iust For riches rule I nould to pardon cleaue For want of wealth nor folow rigours lust For naked loue I neuer spent reward nor would correct for onely enuies heate Of vertues imps I always had regard mischifs mates haue plagd with torment great To others doome I neuer would commit of open right the quarell to decide ne yet of doubtfull strifes in trust of witt The finall end alone I would deuide To them that sought for iustice equall sway her golden rule I neuer did deny ne yet to such for whom desert would lay Their sclender fautes might wel bee slipped by To feele the grife that waued in my minde With others smart I neuer could susteyne nor yet rewardes my princely woordes would binde VVhen sweete delight had chifest ioy to rayne In high estate when most blind fortune smild A reckles lyfe I restles ran not on nor yet when chaunge those happy dayes beegyld to cold despaier my quiet minde was gon By boiling heat of malice endeles fier to vices trayne I cast no egre eye ne yet for lust of pining welthes desire Vnlefull facts I rechles would apply The traitours brest I neuer could embrace nor lend mine eares to swalow flattring talke of vices slaues I wayed not the grace nor left vnsought good will in vertues walke Poore Irus band for that I did reliue VVhos 's needy state dooth stoope in Cresus swaie the greatest gods whose heauenly warck doth griue the proudest crownes was aymy present state FINIS ¶ The fourth booke of the Dyall of Princes Compyled by the right reuerend father in god Antony of Gueuara Byshop of Mondogueto preacher Chronicler and counceller to Charles the fift Emperor of Rome Contayning many instructions and rules for the fauored of the Court beyng once in fauor easely to keepe and continue them selues in fauor still Right necessary profitable for all princes and noble men gentlemen courtiers that seeke to continue them selues in honor and estimacion The Epistle to the Reader WHat detracting tongues report of mee and my first trauell in the translation of this Dyall enlarging them at pleasure to woork my defame disabling my dooing heerein by brute yt was no woork of myne but the fruit of others labor I neede not much force since by dayly proof wee see that yll disposed mynds can neuer frame an honest tongue in head For my obiect and reproofe of this their sclaunderous malignant speeche I can allege curteous reader two principall causes which thou reading and iudging with indifferency mayst easely approoue yf I shoold seeme to glose with thee First the basenes of my style the playn and humble woords couched in the same the mean rude and yll contryued sentences layd beefore thee togeether with the simple handelyng of the whole playnly sheweth to thee whence they are and easely acquainteth thee with the curious translator Who protesteth
another beside her self for shee ceaseth not to defaÌ„e him to follow the other to rayse a sclauÌ„der amoÌ„gst her neighbors to coÌ„plaine to his freÌ„ds to bewray the matter to the iustice to quarel with officers alwayes to haue spies for hym in euery place as if hee were one of her mortal enemyes O I woold to god the courtier would as much esteeme of his coÌ„scieÌ„s as his louer maketh accoÌ„pt of his parsoÌ„ happy were hee For I dare assure him if he know it not that shee spieth out al the places hee goth so couÌ„ts euery morsel of meat hee eateth becoÌ„meth ielious of al that hee dooth of all those whose coÌ„pany hee frequeÌ„teth yea shee deuiseth imagineth all that hee thinketh So that hee that seeketh a cruel reueÌ„ge of his enemy cannot doo better theÌ„ ê‘swade induce him to loue one of these wel coÌ„ditioned womeÌ„ Now let him think that hee hath great warres that by his euil hap hath made her his enemy which heretofore hee so eÌ„tierly loued For any maÌ„ that exteemeth his honor reputacioÌ„ dooth rather feare the euil tongue of such a womaÌ„ theÌ„ the sweord of his enemy For an honest maÌ„ to striue coÌ„teÌ„d with a womaÌ„ of such quality is eueÌ„ asmuch as yf hee woold take vpon him to wash an asses head Therefore hee may not set me to make accoÌ„pt of those iniuries doon him or euel words shee hath spoken of him but rather seeke to remedy it the best hee caÌ„ that shee speak no more of him For womeÌ„ naturaly desire to enioy that persoÌ„ they loue wtout let or interruption of any to pursue to the death those they hate I woold wysh therfore the fauored of priÌ„ces such as haue office dignity in the court that they beware they incurre not into such like errors For it is not sitting that meÌ„ of honor such as are great about the prince shoold seeme to haue more lyberty in vice theÌ„ any other neither for any respect ought the beloued of the prince to dare to keepe coÌ„pany much lesse to haue freÌ„dship with any such coÌ„moÌ„ defamed womeÌ„ syth the least euel that can coÌ„e to theÌ„ they caÌ„not bee auoided But at the least hee must charge his coÌ„scieÌ„s trouble his freÌ„ds wast his goods coÌ„sume his ê‘son lose his good fame ioyning with al these also his coÌ„cubine to bee his mortal enemy For there is no womaÌ„ liuiÌ„g that hath any measure in louiÌ„g neither end in hatiÌ„g Oh how wareli ought al meÌ„ to liue specialy wee that are in the court of princes for many womeÌ„ vnder the color of their autority office goe oft tymes to seek theÌ„ in their chaÌ„bers not only as huÌ„ble suters to sollycyte theire causes but also liberaly to offer theÌ„ their ê‘soÌ„s so by that colour to coÌ„clude their practises deuyses So that the decisioÌ„ coÌ„clusioÌ„ of processe which they fain to solycite shal not goe with him that demaunds there goods of theÌ„ but rather with him that desires but their parsoÌ„s to spoile theÌ„ of their honor Now the princes officers must seeke to bee pure clene froÌ„ al these practises of these comoÌ„ struÌ„pets much more froÌ„ those that are suters to theÌ„ haue maters beefore theÌ„ For they should highly offeÌ„d god coÌ„mit great treasoÌ„ to the King if they should send those weomeÌ„ froÌ„ theÌ„ that sued vnto theÌ„ rather dishonored defamed theÌ„ honestly dispatched of their busines And therfore hee bindeth him self to a maruelous inconuenieÌ„ce that falleth in loue with a woman suter For euen froÌ„ that instant hee hath receued of her the sweete delights of loue eueÌ„ at the present hee byâ—deth him self to dispatch her quickly to end al her sutes not wtout great greefe I speake these woords There are many women that come to the court of princes to make vnreasonable dishonest sutes which in the end notwtstaÌ„ding obtaine ther desire And not for any ryght or reasoÌ„ they haue to it saue only they haue obtained that thorough the fauor and credit they haue won of the fauored courtier or of one of his beloued So as wee see it happeÌ„ many tymes that the vniust fornication made her sute iust resonable I should lye and doo my selfe wrong mee thinks yf I should passe ouer with silence a thing that happened in the emperors court touching this matter in the which I went one day to one of the princes cheefe officers best beeloued of hym to sollycyte a matter of importauÌ„ce which an hostes of myne should haue before him And so this fauored courtier great officer after hee had hard of mee the whole discourse of the matter for full resolution of the same hee axed mee yf shee were yong fayre I auÌ„swered hym that shee was reasonable fayre of good fauor Well than sayth hee bed her com to mee I wil doo the best I can to despatch her matter with speade for I wyl assure you of this that there neuer caÌ„e fayre woman to my hands but shee had her busines quickly dispatcht at my haÌ„ds I haue knowne also many womeÌ„ in the court so vnhonest that not conteÌ„ted to folow their owne matters would also deale with others affayrs gaine in soliciting their causes so that they with their fyne words franke offer of there parsons obtayned that which many tymes to men of honor great autorytye was denyed Therfor these great officers fauored of priÌ„ces ought to haue great respect not only in the coÌ„uersatioÌ„ they haue with these womeÌ„ but also in the honest order they ought to obserue in hering theyr causes And that to bee done in such sort that what so euer they say vnto theÌ„ may bee kept secret prouided also the place where they speake with them bee open for other suters in like case ¶ That the nobles beloued of princes exceede not in superfluous fare that they bee not too suÌ„ptuous in their meates A notable chapter for those that vse too much delicacye and superfluity Chap. xviii ONe of the greatest cares and regard the nature layd vpon her self was that men could not lyue wtout sustinaÌ„ce so that so long as wee see a maÌ„ eat yea if yt were a thousaÌ„d yeares wee might bee bold to say that hee is certainly alyue And hee hath not alone layd this burdeÌ„ vpon meÌ„ but on brute bests also For wee see by experience that some feedeth on the grasse in the fyelds some liues in the ayre eating flyes others vpon the wormes in carin others with that they fynd vnder the water And finally ech beast lyueth of other and afterwards the wormes feede of vs al. And not oÌ„ly reasonable meÌ„ brute beasts lyue by eating but the trees are norrished therby wee see it thus that they in stede of meat receyue into theÌ„ for nutriture the heate of the sunne the teÌ„perature of the ayre the moysture
wholly his to dispose and possible as it were his right hand that they be those whom hee happely too hath doone much for in dispatching their affairs For lightly in such lyke feasts treasons poisonings are not practised with the maister of the feast but only with him that waiteth at the table to geeue drink or els by the cooks that dresseth the meat Also let not the courtier trust too much those whom hee hath been in company with all at dyuers feasts where hee neuer had hurt much lesse knew any little occasion to suspect yll of them touching any tresōment towards him For so at a tyme when hee suspecteth least hee may be in most daunger find him self deceiued And therefore by my councell hee shall not easely bee intreated to euery mans boord vnlesse hee bee first well assured of the company that are bidden as also of the seruants that wayt For the holes spaces of the french rydles with which they dust their corne sometimes is euen stopped with the very graines of the same corne and letteth the cleere passage of all the rest One of the greatest troubles or to terme it better one of the greatest daungers I see the fauored courtiers in is this that al the courtiers and in maner all the citizens desire to see them out of fauor or dead by some means For euery man is of this mynd that with the chaunge of things by his fall or death hee hopeth hee shal rise to some better state or happely to catch some part of his offices or lyuings An other mischief inconueniēce yet happeneth to this fauored courtier by haunting others tables that is that many times it chaunceth vnseemly vnhonest woords are let fall at the table perhaps quarel rise vppon it which though hee bee present yet hee can neither remedy nor appease it And because these things were done spoken in the presence of the esteemed of the prince hee that spake them hath credit and those that hard it discried it Yet ys there an other disorder that commeth by these feasts that is that hee that maketh the feast and biddeth guests dooth it not for that they are of hys acquayntaunce his kinsfolks or his faithfull frends nor for that hee is bound and beeholding to them but only to obtayn his desyre in his sutes that hee hath in hand for they are few that seeke to pleasure men but in hope to bee greatly recompenced Therefore those that are in fauor auctority about the prince that accept others bydding sure one of these two things must happen to them Eyther that hee must dispatch his busynes that inuyteth him yea although it be vnreasonable so vniust damnable that obtaining it both hee the fauored courtier goe to the deuyll togeethers for company for the wrong iniury they haue doone to an other or on the other syde refusing to doo it the bydder is stricken dead repenteth his cost bestowed vpon him Aboue all things I chiefly admonish the courtiers and officers of princes not to sell change nor engage their liberties as they doo the same day that they begin to follow such feasts or to receiue gyfts or presents or to lynk them selues in streight frendship with any or to deal parcially in any cause For by these foresaid occasions they shall oft bynd them selues to doo that that shal not bee fitt for them besydes the losse of their liberty they had beefore to doo that was most honest and commendable ¶ That the fauored of princes ought not to bee dishonest of their tongues nor enuyous of their woords Cap. xix ANaxagoras the philosopher disputing one day of the cause why nature had placed the members of mans body in such order as they are and of the property and complexiō of euery one of them and to what end they had been so orderly placed by nature eche member in his place falling in the end to treat of the tong said thus of it You must vnderstand my good disciples that not without art grete mistery nature gaue vs ii feete ii hands .ii. eares ii eyes yet for all this but one tongue whereby shee shewed vs the in our going feeling smelling hearing and seeing wee may bee as long as wee will but in speking wee shoold bee as sparing scant as coold bee alleging further that not without great reason also nature suffered vs to goe open bare faced the eyes the eares the hands the feete other parts of the body bare also except the tongue which shee hath enuironed with lawes inured with teeth and also shut with lips which shee did to geeue vs to vnderstand that there is nothing in this present life that hath more neede of gard defence then hath this our vnbrydled tong And therefore said Pithachus the philosopher that a mans tong is made lyke the yron poynt of a launce can but yet that it was more daungerous then that For the point of the launce can but hurt the flesh but the tongue perseth the hart And truely it was a true saying of this philosopher For I know not that man how vertuous or pacient so euer hee bee but thinks yt lesse hurt the bloody swoord shoold perce his flesh then that hee shoold bee touched in honor with the venimous point of the serpentyen tong For how cruel so euer the wound bee time dooth heal it maketh it well again but defame or infamy neither late nor neuer can bee amēded We see men refuse to goe by water for fear of drowning not to come too neere the fyer for fear of burning not to goe to the warres for fear of killing to eat no yll meats for being sick to clym vp a high for fear of falling to goe in the dark for fear of stumbling to auoid the yll ayer rayn for fear of rewmes and yet I see very few or none that can beware of detractors yll tongs And that this is true I tell you I doo not think that in any thing a man is in such perill and daunger as when hee lyueth accompanyed with men dishonest in their dooings and vyle and naught in their tongues I haue also read touching this matter that Aformius the philosopher being asked what he ment to goe the most part of his tyme amongst the desert mountains in hasard euery hower to bee deuoured of wyld beasts answered thus Wild beasts haue no other weapons to hurt mee but their horns nayls their teeth to deuour mee but men neuer cease to hurt and offend mee with al their whole members And that this is true behold I pray you how they looke at mee with their eyes spurne mee with their feete torment mee with their hands hate mee with their hart and defame mee with their tongue So that wee haue great reason to say that a man lyueth with more security amongst wyld beasts then among malignaunt and enuious people Plutarche in
being requested of the Rhodians to tel thē what that vertue was they called verity hee aūswered thē thus Verity my frends is a thing which the gods aboue al other professe her vertue is such that it warmeth the heauēs lighteth the earth maintayns iustice gouerneth the cōmon weal suffreth no ill thing in her making playn cleare al doutfull hidden things The Corinthians asked the like question also of Chilo the philosopher what veryty was who aūswered that it was a perdurable piller neuer diminishīg nor decresīg a buckler or shield impassable a faire time that is neuer troubled an army that neuer perisheth a flower that neuer withereth a sea that neuer feareth fortune a suer hauē where neuer was shipwrak Anaxarchus the philosopher was also demāded of the Lacedemonians what verity was who aūswered that it was a health wtout sicknes a life wtout end a iuleppe syrop that healeth al a sunne that neuer darkneth a moone wtout eclipse an herb that neuer drieth a gate that is neuer shut a way that neuer werieth mā The like was asked of Eschines the philosopher touching verity by the Rhodians And hee sayd that it was a vertue wtout which al force was weakned Iustice corrupted humility fained dissēbled patiens insupportable chastity vayn liberty lost pyty superfluous The like was also demaunded of Pharmacus the philosopher by the Romains And his aunswer was that veryty was a true center wherein al things reposed a card to sayle by to direct the pylot mariners a wisedom to hele recure euery man a present remedy for al euils a height in the top wherof euery mā resteth a bright light to lightē the whole world And surely this maketh mee thinke that these philosophers were great frends louers of veritie sins they did so much enrich and sublime the same with so many rare and excellent titles But omitting now these philosophers who haue truely spoken that they knew let vs come speak of him that aboue all the world hath exalted veryty which was the diuine woord and that was Ihesus Christ the onely begotten sonne of god and true glasse of eternitie who being asked the self same thing of Pylate sayd not to him I am wisedome neither Iustice nor chastitie nor paciens humilitie nor charity But onely sayd to him I am verity to let him vnderstād that euery creature might bee partaker of that verity But our lord Ihesus Christ was not partaker of that verity but the sole only possesser of the same hee being the very truth it self O of how many is this vertue desired of how few yea most few obserued For in effect it is nothing els but a mark wherat all good mē shoot with their eyes al il wicked persons lose their sight The emperor Augustus in the triumph he made of Mark Antony his loue Cleopatra amōgst others brought to Rome an Egiptiā preest of 60. years of age the senat beeing informed of a surety that days of his life hee neuer told lye they agreed not onely to restore him to liberty but to make him hygh preest of their temple and to erect a stature of him among the noble and princely parsons of Rome Sparthianus writeth that in the tyme of Claudian Emperor of Rome there deceased a citizen of Rome called Pamphilus whose dooings after his death examined it was manifestly proued that he neuer spake one true woord all his life time but always lyed in that hee sayd Which related vnto the Emperor hee commaunded hys body should not bee buryed his goods should bee confiscate and hys house rased to the foundacion and hys wife and children for euer banished Rome and all her territories to the end there should remayn no memory to the common wealth of so pestiferous and venemous a beast At that time whan these two thyngs thus happened the Romayns and Egyptians were mortall enemies and therefore by these examples wee may see of what force and power this vertue of veryty is syth the romayns made a stature to their enemy onely for that hee was a trew and iust man and depryued of sepulture their natiue chyld and a Romayn born for that hee was a lyar A trew man may goe in any place where hee lysteth freely without interruptiō accompanied with al men not fearing to bee accused of any and may wyth saftie reprooue the vicious and ill persons and fynally to conclude hee may wythout the feare of any speak in the face of the world and shew hys face amongst the best If a man will choose a frend hee neede not bee inquisityue if hee bee wyse iust chaste carefull couragious or noble but onely if hee bee trew of hys woord And if that bee so it followeth that all vertues and honesty must abound in hym Helius Sparthianus recyteth of the life of Traian the Emperor that beyng one nyght at supper and accompanied with noble men at his boord they argued of the fydelyty of frends and infydelity of enemyes whom Traian aunswered That hee neuer had frend in his life but hee was good trew honest and faythfull whereupon his lords besought hym that yt woold please hym to tell them the occasion of hys good happe in thys And hee aunswered thus The cause why I haue euer been so fortunat herein was this I neuer woold choose to my frend a lyar and couetous man For in him that raigneth auarice and lying there can neuer dwell perfyt frendship Those that are honest like so to bee reputed must endeuor them selues to speak well allways and euer to say that that is true and if they will not doo thys for consciens sake let thē doo it yet to auoid the shame that followeth them For there can bee no greater mockry or dispight doon to a man then openly to make him know hee hath lyed Wee see the chyld whē hee perceiueth hee hath told a lye hee blusheth straight is ashamed much more ought men growen of years whose face is couered with heares not onely blush but shame to tell a lye Many tymes I think what a great greef the marchant suffereth euery hower not to bee coūted a lyar whē hee vttereth his ware suer hee dooth it but because hee woold not lose his credit And lo here why they sweare cōmonly by the faith of a marchant to bee more assured where to the contrary wee see many other that in apparaunce seeme to bee honest and graue men that vse not that manner but rather they wil stick no more to tel you a lye then to lose a wheat grayn But here I speak not neither doo mean to touch those that are in deede vertuous and good men but I speak of those that thinks them selues honest and yet bee not god knoweth And therefore wee may bee assertayned that a marchaunt esteemeth more his goods and marchādise then a lier dooth his honor otherwise honesty There is nothing that preiudiceth
of such a qualitie that it foloweth new inuentions and despiseth auncient customes All the people therfore gathered togethers the good philosopher Phetonius set vp in the middest of the market place a gybet hoote yrons a swerd a whip and fetters for the feete the whiche thyng done the Thebains were no lesse as they thought slaundered thē abashed To the which he spake these wordes You Thebains sente me to the Lacedemonians to the entent I should learne their lawes and customes and in dede I haue bene ther more then a yere beholdyng al thinges very diligentely for we Philosophers are bound not onely to note that whyche is done but also to know why it is done knowe ye Thebains that this in the aunswere of my Imbassage That the Lacedemonians hang vpon this Gybet theues with this same sworde they behede traytors with these hoote Irons they torment blasphemers and lyers with these roddes they whippe vacabondes and with these Irons do keape the rebels and the others are for players and vnthriftes Finally I say that I do not bryng you the lawes written but I bring you the Instrumentes wherwith they are obserued The Thebains were abashed to se these thinges and spake vnto hym such wordes Consider Phetonius wee haue not sent the to the Lacedemonians to bring instrumentes to take away life but for the good lawes to gouerne the common wealth The philosopher Phetonius replyed again aunswered Thebains I let you wete that if ye know what we philosophers knew you shold see how far your mindes wer from the truth For the Lacedemonians are not so vertuous thoroughe the lawes whych wer made of them that be dead as for the meanes they haue sought to preserue them that be alyue For maters of Iustice consiste more in execution then in commaundyng or ordeinynge Lawes are easely ordeyned but with difficultie executed for there are a thousande to make them but to put them in execution there is not one Ful lytle is that whych men knowe that are present in respect of that those knewe which are past But yet accordyng to my litle knowledge I proffer to gyue as good lawes to you Thebains as euer wer obserued among the Lacedemoniās For there is nothing more easy then to know the good and nothynge more commen then to folow the euill But what profiteth it if one will ordeyne and none vnderstand it Yf ther be that doth vnderstand thē there is none that excuteth them Yf there be that executeth them there is none that obserueth thē Yf there be one that obserueth them ther is a thousand that reproueth them For without comparison mo are they that murmure grudge at the good then those whych blame and despise the euyll You Thebains are offended bycause I haue brought suche Instrumentes but I let you wete if you wyll neyther Gybet nor sworde to kepe that which shal be ordeyned you shall haue your bookes full of lawes and the common wealth full of vices Wherfore I sweare vnto you that there are mo Thebains whiche folowe the deliciousnes of Denis the tyraunt then there are vertuous men that folowe the lawes of Lycurgus If you Thebains do desire greatly to know with what Lawes the Lacedemonians doe preserue their common wealthe I will tel you them all by worde and if you will reade them I will shew you them in writyng But it shal be vpon condition that you shall sweare all openly that once a daye you shall employ your eyes to reade them and your parsonnes to obserue them For the prince hath greater honour to se one onely law to be obserued in dede then to ordeyne a thousand by wryting You ought not to esteame muche to be vertuous in harte nor to enquire of the vertue by the mouth nor to seeke it by labour and trauaille of the feete but that whyche you ought greatly to esteame is to know what a vertuous lawe meaneth and that knowen immediatly to execute it and afterwardes to kepe it For the chefe vertue is not to do one verteous work but in swet and trauayl to continue in it These therfore wer the wordes that this philosopher Phetonius sayde to the Thebains The whyche as Plato sayeth estemed more his wordes that he spake then they dyd the lawes whyche he brought Truly in my opinion those of Thebes are to be praysed and commended and the philosopher for his wordes is worthy to be honoured For the end of those was to searche lawes to liue well and the ende of the Philosophet was to seke good meanes for to kepe them in vertue And therfore he thought it good to shew thē and put before their eyes the gibbet and the sword with the other instrumentes and tormentes For the euill do refraine from vice more for feare of punyshement then for any desire they haue of amendement I was willyng to bring in this Historie to th ende that all curious and vertuous men may see and know how litell the auncientes did esteme the beginnynge the meane and the ende of vertuous workes in respect of the perseueraunce and preseruacion of them Commyng therfore to my matter whych my pen doth tosse and seke I aske now presentely what it profiteth princes and great ladyes that God do gyue them great estates that they be fortunate in mariages that they be all reuerenced and honored that they haue great treasures for their inheritaunces and aboue al that they se their wiues great with child that afterwardes in ioy they se them deliuered that they se theyr mothers geuing their childrē sucke finally they se them selues happy in that they haue found them good nources helthful honest Truely al this auaileth litle if to their children when they are yong they do not giue masters to enstruct thē in vertues and also if they do not recomend them to good guides to exercise thē in feates of Chiualry The fathers which by syghes penetrat the heauē by prayers importune the Liuing god only for to haue children ought first to thinke why they wil haue childrē for that iustly to any man may be denayed which to an euil end is procured In my opinion the father ought to desire to haue a child for that in his age he may susteine his life in honour that after his doth he may cause his fame to liue And if a father desireth not a son for this cause at the least he ought to desire him to the end in his age he may honour his horye hed and that after his death he may enheryte his goodes but wee see few children do these thynges to their fathers in theyr age if the fathers haue not taught them in their youth For the fruite doeth neuer grow in the haruest vnlesse the tree dyd bere blosommes in the spryng I see oftentimes many fathers complaine of their Children sayenge that they are disobedient and proude vnto theim and they doe not consydre that they them selues are the cause of all those euilles For
prince is neuer well obeied onelesse he hath good credēce among his people I say this Faustine because you do one thing in secrete say another openly herein faileth the credence of so high a lady putteth in suspect the auctority of so great an empire If you suppose my good desires be sinister in your hart for the wealth of your owne children how should we hope then in any of your good workes for the children of straungers It semeth to you better to giue your doughter to them that demaund her of the mother and refuse them that the father doth chose Certainly because you are a woman you desire pardon but in that you are a mother you augment your fault Do you not know that mariages are guyded some by fortune and some by vertues wisedome Such as demaund the doughters of the fathers beleue me theyr eyes be more vpon their owne proper vtility then vpon the wealth of another I know wel you bring forth the children but the goddes will mary them syth they haue endewed them with so marueilous beauty Do you not know that the beautye of women setteth straungers on desire and putteth neighbours in suspection to great men it geueth feare to meane men enuy to the parents infamy and peril to the persons them selues with great paine it is kepte that is desyred of many Of truth I say the beauty of women is nothing but a signe for idle folke an early waking for them that be light wheras of straung desires lieth the renowne of themselues and I denye not but that a lyght person sercheth soner a woman with a faire face then one of an honest lyfe But I say that a woman that is maried onely for her beauty maye hope in her age to haue an euyll life It is an infallyble rule that she that was maried for her fayrenesse shal be despised for her foulenesse O what trouble he offereth hymselfe vnto whych marieth a fayre woman It behoueth hym to suffer her pride for beauty folly alway go together Also he must suffer her expences for follye in the heade beauty in the face be two wormes which freate the lyfe and wast the goods Also he must suffer her riots for a faire woman wil that none but she haue her commaundements in the house Also he must suffer her nice minions for many faire women wil passe their lyues in pleasure Also he must suffer her presumption for euery faire woman wil haue prehemenence before al other Finally he that marieth with a faire woman putteth himselfe in great ieopardy And I shal tel you wherfore surely Carthage was neuer so enuyroned with Scipions as the house of a faire woman is with light persons O vnhappie husband when his spirite is at rest and the body sleping then those lyght persons ronne about the house sleying his body with ielosye casting their eyes at the windowes scalyng the walles with ladders singing swete songes playing on dyuerse instruments watching at the gates treatynge with bandes vncoueringe the house and waytinge at euerye corner therof Al these things in case they shoote at the pricke of womans beautie they leaue not to shoote at the butte of the sorowful husbands good name whether this be true or not let them aske my selfe that am maried with your beauty and let them wite of my renowne that go so about the cytie I say much but truly I fele more no man complayneth of the goddes for geuyng him a foule wife amonge his destinies whyte siluer is not wrought but in blacke pitche and the tender tree is not preserued but by the harde barke I saye a man that marieth a foule wife leadeth a sure lyfe let euerye man chose as he lysteth I say a man that marieth a faire wife casteth his good name at hasard and putteth his life in peril Al the infamy of our predecessours stode in exercising of deedes of armes and now al the pastime of the Romaine youthe is to serue Ladies When a woman is bruted to be fayre then euery man goeth thither taketh great payne to serue her the woman wil be sene I say Faustine you neuer saw a damosel Romaine greatly renowmed in beauty but eyther in dede or in suspicion there went some euyl report of her name In that lytle that I haue red I haue herd of diuers fayre women both of Grece Italy Parth Rome and they be not in memorye because they were faire but for the great perils and misaduentures whych through their beautyes chaunced in the world For by reason of their excellent beautyes they were vysited in their owne lands for their infamy shamed through al the world When the realme of Carthage flourished in riches and was fortunate in armes they ruled the common wealth by wyse phylosophers that they repulsed their enemyes by strong armes Arminius the phylosopher was as greatly esteamed among the Carthagians as Homere was amonge the Grekes or Cicero amonge the Romaines He lyued in this world .122 yeres .80 of the which good yeares he lyued most quyetly he was as much turned from women as geuen to his bookes Then the senate seing he had such experience in the affayres of the weale publyke so withdrawen from al natural recreations they desired him with great instaunce to be maried to thintent the memory might be had of so excellēt a wise man in time to come the more importune they were the more he resisted and said I wil not be maried for if she be foule I shal abhorre her Yf she be riche I must suffer her If she be poore I must mainteine her If she be faire I must take hede of her If she be a shrew I cannot suffer her And the lest pestilence of al those is sufficient to slea a M. men With such words this wise man excused himselfe But in the end through great study in his age he lost his sight wherby the solytarines of his swete lybertye constrayned him to take the company of a woman by whom he had a doughter of the whyche descended the noble Amilears of Carthage competitours of the Scipions of Rome The which shewed no lesse worthinesse in the defence of Carthage thē oures did courage in the amplifiyng of Rome Tel me Faustine may not such suspicion fal vpon your doughter though her vertue succour her in the peril and her honestie assure her person I wil discouer a secret thing to you Ther is nothing that can chaunce euyl to a woman if she be enuironed with feminine shamefastnes Greatly they desire and with much importunytie they procure those thinges which highly may be attayned There is nothing soo certaine as this that the wealth of an other is the cause of his owne euil And Faustine ye know that the most honest women by our malyce are most desired Certainly their shamefastnes and keping close be arrowes in defēce of our honestie We reade not that the bloud riches nor beauty of
the vnhappie matrone Lucrece were the cause that she was desired but the beautie of her vysage the grauytie of her personne the honesty of her lyuing the keping of her selfe close in her house the spendyng of her time and credite among her neighboures the great renowne that she had among straūgers prouoked the folish Tarquine to comit with her adultrye by force What thinke you wherof came this I shal shew you We that be euyl are so euyl that we vse euil the goodnes of them that be good The fault hereof is not in the Ladyes of Rome but rather in the immortal goddes Their cleane honestye declareth our cruel malice Faustine you say your doughter is to yong to be maried Do you not know that the good father oughte to endoctrine his sonnes frome their age and to prouide for his doughters whyles they be yonge Of a trouth if the fathers be fathers and the mothers mothers as sone as the goddes haue geuen them a daughter forthwith they ought to be myndfull therof and neuer forget it til they haue prouided her a husband The fathers ought not to tary for riches nor the mother for her linage the better to mary them so what with the one and the other the time passeth and the doughter waxeth aged and in this maner they be to old to be maried and to lyue alone they cānot so that they themselues liue in paine the fathers in thought and the parentes in suspection least they should be cast away O what great ladyes haue I knowen the doughters of great senatours which not for fault of richs nor of vertues in their persons but al only for differring of time and driuyng from one houre to an other so that at last sodaine death come to the fathers and no prouision was made for the doughters So that some were couered vnder the earth after their death others buried with forgetfulnes being alyue Eyther I lye or els I haue red in the lawes of the Rhodians these wordes We commaund the father in maryinge tenne sonnes to trauaile but one daye but to mary one vertuous doughter let hym trauaile ten yeares yea and hazarde his bodye in the water vppe to the chinne sweate droppes of of bloude alter the stomake disherite all his sonnes lose his goodes and aduenture his person These words in this law were pitiful for the doughters no lesse graue for the sonnes For .x. sonnes by the law of men are bound to go ouer al the world but the doughter by this good law ought not to go out of the house I say moreouer that as things vnstable thret fallyng so likewise it chaunceth to yong damosels which thinketh al their time lost and superfluous vnto the day of their mariage Homere sayth it was the custome of ladyes of Grece to count the yeres of their life not from the time of their birth but from the time of their mariage As if one demaunded a Grecian her age she would aunswere .20 yeres if it were .20 sithe she was maried though it wer .60 yeres sith she was borne Affirming after they had a house to gouerne and to commaund that day she beginneth to liue The Melon after it is ripe and abydeth still in the gardeine cannot escape but eyther it must be gathered or els it rotteth I say the mayden that tarieth long tyll she be maried can not escape eyther to be taken or infamed I wil saye no more As sone as the grapes be ripe it behoueth that they be gathered so it is necessary that the woman that is come to perfect age be maried And the father that doth this casteth peril out of his house bringeth himselfe out of care and getteth much contentacion of his doughter ¶ Of a letter whych the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to Piramon hys especial frend to comfort him in his troubles Cap. vii MArke oratour Romaine borne at mount Celio to Piramon of Lion my great frend desireth health to thy person and strengthe and vertue against thy sinister fortune In the thirde kalendes of Ianuarye I receyued thy letter wherby I perceiue thou hast receyued one of myne I regard not much thy words but I esteame greatlye thy meanynge So that without declaring therof I haue gathered the sentence Reason would because I haue writen so often to the that thou shouldeste the better vnderstand me but thou art so slouthful that though I call the thou wilt not heare nor though I strike the thou wilt not fele But now to come to the purpose Thou knowest Piramon how nere we be in parentage aunciēt in frendship stedfast in loue and tender of herts how faithful in al things wherin one true frend might proue another Thou remembrest well when we were at Rhodes that we dwelled together in one house and did eate at one table al that thou thoughtest I did it in effect and that I sayd thou neuer gainesaydest Certainly thou were in my harte and I in thine entrailes I was thine and thou were myne We being together it semed to al other that we were but one of one wil. What a matter is this Thou writest how thou art heauy yet thou doest not tel the cause why Thou complaynest that thou art almost dead and thou shewest me not who taketh from the thy life If thou wilt not shew to me thy troubles sith thou art my frende I wil thou know that I demaund it of right If thou wilt not I wyl that thou know that the piteful gods haue determyned that al pleasures ioye shal departe from my house and that al heuines sorowes shal be lodged in my person Sith I am prince of al honor in tribulacion if thou wouldest thou canst not escape out of my siegnory For if thou complaine that thou art vnhappye in fortune then I esteme my selfe to be happie in vnhappines I demaund one thing of the when hast thou sene me haue sufficient and thou nede when hast thou sene me slepe and thou wake and when hast thou trauailed and I rested Of trouth sith the goods and persons are their owne proper the trauailes and euil aduentures are alwaies common One thing thou oughtest to know if in myne amytie thou wilt perseuer that all my goodes are thine al thyne euyls are myne sith thou was borne to pleasure I to trouble I say not this fainyngly for thou haste had experience of me that when Maria thy sister died who was no lesse vertuous then faire thou perceiuedst wel when she was with earth couered dead I was with sorowes ouerwhelmed alyue and at the sowne of my teares thine eyes daunced Sythe thou hast such confidence in my person surely thou maist discouer to me thy paine Yet as often as I haue demaunded there hath no famed excuses wanted I require the and desire the againe and in the name of the Gods I pray the and in their names I coniure the that thou powre al thy sorowes into mine