as by experience we see all things to haue a care of his owne life The Lion when he feeleth hym self sicke he neuer ceaseth vntil he féedeth vpon an Ape whereby he maie recouer former health The Gotes of Creet féedyng on high vpon the mountaines when any of them is shot through with an Arrowe as the people of that countrey are most excellent archers they seeke Dictamum and hearbe assone as they eate any thyng of the same the arrowe faleth downe and the wound waxeth whole incontinent There are certen kyndes of Frogges in Aegypt about the floud of Nilus that haue this perseueraunce that when by chaunce they happen to come where a fishe called Varus is whiche is a greate mourtherer and a spoyler of Frogges they vse to beare in their mouthes ouerthwart a long réede which groweth about the bankes at Nilus whiche when this fishe doth gape thinkyng to feede vpon the Frog the réede is so long that by no meanes can he swallowe vp the Frogge and so saue their liues If the Gotes of Creet If the frogges of Aegypt haue this vnderstanding to auoide their enemies how muche more ought men to be circumspect of his life which hath I saie millions of enemies nether séen nor knowen We reade in the first boke of Aelian that the rude swine if at any tyme by chaunce they eate of that hearbe called Hioscyamus which draweth by by the vaines together that skant thei can stirre yet they striue for remedie sake to goe vnto the water where they feede vppon yong Crabbes to recouer health In the same booke ye maie reede of a Sea Snaill whiche from the water doth come vnto lande to breede and after she hath egged she diggeth the yearth and hideth her egges and retourneth vnto the sea again and there continueth .xl. daies and after .xl. daies she commeth vnto the same self place where she hidde her egges and perceiueth that thei are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her yong ones with her vnto the sea And thus haue they care charge not onely of their owne states and liues but also of others and by some shewe of sence thei amende that which is most daungerous and hurtfull for the sely and simple mise haue this kynde of fore knowledge that when any howse waxeth olde and ruinous they forsake their olde dwellyng and creepyng holes they flee and seeke refuge in an other place The little Antes haue foresightes that when penury and want of relife draweth nier they waxe so painefull and laborious toilyng and trauailyng in gatheryng together victualles as maie serue them duryng the tyme of famine If these smale crepyng wormes seely and simple beastes prouide for them selues what shall wee saie of man the kyng and ruler ouer all beastes who hath not onely a bodie to prouide for but also a soule to saue More happie are these wormes and beastes in their kinde then a nomber of Princes are For that they by nature onely are taught their foes to auoide neither we by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnes can loue our frendes Therefore verie well it is saide of the wise man that either not to be borne or els beyng borne streight to die is the happiest state that can chaunce vnto man For liuyng in this vale of miserie wee sée the Pilgrimages and trauell of life to be such that better farre it were be a poore quiet man then a busie proude Prince And sith death is the last line of life aswell appointed for princes as for poore men who in reading the liues of Emperours Kinges and Princes the nobles of the worlde seeth not their vnhappie states whiche commyng vnto the worlde naked and departyng from the same naked yet like proude pilgrimes busie one to destroye another not coÌ„tented with countries and kingdomes go from one place vnto another from one couÌ„trie vnto another like Pilgrimes to bee acquainted with miserie and to seeke death Alexander the great conquerour takyng his voiage from his kyngdome of Macedonia vnto India to destroie all the worlde hee was in the citie of Babilon preueÌ„ted by Antipater and Iola his taster and kinsman with poison and there he died Philopomen a greate Emperour sometyme in Greece beyng in prison in Messena taken in the warres and beyng so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates whiche then was Prince of that countrie and conquerour ouer hym one draught of poison he coulde not be coÌ„tent to be Emperour and ruler of Greece but moued to seeke death in a straunge countrie amongest his foes Ladislaus kyng of Apulia endeuouryng to subdue the Florentines and séekyng to bee kyng ouer the Florentines he loste the kingdome of Apulia For by them was hee at length poisoned and so berefte from his owne kingdome and life with this vnhappie kinde of death wer many princes preuented no lesse thretened are these princes of their owne houshold frendes then of foren foes no lesse do their childreÌ„ their wiues brethren and kinsmen studie to destroie them sometyme for the kingdomes sake some tyme for hatered hidden and most ofteÌ„ prouoked of these to spoile them as it is written that Claudius Caesar an Emperour of Rome was poisoned of his owne wife Agrippina Antiochus king of Siria was poisoned of his Queene Laodice for that hee was in loue with Berenices Kynge Ptholomeus sister Constantine the Emperour the soonne of Heraclius beeyng but one yere a ruler of his empire was poisoned by his mother in lawe named Martina The verie cause of the Emperour Conradus death whiche was Frederikes soonne was the Empire and rule of Rome whiche Manfredus his successour made the phisicions for money to poison him that then hee beyng the successour of the empire might beare rule O vnhappie state of Princes whose liues are desired of frende and foe How sore was L. Vectius set on of Caesar to betraie Pompeius the greate whiche for the loue and zeale that Pompeius had in Rome Caesar began to malice Lucullus Curio Cato and Cicero for their priuate loue towarde Pompeius no lesse daunger it is to be in fauour with princes sometime then perilous to bee princes wee reade of a Quéene named Rosimunda the doughter of kyng Cunimunda of Gepida after that she poisoned Albonius king of Longobardes hir first housebande she maried a prince of Rauenâ—a named Helinges which likewise she thought to poison but beyng warned in y e middest of his draught he caused his wife to drinke the reste whiche drinke was the cause of both their death howe manie noble Princes in the middest of their Pilgrimages died that death as Diocletian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius kyng of France Carolus the eight of that name with diuers others as Hanibal prince of Carthage Aristobolus king of Iuda and Lucullus Emperour of Rome Princes and noble men doe sometyme poyson theimselues lest they should
which his predicessor had hidde made his prayer vnto God that he might neuer die before he hadde spent all that money which he founde The Couetous gathereth not for him selfe but for an other which he knoweth not A Couetous man musing and studying alwaies how he might liue being constrayned to mooue from one bedde vnto another for payne and toyle hée tooke in mind his wife demaunding the cause of his restlesse state to whome he sayd Wife I studie how I maye ende this yeare and I sée that I haue sufficient for all the yeare sauing for one daye and for that daye onely I vexe and molest my selfe to know how I may discharge that day his wife comforted him with all meanes shée coulde but he coulde not be at reste At length he founde this sleight calling his wife vp vnto him priuily sayde what I haue determined to doe thou shalt vnderstande wife that daye which I haue tolde you of I will take vpon mée to die that thereby with wéeping and sadnesse without meate and drinke we will escape the charges thereof which being done of his wife and layde vnder the Table the seruauntes and the familie comming fro the fielde astonied at the sodaine chaunce saying their Pater noster after long sadnesse at length called for meate the wife wéeping aunswered them that they shoulde mourne that daye for their mayster but hungrie seruauntes gréedie of vittayles woulde néedes haue meate the man heauing his heade vp and putting by the Carpet to sée whether they were at meate one of the seruauntes espied him and supposing him to be the Deuill that was with his Maysters corpes hée tooke a great staffe and brainde his Mayster in stéede of the Diuell the good wife cryed and sayde that he had killed hir husbande he denied and saide it was the diuell The matter being brought before the Iudge who vnderstanding the life of that couetous man was perswaded that the Diuell watcht with the bodie and that the good wife was deceyued ANother being sicke of the palsey and like to die was admonished of his kinsmen and fréendes to receyue the sacrament and to thinke of his soule the sicke man being so weake coulde not speake nor make no signes vnto his freendes for all that they could do At length one of the house which well knew his nature sayde that if any life were in him hée woulde make him either speake or geue signes tooke the Keye from his beddes head and went about to open his Coffer which stoode at his beddes foote full of money the couetous sicke man with head féete and with all his body made tokens and signes that his soule was there and that if his money shoulde be taken away hée shoulde presently dye THe like examples of another couetous man whiche when the priest according vnto the custome in those dayes woulde annoint him being sicke and like to dye he perceyuing scant that hee was touched for his imbecilitie and weaknesse his minde more occupied on his purse then on his sicknesse was woont to say féeling the Priestes hande Who toucheth my purse ANother great Prince was so couetous that being besieged in a certen Citie called Baldac of a strong King hauing money sufficient wealth substaunce abundant within the Cittie for very desire hée had to kéepe the money he lost the Citie and being taken captiue was demaunded of the King why he suffred his citie to be subdued his souldiours slaine and himselfe to be taken hauing so much wealth within the Citie as might defende the Cittie saue the men and kéepe himselfe from Captiuitie he being not able to aunswere the cause helde his peace The King perceyuing hys couetous minde to be the cause of all destruction sayde Come tell me where thy money is and being brought to a huge tower where he caried his money to saue shewed the King where the money was The King tooke the keye and lockt him fast with his money in the hie Tower saying I will neuer do thée that iniurie to take thée away from that which thou louest better than thy life commaunding no man vppon paine of death to beare him eyther meate or drinke and so most wretchedly suffred him to die for hunger hauing golde and siluer ynough lying by him Examples of hearing VAlerius reciteth a History of a certen young man of Athens named Polemus giuen much to â—anqueting and drinking being allured vnto all pleasures hauing his felicitie in eating and drinking and fine clothing comming vnto the schoole of Anaxagoras being so well charged with Wine and so braue in apparell that the schollers of Anaxagoras stomaked him for his dronkennesse to come there but Anaxagoras perceyuing the case of Polemus left to speake of that which he then hadde in hande and turned his talke to speake of that temperancie and sobrietie which when Polemus hearde so learnedly and skilfullye hée threwe downe his Garlande from his heade hée chaunged hys countenaunce wayled his former life and from that time forewarde Polemus liued honestly VLisses willing to auoyde the swéete songs of flattering Cirses fearing lest the like shoulde happen vnto him as it did vnto diuers others stopt his eares and his seruauntes with waxe and so auoyded the danger thereof So to heare good and holsome things with Polemus it is fruitefull and to heare flatterie lette all men stoppe their eares with Vlisses ¶ Examples of discorde IN a certen I le there dwelt some Hermettes which for discorde and inwarde contention the Mise of the I le consumed their victualles that they were enforced to make agréement of them selues in so much Apollonius willing to trauell in making some friendes that were foes one of the parties sayde that hée had rather die than to be made friendes Well sayde Apollonius and die thou shalt and thy graue shall be the bellies of wilde beastes and flying foules and euen that night hée died sodainely and was deuoured of beastes as Apollonius sayde for his Tigrishe and cruell minde ¶ Examples of friendshippe THere were two friendes the one an Egyptian the other a Citizen of Baldac this Egyptian making much of his friende and so well loued him that nothing which he hadde wanted him By fortune this Egiptian waxed poore and so néedie that he was enforced to come vnto the Cittie Baldac to knowe what his friende woulde doe for him and being ashamed of his poore estate watching a conuenient time to present him vnto his friende went all night vnto a Barne to sléepe that night a murther was committed and a man slaine caried by chaunce into the Barne where being founde in the morning this poore Egyptian was accused before the Iudges that hée murthered the man and being iudged to die his friende being on the bench calling to minde that it was hée that made much of him in Egypt forthwith rose and sayde that it was not that man that slue the man but euen hée himselfe The other denayed affirming that he was iustly condemned and that
Marcus Antonius was conuicted by Augustus Caesar the Emperour she had rather to bee ouercomed with Serpentes then subdued by Caesar. With this death was Opheltes Lycurgus sonne kyng of Menea vanquished Again some of wilde Bores and ragyng Lions perished as Anceus kyng of Sâ—mos and Paphages kyng of Ambracia perished in the like miserie the one by a Boore the other by a Lion Some by Dogges as Linus Apollos sonne Plini in his seuenth booke maketh mention of a Quéene in Bythinia named Cosinges kyng Nicomedes wife whom her owne dogges slue and tare in péeces Euripides that learned Greeke commyng in the nighte tyme from Archelaus kyng of Macedonia with whom he had béen at supper was by an ill willer of his mette named Promerus whiche set his dogges to mangle hym vnto death EueÌ„ so were Heraclitus and Diogines bothe Philosophers by dogges likewise deade I maie not forget so greate a Prince as Basilius the Emperour of Macedon which in huntyng emongest his lordes and nobles yea emoÌ„gest thousandes of his Commons he onely meetyng a Harte in the chase was prickt in the legge and so died As for Seleucus kyng of Siriae soone vnto Antiocus surnamed the GOD and Bela kyng of Pannonia thei were bothe throwen by their horses and so died If these mischaunces happen vnto princes in the middest of their glorie and state what is it then but miserie of mortalitie and pilgrimages of Princes sithe nothyng expelleth fate nor can auoide death Some so wearie of life some so fearfull of death that thei threwe them self vnto waters to be drouned others for all diligente feare watchyng for death were moste shamfully notwithstandyng by death preuented Fredericke the Emperour marchyng towardes Ierusalem after that he had taken Cities and Tounes in Armenia in passyng through a little riuer he was drouned Decius that noble and stoute Kyng enforced to take his flighte from the Gothes with whom he then was in warres was drouned in the Marishe grounde Marcus Marcellus after that he had been a Consull in Rome three tymes before the thirde warres betwixte the Romains and the Carthagians was likewise by a shipwracke cast awaie Howe many noble Princes were drouned with Pharo kyng of Aegypte in the redde sea we rede in the sacred scriptures How many again that seas and waters spoiled from life wee reade of whiche altered the names of the seas and waters when thei were drouned with their owne names As by Aegeus kyng of Athens death the sea Aegeum was called By Tirrhenus death king of Lidia the sea was called Tirrhen And so kyng Tyberinus altered the riuer named Aelbula by his death to be the Riuer of Tiber. Againe the Sea HellespoÌ„t by a woman named Helle. The sea Hesperides by the maides called Hesperides So by Icarus and Myrtilus the sea of Icarus and the Sea Myrton were spoken To many wer by waters spoiled as we se daily by experience As for honger diuers Princes againe died yea compelled to eate their owne fleshe as Erisicthon and Neocles a Tyraunt of Scycioma whiche for his cruell tyrannie vnto Athens he tasted of the same feaste hym self It is written in Curtius that Queene SysigaÌ„bis kyng Darius mother died of honger Who so readeth Chronicles shall finde diuers mischauÌ„ces happen vnto princes from tyme to tyme for that thei bee enuied at for Vlixes the Greke leste any ofspryng of Hector should rise in Phrigia to reuenge the falle of Troye and his countrey caste Hectors sonne Astianax ouer the walles a liue EueÌ„ as somtime Lycurgus king of Thracia was of his owne Subiectes throwen headlong vnto the sea for that he first mingled water with wine How many famous and noble princes were stoned and by stones deade as valiaunte Pyrrhus kyng of the Epirotes beyng in warres with Antigonus was slaine by an olde woman with a Tile stone at Argos PyraÌ„der at what tyme the Athenians warred against Eumolpus for that he feared famine hidden the wheat from his souldiours was therefore of theim stoned to death Euen so was Cinna the Romain at the warres betwixte the FreÌ„chemen and Rome for the like thing stoned vnto death stoute Cebrion king Priamus sonne was slaine by a stone of Patroclus at the siege of Troy so was Cignus of Achilles at the same time O vnstedfaste Fortune that little stones should ende so many famous liues of Princes O vnprudente Princes that knowe not how nigh alwaies ye are vnto death How many did God punishe and plague with sodaine death for their offences and misliuyng as Mythridates kyng of Pontus Nicanor the soonne of Parmenio kyng of Macedonia as Curtius in his v. booke dooe write died sodainly Sertorius was slaine sodainly at a banquette by Vpenna The Emperour Heliogabalus was killed vpon his stoole at his easemente and throwen vnto Tiber Carbo a noble Romaine after that sorte while he was easyng hym self vpon his stall was commaunded to bee murthered by Pompeius That renowmed and famous Conquerour Iulius Caesar was in the middest of the Citie of Rome where he was Emperour yea in the Senate house murthered and maÌ„gled of Brutus and Cassius Diuers Consuls in Rome died this death as Fabius Maximus Gurges the Senatour and Manlius Torquatus eueÌ„ at his supper died presently Thus some with Thunderboltes did God likewise punishe as Prince Capaneus slaine at the warres of Thebes Tullius Hostilus kyng of Rome was with a Thunderbolt for his insolencie and pride â—laine Zoroastes king of the Bactrians the firste inuentour of Magique was likewise by that kinde of death ouer taken Pride in princes was the onely cause of their falles in so muche the Poetes faine that the greate monstrous and huge Giaunt named Euceladus for his proude enterprise againste Iuppiter was throwen with a Thunderbolte vnto the bottome of Aetna a fierie and flamyng Mountaine The vncertaine state of Princes the flattrie before and the enuie behinde is seen and tried by their death Who liueth so shorte a tyme as a Prince Who dieth so straunge a death as a prince Who liueth in care Who dieth liuyng but a prince was not Sergius Galba and Commodus the sonne of Marcus surnamed Anbilius twoo Emperours of Rome the one by Otho strangled in the Markette place of Rome the other by Marcia his owne Concubine after he ruled Rome xiij yeres Was not I saie Lentulus beeyng taken in conspiracie with that wicked Cateline slaine and mangled at the commaundement of Cicero who then was CoÌ„sull at Rome Likewise Cethegus Gabinius Ceparius and Stabilius for that thei rebelled with Catelin were appoincted by the Senatours to bée strangled in prison Nothyng so vncertaine as the state of princes nothing more deceiptfull then princes again as well proued by histories For Minoes kyng of Crete trauailyng after Daedalus vnto Sicilia was there of his great freÌ„de kyng Cocalus as
cause is the Greeke virgine Marina and Euphrosina a maide of Alexandria worthy preferred before Cleocritus Clisthenes for that they wente in the apparell of men to liue in the wildernesse to auoide luste and sensualitie the others wente in the apparel of women to begile women Caelius doeth report certaine women as Mantinea Lasthenia Axiothea and Phliasia would come in their apparell like men to heare Plato reade Philosophie in schoole The cause of their dissimulations was vertue and honeste life The cause of the others craftes and dissembling feates was vice and ill life so that dissimulation is either good or bad For wee reade at what tyme the launcyng laddes of Grece had determined to fetche home againe faire Helene Menelaus wife from Troie where she was rauished by Paris kyng Priamus soonne that then Achilles the stoutest and worthieste of all the Greekes while yet he slepte in the tente of Chiron his mother Thetis which the poetes fain to be a Goddesse sodainly tooke hym frō Chirons house chaunged his apparel like a woman appoincted where he should hide hym self with the doughters of kyng Lycomedes where he got of one of theim with childe whiche was Pyrrhus which was Deidamia soonne and commaunded hym to betraie him to no man for she knewe that her sonne Achilles should die in Troie if he would goe thether There Achilles a long while at the commaundement of his mother Thetis was vntill the oracle was giuen that the citie of Troie should neuer bée destroied without the helpe of Achilles Vlixes beyng moste subtile and craftie tooke vpon hym to seeke out Achilles tooke a little coffer full of fine wares meete for women and a strong bowe and arrowes which when Vlixes came vnto kyng Lycomedes doughters knowyng Achilles to bee there but because he was in the apparaill of a woman he knewe hym not and therefore shewed his fine ware vnto the kynges doughters a stronge bowe bente by hym while Deidamia and the reste of her sisters viewed the glisteryng ware of Vlixes Achilles stepte by and tooke Vlixes bowe in hande and drewe it whereby Vlixes straight perceiued by the drawing of so strong a bowe that he was Achilles and thus one crafte beguileth an other one deceipte deceiueth an other and one dissemblyng manne findeth out an other for by this meanes of craftie Vlixes was the dissimulation of Achilles knowen I might haue iuste occasion here to speake of those that were muche giuen vnto softe clothyng gaie apparaill and delicate fare as Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers delited to go braue in gorgious apparell with chaines and ringes and had herein greate felicitie Demosthenes and Hortenfius twoo famous and noble Oratours the one of Athens the other of Rome went so trimme and fine in their clothes with suche neate and wanton gesture that L. Torquatus would often call Hortensius Dionisias soonne for that she had greate pleasure in dauncyng and gestures of bodies but I will omitte suche and speake of dissemblyng persons whiche thought to hurt others destroied theim selues as that stronge Golias contempnyng all Israell in force and strength Iudith a selie woman ouercame hym Hammon was hanged vpon that galowes that he prepared for Mardocheus euen Absalon goyng about to destroie his father kyng Dauid hanged by the heares of his heade by Gods appoinctement ¶ Of Famine CICERO in his firste booke of Tuscilane questions doeth note the saiyng of Socrates that hounger was the beste sauce for meate and thurste the beste occasion to drinke Wherefore Kyng Dionisius the tyraunt hearyng muche report of the Lacedemoniās fare and specially of their Poddage whiche was called Ius nigrum the blacke Poddage bought a Cooke of the countrey as her seruaunt to diet hym in the ordinarie fare of the Lacedemonians whiche after muche paine taken of the Cooke in makyng these foresaid Poddage was had he broughte a measse thereof vnto the kyng whiche sore longed for it whiche assone as he tasted of it he powred it againe out of his mouthe verie angrie vnto the Cooke saiyng Is this the famous fare and Princely Poddage that the Lacedemonians so muche bragge of my dog should not said Dionisius eate this the Cooke perceiuyng the glottonie and excesse fare of the kyng saied O Dionisius when so euer thou eate of this Poddage thou must bring fit sauce for this meate whiche is Lacedemonians stomacke for the Princes of Sparta haue more pleasure in this kinde of fare then euer kyng Midas had in his golden banquettes What maketh any meate sweete hounger Or what causeth man to féede pleasauntly hounger What causeth any drinke pleasaunte thurste For at what tyme Darius enforced of meere thurste to drinke of a lake all defiled with stinkyng carkases of deade souldiors beyng then in warres and cōpelled then to take his flight he saied after his draught that he neuer dranke sweter drinke in his life Though this king was a proude prince ouer the Persians and had all kinde of wines at commaundement yet his excesse and aboundance then his want and penurie now his small stomacke then his thurstie stomacke nowe was the onely cause of this noble drinke whiche he so muche commended and preferred before all the wine that euer he dranke before Euen so reported kyng Artaxerxes in his warres when his victuales and all were spoiled by the enemies of fewe drie Figges of a peece of a Barley loffe vpon whiche he fedde so hongerly that he spake after this sorte O good Lorde of how greate a pleasure haue I been this while ignoraunte Lisimachus like wise beyng in warres in Thracia Domicianus the Emperoure where he and all his souldiours were kepte so longe without drinke vntill he was so thurstie that he was enforced and all his hoste to yelde as captiues to the Emperour Domitianus and nowe beyng in captiuitie hauyng a draught of drinke of the Emperour he saied O GOD that I should make my self from a king to be a captiue from a noble prince of Grece to bee a bonde slaue vnto the Romains for one draught of drinke Se what honger and thurste is how it hath made kynges to yelde princes to be vāquished Yea hath made Kyng Ptholomie in his owne kingdome and countrey kingdom of Aegipte to cōmende a peece of bread which was giuen him in a poore cottage to saie that he neuer eate better meate nor more comfortable cheare in his life thou that peece of bread was It was the very order of that noble Emperoure Iulius Caesar in all his warres more with famine then with sworde to vanquishe his enemies For this famous warrier would often saie that euen as the Phisicion would vse his paciētes so would he vse the enemies The rule of y e phisicion is to make his paciente faste to recouer his healthe The order of Caesar was to kepe the enemies from victuall to make theim yelde
practize with malice two daughters of tyranny neuer séene but hidden in the hartes of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowisse feared their policie commended their knowledge knowen their fame spread ouer the whole worlde but when enuie began to soiorne in Gréece and malice to builde her bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grimme Gorgons oppressed Castles destroyed Countreys subdued kingdomes depopulated cities in fine triumphed ouer all Gréece and Italie Hanibal of Carthage Iugurth of Numidia Pirrhus of Epire most valiaunt puissaunt and mighty Princes with long warres and great slaughter withall Their force and powers might not then hurt Rome halfe so much as hidden hatred betwéene them selues in Rome Againe Alexander the great valiaunt Cirus famous Zerxes most mightie conquerours with all their strength of warres coulde not annoy Gréece halfe so much as inwarde enuy betwéene the cities of Gréece What caused Iulius Caesar to war against his son in law Pompeius Enuie What made Adrian the Emperor to despise y e worthy fame of Traian Enuie What mooued Cato surnamed Vtica to kil him self Enuie vnto Caesar hidden hatred working for priuate gaine and rash counsell of flatterye which is harde most often in the enuious mouth haue destroyed kingdomes Enuie entred firste into the heartes of Princes arrested the worthyest conqueror of the world waded the bowels of the wyse blusht not to attaint the learned Philosophers in the mydst of Athens Hercules in killing the great Dragon Priapus that watched in the garden of Hesperides in destroying the rauening birdes Stimphalides in conquering the raging and furious Centaures in vanquishing terrible monsters as Gereon Cerberus and Diomedes in ouercomming the Lion the Boore and the Bull in ouertaking the gilded Hart and last for his conquest of the huge and prodigious Hidra in the seruice of Lerna won no lesse enuie of some than iustly hée deserued fame of others Theseus to imitate the hauty attempts of Hercules ouercame Thebes slue Minotaurus in the dennes of Labirinthus subdued Creon the tiraunt with diuers other large enterprises as one more wyllyng to enuie the fame of Hercules then desirous to deserue fame by lenity and quietnesse So might I speake of Iulius Caesar that enuied Alexander the great and Alexander likewise that enuied Achilles And thus alwayes enuie was fostered with Princes With the wise and learned enuie bare great sway as betwixt Plato and Zenophon the best and grauest Philosophers in their time betwixt Demosthenes and Aeschines betwixt Aristotle and Isocrates one despising the other Such slaughter grew of enuie that one brother kylled another the sonne the father and the father likewise the sonne as Romulus slue his brother Remus of enuie lest he might hée king in Rome Cambises King of Persea killed his brother Mergides as Herodotus doth write of enuie Enuie caused Anacharsis the Philosopher to bée slaine of his own brother Caduidus King Iugurth murthered both his brethren Hiempsalis Adherbales that he only might raigne King in Numidia Cain did kyll his brother Abel the scripture doth testifie that his sacrifice was once accepted Thus enuie was séene and known to bée betwixt brethren betwixt the parentes and their childreÌ„ the like we reade that enuy committed horrible and terrible murther aswell betwixt the husbande and the wife as the children towarde their Parentes as in short examples verified Clitemnestra slue hir owne husbande Agamemnon and shée againe slaine by hyr sonne Orestes Quéene Semiramis kilde likewise hir husbande king Minus and shée kilde euen so by hir son called Minus Agrippina murthered hir husbande Tiberius and shée was euen so murthered of hir sonne Nero. O cruell tiranny that enuie shoulde euer cause such vnnatural murther as one brother to kill another the Father to destroy his sonne the sonne to slea hys father the husbande to murther his wife the wife to make awaye hir husbande Wée reade in Plini of a certen king in Thebes named Athamas that gaue both his sonnes the one named Learchus the other Euriclea to be deuoured of ramping Lions So many monsterous tirauntes brought vp in the schoole of enuy so many deformed Centaures that all countries haue béene full of them When Antiphiles sawe Apelles in great fauour with King Ptholeme hée so enuied the matter that hée tolde the king of spite vnto Apelles that Apelles was the verie cause of the long warres betwéene the Tirians and Egypt to discredite Apelles for verye enuie that hée was great with the King but the matter being knowne and his enuie wayed Appelles was rewarded of the King with a hundred Talentes and Antiphiles for his enuie commaunded afterwarde all the dayes of his life to be the slaue and bondeman of Appelles Themistocles was so gréeued to sée Miltiades so honored for his great conquest and triumph in Marathea that being demaunded why hée was so sadde hée aunswered Miltiades triumphes will not suffer Themistocles to be ioyfull There was no countrie but enuie bare swaye there was neuer no great vertue but it was accompapanied with enuie Caesar was enuied in Rome by Cato Turnus was enuied in Rutil by Drances Vlisses was enuied in Gréece by Aiax Demetrius was enuied in Macedonia after king Cassander dyed what enuie bare M. Crassus towarde Pompeius it is knowne what hidden hatred hadde Pollio towarde Cicero it is read in Brusonius the third booke the 7. chapter where Pollio saith to Messala that hée might not abide Ciceros voice The like we reade of Aristotle who enuied Isocrates so much that hée was woont to saye it were a shame vnto Aristole to holde his peace and lette Isocrates speake For as thereis no light sayth Plini without shadowe so is there no vertue or glory without enuie The wauering state of the vulgar which ruled alwayes Rome and Athens was so mutable and so vncertaine that after wise and sage Socrates was condemned to die bâ—ing deade the Athenians repented his accusers were banished and Socrates now being deade had his pictures erected which being aliue the rude and vncertaine people estéemed nothing â–ª Euen so was Aristides and Themistocles banished vnto Persea Iphicrates vnto Thracia Conon vnto the prouince of Corporos Chabrias vnto Egypt and Cares vnto Sigeum men of excelent vertues of noble seruice of renowmed fame yet by the enuious people banished their owne countries to raunge abrode the worlde Againe Homer was enuied by Zoilus Pindarus by Amphimanes Simonides by Timocreon yea learned Maro and Horas were most enuied and backe-byted by Maeuius and Suffenus What doe I to speak of enuie why waste I time to write of enuie wherefore séeme I so sounde to touch a speciall matter being so common with all men being so nourished in all countries being knowne from the beginning of the worlde and being first practized by the Diuell who enuying mans state
with another much more might be spoken I meane not those fonde foolishe and fantasticall fables fostered by women and olde men sitting at the fire where often the ydle braâ—â—e is occupied but those wise and prudent fables of Poets which containe wisedome in sence though they séeme light in wordes which durst not be opened playne in those daies for the tyranny of Princes which then woulde not haue theyr faultes toucht in anye but that learnedly with fables poeticall As the fable of Sphinx of Cirses of Tantalus of Acteon and of others ¶ Of Eloquence PYrrhus King of the Epire and defender long of the Tarentines was woont to say of Cineas his Oratour that hée wanne more victories thorowe the eloquence of Cyneas then he through the force and puissaunce of all his Epirotes besides for through eloquence woulde Cyneas make the stout enemies to yéelde and by eloquence woulde Cyneas mooue the cowardly souldiers to victorie Valerius a noble and an eloquent Romane at what tyme the Kinges of Rome were expelled and their names quite banished and nowe the populer state hauyng such liberty thereby that the whole Citie through sedition and late sprong libertie was like to come to ciuile warres betwéene them selues had not I say Valerius appeased the furie of the people being redie in heartes to become enemies vnto their countrey finding them triumphing much and reioysyng within them selues deuiding one from another to maintaine discorde He reduced them not onely through his eloquence vnto peace and quietnesse but also vnto such state brought them that where Rome was like then to fall to ruine Rome at that time beganne to florish prosper Great was the force of eloquence in Marcus Antonius which with his sugred and swéete perswasions turned the furious rage and tyranny of the souldiers of Marius and Cinnanus beyng sent of these two cruell Captaynes to kyll him vnto such lenitie and mercie that hauing their swordes naked drawen redie to accomplishe promise with Marius hauing hearde Antonius his eloquence as men conuicted with wordes coulde neuer kéepe promise with Marius though they had great rewardes appointed nor coulde of them selues though enimies they were vnto Antonius finde in their heart to kyll hym Pericles wanne such renowme in Athence by his eloquence which sometime was scholler vnto Anaxagoras that he had the gouernment and rule of Athence commited vnto him as vnto one the people reposed more credite or trust in Pericles wordes then they had in the force and strength of Athence beside Insomuch that when he woulde speake any thing vnto the people such mellifluous wordes and sugred sentences procéeded foorth of his mouth that they were amazed or astonied to heare him willyng alwayes neuer wéery of his counsel We reade that the eies did water to sée him the eares allured to heare him y e hart conuicted to yéelde vnto him Cowardes are made couragious stout tyrauntes are made gentle and mercifull Cities preserued victories gotten and all by eloquence What is it but man is able through comely gesture and apt pronunciation bring to passe What coulde escape Cicero in Rome What might haue auoyded Demosthenes in Athence whose knowen eloquence whose learned perswasions whose swéete and sugred wordes coulde aswel mooue enimitie in Athence towarde King Philip as it coulde kindle loue in Rome towarde Pompeius Such is the excellencie of eloquence that it mooueth aswell men to the sight for the gesture countenaunce and pronunciation as it doth enforce men to heare for the maiestie and swéetnesse of wordes For Hortensius was not so eloquent in wordes but he was as comely in gesture and so excâ—llent in either of them that when he spake before the people Senatours and Citizens of Rome they were no lesse enamored with his sight then they were allured and entised with his wordes for he laboured no lesse outwardly to please night became very darcke all the souldiours of Paulus yea Paulus himselfe being their Generall and Captain were dismayde and quite discomfited thinking it had bene some prodigious showe to prognosticate mishappe to come and readie to yéelde in heart and courage vntyll Sulpitius began to perswade the rude Souldiours with reason opening the causes vnto the souldiours and declaring the effectes of the superiour bodies so eloquently that then being readie to yéelde for feare they were readie to fight valiauntly by eloquence of Sulpitius and where through feare of that sodaine sight and chaunge of the Moone they were readye to yéelde as Captiues to King Perseus they were stirred mooued by the eloquence of Sulpitius to become conquerours and victours ouer King Perseus in the same selfe night The lyke Pericles sometime amongst his souldiours of Athens at what time the Sunne so darckened that great terror and feare came vpon the souldiours hée eloquently perswaded his souldiours and toulde them euen as he hearde of his Maister Anaxagoras the cause thereof and quight expelled feare from the souldiours by reason and made them boulde againe through hys eloquencie In Africke there was in the time of Anascarimis a philosopher named Afranio being demaunded what he did learne all the dayes of hys life aunswered to speake well the seconde time being asked what hée taught vnto others aunswered likewise to speake well at the last he was demaunded what he knewe in anye science he sayde I knowe nothing but to speake well so that this olde Philosopher Afranio learned nothing taught nothing nor knew any thing but to speake well and most certaine it is that he that consumeth all the dayes of his life to learne to speake well and knoweth nothing else but to speake well spendeth his time very well ¶ Of those that had their pictures and Images for a shovv of their deserued fame erected THE greatest honour that both Gréekes Gentiles vse towarde those that deserued well in the coÌ„mon wealth was to aduaunce them by pictures painted images gorgeously grauen thinkyng thereby either to enflame them further to do good or else to discourage them againe in doing euyll by banishing and neglecting their pictures which wheÌ„ Fauorinus the Philosopher hearde that the Citie of Athence had reiected his picture because Adrian the Emperour was angry with him sayde I am right glad therof for better sayd he had it béene for Socrates to haue had his brasen picture broken and throwen away for some shewe of displeasure by the Athenians then to be depriued of his lyfe for nothing by the Athenians for the surest state of all is not to be knowen Agesilaus therefore King of the Lacedemonians vnderstanding that the inhabitants of euery countrey in all Gréece had decréed to put vp the picture of Agesilaus for a memorial of his vertuous and noble actes to be as monumentes of his life after death Returnyng then from Egipt vnto Gréece beyng verye sicke a little before hée dyed wrote letters vnto Gréece that they shoulde make no pictures no Images
man thou betrayest no bodye thou deceyuest no friende Phillippides a noble man of Athens which for his singularitie of learning and dexteritie of witte King Lisimachus made most account of most desirous to please him most readie to aduaunce hym vnto honour willed him to aske what he would and he should haue it Philippides most humbly knéeling vpon his knées be sought Lisimachus the king in any wise not to open his secretes and councell vnto him The king demaunded the cause thereof of Philippides bycause sayd hée I know not whether I am able to kéepe councell or no. Howe much it repugneth the nature of man to kéepe silence Cicero in his booke of Offices doth manifest the same for were it possible sayth hée vnto man to ascende vp the skies to sée the order of the bodies superiours and to vewe the beawtie of the heauens vnswéete were the admiration thereof vnlesse he myght shewe it vnto others And againe he sayth There is no such case vnto men as to haue a friende to whome a man may speak as vnto himselfe letting to vnderstand the griefe of silence and that nature loueth nothing which is solitarie It may séeme that silence one waye is not so benificiall as it is another way most gréeuous as prooued by the historie of Secundus the Philosopher who hauing companye with his owne mother in the night time eyther of them most ignoraunt of the other his mother in proces of time hauing knowledge therof for very griefe and sorrowe slue hir selfe The Philosopher likewise hauing vnderstanding of his mothers death knowing the cause thereof knewe not what to doe for that he was ashamed of the filthie act one waye and most sorrowfull for the sodaine death of his mother another waye to dye to hange to burne to drowne him selfe he though it to short a torment for so heynous a fact knowing his mother being a woman stayed not nor feared not to kill hir selfe to ease hir sorrowfull heart but he being a Philosopher stoode him vppon to finde out the painefullest torment in all the worlde to plague him iustly for his grieuous offence he vowed vnto God neuer to speake one worde during lyfe such plague or torment hée thought was most odious and painefull vnto nature and thus by silence to consume life Sith silence is such a burning disease so heauy in the heart of man so harde to kéepe in so daungerous to vtter out how worthy of commendacions how merite they the fame prayse that can rule theyr tongues and kéepe silence Therfore a noble Senator in Rome sometime brought his eldest sonne named Papirius vnto the Senate house to heare the councell pleading the sage Senators determining lawes charging him what euer hée shoulde heare in the house amongst the wise Senators to kéepe it in silence for the order was in Rome that the young men should saye nothing vnlesse he were a Consull a Tribune a Censor or such lyke office whereby hée might speake This young Papirius on a time being sore set on of his mother and charged him of her blessing to tell the cause and businesse that the Senators had so often to come togither Thus the younge man being threatened waying his fathers charge to auoyde wordes one way and his mothers displeasure to kéepe silence another waye sayde Sith you are so importunate Mother to knowe the secret of the Senate you must kéepe councell for I am charged therewith There is a harde holde and a great election in the Senate house to agrée on this conclusion whether it be more expedient for one man to haue two wiues in the Cittie of Rome or one woman to haue two husbandes and most lyke it is that the election goeth with the men Straight waies she went into the Citie certefied the Matrones and women of Rome what the Senators were about to consult appoynted certaine of them to accompanye hir the next morning vnto the Senate where when she came as one dismayde began to declayme agaynst the purpose and decrées of the Senators prouing what inconuenience might rise for a man to haue two wiues laying before them the dissention that shoulde be in that house where two women were maried vnto one man and what comfort and consolation were it for one woman to haue two husbandes the one to be at home in Rome to sée his children brought vp and to sée the Cittie defended when the other shoulde bée farre from whom at the warres in other countreys The Senators being amazed at hir talke not knowing what it ment and all the whole Senate astonied at the womens presence young Papirius demaunded licence to speake which being graunted he declared orderly the cause of hir comming howe and after what sort as before mencioned The Senators commendid much Papirius wit aswell for his obedience to his mother as for silence towarde the Senate they recompensed his silence and secret wisedome with a Consulshippe of Rome Silence was so obserued in Rome and honored of Romanes that Demetrius the Philosopher woulde often saye that the birdes can flée where they will and the Grashoppers sing where they will but in the Citie we may neyther doe nor speake Euripides a learned Gréek being obiected that his breath did stincke aunswered nippingly the partie saying so manye thinges haue so long hidden in my hart that being putrified they stinke I would all men had such a breath that by long kéeping of silence it might taste thereof Cato the wise Romane perceyued the commoditie of silence to be suche that it was one of the thrée thinges as hée him selfe woulde say that most repented hym to tell his councell vnto another Plini doth commende of all men one man named Anaxarchus Of all women he praysed one woman named Leaena which the tiranny of Nycocreon with all the tormentes and punishmentes that this tyraunt coulde deuise myght make them both to speake that out which they thought good it shoulde bée kept in which Anaxarchus had rather die by torments than to breake concealde wordes saying and spitting in the tyraunt Nicocreons face spare not Anaxarchus carkas thou troublest no part of my minde Epicharis amongst other Conspiratours against that cruell Nero shée beyng diuerslye tormented to shewe and to open the treason against Neros person woulde by no meanes breake councell as Laaena for all that tyranye vsed towardes hir shée woulde not betraye the secretes of Harmodius and Aristogiton which onely was the cause that she had hir picture erected in Gréece Euen so Pompeius the great being sent as an Embassadour from the Senators being charged by the King named Gentius who preuented Pompeius in his message to declare him y e secret of the Senators councell of Rome he stretching foorth his arme held his finger in the flame of the candle saying when I drawe my finger from the candle I will breake the councell of the Senators that so stedfastly he helde hys hande
with simplicitie and slauerye The Carthaginean false and deceitfull The Babilonian wicked and corrupted The Persean a drunkarde and a glutton The Sycilian warye and trustye so the cruelnesse of the Caspians the filthinesse of the Lesbians the dronkennesse of the Scythians the fornication of the Corinthians the rudenesse of the Boetians the ignoraunce of the Symmerians the beastlinesse of the Sybarites the hardinesse of y e Lacedemonians the delicacie of the AtheniaÌ„s and y e pride glory of the Romanes Thus we reade that the Spaniards be the greatest trauellers the greatest despisers The Italian prowde and desirous to reuenge The Frenchman pollitike and rashe The Germain a warriour The Saxon a dissembler The Sweuian a light talkatiue person The Brytaine a busie bodie The Cimbrian sedicious and horrible The Boemian vngentle and desirous of newes The Vandall a mutable wrangler The Bauarian a flouter and a scoffer Thus much are incident vnto the aforesayd nations by nature But bicause in this place it were somewhat vnto the purpose to delare the glorie and state of Româ— which of al the world we estéemed feared And for that Rome had more enimies than all the whole worlde beside to shewe briefely how they florished how theyr fame spreade and their glorie grew I thinke it expedient not medling with the antiquitie thereof in the time of Ianus and Cameses but touching their fame by doing of wars in the time of Romulus which being begotten of Mars of Rhea a Uestall Uirgin was the first builder of that Citie also King thereof This king Romulus warred on the Sabins after he had elected a hundred Senatours to discerne and iudge causes of the Citie to defende Iustice and practise the same and to punish vice wronges according to the law of Plato who willed euery common welth to be gouerned with reward vnto the vertuous and punishement vnto the vicious Againe he appoynted certaine souldiers vnto the number of one M. to be in a redinesse alwaies to defend the Citie After Romulus succéeded Numa Pompilius the seconde King a man very religious and pitifull hée in his time made lawes to obserue rites sacrifices and ceremonies to worship their gods He made Bishops and Priestes he appointed the Uestal Uirgines and all that belong thervnto Thirdly came Tullius Hostilius to bée king in Rome whose felicitie was onely to teache the youth of Rome the discipline of warfare stirred them woonderfully to exercise and practise the same Then fourthly succéeded An. Martius with the like industry and care for the further and surer state of the City in raising the hie walles of Rome in a Bridge vpon the riuer Tiber in amending and beautifiyng all the stréetes in Rome The fift King was Torquinius Priscus which though hée was a straunger borne of Corinth yet hée encreased the pollicy of the Romanes with the wit of Gréece hée triumphed ouer the people of Tusk and enlarged the fame of Rome much more then it was To this came next Seruius Tullius which was the sixt and Torquinius superbus the seuenth and last King of Rome who for his misgouernment and lust in the Citie against the chaste matrones for the pride and infringement of the libertie hauing withall rauished Lucrecia Collatinus wife was at length after long rule and gouernment banished Rome The first alteration and chaunge of state was then after these seauen Kinges gouerned Rome two hundred yeres and a halfe which was the first infancie of Rome Then Collatinê° and Brutus after these kings were exiled a iust reuengement of their libertie and honest life were the first Consuls in Rome they I say altering the gouernment of the Citie from a Monarchy vnto a kinde of gouernment called Aristocratia which continued in Rome from the time of Brutus and Collatinus vntyll the time of Appius Claudius and Quintus Fuluius which was two hundred yeres In this season during this two hundred yeres was Rome most assailed of all kinde of enimies stirred vnto wars of all nations for the space of two hundred yeres and a halfe Then Appius Claudius forgetting the law that he him selfe made in Rome against fornication forgetting the rauishment of Lucrecia and the banishment of Torquinius for breaking of the same against all right and reason willyngly and wilfully rauished Virginia the daughter of Virginius which after that hir owne father slue hir in the open sight of Rome the cause being knowen vnto all the Citie the power of Virginius and the populer state which alwayes had the gouernment of Rome vnder them with straight in armes to reuenge the wronges and iniuries against lawes committed and to defende likewise the lawes Euen as the Kinges before named were exiled and banished Rome for the rauishment of Lucretia so now the tenne Commissioners called Decemviri were likewise excluded and reiected for the rauishement of Virginia ¶ Of the straunge natures of vvaters earth and fire IN diuers learned Histories wée reade and specially in Plini of the woonders of waters and of the secrete and vnknowen nature of fire which for the rare sight therof and for that it doth degenerate from things knowen therein are noted thinges to bée marueyled at as certen water in the countrey of Campania where if any mankinde wyll enter therein it is written that he shall incontinent bée reft of his sences And if any womankinde happen to go vnto that water she shall alwayes afterwarde bée barren In the same countrey of Campania there is a lake called Auernus where all fléeing Fowles of the ayre that flée ouer that lake fall presentlye therein and die A Well there is in Caria called Salmacis whose water if any man drinke therof he becommeth chaste and neuer desireth the company of a woman The riuer Maeander doth bréede such a kinde of stone that being put cloase vnto a mans heart it doth straight make him mad There are two ryuers in Boetia the one named Melas whose water causeth staight any beast that drinketh therof if it be white to alter colour vnto blacke the other Cephisus whiche doth change the black beast vnto a white beast by drinking of the water Againe there is in India a standing water where nothing may swimme beast birde man or any liuing creature else drowneth this water is called Silia In Affrica on the contrary part there is the water named Apustidamus where nothing bée it neuer so heauy or vnapt to swimme that drowneth but all kinde of thinges doth swimme leade or any heauy mettall doth swimme in that lake as it is in the Well of Phinitia in Sicilia Infinite waters shoulde I recite if I in this woulde be tedious in repeating their names whose strange natures whose secrete and hidden operation whose force and vertue were such as healed diuers diseases as in the Isle of Auaria there was a water that healed the collicke and the stone By Rome there was
Euboians euen so let their heares growe behinde vpon their backes very long and yet enforced of necessitie to cut it before for feare of the enimies It séemed that eyther Barbers were skant or not known in those dayes or else heares much set by and estéemed of all men for Suetonius that writ the liues of Emperours doth report that the Emperour Caligula was woont for enuie to those he met to shaue their heares of behinde knowing wel that nothing might molest them so much as to haue their heares of for he was so enuious that if he sawe anye that had fayre golden heares hée woulde haue it of streight with his owne handes Beards were so set by and so estéemed were heares in those dayes that women kinde were so forbidden by the lawe of the twelue tables to shaue anye part of the face to prooue whether heares might growe or no. Occasions were ministed vnto them sayde they by their long heares and beardes to knowe them selues and the state of their body for of an olde man in the citie of Sparta being asked why he ware his bearde so long hée aunswered that in behoulding the graye heares in my bearde I maye doe nothing vnséemely nor vnworthy of such graye heares for a good man is alwayes prickt with stinges to lyue verteously Demonax was known by his beard to be some graue Philosopher of him that demaunded him what kind of Philosophie he professed not knowing him otherwise than by his bearde The tyraunt Dionisius to spite the Citizens of Epidaurus tooke the goulden beard of Aesculapius away out of the temple to mooue them to greater displeasure At what tyme Aristippus was brought vnto Sinius house the Phrigian which was so dressed with cloth of Arras and precious hangings that the very flowers so gorgiously shined that he coulde not finde in the house a place to spitte without some offence he spit in his handenapkin and thrue it into Simus face who was all bearded hée being angrie therewith demaunded the cause why hée so little estéemed him for that sayde Aristippus that I sawe not in all the house so foule a place as that which shoulde haue béene most cleane meaning hys bearde and though it was merilye done of Aristippus yet it was not so merily thought of Simus which more estéemed his bearde than Aristippus estéemed all his precious clothes and goulden hangings The like dyd Ieronimus surnamed Rhetus make of his bearde for when I sée sayd hée my beard than I know right well that I am a man and not a woman and then knowing my selfe to bée a man I am ashamed to doe any thing lyke a woman eyther in word or déede Much more might bée héere alleaged for the actorities of beardes and for estéeming of long heares for there is no country be it euer so ciuyll but it is addicted vnto some peculiar qualities neither is there any man be hée euer so wise but doth glory in one thing more then in another as the wise man in his wisedome the learned man in his knowledge the ignoraunt man in his folly the proude man in his person the selfe louer in some place more than in other either in his face body legge middle foote yea in hande and héere and specially many do make much account of their beards kembing decking handlyng and settyng it in order alwayes But bicause people are mutable full of chaunge and that time altereth all things we wyll no further procéede in this though menne maye misiudge of others concerning their long héere 's and beardes yet I say iudgement is not safe in this poynt for it may bée that they preferre the rustye rude countrey Poet Hesiodus before the warlike and eloquent Homer as Panis king of Calcides or as Midas did iudge Pan the Piper before Apollo the god of Musicke Harde it is to iudge of men whether the bearded man or the beardlesse man is to be preferred the long heare or the short heare to bée estéemed for vnder straunge habite lurcke hidden qualities for vnder a ragged cloake as the Gréeke prouerbe is lyeth wisedome secretely as vnder a Ueluet Gowne ¶ Of diuers kindes and sundry fashions of buriall amongst the Gentiles THE aunciente Egyptians waying the shortnes of mans life litle estéeming the time doth prouide such sepulchrées against they die that they account their graues an euerlasting habitation Wherfore in life time they studied howe to make them such gorgeous graues as shoulde bée perpetuall monumentes after death In so much that thrée hundred and thréescore thousande workmen were twentie yeres in building a huge and a monstruous worke to bury their bodies which for the bignesse thereof was counted one of the seuen woonders named at this day the Pyramides of Egypt Plini saith that thrée Piramides were made in Egypt betwixt the Citie of Memphis and Delta which king Ceopes as Herodotus affirmeth began to make the first and as Diodorus saith his brother Cephus began the seconde and the thirde by king Mycerinus as both Herodotus and Diodorus agrée Some say that Rhodope a harlot and a strumpet but being married vnto king Psamnetichus and left a widowe shée made as Strabo saith the thirde Pyramides but to this effect they were made as common sepulchrées to receaue dead men as gestes to dwell alwayes therein with such ceremonies first that being dead they fyll the scull of his head with swéete odours and then they rip his body with a sharpe stone of Aethiop which the Egyptians haue for the purpose and pourge his bodie and then being stopt with fragrant odours and sweete spices they sewe vp the body which being done they put him in fine sindon cloth hauyng his likenesse made vpon a holow worke wherein they put the body with many other such ceremonies onely to saue the bodye from any putrifaction for they thinke as the Stoicks do So long say they shall the soule florish and liue as the body is vnputrified for as the bodyes perish so doth the Egyptians beléeue that the soules decay The Aethiopians haue such care of the dead that being dressed with all kinde of odours they put them in such sumptuous tombes and gorgeous graues that the sepulchrées are compassed and made ouer with fine glasse The Scythians when their kings noble men die they must haue to beare them company vnto the graue one of their concubines one of their chiéefe seruauntes and one of their frends that loued them best aliue they I say must accompany and folow them vnto the graue being dead The Romanes had this custome that if any man of countenaunce and credite shoulde die his sonnes and daughters his nigh kinsmen and best beloued fréendes as Cicero doth write of Metellus shoulde put him in the fire made for that effect and purpose vnlesse hée were one of the Emperours whose funerall pompe was much more sumptuous for then his body shoulde bée caryed by
black garments at the buriall of their fréendes but I burne candle in the day time to write of such infinite ceremonies that the Gentiles had at their burials Therfore better to ende with few examples then to wéery the reader with too many histories for this cause sith all men knowe that all people haue their seuerall maners as well liuyng as dying for coÌ„tinuaunce of time and distaunce of ground alter the same ¶ Of Spirites and visions SUndrye and many thinges happen by courses of nature which timorous and fearfull men for want of perfection in their sences suppose to bée spirites Some so féeble of sight that they iudge shadowes beastes bushes and such like to bée spirites Some so fearefull of hearing that they thinke any sounde noyse whistlings and so foorth to bée some bugges or deuyls Hereby first spread so many fables of spirites of gobblins of bugges of hagges and of so many monstrous visions that olde women and aged men schooled their families to beléeue such things who iudged it sufficient aucthorities to aleadge the olde tales tolde by their parentes in their aged yeres The Gentiles because they were giuen much vnto idolatry and superstition did credite vaine and foolish visions which oftentimes by suggestion of deuils and by fonde fantasies conceaued did leade their liues by perswasion of spirites either in attemptyng any thing or in auoyding any thing for Suetonius doth write that when Iulius Caesar stayed in a maze at the riuer Rubico in Italy with waueryng mind musing what were best to passe the water or no there appeared a comely tall man piping on a Réede vnto whome the souldiours of Caesar flocked about to heare him and specially the trumpetters of whom hée sodainely snatched one of their trumpettes and leapt foorthwith into the riuer Rubico and straight sounded out with a lustie blast a larum wherewith Caesar was mooued and sayde good lucke mates let vs go where the Goddes doe warne vs. It is written in Plutarch where Brutus was determined to transport his armie out of Asia vnto Europe being in his tent about midnight he saw a terrible monster standing fast by him without anye wordes wherewith he being sore afrayde ventured bouldelye and demaunded of hym what hée was vnto whome he aunswered and sayde I am thy euill ghost which at Philippos thou shalt sée againe where when Brutus came being vanquished by Augustus Caesar remembring the wordes of his forséene vision to auoyde the hands of his enimies slue himselfe to verifie the same The like happened vnto C. Cassius which by the like sight was enforced to kill himselfe for he was warned that the murther of Caesar shoulde bée reuenged by Augustus his Nephew Sightes were so séene amongst the Gentiles and so feared and estéemed that all the actions of their liues were thereby ordered Tacitus as Fla. Vapiscus reporteth when it was tolde him that his fathers grâ—â—e opened of it selfe and seing as he thought his mother appering vnto him as though she had bene aliue knew well that he should shortly after die made himselfe redy thervnto There appeared vnto one Pertinax as I. Capitolinê° â–ª reporteth thrée dayes before hée was slaine by a thrust a certen shadow in one of his fishepondes with a naked sword in hand thretning to kill him Neyther may we so little estéeme the authoritie of graue and learned men in diuers of their assertions concerning sightes and visions though diuers fables be aleaged aduouched for truth with simple and ignorant men We reade in the sacred scriptures diuers sights séene diuers visions appearing and sundrie voyces hearde Wée reade that King Balthasar being in his princely banquettes sawe a hande writing vpon the wall ouer against where he sat at table what his ende shoulde be It is reade in the thirde chapter of the seconde of the Machabes that a horse appeared vnto Heliodorus which was seruaunt vnto Seloucus king of Assyria as hée was about to destroye the temple at Ierusalem and vpon the horse séemed to bée a terrible man which made towards him to ouercome hym and on eche side of him were two young men of excellent beautie which with whippes scourged Heliodorus The like appeared vnto Machabeus a horseman in shining armoure all of golde shaking his speare to signifie the famous victorye that Macabeus shoulde obtain Many such like visions in scriptures we reade of but lette vs returne vnto the Athenians who thought when Miltiades addressed his people against y e Perseans hearing terrible noyse with sight of certen spirites before the battayle to haue victorie ouer the Perseans iudging those sightes and visions to be the shadowe of Par. Likewise the Lacedemonians before they were vanquished in the battayle at Leuctris their armour mooued and made excéeding great noyse in the Temple of Hector so that at that time the doores of the Temple of Hercules being faste shutte with barres opened sodaynely of theyr owne accorde and the armour which hong fastened on the wall were founde lying vppon the grounde Plini writeth in the warres of the Danes and Appianus affirmeth in the warres at Rome what signes and woonders what miserable cryes of men clashing of armour running of horses were harde in so much that the same day that Caesar fought this battayle with Cn. Pompeius the crye of armie the sounde of trumpets were hearde at Antioch in Syria but I wyll omit to speake of such things and take in hande to entreate of spirites which were both séene and hearde of wise and learned men and of visions supposed of the wisest to be the soules of dead men for Plutarch writeth in the life of Theseus that diuers and sundry men which were in the battayle of Marathonia against the Medians affirmed that they saw the soule of Theseus armed before the host of Gréekes as chéefe generall and captaine running and setting on the barbarous Medians which the Athenias afterward for that cause onely honoured him as a God It is reported by historiographers that Castor and Pollux haue béene séene often in battayles after death ridyng on white Horses and fightyng against their enemies in campe in so much Plutarch testifieth that they were séene of manye in the battayle againste Torquinius Hector besought Achilles after hée was slaine by him not to throw his carkasse to bée deuoured of dogges but rather to deliuer his body to bée buried vnto his olde father Priamus and his mother Hecuba Euen so King Patroclus appearing in like maner after death vnto Achilles desired him to bestow vpon his body all funeral solemnities Virgil testifieth how Palinurus and Deiphobus appeared vnto Aeneas the one being his shipman the other his brother in law There wandryng ghostes neuer ceassed vntyll suche exequies were done vnto them as Aeneas had promised It is thought that the Witch Phetonissa of Endor raised the soule of Samuel at the commaundement of King Saul to foreshew the successe
hauyng the examinyng of a subtile Théefe demaunded whether he could blusshe or no to the whiche the theefe aunswered that he could not for he neede not to blushe in a true matter Therefore saieth Theophrastus thou arte the liker to be a Théefe for truthe alwaies beareth before a shamefaste and a blushfull countenaunce Wherefore the wise Cato the Senior was wonte to saie that yongmen that waxed redd were better to bée trusted then those that would waxe pale for the one signifieth shamfastnes and thother deceipt For Pithias Aristotles doughter beyng demaunded what colour was best in man or womaÌ„ she answered that colour that shamefastnes bringeth whiche is a bluffull countenaunce But to speake of Pirates Sextus Pompeius the sonne of Pompeius the Gâ—eate kepte vnder hym diuers and sondery Pirates about the borders of Italy and Cicilia to robbe and spoile vpon the Seas vnto his greate infamie and reproche beyng the soonne of so famous a Romaine whom Rome a longe tyme so estemed that Caesar skante might haue the like To write of Kyng Pirrhus and Caius Verres whom Cicero for his sondery theftes and spoile and by diuers sacrileges by Verres committed compared vnto Dionisius the aforesaid tiraunt it were but superfluous To speake of infinite Pirates and diuers Sacrileges it were to none effecte for that it is a common practise in all countreis Therfore as Diogines the Philosopher saied when he sawe a poore manne leade betwene the Magistrates to the place of execution beholde saied he a little Théefe betwene a greate nomber of Theeues God graunt that it maie truly be spoken of diuers magistrates in sondry places ¶ Of luste THE spoyle and slaughter of lust did alwaies farre passe all other vices it hath suppressed Castles countreis it hath vanquished Kynges and Kesars ouerthrown the poÌ„pe of Asia Africa and Europe and almoste depopulated the whole worlde This vice of all vices is to be abhorred detested for there is no vice but it is addicted of it self to applie those which it doeth beste fancie as pride chiefly hath her seate appoincted in puisant Princes and Noble menne Coueteousnes with old menne that be magistrates and officers Enuie with men of sciences and faculties Usurie with Citizens Symonie with Bishops and Priestes Hipocrisie with religious men Deceipt with Marchauntes but lust common vnto all men aswell to the subiect as to the Prince to the learned as to the ignoraunt tâ— the wise as to the foolishe For Dauid and his sonne Salamon vnto whom God gaue singularitie of wisdome dexteritie of witte to gouerne the Isralites yet the sacred scriptures doeth witnes of their horrible luste Dauid lusted for Bersaba and that so wickedly that he appointed awaie to spoile her housbande Vrias Salamon lusted so muche that he did forget his GOD that did guide his steaps all the while hee ruled iustlie and liued godly in Israell Aristotle and Socrates in spit of their Philosophie and greate knowledge then became a slaue to Hermia the other a subiect vnto Aspasia Samson and Hercules for al other strength and conquest of Giauntes and Monsters the one yealded his Clob at Dianiras foot the other commited his strength vnto the beautie of Dalida The renoumed and sugred Oratours Demosthenes and Hortentius the one from Athens came vnto Corinth to compounde for a nights lodgyng with Lais the other in Rome with nicenes and wantonnes was iudged more subiect vnto luste then lorde ouer himself If then wittie and wise men if learned and discréet men if eloquent and subtil men if strong and mightie conquerours haue been ruled by lust deceiued by bewtie ouercome with women what should I speake of Heliogabalus not well named Emperour but worthely called the beast of Rome What should I recite that monster and tyraunt Nero what should I rehearse that filthie and vile Emperour Caligula the onely stincke of synne and shape of shame not Emperours but monsters not Princes but Tyrauntes not men but beastes whiche defile their own sisters kepte open stewes and brothell houses maintained Hoores and harlottes made lawes at their banquettes euery man to his woman first and then to his meate and at the change of euerie dishe euery man againe commaunded by lawe to go to his woman and thus from meate to women from women to meate beastly and brutishly consumed their Epicuriall luste wherin these GorgoÌ„s reposed their chief felicitie Certenly if Quéene Semiramis of Babilon had been matched with Heliogobalus Emperour of Rome it had been as méete a matche if time had serued as one beast should be for another for hee was not so filthie but she was as shameles not onely in procuryng diuers to lye with her but in alluryng her owne soonne Ninus to lust and as writers reporte beyng a beast matched hir self with a beast a horse Had Phasiphae quene of Crete béen well matched she had forsaken kyng Minoes and come to the emperour Caligula where she might been as boulde with others as she was with Mynotaurus father had the Empresse Messalina been worthely accordyng vnto hir lief maried she had been more meete for Nero then for Claudius for his life and hir life did well agree together for she past all the Courtezaunce of Corinth all the Strumpets of Athens and all the hoores of Babilon for she was onely mistris and ruler of all the stewes and brothell houses in Rome what wickednesse procéeded from lust what vngodly incest is brought to passe by lust what secret vengeaunce coÌ„meth by luste luste allured quéene Cleopatra to vse hir brother Ptholomeus as hir housband Luste deceiued Kyng Cynare to lie with his daughter Mirrha luste brought Macareus vnto his sisters Canaces bedde by luk did Menephron Defile his owne mother O wicked monster O beastly rage O fearce feinde thus to bewitche wise men to deceiue learned men to subdue strong men and to ouercome all men luste staieth the purpose of all men hindereth and hurteth all kinde of persones lust staied kyng Antiochus of Siria in Chalcidea a whole winter for one maide he fancied there lust staied Hanniball in Capua a longe season to his greate hurte Luste staied Iulius Caesar in Alexandria a longe tyme vnto his infamie lust was the first cause of warres betwene the Romaines and the Sabines For Romulus skant builded Rome but he lusted to rauish the women and to steale the Sabine maides vnto Rome wherby war first began The greate warres betwene kyng Cambises of Persea and kyng Amasis of Aegipt wherein a greate slaughter and morther of men were growen of luste vnto one woman The tennne yeares betwixt the Thebans and the Phoceans was for the lust of one yong man in Phoca toward a yong woman in Thebes The cruell conflictes betweene the Troian prince Aeneas and stoute Turnus was luste that either of theim bare vnto Lauinia kynge Latinus doughter What blood what tyrannie was
betwene the Aegiptians and the Assirians betwene Ptholomeo and Alexander the one kyng of Aegipte the other kyng of Assiria and all for one woman Cleopatra ▪ Augustus the Emperour kepte longe warres for Octauia his sister whiche Anthonius through luste defiled to the spoyle and murther of manie Romaines had Ixiona Kynge Priamus sister not lusted to go with Thelamonius frō Troie vnto Gréece had likewise Helē Menelaus wife not lusted to come with Paris from Gréece vnto Troy the bloody warres and ten yeares siedge betwene the Greekes and the Troians had neuer been written of Homer Had not lust ruled the fiue cities called Pentapolis where Sodome and Gomer were the earth had not swallowed theym vp to the destruction of all the people sauyng Lot and his children If lust had not ruled all the worlde the deluge of Noach had not drouned the whole yearth and all liuyng creatures sauyng Noach his wife and his children Thus lust from tyme to tyme was the onely Monster and Scourge of the worlde And in this oure age luste is nothyng diminished but muche encreased and though not to bee plagued with water accordyng vnto promise yet to bee punished with fire most sure we be vnlesse we detest and abhorre this vice There is a historie worthy to be noted of Princes in Iustine that will not punishe these offences Pausanias a noble gentleman of Macedonia beyng a verie faire yong man whiche Attalus for lust muche abused and not contented wickedly and vngodly to handle the yong man so brought hym vnto a banquet where in his winkyng Attalus would haue vsed hym as before makyng all men priuie how Pausanias was kynge Attalus paramour as a woman thus the young manne beyng ashamed often complained vnto Philip kyng of Macedonia whiche Philip had maried then of late the suster of Attalus and had diuorsed and put awaie Olimpias the mother of Alexander the greate for some suspicion Pausanias I saie after many and diuers complaintes made vnto kyng Philippe hauyng no redresse thereof but rather was flouted and scoft at Philippes hand Pausanias tooke it so greuously that Attalus was so estemed with the kyng beyng the cause of his complaintes and he so neglected that was so mynded he after this sorte requited his shame and iniuries At the mariage of Cleopatra kyng Philippes doughter and Alexander Kyng of Epire in greate triumphes and pompes Kyng Philippe in the middeste of ioyes walkyng betwene his owne sonne Alexander the Greate who then was but younge and Alexander kyng of Epire his soonne in lawe beyng married then vnto his daughter Cleopatra Pausanias thruste hym vnto the harte saiyng minister Iustice and punishe luste Thus died that mightie Prince as well for the bearyng of Attalus faulte as also for his owne wickednesse vsyng the same somtyme with a brother in lawe of his naturall brother vnto his firste wife Olimpias Luste and intemperancie are neuer escaped without iuste punishemente and due vengeaunce Ammon the soonne of kyng Dauid for that he misused his owne sister Thamar was afterwarde slaine Absalon for that he did lye with his fathers Concubine died for it Dauid was plagued for Urias wife The twoo Elders that would rauishe Susanna were put to death This synne is the onely enemie of man For all synnes saith sainct Paule is without the bodie but vncleanesse and luste synneth againste the bodie Therefore to auoide sight oftentimes is to auoide lust Had not Holofernus seen the beautie of Iudith yea marked the comlines of her slepeares he had not loste his heade by it Had not Herode seen Herodias daughter dauncyng he had not so rashely graunted her Ihon Baptiste heade Had not Eua seen the beautie of the Aple she had not eaten thereof We reade in the Genesis that when the sonnes of men viewed the beautie of women many euils happened thereby By sight was Pharaos wife moued in lust toward Ioseph her seruaunt By sight and beautie was Salomon allured to committe Idolatrie with false Gods By sight was Dina the doughter of Iacob rauished of Sichem These euills procede from sodaine sightes Therefore doeth the Prophete saie tourne awaie thine eyes lest thei se vanities The Philosopher likewise saieth that the firste offer or motion is in the eye from sight proceadeth motions from motion election from election consent from consente synne from synne death Wherefore with the Poet I saie resiste the violence of the first assaulte I meane the eyes the euill that happened thereby too long it were to write Luste againe hath an entraunce by hearyng as Iustine in his .xij. booke dooeth testifie of Thalestris Queene sometyme of the Amazones whiche hauyng heard the greate commendations the fame and renowme of Alexander the Greate ventered her life to hazarde to come from Scithia vnto Hircania whiche was as Iustine saieth xxv daies iourneis in greate daunger and perill of life as well by wilde beastes waters as also by forein foes She had thrée hundred thousandes women of Scithia in companie with her I saie for the fame she heard of this great Prince she came from her countrey where she was a Quene to lie with a stranger by luste And whē she had accomplished her minde and satisfied her luste after thirtie nightes liyng with hym she thought she was spead of some ofspryng of Alexander she returned vnto her owne countrie again For as Cicero doeth write we are more moued by reporte oftentymes to loue then by sighte For as by reporte Quéene Thalestris came to lye with Alexander for children sake from Scitha vnto Hercania for his magnanimitie victories and courage So by report came Quéene Saba from Ethiope vnto Salomon to heare and to learne wisedome O golden worlde Oh happie age when either for simplicitie men could not speake or for temperauncie menne would not speake the innocencie of thē then and the subtiltie of vs now the temperancie of their age and the luste of our age beyng well waighed and throughly examined it is easily to be seen how vertuously thei liued in ignorauncie and how viciously wee liue in knowledge For before Aruntius proude Torquinius soonne was by luste moued toward Collatinus wife There was no alteration of states nor chaunge of Common wealthes no banishement of princes in Rome and beyng chaunged for that purpose onely from a Monarchie vnto an other state called Aristocratia it continued so longe in that forme whiche was the firste chaunge vntill Appius rauished Virginius doughter which banished the order called Decemuiri whiche was the second change And thus the popular state whiche had chief rule alwaies of Rome chaunged states of the Citie diuers times for that luste so raigned Thus might I speake of diuers other countries whiche luste was the iust cause of the subuersion therof For of one Venus a strūpet in Cipres al Cipria was full of hores Of one Semiramis in Babilon all Persia lengthe grewe
Antipater would watch That betwene kyng Philip and Antipater diligence was as muche honoured and embraced as slothfulnes was feared and hated Epaminondas that renoumed prince of Thebes beeyng studious and carefull to profite his countrey so hated slothfull idlenes that findyng one of his capitaines in the campe in the daie tyme slepyng slue hym straight with his own hande and beyng reprehended of his nobles and counsaill for that cruell facte he answered theÌ„ in fewe wordes I lefte hym as I founde hym comparyng idle and drousie men vnto dead men for men are borne to trauaill and watch and not to pleasure and slepe How did Scipio Affrick ouerthrowe the tentes of kyng Siphax How vaÌ„quished he his hoste of souldiors slue his armie and how he hath taken kyng Siphax captiue hym self Liuius saieth that the diligence of Scipio and the slothfulnes of Siphax beyng a slepe wheÌ„ he should had been waken was the cause therof Had Demosthenes loued idlenes he had neuer béen able to preueÌ„t that famous prince Philip kyng of Macedon he was so carefull and so diligent about the state of Athens that that worthy capitaine and greate conquerour Philip was wonte to saie that he doubted more the diligence of Demosthenes then he feared all the force of Athens Had Cicero slepte duryng the conspiracie of Catilin he had neuer been able worthily to speake of hym self O happie Rome that euer I was elected Consull whose studious trauaill saued oftentymes Rome from diuers enemies QuintiliaÌ„ reciteth a worthy historie of a famous clearke named Hippias who to auoide idlenesse after long studiyng at his bookes would exercise hym self in some thyng or other lest he semed to be idle in so much he applied his mynde to diuers faculties at voide houres he vsed to practise the facultie of a Goldsmith of a Tailor of a Shoomaker that at length he became his owne Tailour his owne Shoomaker yea to make his owne rynges so artificially with pearles and precious stones so curiously wroughte with letters of golde as though he had been brought vp in the schoole Pirgoteles What is so harde but diligence will trie it What is so depe but trauaill will wade What is so strange but studie will knowe it If labour if diligence be thus commended that wisemen doe muche commende the Bee that is so busie and carefull and knoweth how to profite her self and others If the little Auntes bee so practised for that the toile in the Sommer to prouide against Winter If these selie simple wormes do prouide thinges necessary for them and theirs How much more ought man whiche is borne to profite his Countrey his prince his frendes and his parentes Consider the commoditie of diligence and the daunger of idlenes but as before mentioned vicâ—s are couered with names of vertues as the Idle man is noted to bée a quiet man the ignoraunte termed an innocent Caelus doeth write of a certaine Emperour named Attalus whiche loued so well idlenes that he gaue the gouernment of the Empire to his frende named Philopenes for that he would be idle We read again of one Vatia a greate ruler and a Magistrate in Asia that loued Idlenesse so well that the people vsed a Prouerbe when thei sawe any man idle saiyng Vatia situs est here is an idlescholer of Vatia The Emperour Licinius and Valentianus were suche enemies vnto learnyng so ignoraunt were thei as Egnatius dooeth reporte that thei called learnyng the only poison of the world named theim that were learned the Asses of Cuma Who hated learning so much as Heraclides and Philonides which are so ignoraunte that thei were coumpted as Caelius doeth testifie as laughyng stockes and had of the common people in greate derision for their ignorance and folie These blinde baiardes and bolde bedlemes call others Asses of Cuma when that thei themselues are farre inferiour to any Asse of the worlde For diuers Asses had more reason then Philonides or Heraclides had Wée reade that Ammonius a greate Peilosopher of Alexandria had an Asse that would accompany with Origen and Porphiri to frequente the schoole of Ammonius to heare hym reade Philosophie vnto his scholers This Asse was taught to knowe the reader and all the schoolers to knowe the Schole and the tyme of readyng The sacred Scripture commendeth vnto vs the Asse of Balam who was likewise taught to speak and to shewe the Prophette Balaam the will of God But the Idle and ignoraunte will neither learne to knowe time place nor persone neither to profite them selues nor others These lasie members these idle and ignoraunte beastes the children of Morpheus slepyng alwaies in the caue of Pamedes to whom it well maie be spoken as Aurelian somtime an Emperor of Rome spake vnto one Bonosius that he was borne to drinke and not to liue The Romaines vsed to punishe idlenesse so sharplye that the Housebande manne that had his grounde barraine that had his Pastures Meddowes fieldes vnoccupied an other manne should bee there placed and he putte out The gentleman that hadde not his horse readie and in good likyng with all thynges therevnto belongyng should bee suspected to be an idle member vnto his countrey should bee hated and exchued of the people The common people might vse no kynde of priuate pleasure as plaie pastyme or any other idle sporte but at times appoincted The gates of Rome were opened daie and night to come and to goe For the state of the Common and as Plutarch doeth write the life and maners of all men were diligently examined whether thei liued idle or no. And if any would resiste the ordinaunce of the Magistrates his heade should bee cutte of and offered vnto Iupiter in the Capitoll of Rome his familie vnto the Temple of Ceres his soonnes and daughters solde as bondmen vnto the Tribunes and Censers The Lacedemonians people moste studious to expell Idlenesse broughte their children vp alwaies in hardnesse to practise them in diligente doynges hated Idlenesse so muche that if any in the Citie of Sparta waxed grosse or fatte thei suspected hym straight of Idlenesse and if any younge manne waxed fatte thei had appointed lawes that he should faste and liue so poore vntill he were againe chaunged vnto his firste state The Egiptians aunciente people when the Countrey of Egipt began to bée populous to auoide idlenesse as Plini doeth report thei made a greate huge and monsterous buildyng called Pyramides whiche for the mightinesse and straunge workyng thereof it was named one of the seuen wonders hauyng lx thousande of yong men and continued a long time in the making thereof and onely to auoide and banishe idlenes The Anthenians so abhorred and detested idlenesse when a certaine man was condemned to die for that he was founde idle in Athens a citizein therof named Herondas as Plutarch doeth testifie was as desirous to se him as though he had béen a prodigious monster
the King in talke at his returne hée was beheaded â–ª Euen so Euagoras for that hée called Alexander the sonne of Iupiter was punished vnto death The Lacedemonians feared flattery so much that they banished Archilogus onlye for his eloquence in a Booke that he made Flatterie was so odious in Rome that Cato the Censor gaue coÌ„maundement to expell certen fine Oratours of Athens out of Rome least with fayre speache and flattery they might annoy the state of Rome what is it but flatterie can compasse what may not sugred Oratours mooue what coulde not Demosthenes doe in Athens what might not Cicero perswade in Rome King Pirrhus was woont to saye of Cineas his Philosopher that hée won more Citties Townes and countries through the flattering stile of Cineas than he euer subdued with the strength and force of all the kingdome of Epire. But to auoyd two much iarring of one string which as Plutarch sayth is tedious to the reader for nature is desirous sayth Plantus of nouelties Leauing flatterye as counsaylour vnto Princes hayle fâ—llowe with noble men chamberlaine with Ladies chiefe gouernour of the common people To speake a little of those that fledde flatterie it was the onely cause that Pithagoras that noble Philosopher forsooke his countrie Samos the whole occasion that worthy and learned Solon fledde from Athens the chiefe matter that made Licurgus to renounce Lacedemonia and the onely cause that made Scipio Nasica forsake Rome for where flattery is estéemed there truth is banished where flatterie is aduanced and honored there truth is oppressed and vanquished In fine flatterie findeth frindeshippe when truth getteth hatred as prooued in the histories of Senica and Calisthenes two famous Philosophers the one Maister vnto Nero Emperour of Rome â–ª the other appoynted by Aristotle to attende vppon Alexander the great King of Macedonia which Philosophers bycause they would not féede the corrupt natures insolent mindes of these prowde Princes with adulation and flatterye they were both put to death Seneca by Nero for his paine and trauell taken with the Emperour in reading him philosophie while Nero was young Calisthenes by Alexander for that he inueyed against the Meedes and Perseans who vsed suche flatterie that Alexander commaunded all men to call him the sonne of Iupiter Euen so of Cicero and Demosthenes the one the soueraigne Orator and Phaenix of Rome the onelye bulwarke of all Italie the other the sugred Anker the patron of Athens and protector of all Gréece After they hadde sundrie and diuers times saued these two famous Cities Rome and Athens the one from the pernicious coniurations and priuie conspiracie of that wicked Catelin and his adherentes the other from the prowde attemptes and long warres of that most renowned warriour Phillip King of Macedonia yet were they after many vertuous actes done in their countries and for their countries from their countries quite banished and exiled Cicero for Clodius sake Demosthenes for Harpalus which the Romans tooke so heauily that twentie thousande ware mourning apparell with no lesse heauinesse in Rome than teares for Demostenes in Athens Flatterye then was of some so hated that noble Phoceon and learned Athinian was woont to say to his fréende Antipater that he woulde take no man to be his fréende that hée knew to bée a flatterer And most certen it is that hée at this day that can not flatter can get no fréendship according vnto that saying of Terence obsequium amicos c. For euen as Aristides of Athens for his manifolde benefitâ—s vnto the Athenians was by flattery preuented and for trueth banished so likewise was Thucidides being sent as an Embassadour from Athens vnto Amphipolis a Cittie betwixt Thracia and Macedonia whiche King Philip kept by force by flattery preuented and exiled True seruice is often rewarded with anger and wrath of Princes as Thrasibulus a noble captaine and famous for his truth was banished out of Athens Lentulus the defender of Italy exiled from Rome Dion of Siracusa hunted out of his countrey by Dionisius euen that renowmed Hanibal the long protector of Carthage compelled after long seruice to range abrode like a pilgrime euery where to séeke some safegarde of his life Too many examples might be brought of Gréeke and Latin histories for the proofe hereof The chéefest Ancker and the strongest bulwark of common wealth saith Demosthenes is assured faith without flattery and good wyll tryed in the Commons plainnesse without deceit boldnesse and trust in the nobles Flattery is the only snare that wisemen are deceyued withall and that the Pharisées knew well when that they woulde take our Sauiour Christe tardie in his talke they began to flatter him with faire wordes saying Maister wée know that thou art iust and true and that thou camest from God Euen so Herode willyng to please the Iewes in kyllyng Iames the brother of Iohn in prisoning Peter in pleasing the people with flatterie that when Herode spake any flattering phrase the people straight cryed out saying this is the voyce of God and not the voyce of man so swéete was flatterie amongst the Iewes The flattering frindes of Ammon knowing the wickednesse of his minde and his peruerse dealing toward Mardocheus did not perswade Ammon from his tiranny but flattered with fayre wordes and made him prepare a huge Gallowes for Mardocheus where Ammon and hys children were hanged Likewise the young man that came to flatter king Dauid saying Saul and his children are deade was by Dauid for his flatterie commaunded to die Tertullius wheÌ„ he was brought to dispute with Paul first he flattered Faelix the President of the Iewes because with flatterie he thought to win the heartes of the hearers In fine flatteres will as the false prophetes sometime that did perswade Achab king of Israell of great fame and luck in the warres to come I saye they euen so will flatter their friendes of all good successe to come and passe with silence the truth present ¶ Of Pride PRide is the roote of all euill the sinke of all sinne the cause of all wickednesse the auncient enemy to the seate of GOD before man was made it did attempt the angels The outwarde pompe and vaine ostentations of shiftyng shewes from tyme to tyme from age to age maie be a suffient profe how prone howe bent and howe willyng we bee to honour pride Eusebius doth reporte that Domitianus the Emperour by an order of lawe charged al men to call him Dominum Deum Domitianum That is to name hym Lorde and GOD Domitian certenlie to heigh a stile though he was an Emperour to be called a God Likewise wee reade of a certen king in India named Sapor whiche would be called kyng of kynges brother vnto the Sunne and Moone felowe vnto the starres Aelianus a Gréeke historiographer in his 14. boke entituled of diuers histories doeth write of one Hanno borne in
haue to suffice his mynde vntill at length he was consumed with lice hym self as his money was corrupted with Mothes Thei enioye nothing though thei haue all things thei possesse nothyng though thei be Lordes of Countreis true is that golden sentence of the Stoickes that the wise manne is onely riche for contentation is perfecte wealthe That wiseman Bias at what tyme the Citie of Prienna was besieged and subdued by the enemies the Citizeins thereof commaunded and suffered with bagges of their treasures to departe euery manne loded hym self with siluer and golde but Bias who tooke nothyng but a booke in his hande and beyng demaunded of the enemies why he carried not his goodes with hym he saied that all his wealthe and richesse was in his harte meanyng knowledge and wisedome a place moste fitte to laie and to kepe treasure saiyng I haue all my wealthe aboute me whiche you can not spoile me of Herodotus a noble Historiographer writeth a noble historie of one Alcmaeon whiche because he was wonte to welcome often the Embassadours of Cressus kyng of Lidia as thei went to Delphos to consult with the Oracles of Apollo was thus rewarded of Kyng Cressus for his clemencie therein that AlcmeoÌ„ should haue as muche golde and siluer by the kynges treasurer as he would bee able to carrie or beare awaie whiche delited so muche the coueteous mynde of Alcmaeon that he was as willyng to take al the substance of the Kyng had he been able and beyng so heauie loded that his bodily strength failed to suffice his gredie mynde would in no wise deminishe any part of his desire thoughe he coulde augmente the habilitie of his strength by any meanes and so to satisfie his auarous mynde he could neuer lode hym self with a fitte burthen either to heauie that he could not carrie or els to lighte that he would not carrie and thus as one not so able in strength as he was willyng in minde could not prescribe measure to his desire Had Alcmaeon learned of Plato howe to deminishe rather desire to encrease his strengthe then to studie for riches he had been able to carrie a good burthen of golde from kyng Cressus Hadde Demonica learned that lesson of Socrates that money and desire of wealthe is daungerous At what tyme Brennus the Capitaine and Prince ouer Senona laiyng siege to Ephesus she had not straight consented as one more couetous vnto money theÌ„ faithfull to her countrey betraied the Citie for money who according vnto promise demaunded of Brennus her deserued reward brought her to a greate heape of golde and waiyng her importunate desire vnto money loaded her so heauie with golde that she died vnder her burthen for wante of equall strength to her coueteous mynde The golden Sandes of Tagus all the glisteryng gemmes of Ganges all the treasures of Hydanspes can not suffice coueteous Princes Suche inordinate desire of wealth of glorie of fame raignyng in Princes from tyme to tyme that diuers dreamed in their sleape howe thei mighte satisfie their greedie guttes in the daie tyme toumblyng and tossyng their braine how thei mighte possesse kyngdomes and Countreis For Darius dreamed that al Macedonia should be at his becke and that Alexander the Greate should serue hym in suche homage and clothes as he some tyme did serue kyng CaÌ„bises Alexander dreamed that Hercules appeared to hym euery where and commaunded hym to passe vnto Tyre and to the Isle of Pharo promisyng helpe and assistaunce to haue wealthe and honour aboue al men Hanibali was so coueteous and desirous of Rome that a young manne of wounderfull beautie appeared vnto hym in his sleape commaundyng hym to make his armie rieadie to passe vnto Italie assuryng him to become lorde of Rome and Italie Thus in slepe did thei studie how to feede coueteousnesse Thus by dreames did thei coniecture how thei might bee famous glorious and renoumed Thus through fonde phantasies of visions did at lengthe become murtherers and tyrantes of the worlde What was the onely death of that noble Troian Hector the greedie desire to spoile kyng Patroclus â–ª What was the ende of that renoumed Gréeke Achilles his auarous dealyng with kyng Priamus for his soonne Hectors auarice neuer lodgeth but with princes noble menne and riche menne the poore of necessitie is enforced to seeke his liuyng Kyng Midas was not contented with all the kyngdom of Lidia made his desire and wishe of GOD Bacchus to bee a meane vnto Iupiter that what so euer he touched should be golde whiche beyng graunted euen at diner his breade that he touched became golde his drinke he tooke in hande conuerted vnto golde and beyng priuie to his miserie and wretchednesse that he was in almoste famishâ—e hymself for that he could not digeste golde as well as meate and drinke whiche could not perceiue his estate before and suffice him with al thinges beyng the wealthiest kyng that euer was in Lidia now through his coueteousnes enforced by hunger to die O hongrie panches of golde O cursed desire of money What hath not been doen by thee What place was not soughte by thee Euriphiles was so coueteous that she betraied her owne housebande Amphiraus to Adrastus kyng of the Argiues for a bracelet of golde that the kyng did weare aboute his arme If Ochus kyng somtyme of Persia had obserued the rule of noble Plato whiche said that a kyng whiche deliteth in auarice can not prospere He had not staied from the Citie of Babilon for sparing of some siluer which he should giue to the poore women of the citie for it was a Lawe made by kyng Cirus that what kyng so euer of Persia had comen vnto Babilon he should giue a peece of gold vnto euery poore woman in the toune for the whiche cause kyng Ochus would neuer come vnto Babilon These commodities followe coueteousnesse toile and trauaill in gettyng care and thoughtes in keping Had Euclio thought of that saiyng of Plutarchus that riches for the mooste parte are hurtfull to those chiefly that doe desire moste he had not hidden vnder the grounde suche Treasure and wealth of golde and siluer that he durste not goe out of his house for feare of robbing nor yet as Plautus saieth abide in his house for feare of killyng Uerie well is it described of wisemen the chariotte of coueteousnes the fower wheéles named faint courage contempt of God forgetfulnesse of death and vngentlenesse the twoo horses that drewe the Chariot are named rauine and nigardshippe the driuer of the horses is called desire the twoo cordes that rule the horses are appetite to gette and feare to forgette A whole volume might bee written vpon these names but sithe the moste parte knowe well the maner and motion of auarice superfluous it is to commente or glose to the smalleste noumber The Princes are not ignoraunce for slaughter murther and tyrannie teacheth them the order of this chariotte The noble man desireth alwaies to ascende
king Philip of Macedonia of whom Philocrates and Aeschines after they had retourned vnto Athens from their Legacie saide that king Philip was a beastlie quaffer then saide Demosthenes vertue hath hir proper spung I saie no more but that vice hath some Bulwarkes and defences euerie where ¶ Of Magike and witcherie THE aduenturous searchers and priuie prudent Philosophers haue sought by influences of the heuens to bring thinges fourth like vnto the workes of nature as beastes to speake dead bodies to goe In this facultie some of the best in euerie Countrie trauailed as Buda amongest the Babilonians Hermes amongest the Egiptians Zamolxides amongest the Thracians and Numa Pompilius amongest the Romaines and amongest the Perseans was this Magick exteemed that their Kynges therein were instructed as an arte necessarie to be knowem for Princes For that wise and learned Socrates went vnto Gobrias an excellent Magician to bee taught in this Arte and to learne the punishment of soules and their restyng places after death which was instructed as Crinitus saith in .5 lib. and Cap. 2. in all thinges accordyng vnto his expectation Plinie saieth that Moises vsed a kinde of Magicke whiche was likewise graunted by God vnto Salamon as Iosephus in his eight booke of antiquitie affirmeth Likewise Pithagoras Empedocles Democritus and diuers other Philosophers trauailed vnto the furthest parte of the world to be acquainted with this facultie and after forsakyng of their Countrey at their returne practized the same and opened the hiddē and secrete nature of the same vnto others Straunge thinges maie bee brought to passe by ioinyng inferiour thynges with superiour qualities whiche by curious searche of naturall and celestiall bodies their hidden secret powers are knowen by practisyng of the same marueilous effectes somtyme appeare as by this meanes Architas the Tarentine made a wodden Doue to flee And Albertus the Greate made a brasen heade to speake Lactantius saith that Appolonius was so excellent in this art that when Domitianus the Emperour would haue had him punished he sodainly being before the Emperours face to auoide the threatenynges and appoincted punishmēt vanished out of sight by this art Arnuphus an Aegiptian Philosopher vsed to flie in the aire and made suche a wonder in Rome in the tyme of Marcus Antonius when the Souldiours wanted water to drinke he caused Lightnynges and Thonders to prouide raine to satisfie the thurst of the Romaine soldiers By this likewise doeth Plinie report of a kyng sometime in Armenia which allured more the Emperour Nero being at supper with him to be in loue with the enticement of Magicke then to delite in the Harmonie and melodie of musike and other shewes prouided for the encrease of mirth for natural Magick was so exteemed that it was thought onely to bee the profoundnes and perfection of naturall Philosophie makyng open the actiue parte thereof with the aide and helpe of other naturall vertues The Indians and the Egiptians because there was aboundaunce of herbes Stones and suche necessaries as might serue this purpose excelled in this facultie And because Astrologie hath some affinitie and greate conferēce with Magick it is conueniente in some poincte to touche what thei haue dooen from tyme to tyme. How straunge was it that Anaxogoras saied that a greate stone should fall from the Sunne the seconde yere after 78. Olimpiade in Egos a Riuer in Thracia whiche came to passe as Plini reporte in his seconde booke and sixte Chapiter Pherecides was so skilfull in Astrologie that when he sawe water drawen out of a walle he saied then that in that place should bee greate yearth quake Sulla hearyng muche of the enormitie and luste of Caligula the Emperour sometime in Rome sende hym in writing how and after what sort he should within sewe daies die This by iudiciall Astrologie did Meson foreshewe to the Athenians sailing then vnto Sicilia the tempest that was to come vpon the Seas whereby he feigned hym self madde to auoide the daunger thereof By this Sulpitius Gallus opened the effecte of Eclipse of the Moone vnto the fearfull souldiers of P. Aemilius whiche feared and doubted to méete Kyng Perseus and his armie vntill thei were certified of the cause thereof The iudgemente likewise that thei haue of menne by their faces and contemplations of the proportions of Nature iudgyng some to bee Saturnist others to bee Marcialist some to bee Iouialist others Mercurians appliyng some vnto the Sunne others vnto the Moon It is written that the auncient Philosopher Pithagoras would take no scholer or admitte any to come vnto his schoole without he iudged hym apte and meete by sight to receiue learnyng The Kingly Philosopher Socrates was iudged by Zopirus to bee by Nature a drounkarde a whoremonger and moste vicious in diuers thynges to the whiche Socrates by feelyng of the prouocation of Nature agreed and saied that he was naturally giuen vnto those vices that Zopirus iudged hym Atlas was so excellente in Astrologie that the Poetes do faigne that he vpholdeth the heauens with his shulders Berosus had his Image in Athens erected and put vp of the common people for the skill he had in Astrologie Mirandula doth write of a famous Magiciā in Pathmos named Cinges which was wōt to reise ded bodies and to woorke wonders in the tyme that Ihon the Euangeliste preached the Gospell of Christe The Egiptians beleued that Amphion was so connyng in Magique that the Poetes faigne that he made stones and Trees to followe hym These coniectures whiche bothe Magiciens and Augurers dooe gather from the heauenly bodies vpon all inferiour liuyng thynges by certaine signes and tokens placed in their mouynges standyng gesture and goynges are nothyng els but to searche the hidden force and secrete woorkyng of naturall bodies whiche was so estemed in tymes past that the Lacedemonians did assigne an Augurer to sit in roiall seate in iudgemente with their kynges and to bee euery where presente at the Counsaill of the Citie to decerne thynges and to instructe theim therein The Romaines had a whole companie of these readie to teache them thynges to come The Grekes flowed of these for thei tooke nothyng in hande without consultation either with Amphiraus Tiresias or Mopsus The Phrigians had suche cōfidence in diuinations that Ascanius the sonne of Aeneas asked counsaile of Augurers before he went vnto the fielde against Mezentius In fine the Cicilians the Arabians and the Vmbrians folowed Augurers deuise and coūsailes in all their doynges and attemptes Therefore from age to age Astrologers were the Keyes of the Augurers to practise their secretes by erection of their figures and coniectures of similitudes to shew the very waie vnto diuination There is an other kinde of Magick belōgyng to Witchyng that is doen with charmed drinkes and medecines where hearbes are moste estemed As Virgill of a certaine hearbe called Pontus maketh mention how he sawe a man named Moeris chaunged hereby vnto the
weepyng and sobbyng before Antonius requiryng on his knees one graunt at Antonius hand to sende his Souldiours to kyll hym vpon the graue of his frende Lucullus and beyng dead to open Lucullus graue and to laie hym by his frend Which beyng denied of the emperour then went and wrote vpon a little peece of paper caried it in his hande vntill he came wher Lucullus was buried and there holdyng fast the paper in one hand and with his dagger in the other hande slue hym self vpon the graue holdyng the paper close beyng dead where this sentence he wrote Thou that kneweste the faithefull freÌ„dship betwixt Volumnius Lucullus ioyne our bodies together being dead as our mindes were alwaies one beyng a liue The like historie is written of Nisus when his faithfull frende Eurialus was slaine in the warres betwixt Turnus and Aeneas he hauyng vnderstandyng therof vnknowen vnto Aeneas and vnto the reste of the Troians wente vp and doune the fielde tomblyng and tossyng dead carkeses vntill he founde out Eurialus bodie whiche after longe lookyng and embrasyng of his deade frende drewe out his swearde and heald it in his hande a little while saiyng as my bodie shall neuer departe from thy bodie so shall I neuer feare to folowe thy ghoost and laiyng the Pommel of his swearde on the grounde fell vpon his swearde hauyng the bodie of his frende Eurialus betwixt his armes This loue was greate betwixt Princes whiche might liue honorably to die willingly A strange thing for men that so loue their frendes to waie their deaths more then their one liues Orestes faithe and frendship towarde Pylades was suche that beeyng come vnto a straunge Region named Taurica to diminishe the dolors to asswage the grief and to mitigate the furious flames of Orestes bicause he slue his mother Clitemnestra and beyng suspected that they came only to take awaie the Image of Pallas their goddesse in that countrey The kyng vnderstandyng the matter made Orestes to be sente for to be brought before hym to haue iudgement of death For Pylades was not mencioned nor spoken of but onely Orestes he it was that should steale their Goddes awaie vnto Gréece Orestes therefore beyng brought and his felowe Pylades with him The king demaunded whiche of theÌ„ both was Orestes Pylades that knewe his frende Orestes should die sodainly steapt forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied that and saide that it was euen hee that was accused vnto the kyng thus the one deniyng and the prouyng either of theim moste willyng to die for the other The kynge dismaide at their greate amitie loue pardoned their faultes muche extemed their companie and greatlye honoured their naturall loue and faithe so many like histories vnto this there be that then Princes woulde die for their frendes euen that greate conquerour Alexander would haue died then presently with his frend Haephaestion had not his counsell letted hym he loued aliue so well that he was called of all men an other Axander in so muche so estemed his frende when SisigaÌ„bis king Darius mother had saluted HaephaestioÌ„ in stede of Alex. being therewith angrie with her error he said blushe not to honour Haephaestion as an other Alexander What was it that Anaxogoras waÌ„ted that prince Pericles could get for him Whether went Aeneas that Troian duke at any tyme without Achates with him was ther nothing that Pomponius had but Cicero had part of it Scipios freÌ„dship neuer wanted vnto Cloelius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honor yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faithe or chaunge frendes After the Senators had iudged Tib. Gracchus for diuers seditions in the citie to die his frend Blosius hauyng knowledge thereof came and kneled before the Senators besought Laelius whose counsaill the Senators in all thinges folowed to be his frende saiyng vnto the reste after this sorte O sacred Senate and noble counsailers if yet remaine in the citie of Rome any sparcle of iustice if there be regard vnto equitie let me craue that by lawe which you iniuriously applie vnto an other and sithe I haue committed the offences and factes of Gracchus whose coÌ„maundement I neuer resisted whose will to accomplish I will duryng life obaie lette me die for Gracchus worthely whiche am moste willyng so to do let him liue iustly whiche so ought moste truly Thus with vehement inuectiues against him self crauing death most earnestly vnto Blosius and life worthely vnto Gracchus made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saiyng the Capitoll had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commaunded but I knowe that Grachus thought nothyng in harte but that whiche he spake by tongue vnto Blosius and that which hée spake by tongue vnto Blosius that Blosius neuer doubted to doe and therefore I deserue rather death than hée The faith and loue betwixt Damon and Pythyas was so woondered at of King Dionisius that though hée was a cruell Tiraunt in appoynting Damon to die yet was he most amazed to sée the desire of Pithias the constant fayth the loue and friendeship professed in Damons behalfe striuing one with an other to die enforced in spite of tiranny to pardon Damon for Pythyas sake Theseus and Perithous became such faythfull friendes that they made seuerall othes one vnto an other neuer during life to be departed neyther in affliction paine punishement plague toyle or trauayle to be disseuered insomuch the Poetes faine that they went vnto the kindome and region of Pluto togither I will not speake of the great loue of that noble Gréeke Achilles toward King Patroâ—lusâ— Neyther will I recite the Historie of that worthy Romane Titus towarde Gisippus In fine I will not report Palemon and Arceit Alexander and Lodowicke whose ende and conclusion in loue were such as are worthy of memorie famous in writing ¶ Of enuie and malice and so of tiranny AS malice drinketh the most part of her owne poyson so enuie saith Aristotle hurteth more the enuious it selfe than the thing that it enuieth Like as the slouthfull in warre or Darnell amongst Wheate so is the enuious in a Cittie not so sad of his owne miseries and calamities as hée lamenteth the hap and felicitie of others Wherfore the wise Philosopher Socrates calleth enuie serram animae the sawce of the soule for that it cutteth the hart of the enuious to see the prosperitie of others For as it is a greefe to the good and vertuous man to see euyll men rule so contrarily to the euil most harme is it to sée the goodman liue Therfore the first disturber of common wealth and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorowes the ende of all ioyes the cause of all euyll and the onely let of all goodnesse is enuie How prospered Gréece how florished Rome how quiet was the whole world before enuie began to