she goeth out of the house she ought to thinke that her maydens will stray abrode the children wil ronne out to play the varlettes and seruaunts wil be out of order the neighbours wil take occasions to speake euill and that which is worst of al some will steale the goodes out of the house and the others wil speake euyl of the renowne of the wife Oh god giueth a goodly gift grace to that man which hath such and so good a wife that of her owne nature loueth to kepe her selfe within the house And truly I say that such one doth excuse many griefes saueth much money For she spendeth not the goodes in apparel nor giueth occasion to men to iudge euil of her personne The greatest debate that is betwene man and wife is for that he desireth to get and kepe his goodes to bringe vp his chyldren and to maintaine his family and on the other part that she desireth to spend all vppon apparell For women in this case are so curious in louinge of themselues that they would absteine from meates that should mainteyne their life onlye to bye a new gowne to set out their pride Women naturally do loue to keape and wil not spend any thinge except it be in apparell For euery houre that is in the day and the night they desire to haue a new gowne to chaunge My entencyon is not to speake of apparell only but to perswade Princesses and great Ladyes that they would kepe themselues in their houses and in so doing they should excuse these superfluous wastes expenses For her neighbour seing her better apparelled then she is loketh vpon her husband as she were a Lyon It chaunceth oftentymes I would to god I had no cause to speake it that if by chaunce there commeth anye great or solempne feast or mariage she wil neuer loke louyngly on his face before he hath geuen her a new gowne to her backe and when the poore gentleman hath no money to paye of necessity he must runne in credit And when the vanytie of the woman is past then the time of payment draweth nere and they come to arest all his goodes so that they haue cause to lament one hole yeare for that whych they haue spent in one houre Women seldome contende for that one is fairer more nobler of lynage better maried or more vertuous then an other but onely for that an other goeth better apparailed then she For touching apparell there is no woman cā endure that an other meaner woman shoulde make comparison with her nor that in like maner her equal should excell her Lycurgus in the lawes that he gaue to the Lacedemonians commaunded that their wiues should not goe out of their houses but at dyuers solempne feastes in the yere For he sayde that the women ought to be makinge their prayers in the Temples to the gods or els in their houses bringing vp their children For it is not honest nor commendable that the wife shold passe her time abroade trotting from strete to strete as common women I say that the Princesses and great Ladies are much more bound to kepe them selues at home in their houses then other women of meaner degre without a cause I speake it not for therby they shal get them more reputacion For ther is no vertue wherby the woman winneth more reputacion in the common wealth then alwayes to be sene resident in her house I say also that a wife ought the most part of her time to keape her house bycause she hath lesse occasion then other haue to go abroade For if the poore wife the Plebian go out of her house she goeth for no other cause but for to seke meate but if the riche and noble woman goeth out of her house it is for nothing but to take her pleasure Let not princesses maruel nor let not great ladies wonder if they dispose their feete to trotte occupye their eyes to behold though their ennemyes and neighbours with cankered hartes doth iudge them and with euil tongues defame them for the fond dedes that women do maketh men to be rash of iudgement I like it wel that the husbands should loue their wiues that they should comfort them and make much of them and that they should put their trust in them but I do discommend that the women should go gadding abroad in visitacion from house to house that their husbands dare not gaine say them For admyt that they be good in their personnes yet in this doing they giue occasion for men to esteme them vaine and light Seneca saieth in an epistel that the great Romaine Cato the censor ordeyned that no woman shold go out of her house being alone if perhappes it were in the night she should not go alone without company that the company shold not be such as she would chose but such as her husband or parent would assigne so that with the same coūtenaunce we behold now a comen woman with the selfe same lookes then we beheld her that went oft out of her house Noble ladies which loue their honour ought greatly to consider way the great incōueniences that may ensue by often gadding abroad for they spend much to apparel them they lose much time in trimming them they kepe gentlewomen to wait vpon them they wil striue with their husbands to goe whiles she is out of the dores the house shal be euil kept and al the enemyes frendes therby haue matter wherupon to talke finally I say that the woman that goeth out of her house doth not wey the losse of her honour so much as she doth the pleasure she taketh abroad Presuming as I presume to write with grauitie I say that I am ashamed to speake it yet for al that I wil not refraine to write of the walkes of these dames that visite desire to be visited amongest whom ther is moued oftentimes such vaine cōmunication that it causeth their husbands to become ennemyes and on the other parte they remember more the gossippinges that they haue to go then their sinnes which they ought to lament ¶ Of the commodities and discommodities which folowe Princesses and great Ladyes that go abroade to vysite or abyde in the house Cap. viii LUcretia by the consent of all was counted the cheafest of all other Matrones of Rome and not for that that she was more faire more wise of greater parentage or more noble But because she did withdrawe her selfe from company and abode solitary For she was such a one that in the heroical vertues there could be nothing more desired nor in womens weakenes there was nothinge in her to be amended The historye of the chast Lucretia is euident in Titus Liuius that when the husbandes of diuers Romaines came home from the warres to their houses they founde their wiues in such sort that some were gasing out of the windowes others devising vainely at their doores others in the field wandering others
condicion I say not al that if a man giue not spedely that whiche they desire they chaunge their coullour their eyes looke read their tongues runne quycke their voyces are sharpe they frete with them selues they trouble their neighbours abroade and are so out of order that no man dare speake vnto them within You haue this good trade among ye womē that vnder coullour of being with child you wil that we husbands graunt ye al your desires When the sacred senate in the time of the valyaunt Camillus made a law in the fauour of the Romaine Matrones with child the women at that time longed not so much as they do at this present but I can not tel what this presently meaneth that al ye are annoynted with that that is good that ye are all desirous of that that is euyl I wil tel the Faustine the occasiō why this law was made in Rome therby thou shalt se if thou deseruest to enioy the priuyledge therof or no For the lawes are but as yokes vnder the which the euyl doth labour and they are winges wherwith the good doth flye The case therof was such that Camillus the valyaunt captaine went forth to the warres he made a solempne vow to the mother Berecinthia that if the gods gaue him the vyctorie he would offer vnto her an Image of siluer and after Camillus wanne the victory that he would haue accomplished his vow to the mother Berecinthia nother he had any riches nor Rome had any siluer For at that time Rome was rich of vertues and poore of money And know thou Faustine that our aunciēt fathers were deuout towards the gods curious in repairing the temples the which they estemed to be great deuocions they were in such sort obserued of their vowes that neither for slouth nor pouerty they would obmitte their promises towards their gods And in these things they were so precise that they graunted to no man any triumphe onlesse he did sweare that he had vnto the gods made a vow afterward also proued how he performed it At that time florished in Rome manye vertuous Romaynes and manye greeke phylosophers manye hardye Captaynes and manye sumptuous buildinges and aboue all thinges Rome was vnpeopeled of malyces and adorned with vertuous Ladies The Historiographers made and not withoute a cause greate accompte of these vertuous matrones For the commonne wealthe hathe as muche neade of vertuous women as the warres haue of valyaunte Captaynes They beynge therefore as they weare soo vertuous and noble Matrones without the motion of anye woman determined all to go into the high Capitoll ther to offer al their Ieuelles and treasours that they had their cheynes their ringes their garmentes their bracelettes their girdels their buttons and hangers of golde of siluer and precious stones of all sortes with al their tablettes The Annales of this time say that after the Romaine women had layed so greate a multitude of riches at the feete of the sacret senate in the name of them all one of them spake whose name was called Lucina said in this sort Fathers cōscript esteme not much these our Iewelles which we geue you to make the ymage of the mother Berecinthia but esteme much this that we willynglye put in ieopardye our husbandes and children to win you the vyctory And if in this case you accept our poore seruyce haue no respect to the lytel which we do offer but to the great which if we were able we would giue Truly the Romains though the treasure which their wiues offered was great Yet notwithstāding they did more esteme the good wil wherwith they gaue it then they did the giftes them selues For ther was so much in dede that sufficed both to make the ymage of the goddesse Berecinthia and also for a long time to maintaine the warres Therfore from that day that those matrones presented their Iewelles in the highe Capitoll the senate foorthwith in remembraunce of the gentlenes graunted them these fiue thinges as a priuyledge For at that time Rome neuer receyued seruice or benefyt of any person but she rewarded it with double payment The first thing that the senate graunted the Romaine women was that in the day of their burial the Oratours might openly make oracions in the praise of their lyues For in old time men vsed neyther to exalt theym when they were dead nor yet to accompany them to their graues The second thing that was graunted them was that they might syt in the temples for in the old time when the Romaynes did offer sacrifices to their gods the aged did alwayes syt the priestes kneele the maried men did leane but the women though they were of noble and high linage could neither be suffered to talke sit nor to leane The third thing that the senate graunted the women of Rome was that euery one of them might haue .ii. rich gownes and that they should not aske the Senate leue to weare them for in the olde time if any women were apparelled or did bye any newe gowne withoute askinge licence of the Senate shee shoulde immedyatlye loose her Gowne and bycause her husbande did condiscende vnto the same he was bannyshed the common wealthe The fourth thing which they graunted them was that they shold drinke wine when they were sicke for there was in Rome a custome inuyolable that thoughe their lyfe was in hazard they durst not drinke wine but water For when Rome was wel corrected a woman that druncke wine was asmuch slaundered among the people as if she had committed adulterye towardes her husband The fift thing graunted by the senate vnto the women was that a man might not denay a Romaine being with chyld any honest and lawful thing that she demaunded I cannot tell why the auncientes of Rome esteamed more women with child then others that had no children Al these fiue things were iustly graunted to the Matrones and noble Romaine Ladyes And I can tel the Faustine that they were of the Senate most willingly graunted For it is reason that women which in vertues do excell should with all meanes be honoured I wil tel the Faustine the especiall cause that moued the Romaynes to graunte vnto you Matrones this last pryuyledge that is to wete that a man cannot denay them any thinge being with child Thou oughtest to know that the others aswel Grekes as Latynes did neuer giue lawes nor institutions vnto their people without great occasions For the great multitude of lawes are comonly euill kept and on the other part are cause of sondrye troubles We cannot denaye but that the auncientes did wel auoyde the great nomber of institucions For it is better for a man to lyue as reason commaundeth him then as the lawe constrayneth him The case therfore was that in the yere of the foundacion of Rome .364 Fuluius Torquatus then being Consul in the warre againste the Volces the knightes of Mauritania broughte to Rome an huge monster with
wisest but these of our daies cōtend who shal be fairest For at this day the ladies would chose rather to haue the face adorned with beautie then the heart endued with wisedome The auncient ladies contented which should be better able to teache others but these ladies nowe a daies contend how they may moste finely apparel them selues For in these daies they geue more honour to a woman richely appareled then they geue to an other with honestie beautified Finally with this worde I doe conclude and let him marke that shall reade it that in the olde time women were such that their vertues caused al men to kepe silence and now their vices be such that they cōpell al men to speake I will not by this my word any man should be so bolde in generally to speake euil of all the ladies for in this case I sweare that there are not at this day so many good vertuous women in the world but that I haue more enuy at the life they lead in secreat then at al the sciences whiche the auncient women red in publike Wherfore my pen doth not shewe it selfe extreme but to those which onely in sumptuous apparell and in vayne wordes do consume their whole lyfe and to those whiche in readyng a good boke wold not spend one only houre To proue my intencion of that I haue spoken the aboue written suffiseth But to the ende princesses and great ladies maye se at the lest howe muche better it shal be for them to know litel then to haue and possesse much and to be able to do more I will remembre thē of that whych a Romaine woman wrate to her children wherby they shal perceyue how eloquent a woman she was in her sayinges and how true a mother in her counsel For in the end of her letter she perswadeth her children to the trauailes of the warre not for any other cause but to auoyd the pleasures of Rome Of the worthines of the ladye Cornelia and of a notable epistle she wrote to her .ii. sonnes which serued in the warres Tyberius and Caius diswadyng them from the pleasures of rome and exorting them to endure the trauailes of warre Chap. xxxi ANnius Rusticus in the boke of the antiquities of the Romaines saith that in Rome ther wer .v. principal linages that is to wete Fabritij Torquatij Brutij Fabij and Cornelij thoughe there were in Rome other newe linages wherof ther were many excellent personages yet alwayes these which came of the .v. linages were kept placed and preferred to the first offices of the common wealth For Rome honored those that were present in such sort that it was without the preiudice of those that are gone Amongest those .v. linages the romaines alwayes counted the Cornelij most fortunat the which were so hardy and couragious in fight and so modest in lyfe that of theyr familie there was neuer found any cowardly man in the feld nor any defamed woman in the towne They saye of this linage of the Cornelij amonge many other there were .iiii. singular and notable women among the whiche the chiefe was the mother of Gracchi whose name was Cornelia and liued with more honour for the sciences she red in Rome then for the conquestes that her children had in Affricke Before her children wer brought into the empire they talked of none other thing but of their strēgth hardines throughout all the worlde and therfore a Romaine one daye asked this woman Cornelia wherof she toke most vaine glory to se her selfe mistres of so many disciples or mother of so valiant children The lady Cornelia aunswered I doe esteme the science more whiche I haue learned then the Children whyche I haue brought forth For in the end the children kepe in honour the lyfe but the disciples continue the renowne after the death And she sayd further I am assured that the disciples dayly will waxe better and better and it maye bee that my Children wil waxe worse and worse The desyres of yong men are so variable that they daily haue newe inuentions With one accord all the wryters do greatly commende this woman Cornelia inespecially for being wyse and honest and furthermore bycause shee red philosophy in Rome openlye And therfore after her death they set vp in Rome a Statue ouer the gate Salaria whereupon there was grauen this Epigrame This heape of earth Cornelie doth encloose Of wretched Gracches that loe the mother was Twyse happye in the sckollers that she choose Vnhappye thrise in the ofspringe that she has AMong the latines Cicero was the Prince of al the Romaine rethorike and the chiefest with his pen inditing of Epystles yet they say that he did not only se the writinges of this Cornelia but red them and did not onely read them but also with the sentences therof profited him selfe And hereof a man ought not to meruaile for there is no man in the world so wise of him selfe but may furder his doynges with the aduice of another Cicero so highly exalted these writinges that he said in his rethorike these or such other like wordes If the name of a woman had not bleamyshed Cornelia truly she deserued to be head of all philosophers For I neuer sawe so graue sentences procede from so fraile flesh Since Cicero spake these wordes of Cornelia it can not be but that the writinges of such a woman in her time were very liuely and of great reputacion yet notwithstāding there is no memory of her but that an author for his purpose declareth an epistel of this maner Sextus Cheronensis in his booke of the prayse of women reciteth the letter whiche she sente to her children She remaynyng in Rome and they beyng at the warres in Affrike The letter of Cornelia to her .ii. sonnes Tiberius and Caius otherwise called Gracchi COrnelia the Romaine that by thy fathers side am of the Cornelij one the mother syde of the Fabij to you my .ii. sonnes Gracchii which are in that warres of Affrik such health to you do wish as a mother to her childrē ought to desire Ye haue vnderstode right well my children how my father died I being but .iii. yeres of age and that this .xxii. yeares I haue remained wydow and that this .xx. yeares I haue red Rethorike in Rome It is .vii. yeres sins I sawe ye and .xii. yeares sins your bretherne my children dyed in the great plage You know .viii. yeres ar past since I left my study and came to se you in Cicilia bycause you should not forsake the warres to come se me in rome for to me could come no greater paine thē to se you absent from the seruice of the common welth I desire my children to shew you how I haue passed my life in labour trauaill to the intent you should not desire to spēd youres in rest and idlenes For if to me that am in rome there can want no trobles be ye assured that vnto you which are in the warres shall
shoulde they see therein thinkest thou Trulye as thou knowest they should see the common wealthe destroyed iustice not ministed and moreouer Rome not obeyed and not without iuste cause For of righte oughte that common wealthe to be distroyed which ons of al other hath bene the flower and most beautified with vertues and after becommeth moste abhominable and defiled with vices The case was suche that two yeares after the warres of Sylla and Marius the Censor went yearely to Nola whiche is a place in the prouince of Campania to visite the same countrey as the custome was And in those dayes the tyme and season being verye hote and the prouince quiet not dysturbed with warres and perceiuyng that none of the people cam to him The censour sayde to the hoste which lodged hym Frend I am a iudge sent from the Senatours of Rome to visite this land Therefore goe thy wayes quicklye and call the good men hither whiche be amonge the people For I haue to saye vnto theym from the sacred senate This hoste who peraduenture was wyser then the Romayne iudge althoughe not so ryche goeth to the graues of the dead whiche in that place were buryed and spake vnto them with a loude voyce sayinge O ye good men come awaye with me quickelie for the Romayne Censour calleth you The iudge perceiuyng they came not sent hym agayne to cal them and the host as he dyd at the first tyme so dyd he nowe at the seconde For when he was at the graues with a loud voyce he said O ye good men come hither for the censour of Rome woulde talke with you And lykewyse they were called the third tyme with the selfsame wordes And the Censour seyng no body come was maruelous angrie and said to the hoste Sithe these good men dysdayne to come at my commandement and shewe their allegiaunce to the sacred senate of Rome to thintente I maye punyshe this their dysobedience I wil goe vnto them my selfe Come and go with me The poore hoste without any wordes takyng the censour by the hand led him to the graues where he had ben before and agayne with a loude voice cried vnto the dead men and sayed O ye good men here is the Roman censor come to speake with you The censor beyng angry sayde to hym what meanest thou by this host I sent the to cal them that are aliue not those that are dead the host made answer o thou Roman Iudge if thou wert wyse thou woldest not marueil at that that I haue done For I let the vnderstand in this our citie of Nola al the good men all I say are now deade and lye here buried in these graues Therfore thou hast no cause to marueile nor yet to be dyspleased with my answere but I rather ought to be offended with thy demaunde willyng me to enquire for good menne and thou thy selfe doste offende with the euill dailie Wherfore I let the know if thou be ignoraunt therof if thou wilt speake with any good man thou shalte not finde him in all the hole worlde vnles the dead be reuiued or excepte the gods wil make a newe creation The Consul Sylla was fyue monethes our captain in this oure citye of Nola in Campania sowinge the fruite whiche ye other Romaines gathered that is to say he lefte children without fathers fathers without children daughters without mothers and husbandes without wyues wiues without husbandes vncles without nephewes subiectes withoute Lordes Lordes withoute tenauntes gods without Temples Temples without priestes mountaines without heardes and fieldes without frutes And the worste of all is that this cursed Sylla dispeopled this oure citye of good and vertuous men and replenyshed it with wycked and vitious personnes Ruine and decay neuer destroyed the walles so muche neyther the mothes euer marred so many garmētes ne the wormes rotted so much fruites nor yet the hayle beate downe so muche corne as the disorder and vices of Sylla the Romaine Consul dyd harme whiche he broughte vnto this land of campania And although the euils that he did here to the men were many folde greate yet muche greater herein was that which he did to their customes and maners For in the ende the good men whiche he beheaded are now at rest with the dead but the vices whiche he left vs. In this land ther are none but proude arrogant men that desire to commaunde In this land there are none other but enuious men that know nought els but malice In this land there are idle men which doe nothing but lose their tyme. In thys land there are none but gluttons whych doe nothyng but eateth In this land ther are non but theues which entende nought els but robberies In thys lande there are none but rebelles that doe nothyng but stirre sedicion And if thou and al the Romaynes esteme these men for good tary a while I wyl goe to cal them al to the. For if we should kil and put in the shambles al the yll men and wey theym as we doe the flesh of shepe or other lyke beastes all the neighbours and inhabitantes of Italye shoulde haue meate sufficiente to eate Beholde Censor in this lande of Campania they case none good but those which are quyet sober wise and discret men Thei cal none good but the pacient honest and verteous men Finallie I say that we cal none good but those which wyll doe no harme and will occupy them selues in good workes without teares I speke not that whych I wil say that is if we seke for any of them we shal finde none but in these graues For the iuste iudgment of god it was they should repose them selues in the intrailles of the earthe whom the publike weale deserued not to haue alyue Thou comest to visite thys land where thou shalt imediatly be serued with the wycked and to hyde theyr faultes theyr dissolute lyfe and theyr vices thou shalt not be a little solicited Beliue me if thou wilt not vndoe thy self be deceiued Trust thou rather these rottē bones then their deceiptful harts For in the end the examples of the dead that were good doe profyte men more to lyue well than the counsaile of the liuing that be wicked doe interre and burye al those that be nowe lyuyng ¶ Marcus Aurelius concludeth the letter and declareth at large the sciences he learned and al the maisters which he had And in the ende he reciteth fiue notable thynges in the obseruaunce of whych the Romaynes were verye curious Cap. iii. I Haue recyted these thynges vnto the my frende Pulio to the ende thou shouldest know what an infinite number there is of the wycked sort in that world and how smal and scant a number there is in Italye of the good and this procedeth of none other thynge but because the Fatheres doe not bryng vp their chyldren as our auncestours dyd It is vnpossyble a young chylde shoulde be vicious yf wyth due correction he had bene instructed in vertues
all perill and daunger The Romaines being aduertised of their gentlenes by the messengers which were come safe aliue did so muche reioyce that they ordeined in Rome that the nobles of Liparie shuld be made Senatours of Rome all the others shoulde be confederate of aliaunce vnto thē And they caused further that two priestes of Lipari should always remain in the temple of Iupiter whiche priuilege was neuer graunted to any other straungers but to them only For the Romaines had so great zeale loue to their gods that in the seruices of the temples they trusted none but those which were natiue auncient of Rome and also were both wyse and vertuous When Quintus Fabius Publius Decius were in the warres against the Samnites Toscanes and likewyse against the Vmbres many marueilous terrible signes were sene in Rome which thinges did not onely feare those that sawe them but also those which heard of thē Vpon which occasion the Romaines and the Romaine matrones both night and daye offered great sacrifices to the gods For they saide if we can once pacifie the wrath of the gods in Rome we shall neuer neade to feare our enemies in the fielde The thing was this that as the Romaine matrones went visiting the temples to appease the ire of the gods many Senatours wyues came to the temple of chastitie to offer sacrifice For in the time of the puissant power of the Romaines the women did sacrifice in the temples of the gods At that tyme came Virginea the daughter of Aureus Virgineus the Consul Plebeian the which was forbiddē to do sacrifice for that she was none of the Senatours wiues but a Plebeian as much to saie as a craftes womā no gentilmans daughter borne For the noble women were had in so great veneration so highly estemed that al the other semed in respect of thē but handmaides sclaues The noble Romaine Virginea seing her to be so repulsed disdained of the other matrons made of her own propre house a sēple to the goddesse of chastitie and with much deuotion reuerence honoured her The whiche thing being published abroade throughout Rome many other women came thither to doe sacrifice likewise For fortune is so variable that oftentimes those which of pryde haue forbidden vs their houses come after by humilitie to serue vs at ours For this cause this Virginea the foundresse was so greatly praysed that the Romaines in her life made her patrice that is a noble Romaine and after her death caused her image and statue to be made and set vp in the high Capitoll and aboue this image were grauen certaine Greeke letters the effecte whereof was this Patrice the great this Image doth present That in her life did giue with mynde deuout The Gods her house and therfore to them went When liuely breth by death was chased out Of all these hystories aboue named Titus Liuius maketh mencion in his first decade the seconde fift and ninth booke though he declareth thē more at large yet this shal suffice for my purpose I haue sought among the gentils these few exāples to reproue christiā princes to th end they might se how studious feruent our fathers were in the seruice of their Idols cōtrariwise how cold negligēt we are to honour serue our true liuing god It is a shame to tell how the auncient Romains with all their hartes did serue the gods without any vnderstanding how those which are christiās for the most part serue the true God not in truthe but with hypocrisie and dissimulation Fo the children of this worlde will take no paynes but for to prouoke the pleasures of the body Many wondred for what occasion God did so muche for them and they did nothing for God To this may be aunswered that if they had knowen one true God all the sacrifices they hadde done to their other gods they would haue done to him only and as God is iust so he rewarded them in their temporall prosperities not for that they did well but for that they desired to doe well For in our deuine lawe God doth not regard what we are but what we desire to be Christian princes maruayle muche what the occasion should be that they are not so fortunate as the Gentils were To this may be answered that either they be good or euill If they be good truly God should do them wrong if for the paiment of their faithful seruices he should recompence thē with those worldly vanities For without doubt one onely louing countenaunce of god in the worlde to come is more worth then all the temporall goods of this world present But if these suche great lordes be euil in their personnes ambitious in gouerning their dominions not pitifull to wydowes and fatherlesse not fearfull of god nor of his threatninges and moreouer neuer to haue mynde to serue him but only when they see them selues in some great ieopardie in suche case God will not heare them and muche lesse fauour them For without doubt the seruice is more acceptable whiche of free wyll proceadeth than that whiche of necessitie is offred ¶ For fiue causes princes ought to be better Christians then their subiectes Cap. xx IN myne opinion Princes ought and are bounde to be vertuous for fiue causes I saye vertuous in that they should loue and feare God For he onely may be called vertuous which in the catholique faith of the church and in the feare of God hath alwayes remayned constant First princes should feare loue serue and loue one onely god whom they worshippe for that thei acknowledge him onely and none other to be the head both of heauen and earth For in the ende there is nothing so puissaunt but is subiecte to the diuine power And truly the prince is is great perill of damnation of his soule if in his gouernemēt he hath not alwayes before his eies the feare and loue of the supreme prince to whom we must render of all our doynges an accōpt For the prince hath great occasion to be vicious thinking that for the vice he shall not be chastised I haue redde in diuerse sundry writinges and I neuer founde one auncient prince to be contented with one only god but that they had serued many gods Iulius Caesar caried fiue gods painted in a table and Scipio the great caried seuen portered in mettall And furthermore they were not contented to haue many but yet in sacrifices and seruices they offred vnto them all The Christian princes whiche kepe and haue but one very true and omnipotent god are so vnthankefull that they thinke it muche to serue and giue acceptable seruice vnto him And though peraduenture some saie that it is more painefull to serue one true god then all these false gods to this I aunswere That to serue them it is both trauaile paine but to serue our god it is both ioye and felicitie For in seruing those it
are pardoned in tyme which by reason could neuer take end Others sayd that for to appease the enemyes it was good to offer money because moneye doth not only breake the feminate and tender hartes but also the hard and craggy rockes Others saied that the best remedie was to set good men to be mediatours betwene them in especially if they were sage and wise men for the honest faces stout hartes are ashamed when they are proferred money and the good do humble them selues by intreaty These meanes well considered and the remydies wel soughte out to make frendes there are none so ready so true as mariage for the mariage done sacramentally is of such so great excellency that betwene some it causeth perfite frendship betwene others it appeaseth great iniuries During the time that Iulius Cesar kept him selfe as father in law to the great Pompeius that Pompeius helde himselfe his sonne in law ther was neuer euil wil nor quarels betwene thē but after that Pompeius was deuorced from the house of Cesar hatred enuy enimities engendered betwene them in such sort that they contended in suche so cruell warres that Pompeius against his wil lost his head also Iulius Cesar shortned his life When those that dwelled in Rome rauished robbed the doughters of the Sabines if after they had not chaunged their counsel of theues to become husbandes without doubt the Romaines had bene all destroyed for the Sabines had made an othe to aduenture both their goodes and their lyues for to reueng the iniuries done vnto them their doughters and wiues but by the meanes of mariage they were conferred in great amity and loue For the Romaines receued in mariage the doughters of the Sabines whom before they had rauished Greater enimity ther cānot be then that of god towards men through the sinne of Adam notwithstanding ther neuer was nor neuer shal be greater frendship then that which was made by the godly maryage and for greater aucthority to confirme mariage the sonne of god woulde that his mother should be maried and afterward he himselfe was present at a mariage where he turned the water into wine though now a days the euil maried men do turne the wine into water He doth not speake here of religious personnes nor men of the Church neither of those which are closed in deuout places for those fleing the occasions of the world and chosing the wayes lesse daungerous haue offered their soules to god with their bodyes haue done him acceptable sacrifices For ther is difference betwene the relygion of Christ and the sinfull Sinagoge of the Iewes for they offered kyddes and muttons but here are not offered but teares and sighes Leauyng therfore all those secretes apart which men ought to leaue to God I say and affirme that it is a holy and commendable counsel to vse his profite with the Sacrament of mariage the which though it be taken of al voluntaryly yet Princes great lordes ought to take it necessarily For the prynce that hath no wife nor chyldren shal haue in his realme much grudgyng and displeasure Plutarche in the booke he made of mariage sayth that amongest the Lidiens ther was a law wel obserued and kept that of necessity their kings and gouernours should be maried they had such respect to this thing and were so circumspect in this matter that if a prince dyed and left his heire an infant they would not suffer him to gouerne the realme vntil he were maried And they greatly lamented the day of the departing of their Quene out of this lyfe for with her death the gouermente ceased the royal aucthorytie remained voyd and the common wealth with out gouernment so long tyme as the king deferred to take another wyfe so they were some times without kyng or gouernment For princes are or ought to be the mirrour and example of al to lyue honest and temperate the which cannot welbe done vnlesse they be maried or that they se themselues to be conquerers of the flesh being so they are satisfyed but if they be not maried and the flesh doth assault them then they lyue immedyatly conquered Wherfore of necessity they must go by their neighbours houses or els by some other dishonest places scattered abrode to the reproch and dyshonour of them and their kindredes and oftentymes to the great peryl and daunger of their parsonnes ¶ Of sundry and diuerse lawes which the auncientes had in contractinge matrimony not only in the choise of women but also in the maner of celebrating mariage Cap. iii. IN al nacions and in al the Realmes of the world mariage hath alwayes bene accepted and maruailously commended for other wyse the world had not ben peopled nor yet the nomber of men multyplyed The auncientes neuer disagreed one from another in the approbation and acception of mariage but ther was amongest them great difference strife vpon the contractes ceremonies and vsages of the same For they vsed as muche difference in contractinge matrimony and chosinge their wyues as these Epicures doe desire the varietie of sundry delicate meates The deuine Plato in his booke he made of the common wealth did councel that al things should be common and that not onely in brute beastes in mouables and heritages but also that women should be commen for he saide that if these twoo wordes thine and mine were abolisshed and out of vse there shoulde not be debates nor quarelles in this worlde They call Plato deuine for many good thinges whiche he spake but nowe they may call him worldly for the councell profane whiche he gaue I can not tell what beaste lines it may be called nor what greater rewdenes may be thought that the apparrell shuld be proper and the wyues commen The brute beaste doth not knowe that whiche came out of her belly longer then it sucketh of her breastes And in this sorte it would chaunce to men yea and worse to if women were commen in the common wealth For though one shoulde knowe the mother whiche hath borne him he should not knowe the father that hath begotten him The Tharentines whiche were well renowmed amongest the auncientes and not a litle feared of the Romaines had in their citie of Tharente a lawe and custome to marie them selues with a legittimate wife and to begette children but besides her a man might yet chose twoo others for his secret pleasures Spartianus saide that the Emperour Hellus Verus as thouching women was very dissolute and since his wife was younge and faire and that she did complaine of hym because he ledde no honest lyfe with her he spake these wordes vnto her My wyfe thou haste no cause to complayne of me synce I remayne with thee vntill suche tyme as thou arte quicke with chylde For the residue of the tyme we husbandes haue licence and priuilege to seke our pastimes with other women For this name of a wyfe conteyneth in it honour
but for the residue it is a greuous burden and painfull office The like matter came to Ptolomeâ—s king of Egipt of whom the queene his wife did greatly complaine Admitte that all the Grekes haue bene estemed to be very wyse amongest all those the Athenians were estemed of most excellent vertue for the sages that gouerned the common wealth remained in Athens with the philosophers which taught the sciences The sages of Athens ordeined that all the neighbours and inhabitauntes might kepe twoo lawful wiues furthermore vpon paine of greuous punishmentes did coÌ„maunde that none shuld presume nor be so hardie to maintaine any concubine for they sayde when men haunte the companie of light women commonly they misuse their lawfull wiues As Plutarche saith in his politiques the cause why the Grekes made this lawe was considering that man coulde not nor ought not to liue without the company of a womaÌ„ and therfore they wold that man shuld mary with two wiues For if the one were diseased and lay in yet the other might serue in bedde wayte at the table and doe other busynes in the house Those of Athens had an other great respect and consideration to make this lawe which was this that if it chaunced the one to be barrayne the other should brynge foorth chyldren in the common wealthe and in suche case she that brought forth children should be estemed for maistres and the other that was barraine should be taken for a seruaunt WheÌ„ this law was made Socrates was married with Xantippa and to accomplish the lawe he toke an other called Mitra whiche was the doughter of the philosopher Aristides and sithe those two women had great quarrels debates together and that thereby they slaundered their neighbours Socrates sayde vnto them My wyues you see righte well that my eyes are holowe my legges are wythered my handes are wryncled my head is balde the body is litle and the heares are whyte why doe ye then that are so faire stand in coÌ„tention and strife for me that am so defourmed though Socrates sayde these wordes as it were in ieste yet suche woordes were occasion that the quarrelles and strifes betwene them ceased The Lacedemonians that in tyme of peace and warre were alwayes contrarie to the Athenians obserued it for an inuiolate lawe not that one man should mary with twoo wyues but that one woman should mary with twoo husbandes and the reason was that when one husbande should go to the warres the other should tary at home For they sayde that a man in no wyse should agree to leaue his wife alone in the common wealth Plinie wryting an Epistle to his frende Locratius and saint Hyerome wryting to a friere called Rusticus saieth that the Athenians dyd vse to marie the bretherne with the sisters but they did not permitte the Auntes to marie with their nephewes neither the vncles with their neices For they saide that brothers and sisters to marye togethers was to marye with their semblable but for vncles to marye nieces and auntes with nephewes was as of fathers to doughters of mothers to sonnes Melciades whiche was a man of great renowne amongest the Gretians had a sonne called Cymonius who was maried to his syster called Pinicea and beinge demaunded of one why he toke his sister in mariage he aunswered my syster is fayre sage ryche and made to my appetite and her father and myne dyd recommaund her vnto me and since by the commaundement of the Gods a man ought to accomplishe the behestes and requestes of fathers I haue determined since nature hath geuen her me for my syster willingly to take her for my lawfull wyfe Diodorus Siculus sayth that before the Egiptians receiued any lawes euery man had as many wyues as he would and this was at the libertie of both parties for as muche as if she would go she went liberally and forsooke the man and likewise he left her when she displeased him For they saide that it was impossible for men and women to liue long togethers without muche trouble contentions and brawles Diodorus Siculus said one thing speaking of this matter that I neuer red in any booke nor heard of the auncientes paste whiche was that amongest the Egiptians there was no difference in children for they accoÌ„pted them all legittimate though they were children of slaues For they saide that the principall doer of the generation was the father and not the mother and that therefore the children whiche were borne among them toke only the fleshe of the mother but they did inherite the honour and dignitie of the parte of the father Iulius Caesar in his commentaries saieth that in great Britaine called nowe Englande the Britons had an vse that one woman was maried vnto fiue men the which beastlines is not redde to haue bene in any nation of times paste for if it be sclaunder for one man to haue diuers wyues why shoulde it not also be a sclanderous and shamefull thing for one woman to haue many husbandes The noble and vertuous women ought to be maried for twoo causes The first to the ende God should geue them children and benediction to whome they may leaue their goodes and their memory The second to th end they should liue euery one in their owne house accompanied and honoured with their husbandes For otherwise I saie for a truthe that the woman that is not contented and satisfied with her owne propre husbande will not be contented nor satisfied with all men in the worlde Plutarche in his apotheames sayeth that the Cymbres did vse to mary with their propre naturall doughters the whiche custome was taken from them by the Consul Marius after that he did ouercome them in Germany and that of them he had triumphed at Rome For the chylde whiche was borne of suche mariage was sonne of the doughter of one sole father and was sonne and brother of one onely mother and they were also cosins nephewes and brother of one onely father brother Truly suche custome procedeth rather of wylde beastes then of reasonable creatures for many or the more parte of brute beastes after the females haue brought forth males within one yeare after they doe accompany with their dammes which brought them forth Strabo in the situation of the worlde and Seneca in an Epistle saye that the Lydes and the Armenians had a custome to sende their doughters to the Ryuers and hauens of the sea to gette their mariages selling their owne bodies to straungers so that those whiche would marie were firste forced to sell their virginitie The Romains whiche in all their affayres and busynesses were more sage and modeste then other nations vsed muche circumspection in all their mariages For they kepte it as an auncient lawe and vse accustomed that euery Romaine should marie with one woman and no mo For euen as to kepe two wyues among the Christians is a great conscience so was it demed amongest the Romaines muche infamie Amongest the
whereby they may beare and suffre quietly suche great troubles For at this daye there is no husbande so louing nor so vertuous in whom the wife shall not finde some euill conditions First of al wiues ought to endeuour them selues to loue their husbandes vnfainedly if they desire their husbandes should loue them without dissimulation for as we see by experience mariage is seldome broken through pouertie nor yet continued with riches For the euill maried folkes through debate and strife be separated in on week where as by good and true loue they are preserued all the dayes of their life To eate drie and vnsauory meates they vse to take salte for to amende it I meane that the burdens of matrimonie are many and troublesome the whiche all with loue onely maye be endured For as Plato the deuine philosopher sayeth one thinge oughte not to be called more painefull then an other for the labour we thereunto employ but for the great or small loue that thereunto we haue Though some sondry thyngs be troublesome and tedious yet when with loue it is begonne it is easely folowed and ioyefully achieued for that trauayle is nothyng noysome where loue is the mediatour I knowe right well and doe confesse that the counsell whiche I geue to women is sharpe that is for an honest woman to loue a dissolute man for a sage wyfe to loue a foolishe husbande for a vertuous wyfe to loue a vitious husbande For as dayly experience sheweth there are some men of so foolish conditions other women of so noble conuersation that by reason apparant they ought to take them for mistresses rather then they should accepte them for husbandes Although this in some particuler cases is true I saye and affirme that generally all women are bounde to loue their husbandes since that willingly and not by compulsion they were not enforced to take them for in like manner if the mariage pleased not the woman she hath not so much cause to complaine of her husbande for asking her as she hath reason to complayne of her owne selfe that accepted hym For the misfortunes that by our folly doe chaunce though we haue cause to lamente them we ought also to haue reason to dissemble them Be the man neuer so wylde and euill brought vp it is impossible if the wife loue him but he must nedes loue her againe And though perchaunce he can not force his euill condition to loue her yet at the leaste he shall haue no occasion to hate her The whiche ought not to be litle estemed for there are many wyues not onely of the Plebeians but also of the noble dames that coulde be content to forgeue their husbandes all the pleasure they should doe them and also all the loue that they ought to shewe if they would refraine their tongues from speaking iniurious wordes and kepe their handes from dealinge lothsome stripes We haue many notable examples in histories of manye noble and stoute Ladies as well Grekes as Romaines whiche after they were maried had so great faithfulnes and bare suche loyaltie to their husbandes that they not onely folowed them in their trauailes but also deliuered them in their daungers Plutarche in the booke of noble women declareth that the Lacedemonians keping many nobles of the Athenians prisoners whiche at that tyme were their cruell and mortall enemies and beinge iudged to die their wyues concluded to goe to the pryson where they laye and in the ende they obtayned of the Gayler thereof that they myght goe in and talke with their husbandes for in dede the teares were many that before them were shed the giftes were not fewe whiche vnto them were offered The wiues therefore entring into the pryson did not onely chaunge their apparell with their husbandes but also the libertie of their personnes for they went out as women and the women in their steades remained there as men And when they brought out these innocent wyues from pryson to execute iustice supposing they were men the Lacedemonians vnderstandinge the faithfulnes of the women determined that they should not only be pardoned but also that they should be greatly rewarded and honoured for the good examples of other women to whom they were maried The auncient and great renowmed Panthea when newes was brought her that her husbande was dead in the battayle she her owne selfe determined to goe seke him out with hope that as yet he was not vtterly dead and fynding him dead with the bloud of him she washed all her body and likewyse her face stryking with a knife her selfe to the harte and imbracing her husbande she yelded vp the ghost so togethers they were caried to the graue Porcia the doughter of Marcus Porcia the great when she hearde that her husband Brutus was taken and slayn she felte for that newes so great sorowe that all her frendes seinge her take the matter so greuously hidde from her all Irone where with she might kill her selfe and did laboure to kepe and preserue her from daungers wherein she might fall and shorten her life For she was so excellent a Romaine and so necessary to the common wealth that if they had lamented the death of Brutus her husband with teares of their eies they ought to bewayle the losse of his wife Porcia with droppes of bloud in their hartes Porcia therefore feeling in her selfe a wofull and afflicted harte for the death of her entierly beloued husband to declare that that whiche she did was not fained nor for to please the people but to satisfie her great marueilous loue since she founde neither sworde nor knife to kill her selfe nor corde to hange her selfe neither welle to drowne her in she went to the fire and with as great pleasure did eate the hote firie coales as an other would haue eaten any delicate meates We may say that such kinde of death was very straunge and newe whiche the Romaine founde to encrease augmente and manifest her loue Yet we can not denie but that she wanne to the posteritie of her name a perpetuall memorie For as a noble dame she would quenche with coles of fire her burning harte that enflamed was with firie brondes of loue As Diodorus Siculus saith it was a lawe custome amongest the Lidians to mary them selues with many wiues and whan by chaunce their husbande 's died the wiues which they had met together and fought in some plaine place And the women which remained only aliue and of the conflict had the victory cast them selues into the graue of their husbande so that those women then fought for to die as men nowe fight for to liue ¶ Of the reuenge a woman of Grece toke of him that had killed her husband in hope to haue her in mariage Cap. v. PLutarche in the booke that he made of the noble and worthy women declareth a thing worthy of rehersall and to be had in memory In the citie of Galacia were two renowmed citezens whose names
were Sinatus Sinoris whiche were by bloud cosins in familiaritie frendes and for the loue of a Grekes doughter being very noble beautifull and exceading gratious they both striued to haue her in mariage and for to attain to their desires they both serued her they both folowed her they both loued her and for her both of them desired to die For the dart of loue is as a stroke with a clod of earth the which being throwen amongest a company dothe hurte the one and blinde the others And as the fatal destinees had ordeined it Sinatus serued this lady called Camma in suche sorte that in the ende he obteined her in mariage for his lawfull wife whiche thing when Sinoris perceiued he was ashamed of his doinges was also wounded in his harte For he lost not only that which of so long time he had sought loued and serued but also the hope to attaine to that which chiefly in his life he desired Sinatus therfore seing that his wife Camma was noble meke gratious faire and louing and that in all thinges she was comely and well taught decreed to offer her to the goddesse Diana to the end that she would preserue her from peril and keape her from infamie Truly we cannot reproue the knight Sinatus for that he did nor we ought to note him for rashe in his counsel for he sawe that his wife was very faire and therfore much desired For with great difficultie that is kepte whiche of many is desired Though Camma was nowe married and that she was in the protectioÌ„ of the goddesse Diana yet notwithstanding her olde frend Sinoris died for her sake and by all meanes possible he serued her continually he importuned her daily he folowed her howerly he required her And all this he did vppon certayne hope he had that suche diligent seruice should suffice to make her chaunge her sacred mynde and as she had chosen Sinatus for her husbande openly so he thought she shoulde take him for her frend secretly For many women are as men without tast through sickenes the which eate more of that that is hurtful and forbidden then of that whiche is healthsome and commaunded Not without a cause Camma was greatly renowmed throughout all Galatia for her beautie and much more among the vertuous esteamed for her honestie The which euidently in this was sene that after she was maried Sinoris could neuer cause her to receiue any iewell or other gifte nor that she would heare him speake any worde nor that she would shew her selfe in the wyndowe either to him or to any other to the ende to be sene in the face For it is not sufficient for Ladies to be pure good but also to geue no occasion for men to iudge that if they durste they would be euill As it is true in dede that the harte which is intangled with loue dare boldely aduenture him selfe in many kynde of daungers to accomplishe that whiche he desired so Sinoris seing that with faire wordes he could not flatter her nor with any giftes wynne her determined to kyll Sinatus her husbande vpon hope that when she should be wydowe he might easely obteine her in matrimonie For he thought although Camma was not euyll it was not for that she wanted desier to do it but because she had no commodious place to accomplishe it And to be shorte Sinoris would neades execute and bryng to effect his deuellyshe and damnable intente so that sone after he vylie slewe his saide compaignion Sinatus After whose death the noble lady Camma was of Sinoris greatly desired and by his parentes muche importuned that she would condiscende to take and mary him and that she would forgyue him the death of her husband Sinatus whiche then was buried And as she was in all her doinges suche a princely woman she imagened with her selfe that vnder the pretence of mariage she might haue opportunitie to accomplishe her desiers wherfore she aunswered vnto his parentes that she did accepte their counsel and saide to Sinoris that she did choose him for her husbande speakyng these woordes more for to comforte him then with intente to pardon him And as amongest those of Galatia there was a custome that the newe maried folkes shoulde eate togethers in one dishe and drynke in one cuppe the daye that the mariage was celebrated Camma determined to prepare a cuppe with poyson and also a lute wherewith she began to playe and singe with her propre voyce before the goddesse Diana in this maner TO thée Dian whose endles reigne doth stretche Aboue the boundes of all the heauenly route And eke whose aide with royall hande to reche Chiefe of all gods is moste proclaimed oute I sweare and with vnspotted faith protest That though till nowe I haue reserud my breth For no entent it was but thus distrest With waylefull ende to wreke Senatus deth ¶ And if in mynde I had not thus decreed Wherto should I my pensife daies haue spent With longer dewle for that forepassed dede Whose ofte record newe sorowes still hath bent But oh synce him their kindled spite hath slaine With tender loue whom I haue waide so dere Synce he by fate is rest from fortunes rayne For whose decaye I dredelesse perishe here Synce him by whom my only lyfe I ledd Through wretched handes the gaping earth nowe haue Ought I by wyshe to lyue in eny stedd But closde with him togither in the graue O bright Dian synce senceles him I see And makeles I here to remaine alone Synce he is graude where greedy wormes nowe bee And I suruiue surmounted with my fone Synce he is prest with lumpes of wretched soyle And I thus chargd with flame of frosen care Thou knowest Dian howe harde with restles toyle Of hoote abhorring mynde my life I spare For howe can this vnquiet brest resarue The fainting breth that striues to drawe his last Synce that euen then my dieng harte did starue When my dead phere in swalowyng earth was cast The first black daye my husbande slept in graue By cruell sworde my lyfe I thought to spende And synce a thousande times I sought to haue A stretching corde my sorowes wrath to ende And if till nowe to wast my pining daies I haue deferde by slaughter of my hande It was but loe a fitter cause to raise Whereon his sharpe reuenge might iustly stande Now since I may in full suffising wyse Redeme his breath if waywarde will would let More depe offence by not reuenge might rise Then Sinoris erst by giltles bloud did get Thee therfore mightie Ioue I iustly craue And eke thy doughter chast in thankefull sorte That loe the offering whiche of my selfe ye haue Ye wil vouchesafe into your heauenly forte Synce Sinatus with soone enflamed eies Amongest the Achaian routes me chiefly â—ewed And eke amidst the prease of Grekes likewyse Chose for his phere when swetely he had sewed Synce at my will the froth of wasting welth With
a man haue hys desire that is to say to haue his wife great with child and redy to bring forth good fruite afterward to se the woful mother through some sodeine accident peryshe the innocent babe not to be borne When the woman is healthful bigge with child she is worthy of great reproch if eyther by runnyng leaping or dauncing any mischaunce hap vnto her And truly the husband hath great cause to lament this case for without doubt the gardiner fealeth great grefe in his hart when in the prime time the tre is loden with blosomes and yet by reason of some sharpe and bitter froste it neuer beareth fruit It is not only euyl that women should runne leape when they are bigge great with chyld but it is also dishonest and specially for great Ladies for alwayes women that be common dauncers are esteamed as light housewiues The wiues in general princesses and great ladies in particuler ought to go temperately to be modest in their mouinges for the modeste gate argueth discretnes in the person Al women naturally desire to be honoured reuerenced touching that I let them know that ther is nothing which in a common wealth is more honor for a woman then to be wise ware in speaking moderate quyet in going For it is vnpossible but that the woman which is lyght in her going and malycious in her talking should be dispised and abhorred In the yere of the foundacion of Rome .466 the romaines sente Curius Dentatus to make warre agaynst king Pirrus who kept the city of Tharent did much harme to the people in Rome for the Romaines had a great corage to conquere straunge realmes therfore they could haue no pacience to suffer any straunger to inuade theirs This Curius Dentatus was he which in the end ouercame king Pirrus was the fyrst that brought the Oliphantes to Rome in his tryumphe wherfore the fiercenes of those beasts astonyed the Romaine people much for they weyed lytel the sight of the kyngs loden with irons but to se the Oliphants as they did they wondered much Curius Dentatus had one only sister the which he intierly loued They wer seuen children two of the which dyed in the warres other thre by pestilence so that ther were none left him but that sister wherfore he loued her with al his hart For the death of vnthriftye children is but as a watch for childrē vnprouided of fauoures This sister of Curius Dentatus was maried to a Romaine consul was conceiued gone .7 moneths with child and the day that her brother triumphed for ioy of her brothers honor she leaped daunced so much that in the same place she was deliuered so vnluckely that the mother toke her death the chyld neuer lyued wherupon the feast of the triumphe ceased and the father of the infant for sorow lost hys speach For the hart which sodainly feleth grefe incontinently loseth vnderstanding Tibullus the Grecian in the third booke De casibus triumphi declareth the hystorie in good stile how and in what sorte it chaunced Nyne yeares after that the kings of Rome weare bannyshed from the rape that Tarquine dyd to the chast Lucretia the Romaine created a dignytie whiche they called DICTATVRA and the Dictatoure that hadde this office was aboue al other lord chiefe for the Romaines perceiued that the common wealth could not be gouerned but by one head alone And because the Dictatour had so great aucthority as the Emperour hath at this present to th end they should not become tirauntes they prouided that the office of the Dictatoursship should last no longer then vi moneths in the yeare the which past and expired they chose another Truly it was a good order that that office dured but vi moneths For oft tymes princes thinkinge to haue perpetual aucthority become necligent in vsing iustice The first dictatour in Rome was Largius Mamillus who was sent against the Volces the which at that time were the greatest enemies to the Romaines for Rome was founded in such a signe that alwayes it was beloued of fewe and abhorred of many As Titus Liuius saith this Largius Mamillus vanquished the Volces triumphed ouer theym in the end of the warre distroyed their mighty citye called Curiola and also distroyed and ouerthrewe many places and fortresses in that prouince for the cruel hartes do not only distroy the personnes but also take vengeaunce of the stones The hurtes which Largius Mamillus did in the country of the Volces were maruelous and the men which he slewe were many and the treasories he robbed were infinite and the captiues which he had in his triumphe were a great nomber amongest whom inespecial he brought captiue a noble mans doughter a beautiful gentlewoman the which he kept in his house for the recreacion of his person for the aunciente Romaines gaue to the people al the treasours to maintayne the warre they toke to them selues al the vycious things to kepe in their houses The case was that this damsel being with child Largius Mamillus brought her to solace herselfe in his orchard wher were sondry yonge fruites and as then not ripe to eate wherof with so great affection she did eate that forthwith she was delyuered in the same place of a creature so that on the one part she was delyuered and on the other part the chylde died This thinge chaunsed in the gardeins of Vulcan two dayes after the triumphe of Largius Mamillus a ruful and lamentable case to declare forasmuch as both the child that was borne the mother that was delyuered and also the father that begat it the selfe same day dyed and were buried all in one graue and this thing was not wythout great waylyng lamenting throughout al Rome For if with teares their lyues myght haue bene restored wythout doubt none of them should haue ben buried The first sonne of Rome which rebelled against rome was Tarquin the proud The second that wythstode Rome being as yet in Lucania was Quintus Marcius The third that went agaynst Rome was the cruel Silla The domages which these thre did to their mother Rome were such and so great that the thre seueral warres of Affricke were nothing to be compared to those thre euil children for those enemyes could scarcely se the walles of Rome but these vnnatural chyldrē had almost not left one stone vpon another A man ought not greatly to esteme those buildings that these tirauntes threw to the ground nor the buildings that they distroyed neither the men that they slew nor the women that they forced ne yet the orphanes which they made but aboue al things we ought to lament for that that they brought into Rome For the comon wealth is not distroyed for lacke of riches sumpteous buildings but because vices abound vertuous want Of these thre Romaynes he whose name was Quintus Marcius had ben consul thrise once Dictatour
me so depely in hart why then doubtest thou to shew me the writtinges of thy study Thou doest communicate with me the secretes of the empire and thou hydest from me the bokes of thy study Thou hast geuen me thy tender harte of flesh and now thou deniest me thy harde key of yron now I must neades thinke that thy loue was fayned that thy words were doble and that thy thoughtes wer others then they seamed For if they had ben otherwise it had ben vnpossible thou shouldest haue denaied me the key that I do aske the for where loue is vnfayned thoughe the requeste be merilye asked yet it is wyllyngly graunted It is a commen custome that you men vse to deceiue vs symple women you present vs great gyftes you gyue many fayre wordes you make vs faier promyses you saye you will do marueiles but in the end you doe nothing but deceiue vs for we are persecuted more of you then of any others When men in such wyse importune the women if the women hadde power to denaye and withstande we shoulde in shorte space brynge ye vnder the yoke and leade you by the noses but when we suffer oure selues to be ouercome then you beginne to forsake vs and despise vs. Let me therfore my Lorde see thy chamber consyder I am with childe and that I dye onlesse I see it If thou doest not to doe me pleasure yet do it at the least because I may no more importune the. For if I come in daunger thoroughe this my longing I shall but lose my lyfe but thou shalte loose the childe that should be borne and the mother also that oughte to beare it I know not why thou shouldest put thy noble harte into such a daungerous fortune whereby both thou and I at one time shoulde peryshe I in dyeng so yong and thou in losyng so louynge a wyfe By the immortall gods I do beseche the and by the mother Berecinthia I coniure the that thou geue me the key or that thou let me enter into the studye and stycke not with me thy wyfe in this my small request but chaunge thy opinion for all that which without consideracion is ordeyned by importunate sewte may be reuoked We see dayly that men by reading in bookes loue their children but I neauer sawe harte of man fall in such sorte that by readyng and lokyng in bookes he should despyse hys children for in the end bookes are by the wordes of others made but children are with their owne proper bloud begotten Before that any thinge of wysedom is begon they alwayes regard the inconuenyences that maye folowe Therefore if thou wilte not geue me this key and that thou arte determyned to be stoberne still in thy will thou shalt lose thy Faustine thou shalte lose so louyng a wyfe thou shalte lose the creature werwith she is bigge thou shalte lose the aucthoritie of thy palace thou shalte geue occasion to all Rome to speake of the wickednes and this grefe shall neauer departe from thy harte for the harte shall neuer be comforted that knoweth that he onely is the occasion of hys owne griefe Yf the Gods doe suffer it by their secreate iudgementes and if my wofull myshappes deserue it and if thou my Lord desirest it for no other cause but euen to do after thy wil for denayeng me this key I should dye I would wyllingly dye But of that I thinke thou wilt repente for it chaunceth oftetymes to wysemen that when remedy is gone the repentaunce commeth sodeinlye And then it is to late as they saye to shutte the stable dore when the steade is stollen I marueill much at the my Lorde why thou shouldest shew thy selfe so froward in this case since thou knowest that all the time we haue bene togethers thy wil and myne hath alway bene one if thou wilte not geue me thy key for that I am thy welbeloued Faustine if thou wilte not let me haue it sinse I am thy deare beloued wyfe if thou wilte not geue it me for that I am great with childe I beseche the geue it me in vertue of the auncient law For thou knowest it is an inuiolate law among the Romaines that a man cānot denay his wife with child her desiers I haue sene sondry times with myne eyes many women sew their husbandes at the law in this behalfe and thou Lorde commaundest that a man should not breake the pryuileges of women Then if this thing be true as it is true in dead why wilte thou that the lawes of strang children should be kepte and that they should be broken to thine owne children Speakyng according to the reuerence that I owe vnto the thoughe thou wouldest I wil not thoughe thou doest it I will not agree therunto and though thou doest commaund it in this case I wil not obey the. For if the husband doe not accept the iuste request of his wyfe the wyfe is not bounde to obey the vniust commaundement of her husbande You husbandes desier that your wyues should serue you you desier that your wiues should obey you in all and ye will condiscende to nothing that they desyer Ye menne saye that we women haue no certeintie in our loue but in dead you haue no loue at all For by this it appeareth that you loue is fained in that it no longer continueth then your desires are satisfyed You saye furdermore that the women are suspytious and that is true in you al men may see and not in vs for none other cause there are so manye euell maried in Rome but bycause their husbandes haue of them suche iuell opinions There is a great dyfference betwene the suspition of the woman and the ielousye of the man for if a man will vnderstande the suspition of the woman it is no other thynge but to shewe to her husbande that she loueth hym with all her hearte For the innocente women knowe no others desire no others but their husbandes only and they woulde that their husbandes should knowe none others nor serche for anye others nor loue any others nor will anye others but them onely for the hearte that is bente to loue one onely would not that into that house should enter anye other But you men knowe so manye meanes and vse so manye subtelties that you prayse youre selues for to offende them you vaunt youre selues to deceiue them and that it is trewe a man can in nothynge so muche shew his noblenes as to susteyne and fauoure a Cortisan The husbandes pleaseth their wyues speakynge vnto them some merye wordes and immediately their backes being tourned to another they geue bothe their bodyes and their good I sware vnto the my Lorde that if women had the libertie and aucthoritye ouer men as men haue ouer women they should fynde more malice dysceiptfulnes and crafte by them committed in one daye then they should fynde in the women all the dayes of their lyfe You men saye that women are euill speakers it is true
the immortall Gods I swere vnto the that I had rather haue bene maried with a Moore of Calde that is so foule then beinge maried as I am with a Romaine being very faier for she is not soo faire and white as my life is wofull and blacke Thou knowest well Faustine that when Drusio spake these wordes I did wype the teares from his eyes and I gaue him a worde in his eare that he should procede no further in this matter for such women ought to be chastened in secrete and afterwardes to be honoured openly O thou art infortunate Faustine and the Gods haue euill deuided with the geuing the bewtye and riches to vndoe thy selfe and denayeng thee the best whiche is wisedome and good condicions to kepe thy honour Oh what euyl lucke commeth vnto a man when God sendeth him a fayer doughter vnlesse furthermore the gods do permyt that she be sage and honest for the woman which is yong folyshe and faier distroyeth the common wealth and defameth al her parentage I say vnto the againe Faustine that the Gods were very cruel against thee since they swallowe the vp by the goulfes wher all the euil perisheth and toke from the all the sayles and owers whereby the good do escape I remained xxxviii yeres vnmaried and these vi yeres only which I haue bene maried me thinketh I haue passed vi hundreth yeres of my life for nothing can be called a tormente but the euyl that man doth suffer that is euyl maried I wil ensuer the of one thinge Faustine that if I had knowen before which now I know and that I had felte that whiche now I fele though the gods had commaunded me and the emperour Adrian my Lord desired me I had not chaunged my pouertie for thy riches neither my rest for thy Empyre but since it is fallen to thine and myne euyl fortune I am contented to speake lytel and to suffer much I haue so muche dissembled with the Faustine that I can no more but I confesse vnto the that no husband doth suffer his wife so much but that he is bound to suffer her more considering that he is a man that she is a woman For the man which willingly goeth into the briers must thinke before to endure the prickes The woman is to bold that doth contend with her husband but the husband is more foole which openly quarrelleth with his wife For if she be good he ought to fauour her to the end she may be better if she be vnhappie he oughte to suffer her to th end she be not worse Trulye when the woman thinketh that her husband taketh her for euil it is a great occasion to make her to be worse for women are so ambitious that those which comonly are euyl wil make vs beleue that they are better then others Beleue me Faustine that if the feare of the gods the infamy of the person and the speach of men do not refraine the woman al the chastisements of the world wil not make her refraine from vyce for all things suffereth chastisemente and correction the woman only except the which must be wonne by intreaty The hart of the man is very noble and that of the woman very delycate bycause for a lytle good he wil geue a great reward and for a great offence he wil geue no punishment Before the wise man marieth let him beware what he doth and when he shall determine to take the companye of a woman he ought to be lyke vnto him that entereth into the warre that determineth with himselfe to suffer al that may happen be it good or euil I do not cal that life a warre without a cause which the euyll maried man leadeth in his house for women do more hurt with their tongues then the enemyes do with their swordes It is a great simplycitie for a wise man to make accompt or esteme the simplycitie of his wife at euery time for if they would marke and take hede to that which their wife doth or sayth I let them know that they shal neuer come to an ende O Faustine if the Romaine woman would alwayes one thing that they would procure one thing that they would be resolued in one thing though it were to our great charges we would haue pleasure to condiscend vnto their desires but what shal we do sinse that which now pleaseth you a while after dipleaseth you that which you aske for in the morning ye wil not haue at none that which you enioye at none days do trouble you in the night that which in the night you loue ye care not for in the morninge that which yesterday ye greatly estemed to day ye asmuch despise If ye desired to see a thing the last yeare this yere ye wil not heare talke of it that which before made you to reioyce doth nowe make you to be sad that which ye were wont and ought to lament at the selfe same thinge a man seeth you laughe Finally ye women are as children which are appeased with an aple and casteth the golde to the earthe not wayeng it I haue dyuers times thought with my selfe if I could say or write any good rule in keping the which I might teach men to be quiet in their house And by my counte I find hauing experimented it also with the Faustine that it is vnpossible to geue a rule to maried men and if a man could geue them they should scarcely profite therwith sinse their wiues lyue without rule But notwithstanding that I wil declare some rules how the maried folkes shold kepe themselues in their houses and how they shall if they lyst auoide strifes and debates betwene them For the husbandes and the wiues hauyng warres together it is impossible there should be peace in the common wealth And thoughe this present writynge hath not profited me vnluckey and vnfortunate man yet it may profite others which haue good wyues For oft times the medycen whiche profiteth not for the tender eyes suffiseth to heale the hard heales I know wel Faustine that for that I haue sayd and for that I wil say vnto the thou and others such like shall greatly enuye me Ye will marke the words that I speake more then the intencion that I meane but I protest before the Gods that in this case my end is for none other intent but to aduertise the good wherof there are a great manye and to punyshe the euyl whych are many moe And though perchaunce neyther the one nor the other wil beleue that my intencion in speaking these thinges was good yet therfore I wyl not cease to know the good from the euyl and to choose the euil from the good For in my fantasy the good wife is as the feasaunt whose feathers we lytle esteame and regard much the bodye but the euyll woman is as the Marterne whose skynne we greatly esteme and vtterly despise the fleshe I wil therfore declare the rules wherby the husbands may liue in peace
with their owne proper wyues The Rules are these THe firste the husband must neades haue pacience and suffer his wyfe when she is displeased for in Libia ther is no serpent so spiteful as an euyl woman when she is vexed The second the husband ought to prouide for his wife accordyng to his abylitie al that is necessary for her as wel for her personne as for her house for oft times it chaunceth that women seking things necessarie find things superfluous and not very honest The third the husband ought to prouide that his wife do kepe good company for women oft times are more troubled with the wordes that their euil neighbours speake against them then for any occasion that their husbandes geue them The fourth that the husband ought to vse a meane that his wife be not to much a subiect nor that she stray to much abrod for the woman that gaddeth muche in the streates bothe loaseth her good name and spendeth his goodes The fifth the husband ought to take hede that he striueth not so with his wife that she be brought past shame for the woman that towards her husbande is shamelesse hathe no respect what dishonestye shee committeth The sixt the husband ought to let his wife vnderstand that he doth trust her for the woman is of such condicion that that which a wise man would not she should do she wyl do sonest and that wherin she should take paynes she wil do nothing The seuenth the husband ought to be circumspect that he do not holy trust his wife with the goods and treasours of the house nor yet vtterly distrust her for if the wife haue the charge of the goods of the house truly she wyl augment lytel and if the husband do suspect her she wil steale much The .8 the husband ought to loke vpon his wife merily at other times agayne sadly for women are of such condicion that when their husbandes sheweth them a merye countenaunce they loue them and when they shew them selues demure the feare them The 9. the husband ought if he be wise in this to take good aduysement that his wife quarel not with his neighbours for we haue oft times sene in Rome that for the quarrel of his wife against his neighbour the husband hath lost his life she hath lost her goodes and a slaunder hath risen throughout the common wealth The 10. the husband ought to be so pacient that if he saw his wife comit any fault in no wise he shold correct her openly but in secret for the husbaÌ„d that correcteth his wife before witnes doth as he whiche spitteth into the element and the spittel falleth againe into his eyes The 11. the husband ought to haue much temperaunce lest he lay hands on his wife to punishe her for truly the wife that with sharpe words doth not amend with al the chastysementes of the world wyl neuer be good The 12. if the husbande wil be in quyet wyth his wife he ought to prayse her before his neyghbours and straungers for amongest all other thinges women haue thys propertye that of all they woulde be praysed and of none corrected The .13 the husband ought to beware to prayse any other then his owne wife she being present for women are of this condicion that the same day the husbande commendeth any other woman the same day his wife wyll cast hym out of her harte thinkinge that he loueth another and dyspyseth her The .14 the husband oughte to make his wife beleue that she is faier though in dede she be foule for ther is betwene them no greater strife then to thinke that her husband forsaketh her for being foule The 15. the husband ought to put his wife in remembraunce of the infamye that they speake of them that be euyl in the citye for women are glorious bycause they would be loth that men should talke such thing by them as they talke of others peraduenture they will refraine from those vyces that others commit The 16. the husband ought to take hede that his wife accept no new frendes for through acceptyng of new frendes there grow commenly betwene them great discention The 17. the husband ought to take heade that his wife beleue that he loueth not them whom she hateth for women are of such a condicion that if the husbandes loueth al them that they hate immediatlye they wil hate all those which they loue The 18. the husband ought sometime in matters which are not preiudicial vnto him confesse him selfe to be ouercome for women desire rather to be counted the best in reasoning though it be of no value then to haue otherwise a greater iewel geuen them In this sort Faustine I wil say no more to the but wishe that thou shouldest se what I se and fele what I fele and aboue al that my dissimulacion should suffice to amend thy life ¶ The Emperour aunswereth more particularlye concernyng the Key of his studye Cap. xvii NOw Faustine since I haue the old venym from my hart expelled I wil aunswere to thy present demaund for vnto demaundes aunswers that passeth betwene the sages the tongue ought neuer to speake word but that first he aske the hart lycence And it is a general rule amongest the phisicians that the medicens do not profite the sicke vnlesse they first take away the opilacions of the stomacke I meane by this that no maÌ„ can speake to his frend as he ought vnlesse before he sheweth what thing greueth him for it is better to repaier the roufes of the houses that be olde then to go about to build them new Thou requirest me Faustine that I geue thee the Keye of my studye and thou doest threaten me that if I geue it not vnto the that thou shalt forthwith be deliuered I marueile not at that thou sayest neyther I am abashed of that thou demaundest nor yet of that that thou wouldest do for you women are very extreame in your desires very suspicious in your demaundes very obstinate in your willes and as vnpacient in your sufferinges I say not without a cause that women are extreame in their desires for theâ—e are thinges wherof women are so desirous that it is wonder though neuer lyuing creature saw them nor hard speake of them I haue not sayd without a cause that women are suspicious in their demaunds for the Romaine women are of such a condicion that assone as a woman desireth any thing she forthwith commaundeth the tongue to aske it the feete to seke it the eyes to se it the hands to fele it and likewise the hart to loue it I say not without a cause that women are obstinate in their willes for if a Romaine woman beareth any malyce to any man she wil not forbeare to accuse him for anye slaunder nor faile to pursue him for any pouerty nor feare to kil him for any Iustice I say not without a cause that women are vnpacient to suffer for many are of such
this good Emperour sucking her dugge but a while was constrained to passe all his lyfe in paine Thirdely Princesses great Ladies ought to know and vnderstand the complexion of their children to the end that accordyng to the same they myghte seke pitieful nources that is to wete if the child wer cholorycke flegmaticke sanguine or melancolye For looke what humour the child is of of the same qualitie the milke of the nource should be If vnto an old corrupted mā they ministre medecines conformable to hys diseases for to cure hym why then should not the mother seeke a holesome nource to the tender babe agreable to his complexion to nourish hym And if thou sayest it is iuste that the flesh old and corrupted be susteined I tel the likewise that it is much more necessary that the children should be curiously well nourished to multiplye the world For in the end we do not say it is time that the yong leaue the bread for the aged but contrarye it is time that the old leaue the bread for the yong Aristotle in the booke De secretis secretorum Iunius Rusticus in the .x. boke de gestis Persarum say that the vnfortunat king Darius who was ouercome by Alexander the great had a doughter of a merueilous beautie And they saye that the nource which gaue sucke to this doughter all the time that she did nourishe it did neither eate nor drinke any thing but poison and at the end of .iii yeares when the child was weyned plucked from the dugge she did eate nothing but Colubers and other venemous wormes I haue heard say many times that the Emperours had a custome to nourish their heires children with poysons when they were yong to the entent that they should not be hurt by poyson afterward whē they wer old And this errour commeth of those which presume much and know litel And therfore I say that I haue heard say without sayeng I haue read it For some declare histories more for that they haue heard say of others then for that they haue read them selues The truth in this case is that as we vse at this present to were Cheynes of gold about our necks or Iewels on our fingers so did the Gentils in times past a rynge on their fingers or some Iewel in their bosome replenished with poison And bycause the Panims did neither feare hel nor hope for heauen they had that custome for if at any times in battaile they should find them selues in distresse they had rather end their liues with poison then to receyue any iniury of their enemies Then if it were true that those Princes had bene nourished with the poison they would not haue caried it about thē to haue ended their lyues Further I saye that the princes of Persia did vse when they had any child borne to geue him milke to sucke agreable to the complectiō he had Since this doughter of Darius was of melancholye humour they determined to bring her vp with venim and poyson because all those which are pure malancolye do liue with sorow dye with pleasure Ingnacius the Venetian in the life of the .v. emperours Palleolus which wer valiaunt emperours in Constantinople saieth that the second of the name called Palleolles the hardie was after the .xl. yeares of his age so troubled with infirmities and diseases that alwayes of the .xii. monethes of the yeare he was in his bed sycke ix monethes and beyng so sicke as he was the affaires and busines of the empire were but slenderly done loked vnto For the prince can not haue so small a feuer but the people in the commen wealth must haue it double This Emperour Palleolus had a wyfe whose name was Huldouina the which after she had brought all the Phisitions of Asia vnto her husbande and that she had ministred vnto him all the medecins she could learne to healpe him and in the end seyng nothing auaile ther came by chaunce an olde woman a Gretian borne who presumed to haue great knowlege in herbes and sayd vnto the empresse noble Empresse Huldouina If thou wilt that the Emperour thy husband doe liue longe see that thou chafe angre and vexe him euerye weeke at the least twyse for he is of a pure malancoly humour and therfore he that doth him pleasure augmenteth his disease he that vexeth him shal prolong his life The empresse Huldouina folowed the counsel of this Greeke woman which was occasion that the emperour lyued afterwardes sounde and hole many yeres so that of the .ix. monethes which he was accustomed to be sicke euery yeare in .xx. yeares afterwardes he was not sicke .iii. monethes For wher as this Greke woman commaunded the empresse to angre her husbande but twise in the weeke she accustomeablye angred hym .iiii. times in the daye Fourthly the good mother ought to take hede that the nource be verye temperate in eatyng so that she should eate litell of diuerse meates and of those few dishes she should not eate to much To vnderstand that thyng ye must know that the white milke is no other then blod which is soden and that whiche causeth the good or euill bloud commeth oft tymes of no other thyng but that eyther the personne is temperate or els a glutton in eating and therfore it is a thyng both healthfull and necessary that the nource that nourisheth the child do eate good meates for among men and women it is a general rule that in litle eating ther is no daunger and of to much eating there is no profit As all the Philosophers saye the wolfe is one of the beastes that deuoureth most and is most gredyest and therfore he is most feared of al the sheppardes But Aristotle in his third booke de Animalibus sayeth that when the wolfe doth once feele her selfe great with yong in all her lyfe after she neuer suffereth her selfe to be couppled with the wolfe againe For otherwyse if the wolfe should yearely bryng forth .vii. or .viii. whealpes as commonly she doth and the shepe but one lambe there woulde be in shorte space more wolues then shepe Besides all this the wolfe hath an other propertie whyche is that though she be a beast most deuouryng and gredy yet when she hath whealped she eateth very temperately and it is to the end to nouryshe here whealpes and to haue good milke And besydes that she doth eate but once in the day the whych the dogge wolfe doth prouide both for the byche and her whealpes Truly it is a monsterous thyng to see and noysome to heare and no lesse sclaunderous to speake that a wolfe whyche geueth sucke to .viii. whealpes eateth but one onely kynde of meate and a woman whych geueth sucke but to one chylde alone will eate of eyght sortes of meates And the cause hereof is that the beast doth not eate but to susteine nature and the woman doth not eate but to satisfie her pleasure Princesses and great Ladies ought to
and honestie in her selfe she putteth her selfe in peryl her husband in much care Thou saiest that in that countrey there are women which are Sooth sayers Sorcerers and Enchauntours the which doe boaste and vaunte them selues that they wil heale infantes that they can weyne them better then others To this I aunswere That I would iudge it muche better that children should neuer be healed then that they should be healed by the hands of so euill women For the profitte that they doe by their experience openly is nothing in respect of the daunger wherein they put the creatures by their sorceries secretly Torquatus Laertius my vncle had a doughter of a marueylous beautie the whiche because he had none other chylde was heyre of all his patrimonie The case therefore was suche that as the doughter wepte one daye a lytle to muche the nource whiche gaue her sucke to appease and stylle her thynkynge to geue her sorceries to caste her in a sleape gaue her poyson to destroye her so that when the teares of the innocent babe ceased then the cryes of the wofull mother beganne Calligula which was the sonne of the good Germanicus the great though amongest the Cesars he was the fourth and amongest the Tiraunts the first when in Rome they vsed to giue lytle scroules written which they said to be of such vertue that they could heale al maner of agues and diseases of yonge children he commaunded by the consent of the Senate that the man or woman which should make them should dye immedyatly by iustice and that he which would by them carie them to sel or geue them through Rome shold be whipt and banyshed for euer Thy seruaunt Fronton hath told me newes that thou hast a sonne borne wherof I am very glad and moreouer he sayd that a woman of Sannia did norishe it and gaue it sucke The which as by an euyl chaunce hath a spice of sorcerye By the immortal gods I do coniure the and for the loue I beare the I desire the that immediatly thou put her out of thy house suffer not so wicked a woman to eate bread ther one day for euery creature which is nourished by sorceries and charmes shal eyther haue his life short or els fortune shal be contrarie vnto him I let the wete my frend Dedalus that I haue not meruaile a litle at many Romaines the which do permit and also procure that their children shold be healed cured which charmes and sorceries For my part I take it to be a thing to be certaine that the men which by the wil of god fal sicke shal neuer heale for any dyligence that man can do And wher as children are sicke by euil humors or that they are not very healthful because the gods wil take lyfe from them in this case if their disease proceade of an euil humour let them aske physicions for natural medecins And if their disease come because the gods are prouoked then let their fathers appease the gods with sacrifices For in the end it is vnpossible that the disseases of the hart should be healed by the meanes of any medycins of the body Do not marueile my frende Dedalus if I haue spoken more in this article then in others that is to wete to perswade the so much to kepe thy children from wytches for otherwise the cursed women wil do them more harme then the good mylke shal profite them I haue ben moued prouoked to write thus much vnto the for the great loue which I do beare the and also calling to minde that whiche thou when we were in the sacred senate oft times toldest me whiche was that thou diddest desire a sonne And since now thou hast thy peticion I would not thou shouldest prouoke the gods wrathe by sorceries For in the fayth of a good man I do sweare vnto the that when the fathers are in fauour with the gods ther neadeth no sorceries vnto the chyldren I hadde manye other thinges to write vnto the some of the whiche I wil communicate with thy seruaunt Fronton rather thenne to sende theym by letters And meruaile not at this for letters are soo perillous that if the manne bee wise hee will write no more in a closse letter thenne he would declare openly in Rome pardonne mee my frende Dedalus thoughe in dede I write not vnto the as thy appetyte woulde nor yet as my wyl desirethe For thou haste neade to knowe manye thinges and I haue not leaue by letter to putte thee in truste therewith I can not tell what I shoulde writte to thee of mee but that alwayes the Goute doth take mee and the worste of all is that the more I growe in yeares the moore my healthe dymâ—yssheth for it is an olde course of mannes frailetye that wheare wee thynke to goe most suerest there haue we most let The Popingaye which thou diddest send me as sonâ— I receyued it my wife did sease it and truly it is a merueylous thing to heare what thinges it doeth speake but in the end the women are of such power that when they wil they impose sylence to the liuing and cause that in the graues the dead men speake Accordyng to that I do loue the according to that I owe the and as I haue vsed that which I do send the is very lytle I say it bycause that presently I do send the but ii horses of barbarie .xii. sweardes of Alexandrye to Fronton thy seruaunt for a new yeares gift for his good newes I haue giuen him an office which is worth to him 20. thousand Sexterces of rent in Cecyl Faustine did byd me I shoulde send thy wife Pertusa a cofer full of odyferous oders of palestine and another cofer ful of her owne apparell the which as I thinke thou wilt not lytel esteme For naturally women are of their owne goods nigardes but in wasting and spending of others very prodigal The almighty gods be with the and preserue me from euyl fortune The which I humbly besech to graunte that vnto the and me vnto my wife Faustine and to thy wife Pertusa that we all mete merely togethers in Rome for the hart neuer receiueth suche ioy as when he seeth him selfe with his desired frend Marcus of Mount Celio writeth to the with his owne hand ¶ Howe excellent a thinge it is for a gentleman to haue an eloquent tongue Cap. xxv ONe of the chefest things that the creatour gaue to man was to know be able to speake for otherwise the soule reserued the brute beastes are of more value then doÌ„me men Aristotle in his Aeconomices without comparison prayseth more the Pithagoricall sort then the Stoical sayeng that the one is more conforme to reason then the other is Pithagoras commaunded that all men which were domme and without speache should imediately without contradiction be banished and expulsed from the people The cause why this phylosopher had commaunded such thing was forsomuche
that the doughters should inherit the goodes for to mary them selues with all Truly this law was very iust for the sonne that hath alwayes respect to the enheritaunce will not haue to his father any great confidence For he ought to be called a valiant Romaine knight that with his life hath wonne honour and by the sword hath gotten riches Since you are in straung realmes I praye you hartely that you be conuersaunt with the good as good brethren remēbring alwayes that you wer my children and that I gaue you both sucke of myne owne propre breastes And the daye that I shall here of your disagrement the same day shal be the end of my life For the discord in one citie of parentes doth more harme then a hole armie of enemys It is good for you my childrē to liue in loue concord togethers but it is more requisit to kepe you with the Romaine knightes The which with you you with thē if you do not loue together in the warres you shall neuer haue the vpper hand of your enemies For in great armies the discordes which rise emongest thē do more harme then the enemys do against whō they fight I think wel my children that you wold be very desirous to know of my estate that is to wete whether I am in health whether I am sick whether I am poore whether I am pleased or whether I am miscontented In this case I know not why you shold desire to know it since you ought to presuppose that accordyng to the troubles which I haue passed the miseries that with mine eyes I haue sene I am filled with this world for wise men after .50 yeres and vpwarde ought rather to apply their mindes how to receiue death thē to seke pleasurs to prolong life When mans flesh is weake it always desireth to be wel kept euen vnto the graue And as I am of flesh bone so I do feale the troubles of the world as al mortal men do But for al this do not think that to be pore or sick is the greatest misery neither thinke that to be hole riche is the chefest felicity for ther is none other felicity of the old fathers but for to se their childrē vertuous In my opiniō it is an honour to that countrey that the fathers haue such children which wil take profit with their counsell contrary wyse that the children haue such fathers which can giue it them For the child is happy that hath a wise father more happy is the father that hath not a folish sonne I do write oft times vnto you my children but there is a law that none be so hardy to write to men of war in the field except first they inrowle the letters in the senate Therfore since I write vnto you more letters then they would they do send lesse then I desire Thoughe this law be painefull to mothers which haue children yet we must confesse it is profitable for the weale publik For if a man should write to one in the warre that his family is not well he would forsake the warres to remedye it Yf a man wryte vnto him that it is prosperous he hath then a desire to enioye it Be not displeased my children thoughe all the letters I do sende vnto you come not to your handes For all that I do not cease to visite the temples for your owne health nor yet to offre sacrifices to the Gods for your honour For if we do please the gods we haue not cause to feare our enemies I say no more in this case my children but that I beseche the immortall Gods that if your lyues maye profyte the common wealth then they shorten my dayes and lēgthen your yeres but if your lyues should be to the domage of the common wealth then those immortall gods I desire that first I may vnderstand the end of your dayes before that the wormes should eate my flesh For rather then by your euill lyfe the glory of our predecessours should be bleamished it were much better both your liues wer ended The grace of the Gods the good renowme amongest men the good fortune of the Romains that wisedom of the greekes the blessing of Scippio of al other your predecessours be alwayes with you my children Of the education and doctrine of children whiles they are yong Wherein the auctour declareth many notable histories Chap. xxxii ALl mortall men which will trauell and see good fruite of their trauell ought to do as the chefe artificer did that painted the world For the man that maketh god the head of his workes it is vnpossible that he should erre in the same That whych we beleue and reade by wrytinge is that the eternall created the world in short space by his mighte but preserued it a lōg time by his wisedome Wherof a man may gather that the time to do a thing is short but the care and thought to preserue it is long We see daily that a valiaunt captaine assaulteth his enemies but in the end it is god that giueth the victorye but let vs aske the conquerour what trauell it hath bene vnto him or wherin he hath perceaued most daunger that is to wete either to obteine the victory of his enemies or els to preserue them selues amongest the enuious and malicious I sweare and affirme that such a knight wil swere that ther is no comparison betwene the one and the other for by the bloudy sweard in an houre the victorye is obteined but to kepe it with reputation the swete of al the life is required Laertius in the booke of the lyfe of the philophers declareth and Plato also hereof maketh mention in the bookes of hys common wealth that those of Thebes vnderstandyng that the Lacedemonians hadde good lawes for that whych they were of the godes fauoured and of menne greatly honoured determined to send by common assent and agreement a wise philosopher the beste esteamed amongest them whose name was Phetonius to whome they commaunded that he should aske the lawes of the Lacedemonians and that he shoulde be verye circumspecte and ware to see what their rules and customes were Those of Thebes were then very noble valliant and honest so that their principal end was to come to honour renowme to erect buildinges to make them selues of immortall memory for beyng vertuous For in buildyng they were very curious and for vertues they had good Philosophers The philosopher Phetonius was more thē a yeare in the realme of the Lacedemonians beholding at sondry times all thinges therin for simple men do not note thinges but onely to satisfye the eyes but the wise menne beholdeth them for to know and vnderstand their secrettes After that the philosopher had well plainely sene and behelde all the thinges of the Lacedemonians he determined to returne home to Thebes and beyng arriued all the people came to see him and here him For the vanitie of the common people is
prince ordeyned hys lyfe in suche sorte that in his absence thinges touchinge the warre were well prouided and in hys presence was nothynge but matters of knowledge argued It chaunsed one daye as Marcus Aurelius was enuironed with Senatours Philosophers phisitions and other sage men a question was moued among them howe greatly Rome was chaunged not onelye in buyldinges whyche almoste were vtterlye decayed but also in maners whiche were wholly corrupted the cause of all thys euill grewe for that Rome was full of flatterers and destitute of those whiche durste saye the trueth These and suche other lyke words heard the emperour toke vp his hand and blessed him and declared vnto them a notable example sayeng In the first yere that I was coÌ„sull there came a poore villayne from the riuer of Danubye to aske iustice of the Senate agaynst a Censour whyche dyd sore oppresse the people and in dede he dyd so well propounde hys complaint and declare the follye and iniuryes whych the iudges dyd in hys countrey that I doubt whether Marcus Cicero could vtter it better wyth hys tonge or the renowmed Homer haue written it more eloquently with his penne This villayne had a small face great lippes hollow eyes hys colour burnte curled heare bareheaded hys shoes of a Porpige skynne hys coate of gotes skynne hys girdell of bull russhes a longe bearde and thicke hys eye breyes couered hys eyes the stomacke the neck couered wyth skynnes heared as a beare and a clubbe in hys hand Without doubt when I sawe him enter into the Senate I imagined it had beene a beast in fourme of a man and after I hearde that whyche he sayde I iudged hym to be a God if there are Gods amongest menne For if it was a fearfull thyng to beholde hys personne it was no lesse monstrous to heare his wordes At that tyme there was greate prease at the dore of the Senate of manye and dyuers personnes for to solicite the affaires of theire prouinces yet notwithstanding this villayne spake before the others for twoe causes The one for that men were desyrous to heare what so monstrous a man woulde say the other because the Senatours had this custome that the complayntes of the poore should be hearde before the requestes of the riche Wherfore this villayne afterwardes in the middest of the Senate began to tel his tale and the cause of hys comminge thither in the whiche he shewed him selfe no lesse bolde in woordes then he was in his attyre straunge and saide vnto them in thys sorte O fathers conscripte and happy people I Mileno a ploughman dwelling nere vnto the ryuer of Danube doe salute you worthye Senatours of Rome which are conuented here in this Senate I besech the immortal gods my tong this day so to gouerne that I may say that which is coÌ„uenient for my countrey and that they helpe you others to gouerne well the common wealth For wythout the healpe of God we can neither learne the good nor auoid the euill The fatale destines permittinge it and our wrathefull Gods forsakinge vs our mishappe was suche to ye others fortune shewed her self so fauourable that the proud captaines of Rome byforce of armes toke our countrey of Germany And I saye not without a cause that at that tyme the gods were displeased with vs for if we Germaines had appeased our Gods ye Romaynes might well haue excused your selues for ouercomminge of vs. Greate is youre glorye O Romaynes for the victories ye haue had and tryumphes whiche of manye realmes ye haue conquered but notwithstanding greater shall your infamy be in the worlde to come for the cruelties whiche you haue committed For I let you knowe yf you do not knowe it that when the wicked went before the triumphing chariots sayeng lyue lyue inuincyble Rome on the other syde the poore captyues went sayeng in theire hartes iustice iustice My predecessours enhabited by the ryuer of Danubye for when the drye earth annoyed them they came to recreate them selues in the freshe water and if perchaunce the vnconstant water dyd annoy them then they woulde returne againe to the mayne lande And as the appetites and condicions of men are variable so there is a tyme to flye from the lande to refreshe our selues by the water And tyme also when we are annoyed with the water to retourne agayne to the lande But howe shall I speake Romaynes that whyche I woulde speake your couetousenes of taking other mennes goods hath bene so extreme your pryde of commaunding straunge countreis hath bene so disordinate that neither the sea can suffise you in the depenes thereof neyther the lande assure vs in the fieldes of the same O how great comforte it is for the troubled men to think and be assured that there are iust gods the which will do iustice on the vniust For if the oppressed menne thought them selues not assured that the gods would wreke their iniury of theire enemies they with their owne handes woulde destroy them selues The ende why I speake this is for so much as I hope in the iust gods that as you others with out reason haue cast vs out of our houses so by reason shal others come after vs and cast you others out of Italy Rome bothe There in my countrey of Germany we take it for a rule vnfallyble that he whiche by force taketh the good of another by reason ought to lose his owne proper right And I hope in the gods that that which we haue for a prouerb in Germany you shal haue for experience here in Rome By the grosse woordes I speake by the strange apparell which I weare you may well immagine that I am some rude vâ—â—laine or barbarous borne but yet notwithstandinge I want not reason to know who is iust and righteous in holdyng his owne and who is a tyraunt in possessing of others For the rude menne of my profession though in good stile they cannot declare that whiche they would vtter yet notwithstandinge that we are not ignoraunt of that whiche ought to bee allowed for good nor whiche ought to bee condemned for euill I woulde saye therfore in this case that that which the euyll with all their tiranny haue gathered in many daies the gods shall take from them in one houre and contrarywyse all that which the good shall lose in many yeres the gods will cestore it them in one minute For speaking the trueth the euill to prosper in ryches is not for that the gods will it but that they doe suffer it and though at this houre we complaine disseÌ„bling we suffer much but the tyme shal come that will paye for all Beliue me in one thing O Romaynes and doubt not therin that of the vnlawfull gaine of the fathers foloweth after the iust vndoing of their children Manye often tymes doe marueile in my countrey what the cause is that the gods doe not take from the wicked that which they winne immediatlye as soone as
his substaunce be not presently able to recōpence the losse let him assure him selfe that hereafter hys soule shall suffer the payne Men oughte so muche to loue peace and so muche to abhorre warre that I beeleue that the same preparacion a prieste hath in his conscience with God before he presume to receyue the holye communion the same oughte a counsayloure haue before to his Prynce he geeueth counsayle in warre Synce Princes are men it is no merueile thoughe they fele iniuries as men and that theye desire to reuenge as men Therefore for this cause they oughte to haue wise men of their counsaile whereby they shoulde mittigate and asswage their griefes and troubles For the counsaylours of prynces oughte neuer to counsaile thynges they being angry wherw t after they may iustly be displeased whē they be pacified Folowing our matter in counting the goodes which are lost in loasyng peace and the euilles which encrease in winning warres I say that amongst other thinges the greatest euil is that in time of warre they locke vp closely al vertues and set at lyberty all vyces During the time that Princes and great Lordes maintaine warre thoughe they be lordes of theire realmes and dominions by right yet for a truethe theye are not so in deede For at that time the lordes desire more to content their souldiours and subiectes then the souldyers and subiectes seke to content the lordes And this they doe because theye thoroughe power myght vanquishe their enemies and further thorough the loue of their money relieue their necessities Eyther princes are gouerned bye that whereunto by sensualitie they are moued or els by that wherewith reasō is contented If they wil follow reason they haue to much of that they possesse but if they desire to followe the sensuall appetite there is nothing that wil content them For as it is vnpossible to dry vp all the water in the sea so it is hard to satisfye the harte of man that is couetouse If prynces take vppon thē warres saying that their ground is taken from them and that thereof theye haue a conscience let them beware that suche conscience be not corrupted Form the worlde there is no warre iustified but for the beginninge thereof the princes at one time or an other haue their conscience burdened If princes take vpon them warre for no other cause but to augment their state and dygnytye I saye that this is a vaine hope for theye consume and lose for the most parte more in one or twoe yeares warres then euer theye gette agayne durynge theire life If princes take vppon them warre to reuenge an iniurye as wel for thys allso it is a thinge superfluous For manye goe to the warres beyng wronged onelye with one thinge and afterwardes they returne iniuried with manye If princes take vppon them warre for none other cause but to wynne honour me thynkethe also that that is an vnprofitable conqueste For me thinketh that fortune is not a person so famous that into her handes a man maye commytte hys honoure hys goodes and lyfe If prynces take vppon them warre to leaue of them in the worlde to come some memorye thys no lesse thē the other semethe to me vaine For withoute doubte if we examine the histories that be paste we shall finde those to be more in nomber whiche for beginnynge of warres haue bene defamed then those whiche for vanquishynge of theire enemies haue ben renowmed If prynces take vpon thē warre supposyng that there are in an other countreye more pleasures and delightes then in their owne I saye that to thinke this procedethe of lytle experyence and of lesse conscience For to a prynce there can bee noe greater shame nor conscyence then to beginne warres in straunge realmes to maineteyne his owne pleasure and vyces at home Let noe princes deceiue them selues in thinkynge that there are in straunge countreyes more thinges thenne in theire owne For in the ende there is noe lande nor nation in the world where there is not winter and sommer nighte and daye sickenesse and healthe riches and pouertye myrthe and sadnesse friendes and enemies vitious and vertuous aliue and deade Fynallye I saye that in all partes all thinges agree in one saue onely the disposicions of menne whiche are dyuers I woulde aske prynces and great lordes the whiche doe and will liue at they re pleasures what theye wante in theire realmes yea thoughe theye bee litle If theye will hunt they haue mountaines and parkes if theye will fishe theye haue pondes if theye will walke theye haue riuers if theye will refreshe them selues theye haue baynes if theye will bee merye theye haue musitians if theye delighte in apparaylinge them selues theye haue cythe clothes if theye will geeue theye haue moneye if theye desire weomen theye haue wiues if they will take theire reste theye haue theire gardeines if winter annoye them theye haue whote countreis and if theye will eate theye wante no meates Hee that wythe peace hathe all these thynges in hys owne dominion whye thenne withe warre dothe hee seeke them in a straunge countreye Menne oftentymes flye from one countreye to another not to bee more deuoute nor more vertuous butte to haue greater libertie and opportunitie to haunte vices And afterwardes whenne theye see the endes of theire deedes theye cannot refraine theire hartes from sighes since theye mighte haue enioyed that at home withe peace whyche in straunge countreyes they soughte with trouble There are so fewe thynges wherewythe wee are contented in the worlde that if perchaunce a manne fynde in anye one place anye one thing wherewithe to contente him let him beeware that the deuill doe not deceyue him sayinge that in suche another place hee maye recreate himselfe better For whyther so euer we goe wee shall finde suche penurye and wante of true pleasures and comfortes and suche coppie and abundaunce of troubles and tormentes that for to comforte vs in a hundrethe yeares wee scarcelye finde one and to tormente vs we finde at euerye foote a thousande ¶ The auctoure recytethe the commodities which come of peace declaring how diuers princes vppon light occasions haue made cruell warres Cap. xiij DImo an auncyente kynge of Ponto sayde vnto a phylosopher whyche was wythe hym Tell mee phylosopher I haue helthe I haue honoure and I haue ryches is there anye thinge more to bee desyred amongest menne or to bee geeuen of the Goddes in thys lyfe The phylosopher aunswered hym I see that I neuer sawe and I heare that I neuer hearde For healthe ryches and honoure the goddes seldome tymes doe truste in one personne hys tyme is so shorte that possesse them that theye haue more reason to praye that theye myghte bee quyted of them thenne for to bee proude for that theye possesse them And I tell thee further kynge Dimo it lytle profytethe that the goddes haue geeuen thee all these thynges if thou doest not contente thye selfe therewythe the whyche I think theye haue
another beside her self for shee ceaseth not to defaÌ„e him to follow the other to rayse a sclauÌ„der amoÌ„gst her neighbors to coÌ„plaine to his freÌ„ds to bewray the matter to the iustice to quarel with officers alwayes to haue spies for hym in euery place as if hee were one of her mortal enemyes O I woold to god the courtier would as much esteeme of his coÌ„scieÌ„s as his louer maketh accoÌ„pt of his parsoÌ„ happy were hee For I dare assure him if he know it not that shee spieth out al the places hee goth so couÌ„ts euery morsel of meat hee eateth becoÌ„meth ielious of al that hee dooth of all those whose coÌ„pany hee frequeÌ„teth yea shee deuiseth imagineth all that hee thinketh So that hee that seeketh a cruel reueÌ„ge of his enemy cannot doo better theÌ„ ê‘swade induce him to loue one of these wel coÌ„ditioned womeÌ„ Now let him think that hee hath great warres that by his euil hap hath made her his enemy which heretofore hee so eÌ„tierly loued For any maÌ„ that exteemeth his honor reputacioÌ„ dooth rather feare the euil tongue of such a womaÌ„ theÌ„ the sweord of his enemy For an honest maÌ„ to striue coÌ„teÌ„d with a womaÌ„ of such quality is eueÌ„ asmuch as yf hee woold take vpon him to wash an asses head Therefore hee may not set me to make accoÌ„pt of those iniuries doon him or euel words shee hath spoken of him but rather seeke to remedy it the best hee caÌ„ that shee speak no more of him For womeÌ„ naturaly desire to enioy that persoÌ„ they loue wtout let or interruption of any to pursue to the death those they hate I woold wysh therfore the fauored of priÌ„ces such as haue office dignity in the court that they beware they incurre not into such like errors For it is not sitting that meÌ„ of honor such as are great about the prince shoold seeme to haue more lyberty in vice theÌ„ any other neither for any respect ought the beloued of the prince to dare to keepe coÌ„pany much lesse to haue freÌ„dship with any such coÌ„moÌ„ defamed womeÌ„ syth the least euel that can coÌ„e to theÌ„ they caÌ„not bee auoided But at the least hee must charge his coÌ„scieÌ„s trouble his freÌ„ds wast his goods coÌ„sume his ê‘son lose his good fame ioyning with al these also his coÌ„cubine to bee his mortal enemy For there is no womaÌ„ liuiÌ„g that hath any measure in louiÌ„g neither end in hatiÌ„g Oh how wareli ought al meÌ„ to liue specialy wee that are in the court of princes for many womeÌ„ vnder the color of their autority office goe oft tymes to seek theÌ„ in their chaÌ„bers not only as huÌ„ble suters to sollycyte theire causes but also liberaly to offer theÌ„ their ê‘soÌ„s so by that colour to coÌ„clude their practises deuyses So that the decisioÌ„ coÌ„clusioÌ„ of processe which they fain to solycite shal not goe with him that demaunds there goods of theÌ„ but rather with him that desires but their parsoÌ„s to spoile theÌ„ of their honor Now the princes officers must seeke to bee pure clene froÌ„ al these practises of these comoÌ„ struÌ„pets much more froÌ„ those that are suters to theÌ„ haue maters beefore theÌ„ For they should highly offeÌ„d god coÌ„mit great treasoÌ„ to the King if they should send those weomeÌ„ froÌ„ theÌ„ that sued vnto theÌ„ rather dishonored defamed theÌ„ honestly dispatched of their busines And therfore hee bindeth him self to a maruelous inconuenieÌ„ce that falleth in loue with a woman suter For euen froÌ„ that instant hee hath receued of her the sweete delights of loue eueÌ„ at the present hee byâ—deth him self to dispatch her quickly to end al her sutes not wtout great greefe I speake these woords There are many women that come to the court of princes to make vnreasonable dishonest sutes which in the end notwtstaÌ„ding obtaine ther desire And not for any ryght or reasoÌ„ they haue to it saue only they haue obtained that thorough the fauor and credit they haue won of the fauored courtier or of one of his beloued So as wee see it happeÌ„ many tymes that the vniust fornication made her sute iust resonable I should lye and doo my selfe wrong mee thinks yf I should passe ouer with silence a thing that happened in the emperors court touching this matter in the which I went one day to one of the princes cheefe officers best beeloued of hym to sollycyte a matter of importauÌ„ce which an hostes of myne should haue before him And so this fauored courtier great officer after hee had hard of mee the whole discourse of the matter for full resolution of the same hee axed mee yf shee were yong fayre I auÌ„swered hym that shee was reasonable fayre of good fauor Well than sayth hee bed her com to mee I wil doo the best I can to despatch her matter with speade for I wyl assure you of this that there neuer caÌ„e fayre woman to my hands but shee had her busines quickly dispatcht at my haÌ„ds I haue knowne also many womeÌ„ in the court so vnhonest that not conteÌ„ted to folow their owne matters would also deale with others affayrs gaine in soliciting their causes so that they with their fyne words franke offer of there parsons obtayned that which many tymes to men of honor great autorytye was denyed Therfor these great officers fauored of priÌ„ces ought to haue great respect not only in the coÌ„uersatioÌ„ they haue with these womeÌ„ but also in the honest order they ought to obserue in hering theyr causes And that to bee done in such sort that what so euer they say vnto theÌ„ may bee kept secret prouided also the place where they speake with them bee open for other suters in like case ¶ That the nobles beloued of princes exceede not in superfluous fare that they bee not too suÌ„ptuous in their meates A notable chapter for those that vse too much delicacye and superfluity Chap. xviii ONe of the greatest cares and regard the nature layd vpon her self was that men could not lyue wtout sustinaÌ„ce so that so long as wee see a maÌ„ eat yea if yt were a thousaÌ„d yeares wee might bee bold to say that hee is certainly alyue And hee hath not alone layd this burdeÌ„ vpon meÌ„ but on brute bests also For wee see by experience that some feedeth on the grasse in the fyelds some liues in the ayre eating flyes others vpon the wormes in carin others with that they fynd vnder the water And finally ech beast lyueth of other and afterwards the wormes feede of vs al. And not oÌ„ly reasonable meÌ„ brute beasts lyue by eating but the trees are norrished therby wee see it thus that they in stede of meat receyue into theÌ„ for nutriture the heate of the sunne the teÌ„perature of the ayre the moysture
occasion to others to iudge him to be euil Al the losses of temporal goodes that chaunce vnto men in this life oughte not to be cōpared with a litle blemishe of a mans good name The man that hasardeth for a trifle his good name in this world shall at a hūdreth shootes scarsly shoote one right And cōtrariwyse the man that hath lost his honesty and that estemeth not the reputation of his persone truly from him we shall neuer see any good thing proceade Now the emperour like vnto a wise ship-maister fearing after the great calmes some tempestuous storme seing the lightnes of his doughter and vanitie of the mother I meane in the time of this great mirth and gladnes feared lest any infamy should ensewe vnto these two ladies And for a surety he doubted not without a cause for it is an infallible rule of enuious fortune to geue vs in many yeres a litle prosperitie to thintēt that afterward sodainly she may bring vs into some great aduersitie By experience we see that the sea is seldome times calme but immediatly foloweth some perilous tēpest The extreame heate of the day doth prognosticate that terrible thōder in the euentide I meane whē fortune doth flatter vs with her golden pilles it is a token that she entendeth to catche vs in her snares The mylner before the bankes broken repareth the dammes The husbandman before it raineth thacketh his house fearing the snow and raine that is to come So lykewise the sage man ought to consider that during this lyfe he hath prosperity but by leaue aduersity as by patrimony Marcus Aurelius among al other men was he that knew how to enioy prosperitie also to preuaile of aduersity Though fortune gaue him much prosperity yet he neuer trusted therin nor for any troubles that euer he receiued in this lyfe he was at any time abashed Of the sharpe words which Marcus Aurelius spake to hys wyfe and to his doughter Cap. v. WHen the tryumphes before named were finyshed this good Emperour being willyng to vnbourden his hart and to aduyse Faustine to teache the youg damosel his doughter and to the end that no man shold heare it he called them a part and sayd vnto them these words I am not contente Faustine with that thy doughter did nor yet with that which thou hast done being her mother The doughters if they wil be counted good children must learne to obeye their fathers and the mothers if they wil be counted good mothers must learne to bring vp their doughters wel When the mother is honest and the doughter shamefast the father is excused in geuyng councel It is great shame to the father being a man that the mother being a womā should chastise his sonne And it is a great reproch to the mother that the doughter should be chastised by the hands of any man There was a law enacted among the Rhodiens that neyther the father should haue to doe wyth the doughters nor the mothers with the sonnes but the men vsed to bring vp the men and the women the women And in such wise that they abyding al in one house it semeth vnto the fathers that they had no doughters and vnto the mothers that they had no sonnes O Rome Rome I bewaile the not for to se the streates vnpauid nor to se the houses so decayed nor to se the battlements so fallen downe nor the timber hewed downe nor for the dyminishing of the habytaunts for al this tyme bringeth and tyme taketh awaye but I wepe for the and wepe for the againe to se the vnpeopled of good fathers and vnprouided in the nourishing of their children Rome began to decay when the disciplyne of sonnes and doughters was enlarged that their brydle was let at lybertye For ther is now such boldnes in boyes and so lytle shamefastnes in girles with dishonesty of the mothers that where as one father suffised for .xx. sonnes and one mother for xx doughters now xx fathers dare scarcely vndertake to bring vp wel one sonne xxx mothers one doughter I say this to you Faustine you remember not how you are a mother for you geue more libertie to your dougher then ought to be suffred And now Lucilla remember not how you are a doughter for you showe to haue more liberty then requireth for a yong mayden The greatest gift that the gods haue geuen to the Matrons of Rome is because that they are women they kepe them selues close and secret and because they are Romaines they are shamefast The day when the women want the fearre of the gods secretly and shame of men openly beleue me they shal eyther faile the world or the world theym The common wealth requyreth it of great necessity that the women which therin enhabyte should be as honest as the captaines valyaunt for the captaines going to warre defend them and the women whych abyde at home conserue them As now .iiii. yeares passed ye saw this great pestilence and I demaund then to haue account of the people and I found that of C. and xl M. honest women .lxxx. M. dyed of .x. M. dyshonest women in maner they scaped al. I cannot tel for which I should wepe eyther for the lacke that we haue of the good vertuous womē in our comon wealth or els for the great hurt domages that these euil wicked women do to the youth of Rome The fyer that brenneth in mount Ethna doth not so much endomage those that dwel in Scicil as one euyl woman doth with in the walles of Rome A fyerse beast and a perillous ennemy to the common wealth is an euyl woman for she is of power to commyt all euyls and nothing apte to do anye good O how many realmes and kingdomes rede we of whych by the euil behauiours of one woman haue bene lost and to resist agaynst them there hath bene nede both of wisedome perils money and force of many men The vyces in a woman is as a grene rede that boweth euery waye but the lightnes and dyshonesty is as a dry kyxe that breaketh in such wise that the more euyl they vtter the more vnlykely is the amendment therof Behold Faustine ther is no creature that more desireth honour and worse kepeth it then a woman and that this is true we se by iustice by orations by writyng and other trauailes man getteth fame renowme but withoute it be by flattering and faire speakyng this houre by auncient writers we cā rede of few women or none whych eyther by writyng redyng workyng with nedle spinning or by weauing haue gotten them any great renowme But as I say of one I say of an other certaynely of diuers we rede by keping them close in their houses being wel occupyed in their busines temperate in their words faithful to their husbands wel ordred in their persons peasable with their neighbours and finally for being honest amonge their owne family and shamefast amongest straungers
prince is neuer well obeied onelesse he hath good credēce among his people I say this Faustine because you do one thing in secrete say another openly herein faileth the credence of so high a lady putteth in suspect the auctority of so great an empire If you suppose my good desires be sinister in your hart for the wealth of your owne children how should we hope then in any of your good workes for the children of straungers It semeth to you better to giue your doughter to them that demaund her of the mother and refuse them that the father doth chose Certainly because you are a woman you desire pardon but in that you are a mother you augment your fault Do you not know that mariages are guyded some by fortune and some by vertues wisedome Such as demaund the doughters of the fathers beleue me theyr eyes be more vpon their owne proper vtility then vpon the wealth of another I know wel you bring forth the children but the goddes will mary them syth they haue endewed them with so marueilous beauty Do you not know that the beautye of women setteth straungers on desire and putteth neighbours in suspection to great men it geueth feare to meane men enuy to the parents infamy and peril to the persons them selues with great paine it is kepte that is desyred of many Of truth I say the beauty of women is nothing but a signe for idle folke an early waking for them that be light wheras of straung desires lieth the renowne of themselues and I denye not but that a lyght person sercheth soner a woman with a faire face then one of an honest lyfe But I say that a woman that is maried onely for her beauty maye hope in her age to haue an euyll life It is an infallyble rule that she that was maried for her fayrenesse shal be despised for her foulenesse O what trouble he offereth hymselfe vnto whych marieth a fayre woman It behoueth hym to suffer her pride for beauty folly alway go together Also he must suffer her expences for follye in the heade beauty in the face be two wormes which freate the lyfe and wast the goods Also he must suffer her riots for a faire woman wil that none but she haue her commaundements in the house Also he must suffer her nice minions for many faire women wil passe their lyues in pleasure Also he must suffer her presumption for euery faire woman wil haue prehemenence before al other Finally he that marieth with a faire woman putteth himselfe in great ieopardy And I shal tel you wherfore surely Carthage was neuer so enuyroned with Scipions as the house of a faire woman is with light persons O vnhappie husband when his spirite is at rest and the body sleping then those lyght persons ronne about the house sleying his body with ielosye casting their eyes at the windowes scalyng the walles with ladders singing swete songes playing on dyuerse instruments watching at the gates treatynge with bandes vncoueringe the house and waytinge at euerye corner therof Al these things in case they shoote at the pricke of womans beautie they leaue not to shoote at the butte of the sorowful husbands good name whether this be true or not let them aske my selfe that am maried with your beauty and let them wite of my renowne that go so about the cytie I say much but truly I fele more no man complayneth of the goddes for geuyng him a foule wife amonge his destinies whyte siluer is not wrought but in blacke pitche and the tender tree is not preserued but by the harde barke I saye a man that marieth a foule wife leadeth a sure lyfe let euerye man chose as he lysteth I say a man that marieth a faire wife casteth his good name at hasard and putteth his life in peril Al the infamy of our predecessours stode in exercising of deedes of armes and now al the pastime of the Romaine youthe is to serue Ladies When a woman is bruted to be fayre then euery man goeth thither taketh great payne to serue her the woman wil be sene I say Faustine you neuer saw a damosel Romaine greatly renowmed in beauty but eyther in dede or in suspicion there went some euyl report of her name In that lytle that I haue red I haue herd of diuers fayre women both of Grece Italy Parth Rome and they be not in memorye because they were faire but for the great perils and misaduentures whych through their beautyes chaunced in the world For by reason of their excellent beautyes they were vysited in their owne lands for their infamy shamed through al the world When the realme of Carthage flourished in riches and was fortunate in armes they ruled the common wealth by wyse phylosophers that they repulsed their enemyes by strong armes Arminius the phylosopher was as greatly esteamed among the Carthagians as Homere was amonge the Grekes or Cicero amonge the Romaines He lyued in this world .122 yeres .80 of the which good yeares he lyued most quyetly he was as much turned from women as geuen to his bookes Then the senate seing he had such experience in the affayres of the weale publyke so withdrawen from al natural recreations they desired him with great instaunce to be maried to thintent the memory might be had of so excellēt a wise man in time to come the more importune they were the more he resisted and said I wil not be maried for if she be foule I shal abhorre her Yf she be riche I must suffer her If she be poore I must mainteine her If she be faire I must take hede of her If she be a shrew I cannot suffer her And the lest pestilence of al those is sufficient to slea a M. men With such words this wise man excused himselfe But in the end through great study in his age he lost his sight wherby the solytarines of his swete lybertye constrayned him to take the company of a woman by whom he had a doughter of the whyche descended the noble Amilears of Carthage competitours of the Scipions of Rome The which shewed no lesse worthinesse in the defence of Carthage thē oures did courage in the amplifiyng of Rome Tel me Faustine may not such suspicion fal vpon your doughter though her vertue succour her in the peril and her honestie assure her person I wil discouer a secret thing to you Ther is nothing that can chaunce euyl to a woman if she be enuironed with feminine shamefastnes Greatly they desire and with much importunytie they procure those thinges which highly may be attayned There is nothing soo certaine as this that the wealth of an other is the cause of his owne euil And Faustine ye know that the most honest women by our malyce are most desired Certainly their shamefastnes and keping close be arrowes in defēce of our honestie We reade not that the bloud riches nor beauty of
the thou wilt not se me if I write to the thou wilt make no aunswere And the worst of al is if others do shew the of my grefes thou takest it as a mockerie O that I had so much knowledge wher to complaine to the as thou hast power to cease my plaint then my wisedom should be no lesse praised among the wise then thy beauty amongest the foles I besech the hartely not to haue respect to the rudenes of my reasons but regard the faith of my teares which I offer to that as a witnes of my wil. I know not what profite may come by my harme nor what gaine of my losse thou maist hope to haue nor what surety of my peril thou maist attaine nor what pleasure of my paine thou maiste haue I had aunswere by my messenger that without reading my letters with thy owne hands thou didst rent them in pieces it ought to suffice to thinke how many parsons is tormented If it had pleased you lady Macrine to haue red those few lines you should haue perceiued how I am inwardly tormented Ye women be very extreme for the misaduenture of one man a woman wil complaine of al mē in general So ye al shew cruelty for one particuler cause openly ye pardon all mens liues and secretly ye procure death to al. I accompt it nothinge lady Macrine that thou haste done but I lament that which thou causest thy neighbour Valerius to say to me One thing I would thou sholdest remember and not forget that is Sith my libertie is so small and thy power so great that being wholy mine am torned to be thine the more iniurie thou dost to me the more thou hurtest thy selfe since by the I die as thou by me doest liue In this peruers opinion abide not so mayest thou hasarde the life of vs both Thou hurtest thy good name and destroyest my health in the ende thou must come to the same phisicke Pardone me lady Macrine if I saye ought that may offende thee I know ye women desire one thing greatly that is to haue soueraintie of vs and yet not seame so much as by thought to wyshe the same Thou haddest the same of a gentle nature though in dede thou were not so yet thou haddest the same thereof and an auncient good name ought not to be loste with a newe vnkindenes Thou knowest howe cōtrary ingratitude is to vertue in a vertuous house Thou canst not be called vertuous but if thou be curteous There is no greater ingratitude then not to loue againe Though I visite the and thou not me it is nothing though I remember thee and thou forgettest me it is nothing though I wepe and thou laugh it is nothing though I craue of thee and thou denie me it is nothing though thou owest me and paye me not it is nothing But if I loue thee and thou not me this is a great thing which the eies can neither dissimule nor the hart suffre All the vices in mortall men are to be pardoned because they offende naturally saue onely this discourtesy in women and vngentlenes in mē which are counted of malice Diuerse seruices by me done to thee and all the good willes I haue heretofore borne to thee thou onely lady Macrine with one thing rewarde me I praye thee be not slacke to helpe me for I was not so to offer me into peril If thou sayest that Patroclus thy husbande hath the propertie in thee at the least yet receiue me vpon proufe and I will pretende a possession of thee and in this wyse the vayne glorie in being thyne shall hyde the hurt being myne thou makest me maruayle not a litle that for so small a rewarde thou wilt suffer so great an importunitie For certainly we graunte many thynges to an importunate man whiche we deny to a temperate man If thou lady Macrine hopest to ouercome me beholde I yelde me as vanquished If thou wilt lose me I holde me loste if thou wylt kyll me I holde me dead For by the gestures whiche I make before thy gate and the secreate sighes whiche I fetche in my house thou mayest knowe howe greatly I mynde to reste but thy braue assaultes are rather buyldinges to nouryshe death then to cōforte the lyfe If thou wylt I escape this daunger deny me not remedy For it shal be a greater dishonour for to slea me then shame to saue me It is no iust thing for so small againe to lose so faithfull a frende I wote not howe to make thee my detter nor howe to make thee paye me and the worste of all is I knowe not what to saye nor howe to determine For I was not borne to myne owne wealth but to be faithful in thy seruices And sythe thou knowest whom thou haste trusted with thy message the same I doe trust with this open letter and my aunswere in secrete I doe sende to thee a iewell of pearle and a piece of golde I pray the gods make thee receiue them as willingly as I doe frely sende them Marke Oratour to the inexorable Macrine ¶ Of a letter whiche the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to the beautiful lady Liuia wherein he proueth that loue is naturall and that the moste parte of the philosophers and wyse men haue bene by loue ouercome Cap. xv MArke full of sorowe to thee careles Lyuia If thy litle care did lodge in me and my sorowes were harboured in thee thou shouldest then see howe litle the quarell is that I make to thee in respect to the torment I suffer If the flambes issued out as the fire doth burne me within the heauens should perishe with smoke and the earth should make imbers If thou doest well remember the firste time I saw thee in the temple of the virgin Vestals thou being there diddest alwayes praye to the gods for thy selfe and I vpon my knees prayed to thee for me Thou knowest and so doe I that thou diddest offer oyle and hony to the goddes but I did offer to thee teares and sighes It is iust thou geue more to hym that offered his harte then to him whiche draweth money out of his purse I haue determined to wryte to thee this letter whereby thou maieste perceiue howe thou arte serued with the arrowes of my eyes whiche were shott at the white of thy seruice O vnhappy that I am I feare least this present calme doth threaten me with a tempest to come I wyl saye that discourtesy in thee causeth doubtfull hope in me Beholde my misaduenture I had lost a letter and tourning to the temple to seeke it I founde the letter whiche was of some importaunce and had almoste loste my selfe whiche is the greatest thyng Considering my small rewarde I see my eyes the ladders of my hope set on so high a wal that no lesse certaine is my fal then my climming was doubtfull Thou bending downe thy harnes of thy high desertes and putting me to the point of continuall seruice
the vnhappie matrone Lucrece were the cause that she was desired but the beautie of her vysage the grauytie of her personne the honesty of her lyuing the keping of her selfe close in her house the spendyng of her time and credite among her neighboures the great renowne that she had among straūgers prouoked the folish Tarquine to comit with her adultrye by force What thinke you wherof came this I shal shew you We that be euyl are so euyl that we vse euil the goodnes of them that be good The fault hereof is not in the Ladyes of Rome but rather in the immortal goddes Their cleane honestye declareth our cruel malice Faustine you say your doughter is to yong to be maried Do you not know that the good father oughte to endoctrine his sonnes frome their age and to prouide for his doughters whyles they be yonge Of a trouth if the fathers be fathers and the mothers mothers as sone as the goddes haue geuen them a daughter forthwith they ought to be myndfull therof and neuer forget it til they haue prouided her a husband The fathers ought not to tary for riches nor the mother for her linage the better to mary them so what with the one and the other the time passeth and the doughter waxeth aged and in this maner they be to old to be maried and to lyue alone they cānot so that they themselues liue in paine the fathers in thought and the parentes in suspection least they should be cast away O what great ladyes haue I knowen the doughters of great senatours which not for fault of richs nor of vertues in their persons but al only for differring of time and driuyng from one houre to an other so that at last sodaine death come to the fathers and no prouision was made for the doughters So that some were couered vnder the earth after their death others buried with forgetfulnes being alyue Eyther I lye or els I haue red in the lawes of the Rhodians these wordes We commaund the father in maryinge tenne sonnes to trauaile but one daye but to mary one vertuous doughter let hym trauaile ten yeares yea and hazarde his bodye in the water vppe to the chinne sweate droppes of of bloude alter the stomake disherite all his sonnes lose his goodes and aduenture his person These words in this law were pitiful for the doughters no lesse graue for the sonnes For .x. sonnes by the law of men are bound to go ouer al the world but the doughter by this good law ought not to go out of the house I say moreouer that as things vnstable thret fallyng so likewise it chaunceth to yong damosels which thinketh al their time lost and superfluous vnto the day of their mariage Homere sayth it was the custome of ladyes of Grece to count the yeres of their life not from the time of their birth but from the time of their mariage As if one demaunded a Grecian her age she would aunswere .20 yeres if it were .20 sithe she was maried though it wer .60 yeres sith she was borne Affirming after they had a house to gouerne and to commaund that day she beginneth to liue The Melon after it is ripe and abydeth still in the gardeine cannot escape but eyther it must be gathered or els it rotteth I say the mayden that tarieth long tyll she be maried can not escape eyther to be taken or infamed I wil saye no more As sone as the grapes be ripe it behoueth that they be gathered so it is necessary that the woman that is come to perfect age be maried And the father that doth this casteth peril out of his house bringeth himselfe out of care and getteth much contentacion of his doughter ¶ Of a letter whych the Emperour Marcus Aurelius sent to Piramon hys especial frend to comfort him in his troubles Cap. vii MArke oratour Romaine borne at mount Celio to Piramon of Lion my great frend desireth health to thy person and strengthe and vertue against thy sinister fortune In the thirde kalendes of Ianuarye I receyued thy letter wherby I perceiue thou hast receyued one of myne I regard not much thy words but I esteame greatlye thy meanynge So that without declaring therof I haue gathered the sentence Reason would because I haue writen so often to the that thou shouldeste the better vnderstand me but thou art so slouthful that though I call the thou wilt not heare nor though I strike the thou wilt not fele But now to come to the purpose Thou knowest Piramon how nere we be in parentage aunciēt in frendship stedfast in loue and tender of herts how faithful in al things wherin one true frend might proue another Thou remembrest well when we were at Rhodes that we dwelled together in one house and did eate at one table al that thou thoughtest I did it in effect and that I sayd thou neuer gainesaydest Certainly thou were in my harte and I in thine entrailes I was thine and thou were myne We being together it semed to al other that we were but one of one wil. What a matter is this Thou writest how thou art heauy yet thou doest not tel the cause why Thou complaynest that thou art almost dead and thou shewest me not who taketh from the thy life If thou wilt not shew to me thy troubles sith thou art my frende I wil thou know that I demaund it of right If thou wilt not I wyl that thou know that the piteful gods haue determyned that al pleasures ioye shal departe from my house and that al heuines sorowes shal be lodged in my person Sith I am prince of al honor in tribulacion if thou wouldest thou canst not escape out of my siegnory For if thou complaine that thou art vnhappye in fortune then I esteme my selfe to be happie in vnhappines I demaund one thing of the when hast thou sene me haue sufficient and thou nede when hast thou sene me slepe and thou wake and when hast thou trauailed and I rested Of trouth sith the goods and persons are their owne proper the trauailes and euil aduentures are alwaies common One thing thou oughtest to know if in myne amytie thou wilt perseuer that all my goodes are thine al thyne euyls are myne sith thou was borne to pleasure I to trouble I say not this fainyngly for thou haste had experience of me that when Maria thy sister died who was no lesse vertuous then faire thou perceiuedst wel when she was with earth couered dead I was with sorowes ouerwhelmed alyue and at the sowne of my teares thine eyes daunced Sythe thou hast such confidence in my person surely thou maist discouer to me thy paine Yet as often as I haue demaunded there hath no famed excuses wanted I require the and desire the againe and in the name of the Gods I pray the and in their names I coniure the that thou powre al thy sorowes into mine