difference betwixt the one and the other is that in the Booke your Lordship may vnderstand my simplicity and in the pen there doth appeare your great bountie No more but that our Lorde be your protectour and giue me grace to serue him From Valiodolid the xix of August 1524. A letter vnto sir Allonso of Albornaz wherin is touched that it is a point of euill maner not too aunswer too the letter that is written vnto him IF the Lady Marina your wife bée as well affected to your person as my penne is offended at your slouthfulnesse you may safely marrie without after repentāce And I think not that I bind my selfe vnto a small matter in saying that in your mariage you shall find no repentance for surely I wish too haue no more contrition of my sinnes than many men haue too think themselues maried To contract matrimonie with a woman is a thing very easie but to sustaine it vnto the end I hold it for very difficult Whereby it comes to passe that those which mary without respect but only for loue liue afterward with sorowe Considering al the displeasures that proceede of the familie then tediousnesse of the wife the care for the children the necessitie of the house the prouision for the seruants the importunitie of the cousins and the sutes of the sonnes in law Although of all these thinges the maried doth not repent him at the least it doth tyre him The Philosoper Mirtho being demaunded why hée did not marry aunswered bycause if the woman whome I take in mariage bée good I shall spill hir if she bée euill I must supporte hir if she bée poore I must maintaine hir if shée bée riche I must suffer hir if she bée foule I shall abhorre hir it she be faire I must watch hir and that which is worst of al for euermore I giue my libertye to hir that shall neuer gratifie mée Riches bréedeth care pouerty sorrow sailing feare eating heauines going wearinesse all which trauelles we se deuided amongst many except amongst the maried where they ioyne altogither For we seldome sée the maried man go without care sorow wearied heauie yea and also sometime astonied I say astonied of that whiche maye happen vntoo him and of that his wife may dare to do The man that doth encounter with a woman that is a dizard foolish a babler light a glutton a chider slouthfull a goer at large vntractable iealouse absolute or dissolute it were better for that man too bée a slaue to some honest man than a husbande too suche a wife It is a terrible thing too suffer a man but there is very much too bée knowen in a woman And for no other cause more than for that they knowe not too vse a measure in louing or giue no ende in abhorring I will not or perchance I dare not saye more in this case For if in the same I should occupie my selfe and giue libertie to my pen I should want time to write but not matter to speake Not without cause I saide my pen was angry with your slothfulnesse since halfe a yeare past I did write vnto you and you haue not as yet answered me And afterwards came Iohn de Occanio and also with him you did not write in suche wise that on the one part I call you sluggish and of the other part note you of negligence Sir you may take it for a rule neuer to leaue him vnanswered that hath taken paine to write vnto you For that the maister of the henchmen which is Harnan Sanz de Minchasa said vnto me that none lost his worshippe for answering vnto a letter To write to our better is of necessitie to answere our equall is of will but to write vnto our inferiour is of pure vertue Alexander the great did write vnto Pulion his bit maker Iulîus Caesar to Rufus his gardiner Augustus to Pāphilo his smith Tiberius to Escaurus his miller Tullius too Mirto his tailer and Seneca to Gipho his rent gatherer wherof it may very wel be inferred that basenesse doth not consist in writing or answering base persones but to will or to do vile things Paulus Aemilius writing vnto his plough man said I haue vnderstood what word thou didst send me by Argeus and the aunswer of the same is that I send thée another oxe to yoke with that firce oxe also I sēd thée a cart redy drest therfore eare that ground well dresse the vines purge the trées and alway haue memorie of the Goddesse Ceres Curius Dentatus béeing in warre with Pyrrhus King of the Epirotes did write a letter vnto a carpenter which said thus Cneius Patroclus certified me that thou dost worke in my house take héed that the timber be dry and that thou make the lightes towardes the south that it be not high that it be cléere the chimney without smoke with two windowes and no more but one dore Alexander the great writing vnto his smith said I send thée a horse which the Athenians sent me he and I did scape wounded from the battaile breath him well euery day cure wel his wounds pare his foreféete let him be vnshod slit his nose wash his necke let hym not growe fat for that no fat horse may well endure with me in the field Of the famous Phalaris the tirant it is read that neuer man did him seruice that he did not gratifye either write him a letter that he dyd not aunswer So high and so great Princes as bere we haue named too haue written to men so base and so vile occupations is not written by historiographers too blemish them but by the same to magnifie them Of which we may gather that basenes doth not consist in wryting or aunswering base persons but in doing thinges scandolous or vnhonest In this matter as in all other thinges you may vse that boldnesse with me as with your selfe but if vniuersally you vse to do the same with all men it may be if your frendes do note you of negligence there shall not want that will accuse you of presumption To be noted angry enuious couetous slothfull wanton gluttonous auaricious certainly is a griefe but to be noted of foolishnes is an infamie which giueth me occasion to saye vnto you that to cal a man presumptuouse by a cunning maner of speach is to call him foole In Caius Caesar there wanted no fortitude for that he ouercame many people either clemencie for he pardoned his enemies either liberaliitie for that he gaue kyngdomes either science for that he wrote many Bookes either fortune for he was Lorde of all men But he wanted good manner which is the foundation of a quiet life Amongst the Romanes it was a custome that when the Senate entred the Emperours house they did vnto him a certaine great obeysance and he did vse vnto them a certaine curtesie in doing whereof as he grew negligent either for that he woulde not
life and iust in youre tribunall or iudgements I wold not gladly heare that those that do praise that which you do should complaine of that whiche you say with a Lorde of so high estate and with a iudge of so preheminent an office my pen should not haue presumed to write what it hath written if your Lordship had not commaunded My Lord I saide it bycause if this that I haue here written vnto you shall not like you that it may please you to sende too reuoke the licence that you haue giuen Also you will that I shall write vnto youre Lordship if I haue founde in anye auncient Chronicle what is the cause wherefore the Princes of Castile do call themselues not onely Kings but also Catholique Kings And that also I write vnto you who was the first that called himself Catholique King and what was the reason and the occasion to take this so generous and Catholique title There were ynowe in thys Court of whome you might haue demaunded and of whome you might haue vnderstood in yeares more auncieÌ„t in knowledge more learned in bookes more rich and in writing more curious than I am But in the end my Lord be sure of this one thing that that which I shall write if it be not written in a polished stile at the least it shall be all very true Comming to the purpose it is to be vnderstood that the Princes in olde time did always take proud ouer-names as Nabugodonozer that did intitle him selfe King of Kings Alexander the greate the king of the world the king Demetrius the conqueror of Cities the great Haniball the tamer of kingdomes Iulius Caesar the Duke of the Citie the king Mithridates the restorer of the world the king Athila the whip of nations the king Dionisius the host of all men the king Cirus the last of the Gods the king of England defender of the Church the king of Fraunce the most Christian king and the king of Spaine the Catholique king To giue your Lordship a reckoning who were these kings and the cause why they did take these so proude titles to me it should be painfull to write and to your Lordship tedious to reade it is sufficient that I declare what you commaunde me without sending what you craue not It is to wit that in the yere seuen hundreth fiftie two the fift day of the month of Iuly vpon a sunday ioyning to the riuer Bedalake about Xeres on the frontiers euen at the breake of day was giuen the last and most vnfortunate battell betwixt the Gothes that were in Spaine and the Alarues that had come from Africa in whiche the sorowfull king Sir Rodrigo was slaine and all the kingdome of Spaine lost The Moore that was Captaine and that ouercame this famous battell was named Musa which did know so well to folow his victorie that in the space of eight moneths he did win and had dominion from Xeres in the frontieres vnto the rocke Horadada which is neare to the towne of Onnia And that whiche séemeth to vs most terrible is that the Moores did win in eighte moneths which in recouering was almost eight hundred yeres for so many yeares did passe from the time that Spaine was lost vntill Granado was wonne The fewe Christians that escaped out of Spaine came retiring vnto the mountaines of Onnia neare vnto the rocke Horadada vnto which the Moores did come but from thence forward they passed not either did conquer it for there they found great resistance and the land very sharp And when they of Spaine did see that the king Sir Rodrigo was dead and all the Gothes with hym and that without Lord or head they could not resist the Moores they raysed for king a Spanish Captaine that was named Sir Pelaius a man venturous in armes and of all the people very well beloued The fame being spread thoroughout all Spaine that the mountaine men of Onia had raised for king the good Sir Pelaius all men generouse and warlike did repaire vnto him with whome he did vnto the Moores greate hurt and had of them glorious triumphes Thrée yeares after they had raysed the good sir Pelaius for King hée married one of his daughters with one of the sonnes of the Earle of Nauarn who was named Sir Peter and his sonne was called Sir Alonso This Earle Sir Peter descended by right line of the linage of the blessed King Richardos in whose tyme the Gothes did leaue the sect of the curled Arrius by the meanes of the glorious and learned Archbyshop Leonard The good king Pelaius being dead in the eighteene yeare of his raigne the Castilians exalted for king a sonne of his that was named Fauila the which two yeares after he began to raigne going on a certaine day to the mountaine meaning to flea the Beare the Beare killed him And for that the king Fauila died without children the Castilians elected for king the husband of his sister whiche is to wit the sonne of the Earle of Nauarne who was named Alonso the whiche began his raigne in the yeare .vii. C.lxxij hys raigne endured eightene yeares which was as much tyme as his father in law the good King Sir Pelaius had raigned This good King was the firste that was named Alonso which tooke his name in so good an houre that since that daye amongst all the kings of Castile that haue bin named Alonso we reade not of one that hath bin euill but very good Of thys good king Alonso the historiographers do recite many landable things to recompt worthy to be knowen and exemplars to be followed The King sir Alonso was the first that out of Nauarne entered Galizia to make warre vppon the Moores with whome be had many encounters and battells in the ende he ouercame and droue them out of Astorga Ponferada Villa franca Tuy and Lugo with all their Countries and Castelles This good king Alonso was he that did win of the Moores the Citie of Leon and builded there a royall place to the ende all the Kings of Castile his successors should there be resideÌ„t and so it came to passe that in long time after many Kings of Castile did liue and die in Leon. This good King Alonso was the firste that after the destruction of Spaine began to builde Churches and to make Monasteries and Hospitalles in especially from the beginning the Cathedrall churches of Lugo Tâ—y Astorga and Ribeâ—ew the which afterwards did passe to Mondonedo This good king Alonso did buiâ—d many and very solempne Monasteries of the order of saint Benet and many hospitalles in the way of saint Iames and many particular Churches in Nauarne and in the Countrey of Ebro whiche he endewed all with great riches and gaue them opulent possessions This good King Alonso was the first that did séeke and commaunded to be sought with very great diligence the holy bookes that had escaped the hands of the Moores and as a zelous Prince commaunded that
band in Spayne in time past A right notable rule A necessary rule for these our dayes A rule for modestie of apparell A rule for erection of curtesie and good maner Rules for the obseruyng of peace Rules for the obseruing of peace Rules for the exercise of armes They should assaile each other The nobleminde of the maker of this rule is to be noted Things to be noted A gracious confession of Cicero A notable example to be imbraced Hastie counsell breedeth repentance Worthy to be admitted a counsellour Short newes from the court The conditions of Italy A plaine aduertisement Notable conditions in a Iudge May descend but not fall Excellent graces in a iudge A friēdly perswasion Skilful eloquence Why the kings of Castile be called Catholiques The ouer-names of renoumed kings The yere the day the month and hour that Spaine was lost Spaine lost in eight months and hardly recouered in eight hundred yeares To the end cold in winter neither heate in somer shold hinder residents The first inuētiō of the title Catholike Contrary salutations in respect of his birth and maners A sufficiente cause to forget olde acquaintance Assured notes of old acquaintance The issue of vnhonest loue The conditions of men apt for loue A louer in possession of threescore and three yeares A chief cause of courtizans loue The authors of remedies for loue and the frute they reaped therof The beginners of quarels do sometyme catche a wipe Contrarye congratulations in respect of his functiō and maners The lykelyhode of a notable combat A lewde office for an old bishop Prelates for the bodie Doubtfull to be answered A Bishoppe vtterly voyde of a scrupulous conscience A bishop fighting for a bishoprike An Abbot fighting for a bishoprike The prelate lost his Catelina A tinage is an earthen can vsed in Spain of no litle syse to holde their wine Repugnancie in respect of estate and maners The conditiō of tyrants The office of a Bishop A Bishop practiseth his houshold not to pray but to skirmish Armour vsed to wrong purpose A wrong meane to obtayne fame A sclaunderous fraternitie Difficult to content Vaine promises A quent of Maruedis which be 6. for a penny amount 2500 Dukats Repugnancie of speech in respect of noble bloud and want of iudgement A friuolous deuise Notable qualities euill imployed In rebellon vse to pardon the poore and to behead the Captaines Perswasions of a perfect friend An eloquence rarely vsed Rebelles of Spayne Euill guydes not to be followed An eloquent persuasion The wordes of a very frende Repugnancie in speeche in respect of birth and maners A famous speache of an heathen prince A magnificēt answere of a pagan king An exceeding humanitie of a generall to a poore souldior An excellente counsell to make enimies tender and to conserue frendes The couetous man defendeth his goodes from himselfe The liberall and noble minded is Lorde of his neighbour The vile conditions of the couetous Slaues to their owne goodes Wāting that which he possesseth Two kayes to his cofer but two C. in his hart The whole life of the niggard is spent in penance The fruites of couetousnesse Notable conditions of the captain Narsetes I cruell commandement A sharpe answere His penne is constrained to make combat Loyaltie and treason fight not with wordes but with swordes Famouse women Vngodly sciences A religiu◠theft An eloquent perswasion The auhors of Rebellion Hard shiftes An vntoward change A miserable state A wrong deuise to maintaine a common wealth Mischiefe for a medicine Large offers Pithyly perswaded A sharp reprehension A friendly aduise Cruell prayers The authors of Phisicke A tale tolde in iest beleued in earnest Great trauailes that physik hath past Phisick hath wandred many countreys Phisicke vtterly decayed the space four hūdred yeres Rules to be noted The place whereas Ipochras was borne and other famous men The diligence of Ipochras Phisitions banished out of all Greece Another hundred yeares phisick banished out of Greece An exceeding reward The first phisition that cured for mony Phisick banisht another C. yeares In foure hūdreth yeares Rome reserued no Phisitions Nero brought from Greece vices and phisitiōs Phisitions banished by Titus the Emperour Cato an enemy of Phisitions Nota The causes of praise of phisicke The rule and Lordship of the Phisition A law amōgst the Gothes A sentence of Ipochras The Emperour Adrians opinion of Phisitions A notable reward in the place of punishment Valiant phisitions The authors opinion of Phisicke Anciēt lawes for the maried The conditions of the hapily maried A note for the maried A graue sentence of Plato The trauels of the maried man. Equalitie betwixt the maried very necessary Housholde enimies A caueat for Parents A knitting of harts before striking of handes Loue cometh rūning and retorneth flying In old tyme the fathers blessing preferred before hope of inheritance Want of shamefastnes in womē most hurtfull The safetie of womens reputation The cause of domesticall Combatts Suspition no small enimy to womens liues The honoure of the husbād dependeth on the wife A notorious example of a Greeke A furio◅ woman is compared to the hill Ethna An euill kind a measuring Malice finds many faultes Commodities following a pacient wife The dwelling rather of foles than friends A time for the husbande to seeke hys wittes Forget not to make choyce to harboure such guests Causes rather of pitie than of enuy To be noted Good counsel Aduertisements worth the folowing To be cōsidered An euill maner of cōferēce The wiues complaynt Froward out of measure A counsell to be imbraced The office of the husband and of the wife Rather trotting than spinning Causes of spitefull patience No small offence to God. The wife and sword must not be lent A foolish fashion to take vp dust Necessary exercises for the maried wife Idlenesse and chastitie are greatenimies The workes of an huswife A friendly warning to al mothers A Mareuedy is the sixt part of a peny The originall of the Turks The first Saracyns This Mahomet was borne in Arabia issued of the line of Ismaell and of a base place he being an Orphant was sold to a great Marchant his master dyed he married his wydow he was instructed in false doctrine by a Moonke named Sergius a fugitiue from Constantinople he afterwards chalenged and the people attributed certaine deuine veneration vnto him whych the vnlearned Barbarians were prompt to beleeue so as whē by force of the falling sicknesse he fel he feyned to the people that he could not endure the brightnesse of the Angell Gabriell whome he affirmed to celebrate with him the secrets of the highest with many suche abhominable errours and such like abuses he abused the people Othoman Orchanees Amurathes Solyman and Baiazeth Mahomet sonne to Amurathes Mahomet first of the race of Othomās that tooke on him the name of Greate Turke and Emperor To this Baiazeth succeded Selim which poysoned his father bicause he liued ouerlong and to Selim succeded Soliman
the Court whervnto I answer that as my aduersaries do follow me and my businesse enlarging I do nothing but vndoe my selfe Likewise you will that I write vnto you in what thing I do imploy the time to this I answere that according to the fashion of vs Courtiers beare euil will blaspheme loyter lye trafike and cursse with more truth we may say of time that we lose it than employe it Also you demaund with whō I am moste conuersant in this Court to this I answer that the Court and the people therof be grapes of so euill a soyle that we that goe in the same and from our childhode be brought vp therein studie not with whome to be conuersant but in discouering of whom to beware with muche payne wée haue tyme to defende vs from oure enimies and will you that wée occupie our selues in séeking newe friendes In the Courtes of Princes I doe confesse there is a conuersation of persons but no confederation of will for here enimitie is holden for naturall and amitie a straunger The Court is of such nature that they that do most visit them the worse they doe entreate them and such as speake beste vnto them the more euill they do wish them They which haunt the Courts of Princes if they will be curious and no fooles shall fynde many things wherat to wonder and muche more whereof to beware Also you demaunde how the difference betwixt the Admirall and the Earle of Myranda standeth to this I answer that the Admirall as one of muche power and the Earle as one in much fauor giues to eche other wherwith to be occupied and to vs sufficient wherat to murmure Sir you demaund what newes we haue of the Emperors comming to this I answer that which we presently vnderstand is that the Turke is retired Florence is alyed the Duke of Milane is reduced the Venetians did amaine the Pope and Caesar did consecrate the Estates of Naples be reparted the Coluna is deade the Marques of Villa Franca is made Viceroy of Naples the Prince of Orange is slayn and vnto the Chanceler and to the Confessor to either of them is giuen a Cardinals hat Other secret news they write from thence which be lamentable to such as be therewith touched and gracious to those that heare therof which is many of those that went into Italie with Caesar are became amorous and in the artes of loue haue raunged too farre But sir in this case I sweare vnto you as it foundeth in myne eares theyr wiues be here sufficientely reuenged of them for if they leaue there any women greate with childe also they shall fynde here theyr wyues brought a bed You will also that I write vnto you howe it goeth wyth vs for vittailes this Lent to this I aunswere that by diuine grace we haue not wanted this lent fishe to eat and also fins ynowe to confesse For the case is come to such dissolution and vnshamfastnesse that the Gentlemen hold it for an estate and aduancement of honour to eate fleshe in Lent. Also you demaund if the Court be deare or good cheape to this I answere that my steward telleth me that from October vnto Aprill it hath cost me in wood and cole an hundreth and fortie Ducates The cause of this is that this same towne of Medina as it is rich in faires so is it poore in moūtaines or woods in suche sorte that the count being wel cast the wood costs as deare as the dressing of the pot Other thinges are in this Court at a good price or to say it better very good cheap that is to wit cruel lies false news vnhonest women fayned friendship continuall enimities doubled malice vaine words and false hopes of whiche eight things we haue suche abundance in this Courte that they may set out bouthes and proclayme faires Sir you demaund of me if there be good expedition of causes for that you haue some to be dispatched to this I doe answere as the things of the court be tedious displeasant long deferred costely intricate vnfortunate desired besieged lamented and bescratched I conceyue of mine own part that if ten be dispatched nintie be despited Also you will mée that I write vnto you if the faire be good thys yeare at Medina To this I answer that as I am a courtyer and a suter and haue neyther marchaundise to sell and muche lesse money wherwith to buy I knowe not whereof to prayse it nor do I fynde why to mislyke it But in passing thorough the faire I sée in the bouthes of these Burgaleses so many riche and pleasaunt things that in beholding them I tooke great pleasure and being not able to buy them I was muche tormented The Empresse came foorth to sée the faire and as a Princesse most wise wold not be accompanied with hir maids of honor bicause the Gentlewomen that did serue hir being so poore and so fewe it coulde be no lesse but that they would vse their libertie in asking fairings and the gentlemen should thinke it their partes to giue them Sir you demaund if the Courte be in health or if the pestilence be thereaboutes to this I aunswere that of agues tertians and quartaines plague sores and such other infirmities of the body we are al in health and verie well excepte the licenciate Alarcon that being relating a proces before the counsell sodainly fell downe dead And of a trouth his death was to many in this Court very terrible although I sée none to amende his lyfe by the same Other infirmities be in this Courte that bée not corporall but spirituall as angers hatred quarels rancours wrath and slaughters the whiche maladies doe consist not that they go with bodies infected but in the swelling of the splene corruption of the gall I haue turned many tymes to reade your letter and haue not founde any more to aunswere For of a suretie it did rather séene an Interrogatorie to take witnesses than a letter to a frend I wil say no more but that I haue escaped in writing vnto you very wearie also angrie not for the answering to the matter but in construing youre ill fauored letter Our Lord be your protector and giue me grace to serue him From Medina del Campo the fift of Iune in the yeare .1532 A letter to sir Antonie of Cneua wherin is expounded an authoritie of holie Scripture very notable which is to wit why God did not heare the Apostle and did heare the diuell against Iob. MAgnificent sir particular beloued Alonso Espinell gaue me a letter from your worship here in Toledo the date whereof was the .12 of May and it is nowe the .16 of Iune in such sort that your letter neyther may by cōdemned for stale either for fresh Many from many partes do write vnto me sometime their letters be suche that to read them it is very tedious and to aunswere them no lesse displeasant To sée a
stilled water Although Doctor Soto tolde me this tale in iest I did firmly beléeue it bicause you Master Doctor did once saye vnto mée in Madrid that in all the days of your life you neuer receiued compound purgation either proued the fast of stilled water Ther is no arte in this world that makes me lose the stirops or to say better my wits but the maner that Physitions do vse to cure For wée sée them desirous to cure and enimies to be cured And bicause Master Doctor you write vnto me also you sweare and coniure me by the desire I wishe to the welfare of my father that I write vnto you what is my iudgement of Physike and what I haue read of the inuenters birth and first rising thereof I will performe your request although it be more than others would wish for it is a matter that the wise Physitions will delight in but wherefore the foolish will giue both you and me to the diuell Of the moste auncient inuenters of Physike and medicine IF Plinie doe not deceyue vs there is no arte of the seuen liberall Artes wherein there is practised lesse trouth and whiche hath passed more mutabilitie than the Arte of Medicine Bicause there hath not bin kingdom people either notable natiō in this world wher she hath not bin receiued and after entertaynment againe throwne out of the same For if as she is a medicine she were a man immesurable wer the trauels that she wold report that she had suffred and many and very many are the kingdoms that she hath traueled and prouinces that she hath wandred not bycause they neglected to be cured but for that they helde Phisitions suspitious to be doubted The first that amongst the Greekes found the art of curing was the Philosopher Apollo and hys Sonne Aesculapius which for being so famous in Phisicke they concurred vnto him as vnto an Oracle throughout all Grecia but the chaunce was thus This Aesculapius was but a yong man and by greate mischaunce was slayne with lightning And as he left no disciple that knew his secretes neither that could make his medcines the master and the Art of medcine ioyntly did perish Four hundred and forty yeres was the Art of Phisicke lost in suche wise that in all the worlde there was not a man founde that did cure publikely or was called Phisition for so many yeares passed from the time that Esculupius died vntill the birth of Arthaxerxes the second in whose time Ipochras was borne Strabo Diodoro also Plini maketh mention of a woman of Grecia that in those most aunciente times did florish in the art of Phisicke of whome they recite so many mōstrous things and so incredible that to my iudgemēt they be al or the more part of thē fayned for if they shuld be true it séemed rather that she raysed the dead than cured the sicke In these days there did rise in the prouince of Achaia an other womā that began to cure with psalmes and words without applying any medcine simple or compound whyche being knowne in Athens was condemned by decrée of the Senate to be stoned to death saying that the Gods neyther nature had giuen remedies for sicknesse in words but in herbes and stones In the dayes that they had no phisitions in Asia the Gréekes held for custome when any man had made experiēce of a medcine and did heale with the same he was bound to write it in a table and to hang it vp in the temple of Diana that was at Ephesus for that in the like case any other might vse the same remedy Trogos Laertios and also Lactantius saith that the cause whereby the Gréekes did sustayne themselues so long time without Phisitions was that in May they dyd gather swéete herbes whiche they kept in their houses they were let bloud once in the yeare did bath once euery monthe and also they did eate but once a day Conformable to this Plutarch doth say that Plato being demaunded by the philosophers of Athens if he had seene any notable thing in Tinacria which is now called Sicilia made aunswer vidi monstrum in natura bominem bis saturum in die whiche is to say I did see a monster in mās nature which did fill or féede himselfe twice in one day he sayde thus by Dionysius the tyrant which was the first that inuented to eate at noone and afterwards to suppe at night for in the olde worlds they did vse to suppe but not to dine I haue curiously considered and in great varietie of bookes I haue sought and that whiche I found in this case is that all the nations of this world did eate at night and onely the Hebrewes did féede at none but following our intent it is to vnderstand that the temple most estéemed in all Asia was the Temple of Diana the one cause was for that it was stately of buildings another for that it was serued with many Priests but the most principall cause was for that the tables of Medicines were hanged there to cure the diseased Strabo sayeth that eleuen yeares after the battells of the Peloponenses the great Philosopher Ipochras was borne in a little Iland named Coe in whiche also were borne those glorious personages Licurgus and Brias the one Captayne of the Athenians and the other Prince of the Lacedemonians Of this Ipochras it is written that he was of small stature somewhat poare blind with a great head of much silēce paynefull in study and aboue all of a high and delicate iudgement From xviij yeares vnto thirtie fiue Ipochras continued in the scholes of Athenes studying Philosophie and reading and notwithstanding that in his time many Philosophers did flourish he was more famouse renoumed and estéemed than all the rest After that Ipochras departed from the studies of Athenes he wandred throughout diuers kingdomes and prouinces inquiring and searching of all men and women what they did knowe of the properties and vertues of herbes and planets and what experience they had seene of them At which things he did write and incommend vnto his memorie Also Ipochras did search with most great diligence for other bookes of Phisick written by any other auncient Philosophers and it is sayd that he found some written bookes in whyche theyr authours had written no medcine that they had made but such as they had séene made Of the Kingdomes and Prouinces where Phisitions were banished TWelue yeares Ipochras did trauell in this peregrination after which time he retired vnto the temple of Diana that was in Ephesus and translated al the tables of medcines and experiments that were there preserued many yeares he put in order all that was before confused and added many things that he had founde out and other things that he had experimented This Philosopher Ipochras is Prince of all Phisitions in the world for he was the first that tooke penne to write and to put Phisicke in order Also it is
sayd of him that he neuer made error in that he prognosticated either in any disease he tooke in cure Ipochras dyd giue counsel to Phisitions that they should neuer take in hād to cure anye disordered patient and did counsell the sicke to shunne the vnfortunate Phisition for sayth he he that cureth may not erre where the patient is of good gouernment and the Phisition fortunate The Philosopher Ipochras being dead for that his disciples began to cure or to say more truly to kill many sicke people of Grecia for that the science was very new and the experiēce muche lesse it was commaunded by the Senate of Athenes not only that they shoulde not cure but also depart out of all Grecia After that the disciples of Ipochras were thrust out of Grecia the art of Phisicke was banished and forgotten an hūdred and thréescore yeres so as none durst to learn and much lesse to teache the same for the Gréekes had their Ipochras in suche estimation that they affirmed that Phisicke was borne and buried with him Those hundred and thréescore yéeres being past another Philosopher and phisition was borne named Chrisippus in the kingdome of the Sicionians whiche was as renoumed amongst the Argiues as Ipochras amonst the Athenians This Philosopher Chrisippus although he were very well learned in Phisicke and very fortunate in the experience thereof of the other part he was much opinionatiue and of presuming iudgement for all the time of his life lecture and in all his bookes that he did write his purpose was none other but to impugne Ipochras in all that he had said and only to proue most true that which he affirmed in suche wise that he was the first Phisition that pulled medicine out of reason and put it in opinion The Philosopher Chrisippus being dead there was great alteration amongst the Gréekes whiche of the two doctrines they should follow whiche is to wit that of Ipochras or of Chrisippus and in the end it was determined that neither the one should be followed or the other admitted for they sayd that neyther life nor honor ought to be put in disputation After this the Gréekes remayned an other hundred yeres without Phisition vntill the time of one Aristrato a philosopher which did rise amōgst them He was cosin to the great philosopher Aristotle and was residēt in the kingdome of Macedonia where he of new did exalt the art of Phisicke not for that he was more learned than his predecessours but for that he was more fortunate than all the rest This Aristrato recouered fame by curing king Antiochus the firste of a certayne disease of the lights in reward whereof the yong prince his son that was named Ptholemus did giue a thousande Talents of siluer and a cup of golde in such wise that he wan honor thoroughout all Asia and ritches for his house This Philosopher Aristrato was he that most defamed the art of Phisicke bycause he was the first that set Phisicke asale and begā to cure for money for vntill this time all phisitions did cure some for friendship and some for charitie The Phisition Aristratus being dead ther succéeded him certaine his disciples more couetous than wise which for that they gaue thēselues to be more handsome men of their money than to cure diseases they were commaunded by the Senat of Athens that they should not presume to teach phisicke much lesse to cure any person Of other trauels that Phisick did passe ANother hundred yeres in Asia was phisick forgotten till the time that Euperices was raysed in the kingdome of Tinacria but for that he and another Phisition did vary vpon the curing of King Crisippus the which at that time raigned in that Ile it was determined by those of the kingdome that they should only cure with simple medicines and not presume to mixe or make compositiōs Long time the kingdome of Sicill continued and also the greater part of Asia without the knowledge of the art of medicine vntill the time that in the I le of Rhodes there remayned a certain notable phisition and philosopher named Herosilo a man that was in his time very learned in phisick and very skilfull in Astrology Many do say that this Herosilus was master to Ptolomeus and others say that he was not but his disciple but be it as be may he lefte many bookes written of Astrology and taught many scholers also This Herosilus held opinion that the pulse of the patient ought not to be taken in the arme but in the temples saying that there neuer wanted that which in the arme was sometime hidden This phisition Herosilus was of suche authoritie amongest the Rhodians that they held this opinion to take the poulse in the temples all the dayes of his life and also the liues of his scholers who with his scholers being all dead the opinion tooke an end although it were not forgotten Herosilus béeing deade the Rhodians would neuer more bée cured neither admit any other phisition in their countrie the one cause was not to offend the authority of their philosopher Herosilus and the other for that naturally they were enimies vnto straunge people and also no friendes of newe opinions This being past phisicke fell asléepe other .iiij. score yeres as wel in Asia as in Europa vntill the great philosopher phisition Asclepiades was raysed in the Ilande Mitiline A man sufficiently well learned and most excellent in curing This Asclepiades helde opinion that the pulse ought not to be sought in the arme as nowe they seeke but in the temples or in the nose This opinion was not so farre besides reason but that long time after him the phisitions of Rome and also of Asia did entertaine the same In all these times it was not read that any phisition was borne in Rome or came into Italy for the Romanes were the last of this world that did entertaine Clockes Iesters Barbars Phisitions Foure hundred iij. yeares and ten months the great city of Rome did passe without the entertayning of any Phisition or Chirurgian The first that hath ben read to haue entred Rome was one that was named Antony Musa a Greeke borne and in science a Phisition The cause of his comming thither was the disease of Sciatica that the Emperor Augustus had in his thigh the which when Antony Musa had cured and therof wholy deliuered him in remuneration of so great a benefite the Romanes did erect vnto him a picture of Porphiry in the fielde of Mars and farther and besides this did giue him priuiledge of citizen of Rome Antony Musa had gathered excéeding great riches also obtained the renoume of a great Philosopher if with the same he could haue bene contented and not to haue excéeded his Art of phisick but this was the chance of his sorrowfull fate Giuing him selfe to cure by Chirurgery as also by medicine it is some time necessary in that Art to cut of féete or fingers and
Yong men when they marry in their youth haue no further consideration but of their pleasure and onely content them selues to haue their wiues beautifull but the father and mother for that it toucheth both honor and goods they séeke him a wyfe that shall be wise ritch gentle honest and chast and the last thing they behold is hir beautie The marriages that be made hidden and in secret I say it groweth of greate lightnes and procéedeth of no small crueltie for it giueth to al the neighbours whereof to talke and to their old parents wherfore to wéepe It hapneth many times that the mother ouerwatcheth hir selfe to spinne and the Father to grow old in gathering a sufficiēt portion And at the time they shall entreat or talke of an honest marriage the foolish yong man remayneth secretly married whereof after followeth that the mother remayneth wéeping the father ashamed the kindred offended and the friende scandalized and yet thereof procéedeth a greater griefe which is that the sonne hath chanced to matche with suche a wife that the father holdeth his goods not onely euill employed but is much ashamed to admit hir into his house Also another offence riseth in the like marriage which is many times the fathers doe determine with the sonnes portion to remedie and amend the daughters marriage and as the yong mans most principall intent is to enioye the mayde withoute care of goodes the sister remayneth cast awaye the sonne deceyued and the father derided Plutarche in hys politikes sayeth that the sonne whyche married withoute consente of hys Parentes amongst the Greekes was publikely whipt amongst the Lacedemonians they did not whippe but disinherite Laertius sayeth that vnto suche so married it was a custome amongst the Thebanes not that they should only be disinherited of all goodes but also openly be cursed of their parents Let no man estéeme it light to be cursed or blessed of their elders for in the old time amongst the Hebrewes the children withoute al comparison held more account of their fathers blessing thā of their Grandfathers inheritance That the woman be very shamefast and no babler or full of talke ALso it is a counsell very necessary that the man whyche shall marrie and set vp house do choose a wife shamefast for if forceably there should be in a woman but one vertue the same ought to be only shamefastnesse I confesse that it is more perillous for the conscience but I say lesse hurtfull to honesty that a woman be secretely vnhonest than openly vnshamefast Very many infirmities be couered in a woman only by shamefastnesse and many more suspected in hir that is of ouerbold and of shamelesse countenance Let euery man say what he will but for my part I doe firmely beléeue that in a woman of a bashfull countenance there be fewe things to bée reprehended and in hir that is otherwise there wanteth all things wherefore to be praysed The safety that nature hathe giuen vnto a woman to kéepe hir reputation chastitie honoure and goodes is only shamefastnesse and that day that thereof she hathe not great regard let hir yéeld hir selfe euermore for a castaway When any man shall enquire marriage of any woman the first thing he hath to demaund is not if she be rich but if she be shamefast for goodes is euery daye gotten but shamefastnesse in a woman once lost is neuer recouered The best portion the greatest inheritance and the most precious iewell that a woman can bring with hir is shamefastnesse For if the Father shall sée that his daughter hath lost the fame it shall be lesse euill for him to bury hir than to marry hir The maner is that many women presume to be talkers and to séeme gratious in taunting whiche office I woulde not sée them learne and much lesse put in vre for speaking the troth and also with libertie that which in men we call gratious in women we terme it witlesse babling Newes tales vaine fables and dishonest talkes an honest woman ought not onely shame to speake them but also loth to heare them The graue women of authoritie ought not to care to be skilfull of talke and newes but to be honest and silent for if she much presume of talke and taunting the very same that did laugh at hir deuice will afterwards murmur at hir manners The honour of women is so delicate that many things whiche men may both doe and speake is not lawful vnto women that they once dare to whisper them The gētlewoman or women that will be holden graue ought not onely to kéepe silence in things vnlawfull and vnhonest but also in lawfull things if they bée not very necessary for women seldome erre by silence and by much speach they seldome cease to giue cause of reproche Oh sorrowfull husband whose lot hath chaunced to light on a wife that is a great babler yet would séeme a curious speaker For truly if any such once take in hand to recite a matter or to frame any complaint or quarell she neither admitteth reason or patiently suffereth any woord to be said vnto hir The euill life that women passe with their husbands is not so much for that which they commit with their persons as it is for that which they speake with their tongues if the woman would kéepe silence when the husband beginneth to chide he should neuer haue bad dinner neither she worse supper which surely is not so for at the instant that the husbande beginneth to vtter his griefe she beginneth to scolde and yell whereof doth follow that they come to handy grypes and also call for neyghbours That the wife be a home keeper and auoyding all occasions JT is also a commendable counsel that the wife presume to be honest and an housekéeper for when women in their houses will be absolute they come afterwards to wander the streates dissolute The honest woman ought to be very well aduised in that which she speaketh and very suspicious and doutfull in all thinges she doth bycause suche maner of women as haue no regard to their wordes do afterwards offend in déedes For how simple and ignorant is that man but he easely knoweth the honour of women to be much more tender and delicate than of men and that this is true it appereth most cleare for that a man may not be dishonored but with reason but for a woman to shame hir selfe occasion is sufficient She that is good and presumeth in goodnes to continue may hold it for most certaine that she shal be so much better as she shall haue of hir selfe lesse confidence I say lesse confidence to the ende that she neither aduenture to giue eare to wanton or light words or presume to admit fayned offers Let hir be as she may be and deserue what she may deserue and presume what she thinketh good that if she delighteth to heare and suffer to be serued early or late she shall fall And if they shall
aunswere that they do it for pastime and to laugh and be mery to this I reply that of such iestes they vse to remaine all to be iested I aduise and readuise any Gentle woman or other Dame of Citie or towne that she do not venter with cosin or Vncle either with any other of hir kinsmen to encommend hir selfe or go alone for if to be alone with a straunger there is to be feared of that may chaunce with hir Cosin or kinsman let hir doubt what may be spoken Let no honest womā haue confidence in saying the kindred betwixt them is so neare that it is impossible that any may mistrust them for if the malice of mā wil venter to iudge the thoughts it is no credible that he will pardon that which he séeth with his eyes The Gentlewoman or others that shal heare or reade this my writing I would they shuld note this sentēce which is That to a man for that he is a man it is sufficient that hee bee good although it doth not appeare but the woman for that she is a woman it is not sufficient that she be good but that also it be manifest It is to be noted and noted againe that as the prouision of houshold dependeth onely on the husband euen so the honour of all dependeth onely of the woman In suche sorte that there is no honour within thy house longer than thy wife is honorable We do not here intitle honorable such as be onely faire of fare of gentle bloud of comely personage and a keper of goods but onely hir that is honest of life and temperat and aduised in hir spéech Plutarch reporteth that the wife of Thucides the Greeke being demaunded how she could endure the stench of hir husbandes breath aunswered As no other but my husband hath come neare mée I thought all other mens breath had bene of the very same sauor Oh example worthy to be knowne and much more to be followed which is taught vs by that most Noble Greeke that the honest woman is so muche to be aduised that she consent not the haunt of any vnhonest company so neare as to smell his mouth either so much as to touch his garments That the maried woman be not proud or cruell ALso is right worthy counsell that the wife be not cruel and ambitious but milde and suffring for they be two things that giue no small hindrance vnto a woman which is to wit hir much talke and little sufferance and thereof procéedeth that if she be silent all men do esteeme hir if she suffer hir husband she shal be very well maried Oh how vnfortunat is that man that is maried vnto a froward and a cruell woman the hill Aethna doth not whirle out fire so furiously as she throweth poyson out of hir month Without comparison muche more is the fury of a woman to be feared than the ire of a man for the angred man doth but discouer his minde but the fierce woman to scold yell and exclaime can finde no end The amused manne and the woman that presumeth of honestie ought not to contend with any other woman that is furious for at the instant that she loseth hir shamefastnes and kindleth hir choler she onely sayth not what she hath séene or hard but also what she hath dreamed It is vnto me not a litle gracious that when a woman is kindled with a furious rage neither heareth she hir selfe nor vnderstandeth others neyther doth admit excuse nor suffer worde neyther taketh counsell or cometh neare to reason And the worst of all is that many times she leaueth to quarell with whom she was first offended and spitteth hir malice against him that came to make peace When any furious woman brauleth with any man or womā and some other cōmes betwixt to make peace she will not onely afterwards geue him small thanks but also will rayse against him many quarrels Saying that if he had bene the man she thought of he would haue chidde on hir behalfe and also reuenged hir cause The woman that naturally is fierce and crabbed she neuer thinketh to be angry with out a cause neither skoldeth without reason and therfore it is muche better to leane hir than to resist hir I retourne to rectifie my saying whiche is that the house is vnfortunate where the wife is a brawler and quarellous for such a one is alwaies ready to chide and neuer to confesse hir fault The cruell brawling woman is very perillous for she causeth hir husbande to bee fierce she giueth offence vnto hir kinred she is hated of hir cosins and the neighbours flie from hir whereof followeth sometimes that hir husbande méeteth hir body with his féete and combeth hir haire with his fingers Vnto a furious brawling woman on the one side it is a pastim to heare hir chide and on the other part it is terrible to vnderstand what she will not let to speake for if a procession of people shall take in hand to aunswere hir she shall wearie thē al with a letanie of iniuries Vnto hir husbande shée saieth that he is negligent his seruants slothfull the mayds sluttish hir Sonnes glutonous hir daughters windowgazers that friendes be in grate that the enimies bée traitoures the neighboures malicious hir Gossippes enuious and aboue all the rest she sayth that no man dealeth truly with another either obserueth loyaltie with his wife I do lye if I did not sée two honorably maried separate themselues for no other occasion but for that the séely maried man was sometimes sadde at Table and other times did sigh at bed The woman sayd that hir husband had some treason against hir at the Table and for the beauty of some other that he loued hée did sigh in bed and the certaintie of the matter well knowen the troth was that the man was bound in a perillous suertiship and could not be mery but in the ende for any thing that I could intreate preach or chide I could neuer bring them agreed vntill he had sworne and giuen me his fayth not to bée sadde at the Table neither to sigh at bed The woman that is patient and suffering shall be blessed of hir husband well serued of seruants much honored of neighbours and in great reuerence with hir kinred And where it is otherwise let hir hold it for certain that they will all flie from hir house blisse them selues from hir tong When a woman is fierce proude and cruell smal delight hath hir husband that she is descended of gentle bloud of comely personage ritch of goodes and allied into his house but he curseth the day he was maried and blasphemeth the man that first moued the matter That Husbands be not rigorous chiefly when they be new maried IT is also an aceeptable counsell that the husbād be not fierce nor disorder with his wife for betwixt them there shal neuer be concord if the woman doe not learne to