an olde man woulde often go in the colde weather very thinne in a torne cloake without a coate or doublet onely to shew the way vnto young men to be hardie in age by contemning of pleasure and gay apparell in youth Massinissa king of Numidia being more than thréescore yeares of age woulde liuely and valiauntly as Cicero sayth without cappe on heade or shooe on foote in the colde or frostye weather in the winter time trauayle and toyle with the souldiours onelye vnto thys purpose that young souldiours shoulde be hardened thereby in their youth and practise the same for the vse of others when they came to age them selues Ihero King of Sicilia the like example in his olde age being .lxxx. yeares shewed to trayne youth and to bring them vp so in young yeares that they might doe the lyke in their olde ages For this iudged these wise princes that all men couet to imitate Princes and Kinges in their doinges Gorgias the Philosopher and mayster vnto Isocrates the Oratour and to diuers more nobles of Gréece thought him selfe most happie that he being a hundred yeres and seauen was as well in his sences as at anyetime before made so much of age that being asked why hée so delighted in age made aunswere bycause he founde nothing in age that he might accuse age So sayde King Cirus a little before his death being a very olde man that hée neuer felt him selfe weaker than when he was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so olde that he was accused of his owne children of follie turned vnto the Iudges and sayde If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the sences waxed better by vse and exercising the same vnto the vse of yong men for we prayse sayth Cicero the olde man that is somewhat young and we commend againe the young man that is somewhat aged The olde is commended that hath his young fresh witte at commaundement the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M Crassus a noble Capitaine of Rome béeing a verye olde man tooke in hande to warre against the Parthians strong and stout people being by Embassadours warned of his age and admonished to forsake warres hée aunswered stoutly the Embassadour of the Partheans and sayde when I come vnto Seleutia your Citie I will aunswere you One of the Embassadours named Agesis an aged man stretched forth his hande and shewed the palme of hys hand vnto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the Citie of Seleutia bristles shall growe out of thys hande The stoutnesse of Marcus Crassus was not so much but the magnanimitie of Agesis was as much and yet eyther were olde men What courage was in Scaeuola to withstande that firebrande of Rome Silla which after he had vrged the Senatours to pronounce Marius enimie vnto Italy hée béeing an olde aged man aunswered Silla in this sort Though diuers be at the commaundementes of the Senatours and that thou art so compassed with souldiours at thy becke yet thou nor all thy souldiours shall euer make Scaeuola being an olde man for feare of loosing some olde blood pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserued and Italy saued to be enimie vnto these The like historie wée reade that when Iulius Caesar had by force of armes aspired vnto the offâ—ce of a Dictator and came vnto the Senate house where fewe Senatours were togither the Emperour Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Considius an aged father of Rome sayde that they feared Caesar and his souldiours Whereat the Emperour musing a while sayde Why did not you in likewise tarye at home fearing the same bicause sayde hée age and time taught me neyther to feare Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young mindes in olde men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olimpia waxed olde and wept in spite of his deade limmes bruised bones yet he sayde his minde florished was as young as euer it was before Solon hath immortall praise in Gréece for his stoutnesse in his age for when Pisistratus had taken in hande to rule the people of Athens and that it was euident ynough that tyranny should procéede therby Solon in his latter daies hauing great care vnto his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pysistratus came before his doore in harnâ—sse and calde the citizens to withstand Pysistratus for age sayd he mooueth mée to be so valiaunt and stout that I had rather lose my life than my countrey should lose their libertie What vertue then wée sée to be in age what wisedome in time what corage in olde men The examples of these olde men stirre and prouoke many to imitate their steps insomuch diuers wished to be olde when they were yet young to haue the honour as age then had wherefore King Alexander the great spying a young man couloring his heares gray sayde It behooueth thée to put wittes in coulour and to alter thy minde The Lacedemonians people that past all nations in honouring age made lawes in their Cities that the aged men shoulde be so honored and estéemed of the young men euen as the parents were of the children that when a straunger came vnto Lacedemonia and sawe the obedience of youth towarde age he sayde In this countrie I wishe onely to be olde for happie is that man that waxeth olde in Lacedemonia for in the great games of Olimpia an olde man wanting a place went vp and downe to sit some where but no man receyued but the Lacedemonians which not onely there young men also their aged gaue place vnto his graye heares but then also the Embassaders of Lacedemonia being there present did reuerence him and toke him vnto their seate which when he came in hée spake a loude O you Athenians you knowe what is good and what is badde for that which you people of Athens sayde hée doe professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his warres with a great army in Persea and méeting an old man by the way in the colde weather in ragged rent clothes lighted from his horse and sayde vnto him Mount vp into a princes saddle which in Persea is treason for a Persean to do but in Macedonia commendable letting to vnderstande how age is honored and olde men estéemed in Macedonia and howe of the contrarie wealth and pride is fostred in Persea for where men of experiences and aged yeares are sette naught by there cannot be that wisdome beareth rule Howe many in the Empire of Rome ruled the Citie gouerned the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore yeres and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corunnus which was sixe times a Consull in Rome a very olde man which
that he neuer went a liue vnto Rome againe for moste cruelly and falsely was he slaine by Haniball In this falshed and periurie was Haniball muche defamed not as muche corrupted by vilenesse of his owne nature which alwaies in this was not to bee trusted but by the falshode and corruption of the Countrey of whiche it is prouerbially spoken Poeni perfidi false Carthaginians for the people of Carthage delited in falshode â–ª practized periurie and vsed all kind of craftes as the people of Sarmatha were moste false in wordes moste deceiptfull in deedes and moste cruell one towardes an other The Scithians beyng muche molested with warres and driuen to leaue their wiues at home in the custodie of the slaues seruauntes thei hauyng occasion to bee absent iiij yeres whose wiues married the seruauntes brake their former Faithe with their owne housbandes vntill with force and power their seruauntes were slain and so recouered their countreis wiues again Apollonius the chief gouernour of Samâ—os whom the commons of the Countrey from lowe estate had exalted vnto dignitie vnto whom thei committed the gouernment and state of Samios was so false of his faithe towardes his subiectes that hauyng their goodes landes liuynges and liues in his owne hand he betraied theim vnto Philip king of Macedonia their moste mortall enemie That proude periurer Cocalus king of Sicilia slue kyng Minoes of Crete though vnder colour of frendshippe and pretence of talke he had sente for hym Cleomenes brake promise with the Argiues with whom he tooke truce for certaine daies craftely betraied them in the night slue them being sleping and emprisoned against his former faith and promise made before Euen so did the false Thracians with the Boetians brake promise violated faithe destroied their countries depopulated their cities and of professed frendes and vowed faithe became wicked foes and false traitors But of all false periurers and vnnaturall foes shal Zopirus emongest the Persians and Lasthenes emongest the Olinthians to their perpetuall slaunder and reproche bee mentioned of the one borne in the famous citie of Babilon deformed hym self in suche sort with suche dissimulation of forged faithe that hauyng the rule and gouernment in his hande he brought kyng Darius to enioye that through his periurie and falshode that with long warres in many yeres he might not vaÌ„quishe nor subdue The other as falsly I beyng y e onely trust of the citizeÌ„s deliuered Olinthus their citie vnto the handes of their long and greate enemie Philippe kyng of Macedonia What fraude hath been founde alwaies in frendship What falshode in faithe What deceipte in truste the murtheryng of Princes the betraiyng of kyngdomes the oppressyng of innocentes from tyme to tyme in al places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appoincted Spu Tarpeius to be chief capitaine of the Capitoll the chamber of Rome where the substaunce wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius doughter whiche in the night tyme as she wente for water out of the citie metyng Tatius kyng of y e Sabins though he was then mortall enemie vnto Rome in coÌ„tinual warres with Romulus yet by false Tarpeia brought to be lord of the Capitoll thus Tarpeia beyng as false vnto Rome as king Tatius was likewise false vnto Tarpeia for she loking to haue promise kept of Tatius fouÌ„d him as Rome founde her She was buried a liue of Tatius by the Capitoll whiche was called Saturnus mouÌ„t and by her death buriall there named Tarpeius rocke vntill Torquinus Superbus tyme whiche first named it the Capitoll by findyng a mans heade in that place There was neuer in Rome suche falshode shewed by any man as was of Sergius Galba whiche caused there famous cities of Lusitania to appere before him promising them great coÌ„modities and diuers pleasures concernyng the states and gouernment of their citie yeldyng his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faithe allured to y e noÌ„ber of ix M. yong menne piked and elected for some enterprises for the profite of their countrey whiche when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of al flowers of their youthes against all promise and faithe slue the moste parte of theim sould and enprisoned the rest whereby he most easely might conquire their Cities men are neuer certen nor trustie in doing when thei are fautie in faithâ— For as the Sunne lighteneth the Moone so faithe maketh man in all thinges perfect for prudence without faith is vaine glorie and pride Temperaunce without faithe and trueth is shamefastnes or sadnes Iustice without faith is turned vnto iniurie and fortitude vnto slouthfulnes The orders in diuers countreis for the obseruation of frendship and for maintenaunce of certen and sure loue one towarde an other were diuers othes The noble Romains at what tyme thei sweare had this order he or she to take a flint ston in his right hand saiyng these wordes If I be gilty or offende any man betraie my countrey or deceiue my frende willingly I wishe to be cast awaie out of Rome by great Iupiter as I cast this stoan out of my hand and withall threwe the stoan awaie The auncient Scithians to obserue amitie and loue had this law They powred a greate quantity of wine in a greate Boule or a Cup and with their kniues launced some parte of their bodies letting their bloud to runne likewise one after an other vnto that cup and then minglyng the wine and blood together tipt the ende of their Speares â–ª and ther Arrowes in the wine takyng the boule in hand drank one vnto another professing by that draught faith and loue The Arabians when they would become faithful to anie to maintaine loue thereby had this custome one should stande with a sharpe stoan in his hande betwixt two and let blood in the palme of their handes and takyng of either of theim a péece of their garment to receiue their blood anointyng and diyng seauen stones in the blood callyng Vrania and Dyonisius their Gods to witnesse and kéepyng the stoanes in memory of frendship would depart one from an other The like lawe amongest the Barctians goyng vnto a diche and standyng thereby saiyng as Herodotus affirmeth as long as that holowe place or diche were not of it selfe filde vp so long desired the Barcians amitie and loue In readyng of histories we finde more certentie to haue been in theim by prophane othes then trueth often in vs by Euangelist and Gospell othes lesse periurie in those Gentiles swearyng by Iupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearyng by the true and liuynge God more amitie and frendship amongest them with drinkyng either of others blood then in vs by acknowledgyng and professyng Chistes blood When Marcus Antonius had the gouernemeÌ„t of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and hauyng put to death Lucullus for his consente therein Volumnius hearyng of his frende Lucullus death came
to be so famous in Gréece his liberality amongst nigardes hée onely counted liberall and all Athens besides couetous whereby he deserued renowne and glorie amongst so many nippers of money hée onely to shewe him selfe franke and liberall What caused Flaminius to bée so much spoken of amongst the Romanes his liberall giftes amongst so many gréedie takers his open benifites amongst theyr priuate wealth and hidden hatred What mooued the Agragentines to honour soo much that man Gillias to aduance his fame to extoll his name His liberalitie Such couetousnesse then was in Athens Rome and Agrigente that then worthie were these of admiration and prayse to auoyd the cankered state of auarice Thus from the golden worlde it came vnto the siluer worlde and then to that harde mettall Iron worlde for the couetous people can neuer be sufficed The gréedinesse of this age the restlesse estate of this time can neuer be satisfied The young Partriche by nature is readie to flee as soone as shée commeth out of the shell the wilde Duck to swim the Lion to go and man onely borne ready to séeke and trauell for money Where might a man finde out such a man as Aristides was in all Greece nowe who was so liberall that hauing all the state of Athens vnder hys gouernement gaue all to the poore Citizens saue that scant that brought him vnto the ground Where should one méete with such a one as Pelopidas in all Sparta being blamed of his friendes and councellers for hys large giftes and liberality exhorting him to make much of money considering howe necâ—ssarie money is to Princes yea sayde Pelopidas to such Princes as Nicomedes a lame man both dumbe and deafe Where shoulde a man séeke in Thebes for suche a man as Epaminondas who when he hearde that hée which caried his Target after him had taken money for the dimission of certaine prisoners taken in the warres giue me sayde hée my Target and go you to kéepe an Inne for if you loue monie you are not fit to cary Epaminondas Target Euery man is liberall in talke but fewe franke in giuing all men speake against enuie and malice and yet one hate another wée exclayme against tyranny and yet we are mercilesse wée despise pryde and yet we loue not humanitie wée abhorre gluttony and dronkennesse and yet we are alwaies feasting and bibbing wée disprayse Idlenesse and yet wée are slothfull wee thunder against slaunderous tongues and yet we can not speake well of no body in briefe we speake against all vices and yet we can not be acquainted with any vertue Euen as Diogines a Philosopher nipt a certaine Lacedemonian which vsed often to repeate in a place a Gréeke verse of Hesiodus the Poet that an Oxe or no beast else shoulde perish vnlesse euill neyghbours be the cause of it Diogines demaunded of him howe happened it that both the people of Messena and all their goodes and cattelles did miscarye and you béeyng their nigh neyghbours in Sparta So maye it be spoken to these glorious talkers how is it that men loue auarice so well and yet commende liberalitie so often ¶ Of age and the praise thereof BYon that wise man woulde say often that age was the Hauen of rest for that it was the ende of miserie the gate of life the perfourmaunce of all pilgrimages And sith age is wished of all men what folly is it to hit any man in the téeth with that which hée chéefly desireth Wherefore when King Archelaus had appoynted a great feast for his fréendes amongst other talkes then at the Table Euripides declared what great loue he bare vnto Agathon an olde tragicall Poet. Agesilaus demaundyng why shoulde an olde man bée so well estéemed of Euripides hée sayde Though the Spring time be pleasaunt yet the Haruest is fertile though flowres and hearbes grow gréene in the Spring yet waxe they ripe in Haruest The ages of man is compared vnto the foure seasons of the yere his growing time vnto the Spring his lusty time vnto the Sommer his witty time vnto the Haruest and his olde time vnto the Winter which doth make an ende of all thinges Frederike Emperour of Rome after he had appointed an olde man to rule the Cittie of Scadmenna was often mooued that hée for his age was not méete to gouerne such a Citie consyderyng the multitude and number of people that were within that Citie they thought that a young man shoulde better discharge the office But the wise Emperour perceauyng howe bent and prone were the youth of that Towne to haue a young man to rule ouer them aunswered them after this sort I had rather sayde hée commit the gouernaunce of the Citie vnto one olde man then the gouernaunce of so many young men vnto the Citie Better it is an olde man to rule the Citie than the Citie to rule the young menne meaning no otherwise then the aged men shoulde only be admitted rulers in Cities for that it belongeth vnto them experience of thinges and care of youth Suche was the homage and reuerence which was amongst the young Romanes towarde the Senators or olde men of the Citie as both heade and legge did acknowledge the same in doing duetie vnto age They hadde this confidence in age that no man might be chosen vnto the number of the Senatoures before he shoulde be thréescore yeares of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fiftie yeres shoulde eyther beare office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their countrie Amongst the Perseans no man coulde be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi vnlesse perfite age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their countrey which were named Gymnosofistae were aged and auncient for time giueth experience of gouernance Amongst the Egyptians the like credite was giuen vnto olde men that youth méeting them in the waye would go out of the way to giue place vnto age so that their Counsellours which were called prophetes were men of much time experience Euen so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the auncient French men there wise men called Druydes In fine noble Géekes did obserue the like order in choosing their Rulers and Councellers of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonians youth were by the lawe of Licurgus no lesse charged to reuerence age than theyr owne parentes The Arabians in all places without respect of person honour dignitie or fortune preferred their olde men before The people called Tartesij had this lawe to honour age that the younger might beare no witnesse against the elder The reuerence sayde Chylon that shoulde be shewed vnto age by young men ought to be suche that they then being young doing obedience vnto age might clayme the like when they waxed olde of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being
Testament that Adam our first father liued nine hundred and thirtie yeres and Eua his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelue yeres Seth his sonne called Enos nine hundred and fiue Cainan the sonne of Enos nine hundred and tenne Malalehell the sonne of Cainan right hundred fourscore and fiftéene So Enoch the son of Iared liued nine hundred théescore and fiue yeres Enoch his sonne named Mathusalem liued nine hundred thréescore and nine with diuers of the first age I meane vntill Noahs time which began the seconde world after the floode and liued as we reade nine hundred and fiue yeres His sonne Sem sixe hundred yeres and so lineally from father vnto son as from Sem vnto Arphaxad froÌ„ Arphaxad vnto Sala from Sala vnto Heber the least liued aboue thrée hundred yeres This I thought for better credite and greater proofe of olde age to drawe out of the olde testameÌ„t that other prophane autorities might be beléeued as Tithonius whom the Poetes faine that he was so oulde that he desired to become a Grashopper But bicause age hath no pleasure in the worlde frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loueth no wantonnes which sayth Plato is the only bayte that deceyue young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in tyme which young men neyther with knowledge with wit nor yet with councell can auoyde What harme hath happened from time to time by young men ouer whom lust so ruled that euersion of common wealthes treason of Princes friends betrayed countries ouerthrowne kingdomes vanquished all y e world almost through pleasure perished Therfore Cicero sayth in his booke entituled of olde age at what time he was in the citie of Tarâ—ntuÌ„ being a young man with F. Maximê° that hée bare one lesson from TarentuÌ„ vnto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine saide that nature bestowed nothing vpon man so hurtfull vnto him selfe so dangerous vnto his countrie as luste or pleasure For when C. Fabritius was sent as an Embassador from Rome vnto Pirrhê° king of Epire being then the Gouerner of the citie Tarentum a certaine man named Cineas a ThessaliaÌ„ borne being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure saying that he heard a Philosopher of Athens affirming that all which we doe is to be referred vnto pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus hearde they desired Cineas to perswade the King Pirrhus in that to yéelde vnto pleasure and make the Samnits beléeue that pleasure ought to be estéemed whereby they knew if that King Pirrhus or the Samnites being then great enimies vnto the Romanes were adicted vnto lust or pleasure that then soone they myght be subdued and destroyed For that nothing hindereth magnanimitie or resisteth vertuous enterprises so much as pleasure as in the treatise of pleasure it shall at large more appeare Why then how happie is olde age to dispise and contemne that which youth by no meanes can auoyde yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull vnto it selfe For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying vnto the Emperour that two thinges made him nothing to estéeme the power of the Emperour Age and witte Castritius wayed nothing at al the threatning of C. Carbo being then Consull at Rome which though hée sayd hée had many friendes at commaundement yet Castritius aunswered and sayde that he had likewise many yeres which his friendes might not feare Therfore a wiseman sometime wept for that man dieth within fewe yeres and hauing but little experience in his olde age he is then depriued thereof For the Crowe liueth thrise as long as the man doth The Harte liueth foure times longer than the Crow The Rauen thrise againe liueth longer than the Hart. The Phaenix nine times longer than the Rauen And therefore bicause birdes doe liue longer time than man doth in whome there is no vnderstanding of their yeres But man vnto whom reason is ioyned before he commeth vnto any grounde of experience when hée beginneth to haue knowledge in thinges hée dieth and thus endeth hée his toyling pilgrimages and trauayle in fewer yeres than diuers beastes or birdes doe ¶ Of the maners of sundrie people and of their strange life THe sundrie fashion and varitie of maners the straunge lyfe of people euerye where through the worlde dispersed are so depainted and set foorth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming eche countrey and the people therof orderly their custome their maners their kinde of liuing something to signifie howe diuers the maners of men bée Therefore I thought briefely to touch and to note euery countrey in their due order of liuing and to beginne with the Egyptians people most auncient and most expert in all sciences that Macrobius the writer calleth the countrey of Egypt the nourse and mother of all Artes for all the learned Gréekes haue had their beginning from Egypt euen as Rome had from Gréece This people obserue their dayes by accouÌ„t of houres from midnight vnto midnight They honour the Sunne and the moone for theyr Goddes for they name the Sunne Osiris and the Moone Isis Their féeding was of fishe broyled in the heate of the Sunne with hearbes and with certaine foules of the ayre They lyue a thousande yeares but it is to be vnderstanded that they number their yeares by the Moone The men beare burthens vppon theyr heades and the women vpon their breastes and shoulders The men make water sitting the women standing The Crocodill is that beast which they moste estéeme that being deade they burie him A Sowe is that beast which they most detest that if anye part of their clothes touche a Sowe they straight will pull of their clothes and washe them ouer They are blacke people most commonly slender and very hastie Curtius call them sedicious vaine very subtill in inuention of thinges and much giuen to wine The Aethiopians people that liue without lawes and reason seruauntes and slaues vnto al men selling their children vnto merchauntes for corne their héere long with knottes and curled The Indians people of two muche libertie as Herodot sayth accompanying their women in open sight neyther sowe they nor builde neyther kill they any liuing beast but féede of barly breade and hearbes They hange at their eares small pearles and they decke their armes wrestes and neckes with golde Kinges of India are much honoured when they come abroade their wayes set and deckt with fresh flowers swéete odours and men in armes folowing their Chariots made of Margarits stones and men méeting with frankinsence And when their king goeth to bed their harlottes bring them with songues and mirth making their prayers vnto their Goddes of darckenesse for the good rising of their King Againe the children kill theyr parentes when they waxe olde Their maydes and young damoselles of India are brought abroade amongst the young men to choose them their husbandes When any man dieth his wife wil dresse hir selfe most brauest for
inuented in Créete for the souldiours to exercise them selues in armes wherein hée taught diuers iestures and sundry shiftes in moouings whence first procéeded much the vse of warres this was a kinde of dauncyng in armes as Dionisâ— Hali. in his seuenth booke saith which was of the people called Curetes mainteyned in the memory of Pirrhus Licaon likewise inuented other kinde of playes where naked men contrarye vnto Pirrhus games did vse feates Diuers others were had in great estimation in Gréece made and inuented by seuerall men but the first inuentour of mirth was as Diodorus saith Mercurius which onely was inuented to recreate the people and to practize agilitie and feates of bodyes Others there were of lesse name but of as great mirth as diuers kindes of playing at the Ball which is an auncient game as it seemeth in Vergil it was much vsed sometime amongst the Troyans for when Aeneas incontinent after the destruction of the Cittie of Troye came vnto Italy where hée first taught skipping and frisking at the Ball before hée maryed Lauinia King Latinus daughter the youth of Troy had playing at the Ball for their chéefe mirth and recreation and at this day much vsed in diuers countreys Againe for further recreation they vsed sundrye kindes of Dice playes Herodotus doth witnesse that the olde and auncient Lidians did first finde out the Dice and Ball though Plini doth report that one named Pythus first founde the play at the Ball but for the certainetie thereof sith so many kinde of Balles bée and the playing likewise so variable both Plini and Herodotus may well agrée for the people of Lydia at a certaine time being oppressed with great dearth and sore plagued with hunger they inuented then diuers kindes of diceplay as Herodotus sayde to passe the time in playing and to forget hunger for they fed one day they came togither the second daye to playe thus eating a little one daye to satisfie nature they played the seconde daye to auoyde hunger Againe there was amongst the ancient Gréekes a play muche like vnto our Cheasse play which one Zerxes a wiseman first inuented to warne a tyrannous Prince which he then serued to auoyde his tyranny to let him vnderstande by his playe that a Prince ought to watch and to vse his subiectes as his force and strength euen as the playe is in moouing the Pawnes the Knightes the Bishops for the defence and bulwarkes of the king that as the player I meane Zerxes did shew his maister the King the effect of the play howe the king was preserued by playing wisely of the men lest they bée lost so the tiraunt him selfe vnderstoode by the play of Zerxes how daungerous that Prince is that vseth not well his subiects that will not discréetly sée and watche for their commodities whiche is the Princes safetie Another play was vsed then in Gréece either vpon the Dice or els closelye in hande called euen and odde This playe came from Gréece vnto Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar the seconde Emperour of Rome as Suetonius doth write in the life of Augustus where the Emperour Augustus wrote a letter vnto his daughter in Rome after this sort Daughter I sende thée two hundred fiftye pence which I geue amongst thy ghestes to play after Supper the Gréeke play called euen and not euen whether they will at Dice or cloase in hande Lottes likewise were much vsed for recreation and mirth with diuers other sundry games and playes to recreate the minde of man which both the Gréekes and Gentiles did practize then aswell to trye their wittes as also to vse pastime and mirth to drawe company togither to be mery I leaue the Gréekes a while and wyll something speake of the Romane pastimes and sportes which in nothing were inferiour to the Gréekes but rather excelled Gréece all the worlde in all qualities And lest I shoulde séeme tedious I will speake of no more but of foure principall games correspondent vnto the Gréekes and coequall vnto their number The first called Lupercalia brought out of Arcadia by Euander sacrificed vnto Pan vpon mount Palentine And as Siluanus doth write the sacrifices were made in the Moneth of February after this sort by Euander the first inuentor thereof The youngmen of Rome shoulde gather together euery one bearing in his hande a scurge or a whip made of Goates skinnes running one vnto another and hée that was most swift of foote escaped stripes for euery one should runne vnto another in order euery one his length before the other and thus they made them swifter in running by reason of his stripes for hée that was ouertaken by the way was sure to spéede Euery man ranne naked to this ende that they might vse to be swift The women likewise thinkyng thereby to become more fruitfull and fertill offered them selues wyllyngly to receaue stripes These scurges and whippes that they had in their handes made such ratling noyse by reason they were made of drie skinnes that it made him that ran before to straine him selfe hearing the noyse and fearing the stripes The seconde game that the Romanes vsed was called Circenses as some say sprong vp first amongst the Romanes them selues a place appointed by Rome enuironed about with huge strong walles Here all kindes of pastime and sportes were vsed running with Horses and fighting on Horsebacke in the one ende in the middest the champions were placed in armes a foote to fight in the other ende wrastlers leapers runners and such like games were appointed so that the place was framed accordingly long and large that they might haue roome enough in both endes and in the middest This was the chiefe and the auncientest play amongst the Romanes sauyng Saturnalia this sport did Ianus which then did raigne togither with Saturnus as Macrobius saith inuent and frame in memory and monumentes of Saturnus his fellowe This play was celebrated in the moneth of december with such mirth pleasure and pastime that it far surmounted all other In this moneth of December euery man saluted his friende with rewardes tokens presentes or with anye treasure that they had to pleasure one another And because all things were common in Saturnus time and called the golden worlde there was such mirth vsed as woulde make some men of this time iâ—lous to sée it I beléeue none of this age would bée content to sée his seruaunt in bedde with his wife which in Saturnus time was tollerable Some say this play sprong first among the Pelagians some againe affirme that it began amongst the Athenians but how and where it began first in other countreys it is no matter but in Rome it was first framed and inuented by Ianus The fourth play amongst the Romanes was then called Gladiatoria where the youth of Rome came to learne how to behaue them selues among the enemies In this play shoulde they fight one with another
hir wine and in eating of his hart vnto hir body saying though bodies be departed yet our hartes shall neuer be a sunder That noble Gréeke Laodamia looued hir husbande so well that when shée hearde that hir husbande Prothesilaus was slaine by Hector at the siege of Troye shée desired onely of God that shée might sée his shadowe or likenesse once before shée died which when shée sawe embrasing the lykenes of Prothesilaus as shée thought in hir husbandes armes shée then presently dyed We reade that Quene Ipsicratea loued hir husbande king Mythridates so entirely that shée shaued all the heares of hir heade and ware mans apparell and followed him like a Lacky for that hée shoulde not know hir to be his wife shée had rather go vnto the wars with hir husbande like a lackie than tary from hir husbande in Pontus lyke a Quéene Paulina when shée hearde that hir husbande Seneca was put to death by that cruell Emperor and Tyraunt Nero whome Seneca sometime taught him in his youth Philosophie and at the length requited him with death which when I say Paulina harde thereof she enquired what kinde of death hir husbande suffred which béeing knowne shée ministred the like playster vnto hir selfe as was appoynted for Seneca hir husbande Likewise that noble Portia daughter vnto Cato and wife vnto Brutus hearing that hir husbande was slaine at Philippos for that she might not spéede of a knife shée choked her selfe with coales The like historie is reade of Triata which when she knewe by letters that hir husbande Vitellius was so enuironed of his enimies and no waye able to escape his wife rushed into the Campe and prest néere hir husbande readie to die or to liue in fielde with him What can be so harde to take in hande but loue will hazarde it what can be so perillous but loue will venture it neyther water can stay it nor fire stop it Sulpitia the wife of Lentulus the daughter of that worthy Romane Paterculus when shée perceyued that hir husband was appointed by the Magistrates of Rome to passe vnto Sicilia as an Embassador and there to continue for a season though hir mother had great charge ouer hir very carefull studious she was to comfort hir daughter in the absence of hir husbande yet she deceyued hir mother shée chaunged hir apparell caused hir two maides likewise to be disguised toke two men in the like apparell and went all by night from Rome vnto Sicilia Aemilia the wife of Affricanus and mother vnto that noble Cornelia which was mother vnto those famous Romances called Gracchi shée perceauyng her husbande to bée in loue with one of her maydes in the house and often to vse the mayde as his wife though Aemilia knew wel of it yet she neuer hated the maide nor opened it to her husbande but after that her husbande died she gaue to this maide a great summe of money and maryed her wealthyly in Rome A rare thing in a woman founde To speake of Penelopes loue in Gréece towardes her husbande Vlisses or to shewe the constancie of Lucrecia in Rome towarde her husbande Collatinus the one twentie yeres was prooued of diuers noble Gréekes and yet remayned she true vnto Vlisses the other through force being rauished by proud Torquinius sonne named Aruntiê° would not be false vnto Collatinus but opened the same reuenged it with hir owne death Now againe to prooue how well did Quéene Tomiris loue hir sonne Mesgapites the death of great Cirus King of Persea with two hundred thousande of his souldiours beside can testifie or howe Ageus loued his sonne Theseus which when he hadde perceyued the black sayle contrary vnto promise made before when Theseus went vnto Créete to the monster Minotaurus that his as he supposed was slaine in Labirinthus he threw him ouer a high rocke into the sea What shoulde I molest the reader herein sith an ende can scant be founde but onelye recite one worthy hystorie out of Valerius of a seruaunt vnto one named Panopion that hearing that certaine souldiours came vnto the City of Reatina in purpose to kill his Mayster he chaunged apparell with his mayster and conueyed his Mayster first a waye safe and sounde from the enimies and he went vnto his Maysters bedde as though he had béene Panopion and suffred himselfe to be slaine in stéede of his Mayster A man woulde thinke that greater loue coulde be founde in no man then a man to die for his friende and truth it is But to finde such loue in beastes towardes men a meruell great it were Insomuch that in Leucadia a Peacock loued a young Uirgin so well that when shée dyed the Peacock also dyed And Plini sayth that in the Citie of Seston an Eagle being brought vppe by a young mayde loued the mayde so well that it woulde flée a broade and kill foules and bring them whome to the young mayde and when the Uirgine died the Eagle flewe vnto that same fire where the mayde was appoynted to die and also died with hir The Perseans were woont for fauour and affection they had vnto their Horses to burye them and the people named Molossi made braue sepulchres for their dogges Alexander the great made a tombe for his horse Bucephalus So did Antiochus and Caesar likewise Such tryed loue and faythfull trust was found in Dogges that the great King Masinissa of Numidia neuer went to bedde but had a dosen dogges in his great chamber as his garde to kéepe and watch him from his enimies for sure he was that money might not corrupt them friendshippe might not alure them threatnings might not feare them There was a Dogge in Athens named Caparus vnto whome the tuition of the temple Aesculapius was committed with all the wealth and treasure therin which being in a night trayned vnto a snare the temple was robbed the substaunce and the richesse thence was stolne but in the morning the dogge founde out the falshoode thereof and made all Athens priuie of the théeues by reueng and running towardes them Wée reade in Plini that Vlisses Dog which Vlisses left at home when he went with Agamemnon vnto Phrigia to the wars of Troye and being twentie yeares absent he founde Penelope his wife and his dog faithfull and louing at his returne That noble Gréeke Lismacê° had a dog named Durides that loued him so well that euen at Lismachus death the Dogge died also Hiero had another Dogge that died euen so ran willingly vnto that flame of fire where his mayster did burne to die with him I might well speake of Alcibiades Dogge which where so euer hée came no man might or durst speake any euill of Alcibiades in presence of his Dogge Titus Sabinus Dogge neuer forsooke his mayster in prison and when anye man gaue him breade or meate hée brought it vnto his Mayster in prison and when he was throwne into the riuer
Apollo in Delphos and Iupiter in Boetia with their wise answeres and Oracles we will not speake of Socrates Solon and thousandes suche as were coumpted and knoweÌ„ wise â–ª and discrete emongest Grekes and Gentiles we will onely entreate of those worldly and naturall wisedome whiche by their prudent policie and warie practises haue aduauÌ„ced their fame thereby aswell in discoursyng and vanquishyng their enemies as also by inuentyng suche sleightes and snares for the obtainyng of the same as their wittes thereby were worthily commended as Hanibal perceiuyng the courage and strengthe of the Romaines vsed this wittie feate gathered a greate nomber of Serpentes and put them in huge vesselles and made them to be brought vnto the fielde emongest his souldiors commaundyng the Capitaines and chief officers to throwe the same vnto the force of the enemies who beyng thereby astonied forsooke and fledde the fielde as menne bereste of wittes â–ª spoiled of sence and almoste in dispaire of theim selues thinkyng Deuels and not menne to be the souldiors of Hanibal Of the like wisedome was kyng Cirus who beyng in his tentes and ready to pitche fielde the nexte daie with the Messagetes commaundyng his souldiours to bee in a readinesse that night to flee their tentes leauing behinde their victuales and substaunce that the enemies beyng busie of the spoile and giuyng open to banquettyng and Carousyng of wine he with all his armie might vnwares retourne and findyng the Messagets more greedie of the spoile then ready for their enemies destroie and kille theim as it came to passe So that in warres saieth Salust witte doeth as muche good as strengthe policie better accepted then power and as Virgill saieth so that victorie bée gotten waie not whether it be through courage or through policie For Sertorius that worthy Emperour and capitaine of Rome was wonte by lies and letters by dreames and outward religion by all meanes possible fainyng and inuentyng thousande waies to stirre his souldiours to courage The inuentions of witte is muche and so diuers that to muche it were to repeate How Sicionius deceiued Xerxes with all his soldiours through policie How Pisistratus moued the Athenians to reuenge his false wronges vpon the chief officers of Athens How Darius after Cambises death became kyng of Perse by meanes of a horse and suche like But lettyng passe infinite nombers of suche and to declare what Nature wroughte in selie and simple beastes in â—iyng foules and in the verie fishe swimmyng in the water The lioÌ„ by nature is taughte beyng verie sicke to finde out an Ape whiche by outwarde sportes and pastyme doeth heale his greate seuer and grief The huge Elephante is so subtile when he is like to die will seke by all meanes the cameleon bow whiche he so estemeth that his sicknes forsaketh hym straight The PaÌ„ther knoweth by nature his ready salue for this sore for feelyng hym self not well he straight seketh out the dounge of man whiche by the sente thereof he healeth hym self The stircken Harte féedyng on highe Mountaines hath that consideration at what tyme he is shotte through with any darte or arrowe by feedyng of an hearbe called Dictamum their bloud stanche and their woundes heale And the Beare is so craftie that by the same he is taught beyng sicke to licke and eate vp little Antes for her appoincted Phisicke Euen so fliyng foules doe knowe their appoincted salue for their sores by nature taught The Rauen the Ducke the Swallowe swift yea the sely Mice doe before hande presage their ruinous state by Nature and knowe well the decaie of any house barne or place where thei be will chaunge hospitalitie before the tyme if necessitie happen vpon them The little Antes full of toile and trauaile to gather in the Sommer to serue theim in the Winter These with diuers others Plini in his .8 booke Chapiter .27 and Aristotle in his booke De natura animaliuÌ„ doe make mention W readée in Aelianus diuers worthy histories of the like but specially of the Cranes of Sicilia whiche when thei be aboute to take their slightes from Sicilia to flie ouer mounte Caucasus thei are so craftie and subtile by nature that thei beare in their mouthes certain stones to stoppe their crie and noise whiche Craines moste commonly vse in flight lest by hearyng of their voice and crie the Egles of Caucasus should destroie them The Goates of Crete when thei be shotte through with dartes and arrowes are of theÌ„ self moued to fede on a certain hearbe whiche streight stencheth the bloud healeth the wounde and expelleth out the venime of the wounde There is suche crafte and subtiltie in a little Frogge of Nilus that when the huge and monstrous Troute commeth towarde hym to destroie hym the Frogge by and by out of hande â–ª beareth a longe réede ouerth warte his mouthe and so marcheth forward toward this greate champion that by no meane he can destroie hym for that the reede is longer then his mouthe can swalowe the same and so the little Frogge escapeth the terrour of this greate beast What a sleight hath a fishe called Polipos whiche beyng desirous to feede on any fishe he goeth and hideth hym self vnder some shrubbe or rocke or any other meanes whereby he semeth to bee as though he wer a tile or a stone vntill the fishe come to that place then he leapeth vpon hym and killeth hym So that there is no beaste no fowle no fishe but hath as it wer a certaine priuilege by nature to defende hym self and to foile his foe and that craftely by nature taughte There is again a kinde of knowledge in beast to know their frendes and to loue them and to feare their enemies and to auoide theim As the Serpentes in Terinthia the ScorpioÌ„s in Arcadia and the Snakes of Siria which Plini affirmeth that thei will not hurt their couÌ„trey men and knowen frendes though thei founde theÌ„ hym a slepe as diuers sondrie tymes histories make mention thereof Straunge therefore is the woorke of nature whiche mightely displaieth her self in al liuing creatures for the proofe thereof I will note one historie written of QuintiliaÌ„ in his 14. boke of histories that in Achaia there was a citie named Patra in the whiche a certain yong man bought a little dragon which with great care diligence he nourished vntill it waxed big liyng in one chamber in the night time and plaiyng all the daie tyme. At length the Magistrates of the Citie fearyng that some hurte should bee doen by this Dragon consideryng the fierce and cruell nature of theim did let hym to goe vnto the wildernesse where diuers other dragons were And there beyng a long tyme this yong man that brought vp this Dragon with diuers of his felowes passing by where this dragon was certain thieues assailed them and he by his voice was knowen by this Dragon whiche as he was heard came out of the woddes
their answeares vnto diuers questions vnto them propounded Bias dwellyng in the Citie of Prienna after the citie by Nutinenses was destroied Bias escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus he willed all yong men in their youth to trauaill for knowledge and commaundeth oulde men to embrase wisedome This Bias beeyng demaunded what was the difficulst thing in the worlde he saide to suffer stoutly the mutabilitie of fortune beyng demaunded what was the infamoust death that might happen vnto man to bee condempned saide he by lawe beyng asked what was the sweetest thyng vnto manne hope saide he what beast was most hurtfull amongest wild beastes a Tyraunt saide Bias and amongeste tame beastes a flatterer and beyng demaunded what thyng it was that feared nothyng in all the world good conscience saide he And againe in the second Olimpiad the Philosophers demaunded other Questions as who was most infortunate in the world the impacient man saide Bias What is moste harde to iudge debates betwéene frendes what is most harde to measure he answered tyme that hauyng fully answered to diuers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seauen wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages beyng borne in Myâ—tilena beyng asked what was the best thyng in all the world answered euery man to coÌ„sider his owne state And againe beyng demaunded what beast is most dangerous he saide of wilde beastes a Tyraunt of tame beastes a flatterer beyng asked what is most acceptable vnto manne he saide tyme and beyng asked of the Gréeke Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that he sawe he saide an olde man to be a Tyraunte these with diuers other questions was he asked of the Greeke his Poesie was Nâ— quid nimis The thirde was Chilo the Lacedemonian beyng demaunded what was a difficult thing to man to dooe he answered either to keepe silence or so suffer iniuries what was most difficulst being asked of hym he saide for a man to knowe hym self and therfore he vsed this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo beyng of Aesopus demaunded what did Iupiter in Heauen he saide he doth throwe doune loftie and proude thinges and hee doeth exalte humble and méeke thinges Solon the Athenian had this shorte Sentence in his mouthe Nosce teipsum knowe thy selfe for in knowyng and consideryng what we are how vile we are wee shall haue lesse occasion ministred vnto vs to thinke well of our selues for there is nothyng good nor bewtifull in man as Solon beyng asked of kyng Cressus sittyng on his Stoole of state with princely Robes bedect with Pearles and Precious stones whether euer he sawe a more bewtifull sight then Kynge Cirus sittyng in his maiestie at that tyme to whom Solon answered and saide that he sawe diuers birddes more gaie to beholde then Cirus and beyng demaunded of Cirus what birds were they Solon saide the little Cocke the Peacocke and the Feasaunt whiche are dect with naturall garmentes and bewtified with naturall colours This Solon was wonte to saie I waxe dailie olde learnyng muche hee noted nothyng so happie in manne as to liue well that the same might die well appliyng the cause vnto the affect as to liue well then to die well If I shoulde molest the reader with the sage saiynges of Cleobulus Thales Periander and others tending onely for the amendmente of life and readines of death I should seme tedious here were a place to induce diuers and sundrie examples of death HAd Greke Calisthenes silence kept had Neuius spared speache Had Theocritus busie braine offended not his leache Calesthenes had not loste his life nor Theocritus died Ne in Maetellus wrathe so long had Neuius poet abide The soundst reward the surest gifte should Memmius haue in th ende Had he to Caesar nothyng saied that Caesar might offende But as I feare Chirilus stripes and dreade Aristos draught So with Antilochus to write I am to some Lisander taught Some carpyng Crete some peuishe Pan and some of Colax kinde Some of Gnatho schoole will scanne some flaâ—trie here to finde I will not haulte with Clisophus I loue not Curiâ— stile I hate Philoxenus forged faithe Aristippus phraise to file But with Sinaetes persean poore with Cirus water craue Her princely pardone on my knee with Cirill Poete haue Who to auoide Charibdis gulfe I fall in Scillas bande To seeke to shunne Semphlagades I sinke in Sirtes sande With wearied winges of Icarus with Phaoetons charge in hande Moste like Actaeon bounde before her noble grace I stande No Momus maie Minerua saile no Phaaeton Phebus charge No wilfull winges of Icarus maie Dedalus flight discharge Therefore yea Goddes that guide the globes the glisteryng glaryng skie The whirlyng spheares the firmamente and poales of heauens hie You starrie states and imps of Ioue your graces thre attende Approche in place Pierides my vaine in verse to bende Eche pilgrime Prince in prose is paste eche Quene must now in vearse Haue honour due and fame deserude the heauens hie to pearce Whose praise shall pearce the clusteryng cloudes and skale the empire skie Whose thunderyng clanges of bruted fame on yearth shall neuer die Eche passyng pearles Prince in place from stooles of states redounde Whom birdes abrode on brakes doe bragge their praise in skies to sounde WhoÌ„ whirlyng windes and whispering woods whoÌ„ brauling brokâ— aduauÌ„ce Whose ecchos shrill of fliyng fame through surging seas doe launce Who ruled people proude and fierce and nations stoute subdued That widdowes were and virginâ— Quenes with wisedome greate endued Who readeth not Zinobias fame who doeth not Mesa knowe Who heareth not of Sabas name that any where doeth goe What worthie actes what famous feactes what vertues rare were sene When noble Kyng Mausolus died in Artemesia Queen The noble Quene Semiramis Kyng Ninus famous wife Did rule Assiria saffe and sounde when Ninus loste his life When Constant Emperour died â–ª his wife no lesse ther loue did lâ—ue Then pearle Penelope had in Grece or Romaine Lucrece haue Emongest the Illireans to Teuca then suche worthie name did chaunce â–ª As in Arcadia Atlanta did her noble fame aduaunce Quene Dido ruled Carthage coste Helerna Tibur braue As sometyme did Cloelia the Romaine scepter saue Why seeke I thus to shunne the snares and shifte with verses ofte Sithe praise of force must presse the place where wisedome rules a lofte A Prince of porte in silence kepte that doeth expecte the ende Whose rule and roiall race by course nedes not in bookes be pende In whom the Muses builde their bowres the graces make their forte With whom Sibilles sages sitte and sacred Nimphes resorte Who Iudith like with threatnyng swearde Holofernus mates to spoile A seconde Susan sure she is all Iudges false to foile An other faithfull Sara sadde with Aesters mace in hande In prinsely place Rebecca like to rule her natiue lande She in triumphant seate doeth sitte with Laurell leaues bee decte With Oliue braunches braue on heade that doo his fame detect This
The pilgrimage of Princes penned out of sundry Greeke and Latine aucthours by Lodovvicke Lloid Gent. At London Printed by VVilliam Iones and are to be solde at his nevve long Shop at the VVest doore of Povvles C Call on God vvith CICERO craue thy countrie good to vvish H Haue PHOCION learned Greke in mind that ioyed of AtheÌ„s blisse R Remember CAESARS saying in Rome ech day to vvinne a friende I In vvorde and deede most DAMON like that vvill endure the ende S Seeke vvith care serue vvith faith think PLATOES saying on earth T To serue thy God thy Prince thy soyle did nature poynt thy birth O Offende no man deserue due prayse the poore doe not denie F Forget not PHILIPS Page that sayd O PHILIP thou must die O Obay the lavves hurt no man hate not the siely Groome R Right so in Englande shalt thou haue as POMPE had in Rome O Of CVRTIVS fayth of CODRVS care of Roman SCIPIO think S Shun subtill SINONS savvcie sleyght flee cursed CACVS linke H Hat ' on eche vice eche vertue loue thy state vvith CHILO knovve â–ª A Auoyd raging vvrath vvith pacieÌ„ce mild PERIANDER teacheth so T Time doth BIAS vvise affirme to make most men offende T Time SOLON sayth doth trie al things and time doth iudge the end O Order must vvith measuâ—e rule ech state sayth PYTTACVS playne N Nothing must abounde to much CLEOBVLVS biddes agayne V Vertue buildes hir blasing bovver in sacred breast to breede S Such prayse as shall aduaunce your fame if sages sayings you reade ¶ TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVL and his singuler good M. Maister Christofor Hatton Esquier Capitaine of the Queenes Maiesties Garde and Gentleman of her highnesse priuie Chamber THAT NOBLE PHIlosopher Plato right VVorshipfull had not attempted so often the seas from Athens to Sicilia had it not beene for his friende Dion neyther hadde learned Apollonius sustayned the heate of Ripheus nor the cold of Caucasus to trauell from Rome vnto India had it not beene for his companion Hiarchus Suche is the force of affection the attempt of friendeshippe and the secret search of nature that vvere it possible that the same sayth Cicero might ascende the skies to vevve the glorie of the Sunne the state of the Starres and to beholde the beauty of the heauens vnsvveete vvere the admiration thereof vnlesse it might bee imparted to friendes Such is the violence of hidden loue after long lurcking in the intrailes of the heart that by force seeketh meanes by some outvvard shevv of seruice to reueale the fostered flames therof to his professed friende by vvhose continuall mocions and restlesse rage I vvas more alured by good vvill than by vvit or learning persvvaded to manifest the fruite thereof vnto your VVorshippe as to the onely Mecaenas chosen Patron of this my enterprise vvhich though more bolde than vvise more rash than learned yet I hope more vvilling than able of your vvorship adiudged vvhich like a Greeke Demetrius or a Romane Scipio by some secret sleight of vertue mooued in me most ardent loue incredible desire and singuler affection to accomplish some charge as a publicke pleadge of my true and faythfull heart So for the clemencie of countenaunce the facility of speach the excellencie of nature vvhich in some are more apparaunt than in others doe euen as the Adamant dravve vp the heauie and lumpishe yron enflame the barren and luntish braineman to a farre further charge than other learning maye suffice good vvill therein â–ª Most vvilling to auoyde the gulfe of Charibdis perforâ— hee slideth in Scilla and seeking to shunne Semphlagades he sincketh in Syrtes Hovvbeit good vvill the vvorthiest revvarde the chiefest treasure and the greatest gift that the seruaunt can yeelde vnto his maister the subiect vnto his Prince or one man vnto another vvhich as Demosthenes sayth ought as keis of treasures bulvvarkes of Cities defence of countries and staye of states bee vvaied and esteemed Suche did Phocion onely accept in Athens vvhen hee refused the offered treasures of the great Alexander Such did Epaminondas require in Thebes vvhen he renounced the princelie giftes of Artaxerxes Suche did Fabritius craue in Rome vvhen he denied the vvelthye revvardes of King Pirrhus And suche I trust your vvorshippe doe vvaye of your vvell vviller though of others better are tendered for more holesome it is sayth Plini for some to drinke small vvine out of Samos earthen vessell than strong poyson out of the golden cuppe of Nero better it is to drinke Ciâ—us colde vvater out of faythfull Sinaetes hand than svveete Nectar out of the infected cuppe of Cirses and farre more sure is the good vvill of the faythfull than the tendered treasure of the flatterer vvhich like a Melitian dogge fauning on euery man altering himselfe vnto all kinde of coulers vvith the Camaelien and shifting himselfe vnto sundrie shapes vvith Protheus vvill hault vvith Clisophus before Phillippe dissemble vvith Aristodemus beefore Antigonus flâ—tter vvith Aristippus before Dionisius and in â—ine deceyue Caesar vvith Curio These rauening Harpeis these tame Tigers these sucking Serpentes deceyued the vvise ouercame the mightie and deuoured the quicke they vvill depraue Homer of his verses vvith flattery they vvill spoyle Hercules of his clubbe vvith flattery and they vvill dispossesse Iupiter of his thunder and lightnings vvith flattrey O had noble natures in leau of false flaterers suche faythfull friendes as Agamemnon had of Nestor Telemachus of Menelaus Achilles of Chiron Hector of Polidamus Vlisses of Alcinus or hadde Princes suche councellers as Alexander had of Aristotle as Augustus hadde of Athenedorus Antigonus of Zeno Alcibiades of Socrates and Cicero of Apollonius flatterie shoulde bee espied deceytes auoyded enuie preuented and death often escaped then had not Sinon vvith flatterie vanquished Troye Zopirus vvith dissimulation destroyed Babilon neyther Lasthenes vvith fayre vvordes ouercome Olinthus But in examining the state of Princes vvaying their pilgrimages in this toyling Labyrinthus vve see their fortune as variable as they themselues are mutable VVee reade that some from base birth vvere aduaunced vnto emperiall dignitie as Gordius from the Plough became King in Phrigia and Giges from a Shepheard vvas made King in Lidia So vve read that some from regall seates vvere exiled their kingdom as Torquinius Superbus from Rome and Dionisius from Sicilia It is not straunge to the learned that Tullius Hostilius from keeping of Cattell became a King in Rome and that famous Zerxes the great King of Persea vvas vanquished by that simple manne Artabanus VVhat vvoonder is it if Cirus vvas nourished by a Bytche to be a King in Persea sith Prutias from a king in Bithinia beecame a begger in Asia If Romulus from an abiect brought vp by a vvoolfe vvas buried so princely in Rome vvhat meruayle is it that Pompeius being so renovvmed shoulde be buried in the sandes of Egypt If Alexander the great Iulius Caesar Hanibal Iugurth vvith infinite moe vvere suppressed and deiected from their high thrones vnto miserie
briefly that magnanimitie was in Hercules that hée neuer offended iuste men hée neuer hurted innocent men hée preserued diuers kinges and countreys he neuer spoyled good countrey nor subdued a iust king therefore wholy addicted to merite fame In destroying the Serpent Hydra the Dâ—agon Priapus the Lion the wild Bore and terrible Bull. In conqueryng Gereon Cerberus and Diomedes cruell Tyrauntes In takyng the gylted Hart in vanquishing the Centaures and the rauenyng Birdes named Stymphalides was there any tyranny or cruel attempts in this his .xij. enterprices Well let Hercules passe who was as they say more ayded of the gods then helped of man With these princely actes renowmed feates of Hercules was noble Thesius much enamored insomuch he aemulated the vertuous life of Hercules that he tamed wylde beastes slue monsters ouercame cruell Creonâ— tyraunt of Thebes went downe as the Poet saith vnto hell to imitate Hercules feates to resemble Hercules magnanimitie to augment Theseus fame creating alters appointyng sacrifice in memorie of Hercules hoping that others woulde doe vnto Theseus as Theseus dyd vnto Hercules Next vnto Theseus for antiquitie of time that valiaunte and renowmed Gréeke Achilles the onely stay and comfort of his countrey the verye hope of all Gréece whose magnanimitie valiaunt courage worthy actes and famous life is at large set foorth in Homers Iliades which Homer Alexander the great by the reading of the manhood of Achilles being yet in his fathers dayes brought vp in schoole with that learned Philosopher Aristotle so estéemed that hée neuer went to bed but that he had Homer vnder his pillowe and there fell in loue with the prowesse of Achilles honoured his life and magnified his death in so much hée went vnto Ilion in Phrygia where that famous Citie of Troy sometime stoode to sée the graue of Achilles where when hée came and sawe the worthye monumentes his marshall chiualrie his famous feates and renowmed lyfe depaynted aboute the Temple enuironed and compassed about his sumptuous tombe he brake out in gushing teares beholding the tombe saying O happie Achilles to happen on suche a Homer that so well coulde aduaunce thy fame And thus Alexander being mooued by Homer to imitate Achilles wayed nothing else but magnanimitie and courage of minde as Curtius and Diodorus Siculus can well testifie whose lyfe though it was but short was a mirrour vnto all the world that being but twentie yeares when he began to enuie the actes feates of Achilles that in twelue yeres more which were his whole time of life he became King ouer Kings a conquerour ouer conquerours that he was named an other Hercules for his prosperous successe in his enterprises insomuch that Iulius Caesar the first and most valiaunt Emperor that euer was in Rome at his great coÌ„quests entering into the Temple of Hercules in Gades reading the lyfe of Alexander printed rounde about the Temple hys worthie fame depainted his noble déedes set foorth hys victories and conquestes in euery place described suche monumentes and myrrours in memorye of his noble life that Caesar fell vnto the like teares for Alexander as Alexander did for Achilles Thus one in loue with the other for magnanimitie sake eche one desirous of others fame as Caesar thought him selfe happie if he might bee counted Alexander Alexander iudged himselfe renowmed if he might be named Achilles Achilles sought no greater fame then Theseus Theseus euer desired the name of Hercules Therefore Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians wondering muche at the singuler magnanimitie and force of Epaminondas Prince sometime of Thebes who with one little City coulde subdue all Gréece This Epaminondas hauing warres with the Lacedemonians people no lesse renowmed by warre then iustlye feared by Epaminondas after great victories and triumphes had by this Prince was after this sort preuented by Agesilaus in the wars of Mantinia that al the people of Sparta were counceled eyther to kill Epaminondas or to be kilde by Epaminondas whereby the whole force and power of Lacedemonia were fully bent by commaundement gyuen by Agesilaus their King to fall vpon Epaminondas where that valiaunt and noble Prince by to much pollicy was wounded to death to the spoyle and murther of all the people of Thebes and yet a liue caried vnto his tent demaunded of his souldiours the state of the fielde whether Thebes or Sparta was conquered being certified that the Lacedemonians fledde and that he had the victorye he foorthwith charged the ende of the speare to be taken out of his side and wounde saying Nowe your Prince Epaminondas beginneth to liue for that he dyeth a Conquerour wée reade not skant of Epaminondas mate which being compared vnto Agamemnon for his magnanimitie was angrie therewith saying Agamemnon with all Gréece with him was .x. yeres about one towne the Citie of Troye Epaminondas with little Thebes in one yeare conquered all Gréece This order was amongst the Lacedemonians before they shoulde go vnto warres they were by lawe charged to make solemne sacrifice vnto the Muses and being demaunded why they so did sith Mars hath no societie with the Muses Eudamidas then their King aunswered for that we might attaine aswell of the Muses how to vse victorie gently as of Mars to become victors manfully These Lacedemonians were so valiant that hauing banished their King Cleonimus for his passing pride and great violence making Areus to raigne as a King This Areus being in Créete ayding the people of Corcyra in warres with the most part of the Citizens of Sparta this Cleonimus their exiled King consulted with Pirrhus King of Epyre perswading then or neuer to conquere Sparta considering Areus was in Créete that Sparta was not populus to defende any strength came both and pitcht thir fielde in open face of Sparta assuring themselues both to be at supper in Cleonimus house The Citizens perceyuing the great army of Pirrhus thought good by night to sende their women vnto Créete to Areus making themselues ready to die manfully in resisting the hoast of the enimie and being thus in the Senate agréeing that the womankinde shoulde passe awaye that night least theyr nation at that time shoulde be quite destroyed by Pirrhus then rushed a great number of women in harnesse of the which Archidamia made an Oration to the menne of Sparta much blaming their entent and quite confounded their purpose saying Thinke you O Citizens of Sparta that your wiues and daughters woulde liue if they might after the death of their husbandes and destruction of Sparta beholde howe readye we are howe willing the women of Sparta will die and liue with theyr husbandes Pirrhus shall well féele it and knowe this daye No maruayle that the broode of these women shoulde be valiaunt and stoute If Demosthenes who so muche was estéemed in Athens had sayde in Sparta that which he wrote in Athens that they which sometime ranne awaye shoulde fight againe he shoulde haue the like rewarde
that cunning workman Memnon made might bée iustly numbred with these worthy and famous workes But to procéede to other sumptuous buildinges though not counted of the seuē woonders yet allowed amongst the best for the stately work of the same of no inferiour fame as Labirinthus made by Dedalus in Créete of such difficulte worke that he that came in coulde not without guide come out againe Thrée others were made lyke vnto them the one in Egypt which Smilus made the other in Lemnos which Rholus wrought and the thirde in Italy which Theodorus made These .4 Labirinthes were so curiously wrought that Porsenna king of Hetruria toke hence example to make him a monument after death to bury him selfe Againe after these there were other woonderfull workes made by the Kinges of Egypt called Obelisci famous and renowmed buildings that when Cambyses King of Persea at the siege of the citie of Sienna sawe but one of them he was in such an admiration that he thought them inuincible Phyus made one of fortie cubits King Ptholomeo made another of fourescore Cubites in Alexandria and diuers others which for their fame were then counted as marueylous as any of the seuen woonders But let vs speake of sundry buildings aswell of Cities and Townes as also of Temples Houses and Pallaices whose fame thereby long flourished as Romulus by building of Rome Cadmus by building of Thebes a Citie of Beotia in Gréece And Ogdous by the buildyng of the famous Citie of Memphis in Egypt Neither may I escape any sith I tooke vpon me to recite all whose renowmes and names by these their workes do yet liue I must not escape Alexander the great which in his businesse and great warres made a Citie of his name named Alexandria I must not forget King Darius which likewise builded vp Susa a citie in Persea These two Kings though they destroyed thousandes of cities yet they builded some cities Neither may I omit Caesar Augustus which made a famous Citie in memorie of the great victory ouer Antonius and Cleopatra and named it Nicopolis that is in english the city of victory King Ninus an auncient King made the Citie of Niniue within two hundred yeres after the flood of Noah Sichem made Sidon Agenor made Tire Then the worlde waxed populus and Kings began to builde euerye where for the furtheraunce of ciuilitie and encrease of pollicie and wit which the worlde in the beginnyng was very rawe for as the worlde grewe vnto ciuile order and perseueraunce of things so with all Cities and Townes were builded Castles fortified and hye walles raysed for a Bulwarke and a defence vnto the same so by litle and litle the world was full of Cities Then Siracusa was made by Archias The Citie of Argos was made by Phoroneus Laodicea by King Antiochus And so briefely to recite them ouer the noble and famous Citie of Troy in Phrygia was made by Dardanus Arpos a Towne in Apuleia was built by Diomides and so Telegonus builded Tusce in Italy being the sonne of Vlixes a Gréeke Capis likewise made the Citie Capua which Hanniball layde long siege at but lest I might be to long in rehearsing the builders of famous Cities hauing iust occasions to respect the time I wyll ende with Cities and Townes alwayes consydered that women ought not to be forgotten as Semiramis Quéene of Persea whiche builded vp the Citie of Babylon Queene Dido which made the warlyke citie of Carthage King Acrisius daughter Danaes which builded in Italy a great Towne called Arde. Diuers Quéenes and noble women are for the lyke no lesse famous then men were Now pausing a while we will repeate those that encreased the cōmon wealthes and beautified with other kinde of buildinges Amongst other myracles and woonderous workes Mount Atho◠was made of Zerxes Nauigable euen vnto the sea eleuen yeres hée kept thirtie thousande men to bryng his minde to passe Caesar made in one day two famous Bridges the one ouer the riuer called Rheum and the other ouer the riuer called Ara in one day which was almost vncredible Alexander the great made such a Tabernacle at the maryages of the nobles of Macedonia with the women of Persea as Alianus doth witnesse that a thousande Perseans and a thousande Macedonians and fiue hundred with swordes and siluer Targets lodged in that house while the mariages continued Trayan the Emperour made such a Bridge in Danubia that for length breadth and height all the worlde coulde not shewe the like What shoulde I rehearse the Temple which Salamon made in Hierusalem vnto the whiche muste néedes the Ephesians with the Temple of Diana and the Carthagineans with the Temple of Iuno créepe and geue place for princely pallaices and royal dwellyng néedes must Alexander for all his brauery and Clodius house which was the spectacle of of Rome yéelde vnto the golden Hall of Nero but yf finenesse of workes if the rarenesse of skill if I say the worthinesse of woonders might claime place and chalenge iustly fame I shoulde praise Spintharus for the making of y e Temple of Apollo in Delphos or Meleagenes for his worke in Prienna in making y e Temple of Minerua Shoulde I commende Epeus for his cunning about the brasen horse in Troy Shoulde I commende Perillus for his brasē Bull in Agrigentū yea or Vulcanus whom the Poets faine for his skil and knowledge in working he was appointed by Iupiter to work onely for the celestiall gods or the image of Diana in Chios who was so skilfully made that vnto those that came vnto the Temple she séemed glad and ioyful and vnto those that went out of the Temple she séemed sad and angrye Shoulde I prayse the artificiall golden birdes made by y e Sages of Persea or the curious work of Pallas Temple in Ilion No certainly but the worke and inuention of noble nature vnto the which nothing is harde It pierceth the Cloudes it vadeth the Seas it compasseth the whole worlde that is the cunnyng workman the skilfull Carpenter which saith Cicero guideth euery man as a Captayne I might here haue occasion in this place to speake of the worke of nature but that it is néedelesse consyderyng howe familiarly she instructeth any man vnto her workes which is most straunge and marueylous ¶ Of Painting HOrace that learned Poet affirmeth that the like power and dignitie is geuen vnto a Poete as vnto a Painter naming the one a speakyng picture and the other dumbe poesie For painting vnto the ignoraunt was as printyng vnto the learned Where the one vewed with the eye the other read with y e tongue Paintyng and grauing were the auncient monuments of Gréece and so much estéemed that Phydias waxt so famous amongst the Gréekes as Plini doth witnes for that he made the Image of Minerua in Athence so artificially and so subtilly with a great Target in her hande wherein were grauen the warres
hir father and from present death Plutarch writeth of these two maydes that theyr fames hereby may not be forgotteÌ„ To speak here of them that deliuered men from death from captiuitie from perpetuall prison it were necessarie howbeit short histories are swéete and fewe wordes are pleasaunt therefor I will not speake of Lucullus which being in warres with Mithridates King of Pontus deliuered Cotta from thousandes about him I will not write of Lucilius a Romane souldiour which when he sawe that Brutus at Phillippos was compassed rounde about with enimies he himselfe ranne with fewe souldiours with him amongst the enimies bicause Brutus in the meane while might saue himselfe Neyther will I make muche mention of Quintius Concinnatus being then Dictator in Rome which deliuered Quintus Minutius from the handes of the Sabins and Vulscans but according vnto promise I will touche partlye those that deserued fame an otherwaye for fame is not bound vnto one kinde of qualitie or chaunces but vnto diuers and sundrie vertues Therefore to ioyne with these renowmed conquerers and defenders of countries most excellent and expert Archers which likewise haue done noble actes worthye feates and merueylous thinges as Ilerdes was such an Archer that he woulde kill the flying birdes in the ayre And likewise Catenes coulde doe the like appoynt the flying fowles to dye this doth Curtius in his sixt booke affirme Alexander the sonne of King Priamus when neyther his brother Hector with his courage nor Troilus with force nor all the strength of Phrigia coulde resist that noble Gréeke Achilles hée I saye with his arrowe slue him Acastus wonne immortall renowne for killing of the wilde huge Boare that spoyled Calidonia with his dart Toco a fine souldiour and an excellent Archer is muche commended for that he coulde doe with his bowe Princes in times past were taught to doe feates with archerye for Hercules himselfe was taught of Euritus the science of shooting that he coulde kill any flying foule or swift beast as sometime he killed the birdes called Harpeis and slue the swift Centaure Nessus We reade in the firste of Herodotus that Commodus the sonne of Marcus surnamed Aurelius Emperour sometime of Rome begotten of the Empresse Faustina was so skilfull in shoting that what soeuer he sawe with his eyes the same woulde he kill with his bowe insomuch that vpon a time Herodotus doth witnesse that he slue a hundred wilde beastes with a hundred shot missing nothing at any time euen so the Emperor Domitianus was so expert in his bowe that he coulde shoote when any heald vp his hande betwixt his fingers a great way of The people of Créete passed all men in this facultie The Perseans were so cunning in shooting and throwing of dartes that backewarde as they fledde they woulde spoyle and destroy theyr enimies The Arimaspians excelled the Perseans Againe the Scithians Getes were most famous for thys poynt And thus hauing occasion to trauaile as pilgrimes some slue great wilde Tigers huge Beares terrible Lions and such monstrous beastes that aduaunced the fame of such that attempt the perill ¶ Of diligence and labours AS Horace that auncient Poete affirmeth that the worthyest and greatest vertue is to auoide vice so is it I iudge the greatest commendacion vnto anye man to embrace diligence to eschewe ydlenesse for suche is the vertue of mans minde that rare giftes and excellent talents which God and nature bestowed on man that to sée the excellencie and vertue thereof with externall sight if 〈◊〉 coulde be séene it woulde sayth that deuine and noble Philosopher Plato enflame great desire vncredible loâ—e vnto vertue and woulde on the contrarie kindle such a hatred vnto vice that the sight thereof would feare any beholder thereon When yet sayth Cicero the world was rawe and nothing ripe no lawes made no Citties builded no order set no common welth framed but all thinges confusedly on a heape without deuicions and limittes most like to Poetical Chaos before the elementes were diâ—euered water from earth â–ª and the fire from the ayre then I say we liued brutishlye and beastly without ciuilitie and maner without learning and knowledge but when reason began to rule when Ladye prudence began to practise with pollicie when witte began to search and to séeke by diligence and trauayle the nature of thinges Theâ— diuers men in sundrie countries sought meanes by diligence to profite their countries as Moyses first founde by diligence lettters amongst the Hebrues Menno first founde letters amongst the Egyptians Rhadamanthus amonst the Assirians Nicostrata amongst the Romans Phaenices amongst the Grecians that by diligence and studie of men from time to time raw things waxed rype straunge thinges became familiar and harde and difficult things waxed facill and easie Then Solon made lawes in Athens Licurgus in Lacedemonia Zaleucus in Locresia Ninus in Creete and so orderly all the whole worlde was bewtified with lawes exornated with witte and learning Then began Philo to make lawes vnto the Corinthians Then Zalmosis began to reforme the rude and barbarâ—us Scythians Then Phaleas amongst the Carthaginneans practized pollicie limitted lawes Then I say lawes began to order thinges and reason began to rule that learning and knowledge was sought farre and néere witte exercized pollicie practized and vertue so honoured that well might Tullie saye O Philosophie the searcher of all good vertues and the expeller of all vices Then was that common wealth noted happie that enioyed such a prince to rule as a Philosopher that woulde extoll vertue and suppresse vice rewarde the good and punishe the euill estéeme the wise and learned and neglect the foolish and ignoraunt I will omitte to speak of mightie and famous Princes whose care diligence studie and industrie were such whose numbers were so infinite that I might well séeme to tedious to molest the reader therewith I will recyte the diligence and trauayle of poore men which by theyr studie and labor became lampes and lantornes of the worlde And to begin with Plato and Socrates two base men of birth whose diligence in life time made them most famous now being deade the one the sonne of a poore Citizen of Athens named Ariston the other the sonne of a poore Marbler surnamed Sophroniscus Might not poore Perictione the mother of Plato be glad of such a sonne that the greatest tyraunt in the worlde that prowde prince Dionisius woulde honour and reuerence Plato for hys and knowledge and take him into his Chariote as a Prince and not as a poore Philosopher Might not that poore Midwife named Phanaerata reioyce to haue suche a sonne as Socrates who being prooued of all men best learned counted of all men most auncient taken of all men most modest and grauest and iudged by the Oracle of Apollo to be wisest in all the worlde Howe happie was Elbia How famous was Creithes that noursed two
want than that they shoulde not shewe mercie according vnto his custome to the comfortlesse Zerxes the great King of Persea with lenitie and gentlenesse towardes his brother Arimenes with whome before he was a great enimie made his foe his friende brought his enimie before to be his naturall brother then Porus a famous Prince of India being conquered by Alexander the great fearing that pittie might not haue place in the heart of such a great conquerour sought nothing else of Alexander which willed him to aske any thing and he shoulde haue it but clemencie this vertue long wayted vpon Alexander vntill pride the roote of al mischiefe corrupted his gentle heart vntill he was by the Medes and Perseans perswaded to be the sonne of Iupiter So gentle before that King Darius did wishe eyther to conquer Alexander bicause he might shewe curtesie vnto Alexander or else to be conquered by Alexander Aeneas Siluius was woont to saye the saying of Sigismonde the Emperour that happie are those Princes that foster vp clemencie in Court and prudent is those Princes that vseth humanitie in their cities It was no small proofe of humanitie in the Senatours of Rome at the buriall of Siphax King of Numidia which being taken by the Romanes and kept in Tiberius house according to marshall lawe and before he was raunsomed by the Numedians dyed at Rome where suche solemnitie honour pompe was shewed at his funerall such giftes giuen such liberalitie vsed as if Siphax had died amongst his owne subiects hée might haue wanted to haue such glorious buriall in Numantia being their king as he had in Rome being their Prisoner That is worthy humanity that is shewed vnto meÌ„ in aduersity and that is méere clemencie that is done vnto those banished straungers as the Romaines sometime did vnto Prusias king of Bithinia who being driuen to exile by hys sonne Nicomedes came vnto Rome where humanitie and clemencie were fostered and nourished in the Senate being mette at Capua a Citie sometime by Hannibal conquered of Scipio and Cornelius and brought vnto Rome not like a banished man but lyke a noble Prince with such triumphes and honour done vnto him with such passing curtesie and liberality of Senators that though he was banished Bithinia his kingdome and by Nicomedes his owne sonne yet was he receyued vnto Rome of straungers and that to the fame of Rome Thereby the Romanes grewe to that admiration with all people that for their lenitie and surmounting curtesie they were of all men beloued and for their valiauntnesse and magnanimity they likewise were of all the worlde feared For as vnto Siphax and Prusias woonderfull clemencie and humanity were by the Romanes tendered so vnto Ptholome King of Egypt being of his owne brother banished and by the Romanes receyued and restored againe vnto his kingdome the like was shewed Rome then was called the hauen of succour the Anker of trust the keye of curtesie where all succourlesse Princes and noble Cappitaines fledde Rome florished then while pittie and mercy continued Rome prospered while humanitie and clemencie were fostered Rome excelled all men in gentlenesse and pittie When Marcellus and Matellus the one Capitaine of Siracusa the other in Celuberia The noble Capitaine Marcellus was so pittifull that after his souldiours had conquered Siracusa with great slaughter and murther of men women and children he mounted vp into a high Tower of the Castle and there with wéeping and lamenting the ruefull sight of Siracusa more like to one conquered than a conquerer to a Prisoner than a Prince that anye that sawe him theÌ„ might rather iudge Marcellus a Siracusan captiue than a Romane Capitaine Happie was Siracusa sith fortune was no better to happen on such a gentle conquerour which was so glad for his owne victorie as he was sorrowfull for the fall of Siracusa That renowmed Romane Maetellus besieging the great City Centobrica in the countrie of Celtiberia wheÌ„ he perceyued theyr bulwarkâ—s broken theyr walles ready to faâ—l and victorie nigh at hande hée began to be mooued with pittie and mercie possest chiefe place in his heart that when the women of the Citie brought their children on theyr armes to craue mercy at Maetellus hand he auoyded the calamitie and misery that was redy to fall on Centobrica spared the Citie remooued his campe being with pittie and mercie of the ruthfull women and innocent children quite conquered Thus gentle Maetellus where he might haue bene a Conquerour ouer men he suffered himselfe to be conquered by little infantes O Rome happie were those golden dayes wherin through clemencie and gentlenesse thou wast as much loued and honored as thou hast béene by valyaunt Capitaines trembled and feared at Pompeius the greate when Tigranes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his crowne and scepter at Pompeius his foote and himselfe vnto his gentlenesse as a captiue Tooke him in his armes embraced him put his Crowne on his heade and restored him to the kingdome of Armenia againe The like courtesie vsed he towarde Mithridates King of Pontus being deade for his royall buriall though the knewe well the great hatred that Mithridates had fortie yeares against the Romanes yet in stéede of iust reuengement Pompeius vsed princely clemencie The gentlenesse that was then vsed in Rome yea betwixt foes was such that Iulius Ceasar that valiaunt Emperour and Conquerour was as willing to reuenge the death of his great enimy Pompeius vpon Photina and Bassus who slue Pompeius and sent his heade vnto Caesar as L. Paulus was courteous and fauorable to his most mortall foe Persen Hanniball though he was counted the most and greatest enemye that euer Rome felt yet mooued with that clemencie that he won more commendations for the buriall of P. Aemilius Gracchus Marcellus these noble Romanes then he wan fame by ouercoming thrée thousande Romanes in fielde The chiefe fame that Hanibal was worthy of was for humanity and gentlenesse as proued by these two noble Romanes before mentioned which Hanibal caused their carkasses diligently to bée sought for in the feelde and solempnely to bée buryed with honour and renowme though they were his enimies and as Hanibal was much commended in Rome and wel-beloued of the Romanes onely for humanity so was he feared much in Rome for his prowisse and valiaunt déedes of armes Polycrates that tiraunt of Samos was chéefely commended for his gentlenesse and curtesie shewed towardes women which were the wiues and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them vnto libertie in geuing them wealth to liue great charge that no man shoulde do them any wrong Augustus the Emperour when hée behelde in the Citie Alexandria the sworde wherewith Marcus Antonius slewe him selfe coulde not refraine teares to shewe his humanitye in opening his clemency of nature vnto his enemie commaunded he should be honourably buryed with his deare fréende Cleopatra in one graue
Cicero in his first booke of Tusculan commendeth much the clemency of Cleobulus and Biton in shewing such loue and obedience to their mother which being in her Chariot redy to go to the solempne feast of the goddesse Iuno the horses sodainly dyed hauing no other remedy lest their mother should go a foote yoked themselues to drawe the Chariot tenne miles to their immortall praise and commendations I remember of a history in Patritius of one Simonides which for that hée was mooued with pittie to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man woulde put him vnto the earth as hée was passing with his felowes ouer Seas that night before they should saile in the morning appeared vnto Simonides the selfe same man which he had buried vpon the way warning him that day not to go to Sea which when hée shoulde take shipping he remembring his dreame tolde it vnto his felowes desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorne leauing Simonides on the shoores sayled vnto the Seas where in sight of Simonides the Shippe and all his felowes were lost The lyke pitie séene in Simon the son of that valiaunt Greeke Miltiades who being elected Generall ouer the Athenians against the great mighâ— and force of puissaunt Zerxes in the warres of Marathon which was nothing inferiour vnto his renowmed father in prowesse but farre passed him in clemencye and curtesie A young man for his lenitie pitie ioyned with valiauntnesse appoynted by the people of Athens to encouÌ„ter with Zerxes whom his father Miltiades often plaged he then at the first time of his magnanimity tried enforced Zerxes after spoyle of souldiours and victorie of fielde to flye vnto Persea So pitifull that hée payde a great some of money to haue his father buried Milciades which after many conquestes and fawning fortune in victories died in prison whose death and buriall prooued no lesse loue and faythfulnesse towardes his father in Simon then it shewed euidentlye the pittie and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corpes to be buried Wherefore that pittifull Emperour Alexander Seuerus being demaunded what is that which is chiefe felicitie in this worlde sayde to foster friendes with benifites and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pitty and rewardes Alphonsus at what time certen dogges barked at him tooke a toaste out of his cuppe and cast it to the Dogge then saying gentlenesse and clemencye shall make foes friendes I knowe not what greater humanitie coulde be in Vaspasianus the emperour after that Vitellus had kilde his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vaspasians sonne yet he being subdued spared not to shew gentlenes to Vitellius his daughter with a great some of money towarde hir mariage Aegesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victorie of Corinth was not so glad of his conquest as he lamented the deathes of so many Athenians and Corinthians sayde as Plutarch doth witnesse wéeping O Gréece thou spillest more men with ciuil warâ—es by discorde than woulde defende thy state against all the worlde with courage To vse victorie gently is more famous than to conquer cruellye As that Emperour Adrian was woont to saye that Princes ought rather with Pittie to saye this I can doe then with tirannye to saye this I will doe Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous Cittie Alexandria which the great conquerour Alexander had made and named it according to his owne name béeing mooued with pittie stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens which hoped to haue nothing but death sayde for the beautie of your Citie and memorie of Alexander for the loue I haue vnto Prius your Philosopher and for the pittie I beare vnto you all I spare vnto you your Cittie and graunt you life O swéete sounding wordes from a pittifull Prince not muche vnlike his predicessor Iulius Caesar his owne mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompeius at Pharsalia sent letters vnto Rome of loue professed of suche friendshippe promised that though Pompeius was the onely ioye of Rome the long delight of Romanes the defender and meintainer of theyr name and fame yet being conuicted they receyued Caesar as an other Pompeius for that he vsed humanitie and shewed gentlenesse euen vnto his enimies for noble heartes ought to coÌ„temne cruelty princes mindes ought to abhor tirannye A simple sparow which to auoyd y e griping pawes of a hungry Sparhaucke that woulde haue prayed vppon him fledde vnto Artaxerxes bosome being in campe where after long panting aswell for feare as for wearinesse in Artaxerxes bosome he sayd It is as litle masterie vnto a Prince or commendation to a valiant Capitaine to destroye that which of it selfe doth yéelde as it is a fame vnto Artaxerxes to kyll this poore Sparow that fled for succour saying againe beholding the Sparrowe As I will not betraye thée thou little Sparrowe for that thou hast fledde for helpe vnto Artaxerxes so will I neuer deceyue anye man that will haue confidence in me If this pittie of Artaxerxes was shewed vnto a Sparrowe how much ought Princes to shewe the same vnto men Antigonus though he was a great enimie vnto Pirrhus as Princes bée during the time of warre being slayne of a silye woman in Argos and hys heade brought by Alcyoneus vnto his father King Antigonus thinking to please his father much to bring King Pirrhus head which long had molested Antigonus aliue but the king perceauing the cruell tiranny of his sonne to delite in dead mens heades tooke the staffe whereon his sonne Alcioneus caried the head in stéede of thankes which hée looked for at his fathers handes hée was well and worthily rewarded with stripes tooke Pirrhus head very honourably deckt and couered it and after long looking theron hée coÌ„maunded his son Helenus to cary it vnto the kingdome of Epire where Pirrhus in life time was King there to bée buried according vnto the custome of y e Epirotes by king AlexaÌ„der his own brother The like history is writteÌ„ in Herodotê° of King Darius which yéelded thankes vnto those that brought Histeus head as Antigonus did vnto his sonne Alcioneus saying I do as litle ioy to sée Histeus head being dead as I do lament much such tiranny and cruelnesse to bée in you who neuer sawe King Darius so cruell to any man aliue as you are cruell vnto Histeus being dead As Darius was gentle of him selfe so hée greatly estéemed those that were gentle insomuch hée being at the point of death euen at that time when hée was so weake that hée knew not Polistratus that gaue a litle water to refreshe his heart sayde Whosoeuer thou bée I knowe thée not and for that I am not able to thanke thée Alexander shall and wyll requite thy gentlenesse and the gods shall thanke Alexander for his clemency and humanity towarde my mother my wife and children and with that hée stretched
man thou betrayest no bodye thou deceyuest no friende Phillippides a noble man of Athens which for his singularitie of learning and dexteritie of witte King Lisimachus made most account of most desirous to please him most readie to aduaunce hym vnto honour willed him to aske what he would and he should haue it Philippides most humbly knéeling vpon his knées be sought Lisimachus the king in any wise not to open his secretes and councell vnto him The king demaunded the cause thereof of Philippides bycause sayd hée I know not whether I am able to kéepe councell or no. Howe much it repugneth the nature of man to kéepe silence Cicero in his booke of Offices doth manifest the same for were it possible sayth hée vnto man to ascende vp the skies to sée the order of the bodies superiours and to vewe the beawtie of the heauens vnswéete were the admiration thereof vnlesse he myght shewe it vnto others And againe he sayth There is no such case vnto men as to haue a friende to whome a man may speak as vnto himselfe letting to vnderstand the griefe of silence and that nature loueth nothing which is solitarie It may séeme that silence one waye is not so benificiall as it is another way most gréeuous as prooued by the historie of Secundus the Philosopher who hauing companye with his owne mother in the night time eyther of them most ignoraunt of the other his mother in proces of time hauing knowledge therof for very griefe and sorrowe slue hir selfe The Philosopher likewise hauing vnderstanding of his mothers death knowing the cause thereof knewe not what to doe for that he was ashamed of the filthie act one waye and most sorrowfull for the sodaine death of his mother another waye to dye to hange to burne to drowne him selfe he though it to short a torment for so heynous a fact knowing his mother being a woman stayed not nor feared not to kill hir selfe to ease hir sorrowfull heart but he being a Philosopher stoode him vppon to finde out the painefullest torment in all the worlde to plague him iustly for his grieuous offence he vowed vnto God neuer to speake one worde during lyfe such plague or torment hée thought was most odious and painefull vnto nature and thus by silence to consume life Sith silence is such a burning disease so heauy in the heart of man so harde to kéepe in so daungerous to vtter out how worthy of commendacions how merite they the fame prayse that can rule theyr tongues and kéepe silence Therfore a noble Senator in Rome sometime brought his eldest sonne named Papirius vnto the Senate house to heare the councell pleading the sage Senators determining lawes charging him what euer hée shoulde heare in the house amongst the wise Senators to kéepe it in silence for the order was in Rome that the young men should saye nothing vnlesse he were a Consull a Tribune a Censor or such lyke office whereby hée might speake This young Papirius on a time being sore set on of his mother and charged him of her blessing to tell the cause and businesse that the Senators had so often to come togither Thus the younge man being threatened waying his fathers charge to auoyde wordes one way and his mothers displeasure to kéepe silence another waye sayde Sith you are so importunate Mother to knowe the secret of the Senate you must kéepe councell for I am charged therewith There is a harde holde and a great election in the Senate house to agrée on this conclusion whether it be more expedient for one man to haue two wiues in the Cittie of Rome or one woman to haue two husbandes and most lyke it is that the election goeth with the men Straight waies she went into the Citie certefied the Matrones and women of Rome what the Senators were about to consult appoynted certaine of them to accompanye hir the next morning vnto the Senate where when she came as one dismayde began to declayme agaynst the purpose and decrées of the Senators prouing what inconuenience might rise for a man to haue two wiues laying before them the dissention that shoulde be in that house where two women were maried vnto one man and what comfort and consolation were it for one woman to haue two husbandes the one to be at home in Rome to sée his children brought vp and to sée the Cittie defended when the other shoulde bée farre from whom at the warres in other countreys The Senators being amazed at hir talke not knowing what it ment and all the whole Senate astonied at the womens presence young Papirius demaunded licence to speake which being graunted he declared orderly the cause of hir comming howe and after what sort as before mencioned The Senators commendid much Papirius wit aswell for his obedience to his mother as for silence towarde the Senate they recompensed his silence and secret wisedome with a Consulshippe of Rome Silence was so obserued in Rome and honored of Romanes that Demetrius the Philosopher woulde often saye that the birdes can flée where they will and the Grashoppers sing where they will but in the Citie we may neyther doe nor speake Euripides a learned Gréek being obiected that his breath did stincke aunswered nippingly the partie saying so manye thinges haue so long hidden in my hart that being putrified they stinke I would all men had such a breath that by long kéeping of silence it might taste thereof Cato the wise Romane perceyued the commoditie of silence to be suche that it was one of the thrée thinges as hée him selfe woulde say that most repented hym to tell his councell vnto another Plini doth commende of all men one man named Anaxarchus Of all women he praysed one woman named Leaena which the tiranny of Nycocreon with all the tormentes and punishmentes that this tyraunt coulde deuise myght make them both to speake that out which they thought good it shoulde bée kept in which Anaxarchus had rather die by torments than to breake concealde wordes saying and spitting in the tyraunt Nicocreons face spare not Anaxarchus carkas thou troublest no part of my minde Epicharis amongst other Conspiratours against that cruell Nero shée beyng diuerslye tormented to shewe and to open the treason against Neros person woulde by no meanes breake councell as Laaena for all that tyranye vsed towardes hir shée woulde not betraye the secretes of Harmodius and Aristogiton which onely was the cause that she had hir picture erected in Gréece Euen so Pompeius the great being sent as an Embassadour from the Senators being charged by the King named Gentius who preuented Pompeius in his message to declare him y e secret of the Senators councell of Rome he stretching foorth his arme held his finger in the flame of the candle saying when I drawe my finger from the candle I will breake the councell of the Senators that so stedfastly he helde hys hande
kingdomes and countries in life The greatest Prince in his time Cirus the first king that brought the Monarchy vnto Persea slayne by Tomyris hadde on his graue an Epitaph made being buried in Scithia in no gorgeous Temble hauing no sumptuous tombe but in an open fielde and a stone vpon his graue with this Epitaph Here lyeth Cirus the great King of Persea contented nowe with seauen foote which coulde not be satisfied some time with seauen kingdomes what Kesar King or Prince so euer thou art spare this place vnto Cirus Which when Alexander the great passing with his armie vnto Scithia and India had read this Epitaph and perceyuing the slipperie state of Princes the vncertaintie of lyfe and mutabilitie of fortune he muche doubted the state of his owne life howbeit at that voyage he quite forgat by meanes of Mars the Epitaph of King Cirus vntill he returned from India from hys warres vnto Babilon where he maried Statyra King Darius daughter whome before he conquered where such liberallitie was shewed such magnificencie done such giftes giuen such banquettes kept that Alexander vpon his owne charges maried the most part of the nobles of Macedonia vnto the Ladies of Persea the feastes during fiue dayes surmounted vnto the some of thrée and twentie thousande Talentes euery Talent valued at fourescore poundes repeating oft the Epitaph of Cirus woulde suffer none though diuers Princes were present to bée at any charges but him selfe onely saying that which fortune giueth vnto Alexander the same will Alexander giue vnto his friendes for Cirus graue is appoynted vnto Alexander in this Alexander passed all Princes in taking all and giuing all Priuate faultes may not depriue open vertues euery man hath a fault Alexander was knoweÌ„ to be a drunkard Iulius Caesar was noted to be ambicious Antiochus the great King of Siria blamed for lecherie Alcibiades of pride Pirrhus of incredulitie Hanniball of falshoode Dionisius of tyranny and so of infinite Princes which for one vice maye not be forgotten for their diuers vertues Uertue must not be hidden for that vice is manifest Phrine a Courtezaune sometime of Gréece though of hir slaunderous lyfe worthie reprehention yet for her liberalitye ought she well to be remembred for after Alexander the great had subdued that famous Citie of Thebes and made the walles thereof euen with the grounde shée offered to redifie the same vpon this condicion that vpon euery gate of the Cittie this sentence shoulde be sette This Citie Alexander the great threvve dovvne and this Citie Phrine the Curteizaune builded vp againe The like of Quéene Rhodope sometime a Curtezaune and a lewd woman made vp a braue and sumteous worke called Piramides in Egypt where such liberalitie she vsed suche franke and frée dealing of money that for hir noble liberalitie she was well worthy to be commended though for vicious liuing otherwaies shée was to be blamed Men and women were desirous then to be liberall Then Princes were as liberall and benefitiall with suche lenitie and humanitie vnto the poore as they grewe afterwarde to be harde and couetous with seuerity and cruelnesse Therefore Anaxilaus a liberall Prince was often woont to saye that the chiefest commendacions and noblest vertue coulde be in a Prince was not to be ouercommed in beneficiall doings Attalus King of Asia languishing in sicknesse and readie to die bequeathed his Kingdome and Scepture of Asia vnto the noble Romanes by testament for that they were so liberall and benefitiall somtime towardes him while yet fortune fauoured hym not fully and fréely to bestowe to whome hée woulde A liberall Prince can not be voyde of loue Antigonus was wont to aunswere Aristodemus one of his councel brought vp of a boye in his Kitchine when he spake any thing against princely giftes and found faulte with Antigonus liberalitie that his talke did smell of the Kitchin a méete reprehension for suche a sawsie seruaunt who lette Kinges to doe good and moue Princes to doe euill I woulde suche Sycophantes shoulde be so aunswered of Princes as Aristodemus was of King Antigonus Worthy of perpetuall memorie was Artaxerxes for his passing liberalitie towardes the poore souldiours that came from Lacedemonia to warre with him he made them that came a foote vnto him to goe home a horsebacke he that came a horsebacke he did sende him home in a Chariot and he that had a village before hée came vnto him hée gaue a Cittie at his going away from him A Prince worthie of subiectes and a Capitaine most fitte for fitte Souldiours What made Iulius Caesar beloued of his souldiours What caused Alexander to be honored of all men magnificencie and liberalitie The one in the great warres at Pharsalia at what time hée conquered Pompeius the great hauing all the treasures and substaunce of Pompeius brought before him tooke nothing from the souldiers but Pompeius letters The other after he had vanquished King Darius hauing a great chest full of treasure where hee founde in present coyne two hundred thousande pound beside other inestimable treasures and iuels tooke nothing from his souldiours but a little booke named the Iliades of Homer wherin hée delighted more in reading the noble actes of Gréekes the worthy feates of Troianes than in all the wealthes of Persea This liberalitie maintayned their fame Thus their magnificente benefites spredde forth their noble names that happie was he that coulde be a souldiour vnto Caesar or to Alexander I remember me of a certaine King in Siracusa named Ihero vnderstanding the liberalitie of the Romanes and perceyuing the penurye of victuales which then the Romanes sustayned in the warres of Thrasimenos did sende thrée hundred thousand bushels of wheate two hundred thousande of barly with great sommes of golde and siluer to ease the Romane souldidours and fearing that his giftes woulde not be taken nor his presentes receyued considering the nature and liberalitie of the Romanes hée willed the Embassaders to saye that it was an homage and seruice of good wyll sent to honor the Romanes from Ihero King of Siracuâ—a O passing pollicie to practice beneficence with manifest examples of a liberall heart O Rome howe happy hast thou béene that through thy liberalitie haste wonne the heartes and good will of all kingdomes and countries Untyll Ninus time all thinges were common no diuision of grounde no hurding of money no couetousnesse knowne no gréedinesse of kingdomes no desire of welthes in fine for the space of two hundred and fifty yeres for the simplicitie innocencie true dealing of people worthily called the goulden worlde and then a man coulde not find a couetous person and now a man can not finde a liberall friende then no manne knâ—we to doe euill and nowe no man knoweth to doe good then no man did take and nowe no manne doth giue in fine then one for another nowe all for themselues What made Cimon a liberall gentleman of Athens
the funerall and there both they are buried togither Hercules is much honored in that countrey and the riuer Ganges The Sythians pale and white for the coldenesse of the ayre and full of courage Amongst these people all things are almost in common sauing no man will haue his sworde and his cup common their wiues they waye not common one for another For dronkennesse they passe all nacions for in their solemne banquettes their may no man drâ—nke of that appointed cuppe which is caried abroad vnto great banquettes vnlesse he had slaine one or other for it was accounted amongst the Scithians no honestie for a man to liue vnlesse he had killed one or other They haue no Cities nor townes as Egypt was full for it is written that when Amazis raygned a King in Egypt there were twenty thousande Citties numbred within the countrie of Egypt But Scithia a most barren and rude countrie liuing and féeding beastly A countrie most colde for that no woode grooweth in the countrie No religion no temples for their Gods but vnto Mars Their chiefe weapons are bowes arrowes When their Kinges dieth in Scithia fiftie men and fiftie of his best horses must beare him company and be slaine for that they iudge they shall go one way The Parthians people most thyrstie sayth Plini for the more they drinke the more thirstie they are their chiefe glory they séeke by drincking giuen so much to surfittes and drunkennesse that their breath for their inordinate drinking doth stinke waxe so strong that no man can abide them Their kinges likewise is so much honored of them that when he coÌ„meth in place they euer knéele and kisse his foote Hée hath many Quéenes with whom the King must lie one after another The King hath about his Chariot tenne thousande souldiours with siluer speares in their hands and the ende of theyr spears all golde they honour their King with the Sunne the Moone the fire the water the winde and the yeres vnto these they sacrifice and honour as theyr Goddes To lye is most horrible with the Parthians insomuch they instruct their young children onely to auoyde lyes and to learne to speake truth Of all men they hate vngratfull men they iudge it most vnhonest to speake any thing filthily and loath cheflly that which is shamfull eyther in taulke or in doing in so muche that they will spit or make water but in one place where either a floudde or a ryuer or some other water is riding dauncing and tenice do they exercise most The people of Arabia are longe heared with shauen beardes saue that they spare the vpper lippes vnshauen Their women commen for all men at al tymes to medle leauing a staffe at the doore in token vnto an other that she is with one already and to let vnderstand that he must tarie vntill that man go out In Arabia it is not thought amisse for any to lye with his mother and if anye that is not kinne take that in hande it is adulterye They worshippe as their Gods Vrania and Dionisius They are like vnto the Babilonians people of most corrupted life and most giuen vnto filthy peasure In so muche that their daughters and their wiues are hired vnto euery man walking in the streates going vnto the temples méeting and offering themselues vnto any straunger With the Arabians and Babilonians wée may well compare the Lesbians and the Sybarites passing people in that wickednesse nothing giuen but vnto sléepe and venerye in somuch that they worship them selues with all kinde of pleasures and that the excesse of their banquettes and the brauerye of their women were suche that made all the behoulders to muse and woonder at their excesse aswell in clothing as in féeding wherein they tooke glorie They expelled all sound and noyse that might trouble their sléepe insomuche that they suffred no clocke within their Cities least they shoulde wake them from their sléepe So filthie were these nations that hande foote heade and all partes of the bodie were naturally giuen to polute themselues with venery Arcadians people of such antiquitie as they supposed that they are before the Moone of this they brag most They worship Pan as their God This people neuer triumphed ouer their enimies nor kept warres with any nations but oftentimes serued vnder other Princes These Arcadians were like vnto the people called Auerni for their bragges of antiquitye for euen as the Arcadians bragge of the Moone so Auerni boasted of their stirpe and stocke the auncient Troians wherfore they woulde bée called brethen vnto the stout and auncient Romanes The Boetians are the rudest people in the worlde so that the Athenians call them as Plutarchus reporteth bold baiardes blockes for their grosse vnderstanding The Bactrians most puissaunt and warlike souldiours detesting much the excesse of the Perseans are of such grosse sence notwithstanding that they giue and bestow their olde men and also sickmen vnto dogges to bée deuoured which dogges for the purpose they nourish and bring vp in their countrey The AgrigeÌ„tines people giuen vnto such buildings banquetting that Plato the Philosopher sayde The Agregentines builded as though they shoulde liue for euer and banquet as though they should die dayly The maners of the Assyrians were to bring their sicke fréendes abroade vnto the high wayes to seeke to aske and to know remedies for their sicknes of all kinde of men that passed by And if by chaunce without remedy the sicke shoulde die they woulde beare him home and bury him solempnly annointyng ouer the corps with hony waxe This people did weare for their weapons Daggers and Targets and Clubbes they did worship Adad for their God Adargatin for their goddesse The people of Crete were most expert Sea men and well practised in warres absteyning not onely from flesh but also from any sodden meate their chéefe infamie was in venery masculin otherwise for their maners of liuing much like vnto the noble Lacedemonians which for their modesty in féeding and contempt of wealth for their wisedome and study in warfares passed all nations for a token thereof they printed in their Targets the Gréeke letter L named Lambtha They brought vp their youth as Lycurgus that auncient lawsetter taught them in all kinde of study paine and labour with hunger thirst colde and heate wherewhereby they may be able to suffer any chaunce hapned or iniurie offred Then were they againe brought vp in wrastling leaping running swimming riding and such other qualities as might profite their countrey in time of seruice for their nature was either to winne and conquer or else to die and yéelde Learnyng and science they litle estéemed in so much that Athens and Sparta coulde neuer agrée for that the one was addicted to serue Minerua or rather the Muses the other geuen vnto Mars Lycurgus made a law in the Citie of Sparta that no man might accompany with
his owne wife but with shamefastnes of that filthy act The candles might not bée lyghted in that house where the man was when that hée woulde go vnto his wife When the King woulde go vnto warres before he shoulde go vnto the fielde to encounter with the enimies he offred two solemne sacrifices the one vnto Minerua otherwise named Bellona to kindle flames of stoutnesse in his suldiours manfully to fight the other vnto the Muses to moderate their doinges in victorie as might bée commendable and prayse worthie therein They passed al men in pacience for as before they brought their children in such hardinesse that their parentes woulde haue them whipt scourged and wounded vnto the flesh to hardeÌ„ them in their young yeres They suffred theft to be vnpunished for that the exercise thereof doth represent a kinde of boldenesse in warres The natures of the Lydians was to delight in superstitious diuinations in inuention of playes and in theft for the Arte of dicing and playing diuers kinde of games vpon tables the Lidians first inuented the same They also were much inflamed by luxurious life and filthy venerye which they neyther spared day nor night Plini writeth of a certen nation called Esseni which abstaine from all kinde of pleasure in so much that they neuer-accompany with women neuer eate fleshe nor drinke wine And thus by custome of fasting they became naturall chaste For custome and vse sayth Aristotle is an other nature In that countrie no manne possesseth any thing of his owne all thinges are indifferent betwéene them and liue as companions one with an other For in these their vertues they excell all men in vehement and most ardent loue towarde God Uertue most diligent with great care and study wayed their neyghbours woonderfull beloued and made of so that by this their precept of life they haue great fame and commendations Cities fewe they haue neither Townes and for that they take the earth as a common mother they haue all one respect vnto all kinde of men The Getes haue no diuision of landes no limittes of grounde nor any particions of their good they drinke blood mingled with mylke they eate no fleshe and they reioyce much when any of their fréendes dye euen as the people called Trauses in Thracia do when any is borne into the worlde they mourne and lament with wéeping eyes that the little childe then borne shoulde know the misery and state of this wretched worlde and when any of their fréendes are dead they reioyce and be glad with melody and all kinde of mirth for that he hath past this toyling life The Thracians people of great antiquitie famous warriours bragging muche that Mars the God of warre was borne in their countrey much addicted vnto dronkennesse selling their children in the market and theyr maydes and daughters common to lie with euery man they iudge and count it most commendation to liue onelye by spoyle theft and warres they bragge if any haue a wounde they thinke it a fame vnto the person And of the contrarie if they haue no marke in the forehead no wound in the bodie they will iudge those ydle men and cowwardes The common people worship Mars and Diana for their gods Their King only doth worship Mercurie by whome the King vseth to sweare Psilli people of so great follye that when the southerne winde bloweth so long and strong that their landes perishe their water drie that they arme themselues with common councell to sight against the wind euen like as the people of Celta doe vse to drawe their swordes and shake their speares at the waues of the seas to reuenge the iniuries and wronges done by the seas vnto them Bithini were muche of this follye that they woulde assende and climbe vp vnto the top of hie mountaines eyther to thanke Iupiter for his furtheraunce towardes them or else to â—urse Iupiter for his cruelnes towards them The Pygmeians being sore troubled and molested with Cranes doe ride on Rammes and Goates backes with their bowes and arrowes a whole bande in the spring time towardes the sea banckes to breake their Egges to destroy their neastes and to fight with the cranes euery thirde moneth they take this iourney in hand else woulde the Cranes destroye them for that they are little dwarfes of a cuâ—itte long â–ª Their houses are made of dirt feathers most like vnto birds neasts so that they are somewhat more and bigger I knowe not vnto what purpose I doe recite these countries sith the more I write the more I haue to write What shoulde I recite the people that eate the flesh of Lions and Panthers called Agriophagi or recite those that eate Lice in Scithia called Budini Or them that eate Serpentes called Ophiophagi or those that féede on mens bodies called Anthropophagi yea of those that eate their owne parentes as the Caspians did Unto what purpose should I name Asâ—omi a nacion in India without mouthes which onely lyue with the ayre that commeth vnto their nâ—sthrels where they receyue breath they can neyther eaâ—e nor drinke as Plini sayth in his seuenth booke thei liue the longer with the swéete smell and odours of flowers Unto what ende likewise should I speake of those blind Andabates that fight without eyes or of those great eared people that Fanesij whose eares shadowed and couered their whole body or of the Monopods which in like maner shadow their whole bodie with one foote or of Arimaspi people in Scithia hauing but one eie in the middest of their forehead like the great Ciclope Poliphenê° which Vlisses destroyed Yea of millians more whose deformitie to depaint whose ouglinesse to write were to much a charge vnto the writer and to much tediousnesse vnto the reader I might speake of people in some part of India which liue two hundred yeres and more whose heare vpon their heades in their young age is white and in their olde age blacke called Pandorae I might likewise recite a people in Libia whose horses may not be guided nor gouerned with bridles bée the bittes neuer so strong but with roddes most gently are they tamed be the roddes neuer so simple Herodotus a famous Gréeke writer is not ashamed to shewe how the women Selenetidae brought foorth egges whence men were borne of such heigth length and stature that I am partelye abashed to aleadge his authoritie therein Againe the people called Sorbotae of Aethiope are spoken to be eight Cubittes long To speake of the Troglodites which liue in caues of the grounde féeding of Serpentes people of woonderfull swiftnesse which out runne any horse in Aethiope which cannot speake but hisse To speake of Massagettes of the people Nasomones I will according vnto promise omitt the proilixity thereof touching all countries by the way or some of the chiefe as Egypt which bragges and vaunts of their antiquitie The Aethiopians and the people of Caria
also a water called Albula that healed gréene woundes In Sicilia the riuer called Cydnus was a present remedy vnto any swelling of the legges Not farre from Neapolis there was a Well whose water healed any sicknesses of the eyes The lake Amphion taketh all scurâ—es and sores from the body of any man What shoulde I declare the natures of the foure famous floods that issue out of Paradice the one named Euphrates whom the Babylonians and Mesopotamians haue iust occasion to commende The seconde is called Ganges which the Indians haue great cause to praise The thirde called Nilus which the countrey of Egypt can best speake of And the fourth is called Tigris which the Assyrians haue most commodity by Here might I be long occupied if I shoulde orderly but touch the natures of all waters The alteration of the Seas and the woonders that therof appeare as ebbing and flowing as saltenesse swéetenesse and all things incident by nature vnto the Seas which were it not that men sée it dayly practiseth the same hourelye and marke thinges therein continuallye more woonders woulde appeare by the seas then skant reason might be aleaged for sauing that God as the Prophet sayth is woonderfull in all his workes The fiue golden Riuers which learned and auncient writers affirme that the sandes thereof are all glistering gemmes of golde as Tagus in Ispaigne Hermus in Lydia Pactolus in Asia Idaspes in India and Arimaspus in Scythia these I say are no lesse famous through their golden Sandes which their weltering waues bring vnto lande in these foresayde countreys then Permessus in Boetia where the Muses long were honoured or Simois in Phrygia where Venus was conceyued by Anchises To coequat the number of these fiue last and pleasaunt riuers there are fiue as ougly and painfull as Styx in Arcadia whose property is to kil any that will touch it and therfore founde of the Poets to be consecrated vnto Pluto for there is nothing so harde but this water wyll consume so colde is the water thereof Againe the riuer of Phlegeton is contrary vnto this for the one is not so colde but the other is as whâ—t and therfore called Phlegeton which is in English fiery or smoky for the Poets faine likewise that it burneth out in flashing flames of fire Lethes and Acheron two riuers the one in Affrica the other in Epire the one called the riuer of forgetfulnesse the other the riuer of sadnesse The fift called Cocytus a place where mourning neuer ceaseth These fiue riuers for their horror and terrour that procéeded from them for the straunge and woonderous effectes therof are called infernall lakes consecrated and attributed vnto King Pluto which Virgil at large describeth Diuers welles for the straungenesse of the waters and for the pleasauntnesse thereof were sacrificed vnto the gods as Cissusa a Well where the nources of Bacchus vsed to wash him and therfore consecrated vnto Bacchus so Melas vnto Pallas Aganippe vnto the Muses so foorth not molesting the reader further with natures of water but briefely I meane to touch the straunge nature of the earth Plini affirmeth that there was neuer man sicke in Locris nor in Croton neyther any earthquake euer hearde in Licia after an earthquake they had fourtie fayre dayes By Rome in the fieldes called Gabiensis a certaine plotte of ground almost two hundred akers would tremble and quake as men rode vpon him There are two hilles of straunge natures by the floudde called Indus the nature of the one is to drawe any yron vnto it insomuch as Plini saith that if nailes be in any shooes the ground of that place draweth the sole of There is a piece of grounde in the Citie Characena in the countrey of Taurica where if anye come wounded hée shall bée straight healed And if any enter vnto diuers places as in a place called Hirpinis where the temple of Mephis is builded or in Asia by Iheropolis they shall incontinently die Againe there are places by the vertue of grounde in that place that men may prophesie Diuers where we reade that one péece of grounde deuoured another as the hill Ciborus and the Citie harde by called Curites were choked vp of the earth Phaegium a great mountaine in Aethiopia and Sipilis a hie hill in Magnesia with the Cities named Tantalis and Galanis There is a great rocke by the Citie Harpasa in Asia which may be moued easie with one finger and yet if any man put all his strength therevnto it will not stirre To speake of mount Aetna in Sicilia of Lypara in Aeolia of Chimaera in Lycia of Vesbius and Aenocauma fiue fierie mountaines which daye and night bourne so terrible that the flame therof neuer reasteth If anye man will sée more of these merueylous and woonderous effectes of Elementes let him reade the seconde booke of Plini where he shall haue aboundance of the like examples There he shall sée that in some places it neuer rayned as in Paphos vpon the temple of Venus In Nea a towne in Phrigia vpon the Temple of Minerua and in diuers places else which is the nature of the grounde About Babilon a fielde burneth daye and night In Aethiopia certaine fieldes about mount Hesperius shine all night like stars as for earthquakes and woonders that thereby happened I will not speake for that it is forced of matter but of those strange groundes that neuer alter from such effectes afore mentioned beside the mettalles the stones the hearbes the trées and all other thinges are so miraculous and straunge that Plini in diuers places doth speake of And as for fire it is to great a woonder that the whole worlde is not burned thereby sith the Sunne the Starres the Elementarie fire excell all miracles in kéeping the same from damage and hurt vnto manne if God had not preuented yea appoynted that the heate of the Sunne should not kindle strawes stubbles trées and such like which the heate thereof as we dayly sée burneth stones leade and the moste hardest substaunce out sith speciallye that fire is in all places and is able to kindle all thinges insomuch that the water Thrasimenos burneth out in flames which is vnnaturall and straunge that fire kindleth in water And likewise in Egnatia a Cittie of Salentine there is a stone which if any woode touche it will kindle fire In the Well called Nympheus there is a stone likewise whence flames of fire from the stone it selfe burneth the water A greater woonder it is that the fire should be kindled by water and extinguished by winde Fire flashed about the heade of Seruius Tullius being then a boye in sléepe which did prognosticate that hée shoulde be a king of the Romanes Fire shined about the head of L. Marcius in Spaine when he encouraged his souldiours to reuenge manfullye the deathes of those noble and famous Romanes
of their goddesse Thâ—se bookes with great diligence and care were not only commaunded to be kept but also in all pointes to bée obserued The other were Gréeke bookes entituled Disciplina sapientiae the rule of wisedome which for that they tasted of Philosophye and contempned the vaine superstitious religions of their goddesse â–ª Petilius fearing lest by reading of wisedome and Philosophie their folly and religion shoulde bee destroyed being then praetor in Rome at what time Cornelius and Bebius were Consuls by aucthority of the Senate in open sight of all the citie of Rome burned the Gréeke bookes for the olde and auncient men woulde haue nothing kept within their citie that might hinder their Goddes for before all thinges their goddes and their religions they preferred and so honoured their Priestes their sacrifices and their vestall Uirgines before the Emperours and Senatours as it appeareth by a History in Valerius that when Rome was taken and conquered first by the Frenchmen and the vestal Uirgines enforced euery one burthened with sacred things belonging vnto the goddes Uesta to beare those thinges away shifting more for the sacrifices and rites of their religion in carying their bookes their garmentes their goddes and their thinges belonging therevnto they cared for their countreys friendes children and gooddes Insomuch that L. Aluanius when he sawe the Uestall Uirgins taking paines to maintaine the honour of Vesta vndefiled her sacrifices vnpoluted in sauing the ceremonies and religion of their Goddes froâ— the enimies as one that had more regarde and respect to their vaine religion then carefull of his wife and children whiche then being in a Chariot to be caried and conueyed from Rome commaunded by Aluanius to come downe from the Chariot and go a foote where he placed where his wife was and his children the Uestal Uirgins with all their burthens belonging vnto Uesta their sacrifices and other necessaries and brought honorablye vnto the countrie of Créete where with great honor thei were receaued and for memory hereof vntil this time the people of Créete for that they did succour the vestal Uirgines in aduersity Vesta the goddesse recompensed them no lesse for their humanity in receauing of her maydes vnto their towne then she gratified Aluanius for his consideration waying of her religion In so much that the coches where her Uirgines and her sacrifices were caryed was afterwarde more honoured and estéemed than any triumphant or imperiall chariot In the selfe same time and perturbation of Rome when the Capitoll was besieged with the enemies Caius Fabius perceauing how religion was then estéemed girded himselfe like a sacrificer caryed in hande an host to bée offered vnto Iupiter was suffered to passe through the middest of his enemies to mount Quirinal where solempnities and sacrifices were done vnto Iupiter and being accomplished he likewise went vnto the Capitol through the middest of the armie with all his company and by this meanes got the victory ouer his enimies more by religion then by strength So much was superstition and idolatry honored obserued euerywhere that the Perseans sayled with a thousande Nauyes to â—o sacrifice and solempnity vnto Apollo at Delos â–ª The Athenians slue and destroyed all those that enuied oâ— repugned their religion Diagoras was exiled for that hée wrote that hée doubted whether any gods were or no and if gods were what were they Socrates was condâ—mpned for that hée went about to translate their religion and speake against their Goddes Phidias that noble and cunning workeman was no longer suffred at Athens but all the while he wrought the picture of Minerua in marble for that it was more durable than yuorie which when Phidias thought to drawe hir in yuorie he was threatned to death to vilipende so great a goddesse to make hir in yuorie which was woonte to be honored in marble The Romanes made lawes at the distructioÌ„ of Canna for that great slaughter of Romans which at that warre happened that the matrones of Rome bewayled and lamented the deathes of their husbandes their children their brethren and friendes incessantly that they shoulde not passe thirtie dayes in mourning least the Goddes woulde be angrye ascribing all fortunes good and badde vnto their Goddes Wherefore it was decréede by the Senatours that the Mothers and Wiues the sisters and the daughters of them that were slaine at Canna at the thirty dayes ende shoulde cast awaye theyr mourning apparelles and banishe their teares and come altogither in white garments to doe sacrifice vnto the Goddesse Ceres for it was thought and trulye beléeued among the Gentiles and Heathens that the Goddes woulde iustly reuenge those that woulde at any time neglect their sacrifices and religions Apollo for that stout Brennus went to Delphos and spoiled his temple and neglected his godhead was plagued gréeuously and worthyly reuenged euen as king Zerxes whose Nauyes couered the whole Seas whose armies of men dryed vp riuerrs shadowed almost the whole earth for that he sent foure thousande souldiours vnto Delphos to robbe Apollo hée was therefore discomfited in his warres forsaken of his souldiours prosecuted of his enemies and compelled to flée like a vagabonde from hyll to hyll vntyll hée came vnto his kingdome of Persea vnto his great infamie and shame The like in Carthge when the Cittie was oppressed by the Romanes his Temple neglected and hee him selfe not estéemed Apollo reuenged the same for the first that layde hande vppon him lost his hande and his arme Thus in Delphos and in Carthage did Apollo reuenge his iniuries His sonne Aesculapius a great god in diuers countreys for that Turulius chéefe ruler of the Nauyes of Antonius hewed his wooddes which was consecrated vnto his temple Aesculapius reuenged it after this sort When Antonius and Caesar were at warres after that the hoast and armye of Antonius were vanquished and Caesar a victor hée brought Turulius to bée murthered vnto that place in the wooddes where hée neglected Aesculapius Ceres when the citie Mileton was taken by Alexander the great and her Temple therein spoyled and robbed of the souldiours she threw flames of fire into their faces and made as manye blinde as neglected hir godhead and maiestie Dionisius king of Siracusa for that he spoyled the temple of the goddesse Proserpina and robbed this goddesse of her golden garments flouting and scoffing her rites and ceremonies nothing estéeming her sacrifice And againe for that hée commaunded his souldiers to pluck and take away Aesculapius beard in Epidaurus a Citie in Peloponeso in Gréece because his father Apollo had none Hée was brought by the goddes from a king in Siracusa to bée a poore scholemaister in Corinth and wretchedly to ende his life by the iust indignation of the goddesse Proserpina Iuno shewed her anger vpon Fuluius Flaccus for that when he was Censor of Rome hée caused the Marble Tiles to bée brought from the Temple of Iuno in Lacinia vnto the Temple of fortune in
and ende of the battayle of the Philistines It is read in Lucan the Poet of a Witch named Erictho dwelling in Thessalia that reuiued and restored to life a late souldiour dead at the request of Sextus Pompeius to know the ende of the warres at Pharsalia One History I must repeat which Plutarch reciteth in the life of Cimon that one Pausanias after hée had taken the Citie of Bizance being in loue with a fayre damosell named Cleonices a mayde of noble parentage he commaundyng her father whiche durst not resist him to sende his daughter vnto him to vse at his pleasure which when the mayde came hée being fast a sléepe in his bed the Uirgin being shamefast and fearefull putting out the candle commyng in the darcke towarde Pausanias stumbled at the stoole which with the fall sodenly waked Pausanias from sléepe thinking some foe or mortall enemie of his to bée there hauing his sword harde by slue the Uirgine but she being so slaine woulde neuer after suffer Pausanias to take any quiet rest but appearing vnto him alwayes saying Recompence the iniurie and wrong thou diddest vnto me by equity and iustice folowing him as he fled from place to place from Bizance vnto Thracia from Thracia againe vnto Heraclea from Heraclea vnto Sparta where he famished for hunger Matthaewe in his seuentéene Chapt. beareth recorde that Moyses and Elias after they were dead many hundred yeres before Christes incarnation yet appeared bodyly and ghostly in mount Tabor vnto Christe where they spake and communed with our Lorde and Sauiour The soule of Lazarus did not onely appeare as Iohn saith in his second chap. but came againe both body and soule in a true token of our sure resurrection but as the appearing of those sightes at Gods appointment were most true so it is most horrible to geue credite that the soules of men after death do either by visions or by bodyly apparaunce but the deuyll is well beaten in experience of thinges knoweth best how he may deceaue the wisest sometime for he is subtill and crafty If the Mariner know when stormes and tempest arise if the Phisition iudge of one by the Urine the state daunger of the patient if the skilfull Astronomer can many yeres before exactly foretel the Eclipse of the Sunne moone if in fine the practized souldiour knoweth straight where the victory shall happen No maruaile it is that the deuill an olde souldiour can forshew things to come And make thinges apparant of nothing What made Theodoricus to espie the terible and threatning countenance of Symmachus which hée slue before in a fishes heade being brought before him on the table at supper at the which sight he fell for feare in a grieuous sickenesse and so died the Diuell What caused one Bessus of whome Plutarch maketh mention in his booke de sera muminis vindicta after that he had kild his owne father and a long while hyding himselfe as a murtherer at last being by the Deuill mooued to throw downe a swallowes neast with his speare and killing the young swallowes hée was of the company about him misliked for his cruelnesse vnto poore birdes and taunted of his companions for his tyranny therein but he aunswered and excused himsefe saying why shoulde I not kill those that accused me of my fathers death and cryed out vppon me a long while that I shoulde kill my father They which were present being amazed at his taulke toulde the king thereof which caused him to be apprehended and examined by that euidence he confessed the murther These are the driftes of diuelles the shiftes of Satan at all times and in all countries Paulina the chast wife of Saturnius a Romane was of such excellent beautie of such noble parentage and of such godlye life that when Decius Mundus a young knight of Rome who being so enamored with hir beautie with diuers compassions a long time to none effect for neyther golde nor treasure coulde alure this sober and chast Paulina to consent to sinne he perceauing how shée was bent to temperancye and to renounce all filthy lust gaue him selfe willing to die in the meane time the deuill practised a feat with Ide a mayde which dwelt in house with Mundus father to bring this purpose to passe this mayde knowing well the constancie and honest life of Paulina and how religious shée was to serue the Goddesse Isis inuented this fraude shée went and talkt with some of Isis Priestes opening the whole matter in secret vnto them promising a great rewarde to faine that their God Anubis had sent for Paulina to lie and to accomplishe loue with him This being done by the elder Priestes hir husbande Saturnius was verye ioyfull that the great God Anubis had vouchsafed to sende for his wife shee being as glad boasted and bragged of the same amongest her neighbours vnto the temple of Isis where likewise Anubis was worshipped Paulina was sent by hir husbande very braue and gorgeous where the young and lustie knight Mundus by the aduice of the Priestes hidde himselfe vntill Paulina came which embrasing hir in the darcke accompanied with hir till hee had satisfied lust all the night Then in the morning the matter being knowne she rent hir heares and clothes and tolde hir husband Saturnius how shée was delt withall hir husbande then declareth the whole matter vnto the Emperor Tiberiê° who hauing through knowledge by diligent examination did hang the Priestes the mother of y e mischiefe Ide coÌ„maunded the ymage of Isis to be â—unke in the riuer of Tiber and banished Mundus out of Rome so that vnder the couler and pretence of holinesse diuers Matrones and maydes were deâ—â—owred mens wiues and daughters as Ruffinus testifieth of a certaine Priest in Alexandria in Egypt named Tirannus who vsed such shiftes and practised such feats to haue his desire accomplished his lust satisfied with such women and maidens as he thought good saying that the great God Saturne whose Priest he was sent for them to come vnto the temple to Saturnus and there vntill his wickednesse was knowne he vsed vnder pretence of the great Saturne which was honoured in that Citie his filthy lust horible life Wée read the like almost of Numa Pompilius that he bare the people of Rome in hand that he had familiar company with y e Goddesse Aegeria bicause he might purchase y e more credite auctority vnto his lawes orders These are the workes and shiftes of wicked men which deceaued alwayes the rude people with vaine religion and superstitious holinesse which the deuyll the father of lyes did bewitch and allure them to beléeue fantasticall visions to be the soules of dead men the deuyls appearing them selues like men letting them to vnderstand that they were the soules of such men as they appeared like vnto as Romulus the first King and founder of Rome appeared after his death walkyng vp and downe by Atticus house
vision warned to make himselfe readie to die at Philippos where hée was enforced in the wars betwéene Augustus Caesar and him to kill himselfe Thus â–ª were they alured and entised by shifting dreames to order and rule all their dooings for as the Poet Aeneus sayth what they studied and pondered in the daye time the same dreamed they in night time Dreames mooued them vnto tyranny for L. Silla the firebrande of Italy his owne countrey was warned in sléepe by Bellona the goddesse of warres to murther kill and destroye all that euer hée might finde in his waye giuing him in his hande fire in token he shoulde burne and ouercome Rome and Italy Likewise Eumanes King of the Lacedemonians hauing warres with Antipater King of Macedonia was fully perswaded by a dreame to obtaine victory for hée dreamed that two Alexanders were with great host and armie of men readie in fielde to fight the one hauing the goddesse Minerua as a leader the other hauing the goddesse Ceres as their Capitaine which after long conflictes and much murther of both parties hée thought that the souldiours of Ceres had the victory and that they were crowned with the eares of corne in the honor of Ceres which is the goddesse of corne and bicause the countrie of Lacedemonia was more fertill than Mocedonia the wise sages opened the dreame said that Eumenes should haue the victory ouer Macedonia Besides these dreames they had a kind of credite in Fowles of the ayre in beastes of the fielde in winde and weather and in diuers other things where soothsaying oracles and consultations were had When Zerxes the great king of Persea with so many miriades of men had purposed and decréed with him selfe to destroy all Gréece vntyll a Mare a stout and a proude beast had brought foorth a Hare the fearefullest thing out whereby it presaged the flight of Zerxes from Greece with shame and reproche And afterwarde purposing againe before hée woulde lay siege vnto Athens to destroy Sparta and all the countrey of Lacedemon a straunge warning hapned vnto this Prince at supper for his wine before his face was conuerted vnto blood as it was filled in the Cuppes not once but twise or thrise Whereat hée being amazed consulted with wise men of whom hée was then admonished to forsake his first entent and to geue ouer the enterprise which hée tooke in hande against the Gréekes Midas being yet in his cradle the Antes were séene to carye greynes and victuals to féede him withall whose parentes being desirous to know the effect therof were certified by the soothsayers that hée should bée the wealthiest and richest man in all the worlde hée shoulde bée the most monyed Prince that euer shoulde raigne in India Plato that noble and diuine Philosopher while hée was an infant in lyke sort in his cradle the Bées with hony fed his sugred and swéete lippes signifiyng the eloquence and learning in time to come of Plato They were not Bées of mount Himettum where honye as writers thinke was first founde but rather of Helicon where the Muses and Ladyes of learnyng delighted to dwell This was that Plato of whom his maister Socrates before hée knew him dreamed of that hée helde fast in his hande a young Swanne which fledde from him away and mounted the Skies whose swéete voyce and songes as a woonderfull melody and harmony replenished the whole Skies They thought it a sufficient admonition to sée any thing happen betwéene birdes or beastes as a sure and certaine shewe of their owne fortune to come M. Brutus when he was in campe against Caesar and Antonius and sawe two Eagles fighting togither the one comming from Caesars tent the other from his owne Hée knewe well when his Eagle tooke flight and was vanquished that he should loose the victorie Cicero vnderstanding well ynough his death to be at hand when the Rauen heald him fast by the hem of his gowne and made a noyse and euer pluckt at hym vntill the souldiers of M. Antonius came vnto the very place where he at that time was beheaded by Herennius and Popilius For in the night before Cicero dreamed being banished from Rome that he wandred diuers straunge countries where Caius Marius a noble Romaine as he thought mette him demaunding of Cicero why and what was the cause of his sadde countenaunce and wherfore he trauailed such straunge countries the cause being knowne vnto Marius hée tooke him fast by the right hande and brought him to the next officer where hée thought in his sléepe hée should haue died So that Zerxes by a Hare hadde warning King Mydas was by Antes admonished Plato by Bées Brutus by an Eagle Cicero by a Rauen Themistocles by an Owle of death Pericles by the head of a Ramme was fully perswaded taught by the soothsayers that hée should win the people of Athens from Thucidides with whome then he was in controuersie And was not Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus with all the Princes of Gréece certefied by the Dragon that climmed a trée where hée slue a shée Sparrowe and eyght young ones beside signifiying that they shoulde be nine yeares in wars with the Troyans and that the tenth they should destroye and quite vanquish Ihon. And was not Iulius Caesar admonished of his wife Calphurnia by a dreame that if he woulde vnto the Senate that daye hée should dye And was not that mightie Monarch Alexander warned by a vision to take more regarde vnto hys life then he did to take héede of Antipater who afterward poysoned him And was not Alcibiades that noble Gréeke certified by a dreame of his miserable death howe he and his hoore Timandra might diuers times sée before what after folowed if they had had so great a desire in folowing good things as they were bent and prone to séeke euyll Such prodigious sightes such straunge miracles were séene that might well allure them to more perfect life The Sunne the Moone the starres and all the hostes of heauen wrought great miracles to reduce Princes from euill enterprises and to giue warning vnto others to auoyde the tyranny of wicked Princes For the heauens appeared blouddy at that time when Philip king of Macedonia with tiranny inuaded Gréece At what time Augustus Caesar after his vncle Iulius was murthered â—ame vnto Rome as the second Emperor there were séene starers wandering about the circle of the Sunne great lightnings strange impressioÌ„s like men fighting in the skies yea and birdes fell downe deade in the Citty of Rome and Liuius writeth that an Oxe spake vnder plowgh these woordes vnto the plowman that not only corne should want â–ª but also men should perish and therefore said the Oxe thou â—egest me in vaine to trauell and his horse abstayned from foode When that wicked tyraunt Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures medowes and certen grounde about the Citie a straunge miracle altered places
and chaunged seates one with an other the grounde moouing from one place vnto an other Euen so it happened at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tirannye and bloodsheding when hée was banished from his kingdome the salt Sea the same day that he was driuen from Corinth altered his saltenesse vnto swéetenesse These two tyrauntes Nero and Dionisius the one comming vnto his Empire what woonders the earth it selfe shewed the other departing from his kingdome what miracles the Sea shewed When Darius besieged the Citie of Babilon a voyce was heard out of the strong walles of Semiramis that Babilon shoulde be conquered at what time a Mâ—le shoulde engender at the which the souldiours of Darius were discomfited vntill Zopyrus Mule accomplished the forshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompeius was vanquished of Caesar a gréene bowe grewe in the temple of victorie vnder the ymage of Caesar and Hiues of Bées darckened the ancient of Pompeius foreshewing hée shoulde be subdued at Pharsalica The cittie of Rome had these warnings a little before the first ciuill warres there were séene fire shining sodainely about men Spiders Mise and Wormes consumed the golde and substaunce of their Temples Rauons deuoured and did eate their young ones the noyse and sounde of trumpettes were hearde in the ayre with such other terible warnings as might well mooue amendement Againe before the seconde warres of Carthage an Oxe spake and sayde Rome take héede of thy selfe It is noted likewise when Torquiniê° the last king of the Romanes was driuen awaye from Rome and banished the kingdome that a dogge then spake and a Serpent barked To many are of these to be reade if wée reade histories for signes and tokens were séene and marked in the heauens according vnto the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came vnto the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelue famous Citties of Asia fell prostrate vnto the grounde two mountaines mooued ranne and fought togither in a place by Rome called Mutinenses fielde in the time of L. Martius and Sextus Iulius Consulshippe It is written that in the Citie called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hanniball a childe borne entered againe vnto his mothers wombe And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake and though it séeme fabulus vnto diuers that enuie things by nature shoulde speake yet wée sée the tryall of this cleane contrary to sette foorth the woonderfull workes of GOD whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures for we reade in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credite may be gyuen vnto Plutarch Pini and Liui which mention that dogs trées Oxen Serpentes and other creatures of God dyd speake for a woonder and warning aswell of things to come as thinges past For before the famous Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperour there appeared a starre in maner of a sworde in the skie there were likewise séene Chariettes running vp and downe the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clowdes right ouer the Cittie Diuers woonders by nature wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first daye that he was borne of his mother hée went a â—oote without helpe Likewise Zoroastres where all children cry at their birth he the selfe same daye laught It was straunge that Telephus the sonne of Hercules was nourished of a Harte Romulus the first king of Rome fostered vp of a Woolfe Cirus the first King of the Perseans brought vp by a Bitch Alexander and king Priamus of a beare Iupiter of a Goate Midas of Antes And Plato of Bées and so diuers other But certayne more straunge it was that little beastes yea small créeping wormes shoulde be able to vanquishe and destroy famous Citties and countries as in Spaine a Cittie was ouerwhelmed by Coneyes In Fraunce a Citie destroyed by Frogs In Thessalia a Cittie ouerthrowne of Mouldewarys In Affrica a Cittie spoyled of Locustes Gyara an I le of twelue miles coÌ„quered of Mise and Abdera a Citie in Thracia of Mice likewise and Amyclas of Serpents Peraduenture these séeme scant credible vnto diuers readers the learned may reade the same in the eight bookes of Plini and twentie and ninth chap. where he may bée satisfied The workes of nature were so woonderfull in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same diuers where recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Philosopher had an Asse frequenting his schoole with Porphirius to heare his lectures In the Isle called Cos in the grounde of a certen tyraunt named Nicippus a Shéepe brought foorth a Lyon in stéede of a Lambe Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a Cittie of Affrica a man chaunged vnto a woman in the same day hée was maryed whose name was Cossicius a citizen of Tisdria Pontanus and diuers aucthours affirme that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were chaunged from men vnto women from males vnto females by alteration of kinde Againe some thinke that as Anaxogoras neuer laught Zenophantes neuer wept thinges woonderfull and straunge vnto nature And as L. Pomponius neuer helcht so Antonia neuer spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Cous of such small growing and slender body that leade was put in the sole of his Shoes lest the winde should beare him from the grounde and blowe him vnto the ayre And as hée was small and light of substaunce by nature so by the selfe same nature was founde in a certen hyll of Créete the body of Orion which was fourtie and sixe cubites in length What Albertus Magnus wrote of the woonders and secretes of nature I wyll omit better it is I suppose to bée ignoraunt in some things then to be skilful in all things He saith amongst other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sonnes fiue euery time at a burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eate nor drinke for the space of thirty dayes Besides these there was a man named Philinus that neuer ate nor dranke all the dayes of his life but mylke onely Cicero saith that all the Iliades of Homer was written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reporteth that there was an hearbe called Acheminis if it coulde or were throwne amongst the enimies they straight woulde take their flight thervpon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flée might couer it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he coulde sée the ships that departed from Carthage from a promutory in Cicilia which was aboue a hundred thirtie miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first booke of hidden Philosophie writeth a historie of one Cippus King in Italy who being in sléepe dreamed of Bulles fighting all night that in the mornyng he had two hornes
the Lacedemonians and the Thracians people though they were much giuen to warres seuere in dealing hardie in all trauayles and in learning most rude yet woulde they acquaint themselues with musicke vntill they were thirtie yeres olde The people of Créete brought vp their youth in all kinde of melodye and harmony The most part of the worlde dyd learne musicke saue in Egypt as Diodorus in his second booke affirmeth that musicke was forbidden least the tender and soft mindes of their youth shoulde bée intised to too much pleasure And though some contemne musicke with Diogines and saye that it were more profitable to mende maners than to learne musicke And some that will with Alcibiades taunt musicke who was woont to say that the Thebans were méete men to learne musicke for that they coulde not speake but that the Athenians should hate such wanton tunes for that thei spake without instrument Likewise King Pirrhus being demaunded which was the best musition Python or Charisius he despising them and their musicke preferred a great warrior according to his owne mind named Polysperches Though these I say with diuers others despised musicke sometime yet wée reade againe as wise as they as stout as they vsed much musick as Achilles Alexander the great Nero Silla M. Cato Socrates Cimon To many might I repeate that were as wise as they were merie as learned Ioppas whose songues in Virgill are expressed as Salij whose pleasaunt pamphletes Rome a long while embraced and much estéemed For as musicke is dolefull pleasaunt full of harmony and melodie so is musick terrible and fearefull full of life and courage For wée reade in the olde age while yet the worlde was rawe that Aliates King of Lidia â–ª in his warres against the Milesios hadde musitions for his Trumpetters Pipers and Fidlers as Herodotê° in his first booke affirmeth to mooue the people with musicke vnto warres The people of Créete as Gellius writeth had Gitternes and Cithrones playing before them as they went vnto the fielde to fight The Parthians vsed as Plutarchus in the life of Crassus reporteth the ringing of belles at theyr going vnto field The Ethiopians vsed songes of diuers tunes and dauncing before they went to warres The Sirians before they mette their enimies woulde sing Balades to honour the same with all kind of dauncing to solace them selues The Cimbrians did make melodye with drie skinnes beating the skinnes with stickes at the very entraunce vnto the enimies Cirus the great King dyd with his souldiours sing vnto Castor and Pollux before he tooke his voyage to the enimies The Athenians woulde sing Hymnes vnto Iupiter before they woulde go to the féelde The first noyse and sounde that the Lacedemonians had as Thucidides saith in stéede of TruÌ„pettes were Flutes vntil by an oracle they were warned of Apollo that if they thought to haue victory euer Messena they should appoynt a man of Athens for their Capitaine the Athenians being right glad of the oracle for that the Lacedemonians Athenians were alwayes enimies one vnto another they sent vnto Athens for a Captaine where they appointed vnto them a lame and a deformed man named Dircaeus in reproche a mock of the Lacedemonians This Dircaeus being appointed and made a Capitaine ouer all the people of Sparta he first then inuented the trumpe and taught all the Lacedemonians to sounde the trumpe which was such a terror vnto the enemies the people of Messaena that at the first sounde of the trumpets they fledde and so the Lacedemonians got the victory Thus was the auncient musicke in the beginning so necessary that euery countrey endeuoured to haue skyll in musicke then Mars claimed musicke in the féelde nowe Venus occupieth musicke in Chaumbers that kinde of gentle and softe musicke the Egyptians forbad the youth to bée taught therein lest from men they woulde become againe women But shall wée ioyne the olde auncient games the mirth the solace and the playes that they vsed in those dayes together with their musicke to prooue the agilitie of that time and the actiuities of that age to bée much estéemed amoÌ„gst the Gréekes and Gentiles The Gréekes at some time had foure great games appointed the first in mount Olimpia in Arcadia harde by the Citie Pisa which Hercules inuented first to honour Iupiter This was so famous amonst the Gréekes that euen as the Romanes vsed to accompt the â—ime by their Consuls so did the Gréekes vse to number by the games of Olimpia which was appointed euerye first yere Unto this game came all the youth of the worlde both on horsebacke and on foote to do maisteries the reward was appointed for the victors a Garland made of Oliue leaues for they came not there for money but for mirth and exercise in so much that when Tigranes King Artabanus sonne harde of the fame therof and of the Garlandes of Oliue hée sayde Well worthy were the Gréekes to be spoken of that so litle estéemed money that Oliue was preferred for the chéefe reward in Olimpia This same mooued first King Zerxes to warre against the Gréekes to his losse and decaye The seconde games were called Pithij and inuented of Apollo in memory that hée killed the great Serpent Python which was of Iuno sent to kyll Latona Apollo his mother Here was appointed for the victories eyther a foote or a horsebacke a Garlande made of Oken leaues Here likewise all the youth of Gréece exercised feates practized policies vsed maisteries and prooued them selues in any thing that they felt them apt to do as in running leaping wrastling riding swimming or such like as then wée vsed The thirde was called Isthmia inuented of Theseus in the honour of Neptune In this play was appointed for y e victors certen garlands made of Pine leaues hauyng the name of Isthmos a place in Achaia where Neptune is worshipped where the Temple of Neptune is compassed The fourth game is called Nemea which the Argiues make in memory of Hercules for that hée killed a great and a fearce Lion in the woods of Nemea according vnto the name of the play Here do likewise the Argiues come to exercise youth practize feates as the rest do These foure playes were long in Gréece obserued as causes and occasions for men to come together to shewe feates and to trye qualities The first in Olimpus for Iupiter the seconde in Delos for Apollo the thirde in Isthmos a place in Achaia for Neptune the fourth amongst the Argiues to Hercules In the first play the Garlande of victory was of Oliue in the seconde play the Garlande of victory was of Oke in the thirde play they had their Garlandes of Pine the fourth play of Poply and thus then they triumphed in their mirth they bragged of their victories they gloried in their garlandes while yet Lawrel as Ouid sayde was not knowen Besides these foure famous playes there were diuers others as Pirrhus play which hée
which his predicessor had hidde made his prayer vnto God that he might neuer die before he hadde spent all that money which he founde The Couetous gathereth not for him selfe but for an other which he knoweth not A Couetous man musing and studying alwaies how he might liue being constrayned to mooue from one bedde vnto another for payne and toyle hée tooke in mind his wife demaunding the cause of his restlesse state to whome he sayd Wife I studie how I maye ende this yeare and I sée that I haue sufficient for all the yeare sauing for one daye and for that daye onely I vexe and molest my selfe to know how I may discharge that day his wife comforted him with all meanes shée coulde but he coulde not be at reste At length he founde this sleight calling his wife vp vnto him priuily sayde what I haue determined to doe thou shalt vnderstande wife that daye which I haue tolde you of I will take vpon mée to die that thereby with wéeping and sadnesse without meate and drinke we will escape the charges thereof which being done of his wife and layde vnder the Table the seruauntes and the familie comming fro the fielde astonied at the sodaine chaunce saying their Pater noster after long sadnesse at length called for meate the wife wéeping aunswered them that they shoulde mourne that daye for their mayster but hungrie seruauntes gréedie of vittayles woulde néedes haue meate the man heauing his heade vp and putting by the Carpet to sée whether they were at meate one of the seruauntes espied him and supposing him to be the Deuill that was with his Maysters corpes hée tooke a great staffe and brainde his Mayster in stéede of the Diuell the good wife cryed and sayde that he had killed hir husbande he denied and saide it was the diuell The matter being brought before the Iudge who vnderstanding the life of that couetous man was perswaded that the Diuell watcht with the bodie and that the good wife was deceyued ANother being sicke of the palsey and like to die was admonished of his kinsmen and fréendes to receyue the sacrament and to thinke of his soule the sicke man being so weake coulde not speake nor make no signes vnto his freendes for all that they could do At length one of the house which well knew his nature sayde that if any life were in him hée woulde make him either speake or geue signes tooke the Keye from his beddes head and went about to open his Coffer which stoode at his beddes foote full of money the couetous sicke man with head féete and with all his body made tokens and signes that his soule was there and that if his money shoulde be taken away hée shoulde presently dye THe like examples of another couetous man whiche when the priest according vnto the custome in those dayes woulde annoint him being sicke and like to dye he perceyuing scant that hee was touched for his imbecilitie and weaknesse his minde more occupied on his purse then on his sicknesse was woont to say féeling the Priestes hande Who toucheth my purse ANother great Prince was so couetous that being besieged in a certen Citie called Baldac of a strong King hauing money sufficient wealth substaunce abundant within the Cittie for very desire hée had to kéepe the money he lost the Citie and being taken captiue was demaunded of the King why he suffred his citie to be subdued his souldiours slaine and himselfe to be taken hauing so much wealth within the Citie as might defende the Cittie saue the men and kéepe himselfe from Captiuitie he being not able to aunswere the cause helde his peace The King perceyuing hys couetous minde to be the cause of all destruction sayde Come tell me where thy money is and being brought to a huge tower where he caried his money to saue shewed the King where the money was The King tooke the keye and lockt him fast with his money in the hie Tower saying I will neuer do thée that iniurie to take thée away from that which thou louest better than thy life commaunding no man vppon paine of death to beare him eyther meate or drinke and so most wretchedly suffred him to die for hunger hauing golde and siluer ynough lying by him Examples of hearing VAlerius reciteth a History of a certen young man of Athens named Polemus giuen much to â—anqueting and drinking being allured vnto all pleasures hauing his felicitie in eating and drinking and fine clothing comming vnto the schoole of Anaxagoras being so well charged with Wine and so braue in apparell that the schollers of Anaxagoras stomaked him for his dronkennesse to come there but Anaxagoras perceyuing the case of Polemus left to speake of that which he then hadde in hande and turned his talke to speake of that temperancie and sobrietie which when Polemus hearde so learnedly and skilfullye hée threwe downe his Garlande from his heade hée chaunged hys countenaunce wayled his former life and from that time forewarde Polemus liued honestly VLisses willing to auoyde the swéete songs of flattering Cirses fearing lest the like shoulde happen vnto him as it did vnto diuers others stopt his eares and his seruauntes with waxe and so auoyded the danger thereof So to heare good and holsome things with Polemus it is fruitefull and to heare flatterie lette all men stoppe their eares with Vlisses ¶ Examples of discorde IN a certen I le there dwelt some Hermettes which for discorde and inwarde contention the Mise of the I le consumed their victualles that they were enforced to make agréement of them selues in so much Apollonius willing to trauell in making some friendes that were foes one of the parties sayde that hée had rather die than to be made friendes Well sayde Apollonius and die thou shalt and thy graue shall be the bellies of wilde beastes and flying foules and euen that night hée died sodainely and was deuoured of beastes as Apollonius sayde for his Tigrishe and cruell minde ¶ Examples of friendshippe THere were two friendes the one an Egyptian the other a Citizen of Baldac this Egyptian making much of his friende and so well loued him that nothing which he hadde wanted him By fortune this Egiptian waxed poore and so néedie that he was enforced to come vnto the Cittie Baldac to knowe what his friende woulde doe for him and being ashamed of his poore estate watching a conuenient time to present him vnto his friende went all night vnto a Barne to sléepe that night a murther was committed and a man slaine caried by chaunce into the Barne where being founde in the morning this poore Egyptian was accused before the Iudges that hée murthered the man and being iudged to die his friende being on the bench calling to minde that it was hée that made much of him in Egypt forthwith rose and sayde that it was not that man that slue the man but euen hée himselfe The other denayed affirming that he was iustly condemned and that
hée onelye ought to die They both striuing which of them shoulde die the murtherer in déede béeing in place séeing the perfit amitie of these two young men merueyling muche thereat was compelled of loue to confesse the murther and that hee kilde the man The Iudges musing much at the amitie of these men pardoned them all thrée A Young man passing through wildernesse where wilde beastes were hired a skilfull felowe which promised suche amitie that he woulde bring him safe and sounde without perill of limbe and life being in the middest of the woode a Beare came towardes them the fellow that profest him friendeshippe tooke his féete and ranne and climmed vp to the top of a hye trée The straunger perceyuing that his friende was fledde and that he himselfe as not able to escape fell downe vnto the grounde vpon his bellye for it is sayde that the Lion or the Beare will spare their yéelded praies and specially the Beare if a man hold hys breth as though he were deade This man taking vpon him to die the Beare felt and smelt about his mouth and his eares whether any breath were in him or no perceyuing at last that he was deade the Beare went awaye The other that was in the toppe of the trée asked him when he came what did the Beare speak vnto him in his eare when hée came vnto him Marie sayde hée that I shoulde not trust such a Knaue as thou art to go with in companie where daungers were ¶ Examples of flattery KIng Zerxes marching towarde the Gréekes with a huge army of souldiers called his counsellours vnto him demaunded of them what was chéefely to bée feared in that iourney one of them sayde I feare most of all that when the Gréekes do heare of your power force and magnanimitie that they wyll flée and not abide your bande The seconde sayde that ho doubted most that all Gréece was not able to lodge them or to receyue them vnto their Citties The thirde sayde that he feared most the Ocian seas was not ynough for his nauies to passe ouer The fourth feared that the ayre had not rome ynough for their arrowes that they would shoote off The King being puffed vp with pride hearing his councellers pleasing him so well demaunded at last of a certen Philosopher named Damaserê° which he caried with him what he doubted most in that wars I feare chiefely sayd the Philosopher lest you be shamfully deceyued by these filthie flatterers ¶ Examples of gluttonie KIng Cirus going vnto Scithia where Quéene Tâ—myris raigned vnderstanding the pouertie of that Countrie and the beggerie to be such that he caused all his souldiours to flée from their tentes leauing their meate and victualles behinde them vnto the Scithians which for gréedinesse more vnto the meate then desirous to pursue King Cirus applyed their bellies so much that Cirus being in ambushement for the nonce knowing how well that it shoulde come to passe came vppon them sodainelye as they were eating and drinking and slue and murthered them like Dogges Exampels of rape and spoyle DIonides a Pirate vpon the Sea being taken by Alexander the great and asked of the same why he robbed vppon the Seas aunswered in this sort why robbest thou vpon the landes I bycause I am a young Pirate vpon the Seas am called a théefe and thou which dooest robbe lande and seas art called a king and a Conquerer I steale a little in the night time thou spoylst all things in the night and day time I am enforced to steale to liue and thou doest willingly steale to destroy Dionides cannot haue worse fortune nor Alexander cannot haue better for that I hope daylie better and better and thou hast néede to feare worse and worse A Certen poore woman came vnto a couetous Iudge to demaund iustice at his hande complayning a long time very pitteously at length the Iudge sayde that he was deaffe the poore woman hauing a supplication made the next time came againe to tender the same vnto the Iudge vnto whom the Iudge sayde I am blinde the woman perceyuing his minde came the thirde time and brought twentie Florentine Counters in hir hande saying softlie My Lorde sayde shée I praye you shewe me fauour here is twentie Crownes for you to by a saddle The Iudge as soft as shée sayde it hearde hir and stretching foorth his hande receyued the Counters which assone as hée sawe hée sayde that they were no golde but Counters My Lord sayde the woman nowe I knowe well that there is great vertue in Golde that can make deaffe Iudges to heare and blinde Iudges to sée A Byshoppe passing through a great Citie â–ª a poore man begged one pennie of him for Goddes sake which he coulde not obtaine the poore man perceyuing that he coulde haue neuer a pennie at the Byshoppes hande desired the Byshoppe to blesse him The Byshoppe straight vp with his hande and blessed him A woman séeing howe franke the Byshoppe was of his blessing and how harde hée was of a pennie sayde merilie Alasse poore man saide she if his blessing had béen worth a pennie thou hadst not had it but bicause it was nothing worth thou hast it ¶ Examples of mercie TIgranes King of Armenia béeing vanquished and taken by Pompeiê° the great when that he came in place before Pompeius hée threwe downe his Crowne vnto the grounde and knéeled at Pompeius féete saying Mercie I craue straight Pompeius tooke him vp by the hande and put his Crowne on his head and sayde I take it more honorable to make a King than to destroy a King ¶ Examples of Loue. A Poore scholler begging his dombe at a Noble womans gate besought the Porter for the loue of God a péece of meate The Porter hauing shewed vnto his Lady that a poore scholler was at the gate begging some meate for Goddes sake The Lady sayd he shoulde haue nothing there for his sake The scholler then desired for our Lordes sake some meate hée was againe denied The thirde time hée prayed to haue some meate for his owne sake The Ladie then commaunded hir Porter to bring the Scholler vnto hir chamber which when shée perceyued him to be ragged and not séene of hir before shée asked him why hée was so boulde to aske meate at hir gate for his owne sake which was not knowne of no man bycause sayd the scholler you haue denied me for Goddes sake being the Creator of all thinges I thought to aske for mine owne sake being the simplest wretch of all men A Young Uirgin refused to haue a welthie husbande which hir parentes had ordayned hir being demaunded the cause why shée so young a mayde denieth to leade hir life in mariage sayd when I am maried my husbande and my children will clayme that loue at my hande then which nowe God onlye hath at my hande and therefore I will not mary Surelye in my opinion that was perfect loue to the Creator aboue any creature ¶ Examples of death IT
as by experience we see all things to haue a care of his owne life The Lion when he feeleth hym self sicke he neuer ceaseth vntil he féedeth vpon an Ape whereby he maie recouer former health The Gotes of Creet féedyng on high vpon the mountaines when any of them is shot through with an Arrowe as the people of that countrey are most excellent archers they seeke Dictamum and hearbe assone as they eate any thyng of the same the arrowe faleth downe and the wound waxeth whole incontinent There are certen kyndes of Frogges in Aegypt about the floud of Nilus that haue this perseueraunce that when by chaunce they happen to come where a fishe called Varus is whiche is a greate mourtherer and a spoyler of Frogges they vse to beare in their mouthes ouerthwart a long réede which groweth about the bankes at Nilus whiche when this fishe doth gape thinkyng to feede vpon the Frog the réede is so long that by no meanes can he swallowe vp the Frogge and so saue their liues If the Gotes of Creet If the frogges of Aegypt haue this vnderstanding to auoide their enemies how muche more ought men to be circumspect of his life which hath I saie millions of enemies nether séen nor knowen We reade in the first boke of Aelian that the rude swine if at any tyme by chaunce they eate of that hearbe called Hioscyamus which draweth by by the vaines together that skant thei can stirre yet they striue for remedie sake to goe vnto the water where they feede vppon yong Crabbes to recouer health In the same booke ye maie reede of a Sea Snaill whiche from the water doth come vnto lande to breede and after she hath egged she diggeth the yearth and hideth her egges and retourneth vnto the sea again and there continueth .xl. daies and after .xl. daies she commeth vnto the same self place where she hidde her egges and perceiueth that thei are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her yong ones with her vnto the sea And thus haue they care charge not onely of their owne states and liues but also of others and by some shewe of sence thei amende that which is most daungerous and hurtfull for the sely and simple mise haue this kynde of fore knowledge that when any howse waxeth olde and ruinous they forsake their olde dwellyng and creepyng holes they flee and seeke refuge in an other place The little Antes haue foresightes that when penury and want of relife draweth nier they waxe so painefull and laborious toilyng and trauailyng in gatheryng together victualles as maie serue them duryng the tyme of famine If these smale crepyng wormes seely and simple beastes prouide for them selues what shall wee saie of man the kyng and ruler ouer all beastes who hath not onely a bodie to prouide for but also a soule to saue More happie are these wormes and beastes in their kinde then a nomber of Princes are For that they by nature onely are taught their foes to auoide neither we by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnes can loue our frendes Therefore verie well it is saide of the wise man that either not to be borne or els beyng borne streight to die is the happiest state that can chaunce vnto man For liuyng in this vale of miserie wee sée the Pilgrimages and trauell of life to be such that better farre it were be a poore quiet man then a busie proude Prince And sith death is the last line of life aswell appointed for princes as for poore men who in reading the liues of Emperours Kinges and Princes the nobles of the worlde seeth not their vnhappie states whiche commyng vnto the worlde naked and departyng from the same naked yet like proude pilgrimes busie one to destroye another not coÌ„tented with countries and kingdomes go from one place vnto another from one couÌ„trie vnto another like Pilgrimes to bee acquainted with miserie and to seeke death Alexander the great conquerour takyng his voiage from his kyngdome of Macedonia vnto India to destroie all the worlde hee was in the citie of Babilon preueÌ„ted by Antipater and Iola his taster and kinsman with poison and there he died Philopomen a greate Emperour sometyme in Greece beyng in prison in Messena taken in the warres and beyng so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates whiche then was Prince of that countrie and conquerour ouer hym one draught of poison he coulde not be coÌ„tent to be Emperour and ruler of Greece but moued to seeke death in a straunge countrie amongest his foes Ladislaus kyng of Apulia endeuouryng to subdue the Florentines and séekyng to bee kyng ouer the Florentines he loste the kingdome of Apulia For by them was hee at length poisoned and so berefte from his owne kingdome and life with this vnhappie kinde of death wer many princes preuented no lesse thretened are these princes of their owne houshold frendes then of foren foes no lesse do their childreÌ„ their wiues brethren and kinsmen studie to destroie them sometyme for the kingdomes sake some tyme for hatered hidden and most ofteÌ„ prouoked of these to spoile them as it is written that Claudius Caesar an Emperour of Rome was poisoned of his owne wife Agrippina Antiochus king of Siria was poisoned of his Queene Laodice for that hee was in loue with Berenices Kynge Ptholomeus sister Constantine the Emperour the soonne of Heraclius beeyng but one yere a ruler of his empire was poisoned by his mother in lawe named Martina The verie cause of the Emperour Conradus death whiche was Frederikes soonne was the Empire and rule of Rome whiche Manfredus his successour made the phisicions for money to poison him that then hee beyng the successour of the empire might beare rule O vnhappie state of Princes whose liues are desired of frende and foe How sore was L. Vectius set on of Caesar to betraie Pompeius the greate whiche for the loue and zeale that Pompeius had in Rome Caesar began to malice Lucullus Curio Cato and Cicero for their priuate loue towarde Pompeius no lesse daunger it is to be in fauour with princes sometime then perilous to bee princes wee reade of a Quéene named Rosimunda the doughter of kyng Cunimunda of Gepida after that she poisoned Albonius king of Longobardes hir first housebande she maried a prince of Rauenâ—a named Helinges which likewise she thought to poison but beyng warned in y e middest of his draught he caused his wife to drinke the reste whiche drinke was the cause of both their death howe manie noble Princes in the middest of their Pilgrimages died that death as Diocletian the Emperour of Rome Lotarius kyng of France Carolus the eight of that name with diuers others as Hanibal prince of Carthage Aristobolus king of Iuda and Lucullus Emperour of Rome Princes and noble men doe sometyme poyson theimselues lest they should
he supposed slaine through deceipt euen so was Alebas chief gouernour of Larissa a citie in Thessalie murthered of his owne souldiors The desire that men beare vnto honour and dignitie is suche that accompaneth with death as Spu Cassius and Spu Melus for the gredines vnto the Empire of Rome wer bothe worthely beheaded God hath shewed iuste vengeance vpon princes for their iniquitie with plagues Pestilences whiche spoiled the Emperor Constantine the Empresse his wife Zoae and by this was Marcus Antonius Alphonsius and Domitius iustly and worthely punished God hath wonderfully punished the pride of princes euen with shamefull and horrible death that Lice and Uermine consumed their bodies a liue As Maximilian the Emperoure Arnulphus Honorificus kyng of the Vandoles and Herode kyng of Iewrie wer eaten vp a liue with vermines and wormes Plini and Plutarche saieth that proude Silla whiche sore plagued Rome and Italie was conuerted all his fleshe vnto lice and so died Herodotus dooeth like wise reporte of one Pheretrina a Quéene of Barcaeans that of this filthie and horrible death died GOD gaue theim ouer in the middeste of their pleasure euen eatyng and drinkyng as Septimus and Valentianus twoo famous Emperours died of surfette for wante of disgestion Archesilaus died presently with one draught of wine What is the life of Princes but an vncertaine Pilgrimages whiche scante seeth his daies fully by nature graunted as we see how and after what sort thei die daiely euery where There was greate difference betwene the Pilgrimage of Vlixes and his felowes whiche Cirses the Witche did chaunge theim vnto diuers kindes of beastes for that thei knewe not what Pilgrimage meante and Vlixes hym self kepte his naturatl shape and frame And for that in his pilgrimage he was wise and painfull in his life he did learne of Aeolus Phisick of Cirses Magicke of Calipso Astronomie and that vnder couler of fables That pilgrimage is onely appointed vnto manne to knowe hym self and to serue his God diuers learned Philosophers as Pithagoras Democritus Anaxogaras trauailed from Grece vnto Aegypte vnto Persia vnto Caldea and to diuers other countries for knowledge sake Anachassis from colde Scythia made his voiage to Athens for learnyng Appolonius from Rome went ouer Caucasus vnto India vnto Assiria to knowe more Philosophie Yea womeÌ„ are famous for their pilgrimage therein as Saba came from Aethiope the farthest part of the worlde to heare Salamons witte and to learne wisedome Cornelia froÌ„ Rome beyng a noble woman wente vnto Palaestina to heare saincte Hierome teache Christians The Pilgrimage that Solon made for AtheÌ„s that Lycurgus made for the Lacedemonians that Architas made for Tarentum are commended The trauaile that Pittacus tooke for the people of Myâ—tilaena that that Cleobulus tooke for the Rhodians that Bias and Thales tooke for the people of Ionia are praised Wee are borne not for our selues but for our countrey and frendes for them wee ought to trauaile For this cause became Plato from a famous oratour in Athens to bée a renoumed souldior at the besiegyng of Corinth and Tenagra For this wente Socrates Platoes maister to Amphipolis and Potidaea a twoo greate cities in Delos to fight for their Countrey Philosophers were not alwaies occupied with bookes but when tyme serued thei were seen in armes as Architas was sixe tymes generall emongest the Tarentines Tyrtaeus elected gyaunde Capitaine emongest the Lacedemonians Xenophon whiche Thucidides highly aduaunce one of the chief Souldiours of kyng Cirus What caused the Philosopher Zeno to resist the princely power of king Antigonus What moued Bias to withstande the force of kyng Aliates In fine what made Phocion Aristides Themistocles and others to become souldiours to stand in armes against their enemies the loue of Athens The pilgrimage of this our life is nothing els but a continuall trauaill vntill we come to our last iourney whiche is death then is the ende of all pilgrimage and iuste accoumpt to bee made for the same ¶ Of Dissimulation and Crafte of Subtiltie and Deceipte DIogenes that Cinike Philosopher makyng hym self ignoraunt somtyme in that which he knewe beste was wont in banquettes and feastes to say if any manne had demaunded what kind of meate wer ther I can not name but I caÌ„ eate it and so would passe to aunswer any thing truely with dissimulatioÌ„s in so muche that Sigismonde the Emperour would saie that he that could not dissemble could not rule At what tyme Galba a Citizein of Rome had bidden a gentleman named Mecaenas vnto Supper perceiuyng the gentleman to bee in loue with his wife fained hym a sleepe for that Mecaenas might shewe some part of his will and loue in the meane season while his wife and Mecaena were in talke and he hym self in dissemblyng slept came one of his seruauntes to take some thinges awaie from the table supposyng his maister had been a sleepe vnto whom his maister saied well you varlet though I see not Mercaenas yet I see to you I sleepe vnto hym and not vnto you The like dissimulation was betwene Demosthenes and Archias at what tyme he fledde Athens for feare of Antipaters displeasure and went vnto the Isle Calauria where in the Temple of Neptune he hid hym self vntill Archias came and promised hym what honour and dignitie he should haue if he could come vnto Antipater and with faire wordes he dissembled with Demosthenes that he came for the purpose from the kyng vnto him Demosthenes perceiuyng his dissimulations and craftie meanes answered plainly to moue hym vnto anger where truthe is oftentimes opened and saied Thou of all men couldest neuer play vpoÌ„ the stages plaiyng thy parte then and now at this tyme thou canst not bee an Oratour to perswade me whereat Archias waxed angrie and threatned to hale him out of the Temple vnto whom Demosthenes answered Nowe perforce thy dissimulation is chaunsed vnto truthe I might hereon staie to note the greate dissimulations betwene Metellus and Scipio whiche was so greate that Metellus faigned that Rome was happie that Scipio was borne therin and yet his mortall enemie all the daies of his life and therefore Fredericke an Emperour sometyme of Rome at what tyme the Senatours would goe sitte aboute the state of the citie would saie before you go vnto the Senate house caste awaie from you twoo thynges that you cary with you and beeyng demaunded of the Senatours what twoo thynges were thei he saied Simulations and Dissimulations In this Philippe of Macedon did differ muche from his soonne Alexander in so muche that Alexander would consente to nothyng but to magnimitie and truthe and his father to all kinde of falshood as seen by subduyng of the Sarunsians and the Cities of Thracia who vnder coulour of peace commaunded his Souldiours to bryng vnder their clokes euery one a coarde that at what tyme kyng Philippe
Greate is the force of famine as by histories we read that when kyng Cambises marchyng towardes the Aethiopians had fallen vnto scarcenesse of victualles and vnto suche penurie and wante of foode vnto the souldiors that thei agréed within them selfes to kille the tenthe throughout all the hoste to asswage honger in so muche that it continued so long that Cambises the king was in greate feare lest the lotte should at length happen vpon hym and so to bee eaten of his souldiours Saguntus a Citie in Spaine sometyme as Eutropius dooeth witnesse in greate amitie with the Romaines and being besieged of the Carthagineans so long that all the citie was brought vnto suche famine that the lords the captaines of the citie made a great fire in the Markette place and there brought all their wealth and substaunce and threwe it into the fire and after made their wiues and then their children to bee burned and laste of all the chief lordes and capitaines ended their liues in flamyng fire lest thei should come vnto the enemies hande so greate was that famine that it was before Prognosticated by a womā brought to bedde whose childe as sone as he was borne entred vnto his mothers wombe againe The like calamitie happened in Caligurium a Citie where Quintilian was borne who beyng likewise long besieged of Cn. Pompeius to bryng them in subiectiō and to kepe promise with the Emperour Sertorius that thei lacke victuall and waxed so hongrie after that all kinde of beastes were slain thei were enforced to eate their owne wiues and children It was seen in Ierusalem when that it was destroied by Vespasian the Emperoure of Rome by the Romaine souldiors howe that the mothers were compelled to eate their owne children for verie honger for their small and tender bones were lefte as a shewe of their miserie Plini in his eighte of naturall histories that when Hanibal laied siege vnto the Citie Casilinum the Romaines souldiours were in such honger that one Mouse was sold for two hundred peeces of siluer and he that solde the Mouse died hym self for honger The Athenians likewise wer brought vnto suche honger by Silla whiche afterwarde was Dictatour in Rome that one Bushell of wheate was solde emongst the souldiors for a thousande Drachmis the common souldiors being poore for want of money one waie and sore plagued with honger an other waie were compelled to eate the gréene grasse of the fieldes aboute the Citie of Athens and to gather the Mosse of the walles of the Citie and eate it This Citie of Athens was often tymes brought vnto that miserie as by kyng Demetrius kyng Philippe and his sonne Alexander the greate So muche was famine feared emōgest the aunciente Greekes that thei vsed in the tyme of aboundancie to scourge famine with roddes out of their houses saiyng For as famen intro diuitias awaie penurie come in plētie We reade in Q. Curtius that Alexander was driuen by honger to eate his Cameller Elephantes and other huge beastes that caried the traines for the warres Suche honger and famine did happen emong the Lacedemonians that the Citizeins of Sparta were so hongrie that thei eate the verie Serpentes that were dead a long while whiche mutitude of Serpentes whiche before wer drouned did presage this greate calamitie to come of whom the people of Sparta though thei were deade a long tyme yet moste hongerly fedde them self and mitigated the rage of famine Doda king of Siria besieging a great famous city in Iewrie called Iora where the miserable mothers were of meere honger enforced to feede of the bowels of their owne children Not muche vnlike vnto that horrible and cruell famine in the countrey of Apulea beyng driuen of the Frenchemen then their enemies in warres that the souldiours were compelled to take the skinnes from their Bucklardes and to warme and boile the harde hornes and to eate them To entreate of the woūderfull calamities miserie and plague that happened through honger it were to much the charge thereof too many aucthorities are manifest in this behalfe Antonius whom Augustus Caesar could neuer vanquishe with force of armes he was driuen to yelde in Etruria in a Citie called Perusia by honger and famine Wherfore that noble Athenian Nicias alwaies thought the easieste waie the spidiest cause of yeldyng vnto the enemies was Famine whiche he shewed at Melos a Citie of Thessalie whereby he made the Citizeins to yelde by honger O ragyng force of Famine O terrible miserie of man whiche compell the parentes to eate the children the children to kill their parētes what beast was spared euer when this happened The people named Hymmi through hōger were constrained to eate their owne Dogges as the Macedonians sometime fedde them selues with Camelles Elephantes Horses and suche like What hearbe was vnsought what roote was not founde to féede this cruell monster As Sabellicus dooeth witnesse of dearthe that chaunced in his tyme that in some partes of the coūtrey of Flaminia and about the fieldes called Piceni the common people did liue by grasse and hearbes and by suche like that proceded from the yearth This was the worlde euer plagued with Famine as with that monster that spoileth and deuoureth it self as we read of diuers that did eate their owne armes and fleshe Againe in the sacred scripture diuers examples we haue of the like sent from God to plague man But because honger one waie is moste excellent if meate maie bee had so hounger an other is moste terrible if the same faile Therfore Stratonicus neuer went to bedde without a Cuppe of drinke by hym not for that he thrusted when he went vnto bedde but leste he thursted in the bedde whiche should compell to doe some iniurie with one or other for that he wanted drinke So did Alphōsus kyng of Arragon when he sawe the poore countrey man gréedily féedyng on Grapes said for that he could not be hongrie O would the goddes had framed me to bee suche one as this is So that hounger is good vnto those that wante the same For Gnefactus kyng of Aegypt hauyng his men of armes in the desertes of Arabia wantyng victuales waxed so hongrie that the poore fare and simple cheare that he got emongest the countrey men was so acceptable vnto hym that he caused a table for a monumente of the same in the temple of Iupiter in Thebes Of diuers famine we reade in scripture that Abraham fledde from the land of Chananea vnto Egypte and Isaac driuen by famine vnto Abimelech kyng of the Palestines and all the soonnes of Iacob were enforced to goe to kyng Pharao where their owne brother Ioseph ruled as chilef officer Famine is appoincted for a iuste scourge to synne ▪ as appereth by the filthy synne of kyng Dauid towarde Urias wife he had to chuse either plague famine or warres which are the instrumentes to punishe offendours ¶ Of warinesse WE leaue
reuenged her old loue and requited his seruice then after this sorte She threwe a greate stone after hym and there killed hym and straight for sorowe callyng to minde the old amitie and hidden loue betwene them hāged her self The reuengement y t Cleonimus that noble famous Lacedemonian who hauing his owne wife in suche admiration of impacient loue that he was as muche hated of her as she of hym was honoured and estemed for she loued onely kyng Acrotatus sonne so deare that her housebande Cleonimus vnderstandyng the same went to Epire to kyng Pirrhus perswadyng hym earnestly to come to Peloponesus and to moue warres against kyng Acrotatus wherby he might reuenge the spite doen of his wife in killyng hym whom she loued beste a greate reuengemente as he thought vnto her then to reuenge vpon her owne persone to spoile hym whom she loue better then her self Valerius Torquatus for that he might haue Tuscus doughter in mariage moued warres out of hande and reuenged the same with bloud For what cause did Progne king Pandions doughter of Athens kill her owne sonne Itis and gaue hym to bee eaten vnto his father and her housebande kyng Tereus of Thrace nothyng but to reuenge her sister Philomela whom her housebande defloured her Why did Nero that cruell Emperour kille Seneca his maister and teacher in all his youth for nothyng but to reuenge olde stripes whiche he receiued at his maister beyng a boie For what purpose did Cateline Silla Damasippus Marius and other take quarelles to plage Rome to punishe all Italie to destroie the coūtrey for nothyng but for that thei could not abide one aboue an other Darius after that he had taken the Citie of Babilon he reuenged his old malice after this sort as Herodot in his third booke affirmeth He made thre thousande of the beste within the Citie bee hanged Attila Kyng of Pannonia slue a leuen thousande virgines at the besiegyng of Colonia So diuers wer reuengemēt emongest menne so cruell yea so foolishe that Xerxes and Cirus twoo greate kynges of Persia that when the water of Hellespont molested Xerxes and troubled his soldiours he forth with commaunded that the sea Helespont should haue three hundred stripes and willed three hundred paire of Featters to bee throwen vnto Hellespont to binde the sea Euen so did Cirus for that the riuer Gindes did droune one of Cirus beste geldynges he made his souldiours to deuide the riuer vnto a hundred and fower score small partes to reuenge Gindes rage towarde Cirus thinkyng that by breaking of the greate rage of so greate a streame that he well and worthely requited the iniuries of Gindes These are cruell reuengers too many are of these in so muche that women reuenge their malice after this sorte As Tomiris Queene of Scithia who to reuenge her soonne Mergabites death slue kyng Cirus and twoo thousandes of his soldiours Too great a slaughter for one mannes death and not yet satisfied vntill she bathed Cirus heade in a greate vessell full of bloudde This Beronice Pollia and diuers cruell women beside could dooe the one is dooen with anger and synne the other is dooen with vertue and aduisemente For princes muste vse aduisement in reuenging must vse wisedome in sufferaunce For as Frederick the Emperour was often wonte to saie that Princes that reuenge hastely and specially wrongfully are like faire markes for good archers to shoote at High towers and loftie buildynges are soner fiered with lightenynges then lowe houses and small cottages For Tiberius Caesar Emperoure of Rome beyng in the Senate house to punishe those euills and to reuenge those harmes that were by some of the citie threatened toward his estate God forbidde saied he that Tiberius should haue so muche idle tyme to heare euill spoken muche lesse to reuēge euill doen. Antigonus kyng of Macedonia besiegyng a Castle in Grece wherein a nomber of bolde Greekes vsed for their pastyme and sporte to scoffe this kyng knowyng the situation of the Castle to bee in suche a place that might not bee subdued Thei therefore laughyng hym to scorne as well for his enterprice therein ▪ as also for his slender persone and croked nose whiche kyng Antigonus had saied he would reuenge all their doynges with sufferaunce and hoped thereby to moleste the enemies double Diuers Heathen princes wer acquainted with this reuengement as Lisander Agesilaus and others for vnto God onely belongeth vengeaunce I will not speake here of suche reuengyng of Princes of Countreis of frendes that al men knowe But of rare reuengement whiche Philosophie taught vnto Socrates towarde Xantippe who beyng at supper hauyng a straunge geste named Enthidemum his wife Xantippe beganne to take her housbande vp with tauntyng and opprobrious wordes whiche because he would not auswere and be moued by her chidinges she ouerthrewe the table with all the meate and the Cuppes whiche whē Enthidemum sawe he was amazed at the ragyng of Xantippe beholdyng Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter but Socrates vnderstandyng that his geste did maruaile at his wife saied haue not you sometyme at home a Henne that will after longe clockyng with a sodaine flight throwe doune your cuppes with her wyng wherewith Enthidemum was fully satisfied with the wise aunswere of Socrates in reuengyng so greate a faulte Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to saie that he had rather suffer iniurie wrongfully then to reuenge iniurie sometyme rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what tyme he was putte to death moste wrongfully of the Athenians euen a little before he should die beyng demaunded whether he would commaunde any thyng vnto his soonne standyng thereby to see his father ende Spake vnto his sonne after this sorte My sonne saied he this I charge and require thée and moreouer beseche that thou will neuer reuenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion vpon the Athenians Solon a noble learned Athenian was wont to reuenge his wronges with these wordes If the fissherman suffer the salte water of the Sea to sprinkle vpon his face and vpon his clothes to weate hym for to take Fishe how muche more ought Solon suffer to speake to winne thē to be frendes Surely these three Philosophers deserue more praise and commendation I meane Socrates Phocion and Solon for the reuengyng of the euill with goodnes and vertue Then euer Alexander the Greate or Iulius Caesar or Theseus whiche reuenged euill with euill Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian beyng one of the officers called Ephori in the Citie of Sparta his brother demaundyng why he might not bee likewise one of the fiue Ephori as well as his brother saied vnto his brother because I can suffer wronge and thou canste not Therefore princes ought not to doe wrong nor yet reuenge wrōg with wrong but with paciente sufferaunce and goodnesse and doyng good for euill thei shall
make foes to become frendes euill men to become good by preuentyng euill with lenitie and gentlenes It behoueth not a wiseman to reuenge iniuries neither doth it become a prince to requite euil with the like but ouercome rather the euill with good Therefore was it truely spoken of the wiseman Sapit qui sustinet he that can suffer is verie wise ¶ Of Thefte and Sacrilege AFTER that gréedie desire vnto wealth had possest a place in mans harte and after that the world was altered from a wealth in common vnto a priuate wealth euerie man with studie and industrie to augment his owne with the spoile of others And bicause Princes began one to suppresse an other to spoile and destroie either others dominion mouyng firste noble men to imitate them in stealyng and takyng awaie perforce others wealth thought it be not an apt epitheton for princes to be called theues and spoylers yet truely by Princes it began by nobles imitated and by all the world at length practised that some became Pirates vpon the Seas some Sacriledges of Temples and some graunde Théeues of countries and kyngdomes For after the deluge of Noah there was neither thefte or sacriledge knowen almost 300. yeres vntill Ninus the third king of the Assirians who first began to plaie the Theif in Asia Dionisius kyng of Sicilia and tyraunt of all the worlde the greatest robber that euer raigned vpon yearth beeyng not satisfied with spoile and theft vpon Landes and Seas but also became a Sacrilege in the Temples of the gods whiche he so neglected that after hee robbed the Temple of Iuppiter in Olimpia he passed foorth vnto Locris to spoile the Temple of Proserpina and from thens vnto Epidaurus to steale the golden beard of Aesculapius This Tyraunte kyng would not suffice hym self vntil he worthily had merited the name of a thief a pirate and a sacrilege Xerxes spared not emongeste others wicked spoiles to sende fower thousande of his soldiours to Delphos to robbe the Temple of Apollo Spartacus a greate prince and a maintainer of thieues gathered a whole armie of fugitiue persones vagaboundes thieues and robbers and marched towarde Rome with warres either to conquere Rome or to be conquered by Rome but there was he and all roges vanquished by Pu. Crassus The Citie of Rome was often in perill by Thieues and robbers as by Silla Catilin and Marius famous spoilers of Italie And as Cercion did robbe and spoile after the Countrey of Athēs so Tittigias in Arcadia was renoumed For theft I might in this place speake of the robbery of the Emperour Nero of the spoile and waste of that beastlie Emperour Heliogabalus and of the sacrilege and theft of Caligula These thrée Emperours stale alwais spoiled and tooke from Rome more then euer thei gaue to Rome Marcellinus writeth that there was somtyme a Kyng of the Parthians named Arsaces which in the beginnyng of his raigne was then named the maister of théeues a teacher and a schoolemaister vnto all robbers and spoilers whiche afterward he subdued Seleucus Alexanders successoure he became famous and renoumed in marshall feates and ciuill policie Herodotus likewise doeth report of one Amazis a Kyng of Egipte who when at any tyme money wanted he was wonte to spoile waste and take a waie all that euer he might either by stealthe or force Thus the names of Princes firste was corrupted that the Poetes iudged well and worthily Mercurie to be the God of Theeues And for the antiquitie of thefte it is thought that Prometheus Duealions Father as Poetes dooe faigue by the aide of Minerua stoole firste fire from Phoebus for the whiche facte was punished in mounte Caucasus after this sorte he was bounde faste by all the Goddes and an Egle appoincted to eate vp his harte and to hale his puddynges a long in furtheraunce and memorie of his theft Hercules and Iason twoo of the moste famous princes that euer Grece fostered went vnto Cholcus to steale the golden Fléece Theseus and Perithus wēt vnto the kyngdome of Pluto to steale Proserpina awaie But I will not speake of suche Thefte for too many examples should bee reade in that behalfe If I might vse suche scope of writyng but I will briefly passe ouer and speake onely of aunciente and famous Théeues whiche for that the nomber is infinite I omittyng tediousnesse speake of fewe for a proofe of my matter There was dwellyng in a rocke nigh Athens ▪ a famous Théefe named Sciron whiche was wonte to throwe headlong straungers that were gestes ouer a rocke vnto the sea and after that he had continewed a long tyme in spoilyng and murtheryng of menne that passed by in takyng their gooddes and liues awaie he was in the same sorte of Theseus putte to death on the rockes vnto the Seas as he was wonte to doe with others Cacus whom Virgil maketh mention the sonne of Vulcanus was so craftie a théefe that hauyng a den in mounte Auentine he vsed to drawe any thyng bacwarde by the taile vnto his caue where he spoiled it whether it were manne or beaste there should he bee broughte by sleight of Cacus to bee destroied vntill he attempted to spoile Hercules by stealthe whiche after long wrastlyng in his denne Hercules with his clubbe slue hym The famous Theefe Scinius vsed suche feates and theftes about Corinth that he would binde any passer by or straungers vnto trees and there would hewe them vnto small gobbettes for their money and substaunce These thrée laste renoumed Théeues are muche mētioned of writers for euen as Capiton kepte hym self fiftie yeres in a denne as a common robber to steale and to spoile so did thei consume their tyme seuerally and in sondery countries as graund Théeues The Argiues were menne moste noted infamous for this faulte in so muche that a Prouerbe grewe of the Argiues Argiuifures that is Argiues are Theeues With the Persians there wer certaine théeues called Cardaces permitted without punishment to steale and to robbe The old Germaines and auncient Egiptians might somtime by lawe and libertie of their countrie likewise steale Lycurgus made lawes in Sparta emōgest the Lacedemoniās that he which did steale without reprehentions or takyng with the theft should be free and he whiche could not artificially steale and attempte Thefte beyng taken should bée punished in so muche Brusonius in his seconde booke doeth intreate of a yong man that stole a yong Foxe the owner therof followyng after demaundyng whether the younge man sawe any where a little Foxe he denied chidyng the Foxe vnder his cloke but the Foxe a subtile beast willyng to shewe hym self vnto his maister did bite and scratche the yongman so sore that his puddynges gusshed out of his side because he suffered hym self so to die by reason that he would not manifest his theft The yongman then deniyng aunswered and saied I had rather die then to bee taken with thefte Wherefore Theophrastus a noble Philosopher
so straunge and so maruailous was it to heare or to see any idle man in Athens The people called MassilieÌ„ses would suffer no trauailers neither Pilgrime nor Sacrificer nor any other straunger to come within their Citie lest vnder colour of religion or of pilgrime thei might corrupte the youthe of the citie with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a lawe made by their wisemen named Gimnosophist that after their meate was set on the table the youth should be examined what thei had doen for their meat what pain what labour vsed thei that whole mornyng before if thei could make accoumpte of their trauaill thei should goe to dinner but if thei had béen idle thei should haue no meate without thei deserued the same with some kind of exercise either of bodie or of minde The like did the young men of Argis made accoumpte vnto their Magistrates of their occupations and workes of their trauaill and paine Euen the Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenias in makyng decrees in settyng of orders in commaundyng their youthe to auoide Idlenesse and exercise trauaile then moste necessarie vnto any common wealth the other moste daungerous So that some Countreis are naturally giuen to trauaill as the Lidians Phrigians Frenche men with others Some againe giuen to Idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians Englishemen with others Some by lawe forced to flie idlenes some by punishemente feared some by death enforced to labour for their liuyng Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten euery where and yet embraced in moste places euery man speake against idlenesse and yet a nomber is in loue with it magistrates and officers appoincted to punishe it but yet thei after fauour it ¶ Of wrath and anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Plato did charge his Scholers alwaies beyng in anger or wrathe to beholde them selues in a glasse wher they might see suche alteration of countenaunce pale in colour tremblyng handes foltred tongues staring eies In fine voide of witte depriued of reason and beyng before reasonable men now brutishe beastes Wherfore that greate Philosopher perceiuyng the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens vnto India where this noble conquerour was at warres with kyng Poâ—us to take hede of wrath and anger saiyng Anger ought not to be in any Prince towarde his inferiour for that may be mended with correction nor towarde his equall for it maie bee redressed with power so that anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander hat no coequales yet in vaine was Aristotles doctrine vnto Alexander in that point for beyng in a banquet when Clitus his deere frende and foster brother commended his father kyng Philip of Macedone to bee the worthiest and most renoumed prince then liuyng Alexander waxed vpon a sudden so angrie to preferre anie man before hym though Philip was his owne brother which was commended and Clitus his especiall frende that did commende hym thinkyng rather to deserue praise at Alexander hand then to spead of death was thrust vnto the harte with a Speare So hastie was this prince that Calisthenes and Lismachus the one his philospher and councelour the other his companion and frende for fewe wordes spoken either of theim slain Silence saith Aristotle is the surest reward vnto a prince And beyng sory afterward angrie withall y t he had likewise kild himself had not Anaxarchus y e philosopher staied perswaded hym We reade that king Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompeius the greate did conquere after waxed so angrie by a fall from his horse bicause his sonne was present and could not preuent his fathers fall thrust hym in his anger with his Dagger vnto the hearte Anger in a prince saieth Salamon is death terrible is the couÌ„tenaunce of a kyng when he is oppressed with wrath hurtfull vnto many odious vnto all is the anger therof Nero was so furious in anger that he neuer hearde any thyng if it were not to his liking but he would requite one waie or other with death in so muche in his rage and anger he would often throwe doune Tables beyng at dinner cuppes of Golde wrought with pearles againste the walles dasht fling meate and drinke awaie more like vnto a furious Gorgone of hell then a sober Emperour in Rome Suche furie raigneth in anger that Orestes Agamemnons soonne slue his mother sodenly in his wrath Clitemnestra Such madnes raigneth in anger that Aiax Thelamonius that famous and valiaunte Gréeke after that Achilles was slaine in the Temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troie waxed so madde and angrie bicause he might not haue Achilles harnes which was geuen before to Vlixes that he beate Stones blockes fought with dead trées killed beastes thinkyng to méete with Vlixes amongest them If anger make men murtherers if wrath make meÌ„ mad without wit or reason to know themselues or others let theim imitate Plato in his anger which being angrie with any of his scholers or seruantes would geue the rod to Xenocrates to correcte theim for that he was angrie the learned Philosopher misdoupted himself that he coulde not vse modest correction euen so Architas would alwaies speak vnto his seruauntes whiche had offended hym Happie art thou that Architas is angrie lettyng his man vnderstande howe dangerous wrath is for as Aristotle saieth the angrie man seeth not the thyng which lieth vnder his féete â–ª Agustus Caesar Emperour of Rome desired Athenedorus a philosopher of Gréece whiche a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and nowe readie to departe vnto Athens his natiue zoile of some sentence that the emperour might thinke of him The philosopher tooke a penne and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou arte moued to anger speake nothyng vntill thou haste recited the Gréekes Alphabets a worthy lesson and a famous senteÌ„ce well worthie to be learned of all men There is nothyng or what can bee more vgglie to beholde more terrible to looke vnto then mans face when he is angrie and the more to be feared for that he hath no rule ouer him self All the painters of Persea had much to do to drawe in colours the terrible countenaunce and firie face of Queene Semiramis who like Maegera or Medusa grime Gorgons and frettyng furies of hell when she hearde that her Citie of Babilon was besiedged of the enemies beyng then dressyng of her head came with heares hangyng and fléeyng in the winde half amazed of the newes vnto babilon whose vglie and fearefull image most like vnto hir at that time stoode as long as Babilon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to maruaile at Wee reade of the like historie of Olimpias whose anger was suche when she thought of hir sonne Alexander she streight waies like a ragyng Lion or a cruell Tiger digged vp the bodie of Iola Alexanders taster who was thought to be
practize with malice two daughters of tyranny neuer séene but hidden in the hartes of flatterers Then I say Gréece was glorious Rome was famous their names were honoured their prowisse feared their policie commended their knowledge knowen their fame spread ouer the whole worlde but when enuie began to soiorne in Gréece and malice to builde her bower in Rome these sisters like two monsters or two grimme Gorgons oppressed Castles destroyed Countreys subdued kingdomes depopulated cities in fine triumphed ouer all Gréece and Italie Hanibal of Carthage Iugurth of Numidia Pirrhus of Epire most valiaunt puissaunt and mighty Princes with long warres and great slaughter withall Their force and powers might not then hurt Rome halfe so much as hidden hatred betwéene them selues in Rome Againe Alexander the great valiaunt Cirus famous Zerxes most mightie conquerours with all their strength of warres coulde not annoy Gréece halfe so much as inwarde enuy betwéene the cities of Gréece What caused Iulius Caesar to war against his son in law Pompeius Enuie What made Adrian the Emperor to despise y e worthy fame of Traian Enuie What mooued Cato surnamed Vtica to kil him self Enuie vnto Caesar hidden hatred working for priuate gaine and rash counsell of flatterye which is harde most often in the enuious mouth haue destroyed kingdomes Enuie entred firste into the heartes of Princes arrested the worthyest conqueror of the world waded the bowels of the wyse blusht not to attaint the learned Philosophers in the mydst of Athens Hercules in killing the great Dragon Priapus that watched in the garden of Hesperides in destroying the rauening birdes Stimphalides in conquering the raging and furious Centaures in vanquishing terrible monsters as Gereon Cerberus and Diomedes in ouercomming the Lion the Boore and the Bull in ouertaking the gilded Hart and last for his conquest of the huge and prodigious Hidra in the seruice of Lerna won no lesse enuie of some than iustly hée deserued fame of others Theseus to imitate the hauty attempts of Hercules ouercame Thebes slue Minotaurus in the dennes of Labirinthus subdued Creon the tiraunt with diuers other large enterprises as one more wyllyng to enuie the fame of Hercules then desirous to deserue fame by lenity and quietnesse So might I speake of Iulius Caesar that enuied Alexander the great and Alexander likewise that enuied Achilles And thus alwayes enuie was fostered with Princes With the wise and learned enuie bare great sway as betwixt Plato and Zenophon the best and grauest Philosophers in their time betwixt Demosthenes and Aeschines betwixt Aristotle and Isocrates one despising the other Such slaughter grew of enuie that one brother kylled another the sonne the father and the father likewise the sonne as Romulus slue his brother Remus of enuie lest he might hée king in Rome Cambises King of Persea killed his brother Mergides as Herodotus doth write of enuie Enuie caused Anacharsis the Philosopher to bée slaine of his own brother Caduidus King Iugurth murthered both his brethren Hiempsalis Adherbales that he only might raigne King in Numidia Cain did kyll his brother Abel the scripture doth testifie that his sacrifice was once accepted Thus enuie was séene and known to bée betwixt brethren betwixt the parentes and their childreÌ„ the like we reade that enuy committed horrible and terrible murther aswell betwixt the husbande and the wife as the children towarde their Parentes as in short examples verified Clitemnestra slue hir owne husbande Agamemnon and shée againe slaine by hyr sonne Orestes Quéene Semiramis kilde likewise hir husbande king Minus and shée kilde euen so by hir son called Minus Agrippina murthered hir husbande Tiberius and shée was euen so murthered of hir sonne Nero. O cruell tiranny that enuie shoulde euer cause such vnnatural murther as one brother to kill another the Father to destroy his sonne the sonne to slea hys father the husbande to murther his wife the wife to make awaye hir husbande Wée reade in Plini of a certen king in Thebes named Athamas that gaue both his sonnes the one named Learchus the other Euriclea to be deuoured of ramping Lions So many monsterous tirauntes brought vp in the schoole of enuy so many deformed Centaures that all countries haue béene full of them When Antiphiles sawe Apelles in great fauour with King Ptholeme hée so enuied the matter that hée tolde the king of spite vnto Apelles that Apelles was the verie cause of the long warres betwéene the Tirians and Egypt to discredite Apelles for verye enuie that hée was great with the King but the matter being knowne and his enuie wayed Appelles was rewarded of the King with a hundred Talentes and Antiphiles for his enuie commaunded afterwarde all the dayes of his life to be the slaue and bondeman of Appelles Themistocles was so gréeued to sée Miltiades so honored for his great conquest and triumph in Marathea that being demaunded why hée was so sadde hée aunswered Miltiades triumphes will not suffer Themistocles to be ioyfull There was no countrie but enuie bare swaye there was neuer no great vertue but it was accompapanied with enuie Caesar was enuied in Rome by Cato Turnus was enuied in Rutil by Drances Vlisses was enuied in Gréece by Aiax Demetrius was enuied in Macedonia after king Cassander dyed what enuie bare M. Crassus towarde Pompeius it is knowne what hidden hatred hadde Pollio towarde Cicero it is read in Brusonius the third booke the 7. chapter where Pollio saith to Messala that hée might not abide Ciceros voice The like we reade of Aristotle who enuied Isocrates so much that hée was woont to saye it were a shame vnto Aristole to holde his peace and lette Isocrates speake For as thereis no light sayth Plini without shadowe so is there no vertue or glory without enuie The wauering state of the vulgar which ruled alwayes Rome and Athens was so mutable and so vncertaine that after wise and sage Socrates was condemned to die bâ—ing deade the Athenians repented his accusers were banished and Socrates now being deade had his pictures erected which being aliue the rude and vncertaine people estéemed nothing â–ª Euen so was Aristides and Themistocles banished vnto Persea Iphicrates vnto Thracia Conon vnto the prouince of Corporos Chabrias vnto Egypt and Cares vnto Sigeum men of excelent vertues of noble seruice of renowmed fame yet by the enuious people banished their owne countries to raunge abrode the worlde Againe Homer was enuied by Zoilus Pindarus by Amphimanes Simonides by Timocreon yea learned Maro and Horas were most enuied and backe-byted by Maeuius and Suffenus What doe I to speak of enuie why waste I time to write of enuie wherefore séeme I so sounde to touch a speciall matter being so common with all men being so nourished in all countries being knowne from the beginning of the worlde and being first practized by the Diuell who enuying mans state
the felicity ioye and pleasure he was in least man shoulde possesse the place where sometime the Diuell raygned as an Aungell deceyued man This enuie tooke roote then in the first age for Cain enuied so his brother Abell that hée slue him for that God accepted Abels sacrifice refused his Ioseph was of his owne brethren likewise sold vnto Egypt for enuie that he was better beloued of his father theÌ„ they were Saule did so enuie King Dauid that hée gaue his daughter Michol in mariage to Dauid for that shée being his daughter might betray hir husbande to the Philistines Dathan and Abiron hadde great enuie toward Aaron Daniell was much enuied in King Nabuchadonosors Pallacies What shoulde I be long in this The Apostles the Prophets the Martires yea Christ himself was enuied at by Iewes and Gentiles Insomuch that tiranny and murther was the sequell of enuie as from time to time tried from age to age séene and from man to manne practized euen vnto deade men shewed as Achilles vnto Hector haling and drawing his bodye about the fieldes of Troye in open sight of King Priamus his father as M. Antonius vnto Cicero hauing Ciceros heade sette before him to ease his Tigrishe minde permitting his wife Fuluia to weare Ciceros tongue in hir Bonet As Cambises vnto the Iudge Sisamenes being deade to flea him being fleane to cut him in péeces being cut in péeces to giue him to be deuoured of beasts birds I might wel declare the tirany of Tullia shewed toward hir father king Ser. Tullius being dead to cause hir Chariot and horse to treade hir fathers bodie in the streates Of Tomyris Quéene of Scithia towarde King Cirus being deade to strike of his heade and to bathe it in blood Of Silla towarde Crassius being deade to burne his bodye more to shewe hir tiranny To note the tirannie of Alexander in Thessalia Of Busiris in Egipt To open the wicked life and state of Dionisius in Siracusa Of cruell Creon in Thebes of Periander in Corinth Of Pisistratus in Athens I shoulde be tedious to amplifie that which may be briefely examined And this we reade and sée dayly by experience that the ende of Tirants is to die in tyrannie and as they deale with others so are they dealt with all As Diomedes and Busyris were woont to feede their Horses with mens fleshe and to breake their thyrst with mens bloode so were they themselues vanquished by Hercules and made foode to be eaten and deuoured of their owne horses which they before fed with other mens fleshe Likewise the great tiraunt Phalaris and that cruell Perillus were both destroyed with those new inuented torments that they made for others I meane the brasan Bull which Perilles made to satisfie the tirannye of Phalaris Thrasillus and Scyron the one teaching the waye of tyranny was first of all in that which hée taught vnto others tormented and slaine the other throwne hedlong into the sea by Theseus euen so as he was woont to doe with others To speake of the great cruelty of Aemilius which as Aristides in Plutarch doth testifie that hée vsed to recompence anye man that woulde and coulde inuent newe tormentes to punishe the innocent and to pleasure his tigrishe minde Hée I saye dwelling in Agesta a Cittie of Sicilia made a brasen horse to vexe and torment the people wherein through the commaundemâ—nt of Arminius Paterculus chiefe magistrate of the Citie he first suffred the assaye of his newe inuented workes Wee reade againe of the fiftie sisters King Danaus daughters called Belides which béeing maried to the fiftie sonnes of Aegistus siue all their husbandes in the first night saue Hipermestra one of them so named spared the life of hir husbande Linceus The like we reade of the thirtie Sisters of Albina which after the selfe same sort made an ende of thirtie husbandes in one night The sequell of tirannye was suche that what wanted in the father was fully employed in the sonne for amendement is rare séene and that which is more often tried and very well considered of a simple woman named Ihera who when she perceyued that the people of Siracusa did wish y e death of Dionisius the tiraunt shée streight knéeled vppon hir knées and besought the Goddes that he might liue and being demaunded why shée prayed for suche a tyraunt shée sayde I knewe thrée kinges in Syracusa euery one a tyraunt the seconde woese than the first the thirde worse than the seconde and now Dionisius being the fourth worse than the thirde and hée that shall be fift I feare least hée be worse than Dionisius and therefore I praye the Goddes he might liue for of two euilles the lesse is to be chosen Marke howe in a simple woman in a sillie person truth often doth soiourne The like of a certen husbande man wée reade that digging in the grounde when the murtherers that slue king Antigonus passing by in haste taking their flight into Phrigia demaunding a husbande man why he digged so déepe I digge vp sayde hée an other king Antigonus to rule Macedonia letting them to vnderstande the true Prouerbe that séeldome comes the better that hée that woulde come after shoulde be farre worse than King Antigonus O happie age O golden worlde while tiranny was not knowne The great Monarchies of the world were gotten with tirannie and likewyse through tiranny lost The first Monarch after the great deluge was that of the Assyrians which began vnder Ninus the third king of the Assyrians and continued in slaughter and tiranny vntill Sardanapalus time the last king whiche was a thousande two hundred nine and thirtie yeares From the Assyrians it was woonne with the sworde and brought with violence and tiranny by that cruell and blouddie Arbactus vnto the Meedes and remayned there vntill king Astiages which was the ninth king and lasâ— king of the Meedes two hundred and fifty yeres from the Meedes it was had by tiranny awaye by king Cirus vnto Persea and there stayed vntill the time of king Darius which was two hundred and thirtie yeares from the Perseans it was with bloode and great slaughter taken awaye by Alexander the great vnto Macedonia and there maintayned vntill Perseus time which was a hundred and seuen and fiftie yeares from the Macedonians it was posted vnto Rome where vnder Iulius Caesar the prowdest Monarche in all the worlde fomed in bloode florished in tirannye a long while Thus tirannie was fedde and fostered from one countrie vnto an other vntill almost the whole worlde was destroyed The murther and tirannye that long florished in Gréece betwixt the Thebans and the Lacedemonians againe betwixt the Lacedemonians and the Athinians betwixt the Athinians and all Gréece Who readeth it not in Thucidides Tamburlanus the great murtherer King sometime in Scithia got through tyranny Medea Albania Mesopotamia Persea and Armenia passed ouer Euphrates subdued Asia the lesser and tooke
Pazaites king of the Turkes Zerxes called all the Princes of Asia in his voyage towarde Gréece where such tiranny was vsed that not onely Citties and countries were destroyed but also their Temples and their Goddes neglected and spoyled The huge tiranny betwixt King Darius of Persea and Milciades Prince of Athens who slue a hundred thousande of Darius men The slaughter of King Cirus after he hadde exiled his Grandfather King Astiages from Persea vanquished the Babilonians and ouerthrew Cressus King of Lydia after hée had I say subdued the most part of Asia ceased not of his tirannie vntill hée came to Scythia where hée and two hundred thousand were slaine of one woman Tomiris Quéene of Scythia who after shée hadde slaine him shée caused his heade to be cut off and made it to be bathed in a great Tunne of bloode saying these wordes nowe Cirus drinke ynough of that which thou hast alwayes sore thirsted for Blood doth require blood and tyranny will haue cruelnesse Antiochus fomed in tiranny brought in subiectioÌ„ Egypit India with other confines Hanniball excelled all men in tyranny as both Rome and Italy can well testifie thereof To speake of King Philippe and his sonne Alexander the great their tyranny their conquest and bloodie wars it were superfluous as Thessalia Thebes Larissa Olinthians Phoceans Lacedemonians Athenians Perseans and Indians all Asia are witnesse thervnto Pirrhus Antigonê° Pompeiê° the great with infinite moe bloody Kinges and Capitaines which more reioyced with tyranny to offende others then with iustice to defende their owne For the triumphes of cruell Capitaines is to ioye in tyrannie the wishe and desire of the vngodly tyraunt is to destroy all thirstie alwayes of bloode hungrie continually of murther and slaughter What wished Caligula the Emperour to his owne Cittie of Rome forsooth one necke that with one stroke hée might strike it of The difference betwixt a gentle and a godly Prince and a cruell tiraunt is and hath béene alwayes séene King Codrus of Athens how farre excelled hée cruell Caligula when by an Oracle it was tolde vnto the Athenians that they shoulde neuer haue victory during the life of Codrus their King which when the king knewe hée clothed him like a common souldiour nay rather as the historie sayth like a poore begger went vnto the middest of his enimies to be slaine to saue Athens Howe much did noble Curtius and famous Decius surmount that cruell and Tigrishe L. Silla and that wicked impe C. Mariê° they through the like Oracle moued were redie in harnesse to mount on horsebacke to offer themselues aliue vnto an open dampe and gulfe to saue Rome the other with sworde and fire no lesse willing to destroy Rome then studious to spoyle their natiue zoyle and countrie of Italie Againe Thrasibulus was not so beneficiall vnto Athens but Cateline was as hurtefull vnto Rome Diuers Princes and noble men haue béene no lesse studious howe to kéepe and defende their countries than they were loth and vnwilling to trespasse other countries Happy were those places and most happy are they that spéede of such Princes Howe famous was Thebes while Epaminondas liued How renowmed was Sparta while yet Agesilaus ruled Howe happie was Rome when Fabius Maximus bare swaye Howe florished Athens when Pericles with his magnanimitie when Themistocles with his worthinesse when Demosthenes with his wisdome defended their state The vertuous liues of godly Emperours which time aduaunced to fame and fame spread ouer the whole worlde as of Traian Constantine Augustus Alexander Seuerus with others which were to be honored and worthylye hadde in memorie The cruell tirannye of other wicked magistrates which neyther time can take awaye nor any good nature forgette as that very shape of shame sinck of sinne that beaste Heliogobalus that tiraunt Nero that monster Caligula with Domitian Dionisius and others which are to be detested and vtterly lothed Laertius in his thirde booke doth write that the people of Agineta had a lawe written that if any of Athens should come vnto their great Cittie Agni hée should by lawe loose his heade When Plato the Philosopher hadde happened to come to that Cittie it was tolde Carmendius who then was chiefe Iudge for that yere that a man of Athens was in Aeginia which ought by lawe to die he calling Plato before him in a great assembly demaunded what he was and he sayde a Philosopher a certen enuious man vnto learning hearing the name of a Philosopher sayde this is no man but a beast then sayde Plato I ought to be frée by our law being a beast and not a man and so pleaded the matter that by the name of a beast Plato was demissed appliyng the sence and morall thereof that with tyrauntes and enuious people beastes are better estéemed then men Such is the furious rage of tyranny that without mercie and respect of person hée féedeth his furie King Atreus brother to Thiestes and sonne to King Pelops slue without pittie the thrée sonnes of hys brother Thiestes whose bloode hée caused Thiestes his brother and their father to drinke vnawares I say after he hadde hidden their bodyes in a caue he cut of their members and made their father to eate thereof The like Historie we reade in Iustine that king Astiages made Harpagus to eate his owne children dressed readie and made to be serued at the Kinges table in two siluer dishes before Harpagus the father Of which as one ignoraunt of such tiranny hée fedde thereof Mithridates the bloodie king of Pontus slue his thrée sonnes and thrée daughters kilde hys wife Laodices and maried an other straight named Hipsicratea Tiranny lurcketh in the hidden vaines and secret bowels of enuie for euen as Mithridates slue his wife Laodices so Constantine the great Emperor slue his wife Fausta and Nero murthered his wife Poppea To speake of Cleander Aristratus Strates Sabillus with innumerable more I shoulde wearie any reader with the prolixity therof The state of Rome where such chaunge was by meanes of tiranny that now they raigne vnder Monarchia and then vnder streight Aristocratia And thus the common séeking by chaunge the amendement of Princes kept alwayes the chiefe rule and gouernement of the Cittie of Rome vnder Democratia which is the popular gouernement considering the corruption of Princes to the immortall fame and perpetuitie of credite Though it be a harde question to knowe where tirannye is least shewed eyther in that common welth where the people bare swaye or where elected number doe rule or where one doth gouerne which is hardely discussed and disputed of the learned for the maintenaunce of eyther of these but that shall be touched in the Chapter of common wealthes and gouernement of Princes ¶ Of flattery FLatterie is the swéete bayte of enuie the cloake of malice the onelye pestilence of the worlde a monster ougly to beholde if it coulde be séene
gotte more couÌ„treis cities and triumphes by the eloquence of Cineas then euer he wanne by his force of warres This Cineas perceiuyng the king to be verie couetous and moste desirous of wealthe in so muche that he longed sore for the spoile of the citie of Rome consideryng the wealth of the Romaines he saied to kyng Pirrhus after this sort What if Fortune would sende God permit you to be king of Rome What would you theÌ„ doe Pirrhus saied Italie is a fertile countrey and full of wealth I should sone subdue Italie if I were kyng of Rome Then Cineas demaunded againe what after you had Rome and all Italie would you doe Pirrhus aunswered there is a famous Isle called Sicilia adioynyng harde vnto Italie verie populous and riche meete for the kyng of Rome Cineas asked the third tyme what then will you doe Pirrhus saied beyng kyng of Rome of Italie and of Sicilia I would sone subdue Carthage and then mighte I well conquere all Libia Cineas beyng almoste wearie in demaundyng this coueteous Prince the ende of his desire asked the fowerth tyme what would kyng Pirrhus doe then The kyng answered all Grece then should be at my commaundement Cineas vnderstandyng that there was no ende of his vnsatiate and greedie mynde asked of Kyng Pirrhus what if you were lorde ouer all the world Pirrhus said then I and thou would bee merie and would liue at reste So there is no ende prescribed to the desire of the auarous vntill he hath all hym self Proued by Marcus Crassus the wealthiest and the coueteous Romaine that euer dwelte in Rome so wealthy was this man that he adiudged no man riche but he that might with money keepe an armie of souldiors in the fielde so couetous was this Romaine again that he was not sufficed with all his huge wealthe and monstrous riches but thursted for more in so muche that after he was slaine emongest the Parthians people of greate wealth hauyng knowledge of his greedinesse to gooddes thei melted golde in reproche of his auarice vpon his head and willed hym to drinke his bealie full of that which he long thursted for Euen as the heade of Galba a coueteous Emperour sometyme of Rome was smitten of and filled full of golde and offered at the Sepulchre of Nero in obloquie and slaunder of their filthie and greedie liues bothe for that whiche the couetous man doeth honour a liue the same dishonoureth hym being deade The Subiecte that is auarous is perilous to a Prince And the prince that is couetous is odious to his subiectes Acheus a wealthie kyng in Lidia taryng molestyng â–ª and alwaies moste cruelly vexyng his subiectes waxed so hatefull to his owne subiectes that through his auarous dealyng by popular sedition was murthered and hanged ouer the Riuer Pactolus with his heade douneward where golde was so plentie that the waues thereof offered Sandes of gold in token he could not moderate his desire a liue he was sette beyng deade ouer the golden Riuer Pactolus to féede his auarice What greater infamie can happen to a Prince then coueteousnesse Kyng Darius hauyng obtained the Citie of Babilon through the falshode of Zopirus possessyng all the wealthe substaunce and treasures of the kyngdome of Persia hauyng all the spoile of the citie readyng the Epitaph of Quene Semiramis whiche she caused to bee sette on her graue to trie onely coueteous Princes that should succede her she made to bee written this little sentence What Kyng or Prince so euer thou art wantyng golde or siluer open my tombe and thou shalâ—e finde to suffice thee Darius I saie not contented with all the kyngdome of Persia caused the graue to be opened sought and searched euery where within the tuÌ„be vntill he sawe written in the inside of the stone this verse O thou wicked wretched prince if thou haddest not been moste coueteous thou haddest neuer opened Graues to come to deade folkes for money The like repulse had this Xerxes Kyng Darius soonne after he made the graue of kyng Belus to bee opened for money and finding nothyng but the like sentence written on a shorte Table as his father kyng Darius founde before in the tombe of Semiramis which sentence saied that he whiche should open kyng Belus graue and would not fill that glasse with oile whiche was in his graue should haue an euill ende which happened to kyng Xerxes afterwarde for that he was coueteous to spoile quicke and deade for money and not so liberall as beyng a Prince as to fill vp kyng Belus glasse with oile Thus auarous princes sought for money with dead men There is no respecte to place with the coueteous man sithe he hath no regard to any persone for money sake What respect had L. Septumilius to his assured and deare frende C. Gracchus when Opimius then Consull in Rome and greate enemie vnto Gracchus allured hym with money to betray him his manifest faithe before vnto his frend by couetousnes was altered vnto open enemitie for money he sold his frende for money he murthered his frende for money he lugged his frendes bodie rounde about the streates of Rome O howe infamous art thou Septumilius for thy auarice What respecte had Ptolomeus to his singulare and often approued frende Pompeius the great who to auoide the force of Caesar the Emperour fledde for succour vnto Egipte where the kyng his supposed frende caused one named Bustus to strike of his heade and made his officer Photinus to sell Pompeius heade for money vnto Caesar. What regard had Polimnestor kyng of Thracia to his frende and nigh kinsman Polidor At what tyme Polidors Father kyng Priamus sente hym in trust to his cousin Polimnestor for old acquaintaunce and affinitie with greate substaunce and wealthe of Troie to kéepe to the vse of kyng Priamus who perceiuyng the state of Ilion and roiall sceptor of Phrigia readie to yelde the fatall flames Coueteous Polimnester without regard of frendshippe before or respect of kindrede either vnto kyng Priamus or to his sonne Polidor slue his frende and kinsman to possesse the wealthe whiche Polidor had Oh vnhappie metall that thus moue menne to tyrannie O wicked money that make men murther frendes O moste cruell coueteous to perswade men to betraie men to kille father and mother to deceiue Cities and Countries to forsake faithe to subuert kyngdomes L. Silla a moste wicked and coueteous farre to bee hated and lothed before Crassus that wicked and auarous Impe of Rome passyng all menne bothe in wealthe and coueteousnesse that in so muche he became through gréedie desire of his vsuall mynde so cruell that he was called an other fire brande of Italie suche tyrannie proceadeth from his coueteousnesse that not onely in forraine Countries became a cruell enemie in spoilyng and robbing but also in Rome and Italie his natiue zoile a terrible tyraunte burnyng and murtheryng bothe Countries and the people This Silla could neuer
vnto higher honours and dignities by sundrie studie and seache of coueteous desire The gentleman in heauyng his rentes in spoiling his tenauntes in takyng all from and giuyng nothing vnto The marchauntes attempt the slipperie Sandes of Sirtes thei saile ouer Charibdus and Silla through surgyng seas to hasarde life for the Pearles of India and thus all for money O wicked worlde what profited Cirus to be kyng of Persia of greate fame and glorie and then by coueteousnesse to bee vanquished by a woman Tomiris Queene of Scithiae and twoo hundred thousande souldiors beside hym his heade beyng smitten of and caste vnto a barell of bloud to drinke that whiche auarice compelled hym to attempte What did it auaile kyng Antigonus to name hym self the Rasor of Asia the Shauer of Macedonia preferryng his own vnsatiate desire before Alexander the Greate vpon a bragge of his auarice boastyng Alexander to bee but a Reaper of Asia and Antigonus the sharpe shauer and spoiler thereof the one poisoned in Babilon in the middest of his triumphes and lefte thirtie daies vnburied without regarde or honour yea without any to putte in the grounde The other slaine and cutte in peeces emongeste his mortall foes Alexander kyng Pirrhus soonne What shoulde I recite sondrie Princes priuate persones wholie addicted to this vile auarice but Kyngdomes and Countries altogether drowned in this miserable Coueteousnesse The Lacedemonians the renowmed people of the whole worlde after their long banishemente of money and manly contempte of wealth at length corrupted by Lisander to embrace coueteousnes in Athens the sacred aucthor of learnyng the Well of Philosophie after they had despised Kyng Philip of Macedonia and all his wealthes in fine brought in subiection by money valiaunt Thebes while Spaminondas liued subiect to no desire desirous of no riches but yet allured to yelde to money in so muche they waxed so couetous they beganne one to warre against another that in séeking to be Lords and chief one ouer another they became slaues and subiectes to forren princes whiche all the while they were not moued by couetousnes they resisted the violence of their enemies but euen as Aesopes dogge was not contented with the meate that he had in his mouth but beyng gréedie to snatche at the shadowe thereof he lost that whiche he caried in his mouth Had not Hanniball been couetous of Rome and Italie he had not loste Carthage and Libia Had not Pirrhus been desirous to possesse Macedonia he had not been dispossessed of Epyre. If Mithridates had béen contented with y e whole kingdome of Pontus If the greate kyng Antiochus had not thursted for Aegipt he had not been banished from Assiria Such coueitousnes grewe on a sodden in the citie of Rome that Iugurth kyng of Numidia woulde often saie that Rome woulde haue been sould for money If Biers and Sellers could haue happened to mée So couetous waxed Rome that all thynges were soulde for money in so muche that when Antiochus had prepared a greate armie sumptuously appointed with Helmets Speares Targats of Siluer and demaūdyng of Hanniball whether he was well appointed to fight against the Romaines Haninball vnderstandyng the wealth and substance of the Souldiours of Antiochus one waie and not ignorant of Romains force for that he .xvj. yeares had famous warres against them perceauyng the desire and gréedines of the Romaines to substaunce another waie answered kynge Antiochus after this sorte There is sufficient at this tyme for the Romaines though they be euer so coueitous O Rome the Lampe and Lantarne of the worlde while money was not knowen O Sparta most renowmed while yet the lawes of Licurgus was obserued when harde Iron was coined for money then Rome florished then Sparta prospered then Romaines were feared and Lacedemonians dréeded O golden worlde before the coine of Iron when shamefastnes ruled the people and iustice gouerned princes It is seldome seen whē wealth encreaseth that auarice abateth for as the world grew vnto wealth so it grewe vnto couetousnes when gold was found firste by Cadmus in Mounte Pangaeum as both Plinie and Herodotus affirme then was no earth digged no Seas saild no countreis trauailed vnto for money but now they haue digged vnto the verie bottome of Caucasus vnto the depest parte of the yearth and like to digge Pluto out of hell if thei continue saith Phalerius There is no dangerous Ile on yearth no gapyng Gulfe in Seas but money hath sought it out Would to GOD some ofspringes of kyng Agis who sometime in Sparta commaunded al the riche Citizins to bryng their Bookes and Billes of accoumptes vnto the common Haull where and when he perceiued the Lacedemonians to bee muche geuen vnto auarice the Citie of Sparta vnto vsury he called for all the billes of deptes the creditours assuryng themselues of paimēt was rewarded after this sort al their billes and bookes of deptes burned before their face with a full sentence of the kyng and the wisemenne Ephori Agesilaus was wont to speake that kyng Agis fire was the best that euer was in Sparta farre better then Neros fire who burned and would haue often flamed the noble citie of Rome where hee was Emperour and gouernour of Agis burned the scroules of Usurie and coueitousnes in respecte of his tender loue towarde the people of Sparta Nero set afire the whole Citie in consideratiōs of his hatred towardes his owne Subiectes trustyng more the spoile and the wealth of Rome then readie to gouerne the state of the Empire with wisedome and vertue Kynge Agis exclamed with famous Maro against money and coueitousnes the Emperour Nero did alwaies crie out and procure that verse of Horace saiyng O Citizins first séeke money and then trauaill for vertue There should no straunger inhabite Sparta that was either riche or desirous of riches but when they began to embrace wealth to loue money to wear Golden Ringes on finger Pearles hangyng at their eares Bracelettes aboute their armes Chaines about their neckes at length they weare Gold and precious stones on their showes then wantonnes and lecherie were firste chambered then glotonie and dronkennes were fostered then vices and wickednes began to preuaile Uertue and Godlines beganne to be oppressed Thus Auarice first began by princes and maintained by all sorte of men then of couetousnes sprong vp desire of fame and glory not only in Kesars and Kinges but in meane and simple persons how simple a slaue a vile abiect most desirous of fame Herostratus by name burned the greate Temple of Diana coumpted one of the seuen wonders for hir monstrous and huge buildinges detected himself of the crime to become famous Pausanias a meane man in respect demaundyng of his frende Hermocles how he might be famous was councelled to kill kyng Philip kyng of Macedonia father vnto Alexander the greate whiche as willyng he did accomplishe as hee was
Priscus wife when she saw the flames playing about Seruius Tullius head she affirmed thereby that he shoulde be king in Rome The thirde is Aeromancy which vseth to prognosticate things by the ayre as by flying fowles and tempest of weather as when it rayned Iron in Lucania it did praesage sayde they the death of Marcus Crassus amongst the Parthians or as Liui writeth when it rained stones in Picen at the seconde warres of Carthage it was to shewe the slaughter and murther that Hanibal shoulde do in Italy The .4 is Hydromancy to iudge things to come by sight of water as Varro doth report of a boy that sawe y e picture or image of Mercury in the water pronouncyng and recityng all the warres of Mithridates King of Pontê° that shoulde folowe in verses There are two other kindes of Magick the one named Giomancy to declare and expounde thinges by the openyng gapyng and moouyng of earth the other Chiromancy to iudge by lines of handes cauled Paulmestry These are they that Cicero maketh mention of in his first booke of diuinations where he saith Cum non sibi sapiunt semitam alijs tamen monstrant viam they wyll teach others that way that they know not them selues They wyll teach others howe to haue money and substaunce and yet they are them selues poore beggers alwayes in the house of Codrus hangyng at the sléeue of Irus There is againe a kinde of Soothsaying whiche was first practized in the lande of Hetruria where a certen husbandman plowed In the fielde called Tarquimen a certen man appeared in â—ight which sprang vp from the grounde which then was plowed named Tages in face and countenaunce much lyke a young childe but in wisedome and discretion farre surmountyng any sage Philosopher This taught all the lande of Hetruria Plini saith that one Delphos first enuented Soothsaying and Amphiraus enuented first Soothsaying by fire Polidorus describeth another sort of Soothsayers which were woont to coniecture and foreshowe by beastes slaine to bée sacrificed whether the heart the lyuer or such lyke did perish as Caesar which when he sacrificed an Oxe vnto Iupiter which had no hart wherby y e Soothsayers prognosticated the infelicity mishap of Caesar. Afterwarde likewise king Zerxes in his wars against the Gréekes a Mare being a stoute warlike beast brought forth a Hare a timorous and fearefull thing whereby they declared the ouerthrowe of Zerxes and his huge armie the flight and cowardnesse thereof Againe there is a kinde of southsaying by lightning thunders and tempestes The follye of men were such that they thought nothing to be in the world but had hidden knowledge concerning mâ—n They woulde take nothing in hande without some Oracles of Iupiter or Apollo They reposed more trust in flying fowles in theyr chirping notes concerning anye attemptes which they tooke in hand then in their owne force and strength They had more confidence in beastes of the fielde they trusted I say more in elementarie sightes In fine there was nothing almost but they had more respect eyther vnto the colour the voyce the proportion and such like toyes than they had in them selues as before mencioned in the worshipping of their Goddes and institution of Religion These foolishe toyes were first obserued amongst y e Chaldeans from Chaldea vnto Greece from Greece vnto Hetruria from Hetruria vnto Rome from Rome vnto all Europe they were scattered Wherefore Moyses that wise Hebrue and the singuler instrument of God for his people commaunded that no man shoulde consult with these wicked and abhominable faculties saying vnto his people You shall not beléeue southsayers neyther shall you trust vnto dreames The Iewes were so aduced to obserue these augurations that they woulde not vnto warre at any time without some warnings and coniectures had by some birde or beast insomuch that one Mossolanus a Iewe borne a wiseman noted in his countrie and making his voyage vnto warres as Iosephus in his first booke of Antiquitie doth write was commaunded and all his hoste to staye vntill a certaine southsayer woulde go to consult and knowe the successe of the warres which then they hadde in hande with a birde harde by the armie which when this wiseman Mossolanus perceyued howe they were enclined and wholy bent to be instructed by diuination he tooke his bowe and an arrowe and slue this birde whereat the souldiours were so amazed and the southsayers so angrie that had not Massolanus perswaded with the people wisely he had bene lyke though he was theyr Capitaine to haue bene by his owne souldiours slaine which after long tumult made and great anger threatened Mosolanus spake after this sort vnto his souldiours Do you thinke that birdes beastes and such like dumbe things can forshew thinges by you which know nothing of them selues for beholde the birde which you trusted most vnto and likewise your southsayers coulde not sée nor knowe to auoyde my purpose when I slue him Do you trust that thing for your liues which is ignoraunt of his owne death O blindenesse of people which yet remaineth in this age And hauing briefly past the inuentors of Sciences in sundrie countries men were much giuen to finde other necessaries for to liue by studious to make thinges profitable for theyr countries carefull to augement the state and life of man vnto such perfections that the Cyclopians were the first workers of Iron worke The Lacedemonians the first inuentors of harnesse speares swordes and bucklers for warres people thereby most renowmed The Atheniaus taught first to plant trées and Uineyardes The Phrigians made first the Chariotes and wagons The Lydians vsed first to dresse woolles And so the people of Caria practised first Bowes arrowes And the Phenitians the Crossebowe Then other perticuler matters were likewise sought out by diuers speciall men in speciall countries for the vse of man as Oyle and honye by Aristeus Keyes by Theodorus the Samian Ships to sayle by Iason Ericthonius Siluer Cadmus Goulde Thus then euery where eche man in his pilgrimage did some thingâ— worthie of memorie Thrason renowmed for his loftie walles and hye towers Danaus for his welles and digging water Cinira for finding out Copper brasse leade and suche other mettell Ceres for sowing of Corne And Baccus for planting the Uine that the worlde in time waxed not so populus one waye but it grewe skilfull in thinges and plentifull of lawes for the redresse and safegarde of man ¶ Of Patience PAtience is such a vertue saith Cato the wise in all aduersities the best medicine to a sickeman or the surest plaister to any sore is pacience it comforteth the heauie it reioyceth the sadde it contenteth the poore it healeth the sicke it easeth the painefull it hurteth no man it helpeth all men therefore sayde the wiseman Byon that the greatest harme can happen vnto man is not to be able to sustaine and absteine For this was Tiberius Caesar much commended of
Suetonius that hée suffred in frée Cities townes frée tongues Philippe King of Macedonia when certaine Embassadours of Athens came to him he requiring them if he might stande in any stéede to Athens to certefie him of the same to whome Demochares one of the Ambassadours aunswered that the greatest pleasure that he coulde do to Athens was to hange himselfe The King most pacient in such skoffes and tauntes sayde The reprochefull sclaunder of the Athenians doe make King Phillippe better able to reuenge theyr malice by warres then to mooue him to aunswere theyr backebiting in wordes A Prince not onely pacient in hearing but also wise in aunswering As sometime the Emperour Alexander Seuerus in Rome when it was signified vnto him after Antonius was dead that the barbarous nations were ready to enter the Citie of Rome and that he was muche rebuked of the people and blamed of the Senators for the slender care he had vnto the Citie hée as Herodianus affirmeth aunswered that it belongeth to Princes to reuenge the good and not to aunswere the euill for wisemen will speake euill of no man in the beginning least they shoulde be iudged fooles in the ende where into all thinges are directed and whereby all thinges are prooued So pacient was Anaxagoras when it was toulde him that his sonne was deade to aunswere merily I knowe my sonne was mortall So pacient was King Antigonus being certefied of his sonne Alcionus death to aunswere I lookt no other than for his death So pacient was Pericles when he hearde that both his sonnes dyed in one daye to kéepe his countenaunce merrie his chéere vnchaunged and his businesse about the state of his countrie not delayed But Harpalê° was of passing patience being bydden of Astiages King of Persea to supper where he had two sonnes of his readye drest and laye in a siluer dishe before him on the table to be eaten of their owne father The king nay the tyraunt marked the countenaunce of Harpalus perceyuing him not to be mooued much at the matter asked him howe hée liked his supper he without alteration of colour chaunge of countenaunce framed himselfe to aunswere the King merily commending much the supper as one that knewe that patience was the onely remedy in tirannie A second Iobe in pacience he passed Iobe for Iobe knewe how his God did suffer Satan to punish him for loue he had to Iobe but Harpalus perceyued that this tyraunt did this to him of tyrannye and euill will farre from christianitie for in this vale of misery wée count him wise and certayne we may call him most wise that can in prosperitie be gentle and in aduersitie be pacient Both these examples were séene in one man in one daye at Rome Paulus Aemilius hauing his two sonnes the hope of Rome and comfort of the father the one deade foure dayes before the triumphs of Macedonia the other thrée daies after y e triumph returning from Macedonia with that noble victory with such triumphes vnto Rome that no man coulde finde in his heart to tell this noble Romane of the heauinesse in Rome and of the death of his childreÌ„ a ruthfull thing it was to ioyne to such great ioyes victories and triumphes such wofull chaunce sadnesse and mourning but fortune accompanieth the one with the other This noble Romane perceyuing the people of Rome to be so sadde and he so merrye they so heauy with sobbes and sighes hée so glad of his triumphes and victories demaunded the cause but being at length knowne he then comforted them that shoulde comfort him saying I thanke the Goddes more to gyue me victories ouer my enimies to the glorye and fame of Rome then I accuse fortune to spoyle me of my children which by nature were borne to dye though much it be to my gréefe yet wish I the gods to tender y e like to the father as they did to the sonne so that the like conquest and glorie happen to Rome In this was both magnamitie and patience Some men are pacient in thinges as in a corporall paine some in tormentes another is pacient of iniuries done I commende them both but to be pacieÌ„t in al kind of afflictions aduersitie heauen earth commendeth him That is a kinde of pacience which Plini applyed to Anarchus saying Of all men one man Anarchus Augustus most patient in tormentes Of all women Laena to kéepe silence So were the Egyptians people of great patience they had rather die in tormentes with patience than to betraye any man The Gimnosophistes of India were so patient that from Sunne rising vntill night vpon the hote sande without meate and drinke sayth Plini from one seate to another to beholde the heauens the Sunne the Moone c. The Lacedemonians most pacient in trauayle payne winde weather and warres The people of Sparta at what time certaine men of Chios come to pilgrimage vnderstanding the wise men of Sparta called Ephori to be in all things most pacient to mooue them to anger they vomited before them and then went where Ephori sat in iudgement and vsed it as a coÌ„mon stoole to discharge and â—ase nature When they came to Chios againe they sayde that the wise men of Sparta were fooles and blockes that they could not mooue them to be angry but not so angrie as they were beastly In this kinde of patience was Mithridates King of Pontus was Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians was Masinissa king of Numidia most pacient So pacient was that Emperour Augustus that he suffered a younge man of Sicilia to aunswere him as bouldly as he had demaunded merily that where the Emperour asked him being lyke in countenaunce and preportion whether euer his mother had béene in Rome meaning thereby that he might be his father if she had bene there but the younge man perceyuing the sleight of Augustus aunswered boldely and sayde My mother was neuer in Rome but my father hath béene diuers times in Rome meaning that the Emperour might be his brother rather that way then he to be his sonne the other way by his mother Bicause pacience is better knowne by reading of diuers Princes anger and wrath I will them to reade the chapter of anger where they shall sée what hurt was done what wickednesse was committed by impaciencie which might haue béene redressed and saued by patience wherefore auoyding prolixitie it shall be spoken in the one what wanteth in the other reade sayde he that seueritie waxed vnto tyranny and tyranny in a Prince worketh his destruction and that lenitie is the most soundest state in a Prince who séeth not the experience thereof Certenly Nero Caligula and Heliogabolus were neuer so cruell as these thrée noble Emperours Augustus Trâ—ian and Seuerus were gentle and méeke Alphonsus the great king of Aragon geuyng care a long wâ—ile to his fréendes to finde fault with his often pardonyng and forgeuyng those that offended much his owne person
Marcus Antonius was conuicted by Augustus Caesar the Emperour she had rather to bee ouercomed with Serpentes then subdued by Caesar. With this death was Opheltes Lycurgus sonne kyng of Menea vanquished Again some of wilde Bores and ragyng Lions perished as Anceus kyng of Sâ—mos and Paphages kyng of Ambracia perished in the like miserie the one by a Boore the other by a Lion Some by Dogges as Linus Apollos sonne Plini in his seuenth booke maketh mention of a Quéene in Bythinia named Cosinges kyng Nicomedes wife whom her owne dogges slue and tare in péeces Euripides that learned Greeke commyng in the nighte tyme from Archelaus kyng of Macedonia with whom he had béen at supper was by an ill willer of his mette named Promerus whiche set his dogges to mangle hym vnto death EueÌ„ so were Heraclitus and Diogines bothe Philosophers by dogges likewise deade I maie not forget so greate a Prince as Basilius the Emperour of Macedon which in huntyng emongest his lordes and nobles yea emoÌ„gest thousandes of his Commons he onely meetyng a Harte in the chase was prickt in the legge and so died As for Seleucus kyng of Siriae soone vnto Antiocus surnamed the GOD and Bela kyng of Pannonia thei were bothe throwen by their horses and so died If these mischaunces happen vnto princes in the middest of their glorie and state what is it then but miserie of mortalitie and pilgrimages of Princes sithe nothyng expelleth fate nor can auoide death Some so wearie of life some so fearfull of death that thei threwe them self vnto waters to be drouned others for all diligente feare watchyng for death were moste shamfully notwithstandyng by death preuented Fredericke the Emperour marchyng towardes Ierusalem after that he had taken Cities and Tounes in Armenia in passyng through a little riuer he was drouned Decius that noble and stoute Kyng enforced to take his flighte from the Gothes with whom he then was in warres was drouned in the Marishe grounde Marcus Marcellus after that he had been a Consull in Rome three tymes before the thirde warres betwixte the Romains and the Carthagians was likewise by a shipwracke cast awaie Howe many noble Princes were drouned with Pharo kyng of Aegypte in the redde sea we rede in the sacred scriptures How many again that seas and waters spoiled from life wee reade of whiche altered the names of the seas and waters when thei were drouned with their owne names As by Aegeus kyng of Athens death the sea Aegeum was called By Tirrhenus death king of Lidia the sea was called Tirrhen And so kyng Tyberinus altered the riuer named Aelbula by his death to be the Riuer of Tiber. Againe the Sea HellespoÌ„t by a woman named Helle. The sea Hesperides by the maides called Hesperides So by Icarus and Myrtilus the sea of Icarus and the Sea Myrton were spoken To many wer by waters spoiled as we se daily by experience As for honger diuers Princes againe died yea compelled to eate their owne fleshe as Erisicthon and Neocles a Tyraunt of Scycioma whiche for his cruell tyrannie vnto Athens he tasted of the same feaste hym self It is written in Curtius that Queene SysigaÌ„bis kyng Darius mother died of honger Who so readeth Chronicles shall finde diuers mischauÌ„ces happen vnto princes from tyme to tyme for that thei bee enuied at for Vlixes the Greke leste any ofspryng of Hector should rise in Phrigia to reuenge the falle of Troye and his countrey caste Hectors sonne Astianax ouer the walles a liue EueÌ„ as somtime Lycurgus king of Thracia was of his owne Subiectes throwen headlong vnto the sea for that he first mingled water with wine How many famous and noble princes were stoned and by stones deade as valiaunte Pyrrhus kyng of the Epirotes beyng in warres with Antigonus was slaine by an olde woman with a Tile stone at Argos PyraÌ„der at what tyme the Athenians warred against Eumolpus for that he feared famine hidden the wheat from his souldiours was therefore of theim stoned to death Euen so was Cinna the Romain at the warres betwixte the FreÌ„chemen and Rome for the like thing stoned vnto death stoute Cebrion king Priamus sonne was slaine by a stone of Patroclus at the siege of Troy so was Cignus of Achilles at the same time O vnstedfaste Fortune that little stones should ende so many famous liues of Princes O vnprudente Princes that knowe not how nigh alwaies ye are vnto death How many did God punishe and plague with sodaine death for their offences and misliuyng as Mythridates kyng of Pontus Nicanor the soonne of Parmenio kyng of Macedonia as Curtius in his v. booke dooe write died sodainly Sertorius was slaine sodainly at a banquette by Vpenna The Emperour Heliogabalus was killed vpon his stoole at his easemente and throwen vnto Tiber Carbo a noble Romaine after that sorte while he was easyng hym self vpon his stall was commaunded to bee murthered by Pompeius That renowmed and famous Conquerour Iulius Caesar was in the middest of the Citie of Rome where he was Emperour yea in the Senate house murthered and maÌ„gled of Brutus and Cassius Diuers Consuls in Rome died this death as Fabius Maximus Gurges the Senatour and Manlius Torquatus eueÌ„ at his supper died presently Thus some with Thunderboltes did God likewise punishe as Prince Capaneus slaine at the warres of Thebes Tullius Hostilus kyng of Rome was with a Thunderbolt for his insolencie and pride â—laine Zoroastes king of the Bactrians the firste inuentour of Magique was likewise by that kinde of death ouer taken Pride in princes was the onely cause of their falles in so muche the Poetes faine that the greate monstrous and huge Giaunt named Euceladus for his proude enterprise againste Iuppiter was throwen with a Thunderbolte vnto the bottome of Aetna a fierie and flamyng Mountaine The vncertaine state of Princes the flattrie before and the enuie behinde is seen and tried by their death Who liueth so shorte a tyme as a Prince Who dieth so straunge a death as a prince Who liueth in care Who dieth liuyng but a prince was not Sergius Galba and Commodus the sonne of Marcus surnamed Anbilius twoo Emperours of Rome the one by Otho strangled in the Markette place of Rome the other by Marcia his owne Concubine after he ruled Rome xiij yeres Was not I saie Lentulus beeyng taken in conspiracie with that wicked Cateline slaine and mangled at the commaundement of Cicero who then was CoÌ„sull at Rome Likewise Cethegus Gabinius Ceparius and Stabilius for that thei rebelled with Catelin were appoincted by the Senatours to bée strangled in prison Nothyng so vncertaine as the state of princes nothing more deceiptfull then princes again as well proued by histories For Minoes kyng of Crete trauailyng after Daedalus vnto Sicilia was there of his great freÌ„de kyng Cocalus as