latter days having great care to his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pisistratus came before his door in Arms and called the citizens to withstand Pisistratus For age said he moveth me to be so valiant and stout that I had rather lose my life then my country should lose their liberty What vertue then see we to be in age what wisedome in time what courage in old men The examples of these old men stir and provoke many to imitate their steps insomuch that divers wished to be old when they were yet young to have that honor as age then had Wherefore king Alexander the great espying a young man coloring his hairs gray said It behoves thée to put thy wits in color and to alter thy mind The Lacedemonians a people that past all nations in honouring age made laws in their Cities that the aged men should be so honoured and estéemed of the young men even as the parents were of the children so that when a stranger came unto Lacedemonia and saw the obedience of youth towards age he said In this country I wish onely to be old for happy is that man that waxeth old in Lacedemonia and in the great games of Olympia an old man wanting a place went up and down to sit some where but no man received him but amongst the Lacedemonians not onely the young men but also the aged gave place unto his gray hairs and also the Embassadours of Lacedemonia being there present did reverence him and took him unto their seat which when he came in he spake aloud O you Athenians you know what is good and what is bad for that which you people of Athens said he do professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his wars with a great army in Persia and meeting an old man in the way in the cold weather in ragged and rent cloaths lighted from his horse and said unto him mount up into a princes saddle which in Persia is treason for a Persian to do but in Macedonia comendable giving to understand how age is honoured and old men estéemed in Macedonia and how of the contrary wealth and pride is fostred in Persia for where men of experience and aged men are set nought by there it cannot be that wisedome beareth rule How many in the Empire of Rome ruled the City and governed the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore years and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corvinus who was six times a Consul in Rome a very old man who lived an hundred and odd years Metellus of like age called to the like function and administration in the Common-wealth being an old man What should I speak of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of divers other noble Romans whose age and time was the onely occasion of their advancement unto honour and dignity What should I recite Arganthonius who was threescore years before he came unto his Kingdome and after ruled his Countrey fourscore years unto his great fame and great commendations of age To what end shall I repeat Pollio who lived in great credit with the people unto his last years a man of worthy praise of renowned fame who lived a hundred and thirty years in great authority and dignity What shall I speak of Epimenides whom Theompus affirmeth that he lived a hundred and almost thréescore years in great rule and estimation Small were it to the purpose to make mention again of Dandon amongst the Illyrians which Valerius writeth that he was five hundred years before he died and yet of great memory and noble fame Or of Nestor who lived thrée hundred years of whom Homer doth make much mention that from his mouth proceeded sentences swéeter then honey yea in his latter days almost his strength was correspondent to the same That renowned Prince Agamemnon General of all Gréece wished no more in Phrygia but five such as Nestor was with whose wisedome and courage he doubted not but in short time he should be able to subdue Troy Swéet are the sayings of old men perfect are their counsels sound and sure their governance How frail and weak is youth How many Cities are perished by young counsel How much hurt from time to time have young men devised practised and brought to pass And again of age how full of experience knowledg and provision painful and studious is it unto the grave As we read of Plato that noble Philosopher who was busie and carefull for his countrey writing and making books the very year that he died being fourscore and two What shall I say of Isocrates who likewise being fourscore and fourtéen compiled a book called Panathenaicus of Gorgias who being studious and carefull to profit his countrey being a hundred and seven years was altogether addicted to his books and to his study So of Zeno Pythagoras and Democritus it might be spoken men of no lesse wit travell and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero saith the government and rule of Comon-wealths consisteth not in strength of body but in the vertue of mind weighty and grave matters are not governed with the lightnesse of the body with swiftnesse of the foot with external qualities but with authority counsel and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other gravity and prudence As Themistocles and Aristides who though not friends at Athens being both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profit their country which youth could never have done That sage Solon was wont often to brag how that he dayly by reading learning and experience waxed old Apelles that approved painter and renowned Greek in his age and last time would have no man to passe the day idle without drawing of one line Socrates being an old man became a scholler to learn musick and to play upon instruments Cicero being old himself became a perfect Greek with study Cato being aged in his last years went to school to Ennius to learn the Greek Terentius Varro was almost forty years old before he took a Greek book in hand and yet proved excellent in the Greek tongue Clitomachus went from Carthage to Athens after forty years of age to hear Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write meeting Marcus the old Emperor with a book under his arm going to school demanded of the Emperour whither he went like a hâ—y with his book in his hand the aged Emperour answered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learn those things I know not O God said Lucius thou being an old man goest to school now like a boy and Alexander the great died at thirty years of age Alphonsus King of Sicilia was not ashamed at fifty years old to learn and to travel for his knowledge and lest he should lose the use of the Latin tongue he occupied himself in
the people of Carthage delighted in falshood practised perjury and used all kind of crafts as the people of Sarmatha were most false in words most deceitfull in déeds and most cruell one towards the other The Scythians being much molested with wars and driven to leave their wives at home in the custody of the slaves and servants having occasion to be absent four years their wives married their servants and brake their former faith with their husbands until with force and power their servants were slain and so they recovered their countreys and wives again Apollonius the chief Governâ—ur of Samos whom the Commons of the countrey from low estate had exalted to dignity to whom they committed the Government and state of Samos was so false of his faith towards his subjects that having their goods lands livings and lives in his own hanâ— he betrayed them to Philip King of Macedonia their most mortal enemy That proud perjurer Cocalus King of Sicily slue King Minos of Créet though under colour of friendship and pretence of communication he had sent for him Cleomines brake promise with the Argives with whom he took truce for certain days and having craftily betrayed them in the night he slue them being sleeping and imprisoned them against his former faith and promise made before Even so did the false Thracians with the Boetians they brake promise violated their faith destroyed their countreys depopulated their cities and having professed friendship and vowed faith became wicked foes and false traytors and all of these received condign punishment But of all false perjurers and unnatural foes Zopyrus amongst the Persians and Lasthenâ— â— amongst the Olinthians to their perpetual Fame shall be ever mentioned the one in the famous City of Babylon deformed himself in such sort with such dissimulation of forged faith that having the rule and government thereof in his hand he brought King Darius to enjoy it through his deceit and was more faithfull to his King then to his Countrey Lasthenes being the onely trust of the Citizens delivered Olinthus their City into the hands of their long and great enemy Philip King of Macedonia What fraud hath béen found always in friendship what falshood in faith the murthering of Princes the betraying of Kingdoms the oppressing of innocents from time to time in all places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appointed Spu. Tarpeius to be chief Captain of the Capitol the chamber of Rome where the substance and wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius daughter in the night time as she went for water out of the city méeting Tatius King of the Sabines though he was then a mortal enemy to Rome and in continual wars with Romulus yet by her falshood and policy he was brought to be Lord of the Capitol Thus Tarpeia was as false to Rome as King Tatius was to Tarpeia for she looking to have promise kept by Tatius did find him as Rome found her she was buried alive by Tatius close to the Capitol which was then called Saturnus Mount and after her death and burial it was named Tarpeiaes Rock untill Tarquinius Superbus did name it the Capitol by finding a mans head in that place There was never in Rome such falshood shewed by any man as was by Sergius Galba who caused the Magistrates of three famous cities in Lusitania to appear before him promising them great commodities concerning the states and Government of their Cities yéelding his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faith allured to the number of Nine thousand young msn picked and elected for some enterprise for the profit of their countrey But when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of the Flower of all their Youth against all promise and faith he slue the most part of them sold and imprisoned the rest whereby he most easily might conquer their Cities Men are never certain nor trusty in doing when they are faulty in Faith For as the Sun lighteneth the Moon so Faith maketh Man in all things perfect For Prudence without Faith is Vain-glory and Pride Temperance without Faith and Truth is Shamefacednesse or sadnesse Iustice without Faith is turned into Injury Fortitude into Slothfulnesse The orders in divers countreys for the observation of Friendship and for maintainance of certain and sure love one towards another were Oaths of Fidelity The noble Romans at what time they sware had this order He or she to take a slint stone in their right hand saying these words If I be guilty or offend any man if I betray my countrey or deceive my friend willingly I wish to be cast away out of Rome by great Jupiter as I cast this stone out of my hand And therewith threw the stone away The ancient Scythians to obserbe amity and love had this Law They poured a great quantity of wine into a great Boul and with their knives opened some vein in their bodies letting their bloud to run out one after another into the boul and then mingling the wine and bloud together they dipped the end of their spears and their arrows in the wine and taking the boul into their hands they drank one to another professing by that draught faith and love The Arabians when they would become faithfull to any to maintain love thereby had this custome One did stand with a sharp stone betwéen two and with it made bloud to issue from the palms of both their hands and taking from either of them a piece of their garment to receive their bloud he dipped seven stones in the bloud and calling Urania and Dionisius their Gods to witnesse their covenant they kept the stones in memory of their friendship and departed one from another The like law was among the Barcians who repairing to a Ditch and standing thereby would say as Herodotus affirmeth As long as that hollow place or ditch were not of it self filled up so long they desired amity and love In reading of Histories we find more certainty to have béen in the Heathen by prophane Oaths then truth often in us by Evangelist and Gospel Oaths lesse perjury in those Gentiles swearing by Jupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearing by the true and iiving God more amity and friendship amongst them with drinking either of others bloud then in us by professing and acknowledging Christs bloud When Marcus Antonius had the government of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and having put to death Lucullus for his consent therein Volummus hearing of his friend Lucullus death came wéeping and sobbing before Antonius requiring one his knées one grant at Antonius hand which was to send his souldiers to kill him upon the grave of his friend Lucullus and being dead to open Lucullus grave and lay him by his friend Which being denied he went and wrote upon a little piece of paper and carried it in his hand untill he came to the place where Lucullus was buried and there holding fast the
he began to be moved with pity and mercy possest the chief place in his heart so that when the women of the City brought their children in their arms to crave mercy at Merellus hand he avoided the calamity and misery that was ready to fall on Centobrica and spared the City and removed his Camp being conquered himself with pity and mercy of the ruthfull women and innocent children Thus gentle Metellus where he might have béen a Conqueror over men did suffer himself to be conquered by little Infants O Rome happy were those golden days wherein through clemency and gentleness thou wast as much loved and honoured as thou hast béen by valiant Captains trembled at and feared Pompieius the great when Tigâ—anes King of Armenia being by him conquered had knéeled before Pompeius face yéelding his Crown and Scepter at Pompeius his foot and himself unto his gentleness as a captive took him in his arms embraced him put his Crown on his head and restored him to to the Kingdome of Armenia again The like courtesie he used toward Mithridates King of Pontus being dead in giving him a royal burial though he knew well the great hatred that Mithridates had fourty years against the Romans yet in stead of just revengement Pompey used Princely clemency The gentleness that was then used in Rome yet betwixt foes was such that Julius Caesar that valiant Emperor and Conqueror was as willing to revenge the death of his great enemy Pompey upon Photina and Bassus who slew Pompey and did send his head to Caesar as L. Parâ—lus was courteous and favourable to his most mortal foe Perseus Hannibal though he was counted the most and greatest enemy that ever Rome felt yet moved with Princely clemencie he won more commendations for the burial of P. Aemilius Gracchus and Marcellus three noble Romans then he wan fame by overcomming two thousand Romans in field The chief fame that Hannibal was worthy of was for his humanity and gentlenesse as is proved by these two noble Romans before mentioned whose dead carcasses Hannibal caused diligently to be sought for in the field and solemnly to be buried with honour and renown though they were his enemies And as Hannibal was much commended in Rome and well beloved of the Romans for his humanity so was he feâ—red much in Rome for his prowesse and valiant déeds of arms Polycrates that Tyrant of Samos was chiefly commended for his gentlenesse and courtesie shewed towards women which were the wives and mothers of the dead souldiers in restoring them unto liberty in giving them wealth to live and a great charge that no man should do them any wrong Augustus the Emperor when he beheld in the City of Alexandria the sword wherewith Marcus Antonius slew himself could not refrain from tears to shew his humanity and opening his clemency of nature to his enemy he commanded that he should be honourably buried with his dear friend Cleopatra in one grave Cicero in his first book of Tusculans commendeth much the clemency of Cleobes and Bâ—ton in shewing such love and obedience to their mother who being in her Chariot ready to go to the solemn feast of the Goddesse Juno the horses suddenly died and there being no other remedy least their mother should go on foot they yoked themselves to draw the Chariot ten miles to their immortal praise and commendations I remember a history in Patritius of one Simonides who for that he was moved with pity to bury a dead corps left in the way where no man put it into the earth as he was passing with his fellows over the seas that night before they should sail in the morning appeared unto Simonides the self-same man whom he had buried upon the way warning him that day not to go to sea so when he should take shipping he remembring his dream told if unto his fellows desiring them to stay that day but his company laughing him to scorn leaving Simonides on the shore sailed to the seas where in sight of Simonides the ship and all his fellows were lost The like pity was found in Simon the son of that most valiant Gréek Militiades who being elected Generall over the Athenians against the great might and force of puissant Zerxes in the wars of Marathon was nothing inferiour unto his renowned father in prowesse but far passed him in clemency and curtesie this young man for his lenity and pity being joined with valiantnesse was appointed by the City of Athens to incounter with Xerxes whom his father Militiades often plagued at the first time of trying his magnanimity inforced Xerxes after spoil of his souldiers and victory of field to fly unto Persia he was so pittifull that he paied a great sum of monies to have his father Militiades buried who after many conquests and fawning of fortune in victories died in prison whose death and burial shewed no lesse love and faithfulnesse in Simon towards his father then it shewed evidently the pity and mercy he had in redéeming his fathers corps to be buried Wherefore that pitifull Emperour Alexander Severus being demanded what is that which is chief felicity in this world said to foster friends with benefits and gentlenesse and to reconcile foes with pity and rewards Alphonsus at what time a certain dog barked at him took a toast out of his cup and cast it to the dog then saying gentlenesse and clemency shall make foes friends I know not what greater humanity could be then was in Vespasian the Emperour after that Vitellius had killed his brother Sabinus and had long persecuted Vespasians son being at last subdued he spared not to shew gentlenesse to Vitellius his daughter and gave her a great sum of money towards her marriage Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians after he had the victory of Corinth did not so joy in his conquest as he lamented the deaths of so many Athenians and Corinthians and as Plutarch doth witnesse he said wéeping O Greece thou spillest more men with civil wars by discord then would defend thy state against all the world with courage To use victory genty is more famous then to conquer cruelly As the Emperour Adrian was wont to say that Princes ought rather with pity to say this I can do then with tyranny to say this I will do Augustus that most pittifull Prince after he had conquered that famous City Alexandria which the great Conquerour Alexander had builded and named it according unto his own name being moved with pity stirred with mercy in sight of the Citizens who hoped to have nothing but death said for the beauty of your city and memory of Alexander as also for the love I have unto Prius your Philosopher and for the pity I bear unto you all I spare unto you your City and grant you your life O swéet sounding words from a pittifull Prince not much unlike his predecessour Julius Caesar his own mothers brother who after vanquishing of Pompey at Pharsalia sent letters unto
man to rule the City of Scadmenna was often moved that he for his age was not méet to govern such a City considering the multitude and number of people that were within that City they thought that a young man should better discharge the office but the wise Emperour perceiving how bent and prone were the youth of that town to have a young man to rule over them answered them after this sort I had rather said he commit the governance of the City to one old man then the governance of so many young men unto the City Better it is that an old man should rule the City then the City should rule the young men meaning no otherwise then that aged men should onely be admitted to be rulers in Cities for that there belongeth unto them experience of things and care of youth Such was the homage and reverence which was amongst the young Romans toward the Senatours or old men of the City as both head and leg did acknowledge the same in doing duty unto age They had this confidence in age that no man might be chosen unto the number of the Senatours before he should be thréescore years of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fifty years should either â—ear office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their country Amongst the Persians no man could be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi unlesse perfect age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their country which were named Gimnosophistae were ancient for time giveth experience of governance Amongst the Egyptians the like credit was given unto old men that youth meeting them in the way would go out of the way to give place unto age so that their counsellours which were called prophets were counted men of much time and experience even so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the French men their ancient wise men called Druydes In fine noble Greeks did observe the like order in chusing their rulers and counsellours of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonian youth were by the law of Licurgus no lesse charged to reverence age then their own parents The Arabians in all places without respect of person preferred their old men before honour dignity or fortune The people called Tartesi had this law so to honour age that the younger might bear no witnesse against the elder The reverence said Chylon that should be shewed unto age by young men ought to be such that they then being young doing obedience unto age they might claim the like when they waxed old of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being an old man would often go in the cold weather very thin in a torn cloak without a coat or doublet only to shew the way unto young men to be hardy in age by contemning of gay apparell in youth Masinista King of Numidia being more then threescore years of age would lively and valiantly as Cicero saith without cap on head or shoe on foot in the cold or frosty weather in the winter travell and toyl with the souldiers only unto this purpose that young souldiers should be hardned thereby in their youth and practise the same for the use of others when they came to age themselvs Ihero King of Sicilia shewed the like example in his old age being lxxx years to train youth and to bring them up so in young years that they might do the like in their old age For thus judged these wise Princes that all men covet to imitate Princes and Kings in their doings Gorgias the phylosopher and master unto Isocrates the Orator and to divers more nobles of Gréece thought himselfe most happy that he being a hundred years and seven was aswell in his memory as at any time before and made so much of age that being asked why he so delighted in age he made answer because he found nothing in age for which he might accuse it So sayd King Cyrus a little before his death being a very old man that he never felt himselfe weaker than when hee was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so old that he was accused of his own children of folly turned unto the Iudges and said If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the senses waxed better by use and exercising the same for we prayse saith Cicero the old man that is somewhat young and we commend again the young man that is somewhat aged The old is commended that hath his wit young and fresh at comandement and the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M. Crassus a noble Captain of Rome being a very old man took in hand to war against the Parthians a strong and stout people being by Embassadors warned of his age and admonished to forsake the wars he answered stoutly the Embassadour of the Parthians and said when I come to Seleucia your City I will then answer you Whereupon one of the Embassadors named Agesâ—â—s an aged man stretched forth his hand and shewed the palm of his hand unto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the City of Seleucia bristles shall grow out of this hand The stoutness of Marcus Crassus was not so much as the magnanimity of Agesis and yet they both were old men What courage was in Scaevola to withstand that firebrand of Rome Sylla who after he had urged the Senators to pronâ—unce Marius enemy unto Italy he being an old agâ—d man answered Sylla in this sort Though divers be at the commandements of the Senators and that thou art so encompassed with souldiers at thy beck yet neither thou nor all thy souldiers shall ever make Scaevola being an old man for fear of losing some old bloud pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserved and Italy saved to be enemy unto the City The like history we read that when Julius Caesar had by force of arms aspired unto the office of a Dictator and came to the Senate house where few Senators were together the Emperor Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Confidius an aged father of Rome said that they feared Caesar and his souldiers Whereat the Emperor musing a while said Why did not you likewise tarry at home fearing the same Because said he age and time taught me neither to fear Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young minds in old men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olympias waxed old wept in spight of his decayed limbs bruised bones yet he said his mind flourished and was as young as ever it was before Solon hath immortal praise in Gréece for his stoutness in his age for when Pisistraâ—us had taken in hand to rule the people of Athens and that it was evident enough that tyranny should procéed thereby Solon in his
translating Titus Livius though he was a King I do not hold with age in divers men who for want of discretion and wit was childish again but of perfect men in whom age seemed rather a warrant of their doings For even as he that playeth much upon instruments is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially so all men that live long are not to be praised so much as he that liveth well For as apples being green are yet sower untill by time they wax sweet so young men without warrant of time and experience of things are oftentimes to be misliked If faults be in old men saith Cicero as many there be it is not in age but in the life and manners of men Some think age miserable because either the body is deprived from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecility or weaknesse or that it is not far from death or calleth from due administration of Common-wealths these four causes saith Cicero make age seem miserable and loathsome What shall we say then of those that in their old age have defended their countries saved their Cities guided the people and valiantly triumphed over their enemies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of wonderfull credit in their old years What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Cornucanus aged men of great agility of famous memory in their latter days How can Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both old and blind resisted the Senatours to compound with King Pyrrhus for peace though they all and the Consuls of Rome hereunto were much inclined If I should passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed unto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogether bare sway and rule if from thence unto the Ethiopians and Indians where all their lives are ruled and governed by old men If from thence to any part of the world I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estéemation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians do live most commonly a hundred and thirty years The people called Epeii in the Countrey of Aetolia do live two hundred years naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that Countrey lived thrée hundred years The Kings of Arcadia were wont to live thrée hundred years the people of Hyperborii lived a thousand years We read in the old Testament that Adam our first father lived nine hundred and thirty years and Eve his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelve years Seth his son called Enos nine hundred and five Cainan the son of Enos nine hundred and ten Mahalalehel the son of Cainan eight hundred fourscore and fifteen so Enoch the son of Iared lived nine hundred thréescore and five years Enoch his son named Mechuselah lived nine hundred threescore and nine years with divers of the first Age I mean till Noah's time who began the second world after the floud who lived as we read nine hundred and five his son Sem six hundred years and so lineally from father to son as from Sem to Arphaxad from Arphaxad to Sala from Sala to Heber the least lived above thrée hundred years This I thought for better credit and greater proof of old ago to draw out of the Old Testament that other prophane authorities might be beleeved as Tithoniâ—s whom the Poets fain that he was so old that he desired to become a Grashâ—pper But because age hath no pleasure in the world frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loveth no wantonness which saith Plato is the only bait that deceives young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in time which young men neither with knowledg with wisdome nor yet with counsel can avoid What harm hath happened from time to time by young men over whom lust so ruled that there followed eversion of CoÌ„monwealths treason to Princes Friends betrayed countreys overthrown and Kingdoms vanquished throughout the world Therefore Cicero saith in his book entituled De Senectate at what time he was in the City of Tarentum being a young man with Fabius Maximus that he carried one lesson from Tarentum unto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine said that Nature bestowed nothing upon man so hurtfull to himself nor so dangerous to his Countrey as lust or pleasure For when C. Fabricius was sent as an Embassadour from Rome to Pyrrhus King of Epyre being then the Governour of the City of Tarentum a certain man named Cineas a Thessalian by birth being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure affirmed that hee heard a Philosopher of Athens affirm that all which we do is to be referred to pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus heard they desired Cineas to perswade King Pyrrhus to yéeld to pleasure and make the Samnites believe that pleasure ought to be esteemed Whereby they knew that if King Pyrrhus or the Samnites being then great enemies to the Romans were addicted to lust or pleasure that then soon they might be subdued and destroyed There is nothing that more hindreth magnanimity or resisteth vertuous enterprises then pleasure as in the Treatise of pleasure it shall more at large appear Why then how happy is old age to despise and contemn that which youth by no means can avoid yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull to it self For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying to the Emperor that two things made him nothing to estéem the power of the Emperor Age and Wisdome By reason of Age and Wisdome Castritius feared not at al the threatnings of C. Carbo being then Consul at Rome who though he said he had many friends at commandement yet Castriâ—iâ—â— answered and said That he had likewise many years that could not fear his friends Therefore a wise man sometime wept for that man dieth within few years and having but little experience in his old age he is then deprived thereof For the Crow liveth thrise so long as the man doth the Hart liveth four times so long as the Crow the Raven thrice so long as the Hart and the Phoenix nine times longer then the Raven And thus Birds do live longer time then man doth in whom there is no understanding of their years But man unto whom reason is joyned before he commeth to any ground of experience when he beginneth to have knowledge in things he dieth and thus endeth he his toyling Pilgrimage and travel in fewer years then divers beasts or birds do CHAP. XIX Of the manners of sundry People under sundry Princes and of their strange life THe sundry fashions and variety of manners the strange life of people every where thorow the world dispersed are so charactered and set forth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming the Countrey and the people thereof orderly their customes their manners their kind of living being worthy of observation I thought briefly to touch and to note
Panopion and suffered himself to be slain in stead of his master A man would think that greater love could be found in no man then for a man to die for his friend and truth it is But to find such love in beasts towards men is wonderfull indéed Insomuch that in Leucadia a Peacock loved a young Virgin so well that when she died the Peacock also died And Pliny saith that in the City of Seston an Eagle being brought up by a young maid loved the maid so well that it would fly abroad and kill fowls and bring them home to the young maid and when the Virgin died the Eagle flew into that same fire where the maid was appointed to have her dead body burned and also died with her The Persians were wont for favour and affection they baro unto their horses to bury them and the people named Molossi made brave Sepulchres for their dogs Alexander the great made a tomb for his horse Bucephalus so did Antiochus and Caesar likewise Such love and faithfull trust was found in dogs that the great King Masinissa of Numidia never went to bed but had a dosen great dogs in his chamber as his guard to kéep and watch him from his enemies for sure he was that money might not corrupt them friendship might not allure them and threatnings might not fear them There was a Dog in Athens named Caparus unto whom the tuition of the Temple of Aesculapius was committed with all the wealth and treasure therein which in the night being trained away the Temple was robbed the substance and the riches was stoln thence but in the morning the dog found out the falshood thereof and made all Athens privy of the theeves by raving and runing toward them We read in Plini of Ulisses dog which Ulisses left at home when he went with Agamemnon to Phrygia to the wars of Troy and being twenty years absent he found Penelope his wife and his dog faithfull and loving at his return That noble Gréek Lisimachus had a dog named Durides that loved him so well that even at Lisimachus death the dog died also Hiero had another dog that died even so and ran willingly unto that flame of fire where his master did burn to die with him I might well speak of Alcibiades dog which wheresoever he came no man might or durst speak any evill of Alcibiades in presence of his dog Titus Sabinus dog never forsook his master in prison and when any man gave him bread or meat he brought it to his master in prison and when he was thrown into the river Tiber the dog was séen as Fulgotius saith to do what he could to lift up his masters head out of the water thinking his master had béen alive At what time Pyrrhus subdued the City of Argos there was in those wars an Elephant which after he perceived that his master was slain went up and down among the dead souldiers to seek his master which being found dead the Elephant brought his body being dead to a safe place where the Elephant after much mourning died for sorrow The like examples we read in Plini of horses and specially of thrée the one Alexander the great King of Macedonia had the second Julius Caesar Emperour of Rome possessed the third Antiochus King of Syria had these thrée horses suffered no man to ride or touch them but their own master and were so gentle to them that they kneeled to let them mount on their backs Thus beasts did bear fancy to men obey and love them and were most true and trusty to men and did shew such love as neither Seleucus to his son Anâ—â—gonus or Pericles to his son Priasus nor Socrates to his son Lamproces did ever shew How gentle was a Woolf unto King Romulus to nourish him in spight of his Grandfather Amulius How loving was a Bear to Alexander to bring him up against his fathers will King Priamus How kind was a Bitch to King Cyrus to foster him unawares to his Grandfather King Asâ—iages The Bees come to Plato his Cradle to féed him with honey being an infant The little Ants brought grains to féed King Mydas being likewise in his Cradle O what is man said the Prophet David that thou art so mindfull of him that thou hast brought all things in subjection to him beasts of the fields fouls of the ayr and fishes of the Seas all things made to fear and to love him and yet he neither to fear God nor to love himself We read in Quintus Curtius of an Elephant that King Potus of India had which Alexander the great took captive afterward when this Elephant saw the King first he knéeled down and shewed such honour and homage as was marvellous to the beholders It is read in Caelius of a King in Egypt named Merthes that had a Crow taught to carry his letters and how to bring answer in writing home again Plini doth write that a Nightingale loved Stesicorus so well that it would alwaies sing at the beck of Stesicorus to pleasure him Heraclides the Philosopher had a Dragon taught to follow him every where Ajax likewise had in Locresia a Serpent brought up and taught to honour him as his master Agrippina the Empress and wife unto Claudian had a Thrush that never departed from her during the Empresse life Plini hath in his book of natural histories infinit such exaÌ„ples to prove the love that all moving creatures do ow shew to man as the wild Bull in Tarentum the raging bear in Daunia which Pythagoras so tamed that all places all countries and all persons were sure and safe from any danger or hurt by these wild beasts This commeth by no vertue that is in man but onely by that which God made for man that all living creatures fear man and love man so that if comparisons be made it shall be evident that there hath béen more love in beasts towards man then in man towards man yea then brother to brother then the husband toward the wife or the wife toward her huband considering the nature of man and the beast together CHAP. XXXI Of Memory and Oblivion SOme hold opinion that in the ancient time whiles yet the world flourished not in learning that memory then was most set by and estéemed for whatsoever was séen or heard was then committed to memory and not recorded in books But Socrates said after the use of letters were had the vertue of memory decayed for that care which then was by tradition and memory with care and diligence to observe is now by all put in books that now our memory is put in writing and then was it fixed in mind insomuch that the noble Athenian Themistocles passing by Simonides school who as some suppose taught first the Art of memory being demanded whether he would learn the art and faculty of memory answered that he had rather learn how to forget things then to kéep things in memory for I cannot said he
healeth himself The striken Hart féeding on high mountains hath that consideration that at what time he is shot through with any dart or arrow by féeding of an hearb called Dictamum his bloud stencheth and his wounds are healed And the Bear is so crafty that by the same nature he is taught being sick to lick and eat up little ants for his appointed physick Even so flying fowls do know their appointed salve for their sores being taught by nature The Raven the Duck the Swallow yea the silly Mice do before hand presage their ruinous state by nature and know well the decay of any house barn or place where they be and will change hospitality before the time if necessity happen upon them The little Ants are full of toil and travell to gather in the Summer to serve them in the Winter Of this with divers others Pliny maketh mention in his 8. book chapter 27. and Aristotle in his book De natura animalium We read in Aelianus divers worthy histories of the like but especially of the Cranes of Sicilia which when they be about to take their flight from Sicilia over mount Caucasus they are so crafty and subtil by nature that they bear in their mouths certain stones to stop that cry and noise which Cranes most commonly use in flight lest by hearing of their voice and the noise they make the Eagles of Caucasus should destroy them The Goats of Creet when they be shot through with darts and arrows are of themselves moved to feed on a certain hearb which streight stencheth the bloud healeth the wound and expelleth the venome out of the wound There is such craft and subtilty in a little Frog of Nilus that when the Trout commeth toward him to destroy him the Frog by and by out of hand beareth a long reed overthwart this mouth and so marcheth forward toward this great champion that by no means he can destroy him for that the reed is longer then his mouth can swallow the same and so the little Frog escapeth the terrour of his enemy What a sleight hath a fish called Polipos which being desirous to feed on any fish he goeth and hideth himself under some shrub or rock or any other place whereby he seemeth to be as though he were a tile or a stone till the fish come to that place then he leaps on them and kils them So that there is no beast no fowl no fish but hath as it were a certain priviledge by nature to defend himself and to foil his foe and by nature taught to practise it craftily There is again a kind of knowledge in beasts to know their friends and to love them and to fear their enemies and to avoid them The Serpents in Terinthia the Scorpions in Arcadia and the Snakes in Syria as Plini affirms will not hurt their country men and known friends though they find them asléep as divers and sundry times histories make mention thereof Strange therefore is the work of nature which mightily displaieth her self in all living creatures and for the proof thereof I will note one history written by Quintilian in his 14. book of histories that in Achaia there was a city named Patra in the which a certain young man bought a little dragon which with great care and diligence he nourished till it waxed big lying in his chāber in the night time and playing all the day time At length the Magistrates of the City fearing lest some hurt should be done by him considering the fierce and cruel nature of them did let him to go to the wildernesse where divers other Dragons were And there being a long time this young man that brought up this dragon with divers of his fellows passing by where this dragon was certain théeves assailed them and he by his voice was known by this dragon which as soon as he heard he came out of the den and séeing him with divers of his fellows like to be murthered he flew to the very faces of the théeves and so strongly fought with them that some of them the dragon slue some were sore hurt and some constrained to flie thus he saved this young man and his fellows in recompence of his former courtesie Surely I think better of this dragon then of some ingrateful persons that live now in the world CHAP. XXXV Of Revenge THe best way to revenge any injury offered is to suffer quietly the same and to shew vertue toward vice goodnesse toward evill honesty toward scurillity which is the onely poison unto the enemy as for an example Laertius doth manifest the same by comparisons of things who is he that séeth his enemies fields gréen his pastures well grassed his house well furnished and all things in comely order but is grieved therewith How much more saith he when the envious séeth his foe adorned with all vertues compassed with all patience and prospering in all goodnesse is he therewith molested And in that place of his sixth book he reciteth a worthy and a noble example of due revenge by Diogenes the Cinick Philosopher who by chance came where certain young men were at banquet making merry his head being bald by reason of his age he was so flouted and scoft by most part of the company that with stripes and strokes they threw him out of the house the poor old Philosopher revenged his wrong in this wise he took a piece of white chalk and writ the names of all those that so used him upon his cloak and so opened his cloak that all men might read their names and know how wickedly they had used him and what flouts and scoffs he had suffered of those persons whose names were to be read upon his cloak and so brought them in such blame with all men that they wished in heart that they never had séen Diogenes who made all the world to sée their folly and were ever after noted for ridiculous persons not worthy of honest company and so were they excluded from good and civill men Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians when hee had heard of certain foes of his that alwaies spake il of his person and of his state he after this sort revenged himself he chose and elected them to be chief Captains over his men of arms and committed all the charge of his host to his enemies whereby he made his foes to become his friends yea to be his servants and slaves to do what he would command them So Demosthenes did when he was provoked and injuriously handled by one who in a banquet was disposed to fall out and fight with him No said Demosthenes I will never take that in-hand wherein he that getteth the victory must bear the shame O worthy sentence and most aptly applied to a wise man We read in Brusonius of Dion of Alexandria who with silence revenged more his foes then with words for being provoked to anger by a villain and abject which followed him through the stréets chiding and threatning
men There is nothing neither can there be any thing more ugly to behold then mans face when he is angry nor to be feared because he hath no rule over himself All the painters of Persia had much to do to draw in colours the terrible countenance and fiery face of Queen Semiramis when she heard that her City of Babylon was besieged by the enemies being then dressing of her head she came with her hairs hand flying in the wind half amazed at the news Her picture in this discontent and fury stood as long as Babylon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to posterity We read of the like history of Olimpias whose anger was such when she thought of her son Alexander that she straight ways like a raging Lion or a cruel Tiger digged up the body of Iolas Alexanders murtherer and tare his body in small pieces and gave it to the birds of the air Such anger was in Marcus Antonius towards Cicero that he was not contented at Ciceroes death but comanded his head to be set before him on the Table to féed therewith his wrathfull heart and gréedy eys and his wife Fulvia to shew her anger pulled out his tongue and pinned it to her hood and ware it on her head in token of her cruel and Tigrish heart The noble Roman Metellus was so inflamed against Pompey for at what time he was appointed by the Senatours of Rome to succéed Metellus in his pro-consulship in Spaine Metellus perceiving that hee was discharged he brake for very anger all the furniture of wars and dedestroied all the provision he famished the Elephants and permitted his souldiers to do what injury they could against Pompey so great was his anger that to hinder Pompey he injured his native City of Rome The property of anger is to hurt divers in séeking to offend one As he is not wise that cannot be angry so he is most wise that can moderate anger The fame and renown that both Themistocles and Aristides got in vanquishing their anger one towards the other was great for being sent both as Embassadours for the stâ—te of Athens travelling over a high hill Themistocles said unto Aristides shall we both bury our anger on this hill and go as friends and not as enemies and there though the cause was great they became friends one to the other forgetting and forgiving one anothers fault Anger and wrath are the onely poison of the world whence hidden hatred doth procéed for to nourish the one is to féed the other Therefore it is written that hidden hatred private wrath and young mens counsel hath béen the very cause of divers destructions Manlius Torquatus after he had conquered Campania and triumphed over the Latins returning into the City with noble fame though the Senatours of the City met him in triumph yet the young men of Rome more disdainfull then courteous were more willing to have his death then desirous of his life the cause is known in Valerius I will omit to speak of Caligula whose anger and hatred was such that he wished Rome had but one neck that with one stroke he might strike it off Neither will I recite Hâ—logabalus who amongst writers is named the beast and not the Emperour of Rome The histories of Catelin Silla and Appius for their anger and hatred towards their country and native City are extant in Plutarch and Salust by this anger and wrath proceeded invectives and declarations and then envy and malice began to build their bowers by their chief Carpenter anger and mischief and vengeance doth alwaies depend upon them And because anger is the onely counsel of all mischief I will speak of those two monstrous furies incident alwaies to anger I mean Envy and Malice and shall referre that to Envy and Malice which might have been spoken on this subject CHAP. XLI Of Perjury and Faith and how Princes have been honoured and punished accordingly FAith is the foundation of Iustice and Iustice is the chief means as Aristotle saith to preserve a Publick Weal We will therefore note how faithfull just some Princes have béen how wicked and false others have shewed themselves there are so many vertues in the one and vices in the other For some from foes become friends as Clodius and Cicero two great enemies a long time and yet before two faithfull friends Tiberius likewise and Affricanus from mortal foes grew to be such perpetual friends that Affricanus gave his onely daughter Cornelia in marriage to Tiberius Even so some again from friends became foes yea from tried friendship to mortal enmity as Dion of Siracusa was killed by Calicrates his most assured friend as he thought with whom alwaies before he found friendship and faith Polimnestor likewise though King Priamus reposed such great trust and confidence in him that he committed his own son Polidorus to his custody yet he falsly slew him and murthered him though beside friendship he was his near kinsman How well saith Socrates do faithfull friends far excell all Gold for in danger faith is tried and in necessity friends are known Such is the secret force of truth and love and such is the hidden subtilty of falshood as may be proved in a history of Sextus Pompeius son and heir unto Pompey the great The faith and justice of Pompey at what time he had appointed a banquet for Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antonius upon the seas was well tried for being moved by divers at that time to revenge his fathers death Pompeius the great and especially at that time being prompted to it by his friend and master of the ship whose name was Menedorus Sextus in no wise would suffer it saying that faith and justice ought not to be turned into perjury and falshood for said he as it is perjury to omit faith and promise made to these Emperours so this is tyranny and not justice to revenge my fathers death upon innocence And true it was that Augustus Caesar was then but a boy and brought up in school in Apulia when his uncle Julius Caesar vanquished Pompey And Marcus Antonius was rather a friend to Sextus father then a foe and therefore no lesse faithfull was Sextus in preserving then just in weighing innocency Far unlike was false Hannibal who under pretence of peace with the Romans sent Embassadours unto Rome to treat thereof where they were honourably received but well requited he the courtesie of Rome to his Embassadours For when that noble Roman Cornelius came from Rome as an Embassadour unto Hannibal his welcome was such that he never went alive unto Rome again for most cruelly and falsly was he slain by Hannibal In this falshood and perjury was Hannibal much defamed whose vertues were not so much corrupted by the vilenesse of his own nature as by the falshood and corruption of the Countrey which alwaies in this was not to be trusted of which it is proverbially spoked Poeni perfidi the Carthaginians are false for
Lightning or Thunder but had his head covered with all such things as might resist the violence of Lightning Misa King of the Moabites and Joram King of Iewry being besieged by the enemies and in danger of death they practised devises and invensions to save their lives and sacrificed their children to mitigate the rage of the Gods The love that divers had unto life and the fear they had of death were to be noted worthily considering how much men are vexed with the fear of death Antemon was so desirous to live and so fearfull to die that he hardly would travel out of his house any where and if he were compelled to go abroad he would have two of his servants to bear over his head a great brasen Target to defend him from any thing which might happen to do him hurt Theagenes in like sort would not go out of his house without he had consulted with the Image of Hecate to know what should happen to him that day and to understand whether he might escape death or no. Commodus the Emperour would never trust any Barber to shave his beard lest his throat should be cut Masinissa King of Numidia would rather commit his state and life unto dogs then unto men who was as his guard to kéep and defend him from death I might here speak of Bion of Domitianus of Dionisius of Pisander and of a thousand more who so feared death that their chief care and study was how they might avoid the same The fear of death causeth the son to forsake the father the mother to renounce the daughter one brother to deny another and one friend to forsake another Insomuch that Christ himself was forsaken of his disciples for fear of death Peter denied him and all the rest fled from him and all for fear of death Behold therefore how fearfull some are and how joyfull others are Some desperately have died being weary of life As Sabinus â—uba Cleomenes some have hanged some have burned and some drowned themselves and thus with one desperate end or other perished But since every man must die it were reason that every man should prepare to die for to die well is nothing else but to live again Wherefore certain philosophers of India called the Gymnosophislae being by Alexander the great commanded to answer to cercertain hard questions which if they could absolve they should live otherwise they should die The first question propounded to know whether there were more living or dead to the which the first philosopher said that the living are more in number because the dead have no being no place nor number The second question was whether the land produced more creatures or the sea to this answered the second philosopher and said the land doth ingender more for that the sea is but a portion of the land The third question was to know what beast was most subtil that beast answered the third philosopher whose subtilty man cannot discern Fourthly it was demanded why they being philosophers were so induced to perswade the Sabians to rebellion because said the philosophers it is better to die manfully then to live miserably The fifth question was whether the day was made before the night or the night before the day to the which it was answered the day The sixt was to understand how Alexander the Great himself might get the good wil of the people in shewing said that sixth philosopher thy self not terrible to the people The seveÌ„th question was whether life or death were stroÌ„ger to which it was aÌ„swered life The eight was to know how long a man should live till said the eight philosopher a maÌ„ thinks death better theÌ„ life The last question proposed by Alexander was how might a mortal man be accounted in the number of the Gods In doing greater things said all the Philosophers then man is able to do For they knew this proud Prince would be a God and that he would learn of the sage Philosophers how he might eschew mortality he was answered roundly because he should know himself to be a man and being a man he should make himself ready to die for death is the reward of sin and death is the beginning again of life unto the good As Aulus Posthumius in an Oration which he made unto his souldiers said it is given to both good and bad to die but to die gâ—dly and gloriously is onely given unto good men So Hector speaking in Homer said unto his wife Andromache that she should not be sorry for his death for all men must die Some with the Galatians do so contemn death that they fight naked and are perswaded with the Pythagoreans that they shall never die but passe from one body to another Some again die joyfully as the brethren of Policratâ— who being taken captive by Diognitus the King of Milesia she was so ill intreated by him that she did send Letters to Naxus to her brethren at what time the people of Milesia were feasting drinking and banquetting at a solemn feast Her brethren embracing the opportunity came and found the Emperor drinking and all his people overcharged with wine and slew the greatest part of them and having taken many of them prisoners they brought their sister home to Naxus where as soon as they came home they died for joy of the victory Even so Phisarchus sometime in his great triumph crying out O happy hours and joyful days was taken with such an extasie of joy that he brake his veins at that very instant with the excesse of gladnesse He is counted most wise that knoweth himself To joy too much in prosperity to be advanced and extolled when fortune favours without all fear of ill haps to come is folly To be vanquished and subdued in adversity without hope of solace to ensue is meer madnesse Therefore the Wisemen knowing that death was the last line of life did endeavour in their lives how they might die well And briefly for the examples of our lives I will here note a few sentences of these wise men which they used as their Posies and think good to shew their answers to divers questions propounded to them Bias dwelling in the City of Prienna after the City was destroyed by the Mutinensians escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus He willed all young men in their youth to travel for knowledge and commanded old men to embrace wisedome This Bias being demaunded what was the difficultest thing in the world he said to suffer stoutly the mutability of fortune Being demanded what was the most infamous death that might happen to man to be condemned said he by law Being asked what was the swéetest thing to man he made answer Hope Being again demanded what beast was most hurtfull Amongst wild beasts a Tyrant said Bias and amongst tame beasts a Flatterer And being demanded what thing it was that feared nothing in all the world he answered A good Conscience And again in the second Olympiade he was demanded many other questions as who was most unfortunate in the world the impatient man said Bias. What is most hard to judge Debates betwéen friends What is most hard to measure he answered Time Thus having answered to these and divers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seven Wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages being asked what was the best thing in the world he answered Every man to consider his own state And again being demanded what beast is most hurtfull he said Of wild beasts a Tyrant of tame beasts a Flatterer Being asked what is most acceptable to man he said Time And being asked of the Gréek Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that ever he saw he said An old man to be a Tyrant The third was Chilo the Lacedemonian who being demanded what was a difficult thing for a man to do he answered Either to kéep silence or to suffer injuries Being demanded what was most difficult for a man to know he said For a man to know himself And therefore he used this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo being of Aesop demanded what Jupiter did in heaven he said He doth throw down lofty and proud things and he doth exalt humble and méek things S. Ion said that in knowing and considering what we are and how vile we are we shall have lesse occasion ministred to us to think wel of our selvs for there is nothing good nor beautifull in man This Solon being asked by King Cyrus sitting in his chair of state having on his most royal habiliments and Princely robes covered with Pearls and Precious stones Whether ever he saw a more beautifull sight then himself sitting in heighth of his Majesty Solon answered that he saw divers Birds more glorious to behold then Cyrus And being demanded by Cyrus what Birds were they Solon said the little Cock the Peacock and the Pheasant which are decked with natural garments and beautified with natural colours This Solon was wont to say I wax dayly old learning much He noted nothing so happy in man as to Live well that he might Die well applying the Cause to the Effect as first to Live well and then to Die well FINIS LONDON Printed by Elizabeth Alsop dwelling in Grubstreet near the Upper Pump 1653.
passing with his army unto Scithia and India had read this Epitaph and perceiving the slippery estate of Princes the uncertainty of life and mutability of fortune he much doubted the state of his own life howbeit at that voyage he forgot by means of Mars the Epitagh of King Cyrus untill he returned from India from his wars into Babylon where he married Statira King Darius daughter whom before he conquered where such liberality was shewed such magnificency done such gifts given such banquets kept that Alexander upon his own charges married the most part of the Nobles of Macedonia unto the Ladies of Persia the feasts during five days amounted to the sum of thrée and twenty thousand Talents every Talent valued at fourscore pounds he repeating oft the Epitaph of Cyrus would suffer none though divers Princes were present to be at any charges but himself onely saying that which fortune giveth unto Alexander the same will Alexander give unto his friends for Cyrus grave is appointed unto Alexander in this Alexander passed all Princes in taking all and giving all private faults may not deprave open vertues every man hath a fault Alexander was known to be a drunkard Julius Caesar was noted to be ambitious Antiochus the the great King of Syria blamed for lechery Alcibiades of pride Pâ—rrhus of incredulity Hannibal of falshood Dionifius of tyranny I may number up infinite Princes who for one vice may not be forgotten for their divers vertues Vertue must not be hidden for that vice is manifest Phrine a Courtisan sometime of Gréece though for her slanderous life worthy reprehension yet for her liberality she ought well to be remembred for after Alexander the great had subdued that famous City of Thebes and made the walls thereof even with the ground she offered to re-edifie the same upon this condition that upon every gate of the City this sentence shall be set This City Alexander the great threw down and this City Phrine the Courtisan builded up again The like I have read of Queen Rhodope sometime a Courtisan and a lewd woman who made up the brave and sumptuous work called the Pyramides in Egypt where she used such liberalliry such a vast expence of money that for her noblenesse she was well worthy to be commended though for vitious living she was otherwise to be blamed Men and women were desirous then to be liberal Then Princes were as liberal and beneficial with such lenity and humanity unto the poor as they grew afterward to be hard and covetous with severity and cruelnesse Therefore Anaxilaus a liberal Prince was often wont to say that the chiefest commendations and noblest vertues which could be in a Prince were not to be overcome in beneficial doings Attalus King of Assa languishing in sicknesse and ready to dy bequeathed his Kingdome and Scepter of Asia unto the noble Romans by testament fully and freely to bestow it on whom they would for that they were so liberal and beneficial sometime towards him whilest yet fortune favoured him not A liberal Prince cannot be void of love Antigonus was wont to answer Aristodemus one of his Councel who was brought up of a boy in his Kitchin when he spake any thing against princely gifts and found fault with Antigonus liberality that his talk did smel of the Kitchin A fit reprehension for such a saucie servant who hindred Kings from doing good and moved Princes to do evil I would such Sycophants should be so answered by Princes as Aristodemus was of King Antigonus Worthy of perpetual memory was Artaxerxes for his passing liberality towards the poor souldiers that came from the Lacedemonian war with him he made them that came on foot unto him to go home on horseback he that came on horseback he sent him home in a chariot and he that had a village before he came unto him he gave him a city at his going away from him A Prince worthy of Subjects and a Captain most fit for Souldiers What made Julius Caesaa to be beloved of his souldiers What caused Alexander to be honoured of all men Magnificence and liberality The one in the great Wars at Pharsalia at what time he conquered Pompeius the Great having all the treasures and substance of Pompeius brought before him took nothing from the souldiers but Pompeius letters The other after he had vanquished King Darius having a great chest full of treasure where he found in present coyn two hundred thousand pound beside other inestimable treasures and jewels took nothing from his souldiers but a little book named the Illiads of Homer wherein he delighted more to read the noble acts of the Gréeks and the worthy feats of the Troyans then in all the wealth of Persia Thus liberality maintained their fame Thus their magnificent benefits so spread forth their noble names that happy was he that could be a souldier unto Caesar or to Alexander I remember a certain King in Syracusa named Hiero who understanding the liberality of the Romanes and perceiving the penury of victuals which then the Romans sustained in the wars of Tharsimenos did send three hundred thousand bushels of wheat and two hundred thousand of barley with great sums of gold and silver to ease the Roman souldiers and fearing that his gifts would not be taken nor his presents received considering the nature and liberallity of the Romans he willed the Embassadours to say that it was an homage and service of good will sent to honour the Romans from Hiero King of Siracusa an excellent policy to practise beneficence with manifest examples of a liberal heart O Rome how happy hast thou been through thy liberrlity and good will hast won the hearts of all Kingdomes and countries Vntill Ninus time all things were common no division of ground no hoording of mony no covetousnesse known no greedinesse of Kingdomes no desire of wealth in fine for the space of two hundred and fifty years for the simplicity innocency and true dealing of people it was worthily called the golden world and then a man could not find a covetous person and now a man cannot find a liberal friend then no man knew to do evil and now no man knoweth to do good then no man did take and now no man doth give in fine then one for another and now all for themselves What made Cimon a liberal Gentleman of Athens to be so famous in Greece his liberality amongst nigards he onely counted liberal and all Athens besides covetous whereby he deserved renown and glory amongst so many nippers of money he onely shewed himself bountifull and liberall What caused Flaminius to be so much spoken of amongst the Romans his liberal gifts amongst so many greedy takers his open benefits amongst their privat wealth and hidden hatred What moved the Agrigentines to honour so much the manly Gillias to advance his fame to extol his name his liberality Such covetousnesse then was in Athens Rome and Agrigentum that then worthy were these of admiration
Illiads which Homer Alexander the great so esteemed by the reading of the atchievements of Achilles being brought up in school in his fathers days with that learned Phylosopher Aristotle that he never went to bed but he had Homer under his pillow and there fell in love with the prowesse of Achilles honoured his life and magnified his death insomuch that he went unto Illion in Phrygia where that famous City of Troy sometimes stood to sée the grave of Achilles where when he saw the worthy monuments of his martial chivalry his famous feats and renowned life depainted about the Temple which invironed round his sumptuous Tomb he brake out into tears beholding the tomb and said O happy Achilles who had such a Poet as Homer that so well could advance thy fame And thus Alexander being moved by Homer to imitate Achilles minded nothing else but magnanimity and courage of mind as Curtius and Diodorus Siculus can well testifie whose life though it was but short was a mirrour unto all the world that being but twenty years when he began to imitate the acts and feats of Achilles in twelve years more which was his whole time of life he became King over Kings a Conquerour over Conquerours and was named another Hercules for his prosperous successe in his enterprises insomuch that Julius Caesar the first and most valiant Emperor that ever was in Rome after his great conquests entring into the Temple of Hercules in Gades and reading the life of Alexander painted round about the Temple his worthy fame declared his noble déeds set forth his victories and conquests in every place described such monuments and mirrours in memory of his noble life every where expressed he fell into the like tears for Alexander as Alexander did for Achilles Thus was one in love with another for magnanimities sake each one so desirous of others fame that Caesar thought himself happy if he might be counted Alexander Alexander judged himself renowned if he might be named Achilles Achilles sought no greater fame then Theseus Theseus ever desired the name of Hercules Therefore Agesilaus King of the Lacedemonians wondered much at the singular magnanimity and prowesse of Epaminondas sometime Prince of Thebes who with one little City could subdue all Gréece This Epaminondas having wars with the Lacedemonians people no lesse renowned by war then justly feared by Epaminondas after great victories and triumphs was after this sort prevented by Agesilaus in the wars of Mantinia that all the people of Sparta were counselled either to kill Epaminondas or to be killed by Epaminondas whereby the whole force and power of Lacedemonia was fully bent by commandment given by Agesilaus their King to fall upon Epaminondas where that valiant and noble Prince by too much pollicy was wounded to death to the utter destruction of all the people of Thebes and yet being carried unto his tent alive he demanded of his souldiers the state of the field whether Thebes or Sparta was conquered being certified that the Lacedemonians fled and that he had the victory he forthwith charged the end of the spear to be taken out of his wounded side saying Now your Prince Epaminondas beginneth to live for that he dies a Conqueror We read not of Epaminondas his parralel who being compared unto Agamemnon for his magnanimity was angry therewith saying Agamemnon with al Greece with him was ten years about one town the City of Troy Epaminondas with little Thebes in one year conquered all Gréece An order was observed amongst the Lacedemonians before they did go to the wars they were by their Laws charged to make solemn sacrifice unto the Muses And being demanded why they so did sith Mars hath no society with the Muses Eudamidas then their King answered For that we might obtain as well of the Muses how to use victory gently as Mars to become victors manfully These Lacedemonians were so valiant that having banished their King Cleonimus for his extraordinary pride and violence did make Arcus King in his place Who being in Creet aiding the people of Corcyra in wars with the most part of the Citizens of Sparta Cleonimus their exiled King consulted with Pyrrhus King of Epyre and perswaded him then or never to conquer Sparta considering Areus was in Creet and that Sparta was not populous to defend any strength of invasion they both came and pitched their field in the open face of the City of Sparta assuring themselves to sup that evening at Cleonimus house The Citizens perceiving the great Army of Pyrrhus thought good by night to send their women unto Créet to Areus making themselves ready to â—ie manfully in resisting the hoast of the enemie and being thus in the Senate agréeing that the womankind should passe away that night lest their nation at that time should be quiet destroyed by Pyrrhus a great number of women appeared in armor amongst whom Archidamia made an Oration to the men of Sparta wherein she much blamed their intent and quite confounded their purpose saying Think you O Citizens of Sparta that your Wives and Daughters would live if they might after the death of their Husbands and destruction of Sparta Behold how ready we are how willingly the women of Sparta will die and live with their Husbands Pyrrhus shall well feel it and this day be assured of it No marvel it is that the children of these women should be valiant high in their resolution If Demosthenes who was so much esteemed in Athens had said in Sparta that which he wrote in Athens that they who sometime ran away should fight again he should have the like reward that Archilogus had who wrote in his book that it was sometime better to cast the buckler away then to die for which he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the noble city of Sagunâ—um was destroyed the Senate of Carthage having promised the contrary the renowned Romans though the league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did send Fabius Maximus as their Embassador with two tables the one containing peace the other wars which were sent to Carthage either to choose peace or wars the election was theirs though the Romans were injured Hardie then the Romans were when Scaenola went alone armed unto the Tents of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be killed by Porsenna greater fortitude of mind could be in no man a more valiant heart also was séen in no man then in Cocles who alone resisted the whole army of King Porsenna and when the draw bridge was taken up he leaped in all his harnesse from his enemies into the midst of the river Tybur And though he was in divers places sore wounded yet neither did his fall hurt him nor his Armour press him neither the water drown him neither thousands of his enemies could kill him but he swam through the river Tybur unto Rome to the great admiration of King Porsenna and excéeding joy of Rome so that one
we go we go a pilgrimage and thus we live and thus we die CHAP. V. Of Martial Triumphs and the solemnity of Kings and Princes AFter that Mars had moved first Ninus King of the Assyrians unto wars who was the first after the floud that invaded the confines of Asia the world at that time for the simplicity of the people and temperance of life and specially for that it was not populous was called the golden world for the space of two hundred years and a half after Noah untill Ninus first framed wars whence in short time after proceeded sundry wars in several countries Insomuch that to animate the souldiers and to stir their Captains with greater courage to defend their countries they invented glorious triumphs whereby the deserved fame of the Conquerours might be renowned And as the victory of it self was either more or lesse so were the triumphs appointed to be correspondent unto the same The Lacedemonians a people most studious of war had appointed several triumphs according unto the state of the victory for if through deceit or craft they had gotten a victory they would kill a Bull to do sacrifice unto their Gods If again through strength and courage they had purchased a victory then in triumph thereof they would kill a Cock The Athenians at any victory would crown the Conqueror with a Garland made of Oken leaves in triumph of his successe properly appointed for him that defended the estate of Cities or the persons of Citizens Thus Pericles and Demosthenes used often to triumph in wearing the crown called Civica Corona the Civick Garland This order also was observed among the Gréeks that the victors might onely make a triumphant shew of their victory not to move any enmity or to maintain discord against the enemy as sometime the Thebans did who were of all Gréece with one consent accused for that they made a perpetual monument of the victory against the Lacedemonians to stand in brasse rather to stir enmity and discord amongst their successours and posterity then justly to triumph in their present fortune The Princes of Carthage used such triumphs as at the yéelding of the Empire of Carthage by Hasdrubal unto his brother Hamilcar who was Hannibals father and oftentimes triumphed against the Romans It is read in Justine that at the beginning the triumphs were not gorgeously nor sumptuously appointed as they were in processe of time for the Romans who far excelled all countries had no such triumph when Romulus had vanquished Acron King of the Senenses He did wear nothing else but Bay-leaves in triumph thereof for first the branches and bows of trées were cut down in triumph Secondly divers fresh flowers were gathered Then they invented Garlands made of Time intermingled with silver and with gold At length divers kinds of Garlands were so used in Gréece that at their banquets and their drinkings they had their Garlands on their heads for as the world grew in wealth so it grew in sumptuousnesse for the triumph of Romulus was far inferiour to the gorgeous triumphs of Camillus and yet Romulus was a King and Camillus was but an Officer Time bringeth things unto perfection In time Rome waxed so wealthy that Camillus I say was carried in a Chariot all gilded and wrought over with gold having all white horses gallantly furnished a Crown of pure Gold on his head all the Senatours and Consuls of Rome going on foot before him unto the Capitol of the City and thence unto the Temple of Jupiter where to honour the triumph further they slue a white Bull as a sacrifice unto Jupiter and thence he was brought triumphantly unto the City of Rome unto his owâ— house Even so in Gréece and Carthage in time they grew into such pomp and sumptuous triumphs that there was as much study to invent brave shews and solemn sights in triumphs as there was care and diligence to have removed the enemies when Epaminondas ruled stately Thebes when Hannibal governed proud Carthage when Leonidas bare sway in war like Sparta then Gréece and Lydia were acquainted with solemn and brave triumphs In Ninus time the triumphs were in Assyria In Arbaces time the triumphs flourished amongst the Medes In Cyrus time the triumphs were in Persia In Alexanders time they were in Macedonia In Caesars time they were in Rome and thus alwaies from the beginning of the world triumphs followed victories And here I mean a little to intreat of the triumphs of the Romans which far divers ways surmounted the rest whose Fame was spread over all the world and yet imitating in all things the Gréeks insomuch that Rome alwaies had Athens as a Nurse or a patern to frame their laws by for although the Kings were banished as well in Athens as in Rome yet they ruled and triumphed more by Orateurs in Athens and by Consuls in Rome then by Kings Therefore as Plini saith they exercised such feats of arms they contrived such policies they used such solemnities in triumphs that Rome then was noted to be the lamp and lanthorn of Mars They had I say divers Garlands made onely for the triumphs of wars Plini counteth seven sorts of Garlands which the Romans had the first made of pure gold appointed onely for the triumphs of Princes The second of Laurell which of all was most ancient in Gréece and in Italy appointed for the triumphs of souldiers The third of all kind of swéet flowers appointed to him that restored Cities to their liberties again The fourth made of Oken leaves to him that defended Citizens from death these two Garlands were of great honour in Rome but especially in Gréece the one Cicero waâ—e in Rome for his invectives against the conspiracies of the wicked Cacelin the other Fabius Maximus did wear for that he saved Rome from the second wars of Carthage where Hannibal was Captain The fift Garland was appointed for him that assaulted the walls of the enemies first and entred the town The sixth for him that attempted the tents of the enemies The seventh bestowed upon him that boarded first the Navie of the enemy These three last Garlands mentioned for the scaling of walls the boarding ships and attempting the tents were made all of gold and given by the Princes or Senatours to the aforesaid Souldiers There was likewise in Rome a decrée concerning the triumphs that none might triumph unless he had béen before some Officer in Rome as Dictator Pretor Consul or such like and if any unless by the Senate had won any victories though their conquest were never so great and their victorie never so famous as Pub. Scipio for all his victories in Spain and Marcus Marcellus for all that he took the great City of Syracuse they might in no wise by Law make any claim of Triumphs because they were not appointed by the Senator Then Rome flourished and was defended from divers injuries and saved from enemies At what time M. Curius triumphed over the Samnites Mae Agrippa over the
Pcholome mâ—de in the Isle of Pharos to benefit the saylors upon the Seas This Sostratus made so high that in the night time there hanged a Candle for a light and marke unto poore Mariners which could be séene for the height of the Tower almost every where The other two and last of the seven wonders were two Images the one for Iupiter made by Phydias of Ivory in Olimpia The other made for Phaebus in Rhodes by Lindus whose immensity was such that it was threescore and ten Cubits high so great was this Colossus that when it fell downe by an earthquake it séemed a wonder to the beholders every finger that he had was bigger then a man of this age These seven huge and monstrous workes were called the seven wonders of the world which Pliny and Plutarch speaketh of in divers places Some suppose that the royall Pallace of Cyrus which that cunning workman Memnon made might bee iustlie numbred with these worthy and famous works But to procéed to other sumptuous buildings though not counted of the seven wonders yet allowed amongst the best for the stately worke of the same and of no inferiour fame as the Laberinth made by Dedalus in Creete of such difficult worke that he that came in could not without a guide goe out againe Three others were made like unto that the one in Egypt which Smilus made the other in Lemnos which Rhodus wrought and the third in Italy which Theodorus made These foure Labyrinthes were so curiously wrought that Porsenna king of Hetruria took hence example to make him a monument after death to bury and eternize himselfe Againe after these there were other wonderfull workes made by the kings of Egypt called Obelisci such renowned and famous buildings that when Cambyses king of Persia at the siege of the city Sienna saw but one of them hee was in such an admiration that hee thought them invincible Phyus made one of forty cubits King Ptolome made another of fourescore cubits in Alexandria and divers others which for their fame were then counted as mâ—rvaâ—lous as any of the seven wonders But let us speak of sundry buildings aswell of cities and townes as also of temples houses and pallaces whose fame thereby long flourished as Romulus was famous by building of Rome Cadmus by building of Thebes a city of Boetia in Greece And Ogdous by the building of the city of Memphis in Egypt Neither may I escape any sith I have taken upon me to recite all whose renownes and names by these their workes doe yet live I must not escape Alexander the great who in his great warres made a city of his name named Alexandria I must not forget King Darius who likewise built up Susa a city in Persia These two kings though they destroyed thousands of cities yet they builded some cities Neither may I omit Caesar Augustus who made a famous city in memory of the great victory over Antonius and Cleopatra and named it Nicopalis that is in english the city of victory King Ninus an ancient King made the city of Ninive within two hundred yeares after the flood of Noah Sichem builded Sidon Agenor Tyre Then the world waxed populous and kings began to build every where for the furtherance of civility and encrease of pollicy and wit in which the world in the beginning was very raw for as the world grew into civill order and the knowledge of things so cities and townes were builded Castles fortified and high walls raysed for a Bulwark and a Defence unto the same so by little and little the world was full of cities Then Siracusa was builded by Archias The city of Argos was erected by Phoroneus Laodicea by king Antiochus And so briefly to recite them over the noble and famous city of Troy in Phrygia was builded by Dardanus Arpos a town in Apuleia was built by Diomedes and so Telegonus builded Tusce in Italy being the son of Ulisses a Gréek Capis likewise builded the city Capua to which Hannibal layd a long siege but least I might be too long in rehearsing the builders of famous cities having just occasion to respect the time I will end with the Cities and Towns alwayes considering that women ought not to be forgotten as Semiâ—amis Quéen of Persia who builded the city of Babylon Quéene Dido who builded the warlike city of Carthage Danae the daughter of king Acrisius who builded in Italy a great towne called Arcade Divers Quéens and noble Women are for the like no lesse famous then Men were Now pausing a while we will repeat those that encreased the Common-wealthes and beautified them with other kinde of buildings Amongst other miracles and woundrous works Mount Athos was made of Xerxes navigable even unto the sea eleven yéeres hée kept thirty thousand men to bring his minde to passe Caesar made in one day two famous bridges the one over the River Rheum and the other over the river called Ara which was almost incredible Alexander the great made such a dining-roome at the marriages of the nobles of Macedonia with the women of Persia Aelianus doth witnes that a thousand Persians and a thousand Macedonians and five hundred others with swords and silver Targets lodged in that house while the marriages continued Traian the Emperour made such a Bridge on Danuby that for length breadth and height all the world could not shew the like What should I rehearse the Temple which Salomon made in Hierusalem unto the which the Ephesians with their temple of Diana and the Carthaginians with the temple of Juno must give place needs must Alexander for all his bravery and Clodius house which was the spectacle of Rome yéeld unto the golden hall of Nero but of finenesse of works if the rarenesse of skil if I say the worthinesse of wonders might rlaime place and justly challenge fame I should prayse Spintharus for the making of the Temple of Apollo in Delphos or Meleagenes for his work in Prienna in making the Temple of Minerva I should commend Epeus for his cunning about the brazen horse in Troy I should commend Perillus for his brazen bull in Agrigentum yea and Vulcanus who as Poets faine was appointed by Jupiter to work onely for the celestial gods I commend the Image of Diana in Chios which was so skilfully made that unto those that came unto the Temple she seemed glad and joyful and unto those that went out of the Temple she séemed sad and angry I should prayse the artificial golden birds made by the Sages of Persia and the curious work of Pallas Temple in Illyon and the work and invention of noble nature unto which nothing is hard It pierceth the clouds it wadeth the Seas It compasseth the whole world the cunning workmâ—n the skilful Carpenter saith Cicero guideth every man as a Captain I might have occasion in this place to speak of the work of nature but that it is needlesse considering how familiarly she instructeth a man unto those works
place and amended it The second day the Shoomaker came again and found fault in the hose then Apelles answered and said that a Shoemaker ought not to judge of any thing but of the shoe Every man that thinketh himself eloquent for that he hath his tongue at will and can shift matters skilfully in his own judgement is not that eloquent man which Cicero speaketh of nor hath those parts of Rhetorick wherewith hee can perswade to good and disswade from evil The eloquent man doth comfort the afflicted he expelleth fear and terrour from men he stoppeth again the stout and insolent This man is able faith Cicero to win towns countreys castles and kingdomes this eloquence in adversity is solace in prosperity an ornament in youth laudable in age delectable in all men profitable Wherefore not without cause did M. Antonius use to say that oftentimes he saw and heard fine tongued men but he never saw nor heard any eloquent man For though saith Cicero we follow Nature as a Captain unless Art be coupled and united to it we follow a rude and barbarous Captain What Captain was Paulus Aemilius being in wars with King Perseus In a certain clear night when the Moon upon the sudden shifted her self from sight and the night became very dark all the souldiers of Paulus yea Paulus himself being their General and Captain were dismaid and quite discouraged thinking it had béen some prodigious show to pregnosticate mishap to come and being ready to yéeld in heart and courage until Sulpitius began to perswade the rude Souldiers with reason opening the causes unto the Souldiers and declaring the effects of the superiour bodies so eloquently that being before dismaid they were by the eloquence of Sulpitius perswaded to fight valiantly and where through fear of that sudden sight and change of the Moon they were ready to yeeld as captives to King Perseus they were moved and stirred by the eloquence of Sulpitius to become Conquerors and Victors over King Perseus in the self same night The like did Pericles sometimes amongst his souldiers of Athens at what time the sun so darkned that great terrour and fear came upon the souldiers he eloquently perswaded his souldiers and told them as he heard of his master Anaxagoras the cause thereof and quite expelled fear from the souldiers by reason and made them bold again through eloquence In Affrick there was in the time of Anascarimis a Philosopher named Afranio who being demanded what he did hear all the days of his life answered to speak well the second time being asked what he taught unto others answered likewise to speak well at the last he was demanded what he knew in any science he said I know nothing but to speak well so that this old Philosopher Afranio learned nothing taught nothing nor knew any thing but to speak well and most certain it is that he that consumeth all the days of his life to learn to speak well and knoweth nothing else but to speak well spendeth his time very well CHAP. X. Of those Kings and Princes and others who had their Pictures and Images for a shew of their deserved Fame erected THe greatest honour that both Gréeks and Gentiles used toward those that deserved well in the Commonwealth was to advance them by pictures painted and images gloriously graven thinking thereby either to inflame thē further to do good or else to discourage thē again from doing evil by banishing and neglecting their pictures which when Favoritus the Philosopher heard that the City of Athens had rejected his picture because Adrian the Emperour was angry with him said I am right glad thereof for better said he had it béen for Socrates to have had his brazen picture broken and thrown away for some shew of displeasure by the Athenians then to be deprived of his life for nothing by the Athenians for the surest estate of all is not to be known Agesilaus therefore King of the Lacedemonians understanding that the inhabitants of every country in all Gréece had decréed to put up the picture of Agesilaus for a memorial of his vertuous and noble acts to be as monuments of his life after death returning then from Egypt unto Gréece being very sick a little before he died he wrote letters unto Gréece that they should make no pictures no images no painted shews no graven work of his person nor yet of his life saying If I have done well in life the vertue thereof is a sufficient monument when I am dead Cato Senior was of that opinion that he had rather that men should ask why hath not Cato his Picture set up then to asks why hath Cato his picture set up A number of sage Philosophers and wise Princes have lothed and utterly neglected this kind of flattery which then was thought to be the greatest fame and commendation of all things to have their pictures in places set up to make mention of honour and dignity which thereby is meant either for restoring of liberty lost or in defending from tyranny or in saving of Cities or for such things done pictures were erected to advance their fame thereby Thus Aristogiton and Armodius because they delivered Athens from the tyranny of Pysistratus had their pictures with great estimation set up of the people of Athens Likewise Marcellus because he subdued Syracusa vanquished the French men at Padua and gave the repulse unto Hannibal at Nola had his picture set up in the Temple of Pallas with an Epigram written in letters of gold unto his great praise and commendation Eutropius saith that Claudius Emperour of Rome had his picture made with a golden Target in his hand because he vanquished the Goths which were about to spoil the county of Macedonia Numa Pomp. the second King of Rome and Servius Tullius the sixth King had their pictures a long time amongst the Romans in great honour and fame Selostris King of Egypt for his martial feats and vertuous acts was honoured in his country with divers pictures Polydamas that strong Champion in the games of Olympia for that he being without weapons and naked slew a terrible Lyon and held fast by the foot a huge great Bull and with the other hand stayed a running Chariot had his picture therefore erected and set up in Olympia In Athens how many pictures were set up of noble men and learned Philosophers as Conon Euogoras Phocion Isocrates and others which were now up and now down as mutable fortune favoured or frowned the state and life of men being uncertain and changeable As Demosthenes having his picture in Athens had this Epigram written round about the picture If Demosthenes had had courage and strength as he had wit and eloquence neither Philip nor his son Alexander nor all Macedonia had ever vanquished Gréece yet this Demosthenes was exiled and banished Athens divers times So hard was it to please the people then which had the chief government in Athens and Rome that for a small
displeasure conceived yea for nothing they were ready to requite good men with cruel déeds as banishment and death As in Rome Cicero for Clodius sake after sure and sound service often shewed toward his country was afterward inforced to flee unto Greece from Rome where so well he was before estéemed The like I may urge of Aristides Thrasibulus Hippias and Thucidides men sometimes honoured in Athens with pictures for the noble and excellent defence of the City and yet for nothing not long after exiled the pictures taken down and the monuments broken So Popilius Opimius Metellus Scipio and Lâ—vius with others were sometimes in Rome highly honoured with pictures and yet at length the like fortune as these aforenamed Gréeks had did accrue unto them Such is the uncertain pilgrimage of man the wandring ways of the world the mutability of fortune as there hath béen full proof shewed of the same from time to time in all places in banishing in murthering yea again in worshipping and honouring As for example we read that Alexander the great was born in Pella a town in Macedonia and died in Babylon King Cyrus was born in Persia and slain in Scythia Hannibal born in Affrick and buried in Bithinia Cleomenes King of the Lacedemonians born in the City of Sparta yet his grave was made in Egypt Crastus and Pompeius the great born in Rome the one died in Assyria the other in Egypt Paulus Aenilius died in Cinna T. Gracchus in Lucania Augustus Caesar in Nola Trayane the Emperour in the East part of the world with other famous men born within the City of Rome as the Cornelii Scipioes Catots Decii all Noble families who died like pilgrims in the world scattered one from another So in Athens Themistocles Theseus Solon were flourishing with others yet in Syria Cyprus and Persia were they buried King Jugurtha born in Numidia was buried in Rome Again King Aegeus born in Athens Pharao in Egypt Ajax in Gréece Leander in Abidos yet their graves and burial was in the bottome of the sea Mark how puissant Princes of the world and mighty Caeâ—ars were subject unto fortune And sée again the learned and sage philosophers which as I said before had their persons estéemed their pictures erected yet not able to avoid the furious frets of Fortune As Pythagoras born in Samos died in Metapontus Virgil born in Mantua buried in Bâ—undusium Terence born in Carthage brought up in Rome ended his life in Arcadia These Princes and famous men had notwithstanding in divers places their fame spread their name advanced and their pictures every where erected Gorgius Leontinus was the first amongst the Greeks for his wisedome and eloquence that had his picture set up in Delphos in the Temple of Apollo His scholler Isocrates had for his wit and passing eloquence in Olympia his picture erected Demetrius Theophrastus scholler after he had ten years with all diligence and industry governed the state of Athens having three hundred and threescore pictures in Greece erected and set up for his fame and reonwn in administration of the Common-wealth yet were they all broken and taken down through envy afterward and when Demetrius heard of the inconstancy and envy of the people in shewing their malice therein he said though they pull down my pictures yet can they not banish the vertuous cause of the pictures Mithridates King of Pontus made a worthy monument at Sylo unto Plato about the which as Plutarch saith was writtgn this sentence Mithridates made this picture of Plato and dedicated the same unto the Muses Mutius Scaevola had his picture in Rome for that he delivered the the City of Rome from Porsenna King of Hetruscans For the like Cocles was not forgotten of the Romans It were unto small purpose to speak of Lucullus of M. Attilius and Octavius whose fame and renown made their pictures to be monuments thereof And why should I busie my self with infinite names of men since women well deserved the same as Tanaquil Tarquinius wife Cloaelia a Virgin of Rome yea as Quintilian saith Phrine for her beauty was commended by pictures so common were they for all men that I refer those who will read further of this unto Plini where he may at large satiefie himself in this subject I should be ever much charged to recite the places persons and time only this that pictures were erected to advance the fame of Princes and deserving men and to stir them further in such procéedings as were the cause of these their pictures of which as before is spoken they shall find in Plini variety of examples CHAP. XI Of Kings and Heroes who defended divers from death from Serpents Dragons Lyons and of cunning Archers EVen as by these valiant and noble Conquerours not onely Towns Cities and Countries were defended but also Serpents Dragons Licus and other monstrous and wild beasts were slain so divers and sundry captives and prisoners were deliverred from death unto life How many did famous Hercules that off-spring of the Gods save from the gulf of Avâ—ntine where that Cacus both day and night murthered the passers by How many delivered he from the huge monster Chymaera which continually with flashing of fire feared and slew many valiant men For he had three heads one of a Lyon the second of a dragon the third of his owne monstrous proportion Hee againe slew Sphinx a terrible beast in Ethiopia which with his sight destroyed men hee overcame Geron Cerberus and Diomedes and divers other enterprizes as is before rehearsed Perseus after that Neptune had defloured Medusa in the temple of Pallas the Gods being displeased therewith turned every haire of her head unto Snakes whose sight was so venemous that whatsoever he was that beheld her dyed presently Perseus slew the same whereby he delivered divers that should else have perished Cappadox being then tribune of the souldiers in Affrica under the Emperour Dioclesian killed a huge serpent and delivered a young Phrygian made even a prey for her mouth Even so Alcâ—n a noble Archer of Creet shot at a dragon which had his own son in his claws ready to be devoured and slew him and so saved his son unhurt But I will digresse here from the skilfull Archers and speak a little more of the famous and renowned conquerors of wilde beasts of monsters and of serpents as Bellerophon King Glaucus son of Corinth being accused of fornication with Quéen Stenobia King Proetus wife hée was judged to dye and to be devoured of the Monster Chimaera which he valiantly subdued and slew in the dungeon The fame of Lysimachus is spread over all the world for that he killed a Lyon being but a souldier under king Alexander The name of Coraebus shall not be forgotten amongst the Peloponesians for the overthrowing of that terrible monster in Gréece The renowne of Att. Regulus shall alwayes be revived when any man doth think of the great serpent that he slew by the flood Bragada which as Pliny saith was a
hundred and twenty foot long Did not these noble men benefit their countries much in saving thousands lives which should have béen destroyed by these monsters The Poets feigne that Cadmus Agenois son did kill a Serpent whose téeth engendred and brought forth out of the earth armed men which fought and destroyed one another Againe such was the fortunes of young maids as Bâ—lsaria when Carphurinus Crastus was taken captive of the Messalins and should be offered for a sacrifice unto Saturne shee delivered Crassus from death and made him conquerour where before he was conquered Calluce a young woman after Troy was by the Gréeks destroyed when her father king Lycus sayling into Lybia had appointed to kill Diomedes for a sacrifice to appease the Gods for winde and weather shee delivered him from the king her father and from present death Plutarch writeth of these two maids that their fames hereby may never be forgotten To speak here of those who delivered men from death from captivity from perpetual prison it were necessary howbeit short Histories are swéet and few words are pleasant therefore I will not speak of Lucuâ—lus who being in warres with Mithridates King of Pontus delivered Cotta from thousands about him I will not write of Lucillius a Roman souldier when he saw that Brutus at Philippi who was compassed round about with enemies he himself ran with a few soldiers with him amoÌ„gst the nemies because Brutus in the mean while might save himself Neither will I much mention Quintus Cincinnatus being then Dictator in Rome who delivered Quintus Minutius from the hands of the Sabines and Volscians But according unto promise I will touch partly on those that deserved fame another way For fame is not bound unto one kind of quality but unto divers and sundry vertues therefore with these renowned Conquerors and defenders of countries I will joyn most excellent and expert Archers who likewise have done noble acts worthy feats and marvellous things As â—â—erdes was such an Archer that he would kill the flying birds in the air Catenes could do the like as Curtius in his sixth Book doth affirm Alexander the son of King Priamus when neither his brother Hector with his courage nor Troylus with his force nor all the strength of Phrygia could resist that noble Greek Achilles he slew him with an arrow Acastus won immortal renown for killing of the huge wild Boar that spoiled Calidoâ—ia Princes in times past were taught to do feats of Archery Great Hercules himself was taught of Euritus the science of shooting that he could kill any flying fowl or the swiftest beast as sometime he killed the birds called Harpies and slew the swift Centaure Nessus we read in the first of Herodotus that Commodus the son of Marcus sirnamed Aurelius Emperour sometime of Rome begotten of Empresse Faustina was so skilful in shooting that whatsoever he saw with his eyes the same would he kill with his bow likewise I finde that the Emperour Domitianus was so expert in his bow that hee could shoot when any hold up his hand betwixt his fingers a great way off The people of Creet passed all men in this faculty The Parthians were so cunning in shooting and throwing of darts that backwards as they fled they would spoyle and destroy their enemies The Arimaspians excelled the Parthians Againe the Schythians and Getes were most famous for this subject And thus having occasion to travell as pilgrimes some slew great wilde Tygers huge Bears terrible Lyons and such monstruous beasts that advanced the fame of such who attempted the danger CHAP. XII Of diligence and labours of Princes AS Horace that ancient Poet affirmeth that the worthyest and greatest vertue is to avoyd vice so is it I judg the greatest commendation unto any man to imbrace diligence and to eschew idlenesse For such is the vertue of mans mind the rare gifts and excellent talents which God and nature have bestowed upon man that to see the excellency and vertue therof with externall sight if it could be séen it would saith that divine and noble Phylosopher Plato enflame great desire uncredible love unto vertue would on the contrary kindle such hatred unto vice that the sight thereof would feare any beholder When saith Cicero the world was new and nothing ripe no laws made no Cities builded no order set no common-wealth framed but all things confusedly on a heap without divisions and limits most like to the Poeticall Chaos before the elements were discovered water from earth and and the fire from the ayre then I say we lived brutishly and beastly without civility and manners without learning and knowledge but when reason began to rule when Lady prudence began to practise with pollicy when we began to search and to seek by diligence and travel the nature of things then divers men in sundry countries sought means by diligence to profit their countries As Moses first found out letters amongst the Hebrews Mâ—nno first found out letters amongst the Egyptians Rhadamanthus amongst the Assyrians Nicostrata amongst the Romanes r Phoenices amongst the Greecians thus by the diligence and study of men from time to time raw things waxed ripe strange things became familiar and hard and difficult things waxed facile and easie Then Solon made laws in Athens Lycurgus in Lacedemonia Zeleucus in Locresia Minos in Créefe so orderly all the whole world was beautified with lawes adorned with wit and learning Then began Philo to give laws unto the Corinthians Then Zalmosis began to reform the rude and barbarous Scythians Then Phaleas amongst the Carthagenians practized pollicy and limited laws Then I say laws began to order the affairs and reason began to rule so that learning and knowledge was sought far and néere wit exercised pollicy practised and vertue so honoured that well might Tully say O Phylosophy the searcher of all good vertues and the expeller of al vices Then was that common-wealth noted happy that enjoyed such a Prince to rule as a Phylosopher that would extoll vertue and suppresse vice reward the good and punish the evill estéeme the wise and learned and neglect the foolish and ignorant I will omit to speak of mighty and famous Princes whose care whose diligence study and industry were such whose numbers were so infinite that I might well seem too tedious to molest the Reader with them I will therefore in this place speak of the diligence and travell of poor men who by their study and labour became lamps of light unto the world And to begin with Plato and Socrates two base men of birth whose diligence in their life made them most famous being dead the one the son of a poor Citizen of Athens named Ariston the other the son of a poor Marbler named Sophroniseus Might not poor Perictione the mother of Plato be proud of her son when the greatest tyrant in the world that proud Prince Dionisius would honour and reverence him for his learning and knowledge and take him into a
yet lived that he might the better in that season win favour and find friendship with his subjects for then some came by heritage some by the sword and the most came by election Nothing saith Plutarch doth so establish the estate of a Common-wealth as the clemency of a Prince towards his subjects and the love of the subjects towards their Prince the one is never séen without the other King Darius therefore understanding that his subjects were taxed sore with Subsedies blamed his counsel rebuked their law and made an open oration unto his commons to signifie how loth he was to molest his subjects and that he was as loth to take any from his poor commons as he knew them to be willing in giving all they had to pleasure their Prince his care therein shewed and his speech so affable and his good will opened with such curtesie and lenity inflamed such benevolence kindled such a love caused such a readinesse in his subjects and made them through gentlenesse so beneficial that both goods lands and lives were at Darius commandement Plutarchus in the life of King Antigonus doth recite a famous history concerning the alteration and change of Antigonus who with tyranny a long while fomed in bloud and delighted in murther being given altogether to wickednesse of life spoiling at all times every where sparing no place at any time but at length having obtained the kingdome of Macedonia became so méek so liberal so quiet towards his subjects that he was of all men wondred at for his sudden change from so cruell a tyrant to so gentle a Prince from a spoiler of all places to be a sparer now of his subjects being demanded the cause thereof answered Then I travelled for the Kingdome of Macedonia which was to be won with wars and tyranny and now I labour for the good will of my subjects which is to be gotten with gentleness The onely remedy the sure way to win good will of the subjects is always for Princes to be courteous and gentle Pitie in a Prince causeth love in the subjects Such pity was found in that gentle Emperor Aurelian when he would have entred into that City called Iâ—aena the gates being shut against him he did send his Heralds to signifie unless the gates should be opened he would not leave one dog alive within the City The City more stout then wise refused to open their gates until with force of Engines the walls were battered down and the City in the hand of the Emperor to do what it liked him The souldiers gréedy of the spoil were by the gentle and mercifull Emperor charged not to meddle with any within the City until they had licence The Emperor being charged by the souldiers with his promise to kil and to spoil all and not to leave a dog alive he kept promise like a Prince and destroyed all the dogs of the City and restored the City again to the inhabitants thereof This noble Aurelian had rather his souldiers should want then that they should not shew mercy according to his custome to the comfortless Xerxes the great King of Persia used such lenity and gentleness towards his brother Arimenes with whom before he was a great enemy that he made him of a foe a friend Porus a famous Prince of India being conquered by Alexander the Great fearing that pity might not have place in the heart of such a conqueror sought nothing else of Alexander who willed him to ask any thing and he should have it but clemency This vertue long waited upon Alexander till pride the root of all mischief corrupted his gentle heart and he was by the Medes and Persians perswaded to be the son of Jupiter So gentle he was before the King Darius did wish either to conquer Alexander because he might shew courtesie unto Alexander or else to be conquered by Alexander Aeneas Sylvius was wont to use the saying of Sigismund the Emperor that happy are those Princes that foster up clemency in Court and prudent are those Princes that use humanity in their Cities It was no small proof of humanity in the Senators of Rome at the burial of Siphax King of Numidia who being taken by the Romans and kept in Tiberius house according to martial law before he was ransomed by the Numidians died at Rome where such solemnity honour and pomp was shewed at his funeral such gifts given such liberality used as if Siphax had died amongst his own subjects he might have wanted to have such glorious burial in Numantia being there their King as he had in Rome being a prisoner That is worthy humanity which is shewed to men in adversity and that is méer clemency which is done to those banished strangers as the Romans sometime did to Prusius King of Bithinia who being driven to exile by his son Nicomedes came unto Rome where humanity and clemency were used and nourished in the Senate and was met at Capua a City sometime by Hannibal conquered by Scipio and Cornelius and brought to Rome not like a banishâ—d man but as a noble Prince with such triumphs and honour done to him and such passing courtesie and liberality of Senators that although he was banished Bithinia his Kingdome and by Nicomedes his own son yet was he received into Rome by strangers and that to the honour and the fame of Rome Thereby the Romans grew to that admiration with all people that for their lenity and surmounting courtesie they were of all men beloved and for their valour and magnanimity they likewise were of all the world feared For as to Siphax and Prusius wonderfull clemency and humanity were by the Romans tendered so was the like to Ptolomy King of Egypt being of his own brother banished and by them restored again to his Kingdome Rome then was called the Haven of succour the anchor of trust the Key of courtesie whereto all succourless Princes and noble Captains sled Rome flourished then while pity and mercy continued Rome prospered while humanity and clemency were fostered Rome excelled all nations in gentleness and pity when Marcellus and Metellus lived the one Captain of Syracusa the other in Celtiberia The noble Captain Marcellus was so pittiful that after his souldiers had conquered Syracusa with great slaughter and murther of men women and children he mounted up into a high Tower of the Castle and there with tears he lamented the cufull sight of Syracusa more like to one conquered then a conqueror more like to a Prisoner then a Prince so that any who then saw him might rather judge Marcellus a Syracusan captive then a Roman Captain Happy was Syracusa sith fortune was no better to happen on such a gentle Conqueror who was not so glad of his own victory as he was sorrowfull for the fall of Syracusa That renowned Roman Merellus besieging the great City of Centobrica in the countrey of Celtiberia when he perceived their Bulwarks broken their Walls ready to fall and victory nigh at hand
are the rudest people in the world so that the Athenians call them as Plutarch reporteth bold baiards and blocks for their grosse understanding The Bactrians are most puissant and warlike souldiers detesting much the excesse of the Persians but are of such grosse sense notwithstanding that they give and bestow their old men and also sick men unto dogs to be devoured which dogs for the purpose they nourish and bring up in their country The Agrigentines a people given unto such buildings and banquetting that Plato the Philoso said the Agrigentines builded as though they should live for ever and banquetted as though they should die dayly The manners of the Assyrians were to bring their sick friends abroad unto the high ways to séek to ask and to know remedies for their sicknesse of all kind of men that passe by and if by chance without remedy the sick should die they should bear him home and bury him solemnly anointing over the corps with honey and wax This people did wear for their weapons daggers and targets and clubs they did worship Adad for their God and Adargatin for their Goddesse The people of Creet were most expert sea men and well practised in wars abstaining not onely from flesh but also from sodden meat their thief infamy was in venery masculin otherwise for their manners of living much like unto the noble Lacedemonians which for their modesty in feeding and contempt of wealth for their wisedome and study in warfares passed all nations for a token thereof they printed in their Targets the Gréek letter L. named Lambda they brought up their youth as Lycurgus that ancient law-setter taught them in all kind of study pain and labour with hunger thirst cold and heat whereby they might be able to suffer any chance happened or injury offered then were they again brought up in wrastling leaping running swimming riding and such other qualities as might profit their country in time of service for their nature was either to win and conquer or else to die and yeeld Learning and science they little esteemed insomuch that Athens and Sparta could never agree for that the one was addicted to serve Minerva or rather the muses the other given unto Mars Lycurgus made a law in Sparta that no man might accompany with his own wife but with shamefastnesse of that filthy act The candles might not be lighted in that house where the man was when that he would go unto his wife When the King would go unto wars before he should go unto the field to incounter with the enemies he offered two solemn sacrifices the one unto Minerva otherwise named Bellona to kindle flames of stoutnesse in his souldiers manfully to fight the other to the Muses to moderate their doings in victory as might be commendable and praise worthy therein they passed all men in patience for as before they brought up their children in such hardinesse that their parents would have them whipt scourged and wounded into the flesh to harden them in their young years They suffered theft to be unpunished for that the exercise thereof doth represent a kind of boldnesse in wars The nature of the Lydians was to delight in superstiticus divinations in invention of plaies and in theft As for the art of dicing and playing divers kinds of games upon tables the Lydians first invented the same They also were much enflamed by luxurious life and filthy venery which they neither spared day nor night Pliny writeth of a certain Nation called Esteni which abstained from all kind of pleasure insomuch that they never accompany with women never eat flesh nor drink wine and thus by custome of fasting they became naturally chast For custome and use saith Aristotle is another nature In that countrey no man possesseth any thing of his own all things are indifferent betwéen them and they live as companions one with another for in these their vertues they excel all men in vehement and most ardent love towards God Thus vertue most diligent with great care and study was weighed their Neighbours wonderfully beloved and made of so that by this their precept of life they have great fame and commendations They have few Cities and as few Towns and for that they take the earth as a common Mother they have all one respect unto all kind of men The Getes have no division of lands no limits of ground nor any partitions of their goods they drink bloud mingled with milk they eat no flesh and they rejoyce much when their friends die even as the people called Trauses in Thracia do when any is born into the world they mourn and lament with wéeping eys that the little child then born should know the misery and state of this wretched world and when any of their friends are dead they rejoice and be glad with melody and all kind of mirth for that he hath past this toiling life The Thracians people of great antiquity were famous warriours bragging much that Mars the God of war was born in their country much addicted unto drunkennesse selling their children in the market and their maids and daughters are common to lie with every man they judge and count it most commendation to live onely by spoil theft and wars they brag if any have a wound and think it a fame unto the person And of the contrary if they have no mark in the forehead no wound in the body they will judge those idle men and cowards the common people worship Mars and Diana for their Gods their king onely doth worship Mercury by whom the King useth to swear Psilli are people of so great folly that when the Southern wind bloweth so long and strong that their lands perish their waters dry then they arm themselves with common counsel to fight against the wind even like to the people of Câ—lta who use to draw their swords shake their spears at the waves of the seas to revenge the injuries and wrongs done by the seas to them The Bithinians were men of like folly for they would ascend and climb up to the top of high mountains either to thank Jupiter for his furtherance towards them or else to curse Jupiter for his cruelnesse towards them So the Pigmies being sore troubled and molested with Cranes did ride on Rams and Goats backs with their bows and arrows a whole band together in the spring time towards the sea-banks to break their eggs to destroy their nests and to fight with the Cranes every third moneth they take this journey in hand else would the Cranes destroy them for that they are little dwarfs of a cubit long their houses are made of dirt and feathers most like unto birds nests but that they say they are somewhat larger and bigger I know not to what purpose I do recite these countries sith the more I write the more I have to write What should I recite the people that eat the flesh of Lions and Panthers called Agriophagi or recite those
the ravishment of Virginia CHAP. XX. Of the strange Natures of Waters Earth and Fire IN divers learned Histories we read especially in Pliny of the wonders of waters and of the secret and unknown nature of fire wherin for the rare sight thereof are noted things to be marvelled at There is a water in the countrey of Campania where if any mankind will enter therein it is written that he shall incontinent be bereft of his senses And if any woman kind happen to go into that water she shall always afterward be barren In the same countrey of Campania there is a lake called Avernus where all flying fowls of the air that fly over that lake fall presently therein and die A well there is in Caria called Salmacis whose water if any man drink thereof he becommeth chaft and never desireth the company of a woman The River Maeander doth bréed such a kind of stone that being put close to a mans heart it doth straight make him mad There are two rivers in Boetia the one named Melas whose water causeth straight any beast that drinketh thereof if it be white to alter colour to black the other Cephisus which doth change the black beast to a white beast by drinking of the water Again there is in India a standing water where nothing may swim beast bird man or any living creature but they all sink this water is called Silia In Affrica on the contrary part there is the water named Apustidamus where nothing be it never so heavy or unapt to swim but will swim upon the water Lead or any heavy mettal doth swim in that lake as it is in the well of Phinitia in Sicilia Infinite waters should I recite if I in this would be tedious in repeating their names whose strange natures whose secret and hidden operation whose force and vertue were such as healed divers diseases As in the Isle of Avaria there was a water that healed the collick and the stone By Rome there was also a water called Albula that healed gréen wounds In Cilicia the river called Cydnus was a present remedy to any swelling of the legs Not far from Neapolis there was a well whose water healed any sicknesse of the eys The lake Amphion taketh all scurfs and sores from the body of any man What should I declare the natures of the four famous Rivers that issue out of Paradise the one is named Euphrates which the Babylonians and Mesopotamians have just occasion to commend the second is called Ganges which the Indians have great cause to praise the third called Nilus which the countrey of Egypt can best speak of and the fourth is called Tigris which the Assyrians have most commodity by Here might I be long occupied if I should orderly but touch the natures of all waters So the alteration of the seas and the wonders thereof appear as ebbing and flowing as saltnesse and swéetnesse and all things incident by nature to the seas which were it not that men see it dayly and observe the same hourly and mark things therein continually more wonders would appear by the seas then almost reason might be alledged for God as the Prophet saith is wonderfull in all his works So the five golden Rivers which learned and ancient writers affirm that the sands thereof are all glistering gems of gold as Tagus in Spain Permus in Lydia Pactolus in Asia Idaspes in India and Arimaspus in Scythia These are no lesse famous through their golden sands which their rowling waves bring to land in these aforesaid countreys then Parnessus in Boetia where the Muses long were honoured or Simois in Phrygia where Venus was conceived by Anchises To coequat the number of these five last and pleasant Rivers there are five as horrible to Nature as Styx in Arcadia whose property is to kill any that will touch it and therefore feigned of the Poets to be consecrated to Pluto for thfre is nothing so hard but this water wil consume so cold is the water thereof Again the River Phlegeton is contrary to this for the one is not so cold but the other is as hot and therefore called Phlegeton which is in English Fiery or smoakie for the Poets feign likewise that it burneth out in flames of fire Lethes and Acheron two Rivers the one in Affrica the other in Epire the one called the river of forgetfulnesse the other the river of sadnesse The fifth called Cocytus a place where mourning never ceaseth These five rivers for their horror and terror that procéeded from them for the strange and wonderfull effects thereof are called infernal lakes consecrated and attributed to King Pluto which Virgil at large describeth Divers wells for the strangenesse of the waters and for the pleasantnesse thereof were sacrificed to the Gods as Cissusa a well where the Nurses of Bacchus used to wash him was therefore consecrated to Bacchus so Melas to Pallas Aganippe to the Muses and so forth not molesting the Reader further with natures of Water I mean now briefly to touch the strange nature of the Earth Pliny affirmeth that there was never man sick in Locris nor in Croton neither any Earthquake ever heard in Licia By Rome in the field called Gabiensis a certain plat of ground almost two hundred Acres would tremble and quake as men rode upon it There are two hils of strange natures by the River called Indus the nature of the one is to draw any Iron to it insomuch as Pliny saith that if nails be in any shoes the ground of that place draweth the sole off There is a piece of ground in the City Characena in the countrey of Taurica where if any come wounded he shall be straight healed And if any enter under divers places as in a place called Hirpinis where the temple of Mephis is builded or in Asia by Iheropolis they shall incontinently die Again there are places by the vertue of ground in that place that men may prophesie Divers times we read that one piece of ground devoured another as the hill Ciborus and the city hard by called Curites were choaked up of the earth Phegium a great mountain in Aethiopia and Sipilis a high hill in Magnesia with the cities named Tantalis and Galarus There is a great Rock by the City Harpasa in Asia which may be moved easily with one finger and yet if a man put all his strength thereunto it will not stir I néed not speak of mount Aetna in Sicilia of Lypara in Acolia of Chymera in Lycia of Vesuvius and Aenocauma five fiery mountains which day and night burn so terribly that the flame thereof never resteth If any man will see more of these marvellous and wonderfull effects of Elements let him read the second book of Plini where he shall have abundance of the like examples There he shall see that in some places it never rained as in Paphos upon the temple of Venus in Nea a town in Phrygia upon the temple of Minerva and in
Cibeles in Phrigia Venus in Ciprus Ceres in Sicilia Again Pan was in reverence amongst the Arcadians Osiris amongst the Egyptians Bacchus in the Isle of Naxus Vulcan in Lemnos In fine blocks and stones dogs and cats oxen and calves were honoured and worshipped as Gods Thus they wandred in this vale of misery like pilgrims far from the countrey that we ought to travel to where that true and living God is the God of salvation and health which is without end to be worshipped He is the God of all men and yet of the fewest worshipped he is the Saviour and yet he is neglected yea and more rejected of us that be Christians then the blocks and stones that were honored of the Gentiles And for proof hereof I mean to shew the severe laws that were both in Athens and Rome the two lights of the world for observing of their Gods and Religion Neither the Philosophers in Athens nor the Senators in Rome nor the Magistrates and Princes of the world then would in any wise permit injuries towards the Gods or suffer any evil report toward their religion in such care were they lest they should offend their Gods and break their laws Certain husbandmen found in the lands of L. Petilius by plowing therein two stones whereupon an Epitaph of Numa Pompilius was written in one in the other were found fourteen books seven latin books entituled Jus pontificum the law of the Priests concerning religion and sacrifices of their Gods these books with great diligence and care were not onely commanded to be kept but also in all points to be observed The other were Greek books entituled Disciplina sapientâ—ae the rule of wisedome which for that they tasted of Philosophy condemned the vain superstitious religions of their Gods Petilius fearing lest by reading of wisedome and Philosophy their folly and religion should be destroyed being then Proe or in Rome at which time Cornelius and Bebâ—us were Consuls by authority of the Senate in open sight of all the City of Rome burned the Greek books For the old and ancient men would have nothing kept within their city that might hinder their Gods For before all things they preferred their Gods and their religions and so honoured their Priests their sacrifices and their vestal Virgins more then they honoured the Emperours and Senators as it appeareth by a History in Valerius that when Rome was taken and conquered by the Gauls and the vestal Virgins were enforced to bear those things away shifting more for the sacrifices and rites of their religion in carrying their books their garments and their Gods then they cared for their countrey friends children and goods Insomuch that L. Alvanius when he saw the vestal Virgins taking pains to maintein the honour of Vesta undefiled her sacrifices unpolluted in saving the ceremonies and religion of their Goddesse from the enemies as one that had more regard and respect to their vain religion then carefull of his wife and children which then being in a Chariot to be carried and conveyed from Rome he commanded his wife and children to come down from the Chariot and to go a foot and placed in their room the vestal Virgins with all their burthens belonging to Vesta their sacrifices and other necessaries and brought them honourably to the countrey of Créet where with great honour they were received and for memory hereof till this time the people of Creet for that they did succour the vestal Virgins in adversity were by the Goddesse Vesta recompensed no lesse for their humanity in receiving of her maids into their town then she gratified Alvanius for his reverence to her religion insomuch that the coach where her Virgins and her sacrifices were carried was afterward more honoured and esteemed than any triumphant or imperial chariot In the self same time and troubles of Rome when the Capitol was besieged with the enemies Caius Fabius perceiving how religion was then estéemed girded himself like a sacrificer and carryed in his hand an host to be offered to Jupiter and was suffered to passe through the middest of his enemies to mount Quirinal where solemnities and sacrifices were done to Jupiter and that being accomplished he likewise went to the Capitol through the middest of the Army with all his company and by this means got the victory over his enemtas more by religion then by strength So much was superstition and idolatry honoured and observed every where that the Persians sailed with a thousand ships to do sacrifice and solemnity to Apollo at Delphos The Athenians slew and destroyed all those that envied or repugned their religion Diagoras was exiled for that he wrote that he doubted whether any Gods were or no and if Gods were what they were Socrates was condemned for that he went about to traduce their religion and speak against their Gods Phidias that noble and cunning workman was no longer suffered at Athens then while he wrought the picture of Minerva in Marble for it was more durable then Ivory which when Phâ—dias thought to draw in Ivory he was threatned with death to vilipend so great a Goddesse and to make her in Ivory which was wont to be honoured in Marble The Romans made a law at the destruction of Canna for that great slaughter of the Romans which at that war happened that the matrons of Rome who bewailed and lamented the deaths of their husbands their childrenâ— their brethren and friends incessantly should not pâ—â—se thirty days in mourning lest the Gods should be angry ascriving all fortunes good and bad to their Gods Wherefore it was decreed by the Senatours that the Mothers and Wives the sisters and the daughters of them that were slain at Canna at the thirty days end should cast away their mourning apparel and banish their tears and come altogether in white garments to do sacrifice to the Goddesse Ceres For it was thought and truly believed among the Gentiles and heathens that the Gods would justly revenge those that would at any time neglect their sacrifices Brennus for that he went to Delphos and spoiled Apollo's temple and neglected his Godhead was plagued grievously and worthily revenged So King Xerxes whose Navies covered the whole Seas whose Armies of men dried up rivers and shadowed almost the whole earth because he sent four thousand souldiers to Delphos to rob Apollo was therfore discomfited in his wars forsaken of his souldiers prosecuted of his enemies and compelled to flee like a vagabond from hill to hill till he came to his Kingdome of Persia to his great infamy and shame The like was in Carthage when the City was oppressed by the Romanes Apollo's temple neglected and he himself not esteemed he revenged the same for the first that laid hand upon him lost his hand and his arm Thus in Delphos and in Carthage did Apollo revenge his injuries His son Aesculapius a great God in divers countreys for that Turulius chief ruler of the Navies of Antonius hewed the Groves which were
him not to throw his carcasse to be devoured of dogs but rather to deliver his body to be buried to his old father Priamus and his mother Hecuba Even so Patroclus appearing in like manner after death to Achilles desired him to bestow upon his body all funeral solemnities Virgil testifieth how Palinurus and Deiphobus appeared to Aeneas the one being his Pylot the other his brother in law Their wandring ghosts never ceased till such exequies were done to them as Aeneas had promised It is thought the Witch Phetonissa of Endor raised the soul of Samuel at the commandment of King Saul to foreshew the end and successe of the battel with the Philistines It is read in Lucan the Poet of a Witch named Erictho dwelling in Thessalia that revived and restored to life a souldier lately dead at the request of Sextus Pompeius to know the end of the wars at Pharsalia One History I must repeat which Plutarch reciteth in the life of Cimon that one Pausanias after he had taken the City of Bizance being in love with a fair damosel named Cleonices a maid of noble parentage he commanded her father who durst not resist him to send his daughter to use her at his pleasure When the maid came he being fast asléep in his bed the Virgin being shamefaced and fearfull did put out the candle and comming in the dark towards Paâ—sanius she stumbled at the stool which with the fall suddenly awaked Pausanias from sléep thinking some enemy or mortal foe of his to be there and having his sword hard by slew the virgin But she being so slain would never after suffer Pausanias to take any quiet rest but appeared to him always saying Recompence the injury and wrong thou didst to me by equity and justice Following him as he fled from Bizance to Thrace from Thrace again to Heraclea from Heraclea to Sparta where he famished for hunger Saint Matthew in his seventéenth chapter beareth record that Moses and Elias after they were dead many hundred years before Christs incarnation yet appeared bodily and ghostly on mount Tabor to Christ where they spake and communed with our Lord and Saviour The soul of Lazarus did not onely appear as John saith in his eleventh chapter but came again both body and soul in a true token of our sure resurrection But as the appearing of those sights at Gods appointment were most true so it is most absurd to give credit that the souls of men after death do either by visions or by bodily apparance shew themselves But the Devil is well beaten in experience of things and knoweth best how he may deceive the wisest for he is subtile and crafty If the Mariner doth know when storms and tempests arise if the Physitian judgeth by the Vrine the state and danger of the patient â—f the skilfull Astronomer can many years before exactly foretel the Eclipse of the Sun and Moon in fine if the practised souldier knoweth where the victory will happen no marvel it is that the Devil an old souldier can foreshew things to come and make things apparent of nothing What made Theodoricus to observe the terrible and threatning countenance of Symmachus whom he slew before in a fishes head as in a mirror being brought before him to the table at supper at the which sight he fell for fear into a grievous sicknesse and so dyed the divel What caused one Bessus of whom Plutarch maketh mention in his book de sera numinis vindicta after that he had killed his own father and a long while hidden himself as a murtherer at last being by the devil moved to throw down a swallows nest with his spear and killing the young swallows he was by the company about him misliked for his cruelty to poor birds and taunted of his companions for his tyranny therein But he answered and excused himself saying Why should I not kill those that accuâ—ed me of my fathers death and cryed out upon me a long time that I should kill my father They which were present being amazed at his talk told the King thereof who caused him to be apprehended and examined by that evidence he confessed the murther These are the suggestions of Devils the shifts of Sathan at all times and in all countreys Paulina the chast wife of Satuâ—â—us a Romane was of such excellent beauty of such noble parentage and of such Godly life that when Decius Mundus a young Knight of Rome who being enamored with her beauty sought sundry means a long time to none effect for neither gold nor treasure could allure this sover and chast Paulina to consent to sin he perceiving how she was bent to temperancy and to renounce all filthy lust gave himself willingly to dye In the mean time the Devil practised a feat with Ida a maid who dwelt in the house with Mundus his father to bring this purpose to passe this maid knowing well the constancy and honest life of Paulina and how religions she was to serve the Goddesse Isis invented this fraud She went and conferred with some of Isis Priests opening the whole matter in secret to them promising a great reward to fain that their God Anubis had sent for Paulina to accomplish love with him This being done by the elder Priests her husband Saturnius was very joyfull that the great God Anubis had vouchsafed to send for his wife she being as glad boasted and bragged of the same amongst her neighbours and went to the temple of Isis where Anubis was worshipped being sent by her husband very brave and gorgeous where the young and lusty Knight Mundus by the advice of the Priests hid himself till Paulina came who embracing her in the dark did accompany with her till he had satisfied his lust all that night Then in the morning the matter being known she rent her hair an cloathes and told her husband Saturnius how she was dealt withal Her husband then declared the whole matter to the Emperor Tiberius who having perfect knowledge by diligent examination did hang the Priests Ida the cause of the mischief commanded the image of Isis to be thrown into the river of Tyber banished Mundus out of Rome So that under the colour and pretence of holinesse divers Matrons and maids have been defloured mens wives daughters abused As Ruffinus testifieth of a certain Priest in Alexandria in Egypt named Tyrannus who used such shifts and practised such ways to have his desire accomplished and his lust satisfied with such women and maidens as he thought good saying that the great God Saturn whose Priest he was sent for them to come to him and there until his wickednesse was known he used under pretence of the great Saturn which was honoured in that City his filthy lust and horrible life We read the like almost of Numa Pompilius that he bare the people of Rome in hand that he had familiar company with the Goddesse Aegeria because he might purchase the more credit and
Whereby straight he was informed that he was not onely delivered from all dangers but also should be sought for by all Greece to the encrease of his fame and augmentation of his honour Brutus clean contrary after much good successe and prosperous fortune after he murthered Caesar at length he was in his sleep by a vision warned to make himself ready to die at Philippi where he was enforced in the wars between Augustus Caesar and him to kill himself Thus were they allured and entised to uncertain dreams to order and rule all their doings For as the Poet Ennius saith what they studied and pondered in the day time the same dreamed they in the night time Dreams moved the Heathen to tyranny for L. Sylla the Firebrand of Italy was warned in his sleep by Bellona the Goddesse of wars to murther kill and destroy all that ever he might find in his way giving him in his hand fire in token he should overcome Rome and Italy Likewise Eumenes King of the Lacedemonians having wars with Antipater King of Macedonia was fully perswaded by a dream to obtain victory for he dreamed that two Alexanders were with great hosts and armies of men ready in the field to fight the one having the Goddesse Minerva as a leader the other having the Goddesse Ceres as their Captain and after long conflicts and much slaughter on both parties he thought that the souldiers of Ceres had the victory and that they were crowned with ears of corn in the honour of Ceres which is the Goddess of corn And because the country of Lacedemonia was more fertil then Macedonia the wise Sages declared the dream said that Eumenes should have the victory over Macedonia Besides these dreams they had a kind of credit in fowls of the ayr in beasts of the field in wind and weather and in divers other things where Soothsaying Oracles and consultations were had When Xerxes the great King of Persia with so many Myriades of men had purposed and decreed with himself to destroy all Greece a Mare being a stout and a proud beast brought forth a Hare a most fearfull and timerous creature whereby the flight of Xerxes from Greece with shame and reproach was presaged And afterward before he would lay siege to Athens resolving with himself to destroy Sparta all the country of Lacedemonia a strange warning happened to this Prince at supper for his Wine before his face was converted into Bloud as it was filled in the cups not once but twice or thrice whereat he being amazed consulted with Wise men of whom he was then admonished to forsake his first intent and to give over the enterprize which he took in hand against the Greeks Midas being yet in his cradle the Ants were séen to carry grains and victuals to féed him withal whose parents being desirous to know the effect thereof were certified by the Soothsayers that he should be the wealthiest and richest man in the world and the most monied Prince that over should reign in India Plato that noble and divine philosopher while he was an infant in like sort in his cradle the Bees with honey fed his sugred and swéet lips signifying his eloquence and learning in time to come They were not Bees of mount Himettum but rather of Helicon where the Muses and Ladies of learning delighted to dwell This was that Plato of whom his master Socrates before he knew him dreamed that he held fast in his hand a young Swan which fled from him away and mounted the skies whose sweet voice and songs as a wonderfull melody and harmony replenished the whole skies They thought it a sufficient admonition to see any thing happen between birds or beasts as a sure and certain shew of their own fortune to come M. Brutus when he was in Camp against Caesar and Antonius and saw two Eagles fighting together the one comming from Caesars Tent the other from his own he knew well when the Eagle that came from his side took flight and was vanquished that he should lose the victory Cicero understood well enough his death to be at hand when the Raven held him fast by the hem of his Gown and made a noise and ever plucked at him till the souldiers of M. Antonius came to the very place where he at that time vvas beheaded by Herennius and Popilius For in the night before Cicero dreamed that he vvas not onely banished from Rome but that he vvandred divers strange countries vvhere Caâ—us Marius a noble Roman as he thought met him demanding of Cicero vvhy and vvhat vvas the cause of his sad countenance and vvherefore he travelled such strange countreys the cause being knovvn to Marius he took him fast by the right hand and brought him to the next Officer vvhere he thought in his sléep that he should have died Thus you sée that Xerxes by a Hare had warning King Mydas was by Ants admonished Plaro by Bées Brutus by an Eagle Cicero by a Raven Themistocles by an Owl of death Pericles by the head of a Ram was fully perswaded and taught by the soothsayers that he should win the people of Athens from Thucidides with whom then he was in controversie And was not Agamemnon and his brother Menelaus with all the Princes of Gréece certified by the Dragon that climbed a trée where he slew a she Sparrow and eight young ones beside that they should be nine years in wars with the Troyans and that in the tenth they should destroy and quite vanquish Ilium Was not Julius Caesar admonished by his wife Calphurnia in a dream that if he would go to the Senate that day he should die And was not that mighty Monarch Alexander warned by a vision to take more regard to his life then he did and to take héed of Antipater who afterward poysoned him Was not Alcibiades that noble Greek certified by a dream of his miserable death by which he and his Concubine Timandra might divers times see before hand what followed after had they had but so great a desire in following of good things as they were bent and prone to seek after evil such prodigious sights such strange miracles were seen that might well allure them to a more perfect and upright life The Sun the Moon the Stars and all the host of Heaven wrought great miracles to reduce Princes from evil enterprizes and to give warning unto others to avoid the tyranny of wicked Princes For the Heavens appeared bloudâ— at that time when Philip King of Macedonia with tyranny invaded Greece At what time Augustus Caesar after his uncle Julius was murthered came to Rome as the second Emperor there were seen stars wandering about the circle of the sun great lightnings and strange impressions like men fighting in the skies yea and birds fell down dead in the City of Rome and Livi writeth that an Ox spake under the plough these words to the ploughman that not onely corn should be dear but also men should
perish and therefore said the Ox thou urgest me in vain to travel When that wicked tyrant Nero began his Empire in Rome trées pastures meddows and certain grounds about the City a strange miracle altered places and changed seats one with another the ground moving from one place to another Even â—o it harned at the exilement of King Dionisius after much tyranny and bloudshedding when he was banished from his Kingdome the salt sea the same day that he was driven from Sicilia altered his saltness to sweetness These two tyrants Nero and Dionisius the one comming to his Empire what wonders shewed the earth it self the other departing from his Kingdome what miracles shewed the Sea When Darius besieged the City of Babylon a voice was heard out of the strong walls of Semiramis that Babylon should be conquered at what time a mule should engender at the which the souldiers of Darius were discomfited and Zopyrus his mule accomplished the foreshewed Oracle Likewise when Pompey was vanquished by Caesar a grâ—â—n bough grew in the temple of Victory under the image of Caesar and hives of Bees darkened the ensign of Pompey foreshewing he should be subdued at Pharsalia The City of Rome had these warnings a little before the first Civil wars there were seen fires â—ining suddenly abâ—ut men Spiders Mice and Worms consumed the gold and substance of their temples Ravens devoured and did eat their young ones the noise and sound of trumpets were heard in the ayr with such other terrible warnings as might well move amazement and amendment Again before the second wars of Carthage an Ox spake and said Rome take thou héed to thy self It is noted likewise when Tarquinius the last King of the Romanes was driven away from Rome and banished the Kingdome that a dog then spake and a serpent barked Too many of these examples are to be read if we read histories for signs and tokens were séen and marked in the heavens according to the natures and doings of Princes for when Tiberius came to the Empire of Rome there happened such great earthquakes that twelve famous Cities in Asia fell prostrate to the ground two mountains moved and ran and fought together in a place by Rome called Mutina field It is written that in the City called Sagunthus before it was conquered by Hannibal a child in the time of the delivery of the mother entred again into his mothers womb And in Plini Clepidus beareth witnesse that trées spake And though it séem fabulous to divers that such things by nature should speak yet we sée the tryal of this clean contrary to set forth the wonderfull works of God whereby he might the more be magnified by these his creatures For we read in the sacred scriptures that an Asse spake whereby the more credit may be given to Pâ—utarch Pliny and Livi which mention that dogs trées oxen serpents and other creatures of God did speak for a wonder and a warning as well of things to come as things past For before the famous City of Ierusalem was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor there appeared a star in manner of a sword in the skie there were likewise seen Chariots running up and down the skies and men in harnesse fighting in the clouds right over the City Divers wonders by nature were wrought which for the rarenesse thereof are worthy to be noted as Caecilius Agrippa the first day that he was born of his mother did go on foot without help Likewise Zoâ—oastres when all children cry at their birth he the self same time laughed It was strange that Telephus the son of Hercules was nourished of a Hart. Romulus the first King of Rome fostered by a Wolf Cyrus the first King of the Persians brought up by a Bitch Alexander and King Priamus by a Bear Jupiter by a Goat Mydas by Ants and Plato by Bees and so divers others But certainly more strange it was that little beasts yea small creeping worms should be able to vanquish and destroy famous Cities and Countreys As in Spain a City was unâ—ermined by Coneys in France a City was destroyed by Frogs in Thessaly a City was overthrown by Mouldwarps In Affrica a City was spoiled by Locusts Gyara an Isle of twelve miles was consumed by Mice and Abdera a City in Thracia by Mice likewise and Amyclas by Serpents Peradventure these séem not credible to divers readers the learned may read the same in the righth book of Plini and twenty and ninth chapter where he may be satisfied The works of nature were so wonderful in all places at all times that learned writers for memory of the same do recite the effect thereof It is written that Ammonius the Phylosopher had an Asse frequenting his school with Porphirius to hear his lecture In the Isle called Coes in the ground of a certain tyrant named Nicippus a shéep brought forth a Lion instead of a Lamb. Plini doth witnesse that he saw in a City of Affrica a man changed to a woman in the same day he was married whose name was Cofficius a Citizen of Tiâ—dria Pontanus and divers authors affirm that Tiresias the Theban Ceneus and Iphis were changed from men to women from males to females by alteration of kind Again some think that as Anaxagoras never laught so Zenophantes never wept things wonderfull and strange to nature and as L. Pomponius never belcht so Antonia never spit There was a Poet sometime dwelling in Coos of such small growing and slender body that lead was put in the sole of his Shoes least the wind should bear him from the ground and blow him into the air And as he by nature was small and light of substance so by the self-same nature was found in a certain hill of Créet the body of Orion which was forty and six cubits in length What Albertus Magâ—us wrote of the secrets of nature I will omit better it is I suppose to be ignorant in some things then to be skilfull in all things He saith among other things that there was a woman in Germany that had thréescore sons side every time at one burthen and there was another woman named Agrippina in Colonia that did neither eat nor drink for the space of thirty days Besides these there was a man named Philinus that never eat nor drank all the days of his life but milk onely Cicero saith that all the Iliads of Homer were written and placed within the shell of a Nut. Plini reports that there was an hearb called Acheminis that if it were cast or thrown amongst the enemies they streight would take their flight thereupon Mermecides made a Wagon so artificially and so small that a Flie might cover it with her wing Strabo did sée so well that he could discry the ships that departed from Carthage from a from a promontoâ—y in Sicilia which was above a hundred and thirty miles Cornelius Agrippa in his first book of hidden Philosophy writeth a history of one Cippus King in Italy
Venus onely exerciseth musick in chambers This is that kind of gentle and soft musick the Egyptians forbad the youth to be taught lest from men they would become again women but shall we join the old ancient games the mirth the solace and the plays that they used in those days together with their musick to prove the agility of that time and the activities of that age to be much estéemed amongst the Gréeks and Gentiles The Gréeks had four great games appointed the first in mount Olimpia in Arcadia hard by the City Pisa which Hercules invented first to honour Iupiter this was so famous amongst the Greeks that even as the Romans used to account their time by their Consuls so did the Greeks use to number by the games of Olimpia which was appointed every fifth year Vnto this game came all the youth of the world both on horseback and on foot to do masteries the reward was appointed for the victors a Garland made of Olive leaves for they came not there for money but for mirth and exercise ' insomuch that when Tigranes King Artabanus son heard of the fame thereof and of the Garlands of Olive he said Well worthy were the Greeks to be spoken of that so little estéemed money the Olive was preferred for the chief reward in Olympia This same moved first King Xerxes to wax against the Greeks to his losse and decay The second games were called Pithii and invented of Apollo in memory that he killed the great Serpent Python which was of Iuno sent to kill Latona Apollo his mother Here was appointed for the victors either on foot or on horseback a garland made of Oken leaves Here likewise all the youth of Greece exercised feats practised policies used masteries and proved themselves in any thing that they felt themselves apt to perform as in running leaping wrastling riding swimming or such like as then was used the third was called Isthmia invented of Theseus in the honour of Neptune In this play was appointed for the victors certain garlands made of Pine leaves having the name of Isthmos a place in Achaia where Neptune is worshipped The fourth game is called Nemea which the Argives make in memory of Hercules for that he killed a great fierce Lion in the woods of Nemea according to the name of the play Here do likewise the Argives come to exercise youth and practise feats as the rest do these four plays were long in Greece observed as causes and occasions for men to come together to shew feates and to try qualities the first in Olimpus for Iupiter the second in Delos for Apollo the third in Isthmos a place in Achaia for Neptune the fourth amongst the Argives to Hercules In the first play the garland of victory was made of Olive in the second play the garland of victory was of Oke in the third play they had their garlands of Pine in the fourth play of Poplar and thus then they triumphed in their mirth they joied in their victories they gloried in their garlands while the Lawrel as Ovid said was not known Besides these four famous plays there were divers others as Pyrrhus play which he invented in Creet for the souldiers to exercise themselves in arms wherein he taught divers gestures and sundry postures whence first procéeded the use of wars this was a kind of dâ—ncing in arms as Dionisius Hali in his seventh book saith which was by the people called Curetes maintained in the memory of Pyrrhus Licaon likewise invented other kind of plaies where naked men contrary to Pyrrhus games did use feats of activity Divers other games were had in great estimation in Greece being made and invented of men but the first inventeur of mirth was as Diodorus saith Mercurius which onely was invented to recreate the people and to practise agility and feats of bodies Others there were of lesse name but of as great mirth as divers kinds of playing at the Ball which is an ancient game as it séemeth in Virgil and it was much used sometime amongst the Troyans for when Aeneas immediately after the destruction of Troy came unto Italy he taught the exercise of the ball before he married Lavinia King Latinus daughter and at this day it is much used in divers countries Again for further recreation they used sundry kinds of playing at dice. Herodotus doth witnesse that the old and ancient Lidians did first find out the dice and Ball though Plini doth report that one named Pythus first found the play at the Ball but for the certainty thereof since so many balls there are and the playing likewise is so variable both Plini and Herodotus may well agree for the people of Lydia at a certain time being oppressed with great dearth and so plagued with hunger they invented then divers kinds of games at dice as Herodotus affirms to pass the time in playing to forget huÌ„ger for they fed one day they came together the second day to play thus eating a little one day to satisfie nature they plaied the second day to forget hunger Again there was amongst the ancient Gréeks a play much like unto our chesse play which one Xerxes a wise man first invented to warn a tyrannous prince which he their served to forsake his tyranny and to let him understand by his play that a Prince ought to be vigilant and to use his subjects as his force and strength even as the play is in moving the Pawns the Knights the Bishops for the defence and bulwarks of the King thus as the player I mean Xerxes did shew his master the King the effect of the play how the King was preserved by playing wisely of the men lest they be lost so the tyrant himself understood by the play of Xerxes how dangerous that Princes state is that useth not well his subjects nor discréetly sée and watch for their commodities which is the Princes safety Another play was used then in Gréece either upon the Dice or else closely in hand called Even and odde This play came from Greece unto Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar the second Emperor of Rome as Suetonius doth write in the life of Augustus wrote a Letter unto his daughter in Rome after this sort Daughter I send thee two hundred and fifty Sestercij which I give amongst thy guests to play after supper the Greek play called Even and odde whether it be at Dice or close in hand Le ts likewise were much used for recreation and mirth with divers other sundry games and plays to recreate the mind of man which both the Greeks and Gentiles did practise as well to try their wits as also to use pastime and mirth to draw company together to be merry I leave the Gréeks a while and will speak something of the Roman pastimes and sports which in nothing were inferiour to the Gréeks but rather excelled Gréece and all the world in all qualities And lest I should seem tedious I will speak of no
whose water if any man taste thereof he forgetteth any thing done or past before In this were the Thracians so dull of memory that they could not count above the number of four Now that memory is praised in some and obliviousnesse is dispraised in others there vvant no testimonies therein vvhat may be spoken of those that vvere counted famous clerks and the renovvnedst Oratours in all the vvorld vvhich did not onely stay in their Orations but also were quite beside their matters as Demosthenes Cicero two noble Oratours upon whom depended the City of Athens and Rome such imperfection was in them that Demosthenes was so dismaied at the presence of Philip King of Macedonia and Cicero so astonied at the presence of some bold Senators that both tongue and countenance failed these noble Orators Likewise Theophrastus that grave Philosopher who succéeded Aristotle many times was put to silence in the middest of his Oration before the people of Athens So was Heraclitus Severus dumb before the Emperour Herodus Atticus was before M. Antonius so that the presence of Princes the dignity of places the majesty of states abate and change the worthinesse of the person Some again challenge to themselves that which altogether they are in no capacity to apprehend as Hyparchion who when he would have contended with Ruffinus had not a word to speak in somuch that a proverb grew thereon applied unto him that is more talkative then wise Hiparchion is dumb Some again with Cassius Severus who though all his books were burned by Senatours said that he carried all his learning in mind and memory which could not be taken away For my learning said he is in my mind and not printed in books The greatest excellency that can be in man is memory and the next thing that approacheth immortality is memory and so nigh that if a man could but remember the end of the things he should never taste death but he should live for ever CHAP. XXXII Of Dissimulation and Craft of Subtiltie and Deceit THat Cynick Philosopher Diogenes making himself ignorant sometime in that which he knew best was wont in banquets and feasts to say if any man had demanded what kind of meat there was I cannot name it but I can eat it and so would passe to answer any thing with dissimulations So likewise Sigismund the Emperour would say that he that could not dissemble could not rule At what time Galba a Citizen of Rome had bidden a Gentleman named Mecaenas unto supper perceiving the Gentleman to be in love with his wife he feigned himself asléep for that Mecaenas might shew some part of his will and love in the mean season In the mean time while his wife and he were in talk came one of his servants to take some things away from the table supposing his master had béen asléep unto whom his master said Sirrah forbear though I sée not Mecaenas yet I sée you I sléep to him and not to you The like dissimulation was betwéen Demosthenes and Archia at what time he fled from Athens for fear of Antipaters displeasure and went to the Isle of Calabria where in the Temple of Neptune he hid himself till Archias came and promised him what honour and dignity he could enjoy if he would come unto Antipater Demosthenes perceiving his dissimulations and crafty ways answered plainly to move him to anger and said Thou of all men couldest never play upon the stage playing thy part then where truth is oftentimes opened and now at this time thou canst not be an Orator to perswade me whereat Archias waxed angry and threatned to hale him out of the Temple to whom Demosthenes answered Now perforce thy dissimulation is broke forth into truth I might hereon stay to note the great dissimulation betwéen Metellus and Scipio which was so great that Metellus feigned that Rome was happy that Scipio was born therein and yet was his mortal enemy all the days of his life In like case Frederick an Emperor sometime of Rome at what time the Senators would sit about the state of the City he would say Before you go into the Senate house cast away from you two things that you carry with you And being demanded of the Senate what two things were they he said Simulations and Dissmulations In this Philip of Macedon differed much from his son Alexander insomuch that Alexander would exercise nothing but magnanimity and truth and his father used all kind of falshood as was séen by subduing of the Sarunsians and the Cities of Thrace for under colour of peace he commanded his souldiers to bring under their Clokes every one a cord that at what time King Philip made silence to speak the enemies being attentive to hear he stretched forth his right hand for a Watch-word to his souldiers suddenly to bind the enemies with their cords and to bring them captive to Macedonia The like craft used Alcibiades amongst the Agrigentines feigning that he had something to speak for the common profit as well of Athens as of Agrigentum calling them into place as though he would open something necessary for them and had the Gréeks ready in the mean time to take the City and to possesse their substance by this craft Such craft used Thrasillus to take the City of Byzantium such deceit used Zopyrus to overcome Babylon such did Sextus the son of Tarquinius practise against the Gabians who when he perceived that his father might by no means subdue them he imitated Zopyrus craft making the enemies to believe that he was ill handled and cruelly used by his father and that he knew well how to deceive his father and to betray him unto them they being ready to beleeve Sextus made him chief of their company He straight sent messengers to his father to signifie unto him that he might do his pleasure with his enemies Tarquinius understanding the craft and subtilty of his son did bring the messenger into a fair garden mistrusting like a wise Prince the matter and gave this subtil warning to his son Walking up and down the Garden with divers noble man he with his staff did strike off the chief flowers in the Garden saying to the messenger Farewel tell my son what I do and bid him do accordingly Young Sextus Tarquinius perceiving his fathers mind flew the most eminent of his enemies and having thus oppressed the chief men he betrayed the City to his Father By this means and like craft Conon the Athenian deceived the Persians in Cyprus The subtilty that Pysistratus used to beguile the people of Megaera what Hannibal used in Italy when he subdued Tarentum are to like effect insomuch that Hannibal was wont to say when the Romans had again won Tarentum Eadem arte qua prius cepimus Tarentum amisimus For by craft Hannibal vanquished the Tarentines and by craft did the Romans win the same again Antigonus deceived the Citizens of Corinth under the colour of a marriage betwixt his son
much given to soft clothing gay apparel and delicate fare as Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers delighted to go brave in gorgeous apparel with rich Chains and Kings and had herein great felicity Demosthenes and Hortensius two famous and noble Oratours the one of Athens and the other of Rome went so fine in their cloths with such neat and wanton gesture that L. Torquatus would often call Hortensius the son of Dionisia for that she had great pleasure in dancing and light gesture of bodie But I will omit such examples and speak of dissembling persons who thinking to hurt others destroyed themselves as that strong Golias who contemning all Israel for force and strength David a weak man overcame him Hammon was hanged upon that gallows that he prepared for Mardocheus even so Absalon going about to destroy his father King David was hanged by the hairs of his head by Gods appointment CHAP. XXXIII Of Famine CIcero in his first book of Tusculans questions doth note the saying of Socrates that hunger was the best sauce to meat and thirst the best occasion to drinke Wherefore King Dioniusis the tyrant hearing much report of the Lacedemonians hard fare and specially of their pottage which was called Jus nigâ—um the black pottage he took a Cook of that Countrey to be his servant to dresse his diet in the ordinary way of the Lacedemonians the Cook having taken much pains in making the foresaid pottage he brought a messe thereof unto the King who much longed for it but assoon as he tasted of it he spit it again out of his mouth and was vâ—ry angry with the Cook saying is this the pottage that the Lacedemonians so much brag of my dog said Dâ—onisius should not eat it the Cook perceiving the gluttony of the King said O Dionisius whensoever thou art to eat of this pottage thou must bring fit sauce for it which is a Lacedemonians stomack for the Princes of Sparta have more pleasure in this kind of fare then ever King Mydas had in his golden banquets What maketh any meat swéet hunger What causeth man to féed pleasantly hunger Or what makes any drink pleasant thirst For at what time Darius was enforced of méer thirst to drink of a lake all defiled with stinking carcases of dead souldiers being then in the field and compelled to take his flight he said after his draught that he never drank swéeter drink in his life Though this King was a proud Prince over the Persians and had all kind of wines at commandement yet his want and penury now and his thirsty stomack was the onely cause of this noble drink which he so much commended and preferred before all the wine that ever he drank before Even so affirmed King Artaxerxes in his wars when his victuals and all were spoiled by the enemies of a few dry figs and of a piece of a barley loaf upon which he fel so hungerly that he spake after this sort O good Lord of how great a pleasure have I béen all this while ignorant Lisimachus likewise being in wars in Thracia against Domitianus the Emperour where he and all his souldiers were kept so long without drink untill he was so thirsty that he was inforced with all his host to yeeld as captives to the Emperour Domitianus and now being in captivity having a draught of drink of the Emperour he said O God that I should make my self from a King to be a captive from a noble Prince of Greece to be a bondslave unto the Romans for one draught of drink See what hunger and thirst is how it hath made Kings to yeeld and Princes to be vanquished Yea it hath made King Ptolomy in his own Kingdome of Egypt to commend a piece of bread which was given him in a poor Cottage and to say that he never eat better meat nor more comfortable chear in all his life then that piece of bread was It was the custome of that noble Emperor Julius Caesar in all his wars more with famine then with sword to vanquish his enemies For this famous warriour would often say that even as the physitian would use his patients so would he his enemies the rule of the physitian is to make his patient fast to recover his health The order of Caesar was to kéep the enemy from victual to make them yéeld Great is the force of Famine And by Histories we read that when King Cambyses marched towards the Ethiopians he endured great scarcity of victuals and such penury and want of food was among the souldiers that they agréed with themselves to kill the tenth throughout all the host to asswage hunger and the Famine continued so long that Cambyses the King was in great fear lest the Lot should at length happen upon him and so to be eaten of his own souldiers Sagunthus a City in Spain as Eutropius doth witnesse in great amity with the Romans was besieged by the Carthaginians so long that all the City was brought unto such famine that the Lords and the Captains of the City made a great fire in the Market place and there brought all their wealth and substance and threw it into the fire and after made their Wives and their Children to enter into the fire and last of all the chief Lords and Captains ended their own lives in it lest they should come into the enemies hand So great was that Famine that it was before prognosticated by a Woman in the time of her delivery whose child his head being out entred into his Mothers womb again The like calamity happened in Caligurium a City where Quintilian was born which being likewise long besieged by Cneius Pompey to bring them in subjection and to kéep promise with Sertorius they lacked victuals and waxed so hungry that all kind of beasts whatsoever being slain they were constrained to eat their own Wives and Children It was séen in Ierusalem when that it was destroyed by Vespasian the Emperor of Rome that the mothers were compelled to eat their own children for very hunger whose small and tender bones were left as a shew and token of their calamity Pliny in his eighth book of Natural Histories saith that when Hannibal laid siege to the city Casilinum the Roman souldiers were in such hunger that one Mouse was sold for two hundred pieces of silver and he that sold the Mouse died himself for hunger The Athenians likewise were brought unto such hunger by Sylla who afterward was Dictator of Rome that one bushel of Wheat was sold amongst the souldiers for a thousand Drachmes the common souldiers being poor for want of money on the one side and sore plagued with hunger on the other were compelled to eat the gréen grasse of the fields about the City of Athens and to gather the mosse off the walls of the City and did eat it This City of Athens was oftentimes brought to that misery as by King Demetrius by King Philip and by his son Alexander the great So
much was famine feared amongst the ancient Gréeks that in the time of abundance they used to scourge famine with rods out of their houses saying For as fames intra divitiae Away penury come in plenty We read in Q. Curtius that Alexander was driven by hunger to eat his Camels and Elephants and other huge beasts that carried the trains for the wars Such hunger and famine did happen among the Lacedemonians that the Citizens of Sparta were so hungry that they did eat the very serpents that had béen dead a long while which multitude of serpents did presage this great calamity to come and though they had been dead a long time yet the Spartans most hungerly did feed on them and mitigated the rage of their famine Doda King of Syria besieged a great and famous City in Iewry called Iora where the miserable mothers were by meer hunger enforced to féed on the bowels of their own children Not much unlike was that horrible and cruel famine in the countrey of Apulia where the souldiers being enforced by the French men then their enemies in War were compelled to take the skins from their Bucklers and to warm and boil the hard horns and to eat them To speak of the wonderfull calamity miseries and plagues that happened through hunger the charge thereof were too much too many authorities are manifest in this behalf Antonius whom Augustus Caesar could never vanquish by force of arms was driven to yeeld in a City called Perusia by hunger and famine Wherefore that noble Athenian Nicias always thought the easiest way of conquest was by Famine which he shewed at Melos a City of Thessaly where he made the Citizens to yeeld by hunger O raging force of famine O terrible misery of man which compelleth the parents to eat the children the children to kill their parents what beast was spared ever when this hapned The people named Hymmi through hunger were constrained to eat their own dogs as the Macedonians did sometime feed themselves with Camels Elephants Horses and such like What herb was unsought What root was not found to feed this cruel Monster Sabellicus doth witnesse of a dearth that chanced in his time that in some parts of the countrey of Flaminia and about the fields Piâ—eni the common people did live by grasse and herbs and by such like that proceeded from the earth Thus was the world ever plagued with famine as with that Monster that spoileth and devoureth it self as we read of divers that did eat their own arms and flesh Again in the sacred scripture divers examples we have of the like plagues sent from GOD to plague man But even as hunger one way is most excellent if meat may be had so hunger another way is most terrible if meat doth fail Therefore Stratonicus never went to bed without a cup of drink by him not for that he thirsted when he went to bed but lest he should thirst in the bed and so be compelled to do some injury to one or other for that he wanted drink So did Alphonsus King of Arragon when he saw the poor countrey man greedily feeding on Grapes he said O would the Gods had framed me to be such a one as this is So that hunger is good to those that want food Gnefactus King of Egypt his souldiers in the deserts of Arabia wanting victuals waxed so hungry that he himself not amongst the countrey men and their homely fare was so acceptable unto him that he set up a table for a Monument of the same in the Temple of Jupiter in Thebes Of divers Famines we read in scripture as of that in the time of Abraham who fled from the land of Canaan into Egypt and Isaac was driven by famine unto Abimelech King of the Palestines and all the sons of Jacob were enforced to go to King Pharaoh where their own brother Joseph ruled as chief Officer Famine is appointed for a just scourge to sin as appeareth by David who for causing the people to be numbred had leave to chuse either Plague Famine or Warres which are the instruments to punish offenders CHAP. XXXIIII Of Warinesse WE will here leave Apollo in Delphos and Jupiter in Boetia with their wise answers and Oracles we will not speak of Socrates Solon and thousands such as were counted and known wise and discreet among the Gréeks and Gentiles We will onely entreat of those worldly and natural wise men which by their prudent policie and wary practises have greatly advanced their fame as well in vanquishing their enemies as by inventing such policies for the obtaining of the same as their wits thereby were worthily commended Hannibal perceiving the courage and strength of the Romans used this stratagem He gathered a great number of serpents and put them in huge vessels and caused them to be brought to the field amongst his souldiers commanding the Captains and chief officers to throw the same into the face of the enemies who being thereby astonished fled away as men almost in dispair of themselves thinking the souldiers of Hannibal to be Devils and not Men. Of the like wisdome was King Cyrus who â—eing in his Tents and ready to pitch the field the next day against the Messagetes he commanded his souldiers to be in a readinesse that night to flée from their tents leaving behind their victuals and substance that the enemies being busie about the spoil and given up to banquettting and carowsing of wine he with all his army might unawares return and finding the Messagetes more greedy of the spoil then ready for their enemies he did destroy and kill them So that in wars saith Salust wit doth as much good as strength policy sometimes is better accepted then power and Virgil saith so that victory be gotten men weigh not whether it be through courage or through policy For Sertorius that worthy Captain of Rome was wont by false letters by dreams and outward religion to feign and invent a thousand waies to stir his souldiers to courage The invention of wit is much and so divers that too much it were to repeat it Sicionius deceived Xerxes with all his souldiers through policy Pisistratus moved the Athenians to revenge his false wrongs upon the chief Officers of Athens Darius after Cambises death became King of Persia by means of a horse and such like But letting passe infinite numbers of such I will declare what nature wrought in silly and simple beasts in flying fowls and in the very fishes swimming in the water The Lion by nature is taught being very sick to find out an Ape which by outward sports and pastime doth heal his great grief The huge Elephant is so subtil when he is like to die that he will séek by all means the Cameleon which he so estéemeth that his sicknesse forsaketh him straight The Panther knoweth by nature his ready salve for his sore for féeling himself not well he streight séeketh the dung of man and by the scent thereof he
good Archers to shoot at High towers and lofty buildings are sooner fired with lightnings then low houses and small cottages Tiberius Caesar Emperour of Rome being in the Senate house to punish those evills and to revenge those harms that were by same of the City threatned to his estate God forbid said he that Tibâ—rius should have so much idle time to hear EVIL spoken much lesse to revenge EVIL done Antâ—gonus King of Macedonia besieging a Castle in Gréece wherein a number of hold Gréeks used for their pastime and sport to scoff at this King knowing the scituation of the Castle to be in such a place that it might not be subdued they therefore laughed him to scorn as well for his enterprise therein as also for his slender person and crooked nose which King Antigonus perceiving said He would revenge all their doings by sufferance and hoped therby to molest the enemies double Divers heathen Princes were acquainted with this revenge as Lysander Agesilaus and others for to God onely belongeth vengeance I will not speak here of such revenging of Princes of Countreys of friends that all men know But of rare revenge which Philosophy taught unto Socrates toward Xantippe who being at supper having a strange guest named Enthidemus his wife Xantippe began to take her husband up with taunting and opprobrious words which because he would not answer and be moved by her chiding she overthrew the Table with all the Meat and the Cups Which when Enthidemus saw he was amazed at the raging of Xantippe and beheld Socrates in the face to see how he thought of the matter But Socrates understanding that his guest did marvel at his wife said Have not you sometime at home a Hen that will after long clocking with a sudden flight throw down your cups with her wing wherewith Enthidemus was fully satisfied with the wise answer of Socrates in not revenging so great a fault Phocion a learned man of Athens was wont to say That he had rather suffer injury wrongfully then to revenge injury sometime rightfully This man Phocion by whom Athens long flourished at what time he was put to death most wrongfully of the Athenians even a little before he should die being demanded whether he would command any thing to his son standing hard by to sée his fathers end did speak to his son after this sort My son said he this I charge and require thée and moreover beséech thée that thou wilt never revenge the wrongfull death of thy father Phocion on the Athenians Solon that noble and learned Athenian was wont to revenge his wrongs with these words If the Fisherman do suffer the salt water of the Sea to sprinkle upon his face and upon his cloaths and to wet him when he taketh fish how much more ought Solon to forbear to speak to win men to be friends unto him Surely these thrée Philosophers deserve more praise and commendation I mean Socrates Phocion and Solon for the revenging of the evil with goodnesse and vertue then ever Alexander or Julius Caesar or Theseus which revenged evil with evil Wherefore Chilon the Lacedemonian being one of the Officers called Ephoti in the City of Sparta his brother demanding why he might not be likewise one of the five Ephoti as well as his brother said unto his brother Because I can suffer wrong and thou canst not Therefore Princes ought not to do wrong nor yet revenge wrong with wrong but with patience sufferance and goodnesse and by doing good for evill For thus they shall make foes to become friends evill men to become good by preventing evill with lenity and gentlenesse It behoveth not a wise man to revenge injuries neither doth it become a Prince to requite evill with the like but to overcome rather evill with good Therefore was it truly spoken of the wiseman Sapit qui sustinet he that can suffer he is wise CHAP. XXXVI Of Theft and Sacriledge AFter that greedy desire unto wealth had possest a place in mans heart and after that the world was altered from a wealth in common unto a private wealth every man went about with study and industry to augment his own with the spoile of others For this cause Princes began one to suppresse an other to spoil and destroy either others Dominions moving first noble men to imitate them in stealing and taking away perforce others wealth and though it be not an apt Epithete for Princes to be called theeves and spoilers yet truly by Princes it began by Nobles imitated and by all the world at length practised that some became Pyrats upon the seas some sacriledgers of temples and some grand théeves of countries and kingdomes For after the deluge of Noah there was neither theft nor sacriledge known almost 300. years till Ninus the third King of the Assyrians who first began to play the théef in Asia Dionisius King of Sicilia and tyrant of all the werld the greatest robber that reigned upon earth being not satisfied with spoil and theft on lands and seas became also a sacriledger in the Temples of the Gods which he so practised that after he robbed the Temple of Jupiter in Olimpia he passed forth to Locris to spoil the Temple of Proserpina and from thence unto Epidaurus to steal the golden beard of Aesculapius The tyrant King could not satisfie himself till worthily he had merited the name of a théef a Pyrate and a sacriledger Xerxes spared not amongst other wilfull robberies to send four thousand of his souldiers to Delphos to rob the Temple of Apollo Spartacus a great Prince and a maintainer of theeves gathered a whole army of fugitive persons vagabonds theeves and robbers and marched toward Rome with a resolution either to conquer Rome or to be conquered by Rome but there was he and all his rogues vanquished by Pu. Crassus The City of Rome was often in perill by théeves and robbers as by Silla Catelin and Marius famous spoilers of Italy And as Cercion did rob and spoil the country of Athens so Tiâ—â—gias in Arcadia was renowned for theft I might in this place speak of the robbery of the Emperour Nero of the spoil and wast of that beastly Emperour Heliogabalus and of the sacriledge and theft of Caligula These three Emperours did steal spoil and tooke from Rome more then ever they gave to Rome Marcellinus writeth that there was sometimes a King of the Parthians named Arsaces which in the beginning of his reign was then named the master of theeves a teacher and a school-master unto all robbers and spoilers but after that he had subdued Seleucus Alexanders successour he became famous and renowned in martiall feats and civill policy Herodotus likewise doth report of one Amazis a King of Egypt when at any time money wanted he was wont to spoil wast and take away all that ever he might either by stealth or force Thus the names of Princes were first corrupted that the Poets judged well and worthily Mercury to be
should be cut off offered to Jupiter in the Capitol of Rome his family to the temple of Ceres his children should be sold as bondmen to the Tribunes and Censors The Lacedemonians were most studiouâ— to expel idlenesse and brought their children up always in hardnesse to practise them in the Arts of Industry and hated Idlenesse so much that if any in the City of Sparta waxed grosse or fat they straight suspected him of idlenesse and if any young man waxed fat they had appointed laws that he should fast and live poor untill he were again changed into his first estate The Egyptians an ancient people when the country of Egypt began to be populous to avoid idlenesse as Pliny reporteth made the great building called the Pyramides which for the mightinesse and strange working thereof was named one of the seven wonders of the World in which there were kept at work thréescore thousand young men who continued a long time in the making thereof and onely to avoid and banish idlenesse The Athenians so abhorrid and detested idlenesse that when a certain man was condemned to die for that he was found idle in Athens a citizen thereof named Herondas as Plutarch testifieth was as desirous to see him as though he had been a prodigious Monster so strange and so marvellous was it to hear or to see any idle man in Athens The people called the Massilians would suffer no travellers neither Pilgrim nor Sacrificer nor any other stranger to come within their City lest under colour of religion or of pilgrimage they might corrupt the youth of the City with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a law made by their Wise-men called Gymnosophists that after meat was set on the table the youth should be examined what they had done for their meat and what pain and labour they had used all the morning before if they could make account of their travel they should goe to dinner but if they had béen idle they should have no meat except they had deserved the same The like did the young men of Argis who made an account to their Magistrates of their occupations and works The Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenians in commanding their youth to avoid idlenesse and to exercise travel the one as necessary to any Commonwealth as the other is most dangerous So that some countreys are naturally given to travel as the Lydians Phrygians French men with others Some again are given to idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians and others Some by law were forced to slie idlenesse some by punishment were feared from it some by death were enforced to labour for their living Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten every where and yet embraced in most places every man speaks against idlenesse yet a number are in love with it Magistrates and Officers are appointed to punish it and yet they often favour it CHAP. XL. Of Wrath and Anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Aristotle did charge his schollers always being in Anger or Wrath to behold themselves in a glasse where they might see such alteration of countenance such a palenesse in color that being before reasonable men they appear now like brutish beasts Wherefore that great Philosopher perceiving the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens unto India where this noble conqueror was at wars with King Porus to take heed of Wrath and Anger saying Anger ought not to be in any Prince toward his inferiour for he was to be mended with correction nor toward his equal for he might be redressed with power so that Anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander had no coequals Yet in vain was Aristotles doctrine to Alexander in this point for being in a baÌ„quet when Clitus his dear friend coÌ„mended his father King Philip in the former age to be the worthiest most renowned Prince Alexander wexed upon a sudden so angry that any man should be preferred before him though Philip was his own father which was comended and Cliâ—us his especial friend that did commend him that he thrust Clitus into the heart with a spear So hastie was this Prince that Calisthenes and Lysiâ—achus the one his Historian and counsellour the other his companion and friend for a few words spoken were either of them slain Silence therefore saith Aristotle is the surest reward to a Prince We read that King Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompey the great did conquer waxed so angry by a fall from his horse because his son was present and could not prevent his fathers fall that he thrust him with his dagger into the heart and was so sorry afterward and angry withal that he had likewise killed himself had not Anaxarchus the Phllosopher perswaded him Anger in a Prince saith Solomon is death terrible is the countenance of a King when he is oppressed with Wrath hurtfull to many and dangerous to all is the anger thereof Nero was so furious in anger that he never heard any thing if it were not to his liking but he would requite it one way or other with death insomuch that in his rage and anger he would often throw down tables being at dinner and dash cups of gold wrought with pearls against the walls and fling all away more like to a furious Gorgon of hell then a sober Emperor in Rome Such fury reigneth in anger that Orestes the son of Agamemnon slue his own mother Clytemnestra suddenly in his Wrath. Such madnesse reigneth in Anger that Ajax Telamon that famous and valiant Gréek after that Achilles was slain in the temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troy waxed so Angry because he might not have Achilles Armor which was given before to Ulisses that he beat stones and blocks fought with dead trées killed beasts thinking to méet with Ulisses amongst them If Anger make men murtherers if Wrath make men mad without wit or reason to know themselves or others let them imitate Plato in his anger who being angry with any of his scholers or servants would give the rod to Zenocrates to correct them Because he was angry the learned Philosopher misdoubted himself that he could not use moderate correction Even so Archicas would always speak unto his servant that had offended him Happy art thou that Architas is not angry Thereby giving his man to understand how dangerous Wrath is Aristotle saith the angry man séeth not the thing which lieth under his féet Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome destred Athenedorus a Philosopher of Gréece which a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and now was ready to depart to Athens that he would write som sentence that the Emperour might think of him in his absence The Philosopher took a pen and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou art moved to anger speak nothing till thou hast recited the Greekes Alphabet a worthy lesson and a famous sentence well worthy to be learned of all
power hurt Rome so much as their hidden hatred betwéen themselves did Again Alexander the great Cyrus the valiant Xerxes the famous most mighty Conquerors with all their strength of wars could not annoy Greece half so much as their inward Envy betwéen the Cities of Gréece What caused Julius Caesar to war against his son in law Pompey Ambition What made Adrian the Emperor to despise the worthy fame of Traâ—an Envy What moved Cato surnamed of Vtica to kill himself Envy to Caesar Hidden hatred working for private gain and rash counsel of flattery which is heard most often in the envious mouth have destroyed Kingdoms Envy first entred into the hearts of Princes arrested the worthiest Conquerors waded into the bowels of the wise and blushed not to attaint the learned Philosophers in the middest of Athens Hercules in killing the great Dragon that watched in the garden of Hesperides in destroying the ravening birds Stimphalides in conquering the raging and furious Centaurs in vanquishing terrible monsters as Gâ—rcon and Cerbeâ—us in overcomming the Lion the Boar and the Full in overtaking the gilded Hart and lastly for his conquest of the huge and prodigious Hydâ—a in the fens of Lerna won no lesse envy of some then he justly deserved fame of others Theseus to imitate the haughty attempts of Hercules overcame Thebes slew Minoâ—â—mus in the dens of Labyrinthus subdued Caâ—on the Tyrant with divers other large enterprises as one more willing to envie the fame of Hercules then desirous to deserve fame by lenity and quietnesse So might I speak of Julius Caesar that envied Alexander the great and Alexander likewise that envied Achilles And thus alwayes Envy was fostered by Princes With the wise and learned envy bare great sway as betwixt Plato and Xenophon the best and gravest philosophers in their time betwixt Demonsthenes and Aeâ—â—ines betwixt Aristotle and Isocrates one despising the other Such slaughter grew of Envy that one brother killed another the son the father and the father likewise the son as Romulus slew his brother Remus through envy lest he might be King in Rome Cambyses King of Persia killed his brother Mergides as Herodotus doth write through envy Envy caused Anachaâ—sis the Philosopher to be slain by his own brother Cadvidus King Jugurth murthered both his brethren Hiempsalis and Adherbales that he onely might reign King in Numidia Cain did kill his brother Abel the scripture doth testifie because his sacrifice was not accepted Thus envy was known and seen to be betwixt brethren betwixt parents and their children The like we read that envy committed horrible and terrible murthers as well betwixt the husband and the wife as in the children towards their Parents as in short examples is verified Clicenmestra slew her own husband Agamemnon and she again was slain by her son Orestes Queen Semiâ—ams killed likewise her husband King Ninus and she was killed even so by her son called Ninus Agrippina murthered her husbaÌ„d Tiberius she was also murthered by hâ—r son Nero O cruel tyranny that envy should ever cause such unnatural murther as one brother to kill another the father to destroy his son the son to slay his fathsr the husband to murther his wife the wife to make away her husband We read in Pliny of a certain King in Thebes named Athamas that gave both his sons the one named Learchus the other Euriclea to be devoured by ravenous Lions So many monstrous tyrants have been brought up in the school of envy so many deformed Centaures that all countries have been full of them When Antiphiles saw Apelles in great favour with King Ptolomy he so envied the matter that he told the King in spight to Apelles that Apelles was the very cause of the long wars between the Tyrians and Egypt to discredit Apelles for very envy that he was great with the King but the matter being known and his envy weighed Apelles was rewarded by the King with a hundred Talents and Antiphiles for his envy commanded afterward all the daies of his life to be the slave and bonomen of Apelles Themistocles was so grieved to see Miltiades so honoured for his great conquest and triumph in Marathon that being demanded why he was so sad he answered Mitiades triumphs will not suffer Themistocles to be joyfull There was no countrey but envy bare sway in it there was never any great vertue but it was accompanied with envy Caesar was envied in Rome by Cato Turnus was envied in Rutilia by Drances Ulisses was envied in Gréece by Ajax Demetrius was envied in Macedonia after King Cassander died What envy M. Crassus bare toward Pompey is sufficiently known What hidden hatred Pollio had toward Cicero may be read in Brusonius the third book the seventh chapter where Pollio saith to Messala that he could not endure the voice of Cicero The like we read of Aristotle who envied Isocrates so much that he was wont to say It were a shame to Aristotle to hold his peace and let Isocrates speak For as there is no light saith Pliny without a shadow so there is no vertue or glory without envy The wavering state of the vulgar which always ruled Rome and Athens was so mutable and uncertain that after wise and sage Socrates was condemned to die being dead the Athenians repented his accusers were banished and Socrates now being dead had his pictures erected which being alive the rude and uncertain people estéemed nothing Even so was Aristides and Themistocles banished into Persia Iphicrates into Thrace Conon into the province of Corporos Chabrias into Egypt and Cares into Sigeum men of excellent vertues of noble service of renowned fame yet by the envious people they were banished their own countreys to range abroad the world Again Homer was envied by Zoilus Pindarus by Amphimanes Simonides by Timocreon yea learned Maro and Horace were envied and backbiten by Maevius and Suffenus What do I speaking of envy Why wast I time to write of envy Wherefore seem I so fond to touch a general subject being so common with all men so nourished in all countreys being known from the beginning of the world and being first practised by the Devil who envying mans state the felicity joy and pleasure hee was in lest man should possesse the place where somtime the Devil reigned as an Angel he deceived man This envy took root then in the first Age for Cain envied so his brother Abel that he slue him for that God accepted the sacrafice of Abel and refused his Joseph was by his own brethren sold into Egypt for envy that he was better beloved of his father then they were Saul did envy King David that he gave his daughter Michal in marriage to David for that she being his daughter might betray her husband to the Philistines Dathan and Abiram had great envy toward Aaron Daniel was much envied in the Palace of King Nebuchadnezzar What should I be long in this The Apostles the Prophets the Martyrs yea Christ himself
was envyed at by the Iews and Gentiles insomuch that tyranny and murther was the sequel of envy as from time to time hath been tried from age to age séen and from man to man practised nay even to dead men it hath béen shewed as Achilles did to Hector by haling and drawing his body about the fields of Troy in the open sight of King Priam his father So M. Antonius did to Cicero having the head of Cicero set before him to ease his Tygerish mind permitting his wife Fulvin to wear the tongue of Cicero on her Coyf This Cambyses shewed to the Iudge Sâ—samenes who being dead flead him being flead did cut him in pieces and being cut in pieces did give him to be devoured by beasts and birds I might well declare the tyranny of Tullia shewed towards her father King Servius Tullius being dead who caused her Chariot and horses to tread on her fathers body in the open stréets I might speak of Tomyris Queen of Scythia toward King Cyrus being dead who did strike off his head and did bathe it in bloud I might make mention of the tyranny of Alexander in Thessaly and of Busiris in Egypt I might open the wicked life and state of Dionysius in Syracusa of cruel Creon in Thebes of Periander in Corinth and of Pisistratus in Athens But I should be tedious to amplifie that which may be briefly examined And this we read and see daily by experience that the end of Tyrants is to die in tyranny and as they deal with others so are they dealt withal themselves As Diomedes and Busiris were wont to féed their horses with mens flesh and to quench their thirst with mens bloud so were they themselves vanquished by Hercules and made food to be eaten and devoured by their own horses which they before fed with other mens flesh Likewise the great tyrant Phalaris and that cruel Perillus were both destroyed with those new invented torments that they made for others I mean the brazen Bull which Perillus made to satisfie the tyranny of Phalaris Thrasillus and Scyron the one teaching the way of tyranny was first of all in that which he taught unto others tormented and slain the other thrown headlong into the sea by Theleus even so as he was wont to do unto others What should I speak of the great cruelty of Aemilius who as Aristides in Plutarch doth testifie used to recompence any man that would and could invent new torments to punish the innocent and to pleasure his divellish minde He I say dwelling in Agesta a City of Sicilia made a brasen horse to vexe and torment the people wherein through the commandement of Armmius Paterculus chief Magistrate of the City he first suffered the assay of his new invented work We read again of King Danaus fifty daughters called Belides which being maried to the fifty sonnes of Aegistus slew all their husbands the first night except Linceus who was preserved by Hypermenestra his wife The like we reade of the thirty sisters of Albina who after the same manner made an end of thirty husbands in one night The sequel of tyranny was such that what wanted in the father wâ—s fully supplied in the sonne for amendment is seldome séen And that was very well considered of a simple woman named Ihera who when she perceived that the people of Syracusa did wish the death of Dionisius the tyrant she straight knéeled upon her knées and besought the Gods that he might live and being demanded why she prayed for such a tyrant she said I knew three Kings in Siracusa every one a tyrant the second worse then the first the the third worse then the second and now Dionisius being the fourth is worse then the third and I am doubtfull if a fourth should come it would be the Divel himself who is worse then Dionysius and therefore I pray the Gods he may live for of two evils the least is to be chosen Mark how in a simple woman a silly person truth doth often sojourn The like we read of a certain husbandman that digged in the ground when the murtherers that slew King Antigonus passing in hast taking their flight into Phrygia demanded of the husbandman why he digged so déep I dig up said he another King Antigonus to rule in Macedonia letting them to understand the true Proverb That seldome comes the better that he that would come after should be far worse then King Antigonus O happy age O golden world while tyranny was not known The great Monarchies of the world were gotten with tyranny and likewise through tyranny lost The first Monarchy after the great Deluge was that of the Assyrians which began under Ninus the third King of the Assyrians and continued in slaughter and tyranny till Sardanapalus time who was the last King which was a thousand two hundred nine and thirty years From the Assyrians it was won with the sword and brought with violence and tyranny by that cruel and bloudy Arbactus to the Medes and remained there till the time of King Astyages who was the ninth and last King of the Medes two hundred and fifty years From the Medes it was had away by tyranny to Persia by King Cyrus and there stayed until the time of King Darius which was two hundred and thirty years From the Persians it was with bloud and great slaughter taken away by Alexander the great unto Macedonia and there maintained till Perseus time which was a hundred and seven and fifty years From the Macedonians it was posted to Rome where under Julius Caesar the proudest Monarch in all the world it fomed in bloud flourished in tyranny a long time Thus tyranny was fed and fostered from one country to another till almost the whole world was destroied The murther and tyranny that long flourished in Gréece betwéen the Thebans and the Lacedemonians again betwixt the Lacedemonians and the Athenians betwixt the Athenians and all Greece who readeth it not in Thucidides Tamberlan the great murtherer King sometime in Scythia got through tyranny Medea Albania Mesopotamia Persia and Armenia he passed over Euphrates subdued Asia the lesse and took Baiazet King of the Turks called all the Princes of Asia in his voyage toward Gréece where such tyranny was used that not onely Cities and Countries were destroyed but also their Temples and their Gods neglected and spoiled Great was the tyranny betwixt King Darius of Persia and Miltiades Prince of Athens who slew a hundred thousand of Darius men How great was the slaughter of King Cyrus after he had exiled his Grandfather King Astrages from Persia vanquished the Babylonians and overthrew Croesus King of Lydia and after he had subdued the most part of Asia he ceased not his tyrâ—nny untill he came to Scithia where he and two hundred thousand were slain by one woman Tomyris Queen Scithia who after she had slain him she caused his head to be cut off and made it to be bathed in a great tun of
bloud saying these words now Cyrus drink enough of that which thou hast alwaies so long thirsted for Bloud doth require bloud and tyranny will have cruelty Antiochus famed in tyranny brought in subjection Egypt and India with other countries Hannibal excelled all men in tyranny as both Rome and Italy can well testifie To speak of King Philip and his son Alexander the great their tyranny their conquest and bloudy wars it were superfluous as Thessalia Thebes Larissa the Olinthians Phoceans Lacedemonians Athenians Persians Indians and all Asia are witnesse thereto Pyrrhus Antigonus Pompey the great with infinite more bloudy Generals did more rejoyce with tyranny to offend others then with justice to defend their own For the triumphs of cruel Captains are to joy in tyranny the wish and desire of the ungodly tyrant is to destroy all he is thirsty alwaies of bloud hungry continually of murther and slaughter What wished Caligula the Emperour to his own City of Rome onely one neck that with one stroke he might strike it off The difference betwéen a gentle and a goodly Prince and a cruell tyrant is and hath béen alwaies séen King Codrus of Athens how far excelled he cruell Caligula when by an Oracle it was told to the Athenians that they should never have victory during the life of Codrus their King the King understanding of it he cloathed himself like a common souldier nay rather as the history saith like a poor beggar and went into the midst of his enemies to be slain to save Athens How much did noble Curtius and famous Decius surmounted that cruell L. Sylla and that wicked imp C. Marius they instructed by the like Oracle were ready in their arms to mount on horseback to offer themselves alive to an open gulf to save Rome the other with sword and fire were no lesse willing to destroy Rome and to spoil their native soil and country of Italy Again Thrasibulus was not so beneficial to Athens but Catelin was as hurtfull unto Rome Divers Princes and Noble men have béen no lesse studious how to kéep and defend their countries then they were loath and unwilling to trespasse against their countries Happy are those places and most happy are they that injoy such Princes How famous was Thebes while Epaminondas lived how renowned was Sparta while yet Agesilaus ruled how happy was Rome when Fabius Maximus bare sway how flourished Athens when Pericles with his magnanimity when Themisiocles with his worthinesse when Demosthenes with his wisedome defended their state The vertuous lives of goodly Emperours time hath advanced to fame and fame hath spread over the whole world as of Traian Constantine Augustus Alexander Severus with others which are to be honoured and had in perpetual memory But the cruell tyranny of other wicked Magistrates neither time can take away nor any good nature forget as that monster of shame sinck of sin that beast Heliâ—gabalus that tyrant Nero that monster Caligula with Domitian Dionisius and others which are to be detested and utterly lothed Laertius in his third book doth write that the people of Agineta had a law written that if any of Athens should come unto their great City Aginia he should lose his head WheÌ„ Plato the philâ—sopher had hapned to come to that City it was told Carmendius who then was chief Iudge for that year that a man of Athens was in Aginia which ought by law to die the calling Plato before him in a great assembly demaÌ„ded what he was he said a Philosopher a certain man envious unto learning hearing the name of a Philososopher said this is no man but a beast then said Plato I ought to be frée by your law being a beast and not a man and so pleaded the matter that by the name of a beast he was dismissed applying thus the sense thereof that with tyrants and envious people beasts are better esteemed then men Such is the furious rage of tyranny that without mercy and respect of person he féedeth his fury King Atreus brother to Thiestes and son to King Pelops slew without pity the thrée sons of his brother Thiestes whose bloud he caused his brother and their father to drink unawares and after he had hidden their bodies in a cave he cut off their members and made their father to eat thereof The like history we read in Justine that King Assiages made Harpagus to eat his own son dressed ready and served up at the Kings table in two silver dishes before Harpagus the father of which as one ignorant of such tyranny the father fed Mithridates the bloudy King of Pontus slew his thrée sons and three daughters he killed his wife Laodice and married another named Hipsicratea Tyranny lurketh in the hidden veins and secret bowels of envy for even as Mithridates flew his wife Laodice so Constantine the great Emperour slew his wife Fausta and Nero murthered his wife Poppea I should weary the Reader to speak of Cleander Aristratus Strates Sabillus with innumerable others The state of Rome was so often changed by tyranny that sometimes they reigned under Monarchy and then streight under Aristrocacy And thus the Commons séeking by change an amendment of Princes kept alwaies the chief rule and government of the City of Rome under Democracy which is the popular government abhorring the corruption of Princes to their immortal fame and glory CHAP. XLIII Of Flattery FLattery is the sweet bait of Envy the cloak of malice the onely pestilence of the world a monster ugly to behold if it could be seen and dangerous to trust if it might be known it hath as many heads as Hidra to invent wickednesse as many hands as Briareus to commit evill as many eys as Argos to behold and delight in vengeance as swift of foot as Thalus entring into every mans house with words as sweet as honey but a heart as bitter as gall of which the old poem is spoken Melin ore verba lactis felin corde fraus in factis Antisthenes the learned Athenian was wont to say that he had rather have Ravens in his house with him then flatterers for Ravens said he devour but the carcasse being dead but the flatterer eateth up the body and soul alive For even as tyranny is hidden in the secret bowels of envy so is envy cloaked under the filed phrase of flattery and very well compared to the Crocodiles of Nilus or to the Syrens of the seas the one weeping and mourning the other singing and laughing the one with lamentation the other with mirth doth study how to annoy the poor Mariner The flattering Parasite as Ovid saith denieth with the negative and affirmeth with the affirmative wéepeth with him that is sad and laugheth with him that is merry As sometime Clisophus who when his master Philip King of Macedonia and further to Alexander the great did halt because he had the gout he would halt likewise when the King would be merry at his drink Clisophus would not be sad
Athens Lentulus the defendour of Italy exiled from Rome Dion of Siracusa hunted out of his country by Dionisius even that renowned Hannibal that long protector of Carthage was compelled after long service for his country to range about like a pilgrim every where to séek some safe-guard for his life Too many examples might be brought from Gréek and Latine histories for the proof hereof The chiefest bulwark of a Common-wealth saith Demosthenes is assured faith without flattery and good will tried in the Commons and plainnesse without deceit boldnesse and trust in the Nobility Flattery is the onely snare that wise men are deceived withall and this the pharisées knew well who when they would take our Saviour Christ tardy in his talk they began to flatter him with fair words saying Master we know that thou art just and true and that thou camest from God Even so Herod willing to please the Iews in killing James the brother of John and in imprisoning Peter he so pleased the people with flattery that they cried out this is the voice of God and not the voice of men so sweet was flattery amongst the Iews The flattering friends of Ammon knowing the wickednesse of his mind and his perverse dealing toward Mardocheus did not perswade Ammon from his tyranny but flattered him with fair words and made him prepare a high gallows for Mardocheus where Ammon and his children were hanged But the young man that came to flatter king David saying Saul and his children are dead was by David for his flattery commanded to die CHAP. XLIIII Of the Pilgrimages of Princes and Misery of Mortality THere is neither beast on the earth nor fowl in the ayr nor fish in the sea that séeks his own decay but man onely as by experience we sée all things to have a care of their own lives The Lion when he féeleth himself sick he never ceaseth till he féedeth upon an Ape whereby he may recover his former health The Goats of Créet féeding on high upon the mountains when any of them is shot through with an arrow as the people of that Countrey are most excellent archers they seek out an herb called Dictamum and assoon as they eat any part of it the arrow falleth down and the wound waxeth whole incontinently There are certain kinds of Frogs in Egypt about the floud of Nilus that have this perceiverance that when by chance they happen to come where a fish called Varus is which is great a murtherer and spoiler of Frogs they use to bear in their mouths overthwart a long reed which groweth about the banks of Nile and as this fish doth gape thinking to feed upon the Frog the reed is so long that by no means he can swallow the Frog and so they save their lives If the Goats of Creet if the Frogs of Egypt have this understanding to avoid their enemies how much more ought man to be circumspect of his life who hath millions of enemies neither seen nor known We read in the first book of Aelian that the rude swine if at any time by chance they eat of that herb called Hiosciamus which so contracteth draweth their veins together that they can hardly stir they will strive for remedy to go under the water where they feed upon young Crabs to recover health In the same book you may read of a sea Snail which from the water doth come to land to breed and after she hath egged she diggeth the earth and hideth her egs and returneth to the sea again and there continueth fourty days and after fourty days she commeth to the self same place where she hid her egs and perceiving that they are ready to come out of the shell she openeth the shell and taketh her young ones with her into the sea And thus have they a care not onely of their own states and lives but also of others and by some shew of sence they help that which is most dangerous and hurtfull The little Mice have this kind of fore-knowledge that when any house waxeth old and ruinous they forsake their old dwelling and creeping holes and flee and seek refuge in some other place The little Ants have such fore-sight that when penury and want of relief draweth near they wax painfull and laborious to gather victuals as may serve them during the time of famine If these small creeping worms and simple beasts provide for themselves what shall we say of man the King and ruler over all beasts who hath not onely a body to provide for but also a soul to save More happy are these worms and beasts in their kind then a number of Princes are for that they by nature onely are taught to avoid their foes we neither by nature neither by God the cause of all goodnesse can love our friends Therefore very well it is said of the wise man that either not to be born or else being born straight to die is the happiest state that can chance to man For living in this vale of misery we see the Pilgrimage and travel of life to be such that better far it were to be a poor quiet man then a proud ambitious Prince And since death is the last line of life as well appointed for Princes as for poor men who in reading of the lives of Emperors Kings and Princes and the Nobles of the world seeth not their unhappy states which come into the world naked and depart from the same naked yet like proud Pilgrims are busie one to destroy another not content with countreys and Kingdomes they go from place to place like Pilgrims to be more acquainted with misery and to seek death Alexander the great conquerourâ— taking his voyage from his Kingdome of Macedonia unto India in a desire to destroy all the world he was in the City of Babylon prevented by Antipater and Iola with poyson and there he died Philopomenes a great Emperor sometime in Gréece being taken prisoner in the wars of Messena was so cruelly handled that he besought Dinocrates who then was Prince of that countrey and conquerour over him one drâ—ught of poyson to end his life Thus he that could not be content to be Emperor and ruler of Gréece was moved to seek death in a strange Countrey amongst his foes Ladislaus King of Apulia endeavouring to subdue the Florentines and séeking to be King over the Florentines lost the Kingdome of Apulia and by them was at length poysoned and so bereft both of Kingdome and life With this unhappy kind of death many Princes have been prevented and no lesse threatned are these Princes by their own houshold friends then by forraign foes No lesse do their children their wives brethren and kinsmen study to destroy them Thus Claudius Caesar an Emperor of Rome was poysoned by his own wife Agrippina Antiochus King of Syria was poysoned by his Quéen Laodice so that he was in love with Berenices King Ptolomy's sisterr Constantine the Emperor the son of Heraclius being
called Pyromancy which is a certain divination by fire thus Tanaquil Tarquinius Priscus wife when she saw thâ— flames playing about Servius Tullius head she affirmed thereby that he should be King in Rome The third is Aeromancy which useth to prognosticate things by the air as by flying of Fowls and tempest of weather as when it rained Iron in Lucania it did presage said they the death of Marcus Crassus amongst the Parthians or as Livi writeth when it rained stones in Picen at the second wars of Carthage it was to shew the slaughter and murther that Hannibal should do in Italy The fourth is Hydromancy to judge things to come by fight of water as Varro doth report of a boy that saw the picture or image of Mercury in the water pronouncing and reciting all the wars of Mithridates King of Pontus that should follow in verses There are two other kinds of Magick the one named Geomancy to declare and expound things by the opening gaping and moving of earth the other Chiromancy to judge by the lines of hanâ—s called Palmistry these are they that Cicero maketh mention of in his first book of divinations where he saith Cum semitam ipsi nesciant alijs tamen monstrant viam they will teach others that way that they know not themselves They will teach others how to have money and substance and yet they are themselves poor beggars always in the house of Codrus hanging at the fléeve of Irus There is again a kind of Soothsaying which was first practised in the land of Hetruria where when a certain Husbandman ploughed in the field called l'arquimen a certain man appeared in sight who sprang up from the ground which then was plowed named Tages in face and countenance much like a young child but in wisedome and discretion far surmounting any sage Philosopher This Tages taught all the land of Hetrmia Plini saith that one Delphos first invented Soothsaying and Amphiaraus first invented soothsaying by fire Polydorus describeth another sort of Soothsayers who were wont to conjecture and foreshew by beasts slain to be sacrificed whether the heart the liver or such like did perish as Caesar which when he sacrificed an Oxe unto Jupiter which had no heart thereby the Soothsayers prognosticated the infelicity and mishap of Caesar Likewise King Xerxes in his wars against the Gréeks a Mare being a stout and warlike beast brought forth a Hare a timerous and fearfull thing whereby they declared the overthrow of Xerxes and his huge army and the flight and cowardize thereof Again there is a kind of sooth saying by lightning thunders and tempests The folly of men was such that they thought nothing to be in the world but had hidden knowledge concerning man they would take nothing in hand without some Oracles of Jupiter or Apollo they reposed more trust in flying fowls in their chirping notes concerning any attempts which they took in hand then in their own force and strength they had more confidence in beasts of the field and trusted more in elementary sights In fine there was nothing almost but they had more respect either unto the colour the voice the proportion and such like toys then they had in themselves as is before mentioned in the worshipping of their Gods and institution of Religion These foolish toys were first observed amongst the Chaldeans from Chaldea they came to Gréece from Gréece to Hetruria from Hetruria to Rome and from Rome to all Europe they were scattered Wherefore Moses that wise Hebrew and the singular instrument of God for his people commanded that no man should consult with those wicked and abominable faculties saying unto his people You shall not beléeve Sooth-sayers neither shal you trust unto dreams The Iews were so addicted to observe these augurations that they would not go to war at any time without some warnings and conjectures had by some bird or beast insomuch that one Mossolanus a Iew born a wise man noted in his Countrey making his voyage unto wars as Josephus in his first book of Antiquitie doth write was commanded with all his hoste to stay untill a certaine southsayer would go to counsel and know the successe of the wars which then he took in hand with a bird hard by the army Mossolanus perceiving how they were inclined and wholly bent to be instructed by divination he took his bow and an arrow and slew this bird whereat the souldiers were so amazed and the soothsayer so angry that had not Mossolanus perswaded the people wisely he had béen like though he was their Captain to have béen by his own souldiers slain but after long tumult made Mossolanus spake after this sort unto his souldiers Do you think that birds beasts and such like dumb things can foreshew things to you which know nothing of themselves for behold the bird which you trusted most unto and likewise your soothsayer could not sée to avoid my purpose when I slue him Do you trust that creature for your lives which is ignorant of his own death O blindnesse of people which yet remaineth in this age Thus having briefly past the inventers of sciences in sundry countries men were much given to find other necessaries to live by and studious to make things profitable for their countries and carefull to augment the state and life of man to full perfection For the Cyclopians were the first workers of Iron work the Lacedemonians the first inventers of harnesse spears swords and bucklers for wars people thereby most renowned the Athenians taught first to plant trees and Vineyards the Phrygians made first the chariots and waggons the Lydians used first to dresse wools and so the people of Caria practised first bows and arrows and the Phenicians the Crossebow then other particular matters were likewise sought out by divers speciall men in speciall countries for the use of man as oyl and honey by Aristeus Keys by Theodotus the Samian Ships to sail by Jason silver by Ericthomus gold by Cadmus Thus every where each man in his pilgrimage did something worthy of memory Thrason was renowned for his lofty walls and his towers Danaus for his wells and for his digging of water Cinira for finding out Copper Brasse Lead and such other metals Ceres for sowing of Corn and Bacchus for planting the Vine thus the world in time waxed not onely populous but it grew also skilfull in things and plentifull of laws for the redresse and safeguard of man CHAP. XIIII Of Patience of Kings and Princes PAtience is a vertue saith Cato the wise in all adversities the best medicine to a sick man the surest plaister to any sore it comforteth the heavy it rejoiceth the sad it contenteth the poor it healeth the sick it easeth the painful it hurteth no man it helpeth all men therefore said the wise man Byon that that the greatest harm that can happen unto man is not to be able to sustain and abstain For this was Tiberius Caesar much commended of Suetonius that he
suffered in free Cities and Towns free tongues Philip King of Macedonia when certain Embassadours of Athens came to him he required of them if he might stand in any stead to Athens to certifie him of the same to whom Demochares one of the Embassadours answered that the greatest pleasure that he could do to Athens was to hang himself the King most patient in such scoffs and taunts said the reproachfull slander of the Athenians do make King Philip better able to revenge their malice by wars then to move him to answer their back-biting in words A Prince not onely patient in hearing but also wise in answering As sometime the Emperour Alexander Severus in Rome when it was signified unto him after Antonius was dead that the barbarous nations were ready to enter the City of Rome and that he was much rebuked of the people and blamed of the Senators for the slender care he had to the City he as Herodianus affirms answered that it belongeth to Princes to requite the good and not to answer the evill for wisemen will speak evil of no man in the beginning least they should be judged fooles in the end whereunto all things are directed and whereby all things are proved So patient was Anaxagoras when it was told him that his son was dead to answer merrily I know my son was mortal So patient was King Antigoâ—us being certified of his son Alcâ—onus death to answere I looked no other than for his death So patient was Pericles whon he heard that both his sons died in one day to kéep his countenance merry his cheere unchanged and his businesse about the state of his countrie not delayed But Harpalus was of passing patience being bidden of Astiages King of Persia to supper where he had two sons of his ready drest and layd in a silver dish before him on the table to be eaten by their owne father The King nay the tyrant marking the countenance of Harpalus and perceiving him not to be moved much at the matter asked him how he liked his supper he without alteration of colour or change of countenance framed himselfe to answer the king merrily commending much the supper as one that knew that patience was the onely remedy in tyranny A second Iob in patience nay hee passed Iob for Iob knew that his God did suffer Satan to punish him for love he had to Iob but Harpalus perceived that this tyrant did this to him of tyranny and evil will far from christianity for in this vale of misery we count him wise and certain we may cal him most wise that can in prosperity be gentle and in adversity be patient Both these examples were seen in one man in one day at Rome Paulus Aemilius having two sons the hope of Rome and comfort of the father the one dead foure dayes before the triumphs of Macedonia the other three dayes after the triumph returning from Macedonia with that noble victory and such triumphs unto Rome that no man could finde in his heart to tell this noble Romane of the heavinesse in Rome by reeson of the death of his children he perceiving the people of Rome to be sad and he so merry they so heavy with sobs and sighes and he so glad by reason of his triumphs and victories demanded the cause which being at length made known he then comforted them that should comfort him saying I thank the Gods more to give me victory over my enemies to the glory and prayse of Rome then I accuse fortune to spoyl me of my children which by nature were borne to dye and though much it be to my griefe yet wish I the Gods to do the like to the father as they did the sons so that the like conquest and glory may happen to Rome In this was both magnanimity and patience Some men are patient in some things as in a corporal paine some in torments another is patient of injuries done I commend them both but to be patient in all kinde of aflictions and adversity heaven and earth commendeth that man Plyny speaketh of one man Anarchus Augustus most patient in torments Of one Woman Laena to kéep silence So were the Egyptians people of great patience when they had rather dye in torments with patience then to betray any man The Gymnosophistes of India were so patient that from sun rising untill night upon the hot sanâ— they continued without meat and drink saith Plyny going from one seat to an other to behold the heavens the Sun the Moon c. The Lacedemonians were most patient in travel paine winde weather and wars The people of Sparta at what time certaine men of Chios came to pilgrimage understanding the wise men of Sparta called Ephori to be in all things most patient to move them to anger they vomited before them and then went where the Ephori sate in judgement and used it as a common stoole to discharge nature When they came to Chios againe they said that the wise men of Sparta were fooles and blocks because they could not move them to be angry but not more patient then the other were beastly For this kinde of patience was Mithridates king of Pontus renowned so was Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians so was Masissima king of Numidia So patient was the Emperor Augustus that he suffered a young man of Sycilia to answer him as boldly as he had demaÌ„ded of him merrily whether ever his mother had been in Rome he being like to the Emperour in countenance and proportion meaning thereby that he might be his father if she had been there the young man perceiving the sleight of Augustus answered boldly and said My mother was never in Rome but my father hath béen divers times in Rome meaning that the Emperour might rather be his brother that way then he to be his son the other way by his mother But because patience is better known by reading of divers Princes anger where they shall see what hurt was done what wickednesse was committed by impatience which might have bin redressed and saved by patience therefore to avoyd prolixity it shall be spoken in the one what wanteth in the other but I will first speak of the humanity and sobriety and other vertues famous in Kings and Princes CHAP. XV. Of humanity and clemency of Princes LIke as pride oppresseth love provoketh disdain kindleth malice confoundeth justice and at length subverteth states even so humanity stirreth up affection augmenteth amity maintaineth love supporteth equity and preserveth Cities and countries Nothing saith the godly Emperour Alexander Severus so joyneth the hearts of subjects unto their Prince as humanity Nothing doth purchase honour so much to the noble man as affability Nothing so much kindleth love amongst the Commons as mutual humanity How gently did Cyrus king of Persia handle Croesus king of Lydya who being vanquished and convicted was by the law as Herodotus doth witnesse appointed to dye he being brought to the place of execution began heavily