that fall into it through negligence or misgouernment of those goods which God hath put into their hands that they should be faithfull keepers and disposers thereof in charitable workes This is that which Thucidides saith that it is no shame for a man to confesse his pouertie but very great to fal into it by his owne default Therefore to reape profite by that which hath beene heere discoursed let vs put off that old error which hath continued so long in mens braines that pouertie is such a great and troublesome euill whereas it is rather the cause of infinite benefits and let vs say with Pythagoras that it is a great deale better to haue a quiet and setled minde lying vpon the ground than to haue much trouble in a golden bed Moreouer let vs knowe that to possesse small store of earthlie goods ought not to be called pouertie bicause all fulnes of wealth aboundeth in the knowledge and assurance of the fatherlie grace and goodnes of the Author and Creator of all things which he offereth liberally to all without accepting either of pompe or greatnes And further when as continuing the care which it pleaseth him to take of vs he giueth vs although in trauell and sweate wherewith to feede and to cloth vs in all simplicitie and modestie and that according to our necessitie we should be vnthankfull and altogither vnwoorthie the assistance of his helpe and fauour and of his eternall promises if not contented nor glorifieng him for our estate we complained or wondred at desired the calling of other men offering thereby in will and affection our birthrights through a gluttonous desire whereas we ought to preserue to our selues the possession of that heauenlie inheritance wherein consisteth the perfection of all glorie rest and contentation Of Idlenes Sloth and Gaming Chap. 35. ARAM. TWo things being the cause of all passions in men namely Griefe and Pleasure they alwayes desire the one but flie from and feare the other But the occasion of the greatest euil that befalleth them is bicause these desires and affections being borne with them from the beginning do also grow encrease a long time before they can haue any iudgement framed in them through the right vnderstandyng of things Whereupon as well by nature which of it selfe is more inclined to euill than to good as through a long continuing in vice they are easily drawen to follow the appetite and lust of their sensualitie wherein they falsly iudge that pleasure consisteth and thinke it painfull not to please it Being thus guided by ignorance and walking like blindmen they haue experience for the most part of such an end as is cleane contrary to their purposes As we may see in those men who purposing with themselues to liue at their ease in ioy rest and pleasure giue ouer all intermedling in serious matters and such as beseeme the excellencie of vertue that they may liue in idlenes wherwith being bewitched they are partakers of many false pleasures which procure them a greater number of griefs and miseries all which they thought to auoyd very well And this we may the better vnderstand if we discourse of Idlenes the enemie of all vertue and cleane contrary to Perseuerance which is a branch of Fortitude Therefore I propound the handling of this matter to you my Companions ACHITOB. Although we haue not a singular excellencie of spirite yet we must not suffer it to be idle but constantly follow after that which we haue wisely hoped to obtaine For as Erasmus saith that which is often done reiterated and continually in hand is finished at last ASER. They that do nothing saith Cicero learne to do ill through idlenesse the body minds of men languish away but by labour great things are obtained yea trauail is a worke that continueth after death Let vs then giue eare to AMANA who will handle more at large for our instruction that which is here propounded vnto vs. AMANA As we admire and honour them with very great commendation in whom we may note as we think some excellent and singular vertues so we contemn them whom we iudge to haue neither vertue courage nor fortitude in them and whom we see to be profitable neither to themselues nor to others bicause they are not laborious industrious nor carefull but remain idle and slouthfull And to say truth the maners conditions and natural disposition of such men are wholy corrupted their conuersation is odious vnprofitable and to be auoided seeing that Idlenes is the mother and nurse of vice which destroieth and marreth all Therefore it was very well ordained in the primitiue Church that euery one should liue of his owne labor that the idle and slothfull might not consume vnprofitably the goods of the earth Which reason brought in that ancient Romane edict mentioned by Cicero in his booke of Lawes that no Romane should goe through the streets of the city vnles he caried about him the badge of that trade whereby he liued Insomuch that Marcus Aurelius speaking of the diligence of the ancient Romanes writeth that all of them followed their labor and trauell so earnestly that hauing necessarie occasion one daye to send a letter two or three daies iournie from the towne he could not find one idle bodie in all the citie to carie it That great Orator and Philosopher Cicero minding to teach vs how we ought to hate Idlenes as being against nature sheweth that men are in deede borne to good works whereof our soule may serue for a sufficient and inuincible proofe seeing it is neuer still but in continuall motion action And for the same cause he greatly commendeth Scipio who vsed to say that he was neuer lesse quiet than when he was quiet Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that when he was not busied with waightie affaires of the Common-wealth yet his owne priuate matters and the searching after knowledge were no lesse troublesome vnto him so that euen then in his solitarines he tooke counsell with himselfe It seemeth saith this father of eloquence that nature doth more require of a man such actions as tend to the profit of men than she doth the perfect knowledge of all things seeing this knowledge and contemplation of the workes of nature should seeme to be maimed vnperfect if no action followed it whereas vertuous deedes are profitable to all men for which end nature hath brought vs foorth which sheweth sufficiently that they are better and more excellent So that vnles the knowledge of things be ioined with that vertue which preserueth humane societie it will seeme to be dead and vnprofitable Therefore Chrysippus the Philosopher said that the life of those men that giue themselues to idle studies differed nothing from that of voluptuous men So that we must not studie Philosophie by way of sport but to the end we may profit both our selues and others Now if action must of necessitie be ioined to
euer came neere vnto his diuine knowledge of eternall things We see then how we must be the disciples of philosophie all our life time Now as there is nothing wherin a master builder reioiceth so much after he hath laid a good foundation of some great worke as to see the progresse and proceeding thereof so after we haue laid our first happie resolution as is said of attaining to the knowledge of philosophie and haue tasted of the first principles of hir holesome fruits it will turne to our great contentation and occasion of proceeding when we see and perceiue that we profite and amende by this studie This will appeare vnto vs by the consideration of our present works and actions being compared with the former and by the diminishing and qualifiying of our wicked passions and naturall inclinations which the profession of this science will vndoubtedly worke in vs. For as we take it for a good signe when a disease remooueth into some parts of least account so when our vices are changed into more meeke and soft passions it putteth vs in hope that we shall wholy deface them afterwarde The right and perfect way hereunto is to enter deepely into our selues and to take a perfect and sound knowledge of our naturall hurtfull and most vehement inclinations by comparing one with another Next as a good and expert Phisition before he dealeth with dangerous diseases beginneth with gentle preparatiues we are first to correct lesser faults that after we may the easier ouercome the greatest For it is certaine that by such an exercise and custome of keeping our selues from things that are after a sort excusable yea that are permitted and lawfull it will be farre more easie for vs afterward to amend abstaine from vnlawfull things After we haue thus reformed our selues we shall wholy forsake small imperfections which will be easie for vs to do and make no more reckoning of little offences as those which we shall auoid altogither From thence we shall come to consider and to discouer better the nature and cause of our greater and more hurtfull passions together with their vglines and deformitie Then labouring to diminish their force by eschewing prudently the causes of them and by cutting oft one branch now and then another we shall in the end woonder to see how reason perfecteth in vs hir office of commanding absolutely ouer all the perturbations of our soule I meane so farre foorth as humane frailtie aided by God can as I said before attaine to perfection Then may we truely call our selues Philosophers when by our owne example we make it knowne that the life of man at all times in al places in all passions and generally in all affaires receiueth the vse of Philosophie Now after we haue well profited through so great diligence watchfulnes through such industry of minde and continuall studie I meane after we are become better than we were before by reason of the tranquillitie of our soules purged from perturbations we must be carefull that this our commoditie redound also to others as the commandement of God and natural dutie binde vs thereunto Then I say we shall haue attained to the perfection of this goodly knowledge when we are seruiceable to our neighbors brethren and countrimen not of vaine glory or for terrestriall riches but for the loue of vertue onely which of it selfe is a goodly recompence for it selfe being ioined with a happy expectation of heauen But let vs note farther for the last point of our discourse whereof I haue already briefely spoken that one of the surest meanes which we can take to come to a true knowledge of Philosophie is not to esteeme at all but rather to contemne whatsoeuer is subiect to corruption and is in the power of variable fortune as the Philosophers vse to speake namely vainglory worldly wealth and other earthly goods forasmuch as the desire of getting keeping and increasing them is that which carrieth vs away most and which hindreth euery other good and vertuous inclination Therefore let vs freely forsake all such things let vs withdraw our mindes from all by-thoughts and dispise all earthly discommodities yea let vs patiently sustaine all greefe that we may yeelde our selues wholy to the studie of Philosophie which is the cause of so many good things Crates the Theban forsooke his patrimonie of eight talents which according to the common computation amounteth to foure thousand eight hundred crownes that being deliuered from the care of hous-keeping and of guiding his goods he might follow the studie of philosophie with greater libertie Anaxagoras for the same cause suffered his lands to lie waste and after long studie returning to his house and finding it altogether fallen into ruine and desolation he said if these things had not perished I had perished as if he had said that he should neuer haue gotten the treasure of knowledge which was the ornament of his minde if he had giuen himselfe to gaine and to gather goods Democritus Abderita being verie rich as may be gathered by the feast which his father made to that innumerable armie of Xerxes who came into Graecia which consisted as Herodotus writeth of more than two millions of fighting men gaue all his patrimonie to his countrey reseruing to himselfe but a little some of money to liue withall that he might haue the more leasure to studie philosophie for which cause he went to dwell at Athens Euclide of the towne of Megara being verie desirous to heare Socrates dwelling at Athens betweene which two cities the warre was so cruel that no Citizen of the one citie durst be seen in the other without ineuitable danger of death if he were knowne had notwithstanding so great loue to wisedome that although he were an Ethnick and doubted of a second life yet he preferred the desire of knowledge before the care of his life and being apparailed like a woman went once in two daies to Athens and abode there all night to heare Socrates who commonly spent the most part thereof in discoursing of wisedome and then returned againe about the break of the day Now to conclude our present treatise we will hold this that onely philosophie can giue vs certaine knowledge teach vs how we may inioy in this life our onely soueraign good which is the rest and tranquillitie of our soules Yea she is vnto vs in stead of a guide to lead vs to the eternall fruition of our supreame and euerabiding good which is promised and purchased by the blood of the immaculate Lamb in that second and most happie life And as Plato said speaking by the mouth of Socrates that they onely shal attaine to the kingdom of heauen with God who end their daies in this life purged by philosophie so shall it be by the vnspeakable loue of this eternall wisedome that we shall be purged clensed and saued Yea through the expectation of this
which did all intreat of vertue out of which men may reape infinite profite especially out of those that intreat of a common-wealth or of lawes In these books that he might not seeme vngratefull towarde his master Socrates who would neuer write any thing he bringeth him in rehearsing that which at other times he had heard him speake Stilpo the philosopher being in his citie of Megara when it was taken spoiled by Demetrius king of Macedonia who fauouring him asked if he had lost any thing that was his made this answer No sir quoth he for war cannot spoile vertue And indeede this is that riches wherwith we ought to furnish our selues which can swim with vs in a shipwrack and which caused Socrates to answere thus to one who asked him what his opinion was of the great king whether he did not thinke him very happy I cannot tell quoth he how he is prouided of knowledge vertue Who may iustly doubt whether vertue alone is able to make a man happie seeing it doth not onely make him wise prudent iust good both in his doings sayings but also commonly procureth vnto him honor glorie and authoritie It was through hir meanes that Alexander deserued the surname of Great by that experience which she gaue him in warre by his liberalitie in riches by his temperance in all his sumptuous magnificence by his hardines and constancy in fight by his continency in affections by his bountie and clemencie in victorie and by all other vertues wherein he surpassed all that liued in his time Yea the fame and renowme of his vertues procured a greater number of cities countries and men to submit themselues willingly vnto him without blowestriking than did the power of his armie Wherein this sentence of Socrates is found true that whole troupes of souldiers and heapes of riches are constrained oftentimes to obey vertue What said Darius monarche of the Persians when he vnderstoode both what continencie Alexander his enimie had vsed towards his wife who being exceeding beautifull was taken prisoner by him and what humanitie he shewed afterward in hir funerals when she was dead The Persians quoth he neede not be discouraged neither thinke themselues cowards and effeminate because they were vanquished of such an aduersarie Neither do I demand any victorie of the gods but to surmount Alexander in bountifulnes And if it be so that I must fall I beseech them to suffer none but him to sit in the royall throne and seat of Cyrus Will we haue testimonies of the inuicible force of vertue and of hir powerfull and praisewoorthy effects in most sinister and vntoward matters Histories declare vnto vs that amongst all the vertuous acts which procured praise and renowme to the men of old time those were the notablest most commended which they shewed foorth at such time as fortune seemed to haue wholy beaten them downe Pelopidas generall captaine of the Thebans who deliuered them from the bondage of the Lacedemonians is more praised and esteemed for the great and notable vertue which he shewed being prisoner in the hands of Alexander the tyrannous king of the Phereans then for all his victories gotten before For at that time his vertue was so farre from yeelding any iot to his calamitie that contrariwise with an vnspeakeable constancie he recomforted the inhabitants of the towne that came to visite him exhorting them to be of good courage seeing the houre was come wherin the tyrant should be at once punished for his wickednes And one day he sent him word that he was destitute of all iudgement and reason in that he vexed his poore citizens caused them to die in torments who neuer offended him and in the meane time suffered him to liue in rest of whom he could not be ignorant that escaping his hands he would be reuenged of him The tyrant maruelling at his great courage asked why he made such great haste to die To this end quoth he that thou being yet more hated of God and men than thou art mightest the sooner be destroied Philocles one of the most famous Athenian captaines of his time who caused this law to be made that the right thombe of all prisoners taken in war from that time forward should be cut off that they might not handle a pike any more but yet might serue to rowe with an oare being taken prisoner with three thousand Atheniens in one battell which Lysander admirall of the Lacedemonians obtained against him and al of them being condemned to die was demanded of Lysander what paine he iudged himselfe worthie of for counselling his country-men to so wicked and cruell a thing To whom he made this onely answere with an vnmoueable vertue Accuse not those who haue no iudge to hear know their cause But seeing the gods haue shewed thee this fauour to be conqueror deale with vs as we would haue done with thee if we had ouercome thee Which being said he went to wash and bath himselfe and then putting on a rich cloke as if he should haue gone to some feast he offered himselfe first to the slaughter shewing the way of true constancie to his fellow citizens Anaxarchus the philosopher being taken prisoner by the commandement of Nero that he might know of him who were the authors of a conspiracie that was made against his estate and being led towards him for the same cause he bit his toong in sunder with his teeth and did spit it in his face knowing well that otherwise the tyrant would haue compelled him by all sorts of tortures and torments to reueale disclose them Zeno missing his purpose which was to haue killed the tyrant Demylus did asmuch to him But what is more terrible than death Notwithstanding when did vertue better shew hir greatnes and power then when death laboured most to ouerthrow hir as being resolued of that saying of Cicero that all wise men die willingly and without care but that the vnwise ignorant are at their wits ende for feare of death If many who haue not knowne the true and perfect immortalitie of the soule and some onely led with a desire of praise worldly glorie others touched with duty and kindled with a loue towards their countrey haue shewed the increase of their vertue in the horrors and pangs of death what ought they to do who expect certainely an euerlasting life Phocion after he had beene chosen generall captaine of the Athenians foure and fortie times and done infinite seruices to the common-wealth being at length through certaine partakinges and diuisions ouercome with the weakest side which he had mainetained and being condemned to drinke poison was demaunded before he dranke whether he had no more to saye Whereupon speaking to his sonne he saide I commaunde thee to beare the Athenians no rancor and malice for my death And a little before this speech beholding one of those that were condemned to
recouering any victuals were taken from them To whome they made this onely answer that forasmuch as they had liued for the space of 338. yeeres in freedom they would not die slaues in any sort Whereupon such as were most valiant assembled togither and slew those that were most growne in yeeres with women and children Then they tooke all the riches of the citie and of the temples and brought it into the midst of a great hall and setting fire to all quarters of the citie each of them tooke the speediest poison they could find so that the temples houses riches and people of Numantia ended all in one day leauing to Scipio neither riches to spoile neither man or woman to triumph withal For during the whole time wherin their citie was besieged not one Numantine yeelded himselfe prisoner to any Romane but slew himselfe rather than he would yeeld Which Magnanimitie caused Scipio to bewaile the desolation of such a people in these words O happie Numantia which the Gods had decreed should once end but neuer be vanquished Now albeit these examples and infinite other like to these are set foorth vnto vs by Historiographers as testimonies of an excellent Magnanimitie whereby they would teach vs both to be neuer discouraged for the most tedious trauels and irkesome miseries of mans life and also to stand so little in awe of death that for feare thereof much lesse for any other torment or griefe we neuer commit any thing vnbeseeming a noble hart yet notwithstanding no man that feareth God and is willing to obey him ought to forget himselfe so much as to hasten forward the end of his daies for any occasion whatsoeuer This did Socrates knowe very well when he said that we must not suffer our soule to depart from the Sentinell wherein she is placed in this bodie without the leaue of hir Captaine and that so waightie a matter as death ought not as Plato saith to be in mans power But if it be offred vnto vs by the will of God then with a magnanimious hart void of al starting aside in any thing against dutie we must set free this passage being staied and assuredly grounded vpon that consolation which neuer forsaketh a good conscience not onely through the expectation of a naked and simple humane glorie which most of the Heathen propounded to themselues but of that life which abideth for euer following therein the constancie of Alcibiades a great Captaine of Grecia who hearing the sentence of his condemnation to death pronounced said It is I that leaue the Athenians condemned to die and not they me For I go to seeke the Gods where I shall be immortall but they shall remaine still amongst men who are all subiect to death Socrates also hauing a capitall accusation laid against him wrongfully directed his speech to the Iudges and said vnto them that his accusers by their false depositions might wel cause him to die but hurt him they could not adding further that he woulde neuer leaue his profession of Philosophie for feare of death I â—m per swaded quoth he in Plato that this my opinion is very good namely that euery one ought to abide constantly in that place and trade of life which either he hath chosen himselfe or is appointed him by his superior that he must account that for the best and hazard himselfe therein to all dangers without feare either of death or of any other thing whatsoeuer And therfore I should erre greatly if obeying the Generall of warre which ye appointed vnto me in Potidaea Amphipolis and Delos and abiding in that place wherein he set me without feare of death I should now for feare of death or of any other thing forsake that rancke wherein God hath placed me and would haue me remaine in as I alwaies beleeued thought namely that I should liue a student in Philosophie correcting mine owne and other mens vices Now if I should do otherwise I might iustly be accused for calling my selfe a wise man not being so indeed seeing to feare death is to thinke that to be which is not But neither I nor any other man ought to do all that we may either in iudgement or in warre to the end to auoid death For it is very certaine that he who would in time of battell cast downe his armour and flie away might by that meane auoid death and the like is to be vnderstood in al dangers perils if he were not afraid of infamie But consider O countreymen that it is no very hard matter to auoid death but farre more difficult to eschew wickednes and the shame therof which are a great deale swifier of foote than that is O speech woorthie of eternal praise and such a one as instructeth a Christian notably in a great and noble resolution namely to run the race of his short daies in that vocation wherunto God hath called him and that in the midst of tortures torments all agonies of death From which whilest we expect a happie passage we ought to be no more destitute of an apt remedie in all those things which according to the world are most irkesome and desperate but sustaine them with like constancie and woorthines not departing from the tranquillitie and rest of our soules which is a more noble act than to hasten forward the end of our daies that we may be deliuered of them But howsoeuer it be let vs alwaies preferre a vertuous and honest death before any kind of life be it neuer so pleasant And seeing that one and the same passage is prepared aswell for the coward as the couragious it being decreed that all men must once die the louers of vertue shall do well to reape to themselues some honor of common necessity and to depart out of this life with such a comfort Now to come to the second commendable effect of this vertue of Magnanimity wherof Heroical men were so prodigall heeretofore for the benefit and safetie of their enemies we can bring no better testimonie than the courteous fact of Fabritius the Romane Consul towards Pyrrhus who warred against him and whose Physition wrote vnto him that he offered himselfe to murder his maister by poison and so to end their strife without danger But Fabritius sent the letter vnto him and signified withall that he had made a bad choice of friends aswell as of enemies bicause he made warre with vpright good men and trusted such as were disloiall and wicked whereof he thought good to let him vnderstand not so much to gratifie him as least the accident of his death should procure blame to the Romanes as if they had sought or consented to end the warre by meanes of treason not being able to obtaine their purpose by their vertue Camillus a Romane Dictator is no lesse to be commended for that which he did during the siege of the citie of the Fallerians For he that was Schoolemaister to
Zeno founder of the Stoicall Academic after he had possessed much wealth and suffred many losses had no more left but one ship of merchandise which being cast away he vttred this speech thou doest well Fortune to bring me to the studie of Philosophie wherein he continued euer after The exile banishment of Diogenes driuen from his countrey was the cause and beginning of his studie of Philosophie And if any man thinke it a difficult and strange matter that a poore man should be skilfull seeing that whilest he studieth he must haue wherewith to nourish his body let vs see what Cleanthes answered to Antigonus king of Macedonia who asked him if he turned the milstone always Yea sir sayd he I turne it yet about to get my liuing but forsake not Philosophie for all that How great and noble was the mind of that man who after his labour wrote of the nature of god and of the heauens with the same hand wherwith he turned about the milstone Others say that he got his liuing by drawing water for a gardiner about which he bestowed the night onely that he might spend the day in hearing the Philosophers dispute This man calleth to my remembrance two other Philosophers named Menedemus and Asclepiades who being accused before the Areopagites the chief iudges in Athens as idle persons hauing no goods in possession and being willed to declare how they liued their answer was that inquirie should be made of their Hoste who was a Baker This man being called said that they bestowed the whole day in the study of letters and the night in sifting and boulting his meale for which he gaue each of them a peece of money whereof they liued But what These ancient Sages wanted but few things to liue withall seeing the most of them contented themselues with bread and water and many times with herbes and fruites in stead of bread and so Pythagoras always liued And yet they found so great contentation and felicitie in such a life that one Philoxenus hauing as yet but tasted of the first fruits of this profession of study and being of that number which was sent by the Athenians to inhabite a new citie in Sicilia wherein a good house with great commodities to liue at ease fell to him for his part and seeing that delicacie pleasure and idlenes without any exercise of letters raigned in those quarters he forsook all returned to Athens saying by the gods these goods shall not destroy me but I will rather destroy them All these fruits which are noted to be in pouertie gaue occasion to an ancient man to say that it was a vertue of Fortitude to sustaine pouertie patiently but to desire it was the praise of wisedom Now forasmuch as it will be very hard if not altogither impossible notwithstanding all reason that can be alleaged to men to dispossesse them of the hatred and feare of pouertie which naturally they shun let vs learne of the ancients who ought to account himselfe poore that we abuse no more this word Pouertie Diogenes was vpon a time visited by Alexander who sayd vnto him I see well Diogenes that thou art poore and hast need of many things therfore aske of me what thou wilt and I will giue it thee Whereunto this excellent Philosopher despising such offers of goods whereof he stood not in need answered Whether of vs twaine Alexander seemeth to thee to haue most need and therfore poorest either I that desire nothing but my pile of wood and a litle bread or thou who being king of Macedonta doest hazard thy selfe to so many dangers to inlarge thy kingdom in so much that the whole world will hardly suffice to bound thy ambition and to content thy couetousnes The Monarch so greatly admired the magnanimitie of this man that he vttered these wordes with a loud voyce If I were not Alexander I would be Diogenes Marius a Consul of Rome distributing land among his countreymen gaue to euery one fourteen Acres onely And vnderstanding that some were not contented therewith but demanded more I would to God quoth he then that no Roman would care for any more land than would suffice to nourish him So goodly and commendable a matter was it esteemed of these wise men to be content with a litle with that which is sufficient rather than to thinke those men onely rich that were furnished with store of wealth And to say truth seeing God alone simply and absolutely standeth not in need of any thing whatsoeuer it may easily be presupposed that the most excellent vertue of man and that which commeth neerest to the diuine nature consisteth in causing a man to stand in need of fewest things This is that which Socrates sayd That to desire nothing meaning worldly things is in some sort to resemble God And how can we call him poore whose soule is inriched with so many great and rare perfections Cicero writing to Atticus sayd That a friend was bound to wish but three things vnto his friend namely That he be healthie that he be well accounted of and that he be not needie Now that all these things are found in a temperate and noble minded man we may learne by the effects of Sobrietie whereof we haue heretofore discoursed and by those of honor which is neuer separated from vertue no more than the shadow is from the body And as for the necessarie vse of foode and raiment it is not wanting to them that stand most in need thereof as we haue alreadie touched it in our present speech so a vertuous mā cannot be called poore But let vs yeeld a litle to the commō opinion of worldlings that pouertie and want of earthly riches is odious and contemptible yet that pouertie onely which proceedeth of slouth idlenes and ignorance or otherwise of foolish expences of riot and superfluitie may be said to be full of reproch and shame and is to be shunned For when pouertie is found in an honest painfull diligent iust valiant and wise man it serueth for a great proofe of his magnanimitie and greatnes of courage bicause he hath set his mind vpon great and high matters and not vpon such small and vile things as the riches of the world are Amongst many others of this number we may say that Aristides was being captaine and gouernor of the Athenian estate as we haue alredy mentioned who after many excellent great offices which he bare to the good of his countrey was so smally enriched therby that being dead all his goods would not suffice to bury him He vsed to say that none ought to be ashamed of pouerty but they that were poore against their wil that it was a rarer matter worthy of greater praise to sustain pouerty vertuously and with a noble mind than to know how to vse riches well And so pouertie is neuer accompanied with shame except it be to them
from publike administrations charges but onely that he would haue them imploied about such things as require least labour and not to beginne to meddle with publike affaires before they be fortie yeeres of age He alleadgeth these reasons bicause often-times many women haue beene more excellent than all the men of their countrie and such are dailie to be seene And seeing they haue a soule aswell as we as quicke a spirite and often-times more quicke than we whereof those women are witnesses who hauing giuen thēselues wholy to any thing whatsoeuer were not inferiour but rather went beyond many men it were great follie in men seeing God hath created man and woman with the like spirite to cut off as it were the one halfe of their strength and to helpe themselues but with a part thereof Nowe albeit these reasons are of great waight yet sure it is that men and women both by diuine and humane policie haue their distinct and seuerall offices It is very true that I like not the opinion of many who say that women ought to knowe nothing but to spinne and sowe which saying commeth neere to that of the Emperour who would not haue a woman to haue more witte than is needefull for hir to discerne hir husbandes shirt from his doublet Such opinions are fit for ignorant persons and proceede from a darke braine For it cannot but be very seemely and profitable for a woman to be able to render a reason of hir being aswell by the knowledge of the holie Scriptures as by the precepts of good life which we haue from the Ancients This ought parents to teach their daughters that they may be withdrawne from all other foolish loue through the loue of vertue and be desirous of all honestie and chastitie as also that when they are moothers in good and holie mariage they may be a principall cause of the good bringing vp of their children Yea histories reckon vp vnto vs a great many that haue beene in steede of Schoole-maisters in excellent sciences Aretia taught hir sonne Aristippus Philosophie Zenobia Queene of the Palmyrians being very well learned in the Greeke Latine and Aegyptian toongs taught them to hir two sonnes and wrote an Epitomie of the Easterne Histories Cornelia taught the Gracchyes hir two sonnes the Latine eloquence But let vs followe our discourse of the generall instruction of children Aristotle seemeth vnto mee to bee a good teacher and Maister where hee sayeth that there are two ages in which it is necessarie to diuide the institution of those disciplines which we would haue our children learne namely from seuen yeeres vntill foureteene which he calleth the age of pubertie and againe from this age vntill the one twentieth yeere He saith that in the institution of youth two things must be looked vnto the one wherin children are to be instructed the other how they ought to be instructed For all men are not agreed of this what things children are to learne neither yet is it decided or resolued vpon to what end their institution ought to be directed whether to profite or to manners or to vnderstanding and contemplation which proceedeth from the variable opinions of men who place their end in diuers things But how soeuer it is we must as we said before referre all our studies to the glorie of God and to the seruice of our neighbours in liuing well according to those charges and vocations whereunto we may be called We haue already seene the diuision of sciences and arts and spoken of those that are most necessarie for a happie life Aristotle following the custome then vsed in Grecia appointed that children should learne foure things Grammer bodilie exercise Musicke and painting for certaine commodities meete for the life of a man Grammer is the entire to all sciences whereby we learne to speake exactly also to read and to write And this is necessarie for all estates of life whether publike or priuate in peace or in warre in a quiet life or in multitude of busines for marchandice for the guiding of a house for the obtaining of knowledge for the continuance and perpetuitie of the memorie of man Briefly as nature is the cause of our being so the knowledge of letters which Grammar teacheth vs worketh in vs the knowledge how to liue well For this cause Charondas the law-maker as Diodorus the Sicilian writeth preferred Grammer before all other sciences as that which is most necessarie for mans life appointing that all the children of his citie should learne their letters at the charges of the common-wealth which was to maintaine publike maisters to teach both poore and rich Truly this law ought to be put in practise in all the townes of this kingdome to resist that pernitious Hydra of ignorance which the richer sort defend making no account of knowledge to the treading downe and oppression of the poore who would gladly haue the meanes whereby they might be instructed The Gymnastical part was that arte which as the Ancients affirmed did serue for health and strength preparing the bodies of children by honest and moderate exercises as fencing shooting throwing of a stone riding wrastling running leaping swimming and such like These according to Aristotles opinion are to be moderately practiced by children vntill they be foureteene yeeres old exercising them lightly not with forced labors that their growth be not hindred thereby This age being past after they haue bestowed three yeeres in other Morall disciplines and followed their studies in deeper sciences vntill the one and twentieth yeere then may they be exercised with more sharpe and hard labors of the body They must also be taught Musicke for the solacing and recreation of their mindes after trauels and painting that they may the better consider of the beautie of the bodie and vnderstand the symmetry and apt composition of all things to the ende that they may be the better aduised either in buying or selling them Let them also knowe howe to drawe platformes of publike and priuate buildings to set foorth countries townes and castels their height breadth and length for the warre liuing creatures of all sortes with their parts herbs trees rootes leaues flowres fruits for medicine for the knowledge of simples In this institution of children Aristotle had respect to that which was conuenient drew neerest to the forme of a happie Commonwealth established by him and to that which was necessary for the preseruation and maintenance thereof Nowe let vs apply to our vse that which we may learne both of him and of the rest of the Ancients for the framing of yoong men to honesty and vertue leauing to the libertie of Fathers to make choice of those arts and sciences wherein they purpose to bring vp their children hauing regard to that whereunto nature maketh them most apt and pliable We shall take a good way in the institution of
good and iust but if to an ill ende namely to the particular profite of such as commaund they are euill and vniust Of the soueraigne Magistrate and of his authoritie and office Chap. 54. ACHITOB WE commonly say that that thing is rightly done which is done according to the order and institution of policie Neither is right any other thing amongst vs than the order of that estate vnder which we liue the soueraigntie wherof is the sure foundation vnion and bond of all the particulars in one perfect body of a commō-welth And when iudgements are exercised by the magistrates when the wil of iustice is declared by the exposition of the lawes of right and when we direct our actions vnder iustice thē is the order of ciuil societie duly obserued Hereupon in our last discourse we said that the estate of a common-wealth was compounded of 3. general partes of the magistrate of the law and of the people Thus followyng our purpose let vs intreat particularly of these parts wherof euery common-welth consisteth first let vs consider of the chief magistrate and of his authoritie and office ASER. All ciuil superioritie is a holy and lawful vocation before God And as iustice is the end of the law and the law a worke of the magistrate so also the magistrate is the image of God who ruleth and gouerneth all according to which mould and paterne he must fashion himselfe through the meanes of vertue AMANA As in a man that is well disposed both in bodie and soule according to nature not corrupted the soule ruleth and commandeth with reason being the better part and the body with the affections thereof serue obey as the woorse part so is it in euery humane assemblie It belongeth to the wisest to rule and to such as are lesse aduised to obey Therefore the Magistrate must aboue all things labour that he be not vnwoorthie of that person which he sustaineth But let vs heare ARAM discourse of this matter which is heere propounded vnto vs. ARAM. God being carefull of all things euen of the very least and comprehending in himselfe the beginning end and midst of them according to his good pleasure and making all in all by his onely spirite respecting the common good of this whole frame and preseruation of humane societie hath from time to time distributed to sundry persons distinct and different graces that in exercising diuers estats charges administrations offices handicrafts and occupations they might through mutuall succour and interchangable helpe preserue and maintain themselues This is that which we see in cities amongst ciuill companies which is asmuch to say as a multitude of men vnlike in qualities conditions as rich poore free bond noble vile skilfull ignorant artificers labourers some obeying others commanding and all communicating togither in one place their arts handicrafts occupations exercises to this end that they may liue the better and more commodiously They obey also the same Magistrates lawes and soueraigne councell which Plato calleth the Anchor head and soule of the citie which naturally tendeth to some order and rule of dominion as that which tooke beginning and increase from persons acquainted with a gouernment that resembleth the royall regiment as appeereth in euery well ordered familie and hath already beene touched of vs. The first soueraign gouernment was established either by the violence of the mightiest as Thucidides Caesar Plutarke and others write and the holy historie testifieth the same vnto vs and putteth this opinion out of doubt where it is sayd that Nimrod Chams nephewe was the first that brought men into subiection by force and violence establishing his principalitie in the kingdome of Assyria Or if any will beleeue Demosthenes Aristotle and Cicero the first soueraigntie was instituted vpon their will and good liking who for their owne commoditie rest securitie submitted themselues to such as excelled most in vertue in those times which they called heroicall Who knoweth not saith Cicero in his oration for Sestius that the nature of men was sometime such that not hauing natural equitie as yet written they wandred vp and downe being dispersed in the fields and had nothing but that which they could catch keep forceably by murders and wounds Wherefore some excelling in vertue and counsell knowing the docilitie vnderstāding of man gathered the dispersed togither into one place brought them from that rudenes wherein they were vnto iustice gentlenes Then they established those things that belonged to common profit which we call publike appointed assemblies afterward called cities walled about their buildings ioined togither which we cal townes hauing first found out both diuine and humane equitie At the same time the authoritie of Magistrats tooke place who were instituted by the consent of the people for that excellent heroicall vertue which they saw in those first Rectors and Ordainers of ciuill societie to whome was committed the iurisdiction of lawes or receiued customes and the disposition of written equitie to rule and gouerne their people thereafter But not to staye long about the diuersitie of those opiniōs which we haue heere alleadged for the establishment of the soueraigntie this is out of question that the foundation of euery common-wealth dependeth thereupon that it is the absolute perpetual power of the Common-wealth is not limited either in power or charge or for a certaine time This soueraigntie is in him or them that are chiefe of the Estate a little king is asmuch a soueraigne as the greatest Monarch of the earth For a great kingdome saith Cassiodorus is nothing else but a great Common-wealth vnder the keeping of one chief soueraigne But before we intreate more amply of his authoritie and office it behooueth vs to render a reason of the name of Magistrate which is heere giuen vnto him This word Magistrate hath beene taken of the Ancients in diuers significations and Plato maketh seuenteene sortes of them calling some necessary Magistrats others honourable Aristotle said that they ought chiefly to be called Magistrats that haue power to take counsell to iudge and to command but especially to command And this doth the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiently declare as if he would say Commanders and the Latine word Magistratus being a word of commanding signifieth to maister and to exercise dominion Also the Dictator who had the greatest power to command was called of the Ancients Magister populi Therefore albeit the name of Magistrate hath been heeretofore and is yet giuen to all that haue publike and ordinarie charge in the Estate yet we will as it were abuse this name a little by transferring it to the Soueraigne of all of whome all Magistrats lawes and ordinances of the Common-wealth depend Now let vs see whether this vocation of the Magistrate be lawfull and approoued of God We
ciuil estate gouernment which is the chief Magistrate let vs consider now of the second no lesse necessary therein which is the law whereby he is ioined and vnited to the rest of the publike body for the maintenance and preseruation thereof ACHITOB. The lawe is in the citie as the spirite is in the body For as the body without the spirite vndoubtedly perisheth in like maner euery citie Commonwealth that hath no law falleth into ruine and perdition Therefore Cicero calleth lawes the soules of Common-wealths ASER. As the soule guideth the body and indueth it with abilitie to work so the law is the direction maintenance of euery Estate By the lawe is the Magistrate obeied and the subiects kept in peace and quietnes But let vs heare AMANA handle this matter AMANA We see that naturally all liuing creatures whether earthie watry aërie or flying tame or wild seeke after the companies and assemblies of their kinds to liue with them as Sheepe by flocks Kine Oxen Harts and Hindes feeding by herds Horses Asses Mules by companies Choughs Stares Cranes other birds by flights Fishes both in fresh and salt waters following one another in sholes Bees dwelling in hiues Pigeons in doouehouses Ants in little hollow places No maruell therefore if men singularly adorned with an immortal soule with reason speech and by these prerogatiues more communicable than other creatures as borne to honour God to loue one another to liue togither in a ciuill policie with lawes Magistrats iudgements hauing proper to themselues onely the knowledge of good euill of honestie dishonestie of iustice iniustice knowing the beginnings causes of things their proceedings antecedents consequents their similitudes cōtrarieties no maruel I say if they liue more commodiously happily togither do that by right equity which other liuing creatures do only by a natural instinct seeing also they may be assured as Cicero saith that nothing here below is more acceptable to god the gouernor of all the world than the cōgregations assemblies of mē linked togither by right equity which we cal cities Now we are to note that all those which obey the same lawes Magistrats make iointly togither but one city which as Aristotle saith is euery cōpany assembled togither for some benefit If a city be assēbled in monarch-wise it is to be defēded against strāgers to liue peaceably among thēselues according to law if Aristocratically vnder certaine chiefe lords it is to be respected according to their riches nobility vertue if in a popular cōmunity it is to enioy liberty equality the better that the city is guided by policy the greater benefit they hope for therby Therefore as the Venetians make but one city liuing vnder an Aristocraticall gouernment the Bernians an other liuing vnder a Democraty whether they liue within or without the wals or far frō the chief towne so all the natural subiects of this Monarchy acknowledging one king for their soueraigne lord obeying his commandemēts the decrees of his coūcel represent one city political cōmunion cōpounded of many villages townes prouinces Prouostships Bailiweeks Senshalships gouernments Parliaments Barronies Counties Marquesies Dukedoms Cures Bishopriks Archbishopriks being in of it self sufficiently furnished with all necessary honest things for the leading of a good vertuous life obeying the statuts lawes ordinances established therin according to which the Magistrat ought to rule to gouern his subiects shewing therby that albeit he be not subiect to the law yet he wil as it becommeth him liue gouerne himselfe vnder the law Therfore the Magistrate is very wel called by some a liuing lawe the law a mute Magistrate Moreouer the marke of a soueraign Prince of which depēdeth whatsoeuer he doth by his imperial authority is the power to prescribe lawes vnto all in general to euery one in particular not to receiue any but of God who is the Iudge of Princes saith Marcus Aurelius as Princes are the iudges of their subiects yea it is God saith the wise mā that wil proceed with rigor against thē for the contēpt of his law So that they which say generally that princes are no more subiect to laws thā to their own couenāts if they except not the laws of god of nature those iust couenants and bargaines that are made with them they are iniurious to God And as for their power to abrogate such lawes by their absolute authoritie it is no more permitted vnto them than the other seeing the power of a soueraign is only ouer the ciuill or positiue lawes But that we may haue some certaine vnderstanding of the matter heere propounded vnto vs to intreate of we must first see what the lawe is into howe many kindes it is diuided whereunto it ought to tend the profite of it and howe we must obey it The lawe is a singular reason imprinted in nature commanding those things that are to be done and forbidding the contrary We haue both the lawe of nature and the lawe written The lawe of nature is a sence and feeling which euerie one hath in himselfe and in his conscience whereby he discerneth betweene good and euill asmuch as sufficeth to take from him the cloake of ignorance in that he is reprooued euen by his owne witnesse The written lawe is double diuine and ciuill The diuine lawe is diuided into three partes that is into Manners Ceremonies and Iudgements That of Manners was called of the ancient writers the Morall lawe beeing the true and eternall rule of Iustice appointed for all men in what countrie or tyme soeuer they liue if they will direct their life according to the will of God And as for the Ceremonies and Iudgements although they haue some relation to Maners yet bicause both of them might be altered and abolished without the corruption or diminution of good manners the Ancients did not comprehend those two parts vnder the word Morall but attributed this name particularly to the first part of the lawe of which the sincere integritie of Maners dependeth which neither may nor ought in any sort to be altered or changed and whereunto the end of all other lawes is to be referred in honouring God by a pure faith and by godlines and in being ioined vnto our neighbour by true loue The Ceremonial lawe was a Pedagogie of the Iewes that is to say a doctrine of infancie giuen to that people to exercise them vnder the obedience to God vntill the manifestation of those things which were then figured in shadowes The Iudiciall law giuen vnto them for policie taught them certaine rules of iustice and equitie wherby they might liue peaceably togither without hurting one another Now as the exercise of ceremonies appertained to the doctrine of pietie which is the first part of the Morall law
general end be to set an order and policie amongst vs and not dispute of their reason and cause as long as their iurisdiction extendeth not to our soules to lay vpon them a new rule of iustice Of the People and of their obedience due to the Magistrate and to the Law Chap. 56. AMANA WE haue hitherto seene that the preseruation of policies dependeth of the obseruation of the law that the soueraigne magistrate ruleth thereby and vseth it as a bond to reduce to vnitie and agreement all the citizens of one Common-wealth being vnlike in calling and liuing vnder his dominion at which marke euery good politike gouernor ought chiefly to aime Now my companions we are to intreat of this third part of a citie which maketh the politike body perfect and absolute namely of the people and of that obedience which they ought to yeeld to the magistrate and to the law ARAM. The whole Common-wealth fareth well or ill as all hir parts euen to the least are ruled and containe themselues within the compasse of their duetie For all of them togither make but one body whereof the magistrate is the head and the lawe the soule that giueth life vnto it Wherefore it is needefull that these should commaund and the other obey ACHITOB. Whatsoeuer profiteth the whole profiteth the part and that which is commodious to the part is also commodious to the whole and so contrarywise Wherefore to obey well which is necessarily required of the people is greatly auaileable to the whole political bodie Now let vs heare ASER handle this matter vnto vs more at large ASER. In euery discipline the beginning is commonly taken from the least partes thereof Grammer taketh his beginning from letters which are the least things in it Logike from the two least partes thereof namely the Nowne and the Verbe Geometrie from the point Arithmetick from Vnitie Musick from the Minnem and Sembrief which are likewise the least parts therof Therefore hauing seene that Policie is the order and life of the citie and that the citie is a multitude of citizens before we speak of the whole bodie of them we must as I think intreat first of a citizen who although he differ according to the diuersitie of common-wealths yet to take him properly may be said to be euery one that hath right to iudge in his citie hath a deliberatiue voyce in the generall or common councell thereof This definition of a citizen cannot fitly be applied to all citizens of all Common-wealths but only to those that are ruled popularly wherin they are all equall and gouerne themselues by assemblies in which euery one hath libertie to speake his aduise Some define a citizen to be he whose parents are citizens or els to be a free subiect holding of the soueraigntie of an other wherin they adde this word Free to distinguish him from slaues and strangers But generally we may say that whosoeuer may beare offices or magistracie in what forme of gouernment so euer is reputed taken for a citizen and such are all the naturall Frenchmen in this monarchie amongst whom there is not one how base soeuer he be that may not be made noble by vertue or that may not by skill and integritie of life attaine to the greatest estates of iustice of treasurie and of other publike charges This is not seen in all common-wealths For in the Seignorie of Venice it seemeth that none are truely citizens but the lordes and nobles who onely enioy the office of magistracie and may enter into the great councell after they haue attained the age of fiue and twentie yeeres As for the people they intermeddle not with any matter of gouernment this only excepted that they may be Secretaries and Chancellors as Contarenus reporteth The citie of Rome hauing many times sundry gouernments the appellation of a citizen was likewise diuers therein For as long as the first kings rules the common people were altogither excluded from publike honors offices But after when the regall power was changed into the gouernment of a certaine number of men chosen by suffrages and common voyces the people were admitted to magistracies and to the managing of affairs being present at the publike assemblie had in Mars his field which was distributed by tribes wardes companies and centuries to deliberate of the common estate to create magistrates and to decree new lawes where he was reputed for a citizen in deed that was a free man that had both house and tribe and possibilitie to attaine to honor enioying besides many other priuiledges and prerogatiues But when the soueraigntie came into the emperors hands those assemblies continued onely vnder Iulius and Octautus and after were abrogated by Tyberius and translated to the Senate and to the absolute power of the prince taking away al authoritie frō the people in publike matters Now to returne to our former assertion we say that all they are citizens to whom the gate that leadeth to the gouernment of the citie lieth open I mean the whole company of them that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates Such are all the subiects and naturall vassals of our king of whom the people and the nobilitie are the two orders or estates and of them is the estate of the church compounded which maketh one part of the common-wealth of France This self-same distinction of citizens is obserued almost throughout all Europe But besides this general diuisiō there are some more special in many common-welths as at Venice into the Gentlemen Burgesses Common people at Florence before it was brought in subiectiō to a Prince there were the greater sort the middle sort the vulgar or common sort of people And our ancient Gaules had the Druides the Horsemen the inferior people In Egypt were the Priests the Souldiors the Artificers And although Plato labored to make all the citizens of his common-welth equal in rights prerogatiues yet he diuided them into three estates into Gardes Souldiers and Labourers Whereupon we must necessarilie inferre this conclusion that there neuer was nor can be Common-wealth wherein the citizens were equall in all rights and prerogatiues but that some had more or lesse than others and yet so that wise Politikes haue carefully prouided that the meanest should haue no cause to complaine of their estate Moreouer the conueniencie and proportionable agreement of our French estates hath been the cause why this kingdome vntill this our infortunate age hath continued prospered so long amongst other kingdoms both of auncient and late times namely when Goodes Honours and publike charges were ordinarily distributed according to the condition of euery estate and their rightes and priuiledges preserued especially when it was carefully prouided that one estate should not grow too great aboue the other I meane that the nobilitie should not keep the people too much vnder and bring them to a
remaine emptie forsaken famous and wealthie townes stand desolate by reason of the losse of their ancient ornaments I meane their priuate and publike buildings and their notable Inhabitants and Citizens And which is woorst of all no man will acknowledge a Soueraigne but euery Prouince will seeke to withdraw it selfe and to be made a Canton In the end the bodie thus dismembred and the parts thereof infected with the same poison of discord destroy themselues that the prophesie of Iesus Christ who is the truth it selfe might be fulfilled where he saith That euery kingdome diuided in it selfe shall be desolate Therefore Dauid did rather chuse a plague amongest his subiects than warre or tumults And Pythagoras sayde that three thinges were by all meanes to be remooued a disease from the bodie ignorance from the soule and sedition from the Citie Plato also affirmeth that no euill is woorse in a Citie than that which diuideth it and of one maketh it two and that nothing is better than that thing which tieth and vniteth it togither Whereupon he wished that there might be a communion not onely of all goods but also of that which nature hath appropriated to euery one as of eies eares and hands to the end that whosoeuer saw heard or did any thing he might imploy all to common profite and vse thereby to maintaine better the mutuall loue of Citizens who hauing nothing priuate would by this meanes be alwaies touched with the same ioy and griefe praising and disliking all iointly togither the same things There are two sorts of warre mentioned also by Plato who calleth the one sedition which is the woorst and the other which is more gentle is that against strangers Nestor a wise and prudent counsellour among the Grecians said in a Councell as Homer reporteth that he which loueth ciuill war is a most wretched cruell and detestable man and vnwoorthy to liue And truly if we looke to the examples of those fruits which haue alwaies proceeded of ciuill wars we shall see that they haue beene guided after a most cruel and horrible kind of hostilitie and that their issue hath beene the losse and ouerthrow of many flourishing Common-wealths Thucydides speaking of the generall dissention amongst the Grecians for diuersity of gouernments which they sought to bring in amongst themselues some desiring to be gouerned in a Democraty others is an Oligarchy rehearseth incredible euils which arose of that warre As soone saith he as any insolencie was knowne to be committed in one place others were encouraged to do woorse to enterprise some new thing and to shewe that they were more diligent than others or more insolent and hot in reuenging themselues They disguised all the euils which they committed with commendable titles calling rashnes Magnanimitie and modestie Basenes of mind head-long indignation Manlines and Hardines prudent counsell and deliberation Coloured back-sliding Whereby it came to passe that whosoeuer alwaies shewed himselfe furious was accounted a loial friend and he that gain-said was suspected If any one of the contrarie faction gaue any good and honest counsell it was not accepted but if they could withstand it by any notorious deed they had rather be reuenged so then they would not giue occasion to others to offer the like wrong to them When any agreement was made and confirmed with a solemne othe it lasted vntil one of the parties grew to be the stronger that he might breake and violate the same and by extreme wickednes ouercome the other which proceeded of couetousnes and desire of other mens goods Hereupon those factions and part-takings were kindled which procured infinite euils to the whole countrey of Graecia wherein there was no quietnesse vntill it was quite ouerthrowen by seditions and ciuill warres This is that which Demades obiected to the Athenians by way of reproche that they neuer intreated of peace but in mournyng gownes namely after they had lost many of their kinsfolkes and friends in battels and skirmishes Agesilaus king of Lacedemonia bewailed this miserie when he sawe such cruell warres betweene the Athenians and Lacedemonians people of one countrey and although he had wonne a great battell neere vnto Corinth with great losse to his enimies and small hurt to his owne men yet not reioicing but rather being very sorowfull he vttered these words with a loud voyce O poore Graecia how miserable art thou to slay with thine owne hands so many of thy valiaunt men as would haue sufficed to discomfite in one battell all the Barbarians ioyned togither Histories tell vs that the Romanes came to that great Empire more by dissentions and ciuill warres which they sowed amongst their neighbors than by force of armes For after they had kindled the fire in one nation they maintained one side a certaine time vntill in the end they ouerwhelmed both the one and the other Thus they deceiued the Carthaginians the Asians the Gaules and Graecia Onely England was not quite subdued bicause it knew their practises and turned all domesticall choler against the enemie when the danger was common Traian the emperour writing to the Senate of Rome amongst other things sent these wordes I recommend vnto you aboue all things friendship and brotherhood among your selues bicause ye know that in great Common-wealths home-warres are more hurtfull than those that are made against strangers For if kinsmen and neighbours had neuer begun to hate one another to war one vpon another Demetrius had neuer ouerthrowen Rhodes nor Alexander Tyrus nor Marcellus Syracusa nor Scipio Numantium And in deed the Romane Empire fell from hir greatnesse by the same meanes of ciuill warre which they had long time nourished among others Yea it is certaine that in no place part-takings full of all kind of crueltie were so vsuall and so long time practised or factions and seditions were more cruell than in Rome The first occasion thereof was their gouernement wherein the people alwayes set themselues against the Senate and the Nobilitie the Senate seeking to rule without measure and the people to encrease their libertie During these dissentions it came to passe that at one time foure thousand and fiue hundreth slaues and banished men inuaded the Capitoll and wanted litle of making themselues lords of Rome Appian hath written at large of their seditions and partialities and saith that through ambition and couetousnes one side daily sought to diminish the authoritie of the other He saith that Martius Coriolanus being vpon this occasion and in these dissentions driuen out of the citie contrary to right and reason went to the Volsci and warred on their side against his countrey being the first banished person that tooke armes against Rome And in deed neither in the councell nor in the citie there was no sword drawen nor man slaine in ciuil sedition vntill Tyberius Gracchus fauouring the people making lawes in their behalf was killed and many others that were