an olde man woulde often go in the colde weather very thinne in a torne cloake without a coate or doublet onely to shew the way vnto young men to be hardie in age by contemning of pleasure and gay apparell in youth Massinissa king of Numidia being more than thréescore yeares of age woulde liuely and valiauntly as Cicero sayth without cappe on heade or shooe on foote in the colde or frostye weather in the winter time trauayle and toyle with the souldiours onelye vnto thys purpose that young souldiours shoulde be hardened thereby in their youth and practise the same for the vse of others when they came to age them selues Ihero King of Sicilia the like example in his olde age being .lxxx. yeares shewed to trayne youth and to bring them vp so in young yeares that they might doe the lyke in their olde ages For this iudged these wise princes that all men couet to imitate Princes and Kinges in their doinges Gorgias the Philosopher and mayster vnto Isocrates the Oratour and to diuers more nobles of Gréece thought him selfe most happie that he being a hundred yeres and seauen was as well in his sences as at anyetime before made so much of age that being asked why hée so delighted in age made aunswere bycause he founde nothing in age that he might accuse age So sayde King Cirus a little before his death being a very olde man that hée neuer felt him selfe weaker than when he was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so olde that he was accused of his owne children of follie turned vnto the Iudges and sayde If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the sences waxed better by vse and exercising the same vnto the vse of yong men for we prayse sayth Cicero the olde man that is somewhat young and we commend againe the young man that is somewhat aged The olde is commended that hath his young fresh witte at commaundement the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M Crassus a noble Capitaine of Rome béeing a verye olde man tooke in hande to warre against the Parthians strong and stout people being by Embassadours warned of his age and admonished to forsake warres hée aunswered stoutly the Embassadour of the Partheans and sayde when I come vnto Seleutia your Citie I will aunswere you One of the Embassadours named Agesis an aged man stretched forth his hande and shewed the palme of hys hand vnto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the Citie of Seleutia bristles shall growe out of thys hande The stoutnesse of Marcus Crassus was not so much but the magnanimitie of Agesis was as much and yet eyther were olde men What courage was in Scaeuola to withstande that firebrande of Rome Silla which after he had vrged the Senatours to pronounce Marius enimie vnto Italy hée béeing an olde aged man aunswered Silla in this sort Though diuers be at the commaundementes of the Senatours and that thou art so compassed with souldiours at thy becke yet thou nor all thy souldiours shall euer make Scaeuola being an olde man for feare of loosing some olde blood pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserued and Italy saued to be enimie vnto these The like historie wée reade that when Iulius Caesar had by force of armes aspired vnto the offâ—ce of a Dictator and came vnto the Senate house where fewe Senatours were togither the Emperour Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Considius an aged father of Rome sayde that they feared Caesar and his souldiours Whereat the Emperour musing a while sayde Why did not you in likewise tarye at home fearing the same bicause sayde hée age and time taught me neyther to feare Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young mindes in olde men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olimpia waxed olde and wept in spite of his deade limmes bruised bones yet he sayde his minde florished was as young as euer it was before Solon hath immortall praise in Gréece for his stoutnesse in his age for when Pisistratus had taken in hande to rule the people of Athens and that it was euident ynough that tyranny should procéede therby Solon in his latter daies hauing great care vnto his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pysistratus came before his doore in harnâ—sse and calde the citizens to withstand Pysistratus for age sayd he mooueth mée to be so valiaunt and stout that I had rather lose my life than my countrey should lose their libertie What vertue then wée sée to be in age what wisedome in time what corage in olde men The examples of these olde men stirre and prouoke many to imitate their steps insomuch diuers wished to be olde when they were yet young to haue the honour as age then had wherefore King Alexander the great spying a young man couloring his heares gray sayde It behooueth thée to put wittes in coulour and to alter thy minde The Lacedemonians people that past all nations in honouring age made lawes in their Cities that the aged men shoulde be so honored and estéemed of the young men euen as the parents were of the children that when a straunger came vnto Lacedemonia and sawe the obedience of youth towarde age he sayde In this countrie I wishe onely to be olde for happie is that man that waxeth olde in Lacedemonia for in the great games of Olimpia an olde man wanting a place went vp and downe to sit some where but no man receyued but the Lacedemonians which not onely there young men also their aged gaue place vnto his graye heares but then also the Embassaders of Lacedemonia being there present did reuerence him and toke him vnto their seate which when he came in hée spake a loude O you Athenians you knowe what is good and what is badde for that which you people of Athens sayde hée doe professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his warres with a great army in Persea and méeting an old man by the way in the colde weather in ragged rent clothes lighted from his horse and sayde vnto him Mount vp into a princes saddle which in Persea is treason for a Persean to do but in Macedonia commendable letting to vnderstande how age is honored and olde men estéemed in Macedonia and howe of the contrarie wealth and pride is fostred in Persea for where men of experiences and aged yeares are sette naught by there cannot be that wisdome beareth rule Howe many in the Empire of Rome ruled the Citie gouerned the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore yeres and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corunnus which was sixe times a Consull in Rome a very olde man which
to be so famous in Gréece his liberality amongst nigardes hée onely counted liberall and all Athens besides couetous whereby he deserued renowne and glorie amongst so many nippers of money hée onely to shewe him selfe franke and liberall What caused Flaminius to bée so much spoken of amongst the Romanes his liberall giftes amongst so many gréedie takers his open benifites amongst theyr priuate wealth and hidden hatred What mooued the Agragentines to honour soo much that man Gillias to aduance his fame to extoll his name His liberalitie Such couetousnesse then was in Athens Rome and Agrigente that then worthie were these of admiration and prayse to auoyd the cankered state of auarice Thus from the golden worlde it came vnto the siluer worlde and then to that harde mettall Iron worlde for the couetous people can neuer be sufficed The gréedinesse of this age the restlesse estate of this time can neuer be satisfied The young Partriche by nature is readie to flee as soone as shée commeth out of the shell the wilde Duck to swim the Lion to go and man onely borne ready to séeke and trauell for money Where might a man finde out such a man as Aristides was in all Greece nowe who was so liberall that hauing all the state of Athens vnder hys gouernement gaue all to the poore Citizens saue that scant that brought him vnto the ground Where should one méete with such a one as Pelopidas in all Sparta being blamed of his friendes and councellers for hys large giftes and liberality exhorting him to make much of money considering howe necâ—ssarie money is to Princes yea sayde Pelopidas to such Princes as Nicomedes a lame man both dumbe and deafe Where shoulde a man séeke in Thebes for suche a man as Epaminondas who when he hearde that hée which caried his Target after him had taken money for the dimission of certaine prisoners taken in the warres giue me sayde hée my Target and go you to kéepe an Inne for if you loue monie you are not fit to cary Epaminondas Target Euery man is liberall in talke but fewe franke in giuing all men speake against enuie and malice and yet one hate another wée exclayme against tyranny and yet we are mercilesse wée despise pryde and yet we loue not humanitie wée abhorre gluttony and dronkennesse and yet we are alwaies feasting and bibbing wée disprayse Idlenesse and yet wée are slothfull wee thunder against slaunderous tongues and yet we can not speake well of no body in briefe we speake against all vices and yet we can not be acquainted with any vertue Euen as Diogines a Philosopher nipt a certaine Lacedemonian which vsed often to repeate in a place a Gréeke verse of Hesiodus the Poet that an Oxe or no beast else shoulde perish vnlesse euill neyghbours be the cause of it Diogines demaunded of him howe happened it that both the people of Messena and all their goodes and cattelles did miscarye and you béeyng their nigh neyghbours in Sparta So maye it be spoken to these glorious talkers how is it that men loue auarice so well and yet commende liberalitie so often ¶ Of age and the praise thereof BYon that wise man woulde say often that age was the Hauen of rest for that it was the ende of miserie the gate of life the perfourmaunce of all pilgrimages And sith age is wished of all men what folly is it to hit any man in the téeth with that which hée chéefly desireth Wherefore when King Archelaus had appoynted a great feast for his fréendes amongst other talkes then at the Table Euripides declared what great loue he bare vnto Agathon an olde tragicall Poet. Agesilaus demaundyng why shoulde an olde man bée so well estéemed of Euripides hée sayde Though the Spring time be pleasaunt yet the Haruest is fertile though flowres and hearbes grow gréene in the Spring yet waxe they ripe in Haruest The ages of man is compared vnto the foure seasons of the yere his growing time vnto the Spring his lusty time vnto the Sommer his witty time vnto the Haruest and his olde time vnto the Winter which doth make an ende of all thinges Frederike Emperour of Rome after he had appointed an olde man to rule the Cittie of Scadmenna was often mooued that hée for his age was not méete to gouerne such a Citie consyderyng the multitude and number of people that were within that Citie they thought that a young man shoulde better discharge the office But the wise Emperour perceauyng howe bent and prone were the youth of that Towne to haue a young man to rule ouer them aunswered them after this sort I had rather sayde hée commit the gouernaunce of the Citie vnto one olde man then the gouernaunce of so many young men vnto the Citie Better it is an olde man to rule the Citie than the Citie to rule the young menne meaning no otherwise then the aged men shoulde only be admitted rulers in Cities for that it belongeth vnto them experience of thinges and care of youth Suche was the homage and reuerence which was amongst the young Romanes towarde the Senators or olde men of the Citie as both heade and legge did acknowledge the same in doing duetie vnto age They hadde this confidence in age that no man might be chosen vnto the number of the Senatoures before he shoulde be thréescore yeares of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fiftie yeres shoulde eyther beare office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their countrie Amongst the Perseans no man coulde be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi vnlesse perfite age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their countrey which were named Gymnosofistae were aged and auncient for time giueth experience of gouernance Amongst the Egyptians the like credite was giuen vnto olde men that youth méeting them in the waye would go out of the way to giue place vnto age so that their Counsellours which were called prophetes were men of much time experience Euen so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the auncient French men there wise men called Druydes In fine noble Géekes did obserue the like order in choosing their Rulers and Councellers of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonians youth were by the lawe of Licurgus no lesse charged to reuerence age than theyr owne parentes The Arabians in all places without respect of person honour dignitie or fortune preferred their olde men before The people called Tartesij had this lawe to honour age that the younger might beare no witnesse against the elder The reuerence sayde Chylon that shoulde be shewed vnto age by young men ought to be suche that they then being young doing obedience vnto age might clayme the like when they waxed olde of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being
Testament that Adam our first father liued nine hundred and thirtie yeres and Eua his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelue yeres Seth his sonne called Enos nine hundred and fiue Cainan the sonne of Enos nine hundred and tenne Malalehell the sonne of Cainan right hundred fourscore and fiftéene So Enoch the son of Iared liued nine hundred théescore and fiue yeres Enoch his sonne named Mathusalem liued nine hundred thréescore and nine with diuers of the first age I meane vntill Noahs time which began the seconde world after the floode and liued as we reade nine hundred and fiue yeres His sonne Sem sixe hundred yeres and so lineally from father vnto son as from Sem vnto Arphaxad froÌ„ Arphaxad vnto Sala from Sala vnto Heber the least liued aboue thrée hundred yeres This I thought for better credite and greater proofe of olde age to drawe out of the olde testameÌ„t that other prophane autorities might be beléeued as Tithonius whom the Poetes faine that he was so oulde that he desired to become a Grashopper But bicause age hath no pleasure in the worlde frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loueth no wantonnes which sayth Plato is the only bayte that deceyue young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in tyme which young men neyther with knowledge with wit nor yet with councell can auoyde What harme hath happened from time to time by young men ouer whom lust so ruled that euersion of common wealthes treason of Princes friends betrayed countries ouerthrowne kingdomes vanquished all y e world almost through pleasure perished Therfore Cicero sayth in his booke entituled of olde age at what time he was in the citie of Tarâ—ntuÌ„ being a young man with F. Maximê° that hée bare one lesson from TarentuÌ„ vnto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine saide that nature bestowed nothing vpon man so hurtfull vnto him selfe so dangerous vnto his countrie as luste or pleasure For when C. Fabritius was sent as an Embassador from Rome vnto Pirrhê° king of Epire being then the Gouerner of the citie Tarentum a certaine man named Cineas a ThessaliaÌ„ borne being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure saying that he heard a Philosopher of Athens affirming that all which we doe is to be referred vnto pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus hearde they desired Cineas to perswade the King Pirrhus in that to yéelde vnto pleasure and make the Samnits beléeue that pleasure ought to be estéemed whereby they knew if that King Pirrhus or the Samnites being then great enimies vnto the Romanes were adicted vnto lust or pleasure that then soone they myght be subdued and destroyed For that nothing hindereth magnanimitie or resisteth vertuous enterprises so much as pleasure as in the treatise of pleasure it shall at large more appeare Why then how happie is olde age to dispise and contemne that which youth by no meanes can auoyde yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull vnto it selfe For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying vnto the Emperour that two thinges made him nothing to estéeme the power of the Emperour Age and witte Castritius wayed nothing at al the threatning of C. Carbo being then Consull at Rome which though hée sayd hée had many friendes at commaundement yet Castritius aunswered and sayde that he had likewise many yeres which his friendes might not feare Therfore a wiseman sometime wept for that man dieth within fewe yeres and hauing but little experience in his olde age he is then depriued thereof For the Crowe liueth thrise as long as the man doth The Harte liueth foure times longer than the Crow The Rauen thrise againe liueth longer than the Hart. The Phaenix nine times longer than the Rauen And therefore bicause birdes doe liue longer time than man doth in whome there is no vnderstanding of their yeres But man vnto whom reason is ioyned before he commeth vnto any grounde of experience when hée beginneth to haue knowledge in thinges hée dieth and thus endeth hée his toyling pilgrimages and trauayle in fewer yeres than diuers beastes or birdes doe ¶ Of the maners of sundrie people and of their strange life THe sundrie fashion and varitie of maners the straunge lyfe of people euerye where through the worlde dispersed are so depainted and set foorth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming eche countrey and the people therof orderly their custome their maners their kinde of liuing something to signifie howe diuers the maners of men bée Therefore I thought briefely to touch and to note euery countrey in their due order of liuing and to beginne with the Egyptians people most auncient and most expert in all sciences that Macrobius the writer calleth the countrey of Egypt the nourse and mother of all Artes for all the learned Gréekes haue had their beginning from Egypt euen as Rome had from Gréece This people obserue their dayes by accouÌ„t of houres from midnight vnto midnight They honour the Sunne and the moone for theyr Goddes for they name the Sunne Osiris and the Moone Isis Their féeding was of fishe broyled in the heate of the Sunne with hearbes and with certaine foules of the ayre They lyue a thousande yeares but it is to be vnderstanded that they number their yeares by the Moone The men beare burthens vppon theyr heades and the women vpon their breastes and shoulders The men make water sitting the women standing The Crocodill is that beast which they moste estéeme that being deade they burie him A Sowe is that beast which they most detest that if anye part of their clothes touche a Sowe they straight will pull of their clothes and washe them ouer They are blacke people most commonly slender and very hastie Curtius call them sedicious vaine very subtill in inuention of thinges and much giuen to wine The Aethiopians people that liue without lawes and reason seruauntes and slaues vnto al men selling their children vnto merchauntes for corne their héere long with knottes and curled The Indians people of two muche libertie as Herodot sayth accompanying their women in open sight neyther sowe they nor builde neyther kill they any liuing beast but féede of barly breade and hearbes They hange at their eares small pearles and they decke their armes wrestes and neckes with golde Kinges of India are much honoured when they come abroade their wayes set and deckt with fresh flowers swéete odours and men in armes folowing their Chariots made of Margarits stones and men méeting with frankinsence And when their king goeth to bed their harlottes bring them with songues and mirth making their prayers vnto their Goddes of darckenesse for the good rising of their King Againe the children kill theyr parentes when they waxe olde Their maydes and young damoselles of India are brought abroade amongst the young men to choose them their husbandes When any man dieth his wife wil dresse hir selfe most brauest for
made silence to speake the enemies being attentife to heare he retched for the his right hande for a watche woorde to his Souldiours sodainly to binde with their coardes their enemies and to bryng theim captiues to Macedonia The like craft vsed Alcibiades emongest the Agrigentines fainyng that he hadde to speake for the common profite as well of Athens as of AgrigentuÌ„ callyng theÌ„ in place as though he would open some thyng necessarie vnto them had the Grekes ready in the meane time to take the citie and to possesse their substaunce by this crafte Suche crafte vsed Thrasillus to take the Citie Byzantium suche deceipte vsed Zopirus to ouercome Babilon Suche did Tarquinius the soonne of Sextus Tarquinius practise against the Gabians who when he perceiued that his father might by no meanes subdue them he imitated Zopirus craft makyng the enemies to beleue that he was ill handeled and cruelly vsed of his father and that he knewe well how to deceiue his father and to betraie hym vnto them thei beyng readie to beleue Tarquinius made hym chief of their companie he straight sente to his father messengers to signifie vnto hym that he might doe his pleasure with his enemies The olde Tarquinius vnderstandyng the crafte and subtiltie of his soonne brought the messenger vnto a faire garden mistrustyng like a wise prince the matter gaue this subtile warning vnto his sonnes embassador Walkyng vp and doune the Garden with diuers noble menne he with his staffe beate the chief flowers of the Garden saiyng vnto the messenger fare well tell my soonne what I dooe and bid hym doe accordyngly whiche yong Tarquinius perceiuyng his fathers minde slue the best of the enemies oppressed the chief men and betraied the Citie vnto his father By this meanes the crafte that Conon the Athenian deceiued the Persians in Ciprus The subtiltie that Pysistratus vsed to begile the people of Megaera Haniball in Italy are of like effecte that subdued Tarentum in so muche that Hanibal was woÌ„t to saie wheÌ„ the Romains had again wonne TarentuÌ„ Eadem arte qua prius â—aepimus Tarentum amifimus For by crafte Hanibal vanquished the Tarentines and by crafte did the Romains win the same againe Antigonus deceiued the Citizeins of Corinth vnder the coulour of mariage betwixt his soonne Demetrius and Alexanders wife who then was a widowe and a Queene in Corinth that in the middest of triumphes and preparations to the mariage Antigonus by deceipte tooke the Castle commaunded his soldiours in armes and proclaimed hym self kyng in Corinth In the same booke of Poliaenus the like historie is writteÌ„ of Lysander of Sparta and Nearchus of Crete the one promisyng to the inhabitauntes of Miletum his aide and helpe in defending their liberties the people giuyng credite vnto a kynges promise trusted to haue Lisander their speciall frende thei founde hym their mortall foe for he deceiued theim thereby and tooke the citie of Miletum vnto hym self The other sailyng vnto the Hauen of Telmessus to renue frendship with Antipatridas who then gouerned the citie of Telmessus vnder the colour of frendshippe he had his men of armes ready on the Sea to destroye his frende to take the citie vnto him self This deceipt was not onely seen in warres where muche falshoode and periurie are practized but in all thynges men vse crafte accordyng to the prouerbe There is crafte in daubyng To speake of Theodectes crafte towarde his maister Aristotle to spoile hym priuily of his glory To speake of Sertorius deceipte in winnyng aucthoritie emong the common people To describe the means that Dionisius vsed to gette money emongest the Siracusans or howe Pythius deceiued Cannius in his bargaine of Fishe Or how Darius became king of Persia by nisyng of a Mare and a million more suche deceiptes and craftes I will that the reader reade Poliaenus when he shall haue enough of falshode because crafte is vsed diuersly I wil somewhat touche those that vsed crafte in altering theÌ„ selues in forme and shape of women some for filthie luste some for vertue sake some for vice What kinde of dissimulation was in Sardanapalus Kyng of Siâ—ia to forsake the Empire to forgo his kyngdome to become from a Prince like a woman to spinne and carde with his concubines and so from the shape of a man to dessemble hym to be a woman What kinde of dissimulation did that renowmed euen the ofspryng of Goddes and soonne vnto Iupiter that mightie Hercules after that he tamed monsters slue Giantes ouercame Dragons Lions wilde beastes and yet to translate hym from a champion and a conquerour in a womans apparell formed hym self a woman with suche cautell and craftie dissimulations that he serued Omphale Quene of Lidia like a woman in the apparell of a woman at the whele at the cardes at Omphales coÌ„maundement What kinde of crafte vsed Clodius to bryng his purpose to passe with Pompeia Caesars wife likewise dissemblyng hym self to bee a woman as Cicero tanteth him in an epistle that he writeth vnto Lentulus where he saieth that Clodius dissembled with the Nimph Bona dea as he was wonte to vse the three sisters Thus Clodius would at all tymes goe vnto Pompeia in the apparel of a woman to vse suche feates that made Caesar to deuorse his wife Pompeia Dissimulations cautelles craftes as thei are most euill to practise wicked thynges so are thei of the contrary moste necessary to doe good as Euclides whiche vsed the like crafte as before but to the better purpose where thei practised this feate to feede luste to pleasure affection he vsed it to see Socrates reade Philosophie and to learne wisedome for there was a Lawe betwene Athens and the Megaris for the greate hatered that the one bare vnto the other that who so euer came from Athens vnto Megaris should die And who so euer would goe from Megaris vnto Athens should likewise die This death feared not Euclides so much from his purpose but loue that he bare vnto Socrates vnto Philosophie and vnto wisedome was asmuche that he would in the night trauaile from Megaris vnto Athens In the apparel of a woman lest he should bee knowen and retourne before daie from Athens vnto Megaris again This dissimulation and crafte of Euclides was farre better and more to bee commended then the doynges of the fore renowmed Princes Better is Semiramis Quéene of Babilon thought of that she perceiuing her yong sonne Ninus to bee too tender to gouerne the stoute Babilonians and Assirians knowyng the nature of the people to bée impaciente of a womans gouernemente she became in apparell like a man and rule the kyngdome vntill her sonne came vnto ripe age More praise ought Pelagia haue a woman of Antioch though she fained hym self to bee a man and dissembled with the worlde in that case yet this was to auoide pleasure and luste and to liue chastly and solitarie without the companie of men For this
that he neuer went a liue vnto Rome againe for moste cruelly and falsely was he slaine by Haniball In this falshed and periurie was Haniball muche defamed not as muche corrupted by vilenesse of his owne nature which alwaies in this was not to bee trusted but by the falshode and corruption of the Countrey of whiche it is prouerbially spoken Poeni perfidi false Carthaginians for the people of Carthage delited in falshode â–ª practized periurie and vsed all kind of craftes as the people of Sarmatha were moste false in wordes moste deceiptfull in deedes and moste cruell one towardes an other The Scithians beyng muche molested with warres and driuen to leaue their wiues at home in the custodie of the slaues seruauntes thei hauyng occasion to bee absent iiij yeres whose wiues married the seruauntes brake their former Faithe with their owne housbandes vntill with force and power their seruauntes were slain and so recouered their countreis wiues again Apollonius the chief gouernour of Samâ—os whom the commons of the Countrey from lowe estate had exalted vnto dignitie vnto whom thei committed the gouernment and state of Samios was so false of his faithe towardes his subiectes that hauyng their goodes landes liuynges and liues in his owne hand he betraied theim vnto Philip king of Macedonia their moste mortall enemie That proude periurer Cocalus king of Sicilia slue kyng Minoes of Crete though vnder colour of frendshippe and pretence of talke he had sente for hym Cleomenes brake promise with the Argiues with whom he tooke truce for certaine daies craftely betraied them in the night slue them being sleping and emprisoned against his former faith and promise made before Euen so did the false Thracians with the Boetians brake promise violated faithe destroied their countries depopulated their cities and of professed frendes and vowed faithe became wicked foes and false traitors But of all false periurers and vnnaturall foes shal Zopirus emongest the Persians and Lasthenes emongest the Olinthians to their perpetuall slaunder and reproche bee mentioned of the one borne in the famous citie of Babilon deformed hym self in suche sort with suche dissimulation of forged faithe that hauyng the rule and gouernment in his hande he brought kyng Darius to enioye that through his periurie and falshode that with long warres in many yeres he might not vaÌ„quishe nor subdue The other as falsly I beyng y e onely trust of the citizeÌ„s deliuered Olinthus their citie vnto the handes of their long and greate enemie Philippe kyng of Macedonia What fraude hath been founde alwaies in frendship What falshode in faithe What deceipte in truste the murtheryng of Princes the betraiyng of kyngdomes the oppressyng of innocentes from tyme to tyme in al places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appoincted Spu Tarpeius to be chief capitaine of the Capitoll the chamber of Rome where the substaunce wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius doughter whiche in the night tyme as she wente for water out of the citie metyng Tatius kyng of y e Sabins though he was then mortall enemie vnto Rome in coÌ„tinual warres with Romulus yet by false Tarpeia brought to be lord of the Capitoll thus Tarpeia beyng as false vnto Rome as king Tatius was likewise false vnto Tarpeia for she loking to haue promise kept of Tatius fouÌ„d him as Rome founde her She was buried a liue of Tatius by the Capitoll whiche was called Saturnus mouÌ„t and by her death buriall there named Tarpeius rocke vntill Torquinus Superbus tyme whiche first named it the Capitoll by findyng a mans heade in that place There was neuer in Rome suche falshode shewed by any man as was of Sergius Galba whiche caused there famous cities of Lusitania to appere before him promising them great coÌ„modities and diuers pleasures concernyng the states and gouernment of their citie yeldyng his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faithe allured to y e noÌ„ber of ix M. yong menne piked and elected for some enterprises for the profite of their countrey whiche when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of al flowers of their youthes against all promise and faithe slue the moste parte of theim sould and enprisoned the rest whereby he most easely might conquire their Cities men are neuer certen nor trustie in doing when thei are fautie in faithâ— For as the Sunne lighteneth the Moone so faithe maketh man in all thinges perfect for prudence without faith is vaine glorie and pride Temperaunce without faithe and trueth is shamefastnes or sadnes Iustice without faith is turned vnto iniurie and fortitude vnto slouthfulnes The orders in diuers countreis for the obseruation of frendship and for maintenaunce of certen and sure loue one towarde an other were diuers othes The noble Romains at what tyme thei sweare had this order he or she to take a flint ston in his right hand saiyng these wordes If I be gilty or offende any man betraie my countrey or deceiue my frende willingly I wishe to be cast awaie out of Rome by great Iupiter as I cast this stoan out of my hand and withall threwe the stoan awaie The auncient Scithians to obserue amitie and loue had this law They powred a greate quantity of wine in a greate Boule or a Cup and with their kniues launced some parte of their bodies letting their bloud to runne likewise one after an other vnto that cup and then minglyng the wine and blood together tipt the ende of their Speares â–ª and ther Arrowes in the wine takyng the boule in hand drank one vnto another professing by that draught faith and loue The Arabians when they would become faithful to anie to maintaine loue thereby had this custome one should stande with a sharpe stoan in his hande betwixt two and let blood in the palme of their handes and takyng of either of theim a péece of their garment to receiue their blood anointyng and diyng seauen stones in the blood callyng Vrania and Dyonisius their Gods to witnesse and kéepyng the stoanes in memory of frendship would depart one from an other The like lawe amongest the Barctians goyng vnto a diche and standyng thereby saiyng as Herodotus affirmeth as long as that holowe place or diche were not of it selfe filde vp so long desired the Barcians amitie and loue In readyng of histories we finde more certentie to haue been in theim by prophane othes then trueth often in vs by Euangelist and Gospell othes lesse periurie in those Gentiles swearyng by Iupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearyng by the true and liuynge God more amitie and frendship amongest them with drinkyng either of others blood then in vs by acknowledgyng and professyng Chistes blood When Marcus Antonius had the gouernemeÌ„t of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and hauyng put to death Lucullus for his consente therein Volumnius hearyng of his frende Lucullus death came
their answeares vnto diuers questions vnto them propounded Bias dwellyng in the Citie of Prienna after the citie by Nutinenses was destroied Bias escaped and went to Athens whose Poesie was Maximus improborum numerus he willed all yong men in their youth to trauaill for knowledge and commaundeth oulde men to embrase wisedome This Bias beeyng demaunded what was the difficulst thing in the worlde he saide to suffer stoutly the mutabilitie of fortune beyng demaunded what was the infamoust death that might happen vnto man to bee condempned saide he by lawe beyng asked what was the sweetest thyng vnto manne hope saide he what beast was most hurtfull amongest wild beastes a Tyraunt saide Bias and amongeste tame beastes a flatterer and beyng demaunded what thyng it was that feared nothyng in all the world good conscience saide he And againe in the second Olimpiad the Philosophers demaunded other Questions as who was most infortunate in the world the impacient man saide Bias What is moste harde to iudge debates betwéene frendes what is most harde to measure he answered tyme that hauyng fully answered to diuers other questions Bias was allowed one of the seauen wise men of Gréece Chilo the second of the Sages beyng borne in Myâ—tilena beyng asked what was the best thyng in all the world answered euery man to coÌ„sider his owne state And againe beyng demaunded what beast is most dangerous he saide of wilde beastes a Tyraunt of tame beastes a flatterer beyng asked what is most acceptable vnto manne he saide tyme and beyng asked of the Gréeke Myrsilas what was the greatest wonder that he sawe he saide an olde man to be a Tyraunte these with diuers other questions was he asked of the Greeke his Poesie was Nâ— quid nimis The thirde was Chilo the Lacedemonian beyng demaunded what was a difficult thing to man to dooe he answered either to keepe silence or so suffer iniuries what was most difficulst being asked of hym he saide for a man to knowe hym self and therfore he vsed this Poesie Nosce teipsum This Chilo beyng of Aesopus demaunded what did Iupiter in Heauen he saide he doth throwe doune loftie and proude thinges and hee doeth exalte humble and méeke thinges Solon the Athenian had this shorte Sentence in his mouthe Nosce teipsum knowe thy selfe for in knowyng and consideryng what we are how vile we are wee shall haue lesse occasion ministred vnto vs to thinke well of our selues for there is nothyng good nor bewtifull in man as Solon beyng asked of kyng Cressus sittyng on his Stoole of state with princely Robes bedect with Pearles and Precious stones whether euer he sawe a more bewtifull sight then Kynge Cirus sittyng in his maiestie at that tyme to whom Solon answered and saide that he sawe diuers birddes more gaie to beholde then Cirus and beyng demaunded of Cirus what birds were they Solon saide the little Cocke the Peacocke and the Feasaunt whiche are dect with naturall garmentes and bewtified with naturall colours This Solon was wonte to saie I waxe dailie olde learnyng muche hee noted nothyng so happie in manne as to liue well that the same might die well appliyng the cause vnto the affect as to liue well then to die well If I shoulde molest the reader with the sage saiynges of Cleobulus Thales Periander and others tending onely for the amendmente of life and readines of death I should seme tedious here were a place to induce diuers and sundrie examples of death HAd Greke Calisthenes silence kept had Neuius spared speache Had Theocritus busie braine offended not his leache Calesthenes had not loste his life nor Theocritus died Ne in Maetellus wrathe so long had Neuius poet abide The soundst reward the surest gifte should Memmius haue in th ende Had he to Caesar nothyng saied that Caesar might offende But as I feare Chirilus stripes and dreade Aristos draught So with Antilochus to write I am to some Lisander taught Some carpyng Crete some peuishe Pan and some of Colax kinde Some of Gnatho schoole will scanne some flaâ—trie here to finde I will not haulte with Clisophus I loue not Curiâ— stile I hate Philoxenus forged faithe Aristippus phraise to file But with Sinaetes persean poore with Cirus water craue Her princely pardone on my knee with Cirill Poete haue Who to auoide Charibdis gulfe I fall in Scillas bande To seeke to shunne Semphlagades I sinke in Sirtes sande With wearied winges of Icarus with Phaoetons charge in hande Moste like Actaeon bounde before her noble grace I stande No Momus maie Minerua saile no Phaaeton Phebus charge No wilfull winges of Icarus maie Dedalus flight discharge Therefore yea Goddes that guide the globes the glisteryng glaryng skie The whirlyng spheares the firmamente and poales of heauens hie You starrie states and imps of Ioue your graces thre attende Approche in place Pierides my vaine in verse to bende Eche pilgrime Prince in prose is paste eche Quene must now in vearse Haue honour due and fame deserude the heauens hie to pearce Whose praise shall pearce the clusteryng cloudes and skale the empire skie Whose thunderyng clanges of bruted fame on yearth shall neuer die Eche passyng pearles Prince in place from stooles of states redounde Whom birdes abrode on brakes doe bragge their praise in skies to sounde WhoÌ„ whirlyng windes and whispering woods whoÌ„ brauling brokâ— aduauÌ„ce Whose ecchos shrill of fliyng fame through surging seas doe launce Who ruled people proude and fierce and nations stoute subdued That widdowes were and virginâ— Quenes with wisedome greate endued Who readeth not Zinobias fame who doeth not Mesa knowe Who heareth not of Sabas name that any where doeth goe What worthie actes what famous feactes what vertues rare were sene When noble Kyng Mausolus died in Artemesia Queen The noble Quene Semiramis Kyng Ninus famous wife Did rule Assiria saffe and sounde when Ninus loste his life When Constant Emperour died â–ª his wife no lesse ther loue did lâ—ue Then pearle Penelope had in Grece or Romaine Lucrece haue Emongest the Illireans to Teuca then suche worthie name did chaunce â–ª As in Arcadia Atlanta did her noble fame aduaunce Quene Dido ruled Carthage coste Helerna Tibur braue As sometyme did Cloelia the Romaine scepter saue Why seeke I thus to shunne the snares and shifte with verses ofte Sithe praise of force must presse the place where wisedome rules a lofte A Prince of porte in silence kepte that doeth expecte the ende Whose rule and roiall race by course nedes not in bookes be pende In whom the Muses builde their bowres the graces make their forte With whom Sibilles sages sitte and sacred Nimphes resorte Who Iudith like with threatnyng swearde Holofernus mates to spoile A seconde Susan sure she is all Iudges false to foile An other faithfull Sara sadde with Aesters mace in hande In prinsely place Rebecca like to rule her natiue lande She in triumphant seate doeth sitte with Laurell leaues bee decte With Oliue braunches braue on heade that doo his fame detect This
notorious and spoken of for that either of them hadde but one eye These renowmed Princes and singuler souldiers excelled all men in wisedome and prowisse as prooued is in Plutrarch by their liues Phillip for temperaunce of lyfe Antigonus for fayth and constancie vnto his friende Hanniball for truth and pacience for his countrie Sertorius for his clemencie and gentlenesse towardes his enimies which for theyr passing courage inuinsible stoutnesse and worthy enterprises happened to be depriued of their eyes as Philip lost his eye at the siege of the Citie of Methon Antigonus at Perinthia Hanibal in Hetruria Sertorius in Pontus Whē the people of Thasius had erected alters appointed sacrifices for to honour Agesilaus in their Temples for his fame of fortitude they send Embassadors to certifie the king therof which say y t as Apollo was in Delphos honored as a god so Agesilaus was in Thasius but the King as he was valiaunt so he was wise much detesting assentations and flatterie of people demaunded of the Embassadours and required them if that their countrey coulde make gods to make some firste of their owne countrey saying Agesilaus had rather be king in Sparta then to be a god in Thasius O renowned Sparta O famous Greece While hidden hatred was exempted while ciuill warres were not knowen while Athence sought no supremacie ouer Sparta while Sparta sought no maisterie ouer Thebes then all the power of Persea the force of Macedonia might not staine one lyttle towne in Greece but the insolencie of princes the desire of fame the felicitie of renowme the honour of glorie was such as Alexander the great aunswered King Darius Embassadours who comming from Persea vnto Macedonia to entreate of peace tendering vnto Alexander the daughter of Darius in maryage with all the countrey of Mesopotamia and twelue thousande talentes yerely beside with such princely promising of the kingdome of Persea after Darius dayes as there wanted no princely liberalitie in Darius offeryng nor princely stoutnes in Alexanders answere saying vnto y e Embassadors Tell your master Darius king of Persea that as two Sunnes may not be in y e firmament so two Alexanders maye not rule the earth Such valiant mindes coulde be subiect in no wise neither Darius vnto Alexander nor Alexander vnto Darius Such stoutnesse raigned in Princes to mainteyne states that as Archestratus the Athenian was woont to say that in the Citie of Athence two Alcibiades myghte not rule so Ethocles the Lacedemonian dyd lykewise speake that two Lisanders might not agrée in Sparta So contrarye and diuers were Princes so high and loftie of courage so valiaunt of heart so noble of minde that though fortune coulde not so often fawne and fauour the states of Princes but that she which is most vncertaine coulde vndoe in a day that which was gotten in a yere yet in no wise could fortune take valiaunt mindes from men nor spoyle magnanimitie of Princes nor diminishe courage of olde men as that worthy and most auncient souldier Mithridates King of Pontus after he had plagued the Romanes with fortie yeres long warres during the which time he shewed him selfe no lesse hardie and stoute in resistyng the strong force of Romanes and valiaunt and couragious in attemptyng the fortitude of Romanes And though by fortune forsaken in his latter dayes and spoyled of all health fréendes children countreys kingdomes and all worldly wealth yet to spite fortune his mortall foe went to Celta thinking with them to passe ouer vnto Italy to let the Romanes vnderstande that though fréendes countreys by fortune were spoyled yet neither fortune with her spite nor all y e Romanes with their force could subdue King Mithridates valiaunt heart In this ioyed Princes only then not to be conquered In this onely triumphed they because they might not bée vanquished In this gloried they most in that they were frée from subiectiō Cercylidas being one of the wise men named Ephori in Sparta hearyng the thundring threatnings of King Pirrhus Embassadours the slaughter and murther tha◠King Pirrhus entended vpon men women children the cruell destruction and last confusions of the Lacedemonians aunswered no lesse stoutly then wisely the Embassadours of the King saying If Pirrhus your Maister be a god we haue not offended him therefore we doubt him not but if Pirrhus be but a man tel your Maister that the Lacedemonians be mē likewise therfore we nothing feare him at all This valiaunt Pirrhus thought so wel of him selfe felt him so ready iudged al men inferiour in enterprices vnto him that being at the victorie of that noble Cittie Tarentum where he sawe such feates attempted such actes done such stoutnesse shewed by the Romanes that he being dismayde at the manhoode and boldenesse of Romanes thought if magnanimitie were lost the moulde thereof shoulde be founde in a Romanes heart insomuch that long looking vewing of Romanes he cryed out and sayd O howe soone woulde Pirrhus conquere all the worlde if eyther he were King in Rome or Romane souldiours subiect vnto Pirrhus Of these Romanes was Haniball wont to saye to King Antiochus of Siria being enforced to forsake Carthage that Rome might not suffer equalitie either Prince ouer all or subiect vnto all Rome was compared vnto Hidra of Lerna that hauing so many heades when one was cut off an other sprang vp insomuch that all the world might not destroye Rome being iniured or ouercommed of the enimies as fortune often permitted they were not to be entreated before the like fortune happened vnto them as happened against them as Licinius Emperour hauing lost diuers of his souldiours vnto Perseus king of Macedonia which aftewarde was subdued by that valiaunt Romane Pompeius the great this Perseus hauing taken diuers of Licinius souldiours did sende certaine Orators to speake for peace which eloquently perswaded with Licinius to consent thereto after long talke learned councell pithy perswasions by the Orators it was aunswered as briefely plainelie and simplye by Licinius that the best waye for king Perseus to craue peace at the Romanes was first to restore the prisoners of King Perseus which were Romaines home againe and then to sende his Ambassadors to the Emperour Licinius otherwise the whole countrie of Macedonia shoulde féele the force and magnanimitie of the Romanes To speake of the conquest and victories of Iulius Caesar of the audacitie of Metellus of the fortune of Silla of the sharpe dealing of Marcellus being thereby the spurre of Rome called of Fabius likewise named the Tergat of Rome of diuers more valiaunt Romanes it were infinite the reading thereof but I meane not to molest the reader and yet one little historie to proue the renowmed Romanes most worthie of this valiaunt vertue magnanimitie writtē in Claudian of one Camillus a noble Romane who hauing a long time layde siege at Philiscus and coulde not preuayle The Shoolemayster of the Cittie hauing his Scholers vnder pretence of walking
inuented in Créete for the souldiours to exercise them selues in armes wherein hée taught diuers iestures and sundry shiftes in moouings whence first procéeded much the vse of warres this was a kinde of dauncyng in armes as Dionisâ— Hali. in his seuenth booke saith which was of the people called Curetes mainteyned in the memory of Pirrhus Licaon likewise inuented other kinde of playes where naked men contrarye vnto Pirrhus games did vse feates Diuers others were had in great estimation in Gréece made and inuented by seuerall men but the first inuentour of mirth was as Diodorus saith Mercurius which onely was inuented to recreate the people and to practize agilitie and feates of bodyes Others there were of lesse name but of as great mirth as diuers kindes of playing at the Ball which is an auncient game as it seemeth in Vergil it was much vsed sometime amongst the Troyans for when Aeneas incontinent after the destruction of the Cittie of Troye came vnto Italy where hée first taught skipping and frisking at the Ball before hée maryed Lauinia King Latinus daughter the youth of Troy had playing at the Ball for their chéefe mirth and recreation and at this day much vsed in diuers countreys Againe for further recreation they vsed sundrye kindes of Dice playes Herodotus doth witnesse that the olde and auncient Lidians did first finde out the Dice and Ball though Plini doth report that one named Pythus first founde the play at the Ball but for the certainetie thereof sith so many kinde of Balles bée and the playing likewise so variable both Plini and Herodotus may well agrée for the people of Lydia at a certaine time being oppressed with great dearth and sore plagued with hunger they inuented then diuers kindes of diceplay as Herodotus sayde to passe the time in playing and to forget hunger for they fed one day they came togither the second daye to playe thus eating a little one daye to satisfie nature they played the seconde daye to auoyde hunger Againe there was amongst the ancient Gréekes a play muche like vnto our Cheasse play which one Zerxes a wiseman first inuented to warne a tyrannous Prince which he then serued to auoyde his tyranny to let him vnderstande by his playe that a Prince ought to watch and to vse his subiectes as his force and strength euen as the playe is in moouing the Pawnes the Knightes the Bishops for the defence and bulwarkes of the king that as the player I meane Zerxes did shew his maister the King the effect of the play howe the king was preserued by playing wisely of the men lest they bée lost so the tiraunt him selfe vnderstoode by the play of Zerxes how daungerous that Prince is that vseth not well his subiects that will not discréetly sée and watche for their commodities whiche is the Princes safetie Another play was vsed then in Gréece either vpon the Dice or els closelye in hande called euen and odde This playe came from Gréece vnto Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar the seconde Emperour of Rome as Suetonius doth write in the life of Augustus where the Emperour Augustus wrote a letter vnto his daughter in Rome after this sort Daughter I sende thée two hundred fiftye pence which I geue amongst thy ghestes to play after Supper the Gréeke play called euen and not euen whether they will at Dice or cloase in hande Lottes likewise were much vsed for recreation and mirth with diuers other sundry games and playes to recreate the minde of man which both the Gréekes and Gentiles did practize then aswell to trye their wittes as also to vse pastime and mirth to drawe company togither to be mery I leaue the Gréekes a while and wyll something speake of the Romane pastimes and sportes which in nothing were inferiour to the Gréekes but rather excelled Gréece all the worlde in all qualities And lest I shoulde séeme tedious I will speake of no more but of foure principall games correspondent vnto the Gréekes and coequall vnto their number The first called Lupercalia brought out of Arcadia by Euander sacrificed vnto Pan vpon mount Palentine And as Siluanus doth write the sacrifices were made in the Moneth of February after this sort by Euander the first inuentor thereof The youngmen of Rome shoulde gather together euery one bearing in his hande a scurge or a whip made of Goates skinnes running one vnto another and hée that was most swift of foote escaped stripes for euery one should runne vnto another in order euery one his length before the other and thus they made them swifter in running by reason of his stripes for hée that was ouertaken by the way was sure to spéede Euery man ranne naked to this ende that they might vse to be swift The women likewise thinkyng thereby to become more fruitfull and fertill offered them selues wyllyngly to receaue stripes These scurges and whippes that they had in their handes made such ratling noyse by reason they were made of drie skinnes that it made him that ran before to straine him selfe hearing the noyse and fearing the stripes The seconde game that the Romanes vsed was called Circenses as some say sprong vp first amongst the Romanes them selues a place appointed by Rome enuironed about with huge strong walles Here all kindes of pastime and sportes were vsed running with Horses and fighting on Horsebacke in the one ende in the middest the champions were placed in armes a foote to fight in the other ende wrastlers leapers runners and such like games were appointed so that the place was framed accordingly long and large that they might haue roome enough in both endes and in the middest This was the chiefe and the auncientest play amongst the Romanes sauyng Saturnalia this sport did Ianus which then did raigne togither with Saturnus as Macrobius saith inuent and frame in memory and monumentes of Saturnus his fellowe This play was celebrated in the moneth of december with such mirth pleasure and pastime that it far surmounted all other In this moneth of December euery man saluted his friende with rewardes tokens presentes or with anye treasure that they had to pleasure one another And because all things were common in Saturnus time and called the golden worlde there was such mirth vsed as woulde make some men of this time iâ—lous to sée it I beléeue none of this age would bée content to sée his seruaunt in bedde with his wife which in Saturnus time was tollerable Some say this play sprong first among the Pelagians some againe affirme that it began amongst the Athenians but how and where it began first in other countreys it is no matter but in Rome it was first framed and inuented by Ianus The fourth play amongst the Romanes was then called Gladiatoria where the youth of Rome came to learne how to behaue them selues among the enemies In this play shoulde they fight one with another
which his predicessor had hidde made his prayer vnto God that he might neuer die before he hadde spent all that money which he founde The Couetous gathereth not for him selfe but for an other which he knoweth not A Couetous man musing and studying alwaies how he might liue being constrayned to mooue from one bedde vnto another for payne and toyle hée tooke in mind his wife demaunding the cause of his restlesse state to whome he sayd Wife I studie how I maye ende this yeare and I sée that I haue sufficient for all the yeare sauing for one daye and for that daye onely I vexe and molest my selfe to know how I may discharge that day his wife comforted him with all meanes shée coulde but he coulde not be at reste At length he founde this sleight calling his wife vp vnto him priuily sayde what I haue determined to doe thou shalt vnderstande wife that daye which I haue tolde you of I will take vpon mée to die that thereby with wéeping and sadnesse without meate and drinke we will escape the charges thereof which being done of his wife and layde vnder the Table the seruauntes and the familie comming fro the fielde astonied at the sodaine chaunce saying their Pater noster after long sadnesse at length called for meate the wife wéeping aunswered them that they shoulde mourne that daye for their mayster but hungrie seruauntes gréedie of vittayles woulde néedes haue meate the man heauing his heade vp and putting by the Carpet to sée whether they were at meate one of the seruauntes espied him and supposing him to be the Deuill that was with his Maysters corpes hée tooke a great staffe and brainde his Mayster in stéede of the Diuell the good wife cryed and sayde that he had killed hir husbande he denied and saide it was the diuell The matter being brought before the Iudge who vnderstanding the life of that couetous man was perswaded that the Diuell watcht with the bodie and that the good wife was deceyued ANother being sicke of the palsey and like to die was admonished of his kinsmen and fréendes to receyue the sacrament and to thinke of his soule the sicke man being so weake coulde not speake nor make no signes vnto his freendes for all that they could do At length one of the house which well knew his nature sayde that if any life were in him hée woulde make him either speake or geue signes tooke the Keye from his beddes head and went about to open his Coffer which stoode at his beddes foote full of money the couetous sicke man with head féete and with all his body made tokens and signes that his soule was there and that if his money shoulde be taken away hée shoulde presently dye THe like examples of another couetous man whiche when the priest according vnto the custome in those dayes woulde annoint him being sicke and like to dye he perceyuing scant that hee was touched for his imbecilitie and weaknesse his minde more occupied on his purse then on his sicknesse was woont to say féeling the Priestes hande Who toucheth my purse ANother great Prince was so couetous that being besieged in a certen Citie called Baldac of a strong King hauing money sufficient wealth substaunce abundant within the Cittie for very desire hée had to kéepe the money he lost the Citie and being taken captiue was demaunded of the King why he suffred his citie to be subdued his souldiours slaine and himselfe to be taken hauing so much wealth within the Citie as might defende the Cittie saue the men and kéepe himselfe from Captiuitie he being not able to aunswere the cause helde his peace The King perceyuing hys couetous minde to be the cause of all destruction sayde Come tell me where thy money is and being brought to a huge tower where he caried his money to saue shewed the King where the money was The King tooke the keye and lockt him fast with his money in the hie Tower saying I will neuer do thée that iniurie to take thée away from that which thou louest better than thy life commaunding no man vppon paine of death to beare him eyther meate or drinke and so most wretchedly suffred him to die for hunger hauing golde and siluer ynough lying by him Examples of hearing VAlerius reciteth a History of a certen young man of Athens named Polemus giuen much to â—anqueting and drinking being allured vnto all pleasures hauing his felicitie in eating and drinking and fine clothing comming vnto the schoole of Anaxagoras being so well charged with Wine and so braue in apparell that the schollers of Anaxagoras stomaked him for his dronkennesse to come there but Anaxagoras perceyuing the case of Polemus left to speake of that which he then hadde in hande and turned his talke to speake of that temperancie and sobrietie which when Polemus hearde so learnedly and skilfullye hée threwe downe his Garlande from his heade hée chaunged hys countenaunce wayled his former life and from that time forewarde Polemus liued honestly VLisses willing to auoyde the swéete songs of flattering Cirses fearing lest the like shoulde happen vnto him as it did vnto diuers others stopt his eares and his seruauntes with waxe and so auoyded the danger thereof So to heare good and holsome things with Polemus it is fruitefull and to heare flatterie lette all men stoppe their eares with Vlisses ¶ Examples of discorde IN a certen I le there dwelt some Hermettes which for discorde and inwarde contention the Mise of the I le consumed their victualles that they were enforced to make agréement of them selues in so much Apollonius willing to trauell in making some friendes that were foes one of the parties sayde that hée had rather die than to be made friendes Well sayde Apollonius and die thou shalt and thy graue shall be the bellies of wilde beastes and flying foules and euen that night hée died sodainely and was deuoured of beastes as Apollonius sayde for his Tigrishe and cruell minde ¶ Examples of friendshippe THere were two friendes the one an Egyptian the other a Citizen of Baldac this Egyptian making much of his friende and so well loued him that nothing which he hadde wanted him By fortune this Egiptian waxed poore and so néedie that he was enforced to come vnto the Cittie Baldac to knowe what his friende woulde doe for him and being ashamed of his poore estate watching a conuenient time to present him vnto his friende went all night vnto a Barne to sléepe that night a murther was committed and a man slaine caried by chaunce into the Barne where being founde in the morning this poore Egyptian was accused before the Iudges that hée murthered the man and being iudged to die his friende being on the bench calling to minde that it was hée that made much of him in Egypt forthwith rose and sayde that it was not that man that slue the man but euen hée himselfe The other denayed affirming that he was iustly condemned and that
so straunge and so maruailous was it to heare or to see any idle man in Athens The people called MassilieÌ„ses would suffer no trauailers neither Pilgrime nor Sacrificer nor any other straunger to come within their Citie lest vnder colour of religion or of pilgrime thei might corrupte the youthe of the citie with the sight thereof to be idle The Indians had a lawe made by their wisemen named Gimnosophist that after their meate was set on the table the youth should be examined what thei had doen for their meat what pain what labour vsed thei that whole mornyng before if thei could make accoumpte of their trauaill thei should goe to dinner but if thei had béen idle thei should haue no meate without thei deserued the same with some kind of exercise either of bodie or of minde The like did the young men of Argis made accoumpte vnto their Magistrates of their occupations and workes of their trauaill and paine Euen the Areopagites as Valerius affirmeth did imitate the Athenias in makyng decrees in settyng of orders in commaundyng their youthe to auoide Idlenesse and exercise trauaile then moste necessarie vnto any common wealth the other moste daungerous So that some Countreis are naturally giuen to trauaill as the Lidians Phrigians Frenche men with others Some againe giuen to Idlenesse as the Persians Corinthians Englishemen with others Some by lawe forced to flie idlenes some by punishemente feared some by death enforced to labour for their liuyng Thus this Monster Idlenesse is beaten euery where and yet embraced in moste places euery man speake against idlenesse and yet a nomber is in loue with it magistrates and officers appoincted to punishe it but yet thei after fauour it ¶ Of wrath and anger and the hurts thereof THe famous and noble Philosopher Plato did charge his Scholers alwaies beyng in anger or wrathe to beholde them selues in a glasse wher they might see suche alteration of countenaunce pale in colour tremblyng handes foltred tongues staring eies In fine voide of witte depriued of reason and beyng before reasonable men now brutishe beastes Wherfore that greate Philosopher perceiuyng the furious and hastie nature of Alexander wrote from Athens vnto India where this noble conquerour was at warres with kyng Poâ—us to take hede of wrath and anger saiyng Anger ought not to be in any Prince towarde his inferiour for that may be mended with correction nor towarde his equall for it maie bee redressed with power so that anger ought not to be but against superiours but Alexander hat no coequales yet in vaine was Aristotles doctrine vnto Alexander in that point for beyng in a banquet when Clitus his deere frende and foster brother commended his father kyng Philip of Macedone to bee the worthiest and most renoumed prince then liuyng Alexander waxed vpon a sudden so angrie to preferre anie man before hym though Philip was his owne brother which was commended and Clitus his especiall frende that did commende hym thinkyng rather to deserue praise at Alexander hand then to spead of death was thrust vnto the harte with a Speare So hastie was this prince that Calisthenes and Lismachus the one his philospher and councelour the other his companion and frende for fewe wordes spoken either of theim slain Silence saith Aristotle is the surest reward vnto a prince And beyng sory afterward angrie withall y t he had likewise kild himself had not Anaxarchus y e philosopher staied perswaded hym We reade that king Tigranes of Armenia whom Pompeius the greate did conquere after waxed so angrie by a fall from his horse bicause his sonne was present and could not preuent his fathers fall thrust hym in his anger with his Dagger vnto the hearte Anger in a prince saieth Salamon is death terrible is the couÌ„tenaunce of a kyng when he is oppressed with wrath hurtfull vnto many odious vnto all is the anger therof Nero was so furious in anger that he neuer hearde any thyng if it were not to his liking but he would requite one waie or other with death in so muche in his rage and anger he would often throwe doune Tables beyng at dinner cuppes of Golde wrought with pearles againste the walles dasht fling meate and drinke awaie more like vnto a furious Gorgone of hell then a sober Emperour in Rome Suche furie raigneth in anger that Orestes Agamemnons soonne slue his mother sodenly in his wrath Clitemnestra Such madnes raigneth in anger that Aiax Thelamonius that famous and valiaunte Gréeke after that Achilles was slaine in the Temple of Pallas by Paris at the destruction of Troie waxed so madde and angrie bicause he might not haue Achilles harnes which was geuen before to Vlixes that he beate Stones blockes fought with dead trées killed beastes thinkyng to méete with Vlixes amongest them If anger make men murtherers if wrath make meÌ„ mad without wit or reason to know themselues or others let theim imitate Plato in his anger which being angrie with any of his scholers or seruantes would geue the rod to Xenocrates to correcte theim for that he was angrie the learned Philosopher misdoupted himself that he coulde not vse modest correction euen so Architas would alwaies speak vnto his seruauntes whiche had offended hym Happie art thou that Architas is angrie lettyng his man vnderstande howe dangerous wrath is for as Aristotle saieth the angrie man seeth not the thyng which lieth vnder his féete â–ª Agustus Caesar Emperour of Rome desired Athenedorus a philosopher of Gréece whiche a long time accompanied Augustus in Rome and nowe readie to departe vnto Athens his natiue zoile of some sentence that the emperour might thinke of him The philosopher tooke a penne and wrote in a little Table this sentence Caesar when thou arte moued to anger speake nothyng vntill thou haste recited the Gréekes Alphabets a worthy lesson and a famous senteÌ„ce well worthie to be learned of all men There is nothyng or what can bee more vgglie to beholde more terrible to looke vnto then mans face when he is angrie and the more to be feared for that he hath no rule ouer him self All the painters of Persea had much to do to drawe in colours the terrible countenaunce and firie face of Queene Semiramis who like Maegera or Medusa grime Gorgons and frettyng furies of hell when she hearde that her Citie of Babilon was besiedged of the enemies beyng then dressyng of her head came with heares hangyng and fléeyng in the winde half amazed of the newes vnto babilon whose vglie and fearefull image most like vnto hir at that time stoode as long as Babilon continued as a monument and a terrible mirrour to maruaile at Wee reade of the like historie of Olimpias whose anger was suche when she thought of hir sonne Alexander she streight waies like a ragyng Lion or a cruell Tiger digged vp the bodie of Iola Alexanders taster who was thought to be
the felicity ioye and pleasure he was in least man shoulde possesse the place where sometime the Diuell raygned as an Aungell deceyued man This enuie tooke roote then in the first age for Cain enuied so his brother Abell that hée slue him for that God accepted Abels sacrifice refused his Ioseph was of his owne brethren likewise sold vnto Egypt for enuie that he was better beloued of his father theÌ„ they were Saule did so enuie King Dauid that hée gaue his daughter Michol in mariage to Dauid for that shée being his daughter might betray hir husbande to the Philistines Dathan and Abiron hadde great enuie toward Aaron Daniell was much enuied in King Nabuchadonosors Pallacies What shoulde I be long in this The Apostles the Prophets the Martires yea Christ himself was enuied at by Iewes and Gentiles Insomuch that tiranny and murther was the sequell of enuie as from time to time tried from age to age séene and from man to manne practized euen vnto deade men shewed as Achilles vnto Hector haling and drawing his bodye about the fieldes of Troye in open sight of King Priamus his father as M. Antonius vnto Cicero hauing Ciceros heade sette before him to ease his Tigrishe minde permitting his wife Fuluia to weare Ciceros tongue in hir Bonet As Cambises vnto the Iudge Sisamenes being deade to flea him being fleane to cut him in péeces being cut in péeces to giue him to be deuoured of beasts birds I might wel declare the tirany of Tullia shewed toward hir father king Ser. Tullius being dead to cause hir Chariot and horse to treade hir fathers bodie in the streates Of Tomyris Quéene of Scithia towarde King Cirus being deade to strike of his heade and to bathe it in blood Of Silla towarde Crassius being deade to burne his bodye more to shewe hir tiranny To note the tirannie of Alexander in Thessalia Of Busiris in Egipt To open the wicked life and state of Dionisius in Siracusa Of cruell Creon in Thebes of Periander in Corinth Of Pisistratus in Athens I shoulde be tedious to amplifie that which may be briefely examined And this we reade and sée dayly by experience that the ende of Tirants is to die in tyrannie and as they deale with others so are they dealt with all As Diomedes and Busyris were woont to feede their Horses with mens fleshe and to breake their thyrst with mens bloode so were they themselues vanquished by Hercules and made foode to be eaten and deuoured of their owne horses which they before fed with other mens fleshe Likewise the great tiraunt Phalaris and that cruell Perillus were both destroyed with those new inuented torments that they made for others I meane the brasan Bull which Perilles made to satisfie the tirannye of Phalaris Thrasillus and Scyron the one teaching the waye of tyranny was first of all in that which hée taught vnto others tormented and slaine the other throwne hedlong into the sea by Theseus euen so as he was woont to doe with others To speake of the great cruelty of Aemilius which as Aristides in Plutarch doth testifie that hée vsed to recompence anye man that woulde and coulde inuent newe tormentes to punishe the innocent and to pleasure his tigrishe minde Hée I saye dwelling in Agesta a Cittie of Sicilia made a brasen horse to vexe and torment the people wherein through the commaundemâ—nt of Arminius Paterculus chiefe magistrate of the Citie he first suffred the assaye of his newe inuented workes Wee reade againe of the fiftie sisters King Danaus daughters called Belides which béeing maried to the fiftie sonnes of Aegistus siue all their husbandes in the first night saue Hipermestra one of them so named spared the life of hir husbande Linceus The like we reade of the thirtie Sisters of Albina which after the selfe same sort made an ende of thirtie husbandes in one night The sequell of tirannye was suche that what wanted in the father was fully employed in the sonne for amendement is rare séene and that which is more often tried and very well considered of a simple woman named Ihera who when she perceyued that the people of Siracusa did wish y e death of Dionisius the tiraunt shée streight knéeled vppon hir knées and besought the Goddes that he might liue and being demaunded why shée prayed for suche a tyraunt shée sayde I knewe thrée kinges in Syracusa euery one a tyraunt the seconde woese than the first the thirde worse than the seconde and now Dionisius being the fourth worse than the thirde and hée that shall be fift I feare least hée be worse than Dionisius and therefore I praye the Goddes he might liue for of two euilles the lesse is to be chosen Marke howe in a simple woman in a sillie person truth often doth soiourne The like of a certen husbande man wée reade that digging in the grounde when the murtherers that slue king Antigonus passing by in haste taking their flight into Phrigia demaunding a husbande man why he digged so déepe I digge vp sayde hée an other king Antigonus to rule Macedonia letting them to vnderstande the true Prouerbe that séeldome comes the better that hée that woulde come after shoulde be farre worse than King Antigonus O happie age O golden worlde while tiranny was not knowne The great Monarchies of the world were gotten with tirannie and likewyse through tiranny lost The first Monarch after the great deluge was that of the Assyrians which began vnder Ninus the third king of the Assyrians and continued in slaughter and tiranny vntill Sardanapalus time the last king whiche was a thousande two hundred nine and thirtie yeares From the Assyrians it was woonne with the sworde and brought with violence and tiranny by that cruell and blouddie Arbactus vnto the Meedes and remayned there vntill king Astiages which was the ninth king and lasâ— king of the Meedes two hundred and fifty yeres from the Meedes it was had by tiranny awaye by king Cirus vnto Persea and there stayed vntill the time of king Darius which was two hundred and thirtie yeares from the Perseans it was with bloode and great slaughter taken awaye by Alexander the great vnto Macedonia and there maintayned vntill Perseus time which was a hundred and seuen and fiftie yeares from the Macedonians it was posted vnto Rome where vnder Iulius Caesar the prowdest Monarche in all the worlde fomed in bloode florished in tirannye a long while Thus tirannie was fedde and fostered from one countrie vnto an other vntill almost the whole worlde was destroyed The murther and tirannye that long florished in Gréece betwixt the Thebans and the Lacedemonians againe betwixt the Lacedemonians and the Athinians betwixt the Athinians and all Gréece Who readeth it not in Thucidides Tamburlanus the great murtherer King sometime in Scithia got through tyranny Medea Albania Mesopotamia Persea and Armenia passed ouer Euphrates subdued Asia the lesser and tooke
verye terrible to trust if it might be knowne with as many heades as Hidra to inuent wickednesse with as many handes as Briareus to commit euill with as many eyes as Argos to beholde vengeaunce with as swift legges as Thalus to go to naughtinesse entering into euerye mans house with a tongue as swéete as honey hyding in euery mans hart as bitter as gall of whome the olde poeme is spoken Mel in ore verba lactis fel in corde fraus in factis Of whome Antisthenes that learned Athinian was woont to saye that he had rather haue Rauens in house with him than flatterers for Rauens sayd hée deuoure but the carkasse being deade but the flatterer eateth vp the body and soule aliue For euen as tyranny is hidden in the secret bowels of enuie so is enuie cloked vnder filed phrase of flattery and very wel compared to the Crocodils of Nilus or to the Cirenes of y e seas the one wéeping mourning the other singing laughing the one with mone the other with mirth study how to annoy y e poore Mariner The flattering Parasite as Ouid saith denyeth with the negatiue and affirmeth with the affirmatiue wéepeth with him that is sad and laugheth with him that is mery as sometime Clisophus when his maister Philip King of Macedonia and Father vnto Alexander the great woulde hault bicause hée had the gout he would hault likewise when the king would be mery at his drinke Clisophus woulde not be sad In fine what soeuer Philip tooke in hande the same Clisophus did maintaine Aristippus the Philosopher coulde better please King Dionisius with adulation then Dion the Syracusan coulde pleasure him with trueth Cleo coulde better accomplish the desire lust of Alexander with forged flattery then Calisthenes his Counsellour coulde satisfie him with Philosophy and trueth Who might mooue Caesar to do any thing asmuch as Curio the Parasite not Pompeius his sonne in lawe nor yet his onely daughter Iulia nor all the Senators of Rome might make Caesar friende or foe as muche as Curio Flatterers are daungerous vnto the most part hurtful vnto all profitable vnto none and yet of Princes most accepted In Court like furious Centaures by formed Scilles huge Ciclops grime Gorgons fretting Furies and monstrous Harpeis yea with thousande more deformities vnder the shape of humanitie the swaye and rule For who is more made of than hée that ought least to bée estéemed who is trusted more than hée that deceyueth sonest who is hearde more at all times than hée that ought least to come in sight at any time who hath more of all men than hée that deserueth least of all men In fine who is more beloued any where than he that ought most to be hated euery where The common people of the Meedes and Perseans for that they knéeled vnto Alexander and made him the sonne of Iupiter were more estéemed for their flatterie therein than the nobles of Macedonia for their truth and plaine dealing What is it but flattery bringeth to passe That which the famous and renowned Prince Agamemnon with all the force power of Gréece could not with ten yeres siege subdue I meane Ilion in Phrigia that noble city of Troy one suttell Sinon a simple a sillye Gréeke allured the minde of King Priamus deceyued with flattery the nobles and entised the Citizens through adulations to their vtter destruction last confusion That auncient and renowmed Citie of Babylon which King Darius with all the power of Persea with long warres and losse of men yea when all his strength fayled him and all his force neuer able to vanquish any part of that noble Citie one Zopirus a Citizen borne in Babylon through forged faith and fyled flattery I say betrayed his natiue Citie vnto King Darius That famous citie of Olinthus which the valiaunt Conquerour and puisaunt Prince Philip king of Macedonia coulde neuer destroy with his great armie and strong hoast yet one dessembling Lasthenes with flattery conquered them and gaue them vnto the enimies hande king Philip. To speak of the auncient Lacedemonians the most famous and worthiest people in the whole world for their wars whome neyther Meedes Perseans Macedonians nor all Gréece againe might vanquishe before Phrinicus with flattery deceyued them The people of Samos were deceyued by false Apollonius Menelaus was beguiled with the flatterie of Paris Dion of Sirecusa was slaine by his flattering friende Calicrates O sucking serpent of cancred malice whose small fruict is terrible death If King Antigonus hadde knowne the flatterye of his fained friende Apollophanes he had not béene deceyued as he was If king Astiages hadde throughly knowne Harpagus his seruaunt hee had not béene slaine of king Cirus If that noble famous Romaine Crassus had not wayed the flattery of Carenus he had not bene so shamfully murthered amongst the Perthians What flatterie was betwéene Iason and Medea what deceit followed what adulation was betwixt Theseus and Ariadne what falshood ensued the one king Oetes daughter of the land of Cholcos helping Iason vnto the golden fléece the other king Minos daughter of Créete deliuering Theseus out of the dreadfull dennes of Labirinthus from the monster Mynotaurus but both deceyued by flattery howe the Troyan Prince Aeneas deceyued Quéene Dido with flatterie how the Grecian Demophon beguiled Quéene Phillis with adulation howe diuers such Quéenes Ladies and others haue béene allured and entised by fayre spéech the daylye experience with pollicie and practise therein is a certaine and sure proofe of the same which bicause they are common histories I will omitte to speake of But passe we forwarde in the pilgrimages and affayres of Princes Who murthered Caesar that worthy Emperour in the Senate house of Rome Brutus and Cassius those flatterers that Caesar loued most who poysoned that mightie Conquerer Alexander in the midst of his triumphs at Babilon those that flattered him most his owne cup taster Iolla and his kinseman Antipater Who betraied that famous Romaine Cicero vnto his méere enimie Marcus Antonius euen hée whome Cicero before defended and saued from death Pompilius Finallye who betrayed Christ both God and man vnto the Scribes and Pharisées his pursebearer that flattering Iudas with fayre spéech saying Aue rabbi embracing and Kissing him as flatterers vse to doe Where is their greater tiranny shewed then where flattery is most vsed Where is there greater deceyt practized than where curtezie is most tendered Where is more falshoode tryed then where trust is most reposed The first thing that deceyued man was flatterie which the Diuell the serpent put in vre to deceyue Eue flattering hir saying if thou eate of this fruite thou shalt know good and euill and you shall be as Goddes on earth As the Diuell is the only aucthor of all lies so is hée the only father of flatterie attempting alwayes the best and not the worst accompanying the hiest and not